Book Review: Reading is Believing

Reading is Believing: The Christian Faith Through Literature and Film by David S. Cunningham, Paperback: 238 pages, Publisher: Brazos Press (November 1, 2002), ISBN-10: 1587430444

Rating: 5 of 5 STARS
Source: Random pick on Amazon a couple of years ago, 2009 TBR Christian Non-Fiction List

Wow. Loved this book. It took me a while to read it, though. I started and stopped, but I don't think it was any fault of the book. It's only 238 pages, but the type is relatively small, so that's a little misleading. Here's the product description from Amazon:

In this fascinating and fresh look at the Apostles' Creed, David Cunningham argues that reading fiction and film can lead Christians to a deeper, more precise, and more experiential knowledge of their faith. Drawing on novels, plays, and films by the likes of Dickens, Shakespeare, P. D. James, and Graham Greene, Cunningham discusses the Apostles' Creed in detail, using one primary text to illuminate each article. Cunningham begins with a brief history of the Christian creeds and their significance. In addition to plot summaries, each chapter includes discussion questions addressing the relationship between literature and faith and concludes with a works cited list and a list for further reading. This book will delight Christians who want to better understand the creeds and basic doctrinal confessions of the Christian faith.

So - like the description says - Cunningham takes each phrase of the Apostle's Creed and fleshes it out using a work of literature to help explain each concept. If you are a Christian, are interested in studying the Apostle's Creed, and love to read, this book is for you. It would be a wonderful book for a church book club to use as a guide. There's twelve phrases to the Creed, so it would be perfect for a year's worth of reading!

Here's the chapters and the books/films he uses for each:

1. God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, The Time of Angels by Iris Murdoch.
2. Jesus Christ, God's Only Son, Our Lord, The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis (film and book). I own :-)
3. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary, The Children of Men by P.D. James (film and book). Have read :-)
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was Crucified, Died, and Buried, Hard Times by Charles Dickens.
5. Descended into Hell, On the Third Day Rose Again, The Brother's K, by David James Duncan. I own :-)
6. Ascended into Heaven, Sits at the Right Hand of God, The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare.
7. He will come to Judge the Living and the Dead, Beloved by Toni Morrison (film and book).
8. I believe in the Holy Spirit, "The Enduring Chill" by Flannery O'Connor. I own :-)
9. The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver. I own :-)
10. The Forgiveness of Sins, Dead Man Walking by Helen Prejean (film and book). Have seen the film :-)
11. The Resurrection of the Flesh, The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (film and book). Have read :-)
12. And the Life Everlasting, A Pure Formality by Guiseppe Tornatore (film).

I think the chapter that has made the most impact on me was Chapter 2 which focused on the humanity of Christ. It gave me much food for thought.

Enjoy, bloggy friends!



PS. In addition to discussion questions at the end of each chapter, there's a list of more books and films that relate to each particular phrase of the Apostle's Creed. Don't you just love book lists?!

PSS. Not from a Reformed theological perspective for those who care.