Walter WangerinReseñas

The author presents 26 interlocking stories in a variety of styles ranging from gently reflective to incantatory. Together they embody a story theology that explores in fresh powerful ways the meaning of faith, the community of faith, and the vocation of the pastor, the servant of faith.

Box a

The Bible story presented in plain, everyday language - giving you a quick overview of the entire Bible.

Given to Matthew Hayes - 05/04/2023

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Tackling complex theological issues, this illuminating book for the most part succeeds in introducing children to the concepts surrounding baptism. As Wangerin (Probity Jones and the Fear Not Angel) explains, his approach is structured on a passage from Romans 8: "The creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God." Here, benevolently personified, the sun, a cloud, rain, wind, seed and water take turns describing their contributions to a child's baptism as they welcome the child into creation. Their words exemplify concepts of resurrection and growth, although Wangerin includes one somewhat discordant reference to the cleansing aspects of baptism: "I am the water they washed you in/... Clean from the devil! Clean from sin." Odd grammar ("I am the water went under the ground") and occasional cutesiness mar what is otherwise graceful, stirring verse: "I rode the wind to the edge of the skies/ And cried to the sun, 'Sun, shine on me/ For the child below, so the child can see/ A flaming raining-bow!'" Suz n (Butterfly Boy), in his friendly, candy-colored illustrations, joins Wangerin in stressing baptism as a dramatic entrance into the community of faith. It's a lot to take in, but Wangerin provides several pages of excellent resources for family Bible study, exploring the scriptural sources behind his story and making the theological concepts both accessible and engaging. All ages. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. (Publisher's Weekly)

First read as a young girl - then purchased and re-read several times through my life. Finally acquired a First Edition in excellent condition. :)
One of my favorite reads.

This was a book that kept my interest but took me awhile to really get into.
I couldn't help wondering what made Frances so willing to let these older men seduce her and then belittle her. It was a sad book for me; a book that made me angry with the men who took advantage of Frances, even though she was of age.
I enjoyed reading about her opportunities at the farms and how things aren't always how you expect them to be.

Animal Farm, but make it high fantasy and take away the charm. Yeah, I didn't like it.

Fictional portrayal of the events in the bible. The old testament part was better than the new.

Paul's life as found in Acts and his letters of the Bible is fictionalized. This really clarified why he wrote the things he did and gave insight to the troubles he faced.

I got the chance to see Wangerin, to literally sit at his feet in a packed room at the 2018 Festival of Faith and Writing. He was skeletal, with oxygen, and he read from his powerful recent poetry. This book is from the initial experience of cancer, more than ten years earlier. It is powerful, incredible. I’ll have to add it to my mental syllabus of books on suffering, death, and dying.

The book served as a refresher on early church history and brought some of the personalities to life. How true to character were those depictions, I suppose is anyone's guess. I'm sure Mr. Wangerin's educated guess is better than mine. I enjoyed the book based primarily on the subject matter. The change in narrators with each chapter was occasionally confusing. I think I can appreciate the difficulty of choosing appropriate language for a first century narrator, but I still found it amusing that James would comment on the "(electric) press of so many people" in one scene.

Overall, an enjoyable and quite educational read.

This novel captures the essence of oral traditions with its circular time line, sentence structure that matches the rhythm of the events being narrated. This is powerful writing by a white man who has absorbed Lakota frame-of-reference, but whether or not he has done it accurately is not for me to say.
We are given the story of Waskn Mani, who does not know his father, whose mother leaves without a word one year, who lives near the mountain with the pattern of a woman scorched upon it, who listens to a star which wants to be welcomed by the people.
We are given the daily lives of a village in the days when the people followed the buffalo, a village not always in peace but a village that continues to learn how to be a community of relationships.
We are given the story of a warrior who has been maimed but still is known as the best hunter, a warrior whose heart has been buried under unbearable pain, a warrior who silently ensures his mentally-different sister is taken care of.

This was an interesting book by a writer I enjoy. The story line is good, but this is not Wangerin's literary masterpiece. Frankly the writing is not great. I found myself wishing Stephen Lawhead (Christian fantasy author) wrote this book instead. One thing is sure, you do not want Walter Wangerin, jr. going medieval on you. That being said it was an interesting story. I just wish it was told better.

Summary: A tale of conflict between an orphan boy, Moves Walking, and a ruthless warrior, Fire Thunder over the life of their people, set in Lakota culture.

I've followed the work of Walter Wangerin, Jr. on and off for years, from the book of Bible stories we used to read our son to his Ragman: And Other Cries of Faith and the book he is most famous for, The Book of the Dun Cow, which I read only recently and reviewed here. This book looked like a further stretch, being set supposedly in Lakota culture (I will leave to others whether this book is faithful to Lakota ways). What I can say is that I found the story compelling, raising as it does larger questions of whether the capacity to do a thing is sufficient warrant for doing it.

The story traces the conflict between an orphan boy (actually the child of a beautiful Lakota woman who has disappeared, and a star), Moves Walking, and a mysterious, and fierce, one-eyed warrior, Fire Thunder. As a five year old, Moves Walking longs for his mother, Rattling Hail Woman, and asks the warrior if he has seen her, and for this question has his ear cut off.

The boy matures, cared for by a wise grandmother with aching feet and mentored by the Crier of the tribal band. His unusual identity is signaled when a mysterious star, accompanied by others comes to him and his people only to be turned away by them, but mysteriously given a home as water lilies. Later, he is taught to hunt by the Crier, yet grieves after he shoots four rabbits, and learns that a life is not to be taken but only can be asked for. From then on he does not hunt.

Not so, Fire Thunder, who takes whatever he wants and becomes a candidate to be a chief of the band. It turns out that, spurned as a lover, he had pursued Moves Walking's mother, and destroyed her and a host of animal creatures in a fire. In a climactic confrontation, Moves Walking, accompanied by animal witnesses to the heinous murder, stands alone in opposition to Fire Thunder becoming chief. We wonder whether Moves Walking will prevail, but instead, he nearly loses his life as Fire Thunder leads an attack on the animal host, the wolf giving his life to save Moves Walking.

Fire Thunder subsequently leads the Lakota in a war of conquest against the other peoples of the plains. He does this simply because he can. He forsakes the sacred dance and becomes answerable only to himself. Triumph turns to tragedy as the buffalo and all other animal life disappear, even as Fire Thunder destroys all human life other than the Lakota. Famine replaces conquest. Moves Walking and his grandmother live in hiding until the grandmother sees the desolation of the Lakota people. Moves Walking must "cry for a vision" for how he might save the circle of the world which will bring him once more face to face with Fire Thunder.

The story challenges the idea of domination that does a thing simply because it is in one's power to do, and particularly the ruthless domination that takes life simply because it can. It suggests that doing so rends the "circle of life", the fabric of existence, and that only some form of redemptive act can restore what has been rent.

The book includes an extensive Afterword of the author, recounting his research of the book, culminating in attending a Lakota Sun Dance, including the powerful ritual of piercing that many of the dancers undergo and the idea of a vision quest. It is clear that this was a powerfully moving experience for him, and one for which he expresses gratitude to his Lakota hosts. I suspect, however, that this does not provide adequate defense for him against charges of cultural appropriation on one hand, and syncretism on the other. My sense is that this was not a "Christian" story clothed in the veneer of Lakota tradition nor an attempt to do a mashup of Lakota and Christian belief. Rather, perhaps similar to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, although not in a made up world, Wangerin creates a kind of myth that speaks deeply to the human condition, and to the common humanity Wangerin found between himself and the Lakota. I have not found a Lakota response to Wangerin's work but at the time of first publication (1993), the book received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly. The book is currently out of print, but available from various booksellers, as well as local libraries.

The blurb from the Los Angeles Times says Belongs on the shelf with Animal Farm, Watership Down, and The Lord of the Rings." ?�It does not say you'll be as moved by it as you were by those. ?áI agree on both counts. ?áI thought this a brilliant and exciting fable. ?áMuch was a little obvious, some was a little metaphysical. ?áGod is mentioned by name, but really any Higher Power would serve as details don't seem to be present, or, if they are, they're in the symbolism, which is easy for an atheist like me to overlook (just as I do when I read Narnia).

No, this won't serve every reader. ?áBut everyone over the age of nine or so who likes animal fantasy should consider reading it. ?áSome, like me, will want to reread it. ?á

One thing that I never noticed in descriptions or other reviews was mention of the humor. ?áIt's wonderful: some is more subtle, some more cruel, and some is just slapstick. ?áFor?áan?áexample of the easier sort, some of the turkeys, we learn, are named Corningware, Paprika, and Basil.

There are also beautiful bits. ?áA wedding is held in the winter, and for gifts, the other animals tramp down words and pictures (a la' corn mazes). ?áHow apt, for animals, who don't have possessions....

An under-appreciated book. ?áLook for it. ?áMeanwhile, I will look for others by the author."

A gigantic fable about power and corruption. Somewhat Biblical in tone, it is also a book about hanging in there in the face of utter terror.

A truly unique book. The Book of the Dun Cow is a religious allegorical fable about Chaunticleer the rooster, who has been assigned my God the duty of protecting the Earth from Wyrm, a great evil which is trapped within the Earth. But Wyrm has found a way out, and Chaunticleer, along his fellow animals must wage a great war to keep the evil contained.

I had never before heard of THE BOOK OF THE DUN COW, by Walter Wangerin Jr., until a local book group chose it for their next read. This is good, in a way, because I had no expectations. A National Book Award winner in 1980, the story completely involves animals that talk and not a human being in sight.
Chauntecleer the Rooster rules a peaceful yard. While hens produce eggs, John Wesley Weasel gets accused of eating them, Ebenezer Rat is attacked, and Mundo Cani the Dog, Wee Widow Mouse and Pertelote the Hen come into the yard.
THE BOOK OF THE DUN COW reads as a fable, with good fighting against evil. Although Wangerin claims it is not allegorical, one can’t help but want to pick it apart. There are lots of references to “light” and “dark”. I’m not sure I want to analyze it, because the reading of it is such a grand experience.
This book is fabulous; the characters so well written that you feel like you know them. I think anyone would enjoy THE BOOK OF THE DUN COW. It is now one of my all-time favorite books!

While setting the category for this book review, I hit an impasse. Do I consider this a work of literature, theology, or spiritual formation?

When I was a young minister I bought Wangerin's The Book of God. His novelization of the Old Testament made an impact on my study of scripture. He reminded me of the reality of these ancient stories. In Paul, he picks up the story where he left off. Wangerin combines an intimate knowledge of scripture, thoughtful exegesis, and a literary pen to create a work that will help the reader understand Paul more completely than before.

You could consider this a work of literature. The point-of-view shifts between the various characters (framed by the pseudo-musings of Seneca) are a profound way to revisit a well-known story.

Alternatively, it could be considered a work of theology. Many exegetical decisions had to be made about issues such as the purpose of the Gentile offering, the nature of Paul's "thorn in his flesh," and the circumstances and letters to the church in Corinth. Wangerin chooses wisely.

For me, this book was primarily a work of spiritual formation. Wangerin has enabled me to imagine what it would be like to live Paul's life. You can almost feel the sweat and taste the dust of the ancient cities. The conflict between Paul and Jerusalem was profoundly disturbing yet moving. It helps me to place modern church conflict in perspective.

There were times when the action slowed and the detailed description started to feel excessive. As a whole, however, Paul: A Novel, is powerful work of Christian imagination.

Like the previous two books in the Book of the Dun Cow series, Peace at Last continues the fight between good and evil. Now that evil has entered the world and infected many animals, the world has become a very dangerous place for those who would follow the path of righteousness. The disparate group of animals, this Band of the Meek, finds itself trapped between a huge mob of vicious killers intent on destroying them and the promised sanctuary which is hidden at the bottom of a steep ravine. It will take a leap of faith for them to enter but, if they can make this leap, rest and freedom from the sorrows of the world will be their reward even to the Least of them.

I have seen this series compared to books like Animal Farm and The Lord of the Rings. To me, it more resembles Pilgrim’s Progress both in style and in content. Despite its modern language, there is something archaic in its telling. There is an elegance and lyricism to the prose which is so rarely seen in modern literature outside of poetry which I found an absolute joy like reading a hymn of praise by Bach.

One word of warning, however. There is some use of swearing in the tale. Personally, I felt it fit the narrative, sort of like a dissonant note in a concerto meant to jolt the reader and move the story but I suspect that some readers may be offended by this.

This sequel to [b:The Book of the Dun Cow|616937|The Book of the Dun Cow|Walter Wangerin Jr.|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176359751s/616937.jpg|75067] is almost as good as the original, featuring a frightening war between good and evil as represented by Chauntecleer the Rooster and Wyrm. Yes, this is fantasy fiction, but beautifully written and spellbinding at times.

This sequel is darker than the first book, due to Wyrm taking center stage. The reader feels for the Rooster and his bouts of self-doubt. At times it takes on a Homeric tone, one mirroring the same Cold War reality of the 1980s. I certainly identified with each animal and view this book, along with its original, as a true fable for the modern world.

Book Season = Autumn (Wyrm's season)

An illustrated children's Bible.