When Donkeys Talk: A Quest to Rediscover the Mystery and Wonder of Christianity

Blanski (Mud & Poetry) is praying for a renaissance of Christianity. A writer and musician with a “medieval beard,” Blanski takes the reader on a pilgrimage to the past to rediscover the mystery lost in modernity. Along the way, he unpacks old ideas in short, easy to read chapters. Dialogues with friends lighten the book as well. Agnostic Oliver, for instance, provides a foil in his effort to show why science shouldn’t be elevated over Christianity. The author won’t convince the skeptic, and he neglects the awe and wonder that many find in scientific theories. But his starting point is Jesus, and he argues that modern Christianity is “materialistic or therapeutic deism.” Blanski’s vision will appeal to and challenge Christians of any denomination who feel unsatisfied with Sunday services. The sacraments of Eucharist and baptism are real and transformative, he says. His critique and ideas might not be novel, but, Blanski would argue, the church could benefit from old truths. (Jan.)