James (Story: Recapture the Mystery
), an experienced storyteller, offers a series of casual reflections on the paradoxes of the Christian faith. He addresses all the old standards—like how can a good God allow pain, how much of salvation is our work and how much is grace, and why God calls us to be perfect when we all know that's impossible. James sees everything through the lens of story. He talks around the ideas he's addressing, taking circuitous routes through a series of tangentially related tales, sometimes touching and sometimes trivial, largely from his own life. Each chapter also includes original poetry—heartfelt but not terribly well written. There are deep insights here, if few hard-and-fast conclusions, and while these are not altogether fresh, they are presented with energizing honesty. At times the number of metaphors is overwhelming and confusing, like when James writes of "the thrilling romance of dancing with a rugged bridegroom toward the edge of eternity amidst the weird dreams, bad aim, and indecipherable miracles of life." Some readers will likely find the book difficult to follow, but James's postmodern fans will welcome it. (Sept.)
