My adored great uncle, who is a retired Missouri Synod Lutheran clergyman, has a birthday coming up. I always have to practically nag him to death to let me know what kind of a present he'd like, as he tries to say, "Just make a donation somewhere." I do that for Christmas, but birthdays are special.
So somehow I beat it out of him over e-mail. He'd like a book. Not just any book. There is apparently a "Lutheran thriller" about someone in the Missouri Synod who works for the CIA!
I didn't know Lutherans were allowed to have thrillers...maybe it's about a Lutheran going on vacation and pretending he's a Methodist? Or as one of my friends said, pranking Catholics after having some sherry?
As many good qualities as we may have, the words "Lutheran" and "excitement," let alone "thriller," don't tend to go together. We don't tend to do anything interesting like declare Jihad, curse people, handle snakes, or speak in tongues. We're rather on the tame and boring side. I mean, we haven't even updated our hymns for a couple of centuries.
So I am just curious enough that maybe I'll read this book, too.
What are you reading these days? Would you, by chance, read a Lutheran thriller?
21 comments:
Is that the name of the book, LUTHERAN THRILLER? If not, shouldn't you share the name with us? I truly believed that the Catholics were the only ones who were depicted in fiction thrillers.
I just recently finished reading two great autobiographies, one by Mary McDonough (of The Waltons fame), and a killer by Alison Arngrim (she of Little House on the Prarie fame) called (appropriately enough) "Confessions of a Prarie Bitch".
Highly recommend the both of them.
Sounds like trying to cash in on the success of The DaVinci Code and stuff like that.
I bet if you look hard enough, there's probably some religion-specific themed women's erotic literature. Have you taken a look at the girlie porn section at your nearby bookstore lately? It's huge. And I'm telling ya, they got a girlie porn for everything now. It's not just pirates with huge pectorals muscles anymore.
And because I know you're going to ask. I was in that section because it gives me a cheap laugh. Also, it's half the freakin' book store. Kinda hard to avoid it entirely.
I am reading an autobiography called, "Caste and Outcast" by Dhan Gopal Mukerji. And I am trying to get my hands on a library copy of "State of Wonder" by Ann Patchett - book club selection for March.
We Presbyterians cheerfully refer to ourselves as the "frozen chosen." Same deal as Lutheran, I guess. :)
I'd give it a whirl - sounds intriguing!
Lutheran Thriller? And all of a sudden I have images of clergymen dancing like zombies to a Michael Jackson tune!
GA: Good point. It's called Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel.
G: That second one sounds hilarious!
WIGSF: I'm always up for a cheap laugh. Religious-specific themed women's erotic literature? That sounds creepy.
L: Frozen chosen! That is hilarious.
C: I may just read it and let you know how it is.
Squirrel: I didn't even think of that, that's even better!
Don't you have to eat really gross fish to be a Luthern? Or is that to be from Minnesota?
I am not into thrillers, really, but I would read a Lutheran thriller. Something tells me I would get a giggle out of it.
L: I think that's just the Minnesota Lutherans. I did live in MN until I was six, but never ate the nasty fish.
NV: That's what I think, too!
It was both incredibly funny and wickedly poignant.
I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone who wants know about a well known former child actor-turned comedianne/AIDS activist and how she survived a truly tragic childhood.
It only took me about three days to read this book from cover to cover.
I like some thrillers...but I stay away from virtually all "religious" type books, movies, tv shows...because I AM religious and I find them far more offensive than the "secular" stuff...
Like the afore-mentioned Davinci Code, besides being completely lame as entertainment, I found far more offensive than Hitman, a flick far more in common with Davinci than you would think...
But that might just be me.
G: I will definitely check that out.
Darth: The author is Missouri Synod Lutheran, but I hear you. I tend mostly to make fun of myself for the same reasons.
I always heard that where you find 4 Lutherans- you will find a 5th!!!! ar ar!
Love ya- he says as he genu--gennifle--genufli--Makes the sign of the Cross and runs away FASTLY! Can you do that if you are not Catholic?
GREAT POST!
J
OH Crap--Not the dreaded word Ver you can't read---Oh well- You're worth it!
Does anything by Glenn Beck count as absurdist Jihad humor?
John: Thanks ;)
ABFTS: I believe so!
I recently bought a book by Canadian author Armin Wiebe called "Murder in Gutenthal" -- it's a murder mystery set among the devout Mennonites of Manitoba. Sort of tongue in cheek and a bit satirical in its way.
I have to admit I'm not really reading anything at the moment.
I don't read fiction so that cuts down my choice of reading a bit too.
Deborah: That sounds like fun, actually. Thanks for stopping by!
Joey: I alternate bt fiction and non. I just finished a really interesting book about lobster fishing.
How interesting RK, I am not big on thriller actually but lately I have been reading some Chinese philosophical books which is very inspiring :)
S: Hello! That does sound very interesting, actually.
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