Required Seminary Reading (Like anyone will listen)
OK, so this is my personal opinion...
I think every seminarian, every potential church leader, perhaps every Christian should read the Dune series of books by Frank Herbert.
Why?
Threaded in the story line is a very good examination of religion, fictional and historical. His characters merge different religions to forge new belief systems. At several points new religions crop up to worship different people who are "supermen/superwomen" to them. What I find wonderfully amazing is that the worshipped hate the very religions that have sprung around them and have given them their very power.
I can see Father in these people sometimes... I can see Father looking at the religions that we have created, even the ones that claim to worship Him, and mourn.
Here's a small excerpt from Book 6: Chapterhouse: Dune:
Rules build up fortifications behind which small minds create satrapies. A perilous state of affairs in the best of times, disastrous during crises.
Book 4, God Emperor of Dune is about one "man" who accepted the title "God Emperor" and even defended the title while hating the worship it created. It contains a very good examination of the differences in female vs male organizational and relational hierarchies.
You can get the Dune books in "trade" size - pretty cheap overall. I'll be buying the hardbacks soon because I want them in my library. I'll keep some loaners around as well.
I'm adding the books to my recommended ones as well.
