Religion-Philosophy - Scott J. Pearson’s Book Review

Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil

By Scott J. Pearson | April 6, 2024April 6, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Banal means lacking in originality or boring. It is a fitting description of the Nazis’ imaginations behind the Holocaust. This crime against humanity was so hideous that international laws were created to try those culpable. Adolf Eichmann was among the planners of the “Final Solution” and fled to Argentina. The new state of Israel had to kidnap him in order to bring him to justice in Israeli courts. He never denied the charges against him…

Religion-Philosophy Science

Einstein & the Poet: In Search of the Cosmic Man

By Scott J. Pearson | April 6, 2024April 6, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Albert Einstein is one of my favorite characters in history. I fell in love with his work while a graduate student in Princeton. His ethos still pervades the town. Of course, he upended Newtonian physics with his theory of relativity. He also contributed notably to other subfields of physics. As a Jew, he stood as a counterpoint to Nazi Germany’s false contention that as non-Aryans, Jews have not contributed to modern civilization after the Bible.…

Biography-Memoir Religion-Philosophy

I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith & Being Black in America

By Scott J. Pearson | February 25, 2024February 25, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

This book opens with a heavy moment of racial stereotyping of an innocent black male as suspect, even criminal. Then it introduces us to that man’s life story. Hardly nefarious, author Tyler Merritt has overcome numerous challenges to embrace life today. With loads of humor and empathy, he lets readers know what it feels to be him. He is entangled at times with fame, but in the long run, he learns to be authentically himself.…

Fiction-Stories Religion-Philosophy

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

By Scott J. Pearson | January 25, 2024January 25, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

In the early twentieth century, Harlem was the place to be for black culture. Many had recently moved northward from the South to try out city life. As much as they wanted to reinvent themselves, past culture, built on the Christian Scriptures, remained ever near. In a small Harlem church, a teenage son came to terms with his identity in a relatively short amount of time. This book starts with the beginning of his epiphany,…

Religion-Philosophy

Confessing Our Faith: The Book of Confessions for Church Leaders

By Scott J. Pearson | November 12, 2023November 20, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

The Presbyterian Church resides in the Reformed Protestant tradition of theology and faith. Contrary to the belief of some churches that split from it, this tradition is a living, broad tradition that continues to reform itself. That is, it recognizes that it continues to develop historically as new challenges confront the church – and humanity. It also is an open faith that does not claim a monopoly on the truth. Its historic creeds are published…

Religion-Philosophy

Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water & Loving the Bible Again

By Scott J. Pearson | October 3, 2023October 20, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Fundamentalist and evangelical preachers often try to enforce a “literal” interpretation on the Christian Scriptures. That perspective often removes the affective, emotional, and wonder-filled components – precisely the original authors’ main points. The late Rachel Held Evans was raised an evangelical but became an outspoken mainline Protestant before her untimely death. Here, she tells her story alongside the Bible’s story. She tries to recapture some of the amazement that drew many to read the Christian…

Biography-Memoir Religion-Philosophy

The Deep Faith of Paul Robeson

By Scott J. Pearson | September 24, 2023September 24, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

On August 29, 2023, the Pew Research Center released survey data about the crossing between religious groups and racial issues. 53 percent of Americans said that people not seeing racial discrimination where it does exist was a bigger problem. 45 percent said the opposite, that people seeing discrimination where it does not exist is a bigger issue. To anyone who has followed American politics in recent years, these results should come as no surprise. After…

Biography-Memoir Religion-Philosophy

The Woman They Wanted: Shattering the Illusion of the Good Christian Wife

By Scott J. Pearson | August 29, 2023September 23, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Many of us who grew up in conservative evangelical churches bear stark memories of how a culture can entrap people instead of empowering them. One prime way is through gender roles, in a form of patriarchy where only men are allowed leadership roles and a public voice. Decades ago, Shannon Harris married the best-selling author Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Goodbye) and quickly became a silent, unpaid role of a pastor’s wife. In this memoir,…

Religion-Philosophy

Finding Phoebe: What New Testament Women Were Really Like

By Scott J. Pearson | August 16, 2023August 16, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Many Christian conservatives make a loud case for the social subordination of women through New Testament texts. They argue that women should take neither leadership nor speaking roles. Some limit the reach of these to religion, but others even advance such typology towards all of society. Were women always admonished to submit? And must religion still be an oppressive force today? In this book, Susan Hylen takes on these lingering issues by addressing the historical…

Religion-Philosophy Research-Education Science

On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research

By Scott J. Pearson | July 16, 2023October 20, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Ethics in scientific research is an issue appearing periodically in the news… and often not in a good way. Perhaps some ethical lapse has led to a field’s struggles with millions of dollars worth of effort lost. Or perhaps someone falsified results and misled the public. Or governments might exploit research that was supposed to benefit humanity and redirected it to harming people. All these fall under the headline of “Responsible Conduct in Research,” more…