The Week's Reads: Marilynne Robinson, Guantanamo Nightmare, Intelligent Design, and More

Here's some of what I enjoyed reading this past week:

• The great Marilynne Robinson writes in the New York Times about the Bible, "the book of books," and its relationship to the Western literary heritage. My favorite turn of phrase: her description of "religious thought," in contrast to "religious propaganda," as "an attempt to do some sort of justice to the rich difficulties present in the tradition."
• Another NYT piece, this time on Haiti's slow recovery from the earthquake two years ago this month.
• A final piece, much more personal, from the Times: Lakhdar Boumediene, an Algerian immigrant seized from Sarajevo in late 2001 and held illegally (and unjustly) by the U.S. for more than seven years without charges, on his "Guantanamo nightmare."
• Friend and fellow Candler alum Paul Wallace on Christian faith, scientific endeavor, and the swift death of "Intelligent Design." (H/T: David Congdon.)
• A deeply insightful piece by Jay Caspian Kang on "Kwame Brown, basketball player, and Kwame brown, symbol of failure."
• Adam Kotsko with two thoughtful posts this week: the first an interrogation of the apparent gap in compassionate activism relating to food and animals versus that relating to labor conditions of those who make cheap American clothing; the second an affecting, surprisingly autobiographical reflection on class and anxiety in the academy.
• From back in December, friend of the blog and all-around renaissance-theologian Peter Kline analyzes Lady Gaga's music video, "Marry the Night."
  
• Finally, check out PST graduate student Kait Dugan's blog, KYRIE ELEISON, which I have only recently happened upon. It's worth your time.