Like some other bloggers, I received a review copy of Bill Kassel's This Side of Jordan, which I just finished reading. FOr the most part I concure with Curt Jester's review, although I did find it a tad sermonizing in parts (even though I agreed with the content of the sermons). Nevertheless, I must agree that I found Kassel a much smoother novelist than Bud MacFarlane.
Some of the parts I found most humorous in this novel are his observations about modern nuns. Kathy Shaidle would probably concur with Kassel's description of how modern nuns dress and groom -- that is, despite getting rid of the veil and habit, you can still tell a nun in an airport by the way she dresses.
The other enjoyable part is an exchange between an old conservative priest and a boomer modernist priest, where the latter claims homophobia is the greatest threat facing the church. The old priest responds something like "No, I think the greatest threat is homophobephobia -- or the fear of being called a homophobe."
From my little computer in Canada's capital, I wholeheartedly concur. In fact, just blogging this thought is technically a felony in our country, if I am not mistaken. One punishable by up to two years in prison.
I also liked the line about how modern nuns wore phd's instead of habits (or something to that effect).
As some other blogger put it, the real "homophobia" is the fear of gays' disapproval.
I read the last book by Bill Kassel "Holy Innocents". Actually read it in a class on social action and religion. It dealt with abortion and the Church. I like the way this author creates an interesting story around the struggles of real 'everyday' Catholics. I'm curious to read this one.
I've read two of Bill Kassel's books - This Side of Jordan and Holy Innocents - and I think he's got something interesting going. He's one of the few Christian writers who can create a story that actually hangs together as a piece of fiction. He preaches, but his stuff isn't sugary or contrived, the way most religious novels tend to be. His characters are complex. The sympathetic ones have flaws, and the unpleasant ones have strengths. Unfortunately, he's still pretty new on the scene, and his books
can be hard to find - mostly in Catholic bookstores, and there aren't a lot of those.