Are lists boring?
Well, with my two main papers out of the way, and only a test (tomorrow) left in this semester, I can breathe a little. I still have a 3rd paper due by June 1st, but that one will be a lot of fun and I’m not worrying about it.
In the meantime, in my Netvibes account, I have a crapload of lists. To-do lists for this and that project, for this and that thing-I-want-to-do. Give me a to-do list, and chances are I will complete those items for the sweet, delicious joy of crossing that item off the list. Merely for voyeuristic purposes, here are a handful of my lists:
Movies that need watching:
- David Lynch’s Wild at Heart (just got the DVD and so I need to watch it — I’ve seen it before, and it’s mountains better than the wretched book by the same name that is popular among evangelicals)
- Grindhouse (hope I can catch this before it leaves the theatres)
- Hot Fuzz (*Loved* Shawn of the Dead, it’s by the same blokes)
- Blades of Glory (maybe before it leaves the theatre, but not high priority)
- Spiderman 3 (shut up, I want to see it despite what everybody says)
- The Machinist and everything else in my Netflix queue.
- Pirates of the Carribean 3 (when it comes out later this month)
- Shrek 2 (needs to be watched)
- Happy Feet (I love computer animation)
- You Me and Everyone We Know (just picked up the DVD for this as well… great indie flick)
- Constant Gardener (got the DVD as a gift, but I still haven’t watched it and would like to)
- V: Complete Series (i’ve had this on DVD in the shrinkwrap for a long time, and honestly, I’d rather watch something like this from my childhood than even begin watching a single episode of Lost [which I've still never seen beyond 10 minutes about some medusa spider]– and the mobs show up at that comment, I’m sure! :)
And here is a list of Theology/Philosophy books that warrant reading/finishing. We started some of these for my current Philosophy class (reading Heidegger, Levinas, and Derrida), but the course requirements only dictated that we read selections from them, which is a bit of a shame (the prof wishes she could assign the whole books, believe me). Also, since I have student access to a bunch of online journals and whatnot now, I found a bunch of older articles in Modern Theology that I should probably get around to reading at some point.
Finish Heidegger: Being and Time- Finish Dreyfus: Being-in-the-world
Heidegger: On Time and Being- Heidegger: Identity and Difference
Derrida: Given Time I: Counterfeit MoneyMilbank: “Can a Gift Be Given?” in Modern Theology (MT)- Marion: God Without Being
- Finish Kierkegaard: Concluding Unscientific Postscript (a few sections here and there, but it is mostly read)
- Stephen Long: The Goodness of God
- John Wright: Telling God’s Story (my pastor’s book that just came out through IVP with some amazing blurbs!)
- Pete Candler: Theology, Rhetoric, Manuduction, or Reading Scripture Together on the Path to God (great guy!)
- James K.A. Smith: Speech and Theology (heard mixed reviews, but will tie nicely into what I’ve been reading since January)
- MacIntyre: After Virtue (gosh, finally, and ideally, the other 2 books in his trifecta trilogy of three-ness)
- Michael Allen Gillespie: Nihilism Before Nietzsche (one of the key genealogical texts the RO folk use… I’ve read a bit of it)
- Kierkegaard: Fear and Trembling (oh, sweet, sweet Kierkegaard, I must return to you!)
- Kierkegaard: Repetition (need to read this before Marcus Pound’s forthcoming book as well as before reading Deleuze’s Difference and Repetition some day)
- Kierkegaard: Concept of Irony
- Kierkegaard: Sickness Unto Death
- de Lubac: Augustinianism and Modern Theology (a.k.a. wtf is Jansenism? I will learn!)
- Conor Cunningham: MT article that came out around the time of his GoN
- Phillip Blond: MT article and Post-Secular Philosophy
- Pickstock: Asyndeton article in MT
Finally, here is the list of fiction I have on deck. It’s not the most diverse list in the world, but I would really like to read up to the 5th Harry Potter novel before that movie comes out.
- Alice in Wonderland
- Harry Potter 2 (read the first on my honeymoon!)
- Harry Potter 3
- Harry Potter 4
- Harry Potter 5
- Oscar Wilde: Picture of Dorian Grey
- Neal Stephenson: The Big U (startin’ at the beginning of the Stephenson ouvre)
- Stephenson: Snowcrash
- Stephenson: Ice Age
- Stephenson: Quicksilver
- Stephenson: Confusion
- Stephenson: System of the World
For those that are wondering, this is not a summer reading list, even though portions of it are. It is more like a priority list of sorts. I will get to them… eventually, just in this order, if I can help it!
Random thoughts:
Jansenius was a bishop who attempted to return the Catholica to its Augustinian roots in a way different from Baius. J emphasized grace so strongly that there really wasn’t much nature left. Thus human creatures are completely self-sufficient. Post-fall humans merely need to be nudged back on track, therefore, to achieve there appropriate ends. dL believes that while J was trying to combat Baius and pure nature, he ended up with an incredibly strong doctrine of pure nature and that his position is (or was at least) the prevalent form of Augustinianism amonst Roman Catholics.
Dorian Grey is a very interesting novel, and oh, you should add the “His Dark Materials” trilogy by Pullman to your list. I think I”ll use these books in a class on Postmodernity and nihilism someday. Check out the reviews. First and foremost though, read all the Harry Potters! Why is #6 not on your list??? Read them now, before the 7th comes out! I’ve read them all about 5 times and am currently rereading them all (in addition to everything else!)
Peace Out, Rusty
Rusty Brian said this on May 10th, 2007 at 11:19 am
Rusty,
Thanks for the Janesnius 101! Very interesting stuff.
Pullman… is that the guy who hates C.S. Lewis? He sounds familiar…
I know I should probably be reading all the Harry Potters… I love the movies and whatnot… they bug just hasn’t bitten me. I’m sure once I start reading 2, 3, 4, etc., I’ll appreciate the books more because there is far more material and complexity there (or so I’m told) than could be accurately represented in the movies after the first (shorter) book.
ericaustinlee said this on May 18th, 2007 at 10:55 am
That is quite a long list (and an admirable one!), do you read fast?
Thomas Bridges said this on May 24th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Thomas,
No, I don’t read particularly fast. This is more of a statement about:
1. I like to make lists
2. These are books that I will probably only begin to chip away at reading during this summer.
3. If nothing else, this is a tentative order.
4. See, look, another list! :)
Peace,
Eric
ericaustinlee said this on May 25th, 2007 at 1:59 pm