Welcome to Litsy!

There aren‘t many histories of the Cathar heresy, but this is a good place to start. It‘s a more than adequate exploration of the Albigensian Crusade and early inquisitions sponsored by the papacy.

I didn‘t need to start reading another book…but I couldn‘t resist! Why do paperbacks printed in the UK smell so much better than US ones?!? #smellingbooks

Books leaving my collection. Most are going to my classroom next week, but the Frassetto [bottom] is going to the library (it‘s SO dull & academic, I don‘t know why my grandfather bought it; he NEVER read anyway)

It‘s an interesting examination of how Christianity developed some of its most abhorrent ideas about the afterlife. It‘s difficult to say that people that believe these things are actually good people because they are worshiping a monstrously cruel deity for personal benefits.

I really wanted to read this book, but the author makes LOTS of assumptions and does not provide evidence or arguments. I tried to read this just as a plain history book, since three chapters in the author still hadn‘t gotten to the subtitle ideas, but even then it was too many assumptions and not enough interesting information.
Perhaps this would more suit someone with a religious history background.

The barn cat needs some reading time love too! #catsoflitsy

I find religious history fascinating so I just bought this ebook, which is on sale today.

I appreciate Dr Ehrman‘s work. We are both recovering evangelicals and I appreciate how he looks at religion through the lens of the academic, historical discipline. Many of us want to see what is there via the scholastically defendable arguments, which were never presented to us. While this particular book is not perfect, it is a place to start if you are interested in the subject.

I am not one to bail on a book. I picked this up because the subject, the religious prosecution of women, seemed interesting enough. However, I like my non-fiction to be purely factual so I can form my own opinions and it quickly became obvious that Armstrong is very opinionated herself. But sometimes she gets really mean. If I were a religious person, i'd be a bit offended to be honest.

Artwork by: https://www.deviantart.com/era-7

Compelling, multi-perspectival study of a shrine that, as the subtitle suggests, says much about both body and spirit in a secular age. It‘s refreshingly non-partisan and very well-written; exploring both the founding events and the shrine as an historical and ongoing place of pilgrimage. Not for the first time, I came away wishing that there were more books like this and with my conviction renewed that the world truly is a fascinating place.