July
2006
Red Tents and Christian Bubbles
I just got an email reminding me that my book club, Between the Bookends, is meeting on Saturday. That means I have from now until then to read The Red Tent. Which means I’m going to have to figure out where I (mis)placed it after buying it last month. It’s a very good thing I read quickly!
I just love this book club. Several of my friends from church and I were feeling the need to get outside our “Christian Bubble”–if you’re highly involved in the Christian community, you probably know what I mean. It’s how we tend to surround ourselves with everything related to Christianity and try to insulate ourselves from anything not “Christian.” So we have Christian friends, Christian playgroups, Christian bookstores, Christian support groups, Christian radio, Christian newspapers, and I guarantee you that when we discover a department store playing Christian music, we end up shopping there more because of it!
By the same token, we avoid places and people that might “contaminate” us. As a result, we end up creating a sub-culture for ourselves and distancing ourselves from the people in the world that God loves and wants us to love. This really bothers me. I’ve seen how I end up living in my own Bubble–not on purpose, but because it’s simpler that way.
But I want to get out of my bubble, and so did my friends. So we decided to be intentional about it. We formed a reading club whose purpose is to read a variety of novels that have a faith element in it. ANY faith. As in…not necessarily Christian.
And we decided to meet at a small, independent bookstore in Omaha called The Reading Grounds. It’s a warm, cozy, adorable little store that has a coffee bar and a pretty extensive fiction section. It also is focused on a niche that most conservative Christians would have a problem with, as you’ll see if you visit the site.
But we LOVE “our” bookstore! It’s close to my house, and I’ve made friends with the owners. They are wonderful people, and I consider it a privilege to know them. I feel good about our decision to hold our reading group there. The store staff is extremely supportive of our group and have fun helping us find new books to fit our theme each month. And we are helping to support an independent bookstore–if you know anything about the book industry, you’ll understand what an endangered species that is!
And the best thing is, I’m getting out of my Bubble. And I’m understanding on a deeper level the truth that there’s a reason God loves the whole world (not just the Christian parts of it)–it’s made up of beautiful people that He created and that He wants to bring into a friendship with Himself.
I’ve heard lots of differing points of view about The Red Tent. I’ll post my own opinions after I read it. But if you’re ever in Omaha on the last Saturday morning of the month, 10:00-11:30, stop by The Reading Grounds and say hello! And if you live in the Omaha area, come be part of our reading group!
The Red Tents and Christian Bubbles by Violet Voices, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Written By: Meredith Efken
Posted under: Women's Voices . 
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Girl - I may have to join your bookclub sometime. Holly and I were discussing not too long ago how we need to get out of our Christian bubble. It’s hard work!
Have I ever told you about my favorite book website? It’s PaperBackSwap.com It’s AWESOME! Check it out - you send people books that they request from you and they send you books that you request from them. Other than postage on the books you send, it’s totally free. I’ve never not received a book. Crazy! It really helps fuel my passion for reading without breaking the bank!
I listened to an audio tape of the Red Tent years ago, and I think I got the unabridged version because to my ears it sounded slightly R possibly x-rated rated. Well, if you want to step out of your bubble, reading the Red Tent is a great place to start!
I love reading Biblical fiction, and I write it as well, but this book had me running to my Bible saying, “Huh. Did it really say that?” Most of the time my answer was “No.”
Can’t wait to hear your take on it.
Jill, come on and join us! And bring Holly, too! Bonus points if you bring some folks who have never been IN a Christian bubble.
And OHHH, don’t tell an author published in trade paperback about things like PaperBackSwap! Ow! I can hear the flush of my royalty checks going down the toilet.
Let me be in my ignorant bliss a bit longer. (Just teasing! Go to That Site and rave about my book and make everyone request it. Eventually, someone will have to buy it in order to make a trade!)
Gina, yes I’ve heard that RED TENT is what we politely call “revisionist” fiction. I’m interested to see exactly what sort of revisions to the Biblical story are being made and to discuss why the author chose to revise in that way. I think I’ll be able to learn a lot about our own culture and the way people view the Bible. Should be interesting–I’ll definitely share my thoughts.