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A Spirituality of Being Human
$19.95 – $29.95Hugh Brady’s life’s work has been discovering the divine in the human. He thinks we have it wrong when we apologize, saying: “I am only human.”
A Spirituality of Being Human explores our human nature as a sacred gift, even with its vulnerabilities and weaknesses. In fact, it is through our limitations that we find our way to growth, compassion, and grace. “It is not in escaping our human condition but in its full embrace that we can feel the divine heartbeat within our own human hearts.”
Jesus taught a spirituality of being human when he walked among us. Discover with Brady the fullness of human life as the bridge to transformation and the building of the kingdom of God. Our human home, Earth, is integral to this spirituality.
Ellen R –
Mary Kirsch Boehm is a retired science teacher who now docents at art museums. The presence of this book says to me that the author discovered the amazing connection between science and art in her post-retirement career, and wants to share this knowledge with those who are still clinging to the notion that science is a more “serious” pursuit than art. In these days of dismissing the arts in favor of STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math). In fact, as Boehm points out, nearly every aspect of art involves science, from color theory to understanding how to build a sculpture to last or restore an old work of art.
With this important topic, I wish Boehm would have thought more carefully about who her audience might be. At times, the writing is grade-school elementary (“atoms are very, very small”), and much of the time, the text glosses over a bunch of seemingly unrelated topics without following through in a later chapter. The author seems to think that by merely presenting the facts without context, the reader can draw their own conclusions.
The other problem I had with this book is that there are no pictures of the art she describes. This is a real missed opportunity to point to specific elements in the works of art she describes that use the scientific principles she discusses.
Finally, I need to point out that there is no mention of the performing arts in this book. I get that, it would have been a much longer book and involved an artistic area with which the author is not as familiar. But musicians, actors, scene designers, and dancers also use science, and if you’re trying to make a case, all the arts should be included.
Joseph M –
I have mixed thoughts on this book. I think the content and topics are very good, and interesting. And make the author’s points well. Good descriptions. The author probably doesn’t need to add the essay style beginning and end. Or she could have used another method to relay the information. To me, this weakened the book a bit.
The organization of the book would be greatly enhanced by adding images of the artwork, science, and items being discussed. Otherwise, it is a book about visual things without visuals.
I think this book has the most potential as a guiding document to develop a script for a PBS series or documentary series.
Annie B –
This is a layman-accessible examination of the intersection and interplay between the arts and sciences and how creativity is necessary and indelibly entwined with the pursuit of advances in both. It’s an academic work, written by a professional educator and as such, is exhaustively annotated. It’s not at all dry, however, and readers who are interested in the subject matter will find a great deal of well-presented information to ponder here.
The subject matter is presented in a logical progression: from the larger overarching themes (interconnectedness and relationships between science and art and the similarities between methods of thinking) to specifics of materials & techniques, light and color, conservation (fascinating info here, including copious notes for further reading), and the nature of matter including biodiversity and weather, biology, and astronomy and how they’ve defined and informed art and science.
This is a fascinating and information-dense work. It’s not light reading, by any stretch, but it is fascinating and well worth a look for readers interested in the subjects. It would make an excellent course instruction for wide-ranging subjects – a science-heavy book for artists/students, and a look at art with an artistic sensibility that will challenge STEM folks.
Four and a half stars. It would be a good choice for public or university library acquisition or as a resource for related classroom instruction (at the post-secondary level). It’s admittedly a niche book, but very well done.
Jennifer W –
This is a book all about science and art, just as the title reveals.
Mary Kirsch Boehm says “At first, I have to admit, I viewed the two [science and art] as separate and never considered the possibility of connections between them. But gradually I learned that they did not exist in a vacuum and were indeed related and in many ways. For me, this was a different and very interesting approach, and it was one that added to my understanding and appreciation of science and art.”
The writing is a little bland at times, I didn’t get a sense of the author’s excitement about the subject she is writing about. But I did find it interesting to learn about people in science and some artwork that I was unfamiliar with before I read the book. The book piqued my curiosity and I ended up looking up some things for even greater information. So at the end of the day, I learned some new things which is always a good thing.
I think to enjoy this book you really need to be into both science AND art.