Memories of God: Theological Reflections on a Life

Rating:
Summary: gave words to my own experiences
Review: I found this book boring and disappointingly wretched. Some of the good insights the author shared were overwhelmed by a drawn out book of what seemed like incurable self-pity. This mood unfortunately permeates the book, preventing the reader from seeing someone who is learning about herself and God through the hard knocks of life. As the book progresses, "inner reflection" turns into a continued wallowing in the quagmire of the past, leaving the reader annoyed rather than sympathetic. Furthermore, this is one of those books that needed an editor to prune it before it went to the publishers. The book is 205 pages long, but Bondi could have said everything she needed to say in 1/3 of that length. Her repetition is annoying. This book has potential that a good editor could make use of, but as it is, it isn't worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: AN INTEGRATION OF SPIRITUALITY AND THEOLOGY
Review: I have read few books that touched me as strongly as this book did. Ms. Bondi is both a skillful storyteller and a courageous woman, willing to share her own deeply personal experiences with the public. I am very grateful for her willingness to take this kind of risk on behalf of others. I can't speak for the author's intent, but my reading of her book gave me a sense of God that enriched my life. In my opinion, these writings have the same feel to them that scripture does - at least, the kind of scripture that brings us closer to God.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful, intimate, emotionally & spiritually uplifting
Review: I have read few books that touched me as strongly as this book did. Ms. Bondi is both a skillful storyteller and a courageous woman, willing to share her own deeply personal experiences with the public. I am very grateful for her willingness to take this kind of risk on behalf of others. I can't speak for the author's intent, but my reading of her book gave me a sense of God that enriched my life. In my opinion, these writings have the same feel to them that scripture does - at least, the kind of scripture that brings us closer to God.

Rating:
Summary: unpleasant memories of God
Review: I tried to like this book but I just couldn't get past the number of accounts Bondi gave to her horrid upbringing. I realize this wasn't her intent but just when I thought she'd celebrate her success in working through her own theological beliefs- Boom! Back she went to retell the sources for her misguided theology from youth.

It is truly remarkable that she had the will to seek answers; I was just hoping she'd give more attention to the life she now leads.

Rating:
Summary: Memories of God: Theological Reflections on a life
Review: I would recommend this book to others to read as an exploration into their own personal understanding of God and the impact that relationship has on their relationships with others. It was a very enjoyable and easy book to read but also one that prompted me into greater reflection on my own life.

Bondi describes her own experiences growing up with a less than perfect family structure and how that affected her image of God, her understanding of Christianity, and her relationships. As a woman, I understood what she was saying and found her personal stories to touch deeply my heart and mind. I found that her experiences and growth helped me to explore my own past and to look at how those relationships have affected my own relationship with God, the Christian faith, and others.

For men, I would recommend this book as a means of understanding more fully what it means to be a man of God, what women have suffered over the years in a patriarchical society, and to begin to gain a more full understanding of who God really is, containing both woman and man.

Rating:
Summary: AN INTEGRATION OF SPIRITUALITY AND THEOLOGY
Review: Roberta Bondi has obvious roots in the wisdom of the Early Church Fathers and Mothers. Yet, her engagement of Saints through the centuries is matched only by an equally deep engagement with her life story. She speaks of ordinary times with an extraordinary vision that uncovers the sacred. Her story invites the reader to look with respect at their own journey. Some authors use profound theoretical constructs, some use personal stories: Dr Bondi is one who does both seamlessly and conveys a conviction that we can do the same.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and depressing
Review: Roberta Bondi is well grounded in theology and church history and she blends wonderfully her personal stories with this knowledge of the faith. What is especially beautiful and moving is her realization of the true meaning of God's love she found in her Aunt Ree and in Mother Jane at the Anglican Benedictine Monastery. Her mother's sacrificial life and valuing of beauty were also ways she began to "know God". The only man who fared well was Richard. What is lacking for me in this book is what we can learn about God from maleness. Her life experiences, especially with teachers, were so cruel. The book becomes bogged down in her depression, and I did too! The repetitiveness of her memories was confusing and unnecessary. Perhaps some editing would help, but then perhaps we do repeat those most memorable stories as we try to make meaning of them!

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and depressing
Review: Roberta Bondi is well grounded in theology and church history and she blends wonderfully her personal stories with this knowledge of the faith. What is especially beautiful and moving is her realization of the true meaning of God's love she found in her Aunt Ree and in Mother Jane at the Anglican Benedictine Monastery. Her mother's sacrificial life and valuing of beauty were also ways she began to "know God". The only man who fared well was Richard. What is lacking for me in this book is what we can learn about God from maleness. Her life experiences, especially with teachers, were so cruel. The book becomes bogged down in her depression, and I did too! The repetitiveness of her memories was confusing and unnecessary. Perhaps some editing would help, but then perhaps we do repeat those most memorable stories as we try to make meaning of them!