Introduction to 1 Corinthians

I will be leading bible study tomorrow in CG and since we are beginning on 1 Corinthians, I thought it will be useful for me to spend some time with an introduction to the letter especially on its historical background.

I got this deck done, though I must later add in sources of info and photos I included in there, and maybe even notes and references for more information.

Will update this post when I get it done.

pearlie

The only female emperor in the history of China

I learnt something during lunch with my colleagues today. They were talking about Taiwanese serials particularly one about the only female emperor in China in all history. I never knew about that. The only more interesting lady in the history of China was Empress Dowager Cixi. But here's Empress Wu Zetian.

I went searching for a historical novel to sink in and found this.


Empress, A Novel
by Shan Sa

The book started very well. I was reading it in the past 4 hours and I'm three quarters way through. The later portion of the book got a bit boring. But I'm looking forward to finishing it in the weekend. I will have a full day tomorrow.

pearlie

Stocking up on gold and silver?

My hubby and I had dinner with someone we haven't met for a long time. Whilst the catching up was good, the conversation was skewed towards the end times and doomsday theories. They told and warned us of the imminent market collapse on 28th September, and that silver and gold is cheap now and we should invest and stock them up to prepare for it.

This is not the first time I'm being advised to stock up on gold and silver. But I was not convinced then and I'm still not, though I have become fearful with a "what-if" and "should I".

Well, I may be wrong and they may turn out to be right, what with my recent study on the prophecies in the book of Daniel, my devotion on Revelation and the recent political upheavals in my country.

But I found this article to be quite true: "Six Wrong Ways to Face the End Times (& One Right)". It has convinced me that stocking up for self-sufficiency is not the right way. In the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation, God has warned us to return to him, to be righteous, humble and faithful.

And this article on "Why stock market crashes happen in the autumn" is really interesting, in response to the warning of the supposedly coming market collapse on 28 Sept.

It says, "over and over again, in years such as 1929, 1987 and 2008, markets crash in the autumn" and so even if it did crash in Sept, it may not be too surprising.

Well, this world is a fallen one, totally imperfect. I look in hope to the day when I see for myself the new heaven and new earth.

pearlie

The World of 1 Corinthians

Our church will be looking at 1 Corinthians both in our sermons and CG bible study materials.

I have done 1 Corinthians before in my classes but I have forgotten most of it and it will be good to get into it again. With that, I went searching for the commentaries I have which I can read and refer to.

Too bad the Preaching the Word series do not have a volume on 1 Corinthians yet.

But I have these in electronic form:
- 1 Corinthians, Tyndale New Testament Commentary by Leon Morris
- 1 Corinthians, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament by Roy A Harrisville
- 1 Corinthians, Anchor Yale Bible Commentary by Joseph A Fitzmyer

And these in print form:
- The First Epistle to the Corinthians, New International Greek Testament Commentary
- 1 Corinthians, Crossway Classic Commentary by Charles Hodge

As much as I needed those books in class back then, I'm feeling it's an overkill for the context I'm in right now.

But as a true bibliophile, I went looking for more! And I found this book which I remember Rev Dr Kim Kar Yong, my lecturer was using during class:


The World of 1 Corinthians: An Exegetical Source Book of Literary and Visual Backgrounds
by Matthew R. Malcolm

I have enjoyed the historical background study in all my biblical study classes, and this book should be a gem to have. What more, Malcolm states that, "In recent decades, 1 Corinthians has perhaps received more investigation and speculation regarding historical backgrounds than any other biblical book."

I will certainly be planning to buy a copy of this book real soon.

pearlie

Do we see something if there isn't a word for it?

I know there has been too much talk already about #thedress than I care about but my hubby found a very interesting article: No one could see the color blue until modern times.

It's nothing about that blasted dress. It's about how our language is connected to what we see around us. The articles says that apparently there wasn't any color blue before--the ancient languages had no words for blue.

And I found this absolutely fascinating: "do you really see something if you don’t have a word for it?"

It was such an interesting observation that I went hunting for any good books on the same topic and found these two books which I may check out.

And even though the author did not write favorably about the Bible and his thoughts about the Tower of Babel is not accurate, I will check them out and learn something still.


The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature
by Steve Pinker


Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language
by Steve Pinker

pearlie

Book Review: (1) Malaysia Flight MH370 - Lost in the Dark, and (2) Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11

Malaysia Flight MH370 - Lost in the Dark: In Defense of the Pilots: An Engineer's Perspective
by John P. Choisser

I was looking for a book to read yesterday after finishing a book that took me too long to finish and I came across this book on the recent disappearance of flight MH370. I did some research and found two other titles, one conjectured that it was pilot suicide while the other said it was a test missile failure cover up. That was when I decided to get this volume by Choisser - solely because the author presented what he thinks has happened based on actual facts and stated assumptions.

It was a short read with less than a hundred pages. He started by providing some facts about the B777, he addressed some possibilities especially those mentioned in the media and what he thought of them, and then he presented what he thought could have happened. And it is indeed very plausible.

After the short MH370 read, I wanted another one. I tried a few titles but found them a tad too perky after Choisser's MH370. I thought to myself, would there be another book on recent disasters...and found Tower Stories, a tome of oral accounts of the epitome of all disasters.


Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11
by Damon DiMarco

I was glued to this volume of 528 pages. I read two thirds of it in just one sitting and finished it this evening. DiMarco interviewed different sets of people right after the disaster and caught up with some of them again several years down the line for an update that was also included in this volume.

He segregated them into 4 groups:
1. At the Towers - first person accounts of the survivors from the towers
2. Outside the Towers - spectators as well as surviving victims from the surrounding areas
3. Ground Zero and the Volunteers - stories from the surviving police officers, firefighters and paramedics including a very good story about this lady who just got herself into Ground Zero and inadvertently became in-charge of the survival center
4. The Aftermath - stories from relatives and friends of the victims of the towers

It was a long read and I had a bitter sweet feeling after reading it. The pain and the grief it all caused was just uncalled for and yet it happened. I may be thousands of miles away but I still remember where I was and what I was doing when it happened. And even though it was more than 10 years ago and I can still remember how I felt, what more those who were there.

pearlie

In memory of victims on 26 Dec 2004

Today is the 10th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami that claimed the lives of more than 220,000 people.

It amazing how we remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when massive disasters like this happen. I was tucked safe and sound in a hotel in Petaling Jaya on 26 December 2004. News travel more slowly then compared to now, but soon I was inundated with horrifying pictures and accounts of the disaster.

I was busy working in a project in a bank on Friday, 11 March 2011 when we found out about the earthquake and devastating tsunami in Japan.

And I was in a party celebrating a car race event our company took part in when my colleague rushed in and told us that terrorists have crashed a plane into one of the Twin Towers in New York. I remember leaving the party and walking to the nearby home of one of the race car driver to watch the news.

Do you remember where you were? Or...were you there?

pearlie

Book Review: Foundations of Wesleyan-Arminian Theology

Foundations of Wesleyan-Arminian Theology
by Mildred Bangs Wynkoop

Noel recommended me this book by a very brilliant writer, minister and PhD holder, Dr. Mildred Bangs Wynkoop (1905-1997).

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a short and summarised read of the life of James Arminius, and a brief history of how Calvinism and Arminianism came about, as well as their theological characteristics and differences.

I can't say enough that she was brilliant. I like how she brought out the historical background of these different thrusts of theology and insisted that one needs to know its history to fully understand where each is coming from. Failing which she referred it to as "confusion of mind which ignorance of historical fact engenders."

She also touched on Theological Provincialism where, "Lifting one aspect of doctrine into a central dominating position, away from its proper place in the whole doctrine, is provincialism. Such theological provincialisms are not necessarily untruths but they invariably distort the Christian gospel because they, apart from the whole gospel, are made to become themselves the judge of truth and actually the gospel."

She also said, "Can we read the Bible objectively? None of us is intellectually neutral. We are committed. Our personal prejudices can and do blind us to truth. We tend to find in the Bible, or in nature anywhere, about what we want to find. Our own fixed point of view “filters out” some of the truths we hear. In fact, our prejudices become the “filter” and hence the judge of truth. Or, to change the figure, the shadow of our own provincialism falls on the truth and we interpret the material according to the pattern formed by our prejudices."

This is so true and quite saddening for me to attend service today and have pastor preach on Limited Atonement, and why the cross of Christ is only for a selected groups of people rather than what is so clearly and simply stated in Scripture where Christ died:

1. For all (Isa. 53:6; Luke 19:10; Matt. 18:14; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; I Tim. 2:4, 6; 2 Pet 3:9)
2. For every man (Heb. 2:9)
3. For the world (John 3:16-17)
4. For the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2)
5. For the ungodly (Rom. 5:6)
6. For many (Matt. 20:28)
7. For the Church (Eph. 5:25)
8. For “me” (Gal. 2:20)

While I admit that I am wearing my own Arminian glasses and having my own filters but I believe I am seeing these verses in Scriptures as they were intended to be - for all, for the world, for the ungodly, for many, for the Church, for me. The words mean what they mean - all, world, ungodly, many, Church and me.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9 ESV), who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4 ESV)

I really encourage you to read Wynkoop's book. Here is a cross section of what she wrote on:

I. Background of the Doctrine of Personal Predestination
- Early Christian Ecumenicity
- Development of Divisions
- Theological Provincialism
- The Pelagian-Augustinian Controversy

II. The Development of the Doctrine of Personal Predestination
- Augustine’s Concepts
- Calvin’s Concept of Personal and Double Predestination
- Double Predestination and Divine Decrees
- Arminius’ Concept of Divine Decrees
- Summary of the Arminian Views

III. Theological Characteristics of Calvinism, Arminianism and Wesleyanism
- Synod of Dort
- High Calvinism
- Arminianism
- Wesleyanism
- Wesleyan-Arminianism

IV. Wesleyan Influence on Classical Theology
- Neo-Calvinism (Mild, or Low Calvinism)
- Wesleyan Calvinism
- Calvinistic Wesleyanism
- Doctrinal Differences in the Light of Biblical Interpretation

V. Theological Tensions Raised by the Doctrine of Particular Predestination
- God’s Will and Man’s Will
- God’s Will and God’s Grace
- God’s Grace and Man’s Sin
- Salvation by Decree or by Faith?

VI. Influence of the Wesleyan Doctrine of the Holy Spirit on Theology
- The Work of the Holy Spirit
- The Holy Spirit and Christian Assurance

pearlie

Book Review: Remarkable Creatures

Remarkable Creatures
by Tracy Chevalier

Having already read two of Tracy Chevalier's books and loving them, I was looking forward to read this one, and I was not disappointed.

I did not realise however that the book is based on a real person, Mary Anning, as I have not heard of her before. I only found out when I read more than 80% of the book. Now I'm glad I have read of her, albeit historical fiction.

Mary Anning was indeed an amazing person, for a woman in the 19th century. According to Wikipedia, "Mary Anning (21 May 1799 – 9 March 1847) was a British fossil collector, dealer, and palaeontologist who became known around the world for important finds she made in the Jurassic marine fossil beds at Lyme Regis in Dorset, a county in Southwest England on the coast of the English Channel, where she lived. Her work contributed to fundamental changes that occurred during her lifetime in scientific thinking about prehistoric life and the history of the Earth."

Chevalier painted her as a simple but inquisitive girl who became an ambitious woman in her entrepreneurship and contribution to the world of prehistoric science when women were then considered as "spare part"!

On the part when a Lord Henley was chided for putting his name as the discoverer of a complete fossil specimen instead of Anning's as it was she who found it, he said:

“Mary Anning is a worker. She found the crocodile on my land-Church Cliffs are part of my property, you know. Do you think these men-” he nodded at the men shifting mud “-do they own what is on this land simply because they dig it up? Of course not! It belongs to me. Besides which, Mary Anning is a female. She is a spare part. I have to represent her, as indeed I do many Lyme residents who cannot represent themselves.”

It is indeed frustrating to read how women were regarded back in those days and I am thankful we are who we are today and regarded as equals.

The book presents the narrative with the relationship of two women, Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot, who was also obsessed with fossils. It tells of their unexpected friendship and relationship that grew in spite of their differences all because they were both drawn to the allure of finding skeletons and remains of remarkable creatures.

Chevalier's portrayal of Mary Anning is quite uncanny though for me because her voice really reminds me of a friend that I have. They sound so alike that I got chills reading the Mary chapters (the book has alternate chapters between Mary and Elizabeth being the first person). And on top of that, (spoiler alert) the part where they fought and had a major fall out also reminds me of my fall out with the same person, although of course it is not exactly the same. It's just quite eerie.

I now look forward to getting and reading her other books: Falling Angels, The Lady and the Unicorn, Burning Bright, and her latest The Last Runaway.

pearlie

A really old photo

It's wonderful when my friends post old pictures because I can now at least have a digital copy of them.

But the irony is I now think I look kinda good when I thought I look ugly back then.

So in a sense, I shouldn't say I look ugly now because 20 years down the line, if I'm still around, I'd probably say the same thing.

pearlie

The 11-year old me

This new working place of mine love to have dressing themes just for the fun of it. We are having a division tea-time this Thursday and the theme is Back to School. One of the activities we will be having is to bring our old school photos and see if anyone recognizes you.

I no longer have any of my old photos. But there's the good ol' Facebook and friends who are archivists. The photo above was posted some years ago in Facebook, which sparked a lot of conversation and "friending" of old friends in Facebook.

I requested for a better quality print of the photo from my friend and submitted it this afternoon for the event this Thursday. (It is still not a clear copy - quality of photos back then aren't that great you know.)

I'm sure no one will ever be able to guess where I am in that photo!

pearlie

The Rosetta Stone

I learnt something interesting today. Pastor Marvin was preaching on the Holy Spirit being the one who reveals the Word of God to us and he opened his sermon with reference to the Rosetta Stone.

I have heard of it before but I've never found out anymore beyond that.

I've always thought that hieroglyphs are pictorial in nature, something like the Chinese language, only to learn today that it is actually a language of "combined logographic and alphabetic elements". The "hieroglyphic signs are phonetic in nature, meaning the sign is read independent of its visual characteristics."

Apparently, that was only discovered not long ago in 1822 with the help of the Rosetta Stone. The stone has three sections of the same content in three languages - the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek. It took Jean-François Champollion 20 years to transliterate the Egyptian scripts, based on the other two scripts.

And with that, "the term Rosetta stone has been used idiomatically to represent a crucial key to the process of decryption of encoded information, especially when a small but representative sample is recognized as the clue to understanding a larger whole."

And that's where I've first heard of it, i.e. being idiomatically used.

pearlie
Source: Wikipedia

Christ in the Passover

We were in for a real treat today. We had Dr Richard Harvey as our speaker. He is a Jew who believes in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was with us today and shared with us a delightful message of Christ in the Passover.

He introduced to us the Passover meal that is observed by Jews every year during the Festival of the Unleavened Bread. He showed us the items involved in the meal: the hyssop or parsley leaves in salty water, bitter herbs, the Haggadah, etc. but what intrigued me most were the matzah tosh and the afikomen, and the four cups of the Passover. I never knew about them and I am amazed at their significance in light of Jesus.


A Matzah Tosh


A Matzah Tosh's Three Pockets

The matzah tosh is a bag with three parallel pockets to place the matzah or unleavened bread in. The matzah from the middle pocket will be taken out, broken and wrapped in a cloth and subsequently hidden. That is the afikomen. It will be brought back at the end of the meal to be distributed and eaten as the final morsel.


The afikomen wrapped in cloth

Dr Harvey said that this is significant because the three pockets could very well signify the Triune God. The bread taken from the middle pocket (of the Son) will be broken (will die), hidden (buried) and brought back (resurrected) to be given to be eaten (partaken). He said that during Jesus and the disciples' Last Supper, it was the afikomen that was broken and distributed, "take, eat, this is my body" (Matt 26:26b, ESV).


The Four Wine Cups

The four cups, they commemorate the deliverance of Jews from the Egyptians in the time of Moses. They consist of the Cup of Sanctification, Cup of Deliverance, Cup of Redemption and Cup of Praise.

Dr Harvey said that it was the third cup that Jesus passed around to the disciples, "drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matt 26:28, ESV)

After which, when it came to the fourth cup, the Cup of Praise or Restoration, Dr Harvey believed that Jesus and the disciples did not drink from it because Jesus said, "I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matt 26:29, NIV).

I was quite amazed. But I began to also wonder where and when did the matzah tosh, afikomen and the four cups come about. As far as I can remember, they are not mentioned in the bible, not in Old Testament and definitely not in the New.

Noel, who happened--or divinely arranged--to attend the same service today, asked me the same question, if these items were mentioned in Scripture.

I said and he agreed: if they were mentioned in the bible, Christian scholars would have already picked it up and we would have already known about it. These items and what they stand for are significant. So my take is that the bible as we have it, is sufficient by God's design for our understanding, for the Gentiles. For the Jews on the other hand, they have their practices since the OT days, which were, and are, special for them, since the gospel is after all, first for them.

The Jews have indeed, a richer and fuller background and history of the salvation and deliverance of the Messiah. It is my prayer that they will come to find Jesus as their long awaited Saviour.

As for me, I am blessed with a deeper understanding of Jesus' Last Passover, and the significance of what he said to the disciples, and of what he says to me.

I eat of the bread of life, broken, hidden and brought back. I drink of the Cup of Redemption, being redeemed back into his fold. And I look forward to drink of the Cup of Praise, Restoration and Joy with Jesus when I am finally in the Father's kingdom. Amen.

(Here's the link to the sermon: Christ in the Passover).

pearlie

Photo sources:
1. Chow Ee-Tan, 2014
2. "Little Flock" Messianic Fellowship
3. MessianicSeder.com
4. Amy Letinsky
5. superhoop @Flickr

Books on books

I have been searching for books on books, the history of books and soon after, on reading. And I found these two:


Introduction to Book History
by David Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery (Routledge, 2012)


A History of Reading
by Alberto Manguel (Penguin, 1997)

Introduction to Book History has a cover I really love, or I believe any bibliophile will love. Based on a few reviews I read, the book is quite technical. But for a 176-page book, it carries a price tag of USD31.99 or more, and it is indeed quite pricey.

A History of Reading it turned out, is quite a popular book it seems. And viewing the preview and book description, it might be a more interesting read compared to the first. But after reading this review by Douglas K. Hartman and Tariq M. Abdulaziz, I decided not to get it. The review says, "...does he have the scholarly dexterity to represent the complexity of reading's past while placing the people, practices, local events, and facts of his and others' personal histories in the larger context? After reading his book, we think not."

But God being God - obviously knowing what I was looking for to read, interjected this book into my path. I quickly bought a copy without much ado about it.


Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books
by Tony Reinke (Crossway, 2011)

For one, I was unusually attracted to the reviews of the book printed in the first few pages, and I even found these reviews enlightening, which is rare for me. Here is what Andrew Peterson said in his review of the book, "This is the perfect book for someone who doesn’t like to read, or who likes to read but isn’t sure it’s a good use of their time, or who loves to read a little too much and needs to proceed with discernment. Reinke has made a wise, theological, and edifying case for why words matter. I’ll mention Lit! every time someone asks me why in the world Christians should read fiction—a question that never fails to shock me. Now, instead of snapping, ‘Are you serious?’ and spouting opinions, I’ll just smile and slip them a copy of this book."

I have just begun reading it and love the very voice of the book. Just listen to this: "Illuminated by the gospel, we now perceive and enjoy God’s truth, goodness, and beauty—whether it’s in the blazing sun of the inspired Word of God, in the moonlight of creation, or in the starlight of great book...As strange as it sounds, our eyes are filled with the Creator’s glory in literature because we read in the presence of God’s radiance."

The author's quest to write this book was generated by these questions he had in his own reading:

What makes reading books like swallowing a large vitamin?
Why should I prioritize book reading in the first place?
What do I lose if I don’t read books?
What biblical convictions must I have before I shop at the bookstore?
Does the gospel really shape how I read books? How so?
What books should I read?
What books should I not read?
Should I read non-Christian books? Why or why not?
How can I best read nonfiction books?
What, if anything, can a Christian gain from reading fictional literature?
How can I determine the difference between good fiction and bad fiction?
Where do I find all the time I need to read books?
Should I write marginal notes in my books?
What are the pros and cons of reading books on an e-reader device?
How can I encourage my friends to read books?
How can I use books and reading groups to encourage other Christians and to build my local church?

It certainly promises a delightful reading, on reading. I look forward to spending my coming days in relishing this book and hope to follow up with a review.

I find myself rubbing my hands in glee as I dive in.

pearlie

Politics in the Bible

I caught this on CNN.com today. A very interesting look at the Cyrus Cylinder, an ancient clay cylinder, on which is written a declaration in Akkadian cuneiform script in the name of the Achaemenid king Cyrus the Great.

In this TED talk, Neil MacGregor, the director of The British Museum, talks about how the cylinder symbolizes tolerance as it plays its role over history from the time of Cyrus up to when the cylinder was found in the 19th century as evidence to the Cyprus event in the Hebrew Scripture, to when Israel becomes a state, to now in the political history of the Middle East.

What does all this mean to us?

I had Genesis 14:1-24 for  devotion today and I have to admit that I skimmed through the reading of the passage. I don't even understand contemporary politics very well let alone who Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Goiim, Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim and Zoar king of Bela were. I have read through the entire Bible before and I don't even remember there are these kings mentioned in the book of Genesis!

And as I read -- or skimmed through rather -- the passage, I began to wonder why Moses was so detailed here when he was so brief in the other accounts? I have come to learn that as much as I am not so drawn to politics, it is one of the most important things that shaped our lives. It is politics and history of the nations as we have it that shaped the lives of our biblical forefathers. It is how Jesus has stepped into our confused and troubled world as he came as a helpless babe, as a saviour of all mankind.

Our story that is our history, is laden with politics. And I need to pay more attention to it, past and present.

pearlie

Book Review: Legacy

Legacy
The Acclaimed Novel of Elizabeth, England's Most Passionate Queen -- and the Three Men Who Loved Her
By Susan Kay

I finally finished this book. It is good but not an easy read. I tend to keep referring to Wikipedia to check the facts as well as to figure out who's who. The author has the habit of changing the characters' names and reference fluidly. For example, Robin Dudley, which she refers to as Dudley from the start suddenly became Leicester at the same breath, after he was made Earl of Leicester.

But all in all, it is good. It is fascinating to read of whom historians regarded as England's greatest monarch. I know that this book is considered fiction albeit historical, in that other than the known facts, the rest are all made up. I am not sure if the book's portrayal of the queen's personality and character is accurate. If it is, she would then be quite an amazing person, cool and calculated, sometimes with empathy and yet most times ruthless and cold.

pearlie

Book Review: How Music Works

I was having breakfast with my son this morning in the mall when I got distracted by all the noise around me. I was reading a book and I so wished there were quiet corners reserved just for those who'd appreciate a quiet meal but nope, my desire for tranquility was beleaguered by screams, loud chatters and guffaws as wells as shouts of anger of a mother to her poor daughter. I don't blame them for the cacophony. It's a public place after all.

I remembered then that I have just downloaded an app in to my iPhone, Cello Classic. I popped on my earphones and started listening to it. The problem that arose next was that I could not continue reading. I was totally mesmerized by what I heard. It was Bach's Suites for Solo Cello No.1 Prelude. It was so beautiful. I tried to go back to reading, but it was a lost cause. I closed the book and closed my eyes to just listen. I was thinking that if I were in a concert hall listening to that, the surroundings, the sound, the acoustics, the emotions would be enough to make me weep.

It was then that I remembered coming across this book that I have put in my wish list.

How Music Work by John Powell
A listener's guide to harmony, keys, broken chords, perfect pitch and the secrets of a good tune.

When I found it Amazon.com though, the subtitle that got me attracted was different: The Science and Psychology of Beautiful Sounds, from Beethovan to the Beatles and Beyond. I wanted to know what made me feel like weeping when I listened to Bach in MacDonald's.

I checked and confirmed that both books are the same one, and bought an electronic copy. It was such an interesting read that I finished it in a day, and I have never had so much fun reading a book in a long, long time.

For one, the writer knows his stuff, and he writes with humour, though I feel some of it is kinda corny but found it so hilarious that he referred to Beethovan's Fifth Symphony as "the one which goes Da Da Da Daah! Da Da Da Daah!".

I followed his advice in reading the book with access to YouTube. I had my iPhone fitted with my X-Mini speaker and listened to the examples he quoted. I found some of the most amazing music ever written, even one piano piece that was named The Devil's Staircase written by György Ligeti that was quoted as an example of what he called "really anxious chords". It is not an easy piece to take in but it is definitely a piece to behold.

I am not really a musician, though I do know some basics after attempting to study the piano for several years in my younger days. The thing is I learnt quite a lot of things reading this book. I just found out you can actually play Amazing Grace by just using the black keys on a piano. Never knew that. And now I know how those 12 notes in a harmonic scale came about. And I learnt what London and the year 1939 and perfect pitch have to do with each other.

Today is a good book day.

pearlie

My day of languages

If I were to mark each day of my life with a theme -- well, I actually have been doing that in a sense with the title of my daily posts -- then today will be the Day of Languages.

It began when we had a discussion among my colleagues about the Malay language - one of them commented that it does not have an original word for "bag". It uses a loanword: beg.

Later, I remembered Pastor Marvin (of Pantai Baptist Church or PBC, where I am attending for now) had announced that he will be speaking on the topic of the Bible this coming Sunday, in conjunction with the 400th year of the publication of the King James Version of the bible. I am looking forward to hearing it. Other than its spiritual aspect, the history and the technicalities of the Bible takes a very special place of my interests.

It reminded me of two books I have read before -- The Story of English by Robert McCrum and In the Beginning: the Story of the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture by Alister McGrath -- that the work of both Shakespeare and the KJV bible is "regularly singled out as one of the most foundational influences on the development of the modern English language" (1). As such, the King James Version serves as a polished jewel in the crown of English language and culture (2).

However, I began to think that with the mark of the 400th year of the KJV, wouldn't the modern version of the English language be considered a very young language? What with the Chinese language that I believe is more than a thousand years old? And I have always thought that the Malay language is a very young language, but English too?

I do know that the modern English language has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, which began in the early 5th century.

I shared this with a friend who goes to PBC too and he did not quite believe me when I told him he would not understand Old English. So I showed him The Lord's Prayer in Old English (3):

Original and Translation
Fæder ūre þū þe eart on heofonum
(Father of ours, thou who art in heaven,)

Sī þīn nama ġehālgod.
(Be thy name hallowed.)

Tōbecume þīn rīċe,
(Come thy riche [(kingdom])

ġewurþe þīn willa, on eorðan swā swā on heofonum.
(Worth [manifest] thy will, on earth as also in heaven.)

Ūrne ġedæġhwāmlīcan hlāf syle ūs tō dæġ,
(Our daily loaf do sell [give] to us today,)

and forgyf ūs ūre gyltas, swā swā wē forgyfað ūrum gyltendum.
(And forgive us of our guilts as also we forgive our guilty)

And ne ġelǣd þū ūs on costnunge, ac ālȳs ūs of yfele.
(And do not lead thou us into temptation, but alese [release/deliver] us of [from] evil.)

Sōþlīċe.
( Soothly.)

So in that sense, English isn't so young - it has been evolving for 1500 years till what it is today. A fully developed and perfected language takes a very long time.

A perfected language is one that has a letter of every single sound, one with words that are very original and one that has a wide vocabulary to cover a wide scope in the articulation of meanings. I do not think the Malay language is that fully developed, not even English but it is better, comparatively. I am not sure about the other languages, but I was told that the Arabic language is considered a highly perfected one, as well as Korean.

I went to check out the ages of language and found quite a comprehensive list here in Wikipedia. And I am surprised to find out that Old Malay is as old as Old English, 683AD and 650AD respectively.

Here some familiar ones:
* Greek - 1425-1375 BC
* Old Chinese - 1200 BC
* Aramaic - 950BC
* Hebrew - 950BC
* Korean - 100BC
* Arabic - 512AD
* Old English - 650AD
* Old Malay - 683AD
* Japanese - 700AD
* Old Hindi - 769AD
* Old French - 842AD
* Italian - 960AD
* Middle English - 1066AD
* Thai - 1292AD
* Korean (modern?) - 1446AD
* Early Modern English - 1470AD

Modern English is almost at the last of the list, albeit incomprehensive. And I did not realise that the Greek language is so old, older than Hebrew. But of course that will be Old Greek as compared to the current Modern Greek, which has evolved from Koine or Common Greek, what is used during the New Testament time, i.e. the language of the written text of the NT extant that we have now.

Indeed, a very interesting day of discovery for me.

pearlie

(1) Alister McGrath, In the Beginning, (New York: Anchor, 2001): 253
(2) http://www.sovereignword.org/index.php/defense-of-the-traditional-bible-texts-and-kjb/233-thomas-holland-crowned-with-glory-chapter-05-the-english-jewel
(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English

The Story of the Nation

I attended "A Conversation with Professor Anthony Milner" on the topic of "Constructing and Contesting Malaysian History: Towards Responsible Writing and Teaching of History for Nation Building" organised by Kairos Research Centre this evening. It is a discussion based on the recently raised concerns when the Ministry of Education requires students to obtain a compulsory pass in History in the national Form 5 examinations, SPM.

History never held an interest for me until several years ago when I felt that my lack of knowledge in it resulted in a pallid understanding of events of the world. In my schooldays, I studied history in a rote manner and only of the Malaysian history, not anything beyond that - I never knew much about the enlightenment, the various inquisitions, or the wars. Only as I grew up and began to read more serious works had I realise that I lack in the understanding of the stories behind the times and the events as I encountered them.

As such, I attended the session with a sense of unfamiliarity. I had problems trying to take in and digest the horde of information and dialogue that went on. However, I came away with a renewed interest to ensure that my son will have a better exposure to the subject of History that I did. But I am not sure yet what I can do.

Firstly, I think I should get myself up-to-date with regards to the History textbooks in our national curriculum. For one, the textbooks do not favour an inclusive history and concentrates much on just one race, the Malays. We need to have textbooks that tells the story of the nation in an inclusive manner that will ignite an emotive fervour in all students of all races in Malaysia that will work towards nation building. We need an inclusive story of our nation that is respectful to the Malays, Chinese and Indians.

Secondly, I need to find out how the subject is being taught in schools, but I wonder how I can make that happen. A proper teaching of the subject can provoke passionate and emotive discussion about not only what happened but what it meant to the students today. We need more than rote and flat learning, without getting involved in the story of the nation. This reminds me of an excellent movie I watched some time ago, The Freedom Writers. It is based on a true account of a new and enthusiastic teacher who was placed in a classroom to teach kids from the ghettos and gangs. The classroom was akin to a world with borders drawn between the Hispanics, Asians, Blacks and one white student. She had to engaged them, she needs to teach them. She finally succeeded, by touching their lives with the stories of people in similar situations as they were. She used the Hollocaust event, brought them to visit the Hollocause museum, have them meet survivors of concentration camps and had them read The Diary of Anne Frank.

We need a more inclusive account of our Malaysian history and we need a more involving approach to teaching it. Only then will we build our youngsters with a sense of love and pride for the country from the stories of heros and heroines of all races.

pearlie

People of the Book: A Novel

People of the Book, A Novel
By Geraldine Brooks (Penguin, 2008)

Words do not do justice to how I feel about reading this book. Just that of all the novels I have read in my entire life, this is certainly one of the most amazing one. The intrigue, the mystery, the inter-connections between the stories are astounding. And if you are a lover of historical fiction, I fully recommend you this book.

The story is wrapped around a real book or manuscript, the Sarajevo Haggadah.

A Haggadah is an illuminated manuscript that contains the illustrated traditional text of the Passover Haggadah, a Jewish text that used during the Passover meal. It contains the narrative of the Israelite exodus from Egypt, special blessings and rituals, commentaries from the Talmud, and special Passover songs. An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decorations, illustrations and usually decorated with gold or silver.

Very little is known about the Sarajevo Haggadah. From the little known facts about the manuscript, Brooks has woven an amazing story around it. It revolves around a manuscript conservator as she was assigned to conserve the Haggadah. As she worked with the manuscript, she extracted "history" from in it, in the form of an insect wing, a feather, wine stains, salt stains, and a piece of white hair. The story of the Haggadah is then interwoven with the people in five stories of different times. I love the mystery and intrigue they tell.

And I must say that People of the Book this is a big volume; big not in the sense of the length of the book, it is after only 372 pages in print, but big in terms of the subject it holds. I learnt much about life as it was in Sarajevo with its religious diversity, with adherents to Islam, Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Judaism coexisting there for centuries. You will be amazed at how the people coexist there and how they hang on to their relationship despite their differences, the sacrifices the made,and the sufferings they had to endure. And yet, they held on to their friendship, with one another even though their differences and similarity of beliefs can steer them to unbelievable atrocities as it did happen in various levels in various parts of the world over the last few centuries. I also learnt, as I diverted here and there (to Wikipedia mostly), about the Spanish Inquisition, manuscripts preservation, and anthropodermic bibliopegy amongst others.

From the beginning of the book, I was mesmerized when the story was intensely into the conservation of the manuscript. It was interesting to get acquainted with the inks and the colours that we take for granted. Let me quote this paragraph in the book:

I turned a page. More dazzle. The illuminations were beautiful, but I didn't allow myself to look at them as art. Not yet. First I had to understand them as chemicals. There was yellow, made of saffron. That beautiful autumn flower, Crocus sativus Linnaeus, each with just three tiny precious stigmas, had been a prized luxury then and remained one, still. Even if we now know that the rich color comes from a carotene, crocin, with a molecular structure of 44 carbon, 64 hydrogen, and 24 oxygen, we still haven't synthesized a substitute as complex and as beautiful. There was malachite green, and red; the intense red known as worm scarlet -- tola'at shani in Hebrew-- extracted from tree-dwelling insects, crushed up and boiled in lye. Later, when alchemists learned how to make similar red from sulfur and mercury, they still named the color "little worm" -- vermiculum. Some things don't change -- we call it vermillion even today.

I just love how Brooks has put hard facts and delightful fiction together. It is a reader's haven. If you are into manuscripts, text, lives of the Jews, Muslims and Christians, mystery and intrigue, this book is for you.

One more thing about fiction that gets to me -- the ending -- it has to be perfect. And this book does not disappoint. It is not perfect perfect, but it was satisfying.

I will definitely read it again, and this round I will be able to recognize the "aha" portions, and I am looking forward to it.

pearlie