The Close: A Young Woman's First Year At Seminary

Breyer, Chloe

ISBN 10: 0465007147 / ISBN 13: 9780465007141

Published by Basic Books, 2000

Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00087657319

Synopsis:

A young woman recalls her first year as a seminary student, describing her deep devotion to daily prayer and the tension between spiritual and secular worlds.

Review: In some respects, Chloe Breyer's The Close does for seminary what Scott Turow's One L did for law school. It describes a student's initiation into an academic world that holds great mystique for many people on the outside. Subtitled "A Young Woman's First Year at Seminary", Breyer's memoir is an intimate glimpse at her 1997 entry into the Episcopalian General Theological Seminary in New York. Breyer's story is structured by the liturgical calendar (beginning with Advent and ending at Pentecost)--a significant decision, which summarises one aspect of Breyer's understanding of what it means to live a Christian life. "What distinguishes everyone in my class from graduate students in secular fields is that each of us has a story woven into the Story that begins with Genesis and ends with Revelation," Breyer explains. Having grown up in a liberal, secular household, Breyer was often confronted with the blunt question "Why seminary?" when she headed down the path to ordination. This book is an eloquent answer to that question. "Communicating my own explanation [to the question of why I'm in Seminary] in a fresh way that doesn't sound like a hackneyed campaign speech or an over-the-top sales pitch helps to strengthen my faith," Breyer writes. "Offering a testimony about God's work in my life gives me faith ... that, with God, there is strength and meaning to be found in seeking to put the interest of others before my own." Breyer's stories about her immersion in daily prayer, her academic adventures, and her work as a chaplain at Bellevue Hospital all make compelling reading. She's a twentysomething Kathleen Norris, and The Close is worth a close look. --Michael Joseph Gross

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Close: A Young Woman's First Year At ...
Publisher: Basic Books
Publication Date: 2000
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Good