Last spring, I attended Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference in California. When Mary DeMuth came forward on stage to pitch her workshop, she proclaimed her passion for chocolate (and something else, too, but all I remember about is the chocolate). I looked over the syllabus, asked Barbara what she thought and decided to attend Mary’s morning track workshop, even though I had previously picked something else.
As Mary spoke during the morning workshops, I mentally tallied how much we had in common. We both grew up in the Seattle area. We are about the same age. Our children (she has 3, I have 4) are similar ages. Her husband was a pastor; mine still is. At one point, I took her aside and showed her the stash of dark chocolate I tend to carry in my purse. She wore black Chuck Taylors (Converse low-tops); I’m all about sneakers, I brought lavender and red to the conference. We both sing. Our parents were divorced, our fathers have both died and our mothers were married more than once. Or twice.
Mary has a blog, too, called relevantblog.
I tried hard not to seem like a stalker, but I liked Mary and thought that in another time and place, we would be Best Friends Forever. (She lives in Texas now . . . hey, my husband’s from Texas! See? More in common!)
That is one reason I am thrilled to be a part of a Book Blog Tour on Mary’s behalf. She has written a couple of novels (Watching Tree Limbs, and Wishing on Dandelions), but this blog tour is about her newest parenting book, Authentic Parenting in a Post-Modern Culture. I read it a month ago or so, and while reading it reminded me of my many short-comings as a parent, I like Mary’s writing and her thinking. I felt encouraged by her stories and ideas.
Mary answered a couple of questions about why she wrote this book and about what “postmodern” means, anyway.
Why did you write this book? Aren’t there already a bazillion parenting books out there?
Yes, I do believe there are a bazillion. I always struggle when I write a parenting book because I feel so darned small and weak. I don’t parent perfectly. But, we did live through two and half years in France, the hotbed of hyper-postmodernity. We had to learn how to parent our kids in that culture. It occurred to me that the things we learned would be helpful to American parents too.
What does postmodern mean? And why should it matter to parents?
Postmodernism is the waiting room between what used to be a modern worldview and what will be. According to several postmodern scholars, we’re in a shift right now, leaving modern ideas behind, but what we are shifting to is not yet fully defined.
Postmoderns believe that rationalism and/or more education doesn’t necessarily create a better society. They typically don’t embrace the notion of absolute truth, though they reach for the transcendent. They are skeptical, and often question whether science is something to be embraced or feared.
The question for parents is how will we mine the current worldview, even as it shifts? What in it can we embrace as biblical? What is not biblical? What I’ve seen in the church is a fearful adherence to what is familiar. So we cling to modern ideas, even though they may not be biblical and shun postmodern ideas even when they might be biblical. Our children will meet this shifting worldview no matter what our opinion of it is.
Bluebonnet in the Snow
child of divorce/child of god
Geaux2Girl
Good Word Editing
Halland
RappFamilyAixtremeLife
Ripples and Reflections
Spaghettipie
So Many Books…So Little Time
The Point
Tiffany Colter
Toni V. Lee
July 30th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
I’m so pleased that I am not the only person with a stash of dark chocolate in their purse. Sometimes its the only way to get past a day.
Great post!
July 30th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
My supply is low, low, low. Need to get some more. Oh, how I miss French chocolate!
Thanks for hosting part of the tour, Mel!
July 30th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
BTW, next conference, I’m stalking YOU.
August 8th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
[...] 9th, 2007 · No Comments Mis-fits – (Mary, in offering ten ways to make your home a haven) “The most haven-producingthing I do as a mommy is simply to read to my kids.” Actual Unretouched Photo – “…while reading it (Authentic Parenting) reminded me of my many short-comings as a parent, I like Mary’s writing and her thinking. I felt encouraged by her stories and ideas.” Bluebonnet in the Snow – “. . . I was amazed at how many of the practical ways that Mary provided for parents to use with their children would benefit individuals who don’t have children by allowing them to draw closer to Christ in their own spiritual walk.” Child of Divorce/Child of God – (Mary, in an interview) “Today’s kids want reality, authenticity. They’re skeptical. What reaches them? Our authenticity. Our connectedness to God in such a way that invites fellowship.” Geaux2Girl – “Writing it while she and her family were missionaries in France, Mary gleaned from that challenging situation some fascinating truths about parenting.” RappFamilyAixtremeLife – (Mary, in an interview) “The question for parents is how will we mine the current worldview, even as it shifts? What in it can we embrace as biblical? What is not biblical? What I’ve seen in the church is a fearful adherence to what is familiar. So we cling to modern ideas, even though they may not be biblical and shun postmodern ideas even when they might be biblical.” Ripples and Reflections – “Mary shares insight that brings us to the heart of “Christ-like” parenting. She addresses the important issues of truth, honesty, community, refuge, encouragement, grace, forgiveness, purpose and selfish abandon, as we nurture our children and lead them through the example of our own journey with Christ!” So Many Books – (Mary, in an interview) “But through it all, I realized that Jesus calls us all to be engaged in the culture we live in, yet not to be stained by it. That’s the beauty of engagement and purity.” Tiffany Colter – (Mary on what the book is about) “. . . it’s about parents learning to fall in love with Jesus, and then mentoring their kids (through example) to do the same.” Toni V. Lee – (Mary, in an interview) “We are all frail, needy humans. If we present ourselves as perfect parents, never failing, always doing this correctly, we show our children we have no need of Jesus.” [...]