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

Reviews seem to be all over the map on this one. Personally I loved this book. It was sincere and real and stirred the imagination.

I received this book as a gift a few months ago and decided to pick it up and read it finally. I was a rather agnostic college student who was only half-interested in the book. However, when I started to read it, everything started making sense. I realized what it means to be a Christian. It is not about blindly worshiping a slain God. It is about truly understanding what Jesus was about and what exactly he was saying 2000 years ago. Christianity was a radical religion when it was started, one that encouraged civil disobedience in the name of justice for all humans. Breyer realizes that Christianity is more about what the purpose was behind the Gospel than what the words say. She understands that it was written in a certain cultural context, and that the basic message is what is the most important thing to take away from Christian teachings. Love, justice, and personal peace are what the apostles preached. Christianity was never supposed to be a bigoted patriarchy. Unfortunately it has become that in some people's view, because many Christians have failed to understand what their religion is actually about. Breyer actually thinks for herself and overcomes her doubts of Christianity when she realizes that Christianity is neither about frightening fundamentalist dogma nor passivity and submissiveness. It is a religion based on standing up for the rights of all humanity.Breyer's account was an eye-opening experience for me, and a book I will not soon forget.

For anyone even remotely thinking of going to seminary - especially a young person - this is a "must read." It is a compelling, honest, touching, and at times funny story of a young woman with an Ivy League education and lots of high-powered family connections who chooses to pursue ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church in spite of her misgivings about the church and her own motives. This is also a beautiful spiritual autobiography from a fresh new voice from whom I hope we will be hearing much more in the coming years. A great gift for a young person. I loved this book!!

While the previous reviewer admittedly displays a certain flair for the use of capital letters, if not an understanding of the rules of grammar, why did she write such a mean-spirited, simplistic, shrill and shallow chronicle? To me, she told the rest of us much more about her state of mind than she did share a perspective on the book about which she was supposedly opining. The writer of "The Close" struck me as sensitive, thoughtful, reflective, and honest. Thus, I found the ad hominem invective of the previous review a bit jarring, and decidedly un-Christian. Also, I'm not sure what basic tenets of Christianity the author disregards (the selling of indulgences? the crusades? circumcision?), but I found her, in fact, to be quite Christian. I especially liked the section about working at Belleview Hospital in New York City, and her sneaking the dog in to comfort the dying man. (Note: Not to correct all the previous reviewer's mistakes, but if she's listening, "tenets" is spelled with an "e", not an "a", and doesn't have a second "n"; "tenants" are people who occupy an apartment complex or office building).Why don't more people like me, who have read this wonderful book, take the time to share OUR thoughts? At least one of us will, now. I liked this book immensely, and highly recommend it.