Thinking about Things and Other Frivolities

"Farley's Thinking About Things and Other Frivolities is a superbly written memoir that is more than reflections on his interesting personal history and the history of his family; it is a window into his mind and soul. . . . Especially impressive to me . . . [is] his analysis of the core problems that have created what he labels a 'plutocracy' of the strong and the privileged that undermines any sense of service to the common good of all citizens."

--Joseph C. Hough Jr., President Emeritus, Union Theological Seminary



"What does it mean to be a theologian? As this scrupulous memoir reveals, the remarkable Edward Farley brings a rare sensibility to the pursuit of his vocation. He insists on an exacting investigation of the nature of the real world, while refusing to reduce experience to complacent abstractions. All the while he carries a poet's openness and a musician's high spirits to the unyielding mysteries of human transformation, and to the mystery behind the mysteries."

--Ray Waddle, Editor of Reflections, Yale Divinity School



"Thinking about things with Ed Farley leaves one always wiser and more thoughtful. Written with signature humility and subtle humor, this book is a true 'adventure in the concrete' in which Farley's own life is the warp through which he draws pressing questions about knowledge, religion, education, and democracy. The result is a tapestry of insight and a delightful record of one of the most profound thinkers of our time."

--Laurel C. Schneider, Professor of Religious Studies, Vanderbilt University