Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27033 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In this deeply theological, welcome book, Peterson (Sing Me to Heaven) argues in favor of the idea—no longer fashionable—that Christian service and spiritual growth are inherent in the acts of keeping people fed, clean, housed and comfortable. Housekeeping, she says, is akin to a litany, a long public prayer to announce needs and requests. A litany is repetitive and focused on the basics: food, health, shelter. Similarly, housework is ongoing and incarnational, teaching us about Jesus' earthiness and decision to live among us; it requires perpetual tending, much like God's active sustaining of the world. "All the more is this so when our homes are not all we might wish them to be," Peterson points out. "God's world is not as he wishes it to be, either." Addressing such topics as laundry, cleaning, shopping and cooking, Peterson offers persuasive biblical interpretations and incisive theological and cultural commentary. The two chapters on food and its preparation are especially groundbreaking, with Peterson enumerating helpful criteria for how Christians in a food-obsessed culture might determine whether a particular food is worthy of eating. At times, her domestic opinions have the whiff of superiority, as when she speaks disapprovingly about microwaves and dishwashers, but these moments are far outweighed by the book's well-researched and generous approach to domesticity. (Apr.)
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Review
In this deeply theological, welcome book, Peterson (Sing Me to Heaven) argues in favor of the idea—no longer fashionable—that Christian service and spiritual growth are inherent in the acts of keeping people fed, clean, housed and comfortable. Housekeeping, she says, is akin to a litany, a long public prayer to announce needs and requests. A litany is repetitive and focused on the basics: food, health, shelter. Similarly, housework is ongoing and incarnational, teaching us about Jesus' earthiness and decision to live among us; it requires perpetual tending, much like God's active sustaining of the world. "All the more is this so when our homes are not all we might wish them to be," Peterson points out. "God's world is not as he wishes it to be, either." Addressing such topics as laundry, cleaning, shopping and cooking, Peterson offers persuasive biblical interpretations and incisive theological and cultural commentary. The two chapters on food and its preparation are especially groundbreaking, with Peterson enumerating helpful criteria for how Christians in a food-obsessed culture might determine whether a particular food is worthy of eating. At times, her domestic opinions have the whiff of superiority, as when she speaks disapprovingly about microwaves and dishwashers, but these moments are far outweighed by the book's well-researched and generous approach to domesticity. (Apr.) (Publishers Weekly, February 12, 2007)

Review
"Keeping House is ground-breaking and breath-taking--the former because there is nothing quite like a ‘theology of housekeeping’ that is both theologically sophisticated and experientially based. It is breath-taking because of the depth and profundity of Margaret Kim Peterson’s insights . . . . My skepticism of the topic gave way, within two pages, to admiration. Every pastor needs to preach the theology of this book and every housekeeper will find daily gold."
—Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University; and author, The Real Mary and The Jesus Creed.

"Mom taught us how to keep house; Margaret Kim Peterson tells us why. Without glorifying menial tasks or patronizing those who do them, Peterson sets housework in a biblical and theological framework that reveals the eternal significance of feeding, clothing, and sheltering others."
—LaVonne Neff, author, 2007: A Book of Grace-Filled Days

"For many years I have appreciated Margaret’s insights and reflections about theology and life. In this book she brings her heart and mind to bear on the subject of housekeeping. The result is a practical and loving look at a routine and demanding practice that can lead--believe it or not--to contemplation of God."
—Adele Calhoun, pastor of spiritual formation, Christ Church of Oak Brook, Oak Brook, Illinois; and author Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

Customer Reviews

Savoring the Mundane
I have had the privilege of being Margaret Kim Peterson's academic colleague as well as a frequent imbiber of her culinery skills, so I can say with some authority that this book is NOT a prissy primer of Christian huswifery. In fact, inspite of the aesthetic perfection of Margaret's gourmet "presentation," her house expresses the creative chaos of one who lives in five small rooms with a very lively five year old, a husband in a wheel chair and two "wind-up" dogs. In short, she very well knows the difference between seeing the sacred in the mundane and supposing that the state of her home reflects the state of her soul. I love that in Margaret and in this book.

"House Keeping" is for anyone who truly believes that the things of everyday are good, true, and beautiful -- that they can be done with the kind of care that befits preparing a table for communion. But we don't all have to reverence the same tasks. As for me, while I hope to become a good cook in retirement, I love decorating my home as an offering to family and friends. This book is an invitation to stop and savor the moment. One reviewer disdained Margaret's disdain for dishwashers. While I confess that I have one, I love eating dinner at the Petersons' home not only because the food is succulent but because I get to put my hands in warm sudsy water and wash the dishes in the kitchen while catching up with Margaret through stories of students and parents and, well, life. Can washing dishes be a sacrament? Why ever not!

Margaret Kim Peterson is a fluid and witty writer. She infuses theological thinking into the everyday and makes the reader want to live in both worlds. That is a fine thing.

SHOULD BE ASSIGNED READING
People will be turned off by the title of this book because they are turned off by keeping house. How unfortunate! I'm an academic whose days are spent reading books and staring at a computer screen----except for keeping house, which I use broadly to include gardening, painting siding, and just puttering. "Ora et labora" was the motto for the Benedictines--a term as fresh today as it was centuries ago.

Margaret Peterson pulls wonderful anectdotes and readings and poems from a wide range of histories, biographies, and magazines. It's a fascinating book. It would serve as a wonderful text for courses on culture or gender----or a course invented just for the book. I'd find a way to use it for a seminary course if I hadn't been booted from my teaching position ("My Calvin Seminary Story"). The vast majority of my students were men, and they need this book most. The central thesis of the book is: "A Christian home, properly understood, is never just for one's own family. A Christian home overflows its boundaries; it is an outpost of the kingdom of God, where the hungry are fed and the naked are clothed and there is room enough for everyone."

Keeping House, a Form of Blessing
Margaret Kim Peterson's newest offering, Keeping House: A Litany of Everyday Life, is a surprising breath of fresh air. With Biblical truth and poignant examples from her own life and the lives of those around her, she boldly reframes the usual perspective on the work of the household. Feeding, clothing, and sheltering our families are important tasks. Yes, the tasks are repetitive and often generate little feedback, even when done well. Nevertheless, Peterson reminds us that keeping house is really the creation of an environment that fosters peace and relationship, within the family and spilling into the world beyond the threshold.

Peace and relationship and service are the goals, not a perfect home or a gourmet dinner. As a full-time professional and a mother of 3 with a chronically-ill husband, I especially appreciated Peterson's realism; in reading her book, I did not feel burdened by an unattainable standard. Instead, I felt freed--to say "no" to things that sacrifice the important, even if mundane. Certainly, there are seasons of life when meals are less healthy and the house is cluttered. Peterson does not criticize but speaks to the underlying attitude that makes a season into a habit. We crave "real simple" solutions to the busyness of our lives, as offered by the popular magazine; Margaret Kim Peterson highlights for us the whys of keeping house so that we can make choices for our homes--sometimes against the grain of the world--without guilt.