Ruminations of a Mildly Contented Scarecrow

Ruminations of a Mildly Contented Scarecrow is author Paul Vincent’s third collection of essays, which he began with The Star at the End of the River and continued with The Analemma Waltz. In this volume, Vincent turns his customary attention to theological interests, with think pieces on Christology, homiletics, church history, and prayer. But he also casts a wider net, offering commentary on such diverse phenomena as bumper stickers, student protests, movies, obituaries, TV, Rock music, and prepositions.What sets Ruminations apart from the author’s previous two efforts is the inclusion of an extended prologue, titled Predilection, and, at book’s end, a valedictory essay. In the prologue, Vincent recounts the influences and events of his formative years that inclined him to cultivate a meditative spirit and to make the recording of thoughts and ideas a personal discipline. Readers will also find here mini-essays on the journey of marital fidelity, the challenge of secondary school teaching, and the importance of avocations.In the Valediction, Vincent reflects on the human search for the eternal. Though a Christian who recommends life in Christ to all spiritual seekers, he nevertheless believes there is an orientation he terms 'generic faith,' that is, the conviction that a loving presence lies behind the universe and endows it with meaning and purpose. In support of this contention, the author identifies six indications from human experience, the contemplation of which, he avers, will lead to such a faith and its attendant joys.