Marriage and Other Acts of Charity

A Memoir

By: Kate Braestrup

Narrated by: Kate Braestrup

In her award-winning memoir Here If You Need Me, Kate Braestrup won the hearts of readers across the country with her deeply moving and deftly humorous stories of faith, hope and family. Now, with her inimitable voice and generous spirit, she turns her attention to the subjects of love and commitment in Marriage and Other Acts of Charity.

As a minister, Kate Braestrup regularly performs weddings. She has also, at 44, been married twice and widowed once, and accordingly has much to say about life after the ceremony. From helping a newlywed couple make amends after their first fight to preparing herself for her second marriage, Braestrup offers her insights and experiences on what it truly means to share your life with someone, from the first kiss to the last straw, for better or for worse.

Part memoir, part observation of modern marriage, and part meditation on the roles of God and love in our everyday lives, Marriage and Other Acts of Charity is a unique and unforgettable look into why, and how, we love each other, and proves yet again why Kate Braestrup's writing is "inspirational in the best sense"-New York Daily News.

Humble, theologically orthodox, charming and fun

The author is a Unitarian Universalist and there are many references to her outsider status, some explicit, some subtle.
Aware that her audience is diverse, though, the theology she expounds is modest and avoids controversy. As an argumentative theology major myself, I have grumbled while listening to at least some passages of every theological audiobook I own (around a dozen). Insight after insight is cleverly delivered without the overstatement that it so hard to avoid.
There is one three sentence passage that explains UU theology in a manner that sounds mildly missionary ("God is love. That's it.... Really.) and gay marriage is briefly addressed in a non-polemic manner, but the book would make an excellent text for people looking to return to orthodoxy, or gift from someone hoping the recipient might enjoy an appealing and gentle advertisement for the life of faith that would avoid teaching heresy. Catholics and high church Protestants may find it particularly surprisingly good, but no denomination will find it offensive on issues that the denomination is in the mainstream on, with the exception of the above caveats and the author's position as a female chaplain, a position Catholics will be comfortable with (no mention is made of communion or other sacraments Catholic female chaplains, rather than priests, could not, in extremis, officiate at), and most, albeit not all, Protestants should have even less issue. The question is only implicit, albeit obvious; again Braestrup avoids *advocating* anything that could be felt to be heretical.

Humbled

What did you love best about Marriage and Other Acts of Charity?

I am moved by Kate's transparency in this book. I am inspired to love like she does, despite the foibles of our own humanity.