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Forget Self-Help

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  • Comment: Needs to expand upon the well known in the South references into critical reception. AngusWOOF (bark • sniff) 20:31, 4 January 2020 (UTC)

Forget Self-Help: Re-examining the Golden Rule is a Christian non-fictional book written by Thomas Fellows (author) that examines the Golden Rule that can be found in Matthew 7:12. Through weaving the characters of To Kill a Mockingbird and Uncle Tom's Cabin, the personages of Robert E. Lee and Martin Luther King Jr., as well adding his own personal anecdotes, Fellows not only encourages the reader to follow the Golden Rule, but makes the claim that the Golden Rule is lost in modern-day Christianity.[1][2] Some of the chapter titles include "Mercy is Power," "Becoming Christlike," "Loving our Enemies," and "Crying for Someone Other Than Yourself." [3]

Forget Self-Help: Re-examining the Golden Rule
Forget Self-Help cover
1st edition
AuthorThomas Fellows
LanguageEnglish
GenreChristian
PublisherBorgo Publishing
Publication date
2017
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (paperback)
Pages146
ISBN978-0998460673
Followed byHe Spoke With Authority: Get, then Give the Advantage of Confidence 

While the book is grounded in scripture, Fellows did not intend for the book to be solely meant for Christians, making the comment in the Newnan Times Herald that he "didn't just write it for Christians."[4] Additionally, in a review by Faye Daysen of the The Pilot, she writes that "Fellows uses scripture, but doesn't hit readers over the head with it."[5] In an al.com article, Fellows claims that reaching out to others with love is lost, quipping that "In the South, People are more focused on staying away from sin rather than doing God's will. The three biggies were save sex for marriage, don't drink, don't cuss. If you did those three things you were a good Christian."[6]

Reception

In addition to the book being named one of twelve self-help books to read in 2018 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,[7] it also was selected by the Georgia Radio Reading Service as a book to be recorded by audio so that visually impaired Georgians could hear the book.[8] The book received widespread media attention in the South, being featured by three newspapers in Alabama, [9] [10] [11] seven newspapers in Georgia, [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] one newspaper in North Carolina, [19] one newspaper in Mississippi, [20] one newspaper in Tennessee, [21], one newspaper in Virginia, [22] two newspapers in Louisiana, [23] [24], and one newspaper in Arkansas. [25] It was featured by the national press in St. Paul, Minnesota's Pioneer Press,[26] Oklahoma's City's Daily Oklahoman,[27] and Hartford Connecticut's Hartford Courant. [28]

Inclusion of Robert E. Lee

In an interview with Donna Price of the American Press, when asked why he included both Robert E. Lee and Martin Luther King Jr. in the same book, Fellows remarked, “The reason I have both in my book is that I can see people of all races benefitting from both men. I believe that if they were both living today, they would have been fast friends. I have framed pictures of both Lee and King in my condo in Atlanta.” In the same interview, Fellows would go onto explain that reading Lee's quotes during his first depression benefitted him greatly. He also told Price that "he was convinced that (King) the most intelligent human being ever to live."[29]

Approximately one month after the Charlottesville car attack, in an op-ed in The Westside Journal, Fellows revealed Robert E. Lee's little-known stance on the confederate statues where, when declining an invitation to erect statues from the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association, Lee said “I think it wiser not to keep open the sores of war, but to follow the examples of those nations who endeavoured to obliterate the marks of civil strife and to commit to oblivion the feelings it has engendered.” [30] [31] [32] In the op-ed, Fellows later on would go on to say that, "I do agree with Lee in that we should take down all Confederate statues. I ultimately believe this because as white people, and as Atticus Finch would encourage us, we need to step into the skin of black people and realize why they might be offended by the statues still being there. We need to live out the Golden Rule."

References

  1. ^ Price, Donna. "Books message: Help yourself by helping others", "American Press", 20 November 2017. Retrieved September 9 2016.
  2. ^ Garrison, Greg. "Golden rule needs a revival, Samford grad says", "al.com", 5 March 2019. Retrieved September 9 2016.
  3. ^ Grossman, Mary Ann. "Thomas Fellows looks to literature in his examination of the golden rule", "Pioneer Press", 1 July 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  4. ^ Skinner, Winston. "Fellows re-examines Golden Rule", "The Newnan Times-Herald", 16 February 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2109.
  5. ^ Dasen, Faye. "Informative, Fun Spring Reading Recommendations", "ThePilot.com", 10 March 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  6. ^ Garrison, Greg. "Golden rule needs a revival, Samford grad says", "al.com", 5 March 2019. Retrieved September 9 2016.
  7. ^ Rhone, Nedra. "Self-help books to help you love your best life in 2018" , "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" , 10 January 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  8. ^ Ford, Clark Renee. "All Programs", "GaRRS" , 11 September 2019. Retrieved on 11 September 2019.
  9. ^ McCrary, Matthew. “Author Pens Focusing on Depression and Reassessing the Way You View and Experience Life.” The Western Star. November 22nd, 2017. Page 1.
  10. ^ Vaughn, Jessica. "Between the pages: Forget Self-Help." The Baldwin Times. October 6th, 2017. Page 13.
  11. ^ Estes-Velez, Lauren "Forget Self-Help", "Hartselle Enquirer" 22 November 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2019.Page 2.
  12. ^ Skinner, Winston. "Fellows re-examines Golden Rule", "The Newnan Times-Herald", 16 February 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2109.
  13. ^ Hurd, Hatcher. "Finding Happiness Helping Others", "Alpharetta Roswell Herald" 8 November 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  14. ^ Gillespie, Karen. "By the book: Deriso's latest novel catches words and music", "Augusta Chronicle" 25 November 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  15. ^ Rhone, Nedra. "Self-help books to help you love your best life in 2018" , "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" , 10 January 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  16. ^ McKinnon, John "Forget Self-Help by Thomas Fellows", "Douglas Enterprise", 22 December 2017. Retrieved on September 9 2019.
  17. ^ Polling, Dean "Books: He Spoke with Authority: Thomas Fellows", "Valdosta Daily Times", 28 September 2019. Retrieved on November 10 2019.
  18. ^ Catts, Everett "Buckhead resident pens book on the golden rule.", "The Northside Neighbor" , 9 November 2017. Retrieved on 9 September 2019.
  19. ^ Dasen, Faye. "Informative, Fun Spring Reading Recommendations", "ThePilot.com", 10 March 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  20. ^ Long, Robert Lee. "Georgia Author Examines the Golden Rule", "DeSoto Times-Tribune" 6 December 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  21. ^ Bradford, Kali. "Fellows Lives by Golden Rule in Latest Work", "Tullahoma News" 23 February 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  22. ^ Tennis, Joe. "Author tackles depression through "Forget Self-Help", "SWVA Today" 27 December 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  23. ^ Fletcher, Julie. "Book Review." The Dequincy News. December 27, 2017.
  24. ^ Price, Donna. "Books message: Help yourself by helping others", "American Press", 20 November 2017. Retrieved September 9 2016.
  25. ^ Teer, Dawn. "Book Review: Forget Self-Help." The Sun Times. December 29th, 2017. 6A.
  26. ^ Grossman, Mary Ann. "Thomas Fellows looks to literature in his examination of the golden rule", "Pioneer Press", 1 July 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  27. ^ Hinton, Carla. "Religion briefs for July 7", "Daily Oklahoman" , 7 July 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  28. ^ Goldberg, Carole. "Write stuff - Local Authors Festival to Host Authors, Panel Discussions.", "Hartford Courant", 30 May 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  29. ^ Price, Donna. "Books message: Help yourself by helping others", "American Press", 20 November 2017. Retrieved September 9 2016.
  30. ^ Williams, Cole. "By Thomas Fellows Author", "The West Side Journal", 14 September 2017. Retrieved 4 2020.
  31. ^ Thomas, Emory. Robert E. Lee: A Biography. W.W. Norton & Company. 1995. page 392.
  32. ^ Boyette, Chris Actually, Robert E. Lee was against erecting Confederate memorials Actually, Robert E. Lee was against erecting Confederate memorials, "cnn.com", August 17, 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2020.

Expanded upon the South; added in new CNN.com article on Lee's stance; let me know what you think

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