Conversations with Poppi

When we asked them for book suggestions last November, our friends Robert and Blanche Jenson gave us some great recommendations. One to watch for, said Blanche, was Conversations with Poppi about God. Poppi, of course, is Robert, otherwise known as Jens. He is one of America's foremost theologians, but he is also a pretty great grandpa.

The idea for this book came about when the Jensons' granddaughter, Solveig, asked him some questions one night before going to bed. They kept talking until about one in the morning, and that gave Blanche an idea. Why not get a tape recorder and talk some more? Poppi and Solveig kept talking, and their transcribed conversations have been preserved in this wonderful book. It is warm and humorous, but also profound. It is sweet, but never condescending. Solveig holds her own in the conversations with her grandfather, and he both respects and encourages her thinking. Conversations with Poppi about God is careful theology at its most accessible level, with lots of affection and a twinkle in the eye.

Bob