Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way (Facets)

Book Description

In this small book Walter Wink offers a précis of his whole thinking about this issue, including the relation of Jesus and his message to politics and nonviolence, the history of nonviolent efforts, and how nonviolence can win the day when others don't hesitate to resort to violence or terror to achieve their aims.

Customer Reviews:

third way--a viable option.......2007-05-21

This book was used in an Episcopal adult Sunday school Class. Discussed, and rediscussed, argued, pried apart from many more than 3 sides.
Content was complete, literate, challenging. This book is still causing
discussions, with the third way emerging from obscurity to reality.

Wink Falls Short.......2007-01-23

I come away from Wink's book asking myself the question, "Did Jesus have social and political change in mind when he commanded his followers to love their enemies?" I hardly think so. At least not in the way Wink proposes.

Wink makes many good statements concerning the Christian's love and nonviolence. I enjoyed his interpretations of Jesus' examples (go two miles, turn the other cheek, etc.) However, I feel that his application is off the mark of Jesus' intended meaning. As Christians, we are not to concern ourselves with improving on the injustices of the day by beating them (worldly kingdoms) at their own game. Jesus would not, because he did not, ever shame someone into repentance. His motivation was strictly love of God and man. At times Jesus' actions toward an individual may have resulted in shame, but this was NOT his motivation.

I strongly disagree with Wink's use of "submission." He speaks of submission as if it is a weak thing to be despised. The Apostles Paul and Peter did not seem to think so. I don't believe his understanding of "submission" is New Testament. It seems that Wink is more concerned about causing social and political change through pacifism than he is to simply 'love your enemies' as evidence that we are the disciples of Christ who manifest the Gospel by our lives (Jn. 13:34-35).

Wink uses an unbelieving Ghandi and a promiscious civil rights activist like King to reveal something of Jesus' Third Way. He also uses Bonhoeffer (of whom I am a big fan)as an example of Jesus' resistance. Bonhoeffer's writings are phenomonal... yet he compromised his faith and justified his actions of armed resistance. This should alert the reader to a misunderstanding of the Biblical text.

Love's aim is not at temporarily changing the political oppressive systems in government by peaceful means, but at changing the heart of man for all eternity and bringing glory to God. Was Jesus motivation and purpose geared toward politcal upheaval and bringing down the evil men by love so that he might have partisan power!? I think not!

Do we want peace on earth? Yes, but we recognize peace on earth is a very temporal thing and will never fully be Christ's peace. The "already/not yet" aspect of the Kingdom of God teaches us this.

I disagree with Wink that we should follow Jesus "as best we can." The problems are resolved when we recognize that Christ's life is in us... we must learn to walk in his Spirit and not in our flesh. We can do nothing. Our best is no good.

I believe Wink's attempt at presenting "Jesus' Third Way" falls short of the true way Jesus presented. If we dare say that unregenerated man can mimic the love of Christ... we pollute the Gospel's presentation and form it to fit something we can achieve in our flesh. This kind of love is no longer supernatural... just nice... natural... and self-serving.

I recommend reading Mere Discipleship: Radical Christianity in a Rebellious World by Lee C. Camp after you have read Wink and see that his clever thinking only reflects one more sly attempt at getting a grip on the worldly kingdoms.

If you are looking for a book to carry around with you and one that you can share with people all over the world... try the New Testament. I would like to suggest you not use the patriotic version or some man's interpretation of it. Read the words of Jesus for yourself and let the Holy Spirit discern for you the motivation behind loving your enemies. Does the love of Christ manifested by the Holy Spirit lead you to shame your enemy so you might get your way? Let the Holy Spirit guide and counsel you to the meaning of Christ's nonsense love.

One of The Best of Walter Wink.......2006-08-22

This short book is a very good introduction to Analytic/Historic Christianity, that movement which considers the life of first-century, Roman-dominated faithfuls, their language and its often-flawed translation[s]. In other works Wink may seem obscure, but not here. His language is precise, his ideas very clear, his logic as compelling as always; it is just enough. This book is a very good investment.

Something to think about.......2005-12-27

This book gives good examples of how nonviolence has worked in the past to peacefully resolve issues involving government/people relations, etc. I am also pleased that this book makes a case for Jesus' strength, and shows the folly of being or claiming it is virtuous to be a "doormat for Jesus." This book also, every now and then, emphasizes that violence is preferable to cowardice...though afterwards firmly re-states that nonviolence practiced with a spirit of courageous nonviolence is the best way.

However, I have to give this book a mere two stars because it does not confront true evil very well. It did not address Hitler, and though it mentions terrorism, it does so only vaguely, and also in the context of nonviolent reaction, namely, not striking back with physical force. Given the state of things during the time this book was published (2003), this vagueness is not good enough.

This book certainly gives one something to think about, but it does not even touch the foundation from which we must approach the world as it is today. This book addresses stubbornness, and even evil to some degree, but it does not address pure, unadulterated hatred, or the humans who obviously have degenerated so far that they are unredeemable. It is in subtly denying the depth to which man will fall if he is brainwashed (such as a suicide bomber, for instance) that I believe Mr. Wink does a disservice to his country and his readers.

Then again, perhaps he is more enlightened than most people, in which case he just believes that you may act peaceably towards someone like Osama bin Laden, even if he is a degenerate...it seems to me that this would be a form of insanity. With the end goal of peace, do you think that standing defenseless and brave before bin Laden and being butchered would help towards that end? Do you think it would even help Osama's soul? Do you think he would feel sorry for you and change? Could it not possibly be a sacrifice for nothing?

A new look at Jesus.......2005-10-13

This is a small book that you can carry with you as a reminder in your hectic life.This introduction to a non-violent Jesus will empower you to make changes in your life.It has many biblical passages that teach you to respect the dignity of people who disagree with your beliefs. The only lasting way to eliminate an enemy is to make him your friend.

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The Measure of a Man (Facets)
Martin Luther, Jr. King
Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0800634497

Book Description

Why nonviolence matters

Eloquent and passionate, reasoned and sensitive, this pair of meditations by the revered civil-rights leader contains the theological roots of his political and social philosophy of nonviolent activism.

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Very affordable NRSV with Apocrypha

Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version With The Apocrypha Black Imitation Leather, Gift & Award Bible (Facets)
Hendrickson
Manufacturer: Hendrickson Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

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Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version With The Apocrypha Royal Purple Imitation Leather, Gift & Award Bible

Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version With The Apocrypha And The Deuterocanonical Books

Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version, Gift & Award, Black

The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition

Understanding the Old Testament (5th Edition)

ASIN: 1565637097

Book Description

Though they are regularly used in both Protestant and Roman Catholic congregations, the books of the Apocrypha are difficult to find in affordable English Bibles today—until now!

Readers will enjoy the NRSV's contemporary, literal translation and the easy-to-read text. Churches that reference the Apocrypha in liturgy and worship will appreciate the quality and price of these outstanding editions for presentation, and outreach.

GIFT & AWARD BIBLE

• A great way to honor special achievements—at a budget-conscious price

• A spectrum of attractive colors—black, burgundy, blue, royal purple, dark green, and white—suit any occasion.

• Imitation leather, 1,120 pages, 5½ x 8½ inches

• Readable 9-point type

• Color maps and presentation page

Other NRSV award Bibles on the market may look good, but aren't designed to be regularly read. This handsome award Bible will withstand heavy use, thanks to its better quality paper and supple but sturdy cover material.

ABOUT THE TRANSLATION

Translated by a multi-denominational committee, and based on the original Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, the New Revised Standard Version is widely used by English-speaking congregations throughout the world.

ABOUT THE APOCRYPHA

The Apocrypha is a collection of books found in the Septuagint—the Greek version of the Jewish Bible. Though not incorporated into the final, canonical version of the Hebrew scriptures, they were included in important Bible translations such as the Latin Vulgate and the original King James Version of 1611. For centuries the books of the Apocrypha have had a significant influence on Christian art, literature, and theology.

Customer Reviews:

Very affordable NRSV with Apocrypha.......2007-04-16

I really like the NRSV version. The NRSV is one of the best and most accurate translations around. It is more literal than the NIV and less wooden in its English than the NASB. The NRSV is gender-inclusive to reflect the most current English usage. I wanted to get a good quality NRSV Bible with the Apocrypha without paying over $15 for it. I found it in this Bible (if you want the whole Bible with the Apocrypha, you usually have to pay at least $17 for it).

I like the black leather-flex cover of the Bible and the size is just right. I also like the paragraph headings. The print is legible and not too small. The text is straight black text (no red-letter for the sayings of Christ). The footnotes are very helpful in indicating the original Hebrew & Greek (when the translation is rendered in a gender-inclusive way); the footnotes also give alternate readings.

The only things lacking about this Bible are a concordance and maps in the back. Well, what can you expect at this price? It is a wonderful Bible & Apocrypha at an affordable cost. Great value.

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a tiny gem
Very useful for understanding the Psalms: Readable and telling...
Academic; Assumes a LOT of its Readers
Brueggemann Shines Again

Spirituality of the Psalms (Facets)
Walter Brueggemann
Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0800634500

Book Description

Capturing the depth of the Psalms

The seasons of our lives change. Using a model of orientation—disorientation—new orientation, Brueggemann explores how the genres of the Psalms can be viewed in terms of their function. This results in fresh readings of these ancient songs that illumine their spiritual depth. The voices of the Psalms come through in all their bold realism.

Customer Reviews:

a tiny gem.......2007-01-18

This little book, which is an abridged version of Brueggemann's longer volume The Message of the Psalms (1984), explains why the "strange literature" of the Psalms has had such an abiding influence on Christians down through the centuries. In particular, Brueggemann shows how and why the "psalms of negativity," largely neglected by believers because they sound so harsh and are thus embarrassing, remain so relevant to the personal, pastoral, and public dimensions of Christian life today. He does not treat all the Psalms, or even most of them, but instead offers a threefold scheme to understand the theological trajectory of these powerful poems--psalms of orientation, psalms of disorientation, and psalms of new orientation.

In my own experience I agree wholeheartedly with Brueggemann when he writes that today "much Christian piety and spirituality is romantic and unreal in its positiveness...But such a way not only ignores the Psalms; it is a lie in terms of our experience." The "psalms of negativity" are thus profoundly subversive because they help us to embrace what we try so very hard to deny, that is, the darkness, self-deception, and overall disorientation that characterizes much of life. Our culture prizes success and control, and even does not like surprises. But the Psalms, says Brueggemann, point us to a twofold movement of faith. First, we move from a settled orientation to a season of disorientation. Then, we move on to a new orientation that comes to us as a surprise gift of God's grace. Of course, this cycle continues and repeats itself throughout life. The "stunning fact," writes Brueggemann, "is that Israel does not purge this unrestrained speech but regards it as genuinely faithful communication" with God. That should be no less true today than three millennia ago when these poem-prayers were first written. Far from a literature that we should shun or explain away, these psalms offer to us a unique "healing candor."

Very useful for understanding the Psalms: Readable and telling..........2007-01-05

In both private and public prayer, in reading for pleasure the Psalms as they are published in "The Book of Common Prayer" and in both my King James Bible, and NSRV, I have sought meaning and understanding. In an effort to gain that end, I turn to intelligent commentaries for help. "Spirituality of the Psalms" by Walter Brueggemann is such a book, and it is a readable, slim one from Fortress Press--a mere 74 pages as I note from my copy.

I have welcomed this title into my home, with its dramatic black & white illustration on the cover. It is a favorite not only for me, but for others with whom I've said: "Have you read this book?" Sometimes the blurb on the back cover of a book is hyperbole, but the statement, "Brief, brilliant treatments of vital aspects of faith and life" rings true. I will restrain myself from writing a glowing review, for that measure would betray the dignified and dignified writing style of this book on faith. Categorized under the definition "Hebrew Bible," and this certainly is an accurate categorization I think, the paperback copy I own is for readers who wish explanation, orientation, and educational illumination regardless of being Christian or Jewish.

In this review I have tended towards my own uses for the book, and I could say those are the pastoral uses. The author, in his preface, tells the reader the various kinds of ways he addresses the purposes of his writing. Here I want to pause a moment, and tell you reader that the book is illuminating. It will give you ideas, and explain things to you as a reader in ways that you will find helpful and interesting. But for my purposes, here is a way I found the book useful, in Walter Brueggemann's words from the book's preface:

"In an attempt to be 'postcritical,' I have had in mind especially the pastoral use of the Psalms. By that I mean how the Psalms may function as voices of faith in the actual life of the believing community. So I have sought to consider the interface between the flow of the Psalms and the dynamics of our common life."

I think there are many readers of the Psalms, some for their private interest, and others like me who also follow them in public and private worship. The Psalms speak to us. One cares about them, they offer a wider life, a connection to God, an explanation of our existence. The book offers: "Human life consists in satisfied seasons of well-being that evoke gratitude for the constancy of blessing. Matching this we will consider 'psalms of orientation,' which in a variety of ways articulate the joy, delight, goodness, coherence, and reliability of God, God's creation, and God's governing law." Please note that there is wisdom in this book about the Psalms, and it will be apparent to you on reading the book.

Of the book's direction, the purpose lies in a book of both orientation and disorientation. "This may be an abrupt or a slowly dawning acknowledgment. It constitutes a dismantling of the old, known world and a relinquishing of safe, reliable confidence in God's good creation." For the believer, this is good news.

Is this a book about something written from centuries past that continues and still brings good into our lives? In other words, is the reading of the Psalms and their use in prayer beneficial in our times? Are they worth the trouble to understand and work with? And for the Christian, are they a telling source of knowing Christ and living ones life in the Christian way? The author speaks directly to their value by making them become for us available, and by his authority as a scholar and teacher broadening the meaning of the Psalms. This is a direct statement that tells us what the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia USA says:

"The Psalms speak of a healthy, oriented life that is anticipated, even if not yet experienced. There moves in these psalms a deep conviction that God's purpose for the world is resilient. That purpose will not yield until creation is brought to fullness. The Psalms assert that the creation finally is committed to and will serve the Creator." I take that to mean, also, that the world is created for good, and that even the universe is a friendly place.

These are some notes on commentary from the book: The personal complaint song shows a great variety of "...psalms of disorientation." Communal complaint songs take more effort, for "...the category of the personal, even psychological, has become our mode of experiencing reality. We have, at the same time, experienced a loss of public awareness and public imagination." The result is we have "...little experiental counterpart to the communal complaint psalms." There are religious dimensions for such complaint and loss, the author explains. This book will be satisfactory for those who have religious inclinations and practices.

As I write this review, I am enjoying going through the book to refresh my memory of its message and information, and I believe a reader could easily read this title and come back to it a year later or so, and reread the book. That way one may get more from it. Apparently, the author believes the Psalms have transformative power. There is beauty in the words, and there is spiritual and religious meaning in the Psalms. In the section, "Hymns of Praise," the book clearly leads one to that understanding, and influences the reader rightly, that he or she will benefit from the historical power of the Psalms:

Sung with abandonment in praise to God, as Professor Brueggemann puts it, he says, "...in the pattern of orientation-disorientation-new orientation that we have pursued, these psalms should all be placed at the very end of the process as surprising, glad statements of a new ordering of life, or whether they should be treated as the very deepest and established statement of the old orientation that is firm, settled, and nonnegotiable." There is a thematic statement, a solid remark of learned value that like much in this book leads the reader to understanding the Psalms as instruments for relationship with God, and means of reconciliation.

For those wanting and even needing explanation and commentary of the Psalms that will enhance and even illuminate their use and reading, this slim volume is a welcome addition to a library. And if that library is a small one, make this one of that number. Keep the book, read it again even a year later. "Spirituality of the Psalms," a remarkable book that reads well and may be approached with ease.

--Peter Menkin, Christmas

Academic; Assumes a LOT of its Readers.......2005-10-28

I agree with the one other reviewer of this book on the PSALMS and take no issue with that review. However, I wish to review from another angle......that of the beginner to the study of scripture. This book is not a book for beginners. It is very academic. When I purchased this book, because it is short, less than 100 pages, I assumed it would be sort of a "primer" introduction to the study of the Psalms. That it is NOT! My Bible study class is studying the Psalms at my church and I am sure most people in the class studying the Psalms for the first time would be quite put off by this book. One thing that I find quite troublesome, even for an academic treatment is this: Brueggemann cites name of other authors in the text and then does not place a citation for that author reference in the bibliography. The practice of doing this is drilled into any high school student writing their first term paper and Brueggemann is lax in this regard as is the publisher who allowed that oversight and lack of rigor by Brueggemann, an academic author who should know better.

Brueggemann Shines Again.......2002-05-06

Barbara and I both avidly admire The Psalms and Dr. Brueggemann. Our greatest expectation for the summer is to hear him preach and teach at the Presbyterian Conference on Music and Worship at Montreat. I am deeply indebted to him for his keenly inspired commentary on GENESIS. For two quarters of Preaching Genesis, I have tuned-into his studies in depth to prepare several sermons and hear young students at MERCER/McAFEE School of Theology preach their sermons inspired by Brueggemann.

This little gem of a book is the abridged version of The Message of Psalms. In his final chapter of the shorter version, he focuses on God's Justice. There he sites his thesis of three dimensions of 'orientation, disorientation and reorientation:'
* It is pathological to challenge the present order of economic and political power.
* It is pathological to suggest that God may be unjust.
* It is pathological to speak, as some of these psalms do, in a voice of disorientation.

Brueggemann inserts 'imprisonment' as one crisis in which the seven psalms of disorientation are best addressed. Here is the one place in all of his books on Psalms where I have read his clearest views on the issue of theodicy. "The struggle of the oppressed against the unjust, when cast theologically, is the issue of theodicy."

Only recenty in someone's sermon I read that, "God prefers the losers in life." While serving as the Chaplain in Georgia's Diagnostic Center, I often wondered if this is not the case for a very few of the choicest and often long-termed inmates. I did often repeat the points of Brueggemann's sermons to the inmates for the Sunday evening sermons. One or two were read back to me by inmates in their rehabilitation group discussions. When I repeated that incident one day in a chance meeting with Prof. Brueggemann, he smiled and replied: "Gee, Thanks!"

Never before as minister, chaplain or teacher have I discovered so many profound yet simple books by one commentator, especially focused upon the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible. Thanks and WOW!
Chaplain Fred W. Hood

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THE MANY FACETS OF LEADERSHIP

The Many Facets of Leadership
Vijay Govindarajan , and Albert A. Vicere
Manufacturer: FT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Leadership by Design

Global Leadership: The Next Generation

Learning Journeys: Top Management Experts Share Hard-Earned Lessons on Becoming Great Mentors and Leaders

What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful

The Leader of the Future: New Visions, Strategies and Practices for the Next Era

ASIN: 0131005332

Download Description

In The Many Facets of Leadership, more than 40 top leadership experts share their insights on every aspect of leadership in the 21st century. This book brings together new ideas and techniques for leading change, promoting learning and innovation, handlin

Customer Reviews:

THE MANY FACETS OF LEADERSHIP.......2002-11-05

A good compendium of articles written by leading Management thinkers and practitioners who have drawn from their rich experience in penning these articles. Its easy readability and simplistic presentation make this book even more acceptable for practicing managers. The book gives an insight in to the multi faceted dimensions of Leadership, which is so essential in managing a business organization in an increasingly competitive world. More so, the arrival of this book seems timely when the business sentiment globally is at its lowest ebb.

The articles written on various management subjects has been sequentially organized in to five parts. Part I titled The Quest for Knowledge makes a compulsive reading, It awakens one to the mind boggling potential each one is endowed with, a pointer to the intellectual explosion possible by combining the logical processes of the left brain with the creative side of the right brain. Schoemaker?s article on Overcoming the Mental Blind Spots speaks of the common urge in many of us to accept the Status quo ignoring entrepreneurial approach to decision making. Amarjit Chopra outlines the three strategies generally adopted in selling ideas illustrated with a typical case study.

Part II, addresses the Leader?s role in facilitating change Albert Vicere identifies the four key roles of being a Boundary-less thinker, Networker, a Diplomat and an Interpreter for effective leadership. There are several other articles which give new insights to become an effective leader.

Part III dwells on New leadership skills and Kaye?s article gives several practical tips.Part IV sums up the strategies to be put in place for driving the cutting edge to be successful and Part V describes the attributes of the New Millenium. The CISCO case study featuring the two important components of the innovation machine namely the Process design and the Organisational Design and the generic processes associated with it, is an eye opener to the CEOs in leveraging Internet working technologies to revolutionizing core business processes. The CISCO case study is a fine illustration of innovative thinking processes that can make an organization vibrant. The author Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Timble, do sound a note of caution, that innovation is not so simplistic to imitate and that each organisation has to make a self assessment and be clear about the end results, if it has to succeed in this direction.

For the budding Managers of the new era, the articles seek to ignite the urge for learning and open new vistas in quality of thinking which is so essential in developing a cutting edge and rejuvenate the Corporation in the Global market place.

As a Chief Executive Officer of a Multinational Engineering Corporation, reading this book has given me different perspectives and an urge to usher in innovative approaches and practices. I would like to review the book with my functional team members and urge them to give a reading. To say that the assimilation of the book would achieve the objective of setting in motion a qualitative thinking process will be an under statement. There is much more to each one of us as we put them in to practice.

Customer Reviews:

A short and thought provoking work.......2007-08-12

Hengel has left us with a fairly short and yet thought provoking work on the relatioship between Christian theology and how crucifixtion was viewed in the ancient world. Hengel protrays the difference between the Christian view of Christ's sacrifice on the cross to the pagan world's view of crucifixtion as shameful to the point they generally didn't talk much about it.

Excellent Scholarly Resource.......2007-05-23

This excellent reference work by Martin Hengel is referenced in "Jesus Among Other Gods" written by Ravi Zacharias. His statement was, "Millenia later, we see the symbol of the cross on necklaces and on church steeples so often that we have no concept of what it meant and accomplished. In fact, if it were truly expounded upon, we would take offense at the preacher."

After reading Mr. Hengel's very thorough work about crucifixion, I see the words of First Corinthians 1:18 in a whole new light. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God." (NIV)

This book provides an excellent in-depth study of the subject matter.

Crucifixion in the ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross.......2006-06-27

Marten Hengel is a superb scholar who has devoted his life to the study of a variety of theological themes in the New Testament. In this volune, Professor Hengel researches the extant ancient literature related to the subject of crucifixion. He then defines the attitudes and reactions of leaders and the populace regarding this form of death. His meticulous and exhaustive research makes this short but powerful volume a standard in the field of crucifixion research. I highly recommend this book to scholars and lay-people alike who desire to have a a scholary, thoroughly researched work on this subject.

An Excellent Readable History of Crucifixion.......2005-10-02

I agree with all the positve comments posted by the previous reviewers. This is a concise, readable, yet scholarly history of crucifixion. Together with this book I would recommend reading "A Doctor at Calvary: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ As Described by a Surgeon" by Pierre Barbet. This study of crucifixion, by a surgeon, with insights from the crucifixion depicted in the Shroud of Turin, very well complements this book. After reading these books a viewing of Mel Gibson's "The Passion" is well worth the time.

GOOD BOOK.......2002-09-10

FOR ALL THE READERS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN ARQUEOLOGY.

Facets of Physics: A Conceptual Approach

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Facets of Physics: A Conceptual Approach
Roger B. Culver
Manufacturer: West Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Designed for a conceptual physics course for non-science majors, this text is shorter in length, appropriate for a one-semester course. It presents a good balance of quantitative and conceptual material, integrating simple math into the conceptual physics framework so students can see the practicality of physics and have a means of testing its validity. It also emphasizes the relevance of physics to our lives with many applied examples. Major topics include: motion, Newton's Laws, energy, optics, sound waves, electricity and magnetism, and atomic and nuclear power. An epilogue on general relativity and cosmology and sections on blue skies, heat and internal energy, speed, and velocity are included.

The Horrors We Bless: Rethinking the Just-war Legacy (Facets Series)

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Thorough, Concise, Provocative

The Horrors We Bless: Rethinking the Just-war Legacy (Facets Series)
Daniel C. Maguire
Manufacturer: Fortress Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0800638972

Book Description

Is war inevitable? Is it so woven into the fabric of our being that it always was and always will be? "Early Christians," says Maguire, "were unanimous in opposing this view." They didn't see war as normal but an outrage and even a sacrilege. Maguire argues that later Christians succumbed to the supposed "normalcy" of war and developed what later became known as the "just-war theory," which was actually devised as a deterrent to the rush to war.

Customer Reviews:

Thorough, Concise, Provocative.......2007-07-11

"The Horrors We Bless: Rethinking the Just-War Legacy"

Daniel Maguire, Professor of Moral Theological Ethics at Marquette University, aims "to challenge the seductive power of war that so grips and hobbles our imaginations." A major cause, he argues, is "Just-war" Theory. Its original purpose -- to limit, control, and even avoid warfare -- now is commonly subverted to justify and "baptize" it. The burden of proof intended to rest upon the warrior now rests upon the conscientious objector.

Maguire has the gift of truth-telling in such a way that you can see. Noting how we have sanitized the idea of war, Maguire observes: "War can even be a form of armchair spectator entertainment. It is acceptable for people to become 'Civil War buffs,' or 'Revolutionary War buffs.' If people were to announce themselves as 'prostitution buffs' or 'necrophilia buffs,' their perverted absorption in such human disasters would raise eyebrows."

Rightly used, Just-war theory would insist that international force be deployed only "in a community context with legal and internationally enforceable restrictions comparable to the restraints we put upon our police." [italics in original]

Maguire has hope: "It is in us to outgrow war. The formula is easy enough: put your main trust in justice, not weapons, trust life-power more than kill-power, specialize in diplomacy and imagination, not bludgeoning." Grounds for hope abound: "Military power, even 'superpower' military power, is being embarrassed [by its failure to assure peace], and examples of successful nonviolent modes of resistance are multiplying."

Maguire calls us to "the hard work of prophetic citizenry," particularly during times like post-9/11, when "a White House spokesman noted that the president 'considers any opposition to his policies to be no less than an act of treason.' "

Excellent for study groups: a good read, thoroughly documented in history and scriptures, inexpensive, and concise -- eighty-nine 4 x 7-inch packed and provocative pages.

Facets of Unity: The Enneagram of Holy Ideas

Average customer rating:

In the tradition of "Power of Now"
NOT for beginners....
Honestly, the BEST book ever
valuable contribution
The very best enneagram book for self-unfoldment

Facets of Unity: The Enneagram of Holy Ideas
A. H. Almaas
Manufacturer: Shambhala
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0936713143
Release Date: 2000-09-05

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A.H. Almaas presents "the holy ideas" that are the spiritual realities of the nine personality types that the Enneagram reflects. For those unfamiliar with the Enneagram, he includes an introduction to the structure of psychological typecasting rediscovered by Oscar Ichazo, founder of the Arica School, who gives this book its high credentials by having written the Foreword. While other books on the subject explain the different characteristics and behaviors of each of the nine fixations or types, Almaas expounds here on how the disconnection from each holy idea leads to the development of its corresponding fixation. Then he provides keys to unlock them. For example, the "seven" type's holy idea is "holy wisdom," which Ichazo defines as "The awareness that reality exists as a succession of moments, each experienced as the present, and that it is only by existing in the present that the constant unfolding of the Cosmos can be experienced ... can real work be done, and results achieved." --Randall Cohan

Book Description

Facets of Unity presents the Enneagram of Holy Ideas as a crystal clear window on the true reality experienced in enlightened consciousness. Here we are not directed toward the psychological types but the higher spiritual realities they reflect. We discover how the disconnection from each Holy Idea leads to the development of its corresponding fixation, thus recognizing each types deeper psychological core. Understanding this core brings each Holy Idea within reach, so its spiritual perspective can serve as a key for unlocking the fixation and freeing us from its limitations.

Customer Reviews:

In the tradition of "Power of Now".......2007-06-07

Reading "Facets of Unity" was a transformational experience for me. I experienced my foundamental connection to all that is as I read it. Love and light became more real than the bed I was sitting on. My ego seemed transparent. I highlighted several key parts, and I regularly go back and read those when I need to reground myself and get perspective beyond my story.

NOT for beginners...........2007-03-04

If you find yourself getting caught again and feel the need for a map, please start (and may be stop) with "Wisdom of the Enneagram" by Riso & Hudson, as far as enneagram is concerned.

Honestly, the BEST book ever.......2006-10-09

This is truthfully the best book ever. If you know anything about the enneagram, this book will let you know what the enneagram is made for. Alright, it's fun to think about all the frilly little quirks inherent in the enneagram that the "other" books like to get stuck on, but this book is actually the real thing. The JUICE. The whole point lies between these covers. If you are looking at this review, you need to buy this book. Get it used if you are low on money, just get it and read it.

valuable contribution.......2006-09-25

This exploration is a most valuable contribution to the understanding of Gurdjieff's Holy Ideas. I found it to be very seminal and I am sure that for some time to come it will be an often referred source.

The very best enneagram book for self-unfoldment.......2004-07-07

Touching, warm, gentle and precise. Almaas explains how we get fixated on certain enneatypes, and also points the way out of fixations. Reaching far deeper than the 'standard' personality approaches to the enneagram, this book really opens the gates to those who are seriously pursuing the Work of self-liberation.

The Gospel of Thomas and Jesus (Foundations & Facets Reference Series)

Average customer rating:

Tough read: but worth it
Best scholarly book on the Gospel of Thomas

The Gospel of Thomas and Jesus (Foundations & Facets Reference Series)
Stephen J. Patterson
Manufacturer: Polebridge Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0944344321

Book Description

A masterfully drawn picture of the debate and controversy that has surrounded the Gospel of Thomas since its discovery in 1945. Stephen Patterson concludes that this collection of sayings is not a text dependent on the synoptic gospels, but like the Gospel of John is an independent document from another early Christian school of thought. Unlike those who lived in the more settled communities known to Mark, Matthew, and Luke, the people who produced Thomas lived in a world of itinerant radicalism

Customer Reviews:

Tough read: but worth it.......2006-06-25

This book was written by a professor and proves for me that the Gospel of Thomas was a separate tradition and not a gnostic corruption of the biblical gospels. Patterson goes into the linguistics of the Coptic Gospel of Thomas and the Greek biblical Gospels to show that Thomas stands alone in its own tradition.This book was intended more for the highly educated with Coptic and Greek interwoven with the text at the beginning of the book. I can read Koine Greek and I had a difficult time reading and understanding the first half of the book due to the Coptic. You are are curious about the Gospel of Thomas this book will educate you. I hope in the future Professor Patterson writes books more structured for the lay reader.

Best scholarly book on the Gospel of Thomas.......2003-07-24

I have read most books in English written on the Gospel of Thomas, and I can say with condidence that Patterson's book The Gospel of Thomas and Jesus provides the best treatment of the critical issues surrounding the Gospel of Thomas. The first section of the book (about a hundred pages) provides the most comprehensive argument for the independence of the Gospel of Thomas from the canonical Four Gospels in a form accessible to the general reader. With this, Patterson refutes the claim that the Gospel of Thomas is a worthless second century Gnostic epitome that just put together a mish-mash of biblical quotes. Instead, Patterson argues, the Gospel of Thomas represents an autonomous tradition about Jesus, confirmatory and complementary of the synoptic tradition. The second part of the book deals with the setting of the Gospel of Thomas, which Patterson portrays as itinerant radicalism in Syria in the second half of the first century. The final chapter concerns the importance of the Gospel of Thomas for the historical Jesus. Patterson maintains that the Gospel of Thomas provides fresh evidence against the apocalyptic portrait of Jesus, because the Gospel of Thomas does not have any of the end-time speculation found in the synoptic Gospels. I recommend this book highly to any student of early Christianity.

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