History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

I guess I'm the only one who didn't like our narrator
Enter ancient Egypt life, prepare for a death blow
The best I've read in years!
I have the audiobook
BEST BOOK!!

River God: A Novel of Ancient Egypt
Wilbur Smith
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312954468

Book Description

For Tanus, the fair-haired young lion of a warrior, the gods have decreed that he will lead Egypt's army in a bold attempt to reunite the Kingdom's shared halves. But Tanus will have to defy the same gods to attain the reward they have forbidden him, an object more prized than battle's glory: possession of the Lady Lostris, a rare beauty with skin the color of oiled ceder--destined for the adoration of a nation, and the love of one extraordinary man.

International bestselling author Wilbur Smith, creator of two dozen highly acclaimed novels, draws readers into a magnificent, richly imagined saga. Exploding with all the drama, mystery and rage of a bygone time, River God is a masterpiece from a storyteller at the height of his powers.

Customer Reviews:

I guess I'm the only one who didn't like our narrator.......2007-09-25

"I love brave and honest men, they are so easily manipulated."

Except for the last parts of this 528-page hardcover published in 1993, I found myself mostly captivated by Wilbur Smith's RIVER GOD: A NOVEL OF ANCIENT EGYPT. The book silhouettes a compelling tale of Egypt in 1780-B.C. embroiled in bitter war and eventually giving rise to a line of princes and pharaohs that lifts Egypt to the peak of its glory. Entirely written in a very unique first-person, we journey through two generations with our main character, a boastful and vain eunuch slave narrator. Although I can't say I really liked his character, Taita's first-person narration strikes a very fresh appeal: he's a eunuch slave, he's vain, he's brilliant, he's artistic, he's compassionate, he's vengeful, and he loves like a man. Ultimately, he's very human. In the epic RIVER GOD, we're privy to political intrigue, conspiracy, love, war, violence, kingdoms lost, despair and triumph. We read about an Egyptian civilization turned upside down with the advent of a new technology (wheel), and the introduction of a new animal (the horse). I enjoyed the battle warfare and the passionate moments of love between Lostris and Tanus. The book can be violent at times, and if you're sensitive to slavery, you may not like this historical tale of ancient Egypt.

Possible SPOILERS ahead.

Although Wilbur Smith packs some page-turning enthralling moments, I found the last 50 pages overwhelmingly melancholy. After a heart-wrenching love story spanning most of the first half in this novel, I couldn't take the sad ending. Taita's self-aggrandizing commentary wearied me and his love for his mistress Lostris as a man irked me. Granted, these are very human emotions especially for a handsome, brilliant man castrated after he's enjoyed a woman's passion, but I was begging for some other perspective in this 528-page Egyptian epic. I especially wanted Tanus' perspective. From Taita's point-of-view, everyone else is too one-dimensional: Tanus the redoubtable honorable warrior, Lostris the stubbornly passionate Queen, Kratas the jocular ruffian, and even Prince Memnon seems drab. For most of the novel, Lostris affectionately considers Taita her father and brother. At the end, Lostris wishes for a different kind of love with Taita in the next life. Considering the fact that Lostris and Tanus had to hide their passion and love for each other in this life and they never knew each other as husband and wife, I found this last wish of Lostris' especially sad. More so than the deaths. Did she love Taita more than she led on in the beginning? Had Taita not been a eunuch, would she have eventually cast aside Tanus intimately? After a gripping battle in the middle where the invading Hyksos thoroughly rout a well-trained and disciplined Egyptian army, I found our protagonists' retreat back through the cataracts south of the Nile very, very protracted. Only to arrive at a very unsatisfying conclusion. But alas, such is history.

I'm not sure who is the River God in RIVER GOD. Ostensibly, it may refer to Tanus' role in the first half when he's acclaimed Akh-Horus, an Egyptian God. However, our narrator's influence overshadows all other characters here and his love for his mistress Lostris eclipses that of Tanus' love for Lostris... at least from Taita's perspective. The book firmly belongs to our eunuch-slave narrator Taita: playwright, inventor, surgeon, economic investor, astrologist, architect, singer, scholar, and most of all, devoted slave to his mistress Lostris. Since Taita appears to be behind every vital event and innovative thought for Egypt, if there's any god here, it's Taita. What else can you expect from the author of these scrolls?

Mostly captivating and enjoyable warfare/love, I could have done without the second half and the sad, overwhelmingly melancholy conclusion to this novel. Yes, I'm probably a sucker for some semblance of a happy ending.

More ramblings...

One of my biggest problems had to do with the plot device that has Taita scheme to pass off Lostris & Tanus' son as Lostris & the Pharaoh's son. First, I didn't like how Lostris was so amenable to sleep with the Pharaoh after she and Taita discover she's pregnant. I had hoped she would recoil from going to the Pharaoh's bed after her dreamy lovemaking with Tanus, . Eventually, Taita could convince her that sleeping with the Pharaoh would best serve the unborn child's interests and she could begrudgingly acquiesce. As it is, she's too ready to go to another man (the Pharaoh) after Tanus. Secondly, you would think one of Pharaoh's hundreds of other wives would have already attempted to pass off another man's son as Pharaoh's! Taita notes how the sexual appetites of some of Pharaoh's wives knew no bounds, so you're telling me not one of them thought to pass of another man's son as Pharaoh's? Seriously, why does it work for Taita and Lostris?

Worst, the second time Lostris is pregnant, Taita divines a dream to explain her condition without implicating Tanus. Taita dissembles that he dreamed the old Pharaoh resurrected from his sarcophagus in spirit form to impregnate the Queen Lostris. First, it seems ludicrous that this deception wouldn't work on the late Pharaoh during Lostris' first pregnancy yet will work like a charm on a hundreds of others. Secondly, I love how Tanus is too proud and honorable for kingship yet will consent to passing off illegitimate children of his as the previous Pharaoh's. Talk about hypocrisy, I didn't see how Wilbur Smith is able to credit Tanus' character. He won't even marry Lostris after her second pregnancy and assume regency for a short while until Memnon is of age. Tanus' character reeks of a duplicitous air of self-important morality. I just don't get how Tanus justifies deceiving the Egyptian crown with his own children yet won't take a temporary regency? He doesn't care that he'll never be able to acknowledge his own children, and that nevermind other people, but even his own children will not know their own true father? It's actually quite sad, to his last dying day, none of Tanus' children know him as their true father and Tanus makes Taita promise not to reveal it.

Enter ancient Egypt life, prepare for a death blow.......2007-09-06

A most egaging novel. I have just ordered the next two books in the series. I couldn't get enough. Taita, the eunich, a genius in arts, mechinations, life and the other world beyond ours guards and influences Lostris and Tannis a couple destined to be together but seems to be at odds with what the "Gods have planned". Linked with the evil Lord Intef and the Immortal Pharoah, their lives are filled with war and love. The author brings us into the life of ancient Egypt as if we have actually been there. The descriptions of everyday life and death are startling lifelike. I was unexpectedly impressed and hooked.

The best I've read in years!.......2007-08-22

A friend gave me a copy of Elephant Song when I was a teenager, and I was immediately hooked on Wilbur Smith. I bought River God when it first came out, ostensibly to do a book report in my grade 12 English class when I started going to night school. But I really just wanted to read the book.

This is the first book in the Egyptian trilogy, and, in my opinion, the best of the three. While all three are excellent novels, River God shines. I fell in love with Lostris, Taita, Tanus... These characters really came alive for me and I missed them horribly once I had finished reading the book. While these characters are featured in the other two books as well (The Seventh Scroll and Warlock), they're not as vivid or as real in the latter volumes.

Taita is a politician, economist, chemist, physician, servant, and mentor in his various guises throughout the book. It's impossible to dislike him. The rich descriptions of Egyptian culture, art, and costume are breathtaking, and I also learned a lot about their strategies, agriculture and politics.

I would definitely recommend River God to fans of historical fiction, adventure, and mysteries.

I have the audiobook.......2007-07-28

I'm not really a big fan of audiobooks because I get distracted too easily to pay attention to the reading. I listened to River God while I was at work and it is the only book I've ever finished through audiobook format. This is first the book I've ever "read" by Wilbur Smith and I'm looking forward to reading all his other books.

Although the story is historically inaccurate as everyone has already mentioned, his writing style and descriptions are absolutely amazing! I could not stop listening to the audio book even though they're not really my thing. I had to listen to it at work, in the car, at home and get very into the story. Smith's descriptions are very vivid and I felt immersed in the story. It's a wonderful, exciting, creative adventure with a good balance between romance and violence. I feel fascinated by this book because there aren't very many stories based on Ancient Egypt.

The main character is an Egyptian eunuch who is in love with the pharaoh's daughter who is in love with the eunuch's student. Somewhere in the third chapter he starts talking about how the pharaoh "likes" boys. It also describes a scene where the main character gets his bits cut off in great, graphic depth. These are only some of the many interesting parts of the book.

The only thing I have a problem with is how the main character seems to be some kind of a genius, always coming up with brilliant ideas to solve every single problem. It a little hard to believe that one person would be able to come up with so many inventive solutions. However, this little annoyance can be easy to overlook. This book is completely worth the price and time spent reading.

BEST BOOK!!.......2007-07-26

This is literally the best book i've ever read. I felt so personal and close with all the characters that at the end, I was sad, not just that I had finished it, but that I had to say goodbye to these wonderful characters. I have also read the sequel, and though it is based far far in the future from ancient egypt, it was JUST AS, if not more of a good read. Especially since if you have read River God u are in on all the little secrets that the books characters are not. But, I would even recommend reading the sequel to those who have not read river god. These books are great fun, and full of every element a good story should have. I laughed, I cried, I read them both AGAIN!!

Down in the River to Pray: Revisioning Baptism as God's Transforming Work

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Very enriching discoveries
Down in the River to Pray
Down in the River to Pray
Wading Through the River
almost a home run

Down in the River to Pray: Revisioning Baptism as God's Transforming Work
John Mark Hicks , and Greg Taylor
Manufacturer: Leafwood Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0972842535

Book Description

Crimes unspeakable. A name synonymous with twisted brutality and hate. Jeffrey Dahmer. The most notorious serial killer of our time.A decade ago his story shocked our nation and the world. But we didnrsquo;t get the whole story. In prison Dahmerrsquo;s dark journey crossed paths with deep grace.Here is the whole story told by a man who at first tried to avoid meeting Jeffrey Dahmer but later became his friend and showed him the light of Godrsquo;s love.Itrsquo;s an unexpected story of first steps in faith of surprising questions about the Bible of light breaking into darkness. A story that will change what you thought you knew about grace.Jeffrey Dahmer. Christian.Grace unspeakable.

Customer Reviews:

Very enriching discoveries.......2006-08-15

Drs. Hicks and Taylor have put together a very thorough and enriching study of the biblical background and meaning of Christian baptism. You will find that baptism is a mosaic of images and plays a vital role in propelling our lives into God's transforming work. Those whose traditions have underemphasized baptism will gain new insights and appreciation for the part that baptism plays in conversion--a moment in which God works powerfully through faith. Those who have seen it as a legality will be drawn into the deeper, ongoing significance of it rich undercurrents for their lives. This study delves into the biblical teachings in depth. Yet it also speaks practically to our preconceptions from the standpoint of various church traditions and their roots in history. Unafraid to address the real issues that are raised, Hicks and Taylor make this book a valuable resource for any serious disciple of Jesus.

Down in the River to Pray.......2006-05-20

As a pastor, I found this book to be the most Biblical and compelling book on water baptism I have ever read. It is readable, Biblical and profounding refreshing. Having grown up in the churches of Christ, but having become disallusioned with their formulaic and legalistic approach to salvation, I had come to articulate and practice baptism in many of the ways that the authors describe. My hope and prayer is that their work transforms, not only the baptismal theology and practice of those within the Stone-Campbell movement, but also enriches and deepens the entire discussion of baptism in the larger body of Christ.

Down in the River to Pray.......2006-01-30

As a former member of a Stone/Cambell church that believed a person was going to hell if the minister didn't say the act was for the remission of sins when a person was baptized, it was refreshing to read such an historically informed book on baptism from a writer of this traditon. Acknowledging the long traditon of infant baptism in the church dating to the third, fourth and fifth centuries, Hicks gives the history and application of baptismal theology of the churches before and after the Reformation. Hicks urges a rejection of the Zwinglian view of baptism in favor of the Reformed view in the credobaptist tradtion, saying baptism is God's work, not mans'. Hopefully, this book is an indication that the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ are finally beginning to form a less works oriented and non-sectarian baptismal theology and are beginning to rethink the exteme view that they are the only true church.

Wading Through the River.......2005-08-09

As one who was born, bred and remains in the Stone-Campbell heritage, but who has been exposed to the vast richness of the large Christian world for many years now, I have often struggled with how "our" view of baptism--which I have continued to believe to be essentially correct--affects our relationship with others who have different views but who obviously have God's presence and blessings on their lives. This book helped me to answer many of those questions.

One of the most helpful sections was the historical one, showing how different views of baptism emerged in the Reformation, and how that a high view of baptism is not at all outside historical Christian tradition. I hope many within our movement read this book, but I also hope that it is widely read outside our movement.

We do have a great deal to contribute to the larger Christian discussion, and this book can help us assume a posture of acceptance and commonality with others in the discussion, instead of feeling that we always have to critique from without. Most notably, the authors' argument that "In the New Testament, baptism is the 'sinner's prayer,' challenges our evangelical brothers and sisters to critically examine how the Bible calls us to respond to God's grace.

The book, while exceptionally well-written, overdoes the river metaphor in my opinion.

almost a home run.......2004-09-28

John Mark Hicks and Greg Taylor have made a valuable contribution to the literature on baptism. They view baptism as one part of a process by which God transforms fallen humanity into the image of his Son for the purpose of eternal fellowship. They criticize Churches of Christ for missing this broader perspective and reducing baptism to a technical divider between the saved and lost. They criticize other traditions for missing the significance of baptism in the process of transformation and reducing it to a symbol or sign of a past work that lacks any present power or reality.

Chapters 2 through 4 offer an analysis of the biblical texts relating to baptism. Chapter 2 nicely sets the New Testament practice in the context of first-century Judaism and provides insights into the typology of the Flood (1 Pet. 3:18-21) and the Exodus (1 Cor. 10:1-5). Chapter 3 focuses on baptism in Luke-Acts. It includes good, brief discussions of John's baptism, the baptism of Jesus, and various conversion narratives. The authors reject reading the household baptisms as including infants and small children. They recognize the normal link between baptism and receipt of the Spirit, but deduce from the anomalies that God has not bound himself invariably to that link.

Chapter 4 focuses on baptism in Paul's letters. The authors argue cogently that, for Paul, baptism is not merely a symbol but a sign through which one actually is connected to the Christ-event and receives all that is related to that connection. Through it, we enter into a new identity, a new life, a new state, and a new hope.

Chapters 5 through 7 summarize baptismal theology and practice from the second through the fifth centuries, in the Reformation, and in the Stone-Campbell Movement. The discussions are skillful and, as is often the case with historical theology, humbling.

Chapter 8 explains why baptism does not belong in the category of "work" but in the category of "faith." It is the faith-based moment in which we share as beggars in Christ's atoning work and receive the gift of justification. Chapter 9 explores the link between baptism and sanctification. The Spirit we receive in baptism empowers us to produce spiritual fruit and transforms us into the image of Christ.

Chapter 10 addresses whether those who believe faith-based immersion is a part of conversion should receive as Christians those who have not been immersed in faith. It will be the most controversial chapter for those in Churches of Christ and therefore deserves extended comment. The authors claim that, since baptism is a means to God's end of transforming fallen humanity into the image of Christ and not an end itself, if God is transforming the life of an unbaptized believer (working toward the end), the church should accept that transformation as proof that God has accepted the believer (bestowed his grace) on the basis of his faith despite his non-rebellious failure to be baptized. To think otherwise is to miss the big picture of Scripture that God is a seeker who, because he is good, accepts hearts that seek him.

This claim appears to involve the following separate arguments:

Argument 1

 Receiving baptismal grace (the blessings normally received in baptism) results in transformation toward the image of Christ (it being a means to that end).
 Some unbaptized believers are being transformed toward the image of Christ.
 Therefore, some unbaptized believers have received baptismal grace.
 Since some unbaptized believers have received baptismal grace, they should be received into the fellowship of the church.

Argument 2

 God bestows on those who earnestly seek him the grace (blessings) normally associated with a ritual despite their failure to observe the ritual.
 Baptism is a ritual.
 Therefore, God bestows on those who earnestly seek him the grace normally associated with baptism despite their failure to be baptized.
 Since some unbaptized believers have received baptismal grace, they should be received into the fellowship of the church.

Argument 1 contains the fallacy of affirming the consequent (if A then B; B therefore A). The fact transformation follows baptismal grace does not mean that transformation proves the presence of baptismal grace. There are devout members of heretical groups whose lives have been transformed toward the image of Christ, yet none would take that transformation as sufficient to establish their acceptance by God. If transformation is an unreliable indicator of baptismal grace in the case of heretics, could it not also be unreliable in the case of the unbaptized orthodox?

The authors concede the point implicitly. They declare that "while the form, subject, and meaning of baptism is debated among professing Christians, in the light of Scripture and historic Christian tradition none should be considered disciples of Christ who refuse to be baptized and reject baptism as God's command." In other words, they accept that a line is to be drawn between all who agree that baptism is God's command (whatever their differences regarding its form, subjects, and meaning) and all who deny that baptism is part of the Christian faith. As the authors point out in an endnote, the latter includes Quakers, the Salvation Army, and some extreme dispensational theologians. They thus recognize that those believers should not be considered disciples of Christ despite their transformation toward his image.

In addition, reducing forgiveness, which is part of baptismal grace, to a means of transforming the believer's life undervalues its significance in present reconciliation. The transformation produced by baptismal grace is a process that follows a moment of reconciliation through forgiveness. The life that is lived from the point of forgiveness is lived in a state of reconciliation, however far one may be from the image of Christ. It is true that salvation is not simply about forgiveness, but neither is it simply about transformation.

Argument 2 is supported first by appeal to Hezekiah's Passover in 2 Chronicles 30. The authors conclude that God extended Passover-mercy to those who participated in Hezekiah's Passover despite the fact it was held on a month other than the one prescribed and despite the fact many of the participants violated the Law by sharing in the meal while ritually unclean. Because the people were seeking him with their hearts, God, in response to Hezekiah's prayer, graciously forgave their sins in observing the ritual (Passover) and extended his Passover-mercy as though no violations of the Law had occurred.

The authors have squeezed more out of this text than is there. First, there is no indication there was anything to forgive regarding the date on which this particular Passover was celebrated. Though the Law specified that the Passover be celebrated in the first month, the fact it allowed those excluded from the ritual to celebrate it in the second month established a principle that the second month was acceptable when circumstances precluded celebration in the first month. This almost certainly was how the leadership read the Law (2 Chron. 30:2-4). Unlike participating in the meal while ritually unclean, which is specifically noted to be contrary to the Law, there is no hint in the text that celebrating the Passover in the second month was, under the circumstances, contrary to God's will.

Second, vv. 18-22 indicate that God healed the uncleanness of the people in response to Hezekiah's prayer *prior to* their sharing in the Passover. They ate *because* Hezekiah *had prayed* for the Lord to permit them to eat (to pardon their eating) despite their uncleanness (see, e.g., ESV). As people who sought God with their hearts, they did not presume on the Lord's mercy; they did not break the Law on the assumption that their hearts would render their disobedience acceptable. They ate only after the Lord said "yes" to Hezekiah's prayer, after he revealed he would make them fit to eat without their going through the prescribed means of purification.

The worshipers in that case were *unable* to observe the purification ritual in time to share in the Passover. They did not *refuse* to observe it because they were deceived into thinking they already had done so. Since the two cases may reflect a difference of heart (as the authors apparently recognize regarding those who believe baptism is God's command and those who do not), the fact God extended his mercy in the former case does not establish that he would do so in the latter. Applied to baptism, one cannot assume on the basis of Hezekiah's Passover that God bestows baptismal grace on those who refuse to submit to baptism because they are deceived into thinking they already did so when they were sprinkled as an infant.

From another angle, imagine that on a subsequent Passover some early-arriving worshipers claimed a right to share in the Passover on the basis that the sweat of their journey made them ritually clean. When urged to undergo the prescribed purification ritual, they refused on the grounds that their mode of purification was sufficient according to their understanding of the Law. Would the community be wrong to exclude them from sharing in the Passover? Nothing in the account of Hezekiah's Passover suggests that it would.

The authors also appeal to the Sabbath controversy in Matthew 12. The lesson they draw from the account is that, assuming arguendo the validity of the oral law on which the Pharisees relied, the Sabbath command did not forbid doing what was necessary to meet human need. The Pharisees misinterpreted the command by not recognizing that exception and thus wrongly condemned the innocent disciples. They should have realized from the Scriptures cited by the Lord that, when meeting human need conflicts with proper observance of a ritual, the former must take priority.

The problem here is not with the authors' understanding of the account but with their application of it to baptism. What human need conflicts with the proper observance of baptism so that one must alter observance of the ritual to meet the need? Certainly the need for divine mercy does not conflict with the observance of baptism, except in some extreme situation where it cannot be administered, as baptism is the very place where mercy is bestowed. The authors have jumped from the principle that meeting human need must take priority over ritual when the two are in conflict to the assertion that a refusal to observe a ritual because of a false belief will not exclude one from the blessings associated with the ritual.

It is one thing to accept the possibility of baptismal grace being conferred without baptism; it is another thing to urge the church, on the basis of 2 Chronicles 30 and Matthew 12, to view it as typical and receive the unimmersed into its fellowship. I think F. D. Srygley offered a better perspective more than a century ago:

"As I understand the N.T., the 'pious unimmersed' ought to be immersed. And in case they are not immersed, I know of no promise in the N.T. that they will be saved. But, as to whether God will make allowance for honest mistakes, and save those who think they are obeying him when in reality they are doing something he has not commanded in lieu of what he has commanded, is a question for God to settle, and I decline to take any part of it."

Chapter 11 moves from the truth that in the waters of baptism all kinds of people are united with Christ, the Spirit, and the Father to the church's obligation to bring all kinds of people into that union. The authors discuss that responsibility in terms of our call to make disciples against cultural resistance, across cultural lines, and within our own families.

In Chapter 12 the authors offer suggestions on how communities of faith might make baptism more meaningful. In addition to the thoughtful suggestions, the chapter is valuable simply for raising the issue, for causing us to think in terms of how we can change some of our practices for the better.

Chapter 13, the final chapter, is a call for baptism to be viewed as a conversion-initiation rite that serves God's ultimate goal of transformation, as a divine means of actually effecting that transformation, and as a normative but not an absolutely essential means of grace. Regarding the last of these, they write, "In the case of someone not baptized because of ignorance, error, or for any other reason God deems acceptable, we leave these in the hands of God, where we believe these matters belong." This is in keeping with Srygley's perspective quoted above, which is a more modest claim than is made in Chapter 10. The chapter concludes with thoughtful discussions of eight questions and reflections on the future of baptism.

In sum, except for what I judge to be overreaching in Chapter 10, this is a very good book.

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Exquisite AI romp!
Not Free SF Reader
Amazing Future India
Engaging view of the near future
The World of 2047, and You Are There!

River of Gods
Ian McDonald
Manufacturer: Pyr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1591024366

Book Description

As Mother India approaches her centenary, nine people are going about their business—a gangster, a cop, his wife, a politician, a stand-up comic, a set designer, a journalist, a scientist, and a dropout. And so is Aj—the waif, the mind reader, the prophet—when she one day finds a man who wants to stay hidden.

In the next few weeks, they will all be swept together to decide the fate of the nation.

River of Gods teems with the life of a country choked with peoples and cultures—one and a half billion people, twelve semi-independent nations, nine million gods. Ian McDonald has written the great Indian novel of the new millennium, in which a war is fought, a love betrayed, a message from a different world decoded, as the great river Ganges flows on.

Customer Reviews:

Exquisite AI romp!.......2007-10-10

Hindu neo-culture, stirred frequently with well developed AI intrigue, provides an intriguing curry of characters and very "real" virtual realities. I highly recommend this book!

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-25

Aeai life cycle.

I have a Merlinesque Once and Future McDonald thing going on it seems, going backward through his work.

I just recently read Brasyl, which I think is superior to this book.

River of Gods is still a good book, however, and possibly as India is a bit more familiar that the setting wasn't as interesting.

Whereas the former had three story strands going, although in different periods of history, River of Gods has around triple that, and all at the same time, which can leave you feeling that there isn't necessarily much point to some of them.

Basically, AI above a certain level of capability have been banned, and hounded out of most countries, and have taken refuge in India.

Via military, economic and political manipulation they are trying to keep themselves alive. However, the major focus is on the people that are the main players in this, a corporation, some researchers and the Indian prime minister, and a few more minor characters that perhaps got a little much 'stage time' and made this longer than it needed to be.

Americans have discovered an object in space older than the solar system, and an Indian corporation appears to have developed early zero point energy.

This all eventually ties together rather abruptly.

Still, definitely worth reading, and McDonald is top class.

Amazing Future India.......2007-08-28

Despite a too-succinct ending, River of Gods is an incredible story of individuals living in an India of 2047 whose lives intersect and converge in an imaginative and exciting tale. McDonald is a master at creating a totally believable set of characters and conjuring up a future India that integrates ultra-sophisticated technology with an ancient culture. At times, the settings seem reminiscent of Blade Runner. This is a sci-fi novel that demands the reader think as he reads, so if you're up for both a challenge and a fantastic read, I suggest you check this one out.

Engaging view of the near future.......2007-07-16

The story is told from the point of view of a number of engaging characters. A compelling and believable view of the near future. I won't recap the story - others have done that. There is a helpful glossary in the back, but a lot of Indian terms used arent' in there, so I had to use Wikipedia a lot.

The World of 2047, and You Are There!.......2007-07-11

This is by far the best integrated story of future events I have read since Frank Herbert's Dune. Set in the perpetually-conflicted world of India, where technological wizardry rubs shoulders with religious fanaticism, the story is a series of well-developed converging plots, fast paced, printed on double-spaced pages (a first in my experience) and populated with unforgettable characters like the Krishna Cop Nandha, able to harnass all the mystic powers of the Hindu Pantheon through modern technology, the biological third sex hijira Tal, and the humanoid artificial intelligence super being Ay proceeding to an inevitable tragic denoument. The author's prolific use of Anglo/Indian jargon adds to the ring of authenticity, but even familiarity with the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the Kama Sutra together with the glossary provided is insufficient to keep pace with this new Indian epic. Read it and be astounded!

God Makes the Rivers To Flow: Sacred Literature of the World

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God Makes the Rivers To Flow: Sacred Literature of the World

Manufacturer: Nilgiri Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1586380087

Book Description

Chosen for their universal spiritual appeal, literary merit, and recognized wisdom, these selections are perfect subjects for meditation and daily inspirational reading. Drawing from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Native American sacred literature, this expanded third edition serves as a useful reference and guide to world mysticism. Included are Easwaran's criteria for choosing personally transformative passages, tips on memorization, and suggestions for further reading.

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Good Old Bad Romans
Good addition to an excellent series
GREAT!!!!!
As brilliant as ever
Enjoyable series

The River God's Vengeance (SPQR VIII)
John Maddox Roberts
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312323204
Release Date: 2005-01-13

Book Description

He would rise up as savior of the State, but Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger already has a lot on his mind. In the year of his aedileship, Decius is expected to stage elaborate and expensive games out of his own pocket. Along with his duties of pleasing the crowds with the feats of gladiators and wild beasts, are the more practical, and commonly neglected, ones of maintaining the city and its laws. It is these more mundane duties that call him to the scene of a recently built and more recently collapsed tenement building. Determined to punish the greedy parties who used cheap materials and caused the deaths of hundreds, Decius sets out to exact justice. It is easier said than done, especially when bodies and evidence go missing, and his family pressures him to cease the investigation. As he seeks out the politicians, philosophers, and tradesmen of the day, it becomes clear that the collapse of the building was deliberate, and Decius could be going after some of the most powerful men in Rome.In this eighth installment of the series, Roberts once again provides authentic detail in the everyday Roman customs, as well as a fascinating picture of the growing unsteadiness of this famed Republic.

Customer Reviews:

Good Old Bad Romans.......2007-07-03

I enjoyed this book and I enjoy the entire series.

It follows the history of the period through the activities of an individual. One comes to be interested in him and think of him much like a contemporary man. He is not a contemporary and occaisionally reminds the reader of this.

You do not have to be an avid student of the Roman republic to enjoy this book. But it may create just such an interest

Good addition to an excellent series.......2006-12-31

John Maddox Roberts' latest tale from the late Roman Republican period is satisfying on all accounts. We catch up with Decius Mettelllus, one of the few men in Rome, it seems, with some principles, and his struggles with the nasty, scheming, vulgar and dangerous boys and girls of the big city. Mettellus has returned to the capital after a provincial tour of duty and is in good form as he climbs the political hierarchy while attempting to keep his many enemies at bay. It's a fun yarn with plenty of research by the author to accurately capture the social and political events of the period. Maddox Roberts rarely misses with this series and this is one of the better recent stories.

GREAT!!!!!.......2006-08-24

I luved this book. Other than the fact that it had some disgusting parts in it, it was very interresting.

As brilliant as ever.......2005-04-16

Decius Quintus Caecilius Metellus is back for his eighth installment and JMR doesn't disappoint.
It's the interregnum of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica and our erstwhile hero is three months into his first aedileship having returned from Gaul from his previous outing with Julius Caesar. Being responsible for the maintenance of Rome's public buildings and highways he finds himself picking over the rubble of a collapsed insula, while some astute observations from Hermes, his irreverent personal slave, leads him to commence an investigation of a shoddy construction business that has claimed the lives of the slaves Galatea and Antaeus and over two hundred more inhabitants. And all this whilst he is preparing his own costly munera in order to fulfil his political ambition.
As ever, the culprits are somewhat higher up the political ladder than he initially thinks and several warnings from people including his own paterfamilias do not deter our sleuth with a reputation for intractable honesty from launching into a full investigation. Both he and Hermes work their way through dishonest construction foremen, previous aediles, censors, brothels, the Cloaca Maxima and the Forum before uncovering a crime of passion that was merely a pointer to a greater corruption. In the end the initial deaths were some what justified and Decius neatly sinks two great men during an eventful four days, during which the Tiber river floods ensuring, as Marcius Porcius Cato so neatly concludes: "the finest manifestation of divine will in my lifetime".
As ever there are an assortment of colourful characters including Caninus, Marcus Aemilius Scauras, Justus, Harmodias, Lucilius, Folius and Messala. With him are the Greek physician Asklepiodes and his wife Julia, niece of Caesar.
The cast move around Decius with slow inexorability as his Socratic sleuthing takes him into the mire of truth in a manner that is perfect to read. JMR took a long break after the opening novel of the SPQR series but his return in recent novels has proven a major success in the world of the ancient murder mystery. Whilst he showed the likes of Saylor and Davis what to do all those years ago, his newest efforts are right up their with them. Any fan of the genre must read and own JMR's SPQR series and I eagerly look forward to `The Princess and the Pirates'.

Enjoyable series.......2004-07-14

I found this to be another enjoyable entry in an entertaining series. The SPQR series is set in the last days of the Roman Republic, as powerful men, including Julius Caesar, Pompey, Crassus, and various lesser figures, including the heads of criminal gangs within the city of Rome, compete against each other to gain power over Rome. Each novel in the series fits a mystery plot into actual historical events of the period. The protagonist, a young nobleman who is an idealistic believer in the Republic, always fights hard not only to solve the mystery confronting him, but also to protect the Republic. An intrepid investigator, he invariably solves the mystery, but sees the Republic nevertheless growing ever more endangered as the series progresses.

While the main characters are not as strongly created as those in Lindsey Davis' somewhat similar mystery series, set later during the Roman Empire, the author's wryly humorous reinterpretations of Roman history and the figures who shaped it never fail to entertain.

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EXCELLENT

Insightful awakening into the heart of God

Fascinating and practical instruction for revival

A Challenge to jump into the River of God's Revival...

The River of God
Dutch Sheets
Manufacturer: Regal Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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God's Timing for Your Life (Life Point)

Authority in Prayer: Praying with Power and Purpose

Intercessory Prayer: How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth

Getting In God's Face: How Prayer Really Works

Watchman Prayer: How To Stand Guard And Protect Your Family, Home And Community

ASIN: 0830720758

Book Description

Dutch Sheets, a rising figure in the international prayer movement, describes what a person-and church-must do to prepare for revival. In what is quickly becoming known as his trademark, Sheets once again balances biblical teaching in the light of the Holy Spirit's power. What is the river of God as described in Ezekiel 47? What must we do to allow, rather than hinder, the flow of God's river? How do we avoid "putting the Holy Spirit in a box" while also sidestepping excess and abuse? Sheets answers these and other crucial questions as he examines the theme of water and renewal in the Bible and its relevance for us today.

Customer Reviews:

EXCELLENT.......2007-08-10

This book is worth buying if you only read the vision given to the author,
at the beginning of the book. If you are interested in what God is wanting to do in his church, the believers, in these last days before the return of Jesus, this is a book for you.

Insightful awakening into the heart of God.......1999-10-28

Pastor Sheets reveals God's intent for mankind in a very imformative way. He uses good scripture references and alot of biblically historical information to show how the Holy Spirit has worked throughout the past. Also how He will flow through our lives and shows what we have to do to make it possible. He covers previous moves of God and explains how we can keep ourselves from getting in the way of the flow of the river of God! A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO IS SERIOUS ABOUT LIVING FOR CHRIST!

Fascinating and practical instruction for revival.......1999-06-03

Mr. Sheets makes his work interesting, informative and understandable. He has a great sense of humor that helps tremendously in presenting facts that are usually less than interesting. I found myself laughing uncontrollably at some of his stories told at his own expense.

A Challenge to jump into the River of God's Revival..........1999-02-20

As I read this book, I was challenged to get off my duff and pray for real revival in me. I so want the "river of God" springing up out of me. I felt that Sheets' use of scripture to make his points was sharp and well-thought-out. As far as I could tell, context of scripture was not laid aside for proof-texts, but rather the context served to better illuminate the points being made. I was not bothered by the use of his imagery in the description of the vision God gave, and was actually looking forward to seeing God begin to fulfill that vision in me as I read and applied each chapter to my own prayer life!

Finding God In The Singing River: Christianity, Spirit, Nature

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Finding God In The Singing River: Christianity, Spirit, Nature
Mark I. Wallace
Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0800637267

Book Description

Wallace retrieves a central but often neglected biblical theme—the idea of God as carnal Spirit who indwells all things—as the basis for constructing a "green spirituality" responsive to the environmental needs of our time.

In the biblical tradition, he writes, God as Spirit is a presence that shows itself to us daily by living in and through the earth. One message of Christianity is therefore celebration of the bodily, material world—ancient redwoods, vernal springs, broad-winged hawks, everyday pigweed—as the place that God indwells and cares for in order to maintain the well-being of the earth.

Customer Reviews:

Finding delight in persistance of place.......2000-06-13

Written in 1972, by the eminent microbiologist, this work presents valuable perspectives on todays ecological crisis. Not one to despair of events, Dubos seeks positive values in man's relation to nature. He emphasizes the particular and the regional differences, the "Spirit of place" that symbolizes the forces hidden beneath the surface and the persistence of a psyche of place. He does not conclude that mans relationship must be negative, and takes heart in human altered landscapes such as Britain's moors and in evidence of sustainable agriculture in Japan and Amish societies of America.

Dubos does not blame the Judeo-Christian tradition, but rather sees hope in Benedictine stewardship (as opposed to a "unrealistic" Franciscan view) that make it possible to maintain nature in a humanized condition.

He is not Pollyannic and recognizes the "Demon within" .. the thrust of technology and institutions that may run counter to living in harmony with nature. I recommend this book not because it offers simple answers, but because if offers a well-read source of different perspectives.

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Rivers from Eden: 40 Days of Intimate Conversation with God
Brad Jersak , and Eden Jersak
Manufacturer: Fresh Wind Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Can You Hear Me?: Tuning In to the God Who Speaks

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Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul

ASIN: 0973358637

Book Description

If Can You Hear Me? primed your heart for listening prayer, this forty-day spiritual exercise will help make it a lifestyle. Walk with Brad and Eden Jersak as you present God with 40 life-changing questions and receive His answers. These encounters will lead you to new depths of hearing God's voice and seeing His face.

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