Epicenter: Why Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future

Book Description

With over one million novels in print, New York Times best-selling author Joel C. Rosenberg has been called "eerily prophetic" and a "modern Nostradamus" for his uncanny ability to write political thrillers that come true. In his first nonfiction book, this evangelical Christian from an Orthodox Jewish heritage takes readers on an unforgettable journey through prophecy and current events into the future of Iraq after Saddam, Russia after Communism, Israel after Arafat, and Christianity after radical Islam. You won't want to miss Joel's exclusive interviews with Israeli, Palestinian, and Russian leaders, and previously classified CIA and White House documents. Similar to the approach Joel takes in his novels, his desire is to draw readers into stories, anecdotes, and predictions in a way that builds confidence that allows Joel to share his faith in Jesus Christ and the reliability of Scripture as a guide to understanding the past and the future. Drawing on his experience in Washington, his own exclusive interviews with world leaders, and his astute political acumen, Joel makes sense of the events surrounding the Middle East. He connects information in a way that will make you understand and really care about the world's most important events and how they impact your life--from gas prices to your bank account.Epicenter is about: Change--big changes, dramatic changes, changes that will transform the world as we know it. Answers--what the changes are underway in the world's most important countries. Insight--readers will understand the trajectory of world events by being taken inside the governments of Iran, Iraq, Russia, China, and more. Accessibility--aimed for a wide audience in both the general and Christian markets. Faith--Joel shares his faith in Jesus Christ and the reliability of Scripture. Epicenter will answer questions like: Will Iraq go from bad to worse? Will Israel and her Arab neighbors find peace, or is another major Middle East war just around the corner? If the new, post-Soviet Russia is our friend, why is the Kremlin creating a new class of thermonuclear weapons and building an alliance with radical Islam?

Customer Reviews:

A must listen to book.......2007-10-11

A very thought provoking book. Everyone needs to listen to this book or read the printed copy. Our national leaders should read/listen to this book.

Dot Connecting .......2007-10-11

I watched the documentary based on this book. Great production, solid historical facts, and then the conclusion: God will save Israel without the help of the EU, the UN or USA. God will do this miraculously while we stand around and watch in awe.

These are the same folks who brought us "Left Behind", the apocolyptic series based on the book of Revelation. (Remember the "rapture" craze of the 90's?) Same folks, different crisis. Only this one is based on the book of Ezekiel.

An excellent read for those interested Mid-Eastern philosophy & prophecy.......2007-10-05

If you are a student of Biblical prophecy and the current mid--eastern conflicts, you will be fascinated by the author's ability to tie past, present, and fututre events together. If this topic isn't your "cup of tea," this book could provide fodder to create an interest - definitely worth reading.

Very Interesting-Must Read For Jew & Gentile.......2007-09-29

I found this book to be very interesting if you like end of times prophecy.

Couldn't Put it Down!!.......2007-09-19

Honestly, one of the best books I have ever read. He does a fantastic job of juxtaposing todays headlines with scripture...amazing!

Average customer rating:

A good "starter book" for atheism
thin volume that should be required reading
Concise, articulate and enlightening
Quality
A solid overview of the problems caused by religion and faith

Letter to a Christian Nation
Sam Harris
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

The God Delusion
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism

ASIN: 0307265773
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Book Description

“Thousands of people have written to tell me that I am wrong not to believe in God. The most hostile of these communications have come from Christians. This is ironic, as Christians generally imagine that no faith imparts the virtues of love and forgiveness more effectively than their own. The truth is that many who claim to be transformed by Christ’s love are deeply, even murderously, intolerant of criticism. While we may want to ascribe this to human nature, it is clear that such hatred draws considerable support from the Bible. How do I know this? The most disturbed of my correspondents always cite chapter and verse.”

So begins Letter to a Christian Nation…

www.samharris.org

Customer Reviews:

A good "starter book" for atheism.......2007-10-10

"Letter to a Christian Nation" is, as it says, a letter. To a nation. Of Christians. As someone who is already a confirmed atheist, I wasnt't really the target audience for this book. As such, I found it a little lacking in comparison to other works of atheist thought, such as The God Delusion (a very good book), and God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (a decent, but not as good, book).

Sam Harris makes many of the same points in his book as Dawkins and Hitchens do in theirs, but he doesn't go into nearly the same level of detail as Dawkins or the same amount of polemic as Hitchens. He does make his points, but I felt there was more he could have done.

On the other hand, this is a very, very short book (only about 90 pages... about the same as, to my understanding, Common Sense (Penguin Classics), which I haven't read and should). Due to the length, I guess he wasn't able to go into too much detail. Of course, he could have simply written a longer book...

If you, like me, are someone who is already firmly in the atheist camp, this really isn't the book for you. If you're someone who can feel your faith wavering, and know that you're getting to the point where you're about to divcorce from god (and there's a term I love and will have to use elsewhere), then perhaps you might want to give this book a go. After all, what do you have to loose?

Well, aside from your religion...

thin volume that should be required reading.......2007-10-10

The author doesn't belabor any points - but rather is concise and crisp. I wish I had written it.

Concise, articulate and enlightening.......2007-10-09

Bravo to Mr. Harris. This is a must-read for anyone with children who might consider placing them in religious schools. Mr Harris makes the point that religion is propagating fairy tales (at best) and training our children to be scientifically illiterate (at worse). Personally, I couldn't agree more. Between my graduation from a Christian high school to my PhD in Neuroscience, I had to overcome all the illusions taught in my Christian high school and learn how to think critically. Critical thought has led me on a slow but steady journey away from Christian indoctrination and on to free-thinking athesism. Where I have at times struggled to articulate my doubts, questions, rationale and reasons to 'true-believers' (or my parents for that matter) this book does so in remarkable clarity and brevity. Similar to Dawkins "The God Delusion", this book provides excellent tools to fend off the specious arguments of religious people, but it does so with a bit more tact and grace. While I absolutely loved the God Delusion, I would not recommend it to a Christian, as it is certain to offend their sensibilities from the start. Harris's book may actually get through to them (one can hope!).

Quality.......2007-10-08

This is a good, concise response to the many outlandish complaints against the member of society who have no interest in fabricating a diety to explain away their problems. Some points could have used flushing out, but then it wouldn't have been very concise. I recommend this book.

A solid overview of the problems caused by religion and faith.......2007-10-06

Sam Harris' Letter to a Christian Nation is an excellent overview of some of the major reasons why religion (he talks about Christianity for the most part) is negatively impacting American society. People of all faiths I believe will enjoy this terse review of the problems religion causes on all levels of practice, whether you be an extremist or moderate or not a believer at all. Harris does a good job getting to the point and making concepts easy to understand so that even a six year old might be able to follow - it's even comical at times.
I would recommend this book be read by anyone interested in religion or philosophy in any degree, whether you want to just get a preview of some of the topics being thrown around today between religious peoples and atheists, or as a primer that will prepare you for more in-depth books on religion such as Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Reference
Read this...
Catholicism for Dummies
Catholocism for Dummies
Just the facts

Catholicism for Dummies
John Trigilio , and Kenneth Brighenti
Manufacturer: For Dummies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
Why Do Catholics Do That?
Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catechism of the Catholic Church: Second Edition

ASIN: 0764553917

Book Description

There are more than one billion Catholics in the world, and each one has a similar set of basic beliefs and practices that he or she follows. Some of the teachings of Catholicism are thousands of years old, while others are more recent. So what is the Catholic culture like and what do they believe? Catholicism For Dummies answers these and many other questions.

Whether you’re a Catholic or not, you may be totally clueless or just unaware of some aspects of Catholic traditions, history, doctrine, worship, devotion, or culture. No sweat. Regardless of whether you’re engaged, married, related to a Catholic, or just curious about what Catholics really do believe, this book is for you.

Catholicism For Dummies is not a catechism or religious textbook, but a casual, down-to-earth introduction for non-Catholics and reintroduction for Catholics. It gives commonsense explanations so that the next time you’re invited to a Catholic wedding, Baptism, funeral, Confirmation, or First Communion, you won’t be totally confused. You’ll also discover other important topics that can help you better understand the Catholic culture—from morality and devotions to worship and liturgy. This book will familiarize you with Catholicism by showing you:

What it means to be a Catholic: traditions, prayers, beliefs, and holidays
Who is who in the Catholic hierarchy
How Catholics worship
What the Seven Sacraments and Ten Commandments are
The book regarded as the holiest to Catholics: The Bible
The Church’s stand on some sticky issues

Catholicism For Dummies presents a rich tapestry and history of the Catholic faith—from devotions to doctrines. This intelligent and faithful look at Catholicism will open your eyes to this religion and answer many of the questions you may have about it.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Reference.......2007-08-25

My husband is in RCIA and this has been his "text book" ! Very informative, well written. Highly Recommended!

Read this..........2007-05-15

They bilk the parishioners, as the priest live in a lap of luxury surrounded by gold. Everyone knows the Vatican has Billions of dollars, but keeps it's book secret so we can not know how many billions they have. Meanwhile, in the churches where the victims want justice, they just throw up their hands and say "we are bankrupt". The Bible says that a Priest or "Bishop" MUST be a married man. The people who let these pedophile priest jump from parish to parish to get fresh kids should also be thrown in jail. The most serious problem however, is that the Catholic church has people fooled into believing it is a "Christian Church", it is far from it. They call their own shots calling themselves "Infallible", meaning whatever they say or do can't be wrong. I am somewhat puzzled by the people who still attend there. They rape kids, then covered it up, why are you still a part of that organization? You should never confess to a priest, that is putting someone between you and Jesus. Jesus is the only mediator, if you read the real bible KJV, it will tell you the truth. The catholic Manuscripts were created by the Alexandrians, another cult found in Egypt. To top things off, the current Pope even swore in before as a Hitler Nazi Oath as a youth. This church isn't Christian, it just pays "lip service" to let everyone think they are. The priest are living in the lap of Luxury, while the victims live without reparations. My heart goes out to all the victims of the Catholic Church. Please stand up for the victims, and do not continue to look the other way because you are also guilty of association if you say and do nothing.

Catholicism for Dummies.......2007-05-12

bought as a gift. The person just love the book has thanked me several times.

Catholocism for Dummies.......2007-05-07

This is a good book for looking up anything pertaining to our Catholic Faith. It is easy to find the topics and explains it well. I have bought several of these books as gifts and a few for our Parish Library. Highly recommend.

Just the facts.......2007-04-25

A well-communicated summary of Roman Catholic doctrine and tradition. A good start for anyone interested in getting past the basics in preparation for further serious study. A handy resource for those who simply want a basic understanding of Catholic doctrine and practice. The approach seems to be one of simply reporting the facts without much emotional attachment by the authors and in that respect it seemed to be lacking some of the impact it might otherwise have. But such an approach may be exactly what most readers are looking for in this genre.

Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity

Average customer rating:

Pretty thin, and methinks they doth protest against Bart Ehrman too much
It's so logical
Judas: Evil Incarnate or Fall Guy?
Academic but readable book
From Great Deceiver to Bosom Buddy...

Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity
Elaine Pagels , and Karen L. King
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle
The Gospel of Thomas: New Perspectives on Jesus' Message
Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas
The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed
The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics

ASIN: 0670038458
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Book Description

The two leading, bestselling experts on the Gnostic Gospels weigh in on the meaning of the controversial newly discovered Gospel of Judas

When the Gospel of Judas was published by the National Geographic Society in April 2006, it received extraordinary media attention and was immediately heralded as a major biblical discovery that rocked the world of scholars and laypeople alike. Elaine Pagels and Karen King are the first to reflect on this newfound text and its ramifications for telling the story of early Christianity. In Reading Judas, the two celebrated scholars illustrate how the newly discovered text provides a window onto understanding how Jesus' followers understood his death, why Judas betrayed Jesus, and why God allowed it.

Most contemporary readers will find passages in the ancient Gospel of Judas difficult to comprehend outside of its context in the ancient world. Reading Judas illuminates the intellectual assumptions behind Jesus' teaching to Judas and shows how conflict among the disciples was a tool frequently used by early Christian authors to explore matters of doubt and disagreement. Presented with the elegance, insight, and accessibility that has made Pagels and King the leading voices in this field, this is a book for academics and popular audience both. Pagels's five previous books, including The New York Times bestseller Beyond Belief, and King's The Gospel of Mary of Magdala prove that there is a considerable audience eager for this kind of informed and engaging writing.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty thin, and methinks they doth protest against Bart Ehrman too much.......2007-09-07

Ehrman beat Pagels and King to the publishing punch with "The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot" in 2006. I don't know if that's why they feel they have to attack him (and others) in the introduction for allegedly trying to shoehorn the Gospel of Judas into a Gnostic boot or what, but their complaint just doesn't wash.

Their own description of the "doctrines" of GofJ would lead any blindfolded New Testament or early Christianity scholar to call GofJ "Gnosticizing," if not full-blown Gnostic, and it is.

Also, they give no story of the discovery of the codex, and do less to place it in historical background. And, the 50 pages of "Comments on the Translation" would have been better served coming at the start of the book, as a Sitz im Leben chapter, a la what I just said Ehrman did.

Besides, Ehrman's got a better analysis in general. And, I think he turns an even more skeptical eye to some matters of early Christian origins and development than do they. (For example, they seem to credit the Eucharist, in some way, as having started with an actual event, rather than made up out of pagan whole cloth by Paul.)

I might have three-started this, but I thought the attack in the introduction -- for whatever reason -- was egregious.

It's so logical.......2007-07-26

Book in excellent shape. Contents coincide with what I've been arguing, from a logical point of view, for decades: No betrayal no crucifixion, thus Judas was an accomplice, not a traitor.

Judas: Evil Incarnate or Fall Guy?.......2007-07-19

Eminently readable and intellectually stimulating.

The authors manage to maintain a neutral view of the writing, trying to put it into the historical context (persacution of one Christian sect by another).

I was most interested by the alternative view of the universe presented by this text.

Comparing the actual text of the gospel to the cleaned up version is an interesting exercise. It gave me insight into the workings of historical slueths.

The authors are somewhat obsessed with pointing out that the writer of the gospel is VERY angry about something (probably the fact that he and he group are being eliminated).

This book interests me in reading more of the gnostic texts.

Academic but readable book.......2007-07-03

This book contains 2 gems: The newly published Gospel of Judas and a readable, academic framework for understanding the gospel itself. I have recommended this book to several laity in my congregation. (I am a local church pastor.)

From Great Deceiver to Bosom Buddy..........2007-06-12

Judas Iscariot has played the role of Christianity's ultimate traitor for centuries. Tradition, as portrayed in the synoptic gospels, claims that he handed Jesus over to the Romans for thirty silver pieces. This vile act led to Jesus' crucifixion and death. So repugnant was this that his name has become synonymous with deceit and betrayal. For example, when Bob Dylan abandoned folk music for electric rock in 1966, an appalled audience member at the Royal Albert Hall yelled "Judas!" Right or wrong, everyone knew what that single name implied. Some cheered, some hissed. Pope Benedict XVI upheld the tradition in 2006 by accusing Judas of greed and power mongering. And why did the leader of the Catholic Church feel the need to reiterate this well-worn point in the twenty-first century? Because the long lost Gospel of Judas had resurfaced. A translation of this document's extant text appears in Part Two of "Reading Judas." Written sometime before 180 CE, the short gospel inverts tradition by depicting Judas as Jesus' most trusted Apostle, as his bosom buddy, his confidante. Not only that, Jesus shares the "mysteries of the Kingdom" with this great deceiver. And only with him. The gospel portrays the other Apostles as weak and conniving dolts who, according to Jesus, worship the wrong God through cruel sacrifice. Jesus' delineation of the "Mysteries" evoke elements similar to Pythagorianism, Platonism, Vedanta, and Buddhism. Certain sections of the gospel read more like Plato's "Timaeus" than the New Testament. In these passages, Jesus outlines a mystical mathematical transcendental cosmology involving a pantheon of lesser imperfect gods, one of which, called Saklas, created humanity, and the all knowing all seeing "Great Invisible Spirit" (the "real God") from which everything emanates. Humans have this Spirit within them, but they must search for it by examining the Self. Jesus' death will serve as an example to humankind that they can escape their physical bodies and enter the Heavenly Kingdom via the discovery of this inner Spirit. Jesus entrusts Judas with initiating this sacred event. Judas then indentifies Jesus to the accusers as instructed, receives some copper coins, and the text ends. Thus does Judas become, in this long lost gospel, the catalyst to humanity's salvation. Judas also sees the vision of his demise. The other Apostles will apparently stone him to death. But, as Jesus points out, such is the price for the "Mysteries of the Kingdom."

Part One of "Reading Judas" analyzes the Gospel in historical context. Drawing from voluminous sources, including the Bible, other Gnostic gospels, and various miscellaneous ancient texts, the essay's authors, Pagels and King, frame the Gospel of Judas as a text infused with anger. What caused this anger? In the second century CE, Christianity as we know it was solidifying under the auspices of bishops and clergy. Recent discoveries show that other interpretations of Jesus' death co-existed with the now dominate view. In other words, Christianity was not as homogenous as tradition suggests. Over time the fringe groups, along with their documents, were suppressed and outlawed as heretical. The Gospel of Judas, argue the authors, represents one of these alternate, or dissenting, ideologies. At the time of its composition Christian persecution was widespread and expanding. Certain founders of the nascent church, such as Tertullian, Ireneaus, and Heracleon, began to glorify the suffering of those who were killed in horrifying and unimaginable ways by the then pagan Roman government. Others Christians followed them "to glory" and met similar ghastly ends. Pagels and King argue that the Gopel of Judas' fervent anger stems from the church's encouragement of martyrdom. The "false venegeful God," according to the Jesus of the Gospel of Judas, demands such needless sacrifice. But the "true God" never would. Jesus demands that the Apostles "cease sacrificing!" So was the Gospel of Judas a protest piece? Maybe. It definitely paints an alternate picture of Jesus and Christianity.

Overall, "Reading Judas" enables general readers to grasp the document's signifigance. Most helpful are the some forty pages of commentary that accompany the translation. Though Pagels and King claim that this gospel doesn't belong in the Christian canon, they argue that it nonetheless demonstrates that the Christianity we have today was written by the winners. And those winners suppressed dissent so effectively that the Gospel of Judas, among others, remained lost for almost two millennia. All together, these ancient texts help scholars piece together the story of Christianity's development. "Reading Judas," though unlikely to alter anyone's faith, provides fascinating and provocative glimpses into the history of western civilization's dominant religion.

Average customer rating:

Real Christianity
Jesus for the non-Religious
The Ultimate Big Surprise
The truth about Jesus
excellent

Jesus for the Non-Religious
John Shelby Spong
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary
Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism: A Bishop Rethinks the Meaning of Scripture
The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love
God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now
A New Christianity for a New World: Why Traditional Faith is Dying & How a New Faith is Being Born

ASIN: 0060762071
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

Bishop John Shelby Spong has been on a life–long quest to rescue the church from irrelevancy. In FREEING JESUS FROM RELIGION'S PRISON, he takes aim at the church's core belief: who is Jesus. He first strips the superstitious barnacles that have attached themselves to this incredible person: such as that Jesus was born of a virgin in Bethlehem, that his father was Joseph, that he did miracles, that he had twelve disciples, and especially that he physically rose from the dead. Next Spong explains how these traditions arose by the early disciples seeing all he did through the lens of the Hebrew Scriptures. With these new revelations, we are then able to see the true Jesus, a heroic figure who revealed divinity through his humanness and can still guide us today. In short, Spong breaks Jesus free from the idol religion has created and restores for us a revolutionary and life–giving figure we all need to meet.

Customer Reviews:

Real Christianity.......2007-10-11

Finally, a Christian who knows and tells the truth!
This is a book to be read, and re-read.
If you look at what Jesus said and did, (not what has been merely attributed to him,)
you find that it's very different from what the church has been telling us.
JC needs to be understood in the context of his times.
Spong puts a very different perspective on things, and I think that every believer
and non-believer needs to read this work!

Jesus for the non-Religious.......2007-09-28

This is a great book for those who do not take the Bible as literal words. It will cause you to think and help answer some of the questions that a scientific mind would struggle with. Yet the greatness of Jesus is always present.

The Ultimate Big Surprise.......2007-09-18

This man SPONG is a liar; a modern example of Christ's 2000 year old Warning to those who would be better off with a millstone around their neck at the bottom of the sea than to be leading unwary Souls astray with their books and speeches of elegant lies.

I have not read this book. The reviews tell me all I need to know about it. I have browsed other books like this one in libraries and at The Remainder Tables in bookstores. All such books are strange brews of self-absorbed spiritualism and humanistic poppycock; admixtures of scientific and spiritual jargon formulated to tickle the itching ears of New Age Devotees. The words of Audrey Hepburn's Liza Doolittle apply here: "Just you wait 'Enry 'Iggins, just you wait."

The truth about Jesus.......2007-09-02

I have not gone to church for the past 50 years becuse I cannot believe what they say about the Bible and Jesus. I feel anyone with any sense of history could not accept what churches want their members to believe. Bishop Spong (who has researched the bible extensively) corrects and explains the passages in the bible so one can easily understand his way of thinking

excellent .......2007-09-01

The merchanidze is absolutely in perfect condition and the delivery was also prompt. will call this company again. Thank you for your excellent service.

The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church

Average customer rating:

The New Church
One that must be read.
Church Transformation
The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church
Thought Provoking

The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church
Reggie McNeal
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens

ASIN: 0787965685

Book Description

In this provocative book, author, consultant, and church leadership developer Reggie McNeal debunks these and other old assumptions and provides an overall strategy to help church leaders move forward in an entirely different and much more effective way. In The Present Future, McNeal identifies the six most important realities that church leaders must address including: recapturing the spirit of Christianity and replacing "church growth" with a wider vision of kingdom growth; developing disciples instead of church members; fostering the rise of a new apostolic leadership; focusing on spiritual formation rather than church programs; and shifting from prediction and planning to preparation for the challenges of an uncertain world. McNeal contends that by changing the questions church leaders ask themselves about their congregations and their plans, they can frame the core issues and approach the future with new eyes, new purpose, and new ideas.

Also available: The Present Future DVD Collection (978-0-7879-8673-5), Reggie McNeal's DVD presentation of the ideas and insights featured in his best-selling book.

Customer Reviews:

The New Church.......2007-09-11

Excellent book which speaks to the problems the modern church faces. Gives specific information and direction to deal with current issues. I have found this work tremendously useful in advocating change for the church I serve as pastor.

One that must be read........2007-07-25

This book explores the emergent church culture. The book's focus is on missional living within a ever changing culture. The books deals with the changing paradigm of modernism to postmodernism. Some church leaders would consider this book radical, but this book is helpful in providing a proper perspective on reaching out in faith. It is a plea to change churchianity into Christianity. Because of the influence of mega-church culture, we have been seduced into selling Christianity like a product on the open market, the book presents a way to authentically change the community for Christ.

Church Transformation.......2007-05-24

While many will be turned off by the author's strong language and seeming 'over stating' of the case; most of what McNeal says and recommends rings true. The church in North America is dying and dying rather fast as seem by the exodus of members and churches from the major denominations. If you are a leader - and especially a pastor - in a church you need to study this book (preferable with the rest of your team) and seriously consider what and how you are going to respond to the new world order. Unlike the Boomer Generation who have `grown up' and for the most part taken their responsible position in leadership in the ministries of the church, this current last generation (Millenniest or Matrix) are not likely to do that. They are looking for something better and God may indeed pass by the North American Church to accomplish His purpose in reaching the entire world with the Love of Jesus for the Glory of God.

The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church.......2007-05-15

Excellent book! SO HELPFUL!

Thought Provoking.......2007-05-13

This book will challenge you as it unfolds the truth of many churches in North America. At times you will want to stop reading and toss it to the side. Other times you find yourself in total agreement. Reggie demonstrates great courage as he asks questions most Christians don't want to ask about their church. The DVD series is even better as it presents the same tough questions through the caring style of Reggie McNeal.

St Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica (translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province) (5 Volume Set)

Average customer rating:

A great resource for theological research
Summa is supreme
Good Theology, Good Philosophy
Great Work, Good Translation
St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica (5 volume set)

St Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica (translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province) (5 Volume Set)
Thomas Aquinas
Manufacturer: Christian Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Aquinas's Shorter Summa: Saint Thomas's Own Concise Version of His Summa Theologica
The Complete Works of Aristotle: The Revised Oxford Translation (2 Volume Set; Bollingen Series, Vol. LXXI, No. 2)
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Creation (Summa Contra Gentiles, Book 2)
Summa Contra Gentiles: God (Summa Contra Gentiles)

ASIN: 0870610635

Book Description

Thomas Aquinas' best-known work is the Summa Theologica. As the title indicates, the Summa is a "summing up" of all that can be known about Christian theology.

Customer Reviews:

A great resource for theological research.......2007-09-28

I purchased this Five-volume set after taking a couple of philosophy courses, which I feel like I should recommend to anyone starting to dive into this hefty text. If you don't feel like taking a class, perhaps some of the secondary texts written by philosophers about Aquinas will help in reading this fantastic set of info.
Aquinas forms his arguments in a way that is almost flawless. I am not Catholic, yet I find this to be an explanation of Catholic doctrine that makes me almost want to convert. For anyone from the atheist to the devout catholic, this text is a window into one of the greateast natural and revealed theologians to ever document his thoughts. Footnotes are aplenty to send you on your way to other documents, especially Augistine, so be prepared for an obsession.

Mike Yandell

Summa is supreme.......2007-05-13

Probably the best sys theo work ever. Oh, that more fellow Protestants would pour over this text!

Good Theology, Good Philosophy.......2007-01-12

These volumes have withstood the test of time in the worlds of religion and philosophy. Reading the words of one of the greatest minds in history is both entertaining and educational. This set is a must have for anyone who likes to study philosophy. For a beginner, it may be beneficial to get one of the many Aquinas readers or help texts, but it doesn't take very long to catch on and soon you will find yourself just reading at your own pace, making your own ideas about what Aquinas is all about.

Great Work, Good Translation.......2006-11-08

The Summa Theologica of Saint Thomas is without doubt one of the greatest works in the history of the Christian faith. The logical order and progression is simply amazing and the scope of the work monumental.

This translation is generally very close to the sense of the Latin original, although in a few cases I have noticed some strange differences. For example, in Pt. 1 Q.1 A. 4. The Dominican Fathers translate the Latin (which reads "Magis tamen est speculativa quam practica") as ". . . speculative rather than practical" although the Latin reads ". . . speculative MORE than practical." This is a substantial change in the meaning which ends up creating confusion in the next article when Thomas says that theology is ". . . partly speculative and partly practical". There are other variations from the Latin throughout the rest of the work, some more and less important.

I urge those who are interested in a serious study of Saint Thomas to use this text as an aid to a deeper study with the Latin. If this is not possible for you, this translation will nevertheless give you a good introduction and tool for an introductory and intermediate understanding of Saint Thomas's thought.

St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica (5 volume set) .......2006-11-05

This set of books is very good for religious studies majors or anyone pursuing a higher education in theological studies. This series addresses in detail, the myriad questions pertaining to Christian theological doctrines through philosophical reasoning.

Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (Plus)

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good reading
For those who take the Bible seriously
Clear and respectful exposition of a hot topic
Untangling the Texts
It's a problem of Epistemology

Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (Plus)
Bart D. Ehrman
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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The God Delusion

ASIN: 0060859512
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

For almost 1,500 years, the New Testament manuscripts were copied by hand––and mistakes and intentional changes abound in the competing manuscript versions. Religious and biblical scholar Bart Ehrman makes the provocative case that many of our widely held beliefs concerning the divinity of Jesus, the Trinity, and the divine origins of the Bible itself are the results of both intentional and accidental alterations by scribes.

In this compelling and fascinating book, Ehrman shows where and why changes were made in our earliest surviving manuscripts, explaining for the first time how the many variations of our cherished biblical stories came to be, and why only certain versions of the stories qualify for publication in the Bibles we read today. Ehrman frames his account with personal reflections on how his study of the Greek manuscripts made him abandon his once ultra–conservative views of the Bible.

Customer Reviews:

good reading.......2007-10-04

Anything worth believing is worth questioning. This book will help you realize there is a lot more to know about the bible, than you have been told. I would recommend this to people who have never looked into how the NT came to be.

For those who take the Bible seriously.......2007-10-03

Whether you are a member of a Bible study group or a skeptic, this book should be read. The author is candid about his personal spiritual path, which allows readers some insight into his possible bias, but he is also scrupulous about his scholarship. If you believe every word of the Bible--whichever translation you read--is divinely inspired, you may have no interest in reading this book. However, if the idea that modern translations alter the meaning of the King James version on which you were raised has already occurred to you, you may have begun to wonder about other changes to the Bible over the years. This book is enlightening, and for anyone willing to study the Bible seriously, reading "Misquoting Jesus" will be important to your spiritual study. Because the author respects his readers enough to explain the painstaking nature of his field of study, the book demands a willingness to wade through some difficult passages, but the effort is worth it. I highly recommend this book.

Clear and respectful exposition of a hot topic.......2007-10-02

In spite of the provocative title, "Misquoting Jesus" is very respectful of Scriptures - so much so that it willing to tell the truth about them. Bart Ehrman does his typically great job of explaining a difficult topic -- in this case, the history, operation and findings of biblical textual criticism -- to a lay audience. Ehrman's journey as a textual critic has been a long and difficult one, and it seems to have knocked him off-balance, at least for a time. Starting as a fundamentalists of the fundamentalists (to paraphrase Paul) he decided to study scripture. His first epiphany was when he asked himself, if the Bible is God's word, then why do I have to learn Greek and Hebrew to understand it? This question led to others, culminating in a nuanced and complex understanding of the Bible and its history -- as told by the ways scribes have changed the Bible itself.

Ehrman discusses the history of the Bible's transmission through the centuries-- via scribes whose literacy was sometimes comprised only by their ability to copy the shape of letters from an old copy to a new, without understanding their meaning. This was eye-opening for me, but Ehrman supports his contentions with evidence that is sometimes funny and always persuasive. Ehrman helps us to understand the world from the scribe's point of view, as they miss and repeat words, misunderstand abbreviations and (as they listen to dictation) write down homonyms that sound the same but mean vastly different things.

Ehrman gives us a glimpse at the history of biblical textual criticism. We learn how we got the Vulgate, St. Jerome's 4th-century translation of scriptures into Latin, and about 16th-century scholar Erasmus's rush to be the first to print a Greek New Testament. Erasmus's slapdash work then became a basis for the King James Bible, a translation still considered sacrosanct and untouchable by many. Through Ehrman, we learn of the great men whose work lay the foundations for modern biblical scholarship. We also learn of the tens of thousands of variant readings of Scripture that exist. It is this variation that causes consternation for those who believe the Bible to be unblemished and inerrant, and prompts delight for scholars who use the variants to piece together the original words, and to determine the theological biases of the scribes who introduced the variants into the text.

Ehrman is not on a mission to destroy the sacredness, the authority of the Church or to downplay the teaching of Jesus. He seemed constantly poised to deliver a death blow to the basic authenticity of the Bible. But mostly, he delivered examples that show the conservatism of even the most interventionist of scribes. Most of the variants, Ehrman admits, are insignificant -- misspellings and such. Interestingly, the truly significant variants are mostly tentative add-ons to the text, where a scribe changed one unpalatable word, but left the rest of the text alone. Textual critics identify these "patches," note their mismatch with the surrounding text, and propose solutions that bring us closer to the originals. Ehrman shows how variants can tell us much about the struggle for ideas that was the history of the Church. Ehrman identifies texts that were used against heretics like Marcion, against Jews, against gnostics and against women. Difficult texts, says Ehrman -- those that contradict what we would like the Scriptures to say, may well be the most accurate. For instance, in Mark 1:40-45, Jesus encounters a leper hoping to be cleansed. Most translation say that Jesus, filled with compassion, touched and healed the man. But some variants say that Jesus grew *angry* before healing him. Which is correct, and why? Ehrman argues that the variant in which Jesus becomes angry fits better into Mark's overall presentation of Jesus, and may therefore be original.

Ehrman's greatest sin is the way he vastly overstates his case. Perhaps this is due to his extremely conservative starting point (one shared by his more vituperative critics and reviewers) which cannot tolerate even the suggestion of the hand of Man in the Bible. Perhaps Ehrman's seeming overreaction (and the consequent lack to deliver) is akin to the doctor who warns that a procedure will hurt, bringing relief to the patient when he delivers only a minor sting. More darkly, perhaps Ehrman really believes that his work brings the Bible into such disrepute that he has lost faith in its divine authorship. But one need not believe that God inspired the Scriptures by literally dictating his words to scribes. One need not believe, along with the simpleminded, that Jesus had scribblers in his entourage. There are solutions to the divine authorship of the Bible that don't require the unsupported belief in its inerrancy posited by the fundamentalists nor the utter rejection of atheists. Some sort of imperfect, mysterious divine-human cooperation is an alternative, supported by mainstream scholars, which Ehrman's work certainly supports.

"Misquoting Jesus" is a terrific primer to the obscure field of textual criticism, especially as applied to the Bible. Though it provides many examples to illustrate Ehrman's points, it is not an exhaustive study of the discipline, but ably and gently leads Bible lovers to a new level of understanding of their holy book. There is no question that Ehrman simplifies his presentation. For instance, he gives us little insight into which textual criticisms are generally accepted and which are hotly debated. Some might see this book as a way for Ehrman to rush his own opinions into print. But Erhman backs up each of his contentions with logic and plausible theories. At the very least, the reader gains enough knowledge to follow the argument.

Ehrman's book helps us to be more careful about selecting biblical translations, and helps us appreciate the work of the legion of scholars who try to parse out the real meaning in its many verses. It lets us see through the gauze of false piety to understand and appreciate the differing worldviews and intentions of the Bible's writers and scribes, letting them speak for themselves. Above all, "Misquoting Jesus" helps us to see that the Bible cannot be read apart from the personalities and world-views of those who wrote it, those who copied it, those who translated it or those who read it. As such, it is a living document.

Which when you think of it, may have been its Inspirer's idea all along.

Untangling the Texts.......2007-09-24

If I had read this prior to visiting a major temporary exhibit of ancient manuscripts at the Smithsonian early in 2007, I would have appreciated more of what I was seeing. Ehrman discusses clearly for the layman the study of the many changes made in the New Testament texts by scribes, particularly in the first three centuries after Jesus, before copying became the work of professionals. While most of these variations are trivial, some significantly altered the authors' original meanings. This is of particular relevance for English speakers, since much of our appreciation of the Bible has been through the 17th century King James version, which, unfortunately, was translated from a somewhat corrupted text. Ehrman clearly discusses some of the salient differences now understood by scholars and now either adopted or footnoted in the best modern translations. In addition to inadvertent and careless changes, changes were made during the competition for Christian orthodoxy in the first few centuries. The theological disputes over the nature of Christ (divine, human, or both; one being or two beings), disputes over the role of women, conflict between Christians and Jews, and the criticisms of educated pagans all led some scribes, involved as they were, not only to conserve scripture, but to make some changes to texts that they perceived inadequately supported the interpretations that they considered correct. Since no original texts have survived, Ehrman discusses how, insofar as possible, scholars have reconstructed texts as close as possible to the originals. The original reading of some passages will probably never be known. These inspired works are thus nevertheless also very human. Close reading moreover reveals quite clearly that not all gospel writers or other New Testament authors are saying the same thing, but have different points of view and different interpretations of Jesus' life and death.

It's a problem of Epistemology.......2007-09-24

Barts problem is not with the text.

This is a great overview on the canon of scripture. His problems are not with the text. His problem after all is with evil and epistemolgy. Wow! That's nothing new. It's interesting that a textual scholar who has left the faith has a an issue that is philosophical.

Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church Is Transforming the Faith

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Christianity For The Rest of Us
A must read
Critique of Christianity for the Rest of Us
Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith
A book to give us confidence

Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church Is Transforming the Faith
Diana Butler Bass
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism (Real Life Evangelism Series)

ASIN: 0060836946
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Book Description

For decades the accepted wisdom has been that America's mainline Protestant churches are in decline, eclipsed by evangelical mega-churches. Church and religion expert Diana Butler Bass wondered if this was true, and this book is the result of her extensive, three-year study of centrist and progressive churches across the country. Her surprising findings reveal just the opposite—that many of the churches are flourishing, and they are doing so without resorting to mimicking the mega-church, evangelical style.

Christianity for the Rest of Us describes this phenomenon and offers a how-to approach for Protestants eager to remain faithful to their tradition while becoming a vital spiritual community. As Butler Bass delved into the rich spiritual life of various Episcopal, United Methodist, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, and Lutheran churches, certain consistent practices—such as hospitality, contemplation, diversity, justice, discernment, and worship—emerged as core expressions of congregations seeking to rediscover authentic Christian faith and witness today.

This hopeful book, which includes a study guide for groups and individuals, reveals the practical steps that leaders and laypeople alike are taking to proclaim an alternative message about an emerging Christianity that strives for greater spiritual depth and proactively engages the needs of the world.

Customer Reviews:

Christianity For The Rest of Us.......2007-09-18

This book had some intersting, informative points. However at times, it requires a supreme effort to continue reading in order to dig out the few nuggets the book offers; unless you also see the world through VERY liberal lenses.

A must read.......2007-08-06

Author did an excellant job on her research of mainline christianity and has a clear understanding of what individuals are looking for in the neighborhood church. The Author gives an insightful look at the ten signposts of healthy chruches. A good book for the membership of churches to read and study together.

Critique of Christianity for the Rest of Us.......2007-08-04

If there are made for TV movies this is a made for NPR book. (And I listen to NPR regularly. I recognize the genre.) Her anecdotes come from people who always laugh with a wry twist of self-deprecation or weep softly in joy over a newfound insight. I get the feeling she goes about her work with contrived naïve innocence. All of her characters are happy, well adjusted, mainline Christians in congregations that may have disagreements but never conflicts. And their spirituality is so above average. Apparently they never have to worry about declining budgets, loss of membership, and minister's health insurance and where to recruit Sunday School teachers. I genuinely wish we could have seen the congregational warts as well so that my real life pastors could draw some real life encouragement for transforming their real life congregations. My friends do not live in Pleasantville.

I wish I could say this book is worthwhile. Unfortunately it fails on very many levels. I wish I could use it in our pastor's development course. I cannot even put it on the suggested reading list, much less use it as a main source book.

The first problem is rather trivial. The subtitle for the book is How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith. That would be a wonderful study if indeed it is happening. But this is not a study of neighborhood churches. And many of these congregations are simply not transforming the faith. Many of them continue in their gradual decline toward closing the doors. If you are looking for book that will show you how to grow a neighborhood church, this book is not for you. Now on to the important issues.

The research behind this book is not a designed study by any academic or scientific standard. It is a collection of anecdotes from participants of carefully selected, perhaps cherry picked, congregations, assembled to support a particular predetermined premise. All the congregations shared an ethos and catalogue of best practices. Well and good. BB declares them therefore to be vital churches. However there is no investigation of other churches with similar ethos and best practices and whether or not they too are vital. That is to say, after reading the book, I have no idea whether or not implementing these ten sign post practices will turn around a declining congregation to spiritual and numeric growth. A similar subject was undertaken by Thom Rainer in Breakout Churches. Rainer sets criteria for health, identifies congregations that meet the criteria, and then studied their histories, ethos, and best practices. BB finds churches with a certain profile of ethos and best practices and declares them vital. The problem with this approach is that it becomes a celebration of her particular prejudices. And she has many prejudices.

During the course of the book she insults Roman Catholics, Pentecostals, and southern Christians in general.

"I heard quite a few stories from smart, well-educated - and clearly not Pentecostal - churchgoers about supernatural healings." P. 113.

" Memphis, Tennessee, conjures visions of southern religion. These two words, southern religion, evoke images of folks hootin' and hollerin' about God. Eternal damnation and hell. Sweating preachers thundering on about sex, drinking, and Democrats. Southern religion is all heart and fire, the blinding light of Jesus converting sinners to saints in a flash. This is what more reasonable Christians used to ridicule as "enthusiasm."
In Memphis, the Church of the Holy Communion, an Episcopal parish, stands in stark contrast to the fulminations of southern evangelical religion." P. 115.

Far and away the most frequent target of the vinegar is evangelicals generally and evangelical megachurches in particular.

"I immediately think of evangelical megachurches, with their huge congregations complete with doctrinal statements and Republican voting guides. Big yields, yes. But where is wisdom?" P. 147.

"Unlike in evangelical churches - where doctrinal uniformity is considered nonnegotiable - theological diversity shapes the daily life of most mainline churches." P. 146.

"Unlike conservative evangelicals who read the Bible literally, seeking out proof-texts for narrow moral or ethical readings of scripture, the Episcopalians at Redeemer approach the Bible "seriously, but not Literally." P. 188.

"However, there is still a rift in the ways that Christians view art. Some, usually those in evangelical churches, understand art instrumentally. Art is important because it proclaims a message, usually intended to convert people to the faith. ... Other Christian, however, engage art for the sake of mystery instead of a message." P. 213.

Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, and its viewers receive special attention. "Unlike the evangelical Christians who flocked to the film, mainline Protestants more thoughtfully engaged The Passion in its theology and as a spiritual product." P. 230. Anyone who dared to view "The Passion of the Christ" incurs her judgment. She comes close to saying that anyone who went to see "The Passion of the Christ" is an anti-Semite and a consumerist, a willing participant in economic sin.

"That is, of course, what happened with The Passion of the Christ: the primary symbol of Christianity, the cross, was turned into a marketing event." P. 233.

She was unnecessarily insulting to several individuals and their readers. For example she belittled Forty Days of Purpose (twice) and Purpose Driven Church, although several of her congregations described implementing Purpose Driven action items. If these two resources are so counterproductive why have they had such an impact on the lives of so many individuals and congregations. BB spent a whole chapter on the practice of discernment. So what is wrong with asking the purpose of a life or of a congregation? She came close to insulting Billy Graham. One wonders why an author of her talent feels a need do insult people. It may be true that Purpose Driven, etc., are the basics. But she comes off as a university mathematics professor belittling an elementary school teacher for teaching arithmetic to first graders. What purpose does this serve?

People who have a perspective different from hers and dare to speak it with conviction are thundering partisans. See page 238 and the southern religion quote above for examples.

I am very concerned as well over the makeup of the study group. Of the ten primary congregations eight were all white, one was Latino, and one was multiethnic. The multiethnic congregation had three African American staff members, two of whom are sextons. Do the math. Is this a prejudice or a coincidence? I honestly do not know. But either way I cannot recommend this book to any of our African American pastors.

Butler Bass also seems to misunderstand the place of evangelicals in mainline churches. Generally speaking she does not acknowledge that there are very many evangelical mainline congregations and even more evangelicals in congregations that are not totally evangelical.

"The most troubling division comes from the tensions within the Presbyterian denomination between the church's traditionally more liberal theological constituency and its vocal evangelical minority." P. 146.

One need look only at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the upcoming exodus of evangelical congregations in the Presbyterian Church USA to see Butler Bass' misconception of mainline evangelicals. In one PCUSA presbytery 60% of the Sunday morning attendance was in Confessing Churches. Currently the PCUSA has entire presbyteries who wish to leave the denomination as a whole presbytery. The EPC is setting up a provisional presbytery to receive the congregations leaving the PC USA. Some projections estimate that the provisional presbytery will be as large or larger than the original EPC. Similar phenomena are occuring in the Episcopal Church, the Lutheran tradition, and the Methodist tradition. Indeed within a few years the PC USA will cease to be the majority Presbyterian voice in the United States given the current rate of change. That is to say there will be more Presbyterians who are not members of the PCUSA than those who are.

On page 2 BB writes, "Rather, I journeyed with a surprising group of contemporary pilgrims - those folks who gather in mainline Protestant congregations, communities that describe themselves as theologically centrist to liberal-progressive and are part of denominations that trace their lineage back to colonial America. I hung out with brand-name Christians - Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Congregationalists, and Episcopalians, ..." Does BB mean that only centrist to liberal-progressive Christians are mainline? What about centrist to evangelical, those just right of center but still in the center? What about those who are just plain centrist, for whom the evangelical/progressive divide is irrelevant. In the Presbyterian Church, USA I know many a minister who is just plain Presbyterian. Are they not mainline because they do not at least lean towards the progressive side?

On the other hand if mainline is defined as tracing their lineage back to colonial America, and centrist to progressive is a subset of mainline, why exclude the other subsets? One cannot read Presbyterian history in North America without seeing that there has always been tension in our antecedent denominations over this very issue. We have had Old School/New School, Old Light/New Light, Modernist/Fundamentalist, Liberal/Conservative, and now finally evangelical/progressive controversies. What is important to note about these controversies is that despite the formation of some splinter groups the majority of both sides remained in the denomination. Both sides remained mainline. In our current context there will be some splintering, with many congregations leaving the PCUSA and moving to the EPC. There remain many evangelicals who wish to remain in the PCUSA and to work through the difficulties. The Constitutional Presbyterians is such a group. And while many New Wineskins congregations will go to the EPC, many other NWAC congregations will remain in the denomination. Why then exclude such a large and healthy, and historically significant cohort, from the study? If this is progressive inclusiveness we need a different inclusiveness.

BB never addresses the fundamental question regarding mainline churches. Until the 70's American culture required church attendance. To be a good American one also had to be a churchgoer, if not a genuine Christian. Protestant was preferred over Catholic and Orthodox was a genuine peculiarity. Mainline denomination (meaning successor to a northwestern European tradition) was culturally more desirable than Southern Baptist or Pentecostal. Little League was never scheduled on Sunday morning. Mainline churches did not have to go out into the highways and byways and compel them to come in. We relied on our culture to do that for us. That has changed. Now our culture is not only not supportive of Christianity it is at best suspicious of and at times hostile to Christianity. Which means that for the churches to thrive they have to go to the world and interrupt people's lives with the Gospel. Her list of best practices is quite good. But it is not the main issue. If the congregations do not create their own new participants they will all die. Of all the personal anecdotes I read I was struck by how many quotes were from people who had been churched as children. I counted only two people who were adult converts, and one of those came to Christ through an evangelical Bible study, then moved on to one of the cohort congregations. BB rails against evangelicals. But were it not for an evangelical Bible study this young woman would not have become Christian. The study church certainly was not doing any evangelism. And this is the biggest problem with BB's book. It is all about baby boomers who were churched as children, left the church, and now are back. The issue we face now is how to reach people who were never churched. Yes, by all means, the depth discipleship described in the ten signposts is great. But it is almost, though not completely, inner focused. Even the testimony section is not about bearing witness to Christ to non-Christians. She has changed it to bearing testimony within the congregation for the benefit of the congregation.

The result of this Boomer propensity for navel gazing is a steep decline in worship attendance across the board. I had hoped that this book would help us see ways in which mainline congregations can address this very issue. Unfortunately this is not the case. Of the four Presbyterian congregations in her cohort three were stagnant or in decline. I say this not to pick on Presbyterians. Rather they are the easiest to get data from. So the long term question remains. If I am not replacing my losses in participation how will this congregation's ministry continue? If our ministry is good, but dies, who will take over the needed ministry? Who will host the tent cities?

Butler Bass' real issue is how can a liberal/progressive church survive, and maybe possibly grow numerically as an unanticipated but welcome side effect. If you think that the answer lies along the axis of "it is possible to have our old, traditional worship with a hymnbook and an organ prelude, with a cerebral Enlightenment/Modernist confessional approach to faith," you will be sorely disappointed. The congregations she studied have abandoned those things for the most part. Her ten signposts are all things that were not practiced in mainline Protestant congregations in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries in North America, as she very ably demonstrates. Her answer instead is that to survive as a mainline Protestant congregation you have to start doing the very things that her mainline village church never did. That is to say, to survive as a mainline congregation one must stop being traditionally mainline, or change one's definition of mainline, both of which violate her premise.

On p. 174 BB describes a "mainline" church that is not at all traditional mainline. "Combining elements of jazz, performance art, film clips and video, multimedia reflection, live-camera feed, testimony, readings, silence, contemplative prayer, and journaling, they christened this service The Studio." How is this traditional mainline? Simply because they still put Congregationalist on the marquis? BB never addresses this question. The congregations she describes are no longer "mainline" in practice, only in name and judicatory membership. That is exactly the issue.

Her study congregations are post-modern experientialists who are PC USA or UMC or UCC or Episcopal or Lutheran in name only. This is not necessarily a bad thing. But let's be honest about it. The Presbyterian, Methodist, and Lutheran ministers of the study congregations may be able to describe Reformed, Wesleyan, and Lutheran theology respectively. But she gives no evidence that the members understand or even care about it. And of course, denominational identity was a hallmark of mainline Protestantism. The congregations she worked with are not traditional mainline churches any more. The answer she arrives at is exactly the same answer the "evangelicals" arrived at. Traditional mainline Protestantism, based on northwestern European culture beginning in the early Sixteenth Century and founded on Enlightenment rationalism, no longer is a viable model for Church in post-modern North America.

Butler Bass spent many years as an evangelical, and an eloquent one. She has left that behind and moved into the progressive fold. Well and good. But in leaving the evangelical fold she feels the need to castigate her former colleagues. Martin Luther ultimately affirmed, "I am not!" Perhaps this book is her "I am not" to her evangelical sisters and brothers. I hope that as her service to the church continues the evangelical stage will be her thesis, the progressive phase will be her antithesis, and that she will find somewhere and somehow the peace of a synthesis.

I still have hope. Tonight I start reading Dr. Butler Bass' The Practicing Church.

Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith.......2007-08-04

Ms Bass is a wonderful writer that makes this topic easy to read and understand and she gives such insight that it triggers great discussions.

A book to give us confidence.......2007-07-09

Diana Butler Bass writes with a style that pulls the reader in. She is clearly a religious realist. Her categorization approach is useful to others, even those who do not have the technical tools to examine their churches formally. If one is honest, one can look at the hospitality (for example) in one's own church and see if it is an effective area of ministry. Looking through these categories allows a problem-oriented approach to be adopted. It may be a little more difficult to build on strengths, but that is because of our enculturation, and not because of this book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, have recommended it to our pastor, and will read it again to pick up things I may have missed the first time. I came away from this book saying, "We can do these things, and we can grow!"

United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

Average customer rating:

Excellent tool to better know the Catholic faith
What a Wonderfully Refreshing Book!
Adults need Catechism too!
Great for Everyone
Uunited States Catholic Cathechism for Adults

United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

Manufacturer: USCCB
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
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Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Explain, and Defend the Catholic Faith

ASIN: 1574554506

Book Description

The presence of the Catholic Church in the United States reaches back to the founding days of our country through the leadership of Archbishop John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in the United States. His story like the stories at the start of each chapter in the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults give us a glimpse into the lives of Catholics who lived out their faith throughout our country's history.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent tool to better know the Catholic faith.......2007-09-28

This book is a more appropriate instrument for an average adult to learn about the Catholic faith than the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). The book is an outstanding resource for RCIA. It is a handy reference for adult education. Organized much like the CCC, it includes a reference to a Catholic saint in each chapter, mostly from the Americas. It has a cultural application, illustrating how Catholic teaching sheds light on issues of today. It has discussion questions. It concludes each chapter with a prayer drawn from scripture, from tradition, or from the saints. I enthusiastically recommend this work as a basic work for any Catholic household.

What a Wonderfully Refreshing Book!.......2007-09-26

United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

My mother had heard about this latest publication at Church and asked me to see if I could find it for her. Of course, I found it right away through Amazon, ordered and quickly received it for her. She has been so happy with the stories, the format, the subjects, issues, and Catholic ideology covered, that it amazed me. Now, her copy went home with my oldest sister who was visiting recently, and it's time to re-order. My sister's husband of 42 years recently passed of lung cancer -- they were best friends -- and she's been searching for spiritual peace. There was a section in this book on Extreme Unction that, upon her reading, brought her peace. She said she could not have described the experience in more perfect words than the description in this new Catechism. They both love the stories, and everything about the book. I'm no longer a practicing Catholic, and I enjoyed thumbing through this Catechism, and am ordering one for myself as well.

Adults need Catechism too!.......2007-09-13

We are using this book for our Adult Catechism class. Since most of the classes are an hour, I suggest that you don't just read it in class. It really is more important to get what you can from this book and not just rush through it. If you read it in class, only read part and then discuss what you have read. It can get quite deep and complicated. It is a wonderful part of the experience to share with others and in turn reap the benefits of enlightenment.

Great for Everyone.......2007-09-08

This book is filled with such great information and is not to technical. It is so much easier to understand than the other versions, and even has some questions to ask yourself and prayer.

Uunited States Catholic Cathechism for Adults.......2007-09-06

awesome book for RCIA as well as Adult Education programs and even Family Programs.........great stories, prayer and meditations.

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