Customer Reviews:
exceptional book, simply exceptional.......2006-06-16
I am quite the biblical scholar (well, to be honest, I'm quite the scholar in lots of fields, as the depth of the average title in my multi-thousand-book collection belies), and I am hard-pressed to find a biblical history/Bible as literature/biblical exegesis book that compares to this one. I could argue that Reader's Digest has, as is its wont, produced a volume that brims with less than exceptionally profound scholarship, but its purpose is to enlighten, amaze, and entertain, so never mind the academic nits. Even the most diehard atheist would be hard-pressed to maintain his separation after his eyes alight on this breathtaking volume. I simply can't sing its praises enough.
Enlightening Tour through The Bible Wonderlands.......2005-06-09
"Sweeping in scope, alive with fascinating information and incisive commentary, this lavishly illustrated book presents an unparalleled look at the most influential work in human history. It brings to life the breadth and beauty of the Bible's message, its impact on countless generations, and its enduring inspiration and influence throughout the world." Reader's Digest
The Beautiful Encyclopedia:
Storytelling and the oral tradition
Papyrus: Egypt's Gift to Writers
Poetry in the Old Testament
Words of Wisdom from Proverbs and Amen-em-ope
The Oracles of Isaiah
Shaping the Pentateuch
Ezra: The Second Lawgiver
The making of the Septuagint
What was left out: the Apocrypha and the Pseudoepigrapha
Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
The World of Jesus
Letter Writing in the first Century
Who wrote the "Other" Epistles?
Telling the story of Jesus
Present at the Apocalypse
Shaping the Mishnah
Invention of the Book, 'Codex'
the Gnostic Challenge
Origen and the Sixfold Bible, 'Hexapla'
Apostolic Fathers
Desert Fathers
The Bible in the Eastern Churches
Tatian Harmonized Gospels
Guardians of the Scriptures
The Art of Illumination
Picture Bibles
Wyclif and the Lollards
The age of Gutenberg
The Path towards an Authorized English Bible
Taking the Gospel to the New World
Joseph Smith and "The Book of Mormon"
Translating Scripture Today
modern Biblical Scholarship
A tour with the Bible:
You embark on a tour through the ages guided by a team of the most distinguished bible scholars of our time lead by Bruce Metzger. Those editors, researchers, art consultants and designers include David N. Freedman, Eugene Nida, Jonathan Sarna in a great team. In the 384 pages they meticulously researched, beautifully illustrated, and creatively written. this is a book to read, a story to enjoy, reflect, and share, and a reference to return to whenever you need clarification, illumination, or advice. This is a great work the Reader's Digest, and every contributor should be praised for.
Amazon.com Reviewers Say:
* This book gives an objective view of the Historical aspect of Christianity and Judaism.
* This is not the ordinary book you are apt to find in Bible study class.
* This is a wonderful overview of the Bible illustrated with color art from down through the ages.
* This book is a must for anyone who wishes to understand the Bible.
* stunningly beautiful, a bibliophile's treasure : I have not encountered a more thorough, thoroughly enjoyable, straightforwardly written, ABSORBING journey through the history of the Bible.
The Bible Through the Ages, a must read.......2005-02-10
This book is a must for anyone who wishes to understand the Bible. The authors go into the history of this important book that has impacted so many lives. They look back into pre-history when the words of the Bible were repeated around a camp fire each night.
The evolution of the Bible, described in this book, gives the reader a better understanding of how the Bible came to be.
Not An Ordinary Book.......2001-01-06
This is not the ordinary book you are apt to find in Bible study class. THE BIBLE THROUGH THE AGES is much more interesting. It is a topical tour of the Bible arranged around five themes: the Oral Tradition, the writing of the Old Testament, the writing of the New Testament, the copying of the Bible by monks in the Middle Ages and the distribution of the Bible after the invention of the printing press. One topic I find to be particularly interesting is the discussion of the debate over the canonicity of Christian writings during the first three centuries after Christ. A related topic covers certain writings left out of the New Testament. THE BIBLE THROUGH THE AGES is a thick book and it is richly illustrated. Although it is not exactly a reference book, it contains much information not available elsewhere.
Supplement with The Complete Guide to the Book of Proverbs........2000-01-11
This is a wonderful overview of the Bible illustrated with color art from down through the ages. Quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version, a translation which is favored by scholars for its accuracy. The comments are insightful, interesting and accurate. A great supplement to this book is THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Cody Jones. Numerous characters from throughout the Bible are pointed out who illustrate King Solomon's witty observations on human nature. Many of the riddles and mysteries of Proverbs are explored with surprising new answers. Proverbs are a treasury of God's wisdom and give practical applications of Biblical values in punchy memorable sayings.
Book Description
No book has been more pored over, has been the subject of more commentary and controversy, or had more influence not only on our religious beliefs but also on our culture and language than the Bible. And certainly no book has been as widely read. But how did the Bible become the book we know it to be?
In this superbly written history, Jaroslav Pelikan takes the reader through the good book's evolution from its earliest incarnation as oral tales to its modern existence in various iterations, translations, and languages. From the earliest Hebrew texts and the Bible's appearance in Greek, then Latin, Pelikan explores the canonization of different Bibles and why certain books were adopted by certain religions and sects, as well as the development of the printing press, the translation into modern languages, and varying schools of critical scholarship.
Both an enduring work of scholarship and a fascinating read, Whose Bible Is It? will be eagerly welcomed by the many fans of Elaine Pagels's books and Adam Nicolson's God's Secretaries.
Download Description
Jaroslav Pelikan, widely regarded as one of the most distinguished historians of our day, now provides a clear and engaging account of the Bible's journey from oral narrative to Hebrew and Greek text to today's countless editions. Pelikan explores the evolution of the Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic versions and the development of the printing press and its effect on the Reformation, the translation into modern languages, and varying schools of critical scholarship. Whose Bible Is It? is a triumph of scholarship that is also a pleasure to read.
Customer Reviews:
BERN iN HeLL.......2007-06-29
BBERN IN HELL FOR READING AND RIGHTIN THIS BOOK! YOU'LL BE SORRY!!!
I am over the age of 13.
celebrating the nature and function of Scripture.......2007-01-18
Reading any book by Jaroslav Pelikan is a rare privilege and pleasure, not to mention an occasion for envy and humility by lesser mortals who fancy themselves as scholars. Magisterial, meticulous, encyclopedic, prolific, and prodigious, Pelikan is the Sterling Professor Emeritus of History at Yale University where he served on the faculty from 1962-96, the past president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2004 the recipient of the Library of Congress's annual John W. Kluge Prize in the Human Sciences (the $1 million award focuses on academic disciplines not covered by the Nobel prizes). Most in his guild would consider him the greatest historian of Christian thought in his generation.
Now in his early eighties, Pelikan has written a wonderfully accessible book about the nature and role of the Bible in its worshipping communities that follows as a sequel to his Jesus Through the Centuries (1985) and Mary Through the Centuries (1996). The Biblical documents are decidedly historical documents, not gold tablets dropped from heaven and kept "pure" from human time and place. The thirty-nine books of the Hebrew Scriptures, for example, were written across about 1,000 years. The twenty-seven books of the Christian New Testament, he observes, are hardly a single book but rather a sort of mini-library of early believers. As documents embedded in human history, Pelikan reviews how these Scriptures were first written, then transmitted, formed into a single rule or canon in a way that excluded other noteworthy candidates, translated into other languages, hand-copied and then commercially-printed, and variously and often divergently interpreted. Along the way he demonstrates how the Scriptures impacted and were impacted by art, architecture, hymnody, classical music, liturgy, economics and politics.
However historical, though, believing readers rightly approach the Scriptures as more than ancient artifacts that require, even deserve, scholarly scrutiny, for in them we encounter the God who speaks and acts. Pelikan clearly loves "the Good Book" that he has studied so assiduously for sixty-plus years (both his grandfather and father were Lutheran pastors), and he always has one eye on the ordinary believer in the local church or synagogue. In their personal piety and corporate worship believers encounter "the power of the Bible to change lives" (p. 133). We can and must analyze and scrutinize the text with all the tools of the historical sciences, but ultimately, Pelikan reminds us, "I am not the subject but the object in my encounter with the word of the Bible...The historical or philological desire to comprehend what it says has been and is vastly less important than the religious need to understand it in order to obey it" (pp. 249-250). This is because "to the eyes and heart of faith," the Bible is, "after all, a love letter, one long love letter." Pelikan's ultimate intention, then, in this book about the Book, is "not to undermine its authority but to celebrate its message" (pp. 201, 231).
Interesting and well organized history.......2007-01-12
If you have a large study bible with many features, you probably have a diagram in the back that looks like the "family tree" of various bible translations--who went back to the Hebrew texts, who to the Vulgate, etc. I always found this interesting, as it helped explain why some versions of scripture were so markedly different, as well as giving the year of translation which helps understand the historical and cultural climate.
Pelikan's "Whose Bible Is It?" is like that diagram--only more dynamic, more interesting, more informative and more complete. He gives you the cultural, political, and social climate throughout the evolution of the Scriptures as we have them today; in addition, he touches on important historical and cultural events that were impacted by Scriptural translations, or influenced the actual translations or transcriptions.
I found this book to be interesting and informative. It is at times challenging to read--not something to read piece-meal, or while you are half asleep, as Pelikan's sentences are longer than the Apostle Paul's, and his train of thought rather convoluted at times. He weaves history and his commentary together in a very readable way, highlighting major figures and events not like a textbook, but as someone who is so well aquainted with the whole story and all of the details that he is chosing to share only the juiciest, most relevent and interesting sections with his readers.
This is not a book to fortify one's faith as a Christian, it is not a book to put on the shelf next to books by Lewis, or Packer, or Vieth, or Pless. In particular, it seems to deliberately try to discount the notion of the innerrancy of scripture and even the one-way-to-salvation held by the Christian faith. Pelikan was Christian (Lutheran then Orthodox), but seems to be trying so hard to be "fair" or "PC" or "well rounded" that he does not push Christianity as "the way"; maybe it is that he did not let his personal religious convictions mingle with academic objectivity, but this is not a book that promotes Christianity above Judaism or even Islam. It is also apparent that Pelikan was at least something of a proponent of the "higher critical" way of thinking; he does discuss this aspect of the history of scripture in interesting detail.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. When I opened it for Christmas, my brother in law saw the title and said "when you finish reading it, let us know [whose bible it really is]". I don't think there is a good answer to that question--which ambiguity seems to be even what Pelikan intended.
A brilliant history of the formation and use of the Bible through the ages.......2006-12-29
Jaroslav Pelikan's wide-ranging book follows the origins of the Bible from oral tradition and early writing, the gathering of the canon, translations from the Septuagint to modern missionary translations, the impact of the Reformation on use of the Bible and historical-critical study and the ways in which this has changed our view of Scripture.
He writes with a wonderfully light touch, adding occasional flashes of humour and referring to history and scholarship within the Jewish, Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox traditions as well as commenting on the Qur'an. His chapter which outlines the books and message of the Old Testament (Hebrew Tanakh) is masterful and there are many other highlights of the book which offered new insights into how modern Christians see this amazing piece of literature that has so shaped our western culture in the last 3000 years. This is the best book that I have read on the history of the Bible and it is a wonderful resource as well as a fascinating read.
Good Overview of Pelikan's Study.......2006-12-18
Jaroslav Pelikan is a Kluge Prize-winning historian and author. In this short book he traces what he says as the evolution of the Jewish and Christian Bibles from early Hebrew, Greek and Latin texts to the modern versions. He also examines the formation of the New Testament, influences of the Renaissance and Protestant Reformation.
The author is respectful and this work will appeal to a broad audience. He does correctly affirm the role of the Bible as the Word of God. Pointing out that the Bible has been through many revisions and was once a body of oral tradition. The author seems to mainly be summarizing his knowledge on the history of the Bible with broad-brush strokes as we follow its history over the centuries. But he does state the obvious, which I agree with, that it is important to study the Bible in the original languages. I suggest you take your time reading this book in order to gain the most benefit from it.
Customer Reviews:
Delusions in Eden.......2006-08-19
"Dinosaurs of Eden" along with "D is for Dinosaur" (reviewed separately) are both attempts to popularize and promote a fundamentalist Christian worldview based on a literal misreading of the Bible. The book depicts a rather "Dinotopia" like place and time where humans and dinosaurs live together in harmony, survive a global flood courtesy of an ark, and then encounter a changed post-flood environment which causes the dinosaurs to go extinct.
Nice story, now what genre do we file it under? The author would suggest religion and history, but the statements made in this book only qualify for tragedy, fantasy, farce, or comedy.
The earliest dinosaurs enter the fossil record about 225 million years ago in the early Triassic. They finally died out at the end of the Cretaceous approximately 65 MYA. These are scientific facts that can be tested and verified by any competent geologist, paleontologist, or interested layperson.
Hominid fossils make a late entrance into the history of life on earth between 7 and 6.5 million years ago. Anatomically modern humans appear 100,000 years ago and behaviorally modern humans follow at 50,000 years ago. Multiple lines of evidence ranging from molecular and evolutionary biology to paleontology, geology, anthropology, and archaeology are available to support these scientific facts. The accuracy of these claims can also be objectively verified.
Every credible scientist and researcher concludes that some 220 million years separate the origin of dinosaurs and humans (birds happily excepted).
This book claims that dinosaurs and man were created about 6,500 years ago. No facts are presented to support this assertion. None, nada, zero, zilch. Astonishingly the author states that none are needed - and that science, as we know it, is a vast conspiracy and a lie, sustained by evil "secular humanists" who worship "Darwinism."
To back up these assertions the author claims to possess an eyewitness account of creation itself that is perfect and inerrant in every detail - a book known as the Bible, specifically the Book of Genesis - twisted, perverted, and rewritten by Ken Ham.
In this alternate reality dinosaurs are beasts of burden, seemingly domesticated; complete with saddles, harnesses, and wagons. They are all vegetarians, at least until a snake with legs comes along and ruins everything by charming Eve into eating some fruit. Triceratops would be right at home in a petting zoo, and Tyrannosaurs and Velociraptors frolic with children in a veritable Garden of Eden!
Even P.T. Barnum would blush selling this bill of goods. Charles Ponzi as well. Kenneth Alfred Ham glories in it. Ken's elastic and contrived fundamentalist "newspeak" cunningly substitutes lies for facts and cynically encourages readers to exchange reason for blind dogmatic faith. Just check your brains at the door brother and sister and drink the Kool-Aid. Its cold and sweet.
Is Genesis a science textbook or an allegorical myth? On this point the facts are in and the answer is unequivocal. Genesis is myth. And so is this book. Reality-based dinosaur books for children include Extreme Dinosaurs by Luis Rey or How to Keep Dinosaurs by Robert Mash.
Confusing for Young Christians and Dinosaur Enthusiasts.......2006-05-27
I do not claim to be a biblical scholar or a paleontologist, but my beliefs and interests in both subjects differ greatly with the theory presented in this book. This book is included with our Christian homeschool curriculum, and if I even choose to present this to my daughter at all it will be prefaced with a discussion about theories. I don't feel that any person (creationist, evolutionist, etc.) can prove 100% of anything with blatant assumptions and conjectures. This book contradicts many accepted beliefs by scientists (Christian and otherwise) and I feel this would do nothing but confuse my young daughter who has deep love and respect for God and a great interest in dinosaurs. The Bible may offer a person much of the most important things one needs to know, but you shouldn't manipulate the words to "create" information to prove or disprove every theory out there. I could respect the author's opinion and find the book more palatable if it wasn't basically saying that his belief is 100% accurate and any differing theories are lies. It is okay that we don't fully understand every detail in God's world, and not many people are arrogant enough to claim they know it all. While it is commendable that he wants to bring children to Christ, using bad science to do so seems unnecessary.
Later...I did decide to read this to my children and I used this opportunity to discuss theories and the limits of man's knowledge. We made sure to look up the scripture quoted in 3 different translations of the Bible (there were incidents which they didn't gel). I did my best to present it in an open-minded way (unlike the author) and let my daughters decide what they thought of the author's ideas. I then chose to donate the book to a friend who is much more conservative than I and who appreciates Ken Ham.
Awesome Book for kids and Adults!!!.......2006-02-26
This is truely a wonderfull book for those who beleive the bible as the literal word of God and a literal creation. if you dont belive that then dont bother with the book. For the rest of us... It is well done and is enjoyed by all of our children ages 12, 7, 5, and 2 year old. But I think we as parents enjoyed the book even more. A great family book. Also it would be great for a church or school library.
don't be mad, be glad!!!.......2005-09-06
This book is awesome!!! Makes total sense if you believe in the Bible!!
Highly entertaining.......2005-06-13
I am a sort of collector of crank literature and recently ordered Ham's "Dinosaurs of Eden." I could not be more delighted.
For anyone interested in this sort of literature for either social study of the boundaries of human belief, or simply for humor, I highly recommend it. The illustrations of dinosaurs and humans playfully interacting are absolutely hilarious and the standard young earth creationist arguments are almost as entertaining. While I share with genuine scientists the concern over the wild distortions of creationists of various stripes, anyone who can step back and enjoy the entertainment value of the their most absurd literature will want to own this book and to show it your friends.
Book Description
On a visit to Jerusalem, Bruce Feiler has a revelation: The stories of the Bible occurred in real places -- places he could visit today. So he sets out on a perilous ten-thousand-mile journey retracing the greatest stories ever told.
From the base of Mount Ararat, where he meets a mysterious man who claims to have found Noah's ark, to the edge of the Dead Sea, where he climbs salt pillars in the lost cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Feiler discovers that the Bible still lives in the landscape. He visits the desert outpost where Abraham first heard the words of God, and has an unexpected encounter alongside the legendary burning bush. And finally he climbs Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments.
In each place, Feiler eloquently explores how geography affects the Bible and how his journey has influenced his faith. Illustrated with graceful maps and Feiler's own photographs, walking the bible is both a heart-pounding adventure and an uplifting personal quest that will forever change your view of some of history's most memorable events.
Customer Reviews:
NO COLOR PHOTOS!!!!!!!!.......2006-02-07
I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE READ ABOUT THIS BOOK MORE CAREFULLY. I WAS EXPECTING NICE RICH COLORFUL PICTURES AND TO MY DISMAY THERE WERE NONE! ALL PHOTOGRAPHS ARE IN BLACK AND WHITE. 5 STARS I GUESS FOR THE CONTENT OF THE TEXT BUT 0 STARS FOR THE PHOTOS. SO DISSAPOINTING. POTENTIAL BUYERS PLEASE TAKE NOTE!
Children's Edition Walking The Bible is Good.......2005-07-02
This version of Walking the Bible is good for children. There are wonderful illustrations. I purchased this copy for our church after our book group read the "adult" version. They are both wonderful books, and should be made part of church libraries. Wonderful bits of history in with the narration, also.
neat book.......2005-03-23
My son and I really enjoyed the photso and stories from the Holy Land in this book.
Average customer rating:
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The Holman Bible Concordance for Kids: A Personal Guide Through the Word for Kids Who Want Answers (Holman Reference)
Tracye Wilson White
Manufacturer: A. J. Holman Co.
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The Baker Bible Dictionary For Kids
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International Children's Bible Dictionary: A Fun and Easy-to-Use Guide to the Words, People, and Places in the Bible
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The Student Bible Guide
ASIN: 0805493735 |
Customer Reviews:
Cool concordance.......2007-04-06
I wanted my kids to be able to look verses on their own and this concordance is really easy for them to use. They have had fun just going through it and finding facts. It is the perfect first concordance and exactly what I was looking for.
Average customer rating:
- So solid it can endure poor editing
- Incomplete and Inadequate
- A shallow piece of historical pseudoscience
- A very interesting survey of Israel's history
- Good Overview For All and Yet Lacking...
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A History of Israel: From the Bronze Age Through the Jewish Wars
Walter C. Kaiser
Manufacturer: Broadman & Holman Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0805462848 |
Customer Reviews:
So solid it can endure poor editing.......2005-11-23
I would place this book alongside John Bright's _A History of Israel_, as one of the top two books on the subject.
Liberal scholars will find it annoying because Kaiser begins from a different premise than do they. However, for those who consider the Bible a reliable historical document, this represents perhaps the most cogent defense of a conservative approach to historiography currently in print.
I would highly recommend it, and while I might write to the publisher and encourage them to revise the work for editing issues. I barely notice the typographical issues due to the clarity of the information and reasoning.
Currently my favorite biblical history reading material...and has been for some time.
Incomplete and Inadequate.......2003-08-27
First the good: Kaiser is obviously quite knowledgeable, and is not a mere Bible thumper in my opinion, as some of the reviewers seem to think.
The bad: This work should be MUCH longer to adequately deal with the material. I am left with many questions. Second, it is clumsily written. Third, I have no objection to the very conservative viewpoint, but I do not think that he ably argues that position at every turn--though he does much of the time. Lastly, some passages are incorrectly referenced. I agree with the reader who thought this work read like a rush job.
Dr. Kasier should return to the data and literature, and re-write this work from the ground up, doublling its length.
A shallow piece of historical pseudoscience.......2001-12-26
The bible fundamentalists should choose someone else than
Mr Kaiser Jr. to defend the idea of the litteral interpretation of the Bible. Mr Kaiser's reasonings are infantile and do very little to support his extremely conservative view. For instance the primacy he claims for textual material (the Bible) over acheological finding ignores the fact that archeology gives information on what happened at the time it happened whereas the biblible is an oral and then written tradition whose earliest exponents are at least one thousand years later than the events they describe.
Mi suggestion is not to buy this book
A very interesting survey of Israel's history.......2001-12-20
I agree with a previous reviewer about the number of typographical errors in the book and I even saw a number of run on sentences, more so than I am used to in a work from a major scholar. And the first 35 pages of the book constitutes some of the most turgid and boring prose I have ever read. But once the story enters the last two millenia of the BC era, the book picks up steam rapidly. It becomes a very engaging whirlwind trip through the Old Testament, with Kaiser stopping along the way to make some salient points anbout the historicity of particular passages. He discusses the date of the Exodus,, the historicity of the conquest of Israel, David's kingdom, and Josiah's discovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple. He also defends the early date for the book of Deuteronomy.
Kaiser is definitely swimming upstream in this book, as he is constantly dialoging with scholars who take less conservative positions on these matters, and he is virtually alone in the early dating of the Exodus. But he does an admirable job, and if you can make it past page 35, the book becomes very rich indeed.
Good Overview For All and Yet Lacking..........1999-06-24
Kaiser's work is a useful tool for anyone who wants to study the Old Testament seriously, whether they are a layperson or someone who is doing so for a living. It is well written and easy to understand, yet has enough meat in it to keep those satisfied who think they know the first two-thirds of the Bible by heart. While it is an enjoyable and good resource, I wouldn't use it on its own, simply because having more sources to corellate facts is good (it also fosters positively critical thinking). If you use this book, don't forget to have another one like Eugene Merill's "Kingdom of Priests" along with it.
Customer Reviews:
Drawing the lesson from two millenia of exegesis.......2004-07-12
Stanley L. Jaki is a Hungarian-born Benedictine priest with doctorates in theology and physics, and the author of about forty volumes or so dealing mostly with the relationship of science and theology.
*Genesis 1 Through the Ages* is one of his more exegetical studies, along with *The Keys of the Kingdom: A Tool's Witness to Truth* and *And on This Rock: The Witness of One Land and Two Covenants*. His aim here is to survey two millenia of commentaries of Genesis 1 and offer his own interpretation in the last thirty pages or so. Potential readers of the book should be reminded that chapter 1 of Genesis, also known as the Hexaemeron, is only concerned with what is known as «the work of the six days». Fr. Jaki's work, therefore, has nothing to say about the creation of Eve from Adam's side, the Fall or the Flood, all of which are dealt with in the subsequent chapters of Genesis.
The survey itself is divided into eight chapters, beginning with the «Jewish sages» (from Philo and the Talmud to Maimonides, the Cabala, Spinoza and Umberto Cassuto) and concluding with the latest efforts of 20th century Christian scholarship, on which Jaki delivers a rather skeptical verdict : «On the one hand they claim that Moses, or whoever else, wanted to say something all-important about the totality of the physical realm, including himself, and in such a way as to be within the reach of simple fools. On the other hand, they portray Moses as one lost in myths and incredibly complicated schemes» (p256.)
Sandwiched between these two more or less chronological termini are chapters on the Patristic Age (which saw such a genius as Saint Augustine exclaim after years of work : «I collapsed under the weight of a burden I could not bear»), the Middle Ages, the Age of Reformers (where protestant exegetes like Luther and Calvin had to pay the price for «replacing the infallibility of the Church (and of the papacy in particular) with the infallibility of the Bible»), the New Age of Science (in which Descartes, Leibnitz, Buffon and Kant- a joke as a scientist, as Jaki is fond of showing- broke their teeth on the Six Days) and the Age of Cosmogenesis, when increasingly atheistic physicists failed to pay attention to James Clerk Maxwell's dictate that «one of the severest tests of a scientific mind is to discern the limits of the legitimate application of the scientific method.»
After teasing the reader for 260 pages or so, Fr. Jaki delivers his own interpretation of the Hexaemeron, trying to put it «at safe remove from ... the merciless grip of science» by rejecting the root error that thwarted its correct interpretation for two millenia: concordism, i.e. the projection onto the biblical text of «cosmogonies taken for the last word in science » (p42.) As he states bluntly, «there is no world-making whatsoever in Genesis 1 in the sense of a scientific cosmogenesis, however inchoate» (p260), thereby echoing the teaching given by Leo XIII in his 1893 Encyclical *Providentissimus Deus* that «the inspired authors did not mean to teach about the workings of nature» (p216, in Jaki's paraphrase.)
Serenely accepting that Genesis 1 is predicated on an obsolete vision of the world as a flat disk covered by the solid dome of the heavens and surrounded by the upper and lower waters, Jaki nonetheless manages to offer a non-mythical interpretation he considers «valid for all ages», based on exegetical clues found in such books as Jeremiah and the Psalms.
*Genesis 1 Through the Ages* follows the same kind of method as Jaki's excellent *God and the Sun at Fatima* (which convinced me that something truly miraculous did happen there on October 13, 1917- and that it did not involve the sun itself): a painstaking crawl through dozens upon dozens of documents to finally reach a clear and simple truth which nobody seems to have grasped before. My only reservation is that Jaki may be a little uncharitable in making dozens of history's greatest minds play Watson to his own Sherlock, leaving the reader with the impression that nothing worth reading on Genesis 1 was ever written between the 13th century BC and the present book.
But this, in my opinion, is a minor flaw when compared to the immense benefit one derives from understanding that the «six days» need not be interpreted in any of the several dubious ways concocted by the literalists, be it the traditional six-day view, the gap theory, the day-age theory, «progressive creation» or the days of proclamation theory (to use the classification proposed by Glenn R. Morton- himself a defender of the latter and by far the most innocuous- in *Foundation, Fall and Flood*.)
My mind at least is at rest, free to tackle the much thornier issues of monogenism, original sin and the Flood.
Book Description
In the moving uncluttered language Jean Vanier tells us that the message of Christianity is quite simple, profound in its effect and capable of transforming our lives totally...
Even if I Meet Jesus is firstly a children's book, it has instant appeal and application to adults. It can be used for meditation, for those who carry heavy burdens of heart of home, for parents, catechists and children of all ages. The drawings would make ideal overhead projector transfers.
Book Description
Pre-teen boys and girls will love these daily devotional journals that really encourage them to dig into the Bible. Each book includes stories that will make kids think, plus plenty of space for writing prayer requests and praises to God.
Customer Reviews:
Great Study Help for Young People!.......2000-03-29
I found this book to be just what I was looking for! It is a study guide for young people to use as they read through the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. Each study is divided into several sections: "Where Are We?"(the passage), "What is the Big Picture"(overview of the passage), "Who are the Main Players?" (who is the passage about), "Digging In" (questions about the passage), "Digging Deeper" (more thought-provoking questions) and "Plant God's Word" (verses to memorize from this passage). I believe it will encourage my children to stop and think more about what they are reading. This journal also provides a great way for them to record what God is teaching them through the passages which will make this a real treasure to go back and read in years to come.
Book Description
The Bible's prophetic passages do far more than just satisfy our curiosity about tomorrow. They're supposed to impact our lives today. In this compelling book, Tony evans explores the crucial topics of prophecy- including Heaven, Hell, the Tribulation
Customer Reviews:
Well researched but missed the mark.......2006-06-14
I'm sorry, I think Evens missed the mark here. I won't say "I found Jesus" because I didn't know he was missing. It's great to be such a scholar in this area but the Bible has been interpreted, re-interpreted, translated, re-invented, etc. to the point that it cannot be read as a verbatim list of events. I can't believe God is this technical. It's contrary to the generally accepted theory of Ockham's Razor postulated by a Franciscian Friar & scientist. It's just not this complicated. I happen to be a Quantum Physics buff as well as having had 3 near death experiences and learning how to "go out of body" as a defense mechanism while in an "iron lung". Contrary to past thinkings in this area, QM, NDE's & the belief in Jesus are not mutually exclusive. Is this book God's truth? Probably not, it's subjective to the myriad of interpreters and translators that brought it to the point it's at today. Discovories within the past 20 yrs have already shed a new light on previous doctrine and the Catholic Church has a history of manipulating facts by subjective interpretation. It's certainly an interesting book and some things ring true but most do not. But the good news is: I've been there and I'm not afraid to go back! But I make sure not to hurt anyone along the way, lest I be sidetracked and miss my mark.
Glory To God for Tony Evans.......2000-08-09
To those of you thinking, concerned or debating the end of times, this book will give you the insight you need to reveal the truth quickly. This book is fast paced, exciting and EXTREEMLY EASY TO READ. The truth is the word of God. Tony has done his homework. I found his book to be uplifting and hope filled. You will to if Jesus Christ is your savior. However if he's not, you especially need to find out what God has in store for you. This book does NOT REPLACE the Bible; it is however a wonderful companion that will shed new light on the Bibles often confusing prophesies. In all fairness to you the potential reader, I did personally find one thing mentioned in this book that did not have any reference to the scriptures Therefore I give his book a 98% out a possible 100%. If you don't attempt to find God after this book you never will. THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ....for everyone.....!
David T. Soden Florida
Books:
- The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home
- The Big Idea: Focus the Message-multiply the Impact (The Leadership Network Innovation Series)
- The Caroline Myss Audio Collection: Spiritual Power, Spiritual Practice/Why People Don't Heal/Spiritual Madness
- The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu
- The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day
- The Encyclopedia of Angels
- The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended, Documented
- The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)
- The Four Agreements Companion Book : Using the Four Agreements to Master the Dream of Your Life
- The Gnostic Gospels
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