Book Description
Seminaries generally are not very effective in equipping pastors to be ministers of reconciliation, says pastor and experienced mediator Alfred Poirier. The result is pastors trained in biblical exposition, well-ordered worship, and good theology, but with little practical know-how about one of the most important functions they will be expected to perform: conflict resolution. The Peacemaking Pastor provides a survey of the nature and kinds of conflict typical in the pastorate to bring to light the need to recover the ministry of reconciliation. Poirier, chairman of the board of Peacemaker Ministries, shows pastors the importance of a reconciliation ministry, gives them a theological framework for peacemaking, and provides practical tools for facilitating the peacemaking process. Written by a pastor for pastors, this insightful book will encourage and equip seminaries and ministry leaders in their original calling-promoting a culture of peacemaking in the church.
Customer Reviews:
Peacemaker.......2007-10-07
This book takes a good biblical look at how to resolve conflict at home and in the church.
Practical helps for restoring relationships.......2007-10-02
PeaceMaker is where the rubber hits the road - it's the link between knowledge about reconciliation and actually achieving it in practice. In my personal experience this book provided the basis that prevented a church split and is in the ongoing process of RESTORING relationships where both/all sides of a conflict were severely hurt. PeaceMaker has practical application to resolving many different types of conflict. I recomend it highly to anyone interested in "fixing" broken relationships! Ken says in his book that understanding how we are responding to conflict is often the first step to resolving that conflict. This is very true!
Have Relationship Problems?.......2007-08-23
This is a terrific book. It helps you understand and strengthen relationship problems. Manage conflicts better. Worth the reading.
Excellent book.......2007-06-25
A practical Biblical approach to making peace with others. Well written and very helpful. Strongly recommended for anyone who wants to improve their skills in conflict resolution.
The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict.......2007-06-12
This book is a classic and should be a must read for church leadership.
Book Description
Is is possible for a couple whose marriage is in serious trouble or a couple who is already divorced to restore harmony -- and even love -- to their relationship?
Jim Talley believes it is, and Reconcilable Differences shows why reconciliation is worth the effort. This book provides practical, biblical advice on how to resolve conflicts and develop a relationship based on mutual love, respect, and trust.
Customer Reviews:
Worth wathever you have to pay........2006-01-02
This book is a great resource for troubled couples, divorced couples and counselors looking for insight on how to deal with any of the above.
WE'RE BACK TOGETHER DISPITE"THE OTHER WOMAN" & DISABILIT Y.......1999-06-07
I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS CHRISTIAN BOOK, ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT RELIGIOUS. WHEN OUR SECOND SON WAS 3 WEEKS OLD I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH MULTPLE SCLEROSIS. OVER THE SUBSEQUENT 19 YEARS I HAVE BECOME QUADREPLEGIC. MY HUSBAND HAS TAKEN THIS HARD. HE IS ATHLETIC SO MY LACK OF HEALTH HAS BEEN MORE THAN LIFE ALTERING. DURING THE LAST 4 YEARS HE'S BEEN ANGRY AND FELT ALONE AND OVERWHELMED. SOMETIME IN THE LAST FEW YEARS HE BEGAN AN AFFAIR WITH AN ABLEBODIED ATHLETIC WOMAN. HE LEFT ME 8 MONTHS AGO TO MOVE IN WITH HER. . I'M SHARING THIS INFORMATION TO EMPHASIZE, EVEN UNDER OUR EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE IS HOPE!!!!!!! I RESISTED SEXUAL OVERTURES OF OTHERS, WELL INTENDED PRESSURE TO FILE FOR DIVORCE AND OFFERS TO GET "EVEN". WE'RE BACK TOGETHER, IN MARRIAGE COUNSELING, ENJOYING EACH OTHERS' FRIENDSHIP AND TRYING TO MAKE A NEW LIFE TOGETHER. IF WE HAVE A CHANCE, ANY COUPLE DOES. WE HAVEN'T STRICTLY FOLLOWED TALLEY'S GUIDELINES BUT WE HAVE APPLIED HIS GENERAL TENETS. THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE MERIT. BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ IN THIS BOOK!!!!!! THERE IS HOPE. EVEN IF WE DON'T "MAKE IT" IN THE LONG RUN, WE'LL BE WITHOUT ANAMOUSITY AND FRIENDS. WE'RE WORKING TOWARD OUR 29TH MARRIAGE ANNIVERSITY. MARY & CHUCK FRIEDL
WE'RE BACK TOGETHER DISPITE"THE OTHER WOMAN" & DISABILIT Y.......1999-06-07
I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS CHRISTIAN BOOK, ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT RELIGIOUS. WHEN OUR SECOND SON WAS 3 WEEKS OLD I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH MULTPLE SCLEROSIS. OVER THE SUBSEQUENT 19 YEARS I HAVE BECOME QUADREPLEGIC. MY HUSBAND HAS TAKEN THIS HARD. HE IS ATHLETIC SO MY LACK OF HEALTH HAS BEEN MORE THAN LIFE ALTERING. DURING THE LAST 4 YEARS HE'S BEEN ANGRY AND FELT ALONE AND OVERWHELMED. SOMETIME IN THE LAST FEW YEARS HE BEGAN AN AFFAIR WITH AN ABLEBODIED ATHLETIC WOMAN. HE LEFT ME 8 MONTHS AGO TO MOVE IN WITH HER. . I'M SHARING THIS INFORMATION TO EMPHASIZE, EVEN UNDER OUR EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE IS HOPE!!!!!!! I RESISTED SEXUAL OVERTURES OF OTHERS, WELL INTENDED PRESSURE TO FILE FOR DIVORCE AND OFFERS TO GET "EVEN". WE'RE BACK TOGETHER, IN MARRIAGE COUNSELING, ENJOYING EACH OTHERS' FRIENDSHIP AND TRYING TO MAKE A NEW LIFE TOGETHER. IF WE HAVE A CHANCE, ANY COUPLE DOES. WE HAVEN'T STRICTLY FOLLOWED TALLEY'S GUIDELINES BUT WE HAVE APPLIED HIS GENERAL TENETS. THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE MERIT. BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ IN THIS BOOK!!!!!! THERE IS HOPE. EVEN IF WE DON'T "MAKE IT" IN THE LONG RUN, WE'LL BE WITHOUT ANAMOUSITY AND FRIENDS. WE'RE WORKING TOWARD OUR 29TH MARRIAGE ANNIVERSITY. MARY & CHUCK FRIEDL
Insightful and Encouraging!!!.......1999-05-26
I found "Reconcilable Differences" to be full of insight on how intimate relationships progress and also on the differences between men and women. It encourages couples in all stages of marriage (or separation) to seek a quality friendship with their spouse (ex). I recommend it to anyone who desires to improve there marriage, but particularly those who are separated or divorced.
Book Description
Life at the end of the twentieth century presents us with a disturbing reality. Otherness, the simple fact of being different in some way, has come to be defined as in and of itself evil. Miroslav Volf contends that if the healing word of the gospel is to
Customer Reviews:
Challenging.......2007-05-15
It is very challenging to explore what forgiveness means in the light of the deep realities faced so honestly here.
Jamie.......2007-02-27
This book is a bunch of intellectual garbage. The author uses many big words and quotes prestigious thinkers, and yet doesn't actually say anything new or provacative. This book is definitely not worth reading.
Exclusion and Embrace.......2006-12-04
What a fantastic book Miroslav Volf wrote. This comes from his struggle to deal the effects of the war in his native land of Croatia. Prof Volf is right on when he makes the move to deal with ones willingness to embrace ones enemy just as God, in Christ, moved towards sinful humanity to embrace us. It can be somewhat of a difficult read, but it is worth it. I would recommend that every minister, theologian, and ministrial student read this book.
The Cross, the Self, and the Other.......2006-06-03
Miroslav Volf has written a somewhat complex piece that in the end advocates non-violence in a world of violence. He writes as one who has been in the war zone of the Balkans and come out the other side. This book is important for what it has to say about justice, but more importantly love. Volf has had to deal personally with Serbian fighters who raped, pillaged, put in concentration camps, and murdered his fellow Croatians and he comes down in the end on the side of taking up your cross and following Jesus. Lest one think that he is a weak pacifist, he does come down theologically on the side of a God who judges, if even by violent means, and he calls on us, who wish to appeal to the Christ of the cross for our actions, to trust in the wrath of the Lamb and the one who sits upon the throne.
He discusses what it means to set boundaries and yet embrace the other. Every chapter is important in this book. Vof comes down on the side of love even over justice and he sincerely believes that love is right and that violence is wrong.
This book has already had a major impact on many and hopefully this will continue. In a time when preachers on television are advocating war and violence it is important that somehow the real message of Christianity would come out. Volf, Desmond Tutu, Walter Wink, L. Gregory Jones, Stanley Hauerwas, John Howard Yoder, N. T. Wright and others are showing the real way for Christians to be in the world and so this work is greatly appreciated.
This is not an easy read, as some other reviewers have pointed out. Volf engages many dialogue partners and the issues are at times technical and deeply philosophical, but as the spotlight reviewer put it, it is worth working through this book.
Volf does give high priority to all of scripture and some of the best sections in the book are when he works through such the Cain and Abel story, the prodigal son, and the book of Revelation.
I recommend this book for all theologians, preachers, and very serious bible students. Those outside the discipline of theology will have a harder time with the technicalities of the book, but it is worth the struggle. I recommend this book along with Desmond Tutu's book "No Future Without Forgiveness" to all of those Christian Zionist preachers out there who are misguided by the god of War and need to return to the Jesus of the cross.
Questions or Comments Contact me at darrengjohnson38@yahoo.com
Creative Differentiation vs. Sinful Exclusion.......2006-05-07
As I read this book I was challenged to understand theological foundations and keys to understanding deeply rooted conflict among peoples around the world. That is why I recommend this book to you.
I have often pondered how we, the Christian Church, are to disciple nations. Some say it is done by winning a majority of souls in a nation, but the African nation of Malawi with 90% Christians is a dismal failure in terms justice, economic development, and overall of quality of life. Some say discipling a nation is all about quality of life and institutional reform, particularly reforms consistent with modern democracies.
What is Exlusion?
Exclusion is when we set ourselves apart from others for the purpose of defining our selves and justifying ourselves; we hope to purify ourselves. The difference between us has been healed when Jesus broke the wall of enmity. However, he did not erase the difference (p. 47). The need to restore "Identity" in individuals and whole cultures is a key message of this book. As Christians, we are called to depart from our culture and step into another. It is impossible to cross-cultures effectively if you do not know who you are. Volf encourages unity in diversity, "One body, many members" (p. 48), not a universal human identity. The bible says we are distinct in our diverse individualities and cultures. The cross of Christ is central. In the scandal of the cross, we find the promise of fellowship with the Crucified Christ. He explains that the core theme of the Gospels is "come and die". Our identity is "in His image".
However, this identity is not the end; it is a means to the end. Once crucified, we are called to engage the world that is broken. Therefore every social issue must be processed through reflection on the cross. (p. 25). Volf calls us to give up on modern hopes in order to see the only hope in self-giving love (p. 28). Volf defines "exclusion" as a powerful, contagious, and destructive evil.
What is Embrace?
"Embrace", he writes, is distancing ourselves from our own cultures to create space for the other (p. 30). We must both cultivate a distance from culture and at the same time belong to our culture (p. 37). "Solitarity", Volf writes, rightly underlines God's partiality to the `helpless'. However solidarity must include self-donation, self-giving. The story of the Good Samaritan illustrates the evil of exclusion in overt acts of violence as well as the non-actions of the disinterested. Truth and justice, Volf argues, are unavailable if we do not choose to embrace (p. 29). What is needed is "space" in our hearts to embrace our neighbors (p. 51). Other cultures are not a threat, but a potential source of enrichment. As we make some distance from our own culture, we actually express judgment against evil in every culture (p. 52).
Modernity will emphasize social arrangements, not social agents. Modernity shifts the "moral responsibility away from us individually and toward society. (p. 21). In ministering to the modernist and the postmodernist, we must insist upon trans-national, trans-ethnic, transcendental communities (p. 39). We must set our hearts on pilgrimage, from our own cultures and to the kingdom of God. Modern Christians tend to seek freedom, without the accompanied "binding" responsibility to a community (p. 42). We must depart our culture with a goal. To depart without a goal, like a nomad always leaving is post-modern. (p. 40) Postmodernity creates a climate in which evasion of moral responsibility is a way of life. Relationships have become "fragmentary" and "discontinuous". Our modern culture fosters "disengagement and commitment avoidance". (p. 21)
If what Volf says is true, then `calling' must remain the focus in my ministry. My ministry focus should, as Volf exhorts, "concentrate less on social arrangements and more on fostering the kind of social agents capable of envisioning and creating just, truthful, and peaceful societies, and on shaping a cultural climate in which such agents will thrive." (p. 21) What Volf makes clear is that exclusion is a sinful activity that ultimately reconfigures the creation in order to distinguish it from the creative activity of differentiation.
Book Description
Back from Betrayal is a beautifully written and brutally honest account of marital infidelity and the long journey back to reconciliation. Suzy Farbman was living the American dream: great kids, a marriage that had lasted nearly three decades, a successful career, and a comfortable lifestyle. But when she discovered her husband was having an affair, her dream turned to nightmare, her secure world crumbled. She was not alone. Experts tell us that in this country at least one of every three couples is touched by infidelity. And middle-aged couples today admit to twice the rate of infidelity as the preceding generation. While revelations about infidelity usually result in either divorce or an empty relationship, Suzy was determined to fight back. First for her own life. Then, if possible, for her marriage and family. Suzy Farbman?s personal odyssey is one of the first published by a woman who confronted infidelity and went on to save her marriage. It was a long and difficult strugg
Customer Reviews:
Back from Boredom.......2006-05-04
I was so excited to read this book... If Oprah thought it worthy of her show, surely it would help me through my situation. When I read a book life stops until I finish it. With this book, it was easy to put down. Suzy took more time to describe how the room was decorated, than she did on the crisis of her marriage. It read like a novel, a boring novel. It's hard to feel sorry for this couple when she never really let you get a glimpse into the true pain.
For those of you seeking comfort from someone who has survived the PAINFUL aftermath of an affair, I wouldn't look in this book. It was very difficult for me to relate to Suzy's pain (she never really expressed it).
Life is Rough.......2005-04-26
I saw this couple on Oprah and I admired them for staying together and when Suzy was confronted by someone in the audience about "Why would you stay with someone who cheated on you for 30 years?" Suzy (and Oprah) both said it is not for anyone to decide but you. You need to "follow your heart." Having gone through similar pain- only worse (my husband was with men and now we are both HIV positive), I wanted to see how she survived her ordeal. Although I am sure her pain was terrible, everyone's pain is their own and you can't compare, it bothered me that she had so many places to go for help AND the money to do it so easily. I found it tiresome to read about all the beautiful places they were able to travel to and still try to work on their marriage. What about us other folks who are stuck at home because we are paying so much money to our therapists to help us with this mess, that we can't afford to do anything? I thought Suzy did a good job of learning to take care of herself first...we all must do that in order to survive. But she sure did it by spending a lot of money. I'd like to write a book for the common woman who has to cope with what little means she has to do it with. I hope I live long enough to write that book.
Interesting, fast read.......2005-04-04
Given the venomous negative reviews, it would seem that Suzy Farbman is not universally loved in her Detroit circle (unless all the reviews have been written by "Jody"!?) However, one can't help but applaud her for being willing to put it all out there for everyone to see in the hope of helping others. Personally, her husband sounds too emotionally high maintenance to be worth the trouble but she obviously loves him and had the courage to make significant changes in her life to try and keep him. I feel sorry for her sons as I imagine this book and appearance on Oprah put them in an embarrasing spotlight; nonetheless, I believe her heart is in the right place.
For the reviewer critical of her book because she is obviously upper-middle class and concerned with her social status, what did you expect her to write? She is telling HER story; this isn't fiction; she is writing what she knows. If anything, her financial security just proves that no one is insulated from this type of thing happening. Although we can't all afford self-help retreats there are places to turn to for support in a situation such as hers.
Wow..............................................2005-03-30
I watched the Oprah show and decided today to go out and buy the book. I came here out of curiosity only to find extreme negativity, and it almost seems like the negative responders are actually personal aquantinces of the author. All I have to say is I hope the book helps me, and if it doesn't, well it would not be the first. I surely would hope that I would not personally attack this woman for writing a book, as so many do, about the pain she has endured. I pity you all negative people because chances are you are either 1. the other woman trying to find some sort of twisted acceptance, or 2. the wife your husband cheated on and because you have such an ugly necrotic heart he left you for #1. I saw Suzy on Oprah. I watched her husband. I cried with her sons. How dare people critisize a family for the love they share, despite their mistakes. Stop the jealousy, because it is more than obvious these bad reviews are coming from putrid people. To the Gal that dislikes Suzi "from the clubhouse"...What a joke. You are the negative wife sitting in the corner while your hubby continuousley cheats on you and you just cant stomach how this family has endured and overcome because you are still stuck in the rut you have created. Pathetic...
Love Conquers ALL.......2005-03-11
I read this a while back and when I saw her on Oprah, I was surprised. It is my belief that 98% of married men commits infidelity at one time or another during the marriage. Susan's no exception. Her story has been told over and over and over again for mega years. Some wives are aware of their husbands unfaithfulness and because of the financial stability and lifestyle of their families, they decide to turn their heads, along with deaf ears. While on the other hand, some wives decide that they can never trust and forgive their spouses for commiting such betrayal and they decide to end the marriage, regardless of how it would affect the children. Sexual addiction is just like any other fleshly addiction, except, it can PHYSICALLY harm the innocent party (through contracting STDs). I believe that if the marriage is worth saving, then save it. Don't be so quick to call it quits. Afterall, haste makes waste. Forgive and healing will come and especially through Susan's method - prayer. The old saying continues to hold truth that "time heals ALL wounds."
Marriage is HARD work. The flesh is weak but the spirit is willing. I read a novel called, "LUST OF THE FLESH" by Beverly Rolyat. It is pretty much the novel version to this book, except it is written in an entertaining, pageturning, riveting, compelling, exciting, breathtaking style. I highly recommend it.
Book Description
Can one forget atrocities? Should one forgive abusers? Ought we not hope for the final reconciliation of all the wronged and all wrongdoers alike, even if it means spending eternity with perpetrators of evil? We live in an age when it is generally accepted that past wrongs -- genocides, terrorist attacks, bald personal injustices -- should be constantly remembered. But Miroslav Volf here proposes the radical idea that letting go of such memories -- after a certain point and under certain conditions -- may actually be the appropriate course of action.
While agreeing with the claim that to remember a wrongdoing is to struggle against it, Volf notes that there are too many ways to remember wrongly, perpetuating the evil committed rather than guarding against it. In this way, "the just sword of memory often severs the very good it seeks to defend." He argues that remembering rightly has implications not only for the individual but also for the wrongdoer and for the larger community.
Volf's personal stories of persecution offer a compelling backdrop for his search for theological resources to make memories a wellspring of healing rather than a source of deepening pain and animosity. Controversial, thoughtful, and incisively reasoned, The End of Memory begins a conversation hard to ignore.
Customer Reviews:
Very Thought Provoking.......2007-06-15
Wonderful book! At times uncomfortably honest, very deep, inciteful, and practical. Volf articulates his arguments clearly, and his thought process is well organized throughout the book. I highly recommed this book.
Timely & thoughtful.......2007-05-18
Volf gets to the heart of our society's bullying stance by asking: How much of my (our) future will I (we) allow our tormentors to colonize? With the mind and method of premier scholarship and the heart of a poet, Volf probes the question personally and asks it publicly. Never an easy read, but probably an essential one for folks of real hope and deep honesty. He is clear, "Both ways in which this book disturbs conventional opinion are rooted in a single conviction: the proper goal of the memory of wrongs suffered-- its appropriate end-- is the formation of the communion of love between all people, including victims and perpetrators."(p.232) He desires a radical responsibility of all people and challenges us to step into it by learning to "remember rightly."
Volf Continues to Challenge - A Must Read.......2007-03-18
In a post Holocaust, post (this is ethonocentric, I know) 9/11 world the world, we are commonly called to Remember the wrongs, both terrible and minute, forever. The idea runs: If we forget, we disgrace the victim and allow the perpetrator to go free. But Volf, stirred deeply both by his own trying life situations and abiding faith in Christ, declares we should not allow this false form of eternal remebering to take us away from the work of Christ. Not to seek reconciliation, not to seek forgiveness in its proper way is to fail to understand who Christ, the gracious act of redemption and reconcilliation with the Triune God, and the ultimate eschatological goal Christ draws us towards (this is primary to Volf's understanding of theology in general. Faith in Christ is eschatologicaly pulled forward).
The book is accessible and thought provoking. We must let Volf's vision of faith challenge and grow us.
Another gripping read from Volf.......2006-11-28
I've just started reading this newest book by Volf, and its every bit as nuanced and sophisticated as "Exclusion and Embrace" and accessible as "Free of Charge." If either of these books grabbed you, you'll want to read this one, too. Hopefully, this be as widely read and acclaimed as Volf's other books, and Eerdmans will issue a paperback edition. If I were back in seminary, I would certainly want this to be on any reading list I received having to do with contemporary Christian ethics and social issues. One side note: the subtitle of the final version of this book is not "Mistreatment, Memory and Reconciliation," but, as is evident from the photo of the cover, "Remembering Rightly in a Violent World."
Book Description
The unfortunate reality is that Christians are separating and divorcing at the same rate as the unbelieving world. But does separation have to mean the end? You may not feel like reconciling. You may not see hope for a reunion. But the biblical ideal for a separated couple is reconciliation. So how do you do it? When doors slam and angry words fly, when things just aren't working out, and even when your spouse has abandoned your trust, there is hope. Hope for the Separated will show you through God's Word that your marriage can be restored. Recognizing that restoration will not happen for everyone, Dr. Chapman also gives insightful advice for those who experience the pain of divorce.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful, appropriate, practical resource.......2007-08-28
For those of us who have found ourselves separated from our spouse it is a terrible, frustrating, depressing and confusing time. We're married -- but we're not. We're single -- but we're married. We have a spouse -- but not a husband/wife. We can't be a family -- but we can't be a single. And a separation can only go in one of two ways -- reconciliation or divorce. Chapman's book is a terrificly easy and incredibly appropriate read. Having surely counseled dozens of separated couples, he touches on every aspect involved, for both parties, regardless of the offense or the offender, emotions or intentions. For the Christian, it offers great insight in to what God expects of us and how we need to be conducting our lives in this difficult time. I read it, loved it, and am trying to apply the principles he relates as best as I can. I gave it to my wife who I hope will find it as useful and practical as I did. Time will tell. But if it doesn't work, it won't be because I didn't do everything I could do, and this book has helped point me in the right direction. If you are separated and have even the slimmest hope for reconciliation -- BUY THIS BOOK! You won't regret it.
Hope for the seperated.......2007-07-23
This booked helped me at a time when nothing else could. It helped me to see things more cleary and gave me direction. It is a very useful book to help you get your life on track and understand what is happening and why. I read the book over and over when I've had a bad day and it helps to bring understanding and ways to overcome those depressing things you guy through in a divorce or seperatoin.
Much needed guidance.......2007-07-03
This book helped me deal with all the emotions that come with a wounded marriage.
Comforting And Committed.......2005-11-06
If you want to reconcile with your spouse or even other relatives, you will profit from the content in this book. As with most things, you have to actually do the work described though. Reading it once without acting on it won't help you much at all. There are no shortcuts or quick fix band-aids here. There are loving, Christ-centered principles and exercises here that will give you a good shot at healing the pain in your relationship. As part of the process, you begin with healing your relationship with yourself and with God so that you can reconnect with your partner. This isn't one of the books about finding yourself. It's about figuring out where you are and what is keeping you stuck there so you can move forward. It's also about beginning to understand and eventually forgive your estranged spouse enough that you can begin to heal together. You may find the audio form of the book helpful if you're feeling lonely or panicking over your separation. Mr. Chapman's voice is strong, gentle, and optimistic. I felt better almost right away because I felt understood and somehow reassured. :) God bless you and your broken relationship. He is our healer and the one who gives us hope when we're separated.
Not enough reasoning about motivation.......2005-07-05
This book is heavily oriented towards Christians and a Biblical motivation for marriage. I picked this up after reading Chapman's "Five Love Languages," which was inspired by his faith but grounded in observation and study of real people.
"Hope for the Separated" does offer good advice on how to approach living apart, what to do with the time, how to approach reconcilliation, etc. Unfortunately, the only motivation given for reconcilliation, as opposed to divorce, is that the Bible says so. While this is enough for many, the approach of "Five Love Languages" led me to expect something more widely applicable.
In sum, this book provides much of the "How" but not a whole lot of "Why," unless a Biblical explaination is all the "Why" that you need.
Average customer rating:
- No one is blameless
- If You Want to Know What Happened...
- Powerful Account
- Yes, it may break your heart, but it may also restore it.
- Compelling subject matter - not such a compelling read
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The Bishop of Rwanda
John Rucyahana , and
James Riordan
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
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ASIN: 0849900522 |
Product Description
In 1994, as his country descended into the madness of
genocide, Anglican Bishop John Rucyahana underwent the
mind-numbing pain of having members of his church and
family butchered. John refused to become a part of the
systemic hatred. He founded an orphanage and school,
and he now leads reconciliation efforts between his own
Tutsi people, the victims of this horrific massacre, and the
perpetrators, the Hutus. His remarkable story is one that
demands to be told.
· Interest in the Rwandan genocide has increased since such movies as Hotel Rwanda
· Foreword by Rick Warren, founder of the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative that will initially be focusing on
Rwanda
JOHN RUCYAHANA
Anglican bishop John Rucyahana (b. 1945; a Tutsi) was elected Bishop of the Shyira diocese of Rwanda in 1997. During his term,
John often escaped death, even as many pastors, friends and family members were killed in the ongoing genocide. John works tirelessly
for reconciliation in Rwanda: having founded the Sonrise orphanage for children orphaned in the genocide, and ministering in
prisons to its perpetrators. He and his wife, Harriet, have five children.
JAMES RIORDAN
James Riordan is the author of twenty-five books including The New York TimesBestseller Break on Through: The Life and Death of
Jim Morrison. His writing has won four Tellys, eight Crystal Communicators, and has been nominated for an Emmy. He also works
with troubled teens through Make It Stick and is very involved in prison ministry.
Customer Reviews:
No one is blameless.......2007-09-24
Within a world of differing political opinions and cultures it remains painful to recognize the inhumanity of man that flaunts indifference to others at every opportunity. The contrast of evil and of love towards others is acutely apparent and as described in this book is an echo of history, and the reality of our collective existence. This book retells the ongoing battles we face, and the sense of responsibility that we each have to shoulder. Rwanda is an example. When they were challanged and forced to choose, they chose God and to love one another. This book is a difficult read, my suggestion; read the ending before pushing this book aside.
If You Want to Know What Happened..........2007-09-07
Bishop John Rucyahana is Rwandan. He was a refugee in Uganda during the Rwanda genocide and in this book he illustrates for us the historical origins of the genocide, the reason that the plan succeeded, and the answer to the questions of reconciliation.
For each of us who care about how such evil can be possible in the world, The Bishop of Rwanda gives us those insights. Using true stories to illustrate both the evil of the genocide and the miracles of reconciliation, Bishop John ultimately tells a story of hope for the future of Rwanda.
If you want to know what happened, why it happened, and what you can do to keep it from happening again, this book is an excellent start. If you want to understand Rwanda so that you can assist in the reconciliation process there, this is an great text to begin your understanding.
Powerful Account .......2007-07-06
This book seeks to explain the unexplainable and succeeds at the task. Any skepticism concerning the vastness or horror of the Rwandan genocide is eliminated by Bishop Rucyahana. The books proceeds sequentially with a history of the country's strife, and powerfully demonstrates how a pattern of intentional conduct can lead to the most unimaginable of acts. He then describes the genocide with first hand accounts that require the reader to at times put the book down and pause. But the real value of this read is the last quarter of the book which shows the power of God's unfailing love in reconciling a gulf of hatred which man, standing alone, would not even seek to do. A powerful account.
Yes, it may break your heart, but it may also restore it........2007-06-06
If you had mentioned the African nation of Rwanda in conversation several years ago, chances are you'd have received a vacant stare in return. While some people could summon up the memory of some kind of conflict there, not so many could have described the conflict in any detail. Thanks to the 2004 movie Hotel Rwanda, people are a bit more likely to recall the genocide that started in 1994 and claimed the lives of more than a million people. The film, however, is just one part of the story.
THE BISHOP OF RWANDA tells the rest of the story, and it's one that needs to be read and heard and digested and repeated over and over again. Because it's not "just" a story of one nation's experience with inhumanity and brutality and unimaginable horror. It's also a story of widespread political ruthlessness and machinations --- and of personal forgiveness and reconciliation.
Here's a brief refresher. In the spring of 1994, the world began to pay attention to a conflict in Rwanda that had been brewing for some time. In April of that year, the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi were killed in a suspicious plane crash near the airport in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Fighting between the Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda escalated, but as far as the world was concerned, this was a civil war between rival tribes. (In the interest of full disclosure, I helped cover the aftermath of the conflict for Charisma magazine, and today I blanch at how little we understood the real reasons behind the war --- even though we received the best information available to us at the time, from people on the ground in Rwanda.)
Anglican Bishop John Rucyahana tells a far different story from what we were told in 1994 and the years that followed. The true story is one that began many decades earlier and over the years directly involved Belgium, France, several African nations and the United Nations, and, indirectly, the United States. (President Clinton cited his failure to act on the genocide in Rwanda as his greatest mistake.) Repeated warnings, alarms and cries for help coming out of Rwanda prior to 1994 were routinely --- and worse, flagrantly --- ignored by the world community. When the genocide began, some of the people who had been sounding those alarms were the first to be killed.
On a political level alone, THE BISHOP OF RWANDA is a must-read. The behind-the-scenes but direct involvement of European and African nations in the genocide makes for a compelling lesson in global politics, one that we would all be wise to pay close attention to. Things are not always as they seem; sometimes, they are far worse, as this book reveals.
After reading about the horrors of the killings, which were more brutal, cruel, sadistic and horrific than even Hollywood could portray, and the evil of wanton political corruption --- just when overwhelming despair begins to overtake you, when you're ashamed to be a member of the human race --- Bishop Rucyahana begins painting a picture of Rwanda today. It's a picture of forgiveness and reconciliation that is guaranteed to give you the chills and cause you to blink back the tears. A former refugee who led the protest against the genocide now serves as Rwanda's president and has been instrumental in promoting forgiveness through conferences and government-supported programs. One effort toward fostering reconciliation between Hutus and Tutsis is a truly remarkable program in which perpetrators of the genocide are building houses for the survivors. It's enough to make you want to be a member of the human race once again.
Please don't dismiss this book because you're not necessarily interested in the topic. It's important on so many levels that there's bound to be one that resonates with you. And it's so well-written that you may find it more captivating than you anticipate. Yes, it may break your heart, but it may also restore it.
--- Reviewed by Marcia Ford
Compelling subject matter - not such a compelling read.......2007-05-29
There is no doubt the content of this book is compelling and necessary. There is also little doubt that the author's heart is deeply engaged in the story of this book. I finished the book with a richer awareness of both the horror of the Rwandan genocide and the work of God in that nation since then.
However it many ways it was a labored read. At times the content is scattered and includes statements that appear factual but seem little supported other than with the author's personal opinion. In addition the style is halting and tiring to read - the influence of James Riordan seems limited.
A useful once-only read but this book is not something I would read more than once and would not on most occasions recommend to the casual reader.
Average customer rating:
- #2? in the series, I dont think so
- Erotic, Adventurous, and Way the Hell Out There
- Imagibore
- ABSOLUT PERFECTION!!!!!
- Imajica Book 2 The Reconciliation
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The Reconciliation (Imajica, Book 2)
Clive Barker
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Barker, Clive
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ASIN: 0061094153 |
Book Description
The magical tale of ill-fated lovers lost among worlds teetering on the edge of destruction, where their passion holds the key to escape.
There has never been a book like Imajica. Transforming every expectation offantasy fiction with its heady mingling of radical sexuality and spiritual anarchy, it has carried its millions of readers into regions of passion and philosophy that few books have even attempted to map. It's an epic in every way; vast in conception, obsessively detailed in execution, and apocalyptic in its resolution. A book of erotic mysteries and perverse violence. A book of ancient, mythological landscapes and even more ancient magic.
Customer Reviews:
#2? in the series, I dont think so.......2007-06-12
I love Clive Barker's work. But I feel Decieved because I have read this book before, when it was just one book. You should make this clear to your customers. I will be more careful next time.
I loved the book the first time but I am not going to buy the first half again. How disappointing it was not a totally new story about the same Imajica.
Or am I wrong? I don't think so.
Erotic, Adventurous, and Way the Hell Out There.......2006-01-27
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely LOVE Clive Barker. He comes second only to Anne Rice on my list of favorites. He is the master of comteporary erotic fantasy fiction and everytime you open one of his books you can't help getting sucked in.
Imajica is one of my ultimate Clive Barker favorites. The book starts off with a theory about love stories: there can only ever be two lovers, not three. Therefore, it is no surprise when we learn that two men are in love with the same woman and one of them has decided to have her killed. He instantly regrets his hasty decision and goes to his rival, asking him to stop the assassin.
Zacharias Fury, artist and womanizer extordianare, agrees to stop the assasin and find Jude (the woman these two men are in love with). He succeeds in saving her from the greatest assassin of all time -- a creature from another realm who can shapeshift into whatever his "customer" desires. This creature is the ultimate fantasy -- have sex with it and it will be whoever you want, WHATEVER you want. And that's not all. You want someone killed? The shapeshifer Pi will get it done.
::SPOILER:: The shapeshifter's work is not done, however. After an argument with Jude, Z. Fury returns to his small hotel room and is preparing for a miserable night's sleep when there's a knock on his door and he opens it to find Jude standing there. As he and Jude make sensual love, the phone rings, and Fury answers it to find . . . . JUDE (gasp!) on the other end.
This is possibly one of the funniest parts of the two part novel. You will aboslutely fall in love with the characters of Pi, Fury, and Jude. And I promise, Zacharias Fury WILL travel to another world -- hence the title Imajica -- and free the poor imprisoned goddesses trapped there.
Clive Barker says this story is an allegory about Christ. See if you can find the similarities.
Imagibore.......2005-02-02
This book starts of very well, with lots of interesting idea's which you hope exspect to be explained more fully as you read on.
However the deeper you get into the book the more you notice how half baked it all seems, jumping from one outlandish idea to another, and contradicting itself at every turn (one example is: 'nothing disturbed her from this sleep, not even dreams' and then in the next sentance 'she was awoken from whatever dream she was having') it is full of contradictions which often made me shake my head in disbelief.
You are led to beleive that what the imagica 'is' will be explained in the fullness of time, but the conclusion to the story was the biggest flop in a book ive ever read, I wont give anything away, suffice to say that the imagica is never explained, I dont think the author even had an idea to start with.
The way men are constantly refered to as the 'destroyers' and women as something so much better is strange to start with, but as the author continues to press his 'point' home it gets bewildering, boring, and then quite worrying (does he hate his own sex so much he has to put them down in every other sentance?)
I think if Mr Barker had taken more time to develop his idea's and set the story out across more books (I never complain about buying a story that is set across 3 or even 6 different books!) it could of been a great and interesting tale.
Sadly it is a mix of half baked mix philosophy, religion and magic, in places it found it so boring I had to put it down and could only read small chunks at a time, by the time I was nearing the end I was skimming pages of seemingly pointless drivel trying to get to somthing substantial, which alas never came.
I cant recomend this as a purchase, rent it from the library but dont waste your money.
ABSOLUT PERFECTION!!!!!.......2004-11-02
Simply put this is Clive's best book not to mention the best book I've ever read. I read it when it first came out and I was so impressed I began reading other Clive Barker books. He is a wonderful author. I recommend you read as much of his stuff as you can. He has an imagination that is "out of this world"!
Imajica Book 2 The Reconciliation.......2004-09-25
I have 2 copies hard cover & paperback of the three part series. Words can not adequately describe the passion I feel for this series. I have read the series at least 4 times. Each time I discover a different level of understanding for the characters. I wish Peter Jackson would do a movie of this series......... Awesome. LOTR's would be tough to follow but Imajica although with an "R" rating would be right up there!
Keito 518@yahoo.com
Book Description
This is Alex Boraine's account of South Africa's acclaimed Truth and Reconciliation Commission which was set up after the collapse of the apartheid regime. The TRC had the monumental task not only of uncovering decades of systematic human rights violations, but of doing so in a way that would help a very damaged nation to reconcile and move forward. Boaraine clearly sets out the process leading to the establishment of the TRC, describes the hearings at which victims and perpetrators testified about human rights violations, and considers reactions - inclusding criticisms - to the TRC and its final report. He analyses the key features that contributed to the Commission's success, and gives an honest assessment of some of its mistakes. This is also a personal story, giving insight into the feelings, disappointments, and rewards that the TRC's participants experienced. This book helps to elucidate and answer the many difficlut questions that were crucial to South Africa's TRC , and that need to be addressed by all people who are working with societies in transition.
Book Description
"When we all think we understand leadership, Soder, with quotations from the ages, shows us new, fascinating, and immensely important elements. A stimulating adventure."--Fisher Howe, author, The Board Member's Guide to Strategic Planning and Welcome to the Board
With The Language of Leadership you'll explore the powerful role that language plays in helping leaders, no matter what their field, support their position and create a climate of credibility and legitimacy.
Written for leaders in the education, business, and nonprofit sectors, The Language of Leadership offers you the information and practical guidance you need to understand the crucial impact of words on the ability to lead, heal, motivate, and chart a path to the future.
Customer Reviews:
A thought-provoking and practical book.......2002-08-24
I like this book because it puts leadership in the context of a democracy rather than arguing that leadership is the same no matter what political system you are living in. I like it, too, because of the focus on not only how to persuade the people one is leading, but how to create a better, more thoughtful, public. Soder discusses leadership problems not only in creating and sustaining work, but, just as important, in reconciling and reconstituting when things go wrong between people. This is a reasonable and sensitive book, with many original insights (not all of which are apparent at first glance: this one is worth re-reading.) This book makes one think, and at the same time, offers practical advice for leaders in business or educational settings. I only wish I had read it sooner.
An accessible, unremarkable monograph.......2002-01-13
"The Language of Leadership" is a fairly quick and easy read. Soder seasons his account w/ many illustrative anecdotes from classical literary sources. He is very well-read, of course, so his excerpts are aptly chosen. Yet I often found myself skimming ahead through his text in search of "more matter, less art" (to invoke the Bard of Avon!).
Readers seeking more substance on this score would do better to consult another Jossey-Bass title instead: "The Art of Framing: Managing the Language of Leadership" (by Fairhurst & Sarr, 1996). Otherwise, Soder's book has a few new and suggestive insights to offer. Granted, it may be fine--at least as far as it goes. It just doesn't go very far or break much original ground on the subject.
A "Must Read" for Leaders.......2001-09-26
In these present and certainly confusing times, I've hesitated to review this most important book and talk about how we, as a democratic populace, might come together to consider notions of leadership. However, I've also come to realize how exclusionary our collective (aka..seemingly innocent) language can be, when those in postitions of leadership speak, be it gender or nationality or religiously, or etc. -based.....Examples: our "brother firefighters" ...certainly there were female firefighters lost and/or also engaged in the rescue effort; Words from the President and others that excluded other than-"Christian" engagement in participation. These are times that require most careful attention to our language and our resulting dialogue in order to engage others in our potential cause.
Thus, we must be so very careful to monitor our language and use it most carefully and wisely. Soder directs us toward inclusive and productive leadership language grounded in our predecessors from whom we have much to learn. This is a wise and most careful author calling our attention issues with immense significance.
Soder's book is a resource that needs and deserves the attention of all those attending to the competence of present and future leaders...regardless of areas of expert*ise.and particularly in light of the issues tht David Imig (AACTE) has raised regarding perceptions of leadership among practitioners.
While Soder has given us an exceptionally important and valuable resource, I view it a a rich dessert...to be absorbed most slowly and carefully in order to appreciate its full texture, nuances, subtleties, and meanings....A must read for all those invested in future leaders...regardless of context...
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