Amazon.com
For most writers, the greatest challenge of spiritual writing is to keep it grounded in concrete language. The temptation is to wander off into the clouds of ethereal epiphanies, only to lose readers with woo-woo thinking and sacred-laced clichés. Thankfully, Anne Lamott (Operating Instructions, Crooked Little Heart) knows better. In this collection of essays, Lamott offers her trademark wit and irreverence in describing her reluctant journey into faith. Every epiphany is framed in plainspoken (and, yes, occasionally crassly spoken) real-life, honest-to-God experiences. For example, after having an abortion, Lamott felt the presence of Christ sitting in her bedroom:
This experience spooked me badly, but I thought it was just an apparition born of fear and self-loathing and booze and loss of blood. But then everywhere I went I had the feeling that a little cat was following me, wanting me to reach down and pick it up, wanting me to open the door and let it in. But I knew what would happen: you let a cat in one time, give it a little milk and then it stays forever.
Whether she's writing about airplane turbulence, bulimia, her "feta cheese thighs," or consulting God over how to parent her son, Lamott keeps her spirituality firmly planted in solid scenes and believable metaphors. As a result, this is a richly satisfying armchair-travel experience, highlighting the tender mercies of Lamott's life that nudged her into Christian faith. --Gail Hudson
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
Anne Lamott admits that she's "ever so slightly more anxious than the average hypochondriac." When faced with a small, irregular mole and a family history of skin cancer, however, she remembers her faith in God and enjoys some peace--despite behaving "a little more like Nathan Lane in The Birdcage than I would have hoped." Author Lamott reads these wonderfully detailed postcards from her meandering journey to faith. With sharp and bittersweet humor, she recounts a past full of bad relationships with men, with food, with drugs, with alcohol, and worst of all, with herself. She battles her demons thanks to the love of her friends and family and her "lurch of faith" to embrace religion, that "puzzling thing inside me that had begun to tug on my sleeve from time to time, trying to get my attention." Inspiring but not dogmatic, Traveling Mercies is a treasure. (Running time: 4 hours, 3 cassettes) --C.B. Delaney
Book Description
Anne Lamott claims the two best prayers she knows are: "Help me, help me, help me" and "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She has a friend whose morning prayer each day is "Whatever," and whose evening prayer is "Oh, well." Anne thinks of Jesus as "Casper the friendly savior" and describes God as "one crafty mother."
Despite--or because of--her irreverence, faith is a natural subject for Anne Lamott. Since
Operating Instructions and
Bird by Bird, her fans have been waiting for her to write the book that explained how she came to the big-hearted, grateful, generous faith that she so often alluded to in her two earlier nonfiction books. The people in Anne Lamott's real life are like beloved characters in a favorite series for her readers--her friend Pammy, her son, Sam, and the many funny and wise folks who attend her church are all familiar. And
Traveling Mercies is a welcome return to those lives, as well as an introduction to new companions Lamott treats with the same candor, insight, and tenderness.
Lamott's faith isn't about easy answers, which is part of what endears her to believers as well as nonbelievers. Against all odds, she came to believe in God and then, even more miraculously, in herself. As she puts it, "My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers." At once tough, personal, affectionate, wise, and very funny,
Traveling Mercies tells in exuberant detail how Anne Lamott learned to shine the light of faith on the darkest part of ordinary life, exposing surprising pockets of meaning and hope.
Download Description
Traveling Mercies takes us on a journey through Anne Lamott's troubled past to illuminate her devout but quirky walk of faith: how, against all odds, she came to believe in God, and the myriad ways in which that faith sustains and guides her in everyday life. With an exuberant mix of passion and self-deprecating humor, Lamott explores whether certain behaviors will get her "a better seat in heaven, " perhaps "near the dessert table, " or whether her mistakes "make Jesus want to drink gin straight out of the cat disk" She writes about her family, about helping a friend through the devastating illness of her baby, about wanting but not having all the answers for her eight-year-old son.
Through the hard-won wisdom that forms the core of her beliefs, and with wit, insight, and lots of heart, she shows us how she creates a life balance of connectedness and liberation.
Customer Reviews:
Mercy on Us.......2007-09-19
This is one of my favorite books, and I've read it many times. The essay on Forgiveness is a classic. I'm not sure how Annie Lamott makes fundamentalist Christianity palatable, but she manages to convey a deep sense of faith and gratitude along with a quirky charming wit about it all -- especially about herself.
I (heart) Anne Lamott.......2007-08-25
I pretty much love any essay Anne Lamott writes, and I appreciate her foray into the spiritual side of life. She makes faith very real and very every day/accesible ... something we all need. Her humor and witty prose make the reading enjoyable as well.
A Great and Pleasant Read.......2007-08-09
From the start to the end, Anne Lamott's writing is greatly captivating and keeps her readers guessing as to what she's getting at, then leaves us with great philosophical insight, all the while keeping her humorous input she's so famous for.
Although she writes with freedom and confidence, some of her ideas about "faith" may not be what most people expect, but then again, these are her own thoughts about faith, what she's gone through and how she has come to be the person she is today.
She carries along a great novel, somewhat of an autobiography with her son Sam, and warmly welcomes any readers willing to read to the very end. Lots of great quotations to write down; a definite read for anyone.
Put me out of my misery.......2007-08-07
Having read previously published books by Anne LaMott, I admit I was unenthusiastic about reading this book group selection. Much of the material is rehashed from previous works but now autobiographically instead of as "fiction."
I found her self-depricating tone to be disingenuous and much of her self pity to stem from personal problems that were self-inflicted. (Did that last sentence mention "self?") The book is centered on her self involvement which often attempts to depict herself as being gritty, worldly, and street-experienced.
While she has had experience as an alcoholic and sex addict, she never seems to rise above it in any inspirational way. Authors such as Frank McCort of Angela's Ashes and Jeannette Walls of the Glass Castle were confronted with horrible childhoods but managed to survive with a spunk and spirit I admired. I couldn't figure out what was so bad in Anne LaMott's life that she had to complain about and/or turn to self abuse to cope. I grew up with my own share of dysfunction but chose to take a more optimistic outlook on life.
Although I agree with many of her political points of view, it did not sit well with me how she launched personal attacks on those who held opposing views. "The New Adventures of Old Christine" is able to satirize those annoying holier-than-thou mothers at the PTO in a much more humorous way and that's saying a lot for a TV situation comedy compared to this literary selection.
I forced myself to finish the last third of the book after our book group discussion because those chapters seemed to be the most poignant. Yes, that was the best part of the book. The chapters about being kind to her aging body and dealing with aging parents were the most honest and touching sections.
Even so, this is not a book I would recommend to someone looking for emotional uplift or spiritual insight.
TOP FIVE ON MY "BEST-LOVED BOOKS" LIST.......2007-07-03
I keep a list of best-loved books, which is coming in handy lately as I hit my forties and tend to rebuy books I've already read (sometimes getting through several chapters before I figure this out). If I put the list in order, Traveling Mercies would immediately make my top five. Lamott's autobiographical essays are hilarious and heartbreaking and wonderful, and make me wish she lived next door. I've read Traveling Mercies all the way through at least six times, and picked it up countless other times to enjoy one of the stand-alone chapters. I love the poetic compassion of some of the passages so much that I read them outloud. If you're a mom, you've got to read the chapter on forgiveness - Lamott's attempt to deal with her resentment of a perfect, day-planner writing, cupcake baking, field trip-chaperoning mom. We've all been there on some level. I keep going back to this book when I need to teach adult Sunday school, because it's such a beautiful exploration of Christian faith in a life that's messy and funny and difficult and real.
Average customer rating:
- Around the Year with Emmet fox
- Daily alignment
- MIND TRANSFORMING!
- It Always Fits!
- Fabulous book
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Around the Year with Emmet Fox: A Book of Daily Readings
Emmet Fox
Manufacturer: HarperOne
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The Sermon on the Mount: The Key to Success in Life
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ASIN: 0062504088 |
Book Description
Here in this collection of 365 daily meditations lives the essence of a great spiritual teacher -- one who truly understood the wellspring of life. The keen insights I captured here speak as freshly to the everyday needs of humanity as they did the day Fox first wrote them.
Culled from Fox's published and unpublished lecture notes and manuscripts, this guide for daily living also includes much-loved passages, from Sermon on the Mount, Fox's million-copy bestseller, along with the popular Power Through Constructive Thinking.
Customer Reviews:
Around the Year with Emmet fox.......2007-01-15
I like the book very much.
Each day is an easy reading for spiritual development.
Daily alignment.......2007-01-11
Best daily attitude checkup/meditation book I have used consistently over the past 20 years. It always brings me back to simple solutions to change my life for the better. Solid, right on target, ways to fine tune your life for the better. Always brings me back to the moment.
MIND TRANSFORMING!.......2007-01-04
The most introspective, Inspirational Daily Reading book I have come across in my seventy-six years. In the event you are looking for a more Joyful life, this is the formular. Try it.
It Always Fits!.......2006-11-07
No matter what day it is, the reading touches on a part of my life. The spiritual energy is amazing!
Fabulous book.......2006-11-02
I bought this book for a friend because he really likes Emmet Fox. When I received the book, I leafed through it and found it very interesting. Once I gave my friend the book, I went to look something up in it, and realized it was not at my place anymore, I have decided that since I like it so much, I will order one for myself as well as one for my father for Christmas. Emmet Fox is very logical and inspiring. He is a great teacher.
Average customer rating:
- Valuable, but Skewed
- Essential reference book for anything about Eve!
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Eve & Adam: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Readings on Genesis and Gender
Manufacturer: Indiana University Press
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ASIN: 0253212715 |
Customer Reviews:
Valuable, but Skewed.......2005-11-25
I'm not going to say it's a bad book. There are very few books that draw together so many fine and seminal pieces of literature and play them against one another so well. It's a fine book.
There are, however, features of the book which are just maddening. Did ancient religious scholars stop to question the historicity of Genesis 1-3? No, out of enlightened self-interest (and a strong wish to avoid being executed as an apostate) they did not. As the modern inheritors of that legacy, we are not quite so bound up in the literal. I think the editors, all very capible, might have included more material from the mythological, metaphysical, and allegorical readings of creation and fall.
It is an exceptional book as it is--but it could be a real masterwork if some slightly more heretical material were included.
Essential reference book for anything about Eve!.......1999-11-03
Magnificant book! The authors have done a tremendous job collecting together a broad but representative array of readings about Eve from three religious traditions. Anyone doing research on the Adam and Eve story, or anyone wanting the background to the naming and valuation of women which has developed from the Adam and Eve story must get this book! Helpful summaries move the reader through the plethora of material, noting important changes and developments in thinking through the centuries. A great text for women's studies, feminist theologies and literary studies.
Book Description
In modern culture, nothing matters more than the movies, says popular film critic and Jesuit Richard Leonard. Movies shape our global civilization. We watch them incessantly, relax with them, argue about them. But movies are much more than casual entertainment and subjects for small talk. They have become the preferred medium for ideas and values and morally serious expression. We need to take movies seriously, Leonard says. To do so, we need to learn how to "read" a film.
In Movies that Matter, Leonard views 50 important movies through a "lens of faith" -- an informed Christian point of view that immeasurably deepens the astute moviegoer's viewing experience. He shows how the great directors, screenwriters, and actors employ the "language of film" to celebrate the human spirit and put us in touch with the divine. This knowledgeable, vividly written, provocative guide is an excellent resource for every reader seeking deeper understanding of what the movies are saying.
Book Description
Using primary texts, this volume tells the story of Western religious heritage by tracing the three great Western monotheisms (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) from the fall of Rome through the Christian Reformation of the 16th century.
Customer Reviews:
Good BUT .......2007-09-19
We've just started reading excerpts of this book for school BUT in my copy there is a printing flaw. There are pages out of order. The first part we're reading is at pg. 202 but have noticed that from pg 193 on the pages are jumbled and some not numbered.
If you order this book check this right away. It is worth having a correct copy though.
Excellent overview of our theological roots........2007-01-05
Thoroughly enjoyable and extremely informative. An excellent way to get exposed to the teachings of Christian thinkers (both good and bad) throughout the centuries. We in the 21st century did not suddenly invent Christian theology -- there is nothing new that has not already been thought about or discussed in some way by the church fathers and other writers over the past 2000 years. What we believe today is built on the battles they fought and molded by the theology they taught (again, both good and bad).
EXCELLENT abridgement.......2003-08-10
As stated above, I feel that Kerr's book is an excellent abridgement of some of the more prominant writings of early church, middle church, and contemporary christian theologians. The idea behind this book is fascinating - a book which carries highlights of the original writings (translated to English) of the most influential theologians of the Christian movement. This gives the beginner and excellent look into the insights and thought processes of many Christian theologians, and gives the more seasoned scholar a quick reference guide to the specifics contributed by the writers contained herein. Another great feature of this book are the brief introductions to each writer. I was assigned this text in one of my seminary courses and found that the brief biographies which precede each author's writings inestimable in studying for my exams and in getting an overall feel about the background of each author.
The only complaint I have of the book is its lack of an index. With an index, this book would be a very powerful tool.
4 stars.
Great for beginning or experienced scholars.......2002-09-12
A great intro to the important figures in Christian thought but also a great review course for those who think they've read it all before. Well-written with substantial pieces from women theologians as well as black and liberation perspectives, plus noted theologians such as Thomas Merton, Karl Rahner, etc. Each selection has a very detailed introduction and commments on the life of each theologian and the historical and spiritual significance of his work. Sure to be used for years to come!
Outstanding introduction.......2000-11-28
I've found this book extremely valuable on two levels: first, it provides an excellent introduction to nearly all of the important Christian theologians and thinkers of the last two millenia - Kerr does a generally excellent job at providing context and the overall significance of each text and author; second, and more personally, Kerr's book has inspired me to pursue many of these theologians to a greater depth and has led me to a new appreciation of the theology of the early church fathers. Again, highly recommended.
Book Description
As one of the foremost evangelical thinkers of the twentieth century, Francis Schaeffer long pondered the fate of declining Western culture. In this brilliant book he analyzed the reasons for modern society's state of affairs and presented the only viable alternative: living by the Christian ethic, acceptance of God's revelation, and total affirmation of the Bible's morals, values, and meaning. How Should We Then Live? has become the benchmark for Christian worldview thinking today. This edition commemorates the 50th anniversary of L'Abri Fellowship, founded by Francis and Edith Schaeffer.
Customer Reviews:
Divine Inspiration: The ultimate tool of Elite Manipulators.......2007-05-24
As was true of "Total True," so goes the Works of Francis Schaeffer, the book upon which Total Truth is based. While it is true that Schaeffer's arguments are a great deal more coherent and sophisticated, and flow much more logically than Total Truth, they too require that you swallow whole and digest without gagging, his gigantic built in assumptions. The most important of which is that while the Roman gods were man-made and limited, the Christian god is infinite, and somehow divinely inspired.
Of course although Schaeffer knows very well of how we got from the Roman idol poly-god system to our own unitary god in the mind system, he is not telling us. Instead he ignores and hides that bit of history under the rubric of "being divinely inspired." This of course begs the obvious: Inspired by whom? How indeed did our unitary god system spring sui generis into being from the ether (or is it the firmament)?
Thomas Cahill in his book, "The Gift of the Jews," tells us the story of how we came about our unitary god quite well and with a special flair: We got from the idol poly god system to the present unitary "god in the mind" system in one step: It was invented by the Jews; the same tribe that invented most of Western religion. Jews invented the unitary god in the mind, just as they invented our bible and by logical extension, the Koran and the Torah.
To assert as fact that the Roman god system which preceded our own, was man-made, and then omit a discussion altogether of how we got from there to here - that is from the "idol poly god system" to the present "one god in the mind system," is more than just an egregious Freudian oversight, it smacks of intellectual dishonesty.
Surely Schaeffer must think we are all too dense to figure out that our single god in the mind is also just another man-made invention -- in the same way that all gods are man made inventions. Since so much of his story depends on the thesis that Rome fell because of the limitations of her gods, it is altogether clear why such a detail could not be admitted to: For then the divinely inspired Christian emperor also has no clothes.
However, if you shallow this not so minor detail without gagging, then although there is a great deal to quibble with, this is a reasonable discussion of the status and condition of Western civilization. Is the Jewish invented unitary god in the mind the answer to what ails Western civilization? Schaffer seems to think it is, if we would only believe more. "As a man thinketh, so is he."
In the last chapter Schaeffer warns against manipulative elites, grouping Freud, B.F. Skinner, Francis Crick with Stalin and Hitler, but failing to mention that most religions are precisely that "thought manipulation systems" by self-appointed (but need we say it again divinely inspired) elites. If religion is the last hope for our civilization, we may as well cash in all our chips now. Amen.
Four Stars
A Book That Has Truly Shaped My World View.......2007-04-01
A book for anyone that wants to know how our present culture got to where it is today and the people, ideas, and moments that acted as the catalysts. Schaeffer makes history incredibly relevant and interesting. Working forward from the breakdown of ancient Rome, through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, etc. up to our present age, Schaeffer highlights the key players that have shaped how we view our world today as well as the major shift from a Christian world view to a humanistic world view and the consequences of this change. Schaeffer concludes, "The problem is having, and then acting upon, the right world view - the world view which gives men and women the truth of what is." Prepare to see the world around you through a new lens.
Own the Hard Cover Amazon sells Used........2007-01-19
If you are a Blood Bought child of the Lord YOU Must own this Mighty Work for God's Glory and for OUR motivation.
Great book........2007-01-04
If you are interested in Art, Government, History, Science and most of all Christianity and how this all ties together this is a great book. It is very in depth and a good understanding of (or the time to look up) information on historical people and civilizations is a must. It does a great job at making you evaluate how you look at the world.
This book was used with a group of mostly High School Juniors. They enjoyed the book but a lot of the History and Science/Philosophy information we found they had not been exposed to in school. A video is also available that was helpful.
Great book overall, but goes a little too fast.......2006-12-22
The thesis of Schaeffer's book is right on, but the book is too fast-paced, and has an abridged "feel" to it. I kept wanting him to go into the different historical periods more in depth. He doesn't spend enough time with all of the many (perhaps too many!) people he covers in the book. The book seems perfect for highschool students, but not for, let's say, doctoral students in philosophy, theology, or history. But aside from that, it's pretty good.
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