Bibles Bible Studies Books

Another great biblical resource that is packed with great illustration pictures, concise information and easy to carry along.

I purchased this book as a gift for my mother-in-law. My parents have the same book and they love it. My mother-in-law had been trying to find the book after seeing their's. The book is great to just flip through for interesting Bible facts or to find answers to questions.

I teach Bible Church School and this book is great when you need to understand the gist of a person or place in the bible. It's not your exhaustive detailed reference work, but it is a 'to the point book'.

Great little pocket/purse size for information on just about anything in the bible. Places, people, etc...fun to read!

A super resource for anyone interested in Bible characters and Bible places.

This is a scholarly and civil treatment of a controversial issue. Dr. Via admits the scriptures consistently condemn homosexual practice. The core of his argument is: "I maintain, however, that the absolute prohibition can be overridden regardless of how many times it is stated, for there are good reasons to override it" (p. 94).
Dr. Gagnon contends that there are no good reasons to override the clear teaching of scripture. He says, "It is hard, when one sees another struggling with temptations, not to alleviate the struggle by permitting what Scripture deems sinful" (p. 92). He argues against declassifying homosexuality as a sin regardless of societal pressure to do so.
I was unconvinced by Via's reasons to override the scriptures, but I found his arguments useful in understanding those who take his stand.
I would recommend this book as an introduction to a scriptural view of homosexuality.

For those who want to understand the current debate about whether homosexuality is condemned in scripture or not, this is one of the best resources I have found. It presents both sides of the debate, and leaves it to you to make your own decision. Extremely well presented.

In the heated rhetoric of denominational debates over the Bible, ordination and homosexuality, this book helpfully provides a basic yet adequate introduction to the primary interpretative conclusions on the main biblical texts with two major alternative viewpoints where the authors present their arguments and then interact with each other's position. Robert Gagnon has written a much more thorough study of pertinent Biblical and historical materials elsewhere, but this book provides a simple summary of his conclusions for those beginning to study these somewhat complex arguments. Via helpfully summarizes some of the arguments and conclusions of those seeking change in the way in which Christians have traditionally interpreted and applied the biblical texts.

Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views, as it's title states is a book about what the Bible says about homosexuality written from two different perspectives. Dan O. Via, Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Duke University Divinity School states that while the Bible does, in fact, decry homosexual acts, he doesn't feel that this prohibition should extend to homosexuals in committed relationships. Robert A. J. Gagnon, Associate Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, disagrees with this position, as he sees any homosexual act (or "homosex") as a violation of God's commandments.



In my view, from a scholarly perspective, I find the book to be absolutely useless and not worth reading. The main problem I have with the work is the reliance on an English interpretation of the Scriptures. Both men read the Levitical prohibition against male-to-male sexual intercourse with the familiar "A man shall not lie with a man as with a woman," yet neither of them translate the wording as it accurately should be translated; "With a male you shall not lie the lyings of a woman." This does not say the same thing as these authors would have you believe, and for this reason, their work is terribly misleading.



Of the two views, I have to think that Via does the better job of making a convincing argument, but mostly because Gagnon does such a horrible job on his side. In particular, Gagnon distorts the Scriptures, and at times blatantly lies in order to make his point. For example, he creates analogies to justify his position that have never been used in any argument in favor of same sex relations. He states that "There is no virtue to being more consistently disobedient to Jesus' teaching." (47) As a professor of New Testament Studies he knows fully well that Jesus never taught anything against homosexuality. In fact, Jesus never mentioned it.



Gagnon claims that same-sex intercourse creates problems such as mental health issues and gender identity disorders, and quotes himself as his source. First, anyone who quotes himself as a source is either extremely egomaniacal, or hasn't bothered to take the time to research his topic properly, and in Gagnon's case, I fear it's a bit of both. In the first ten pages of his argument, he cites himself as a source six times. In fact, throughout his writing he rarely cites anyone else. Second, his arguments are not supported by psychiatric studies, which he simply ignores. In short, if it doesn't help his argument, it doesn't exist.



He compares homosexuality to incest and loosely mentions bestiality, which is a clear indication of his own internal homophobia. The man does not like homosexuals and goes to great lengths to attempt to make a logical, scholarly argument to justify his position. He fails miserably in this endeavor.



In the few cases where he does deviate from his English interpretation to the original language, he does so with deliberate confusion and obfuscation of the truth. He implies that words are used in contexts where they are not used and uses modern day meanings for words that do not show such context in the first century (55). He also deliberately misquotes the Scriptures whenever it serves his argument. His statement that Ezekiel refers to homosex is completely false, as Ezekiel clearly names the sins of Sodom and never refers to homosexuality in any form. He states that Deuteronomy speaks out against "homosexual cult prostitutes" (59) when he knows that the word he is translating cannot be translated as homosexual. It speaks out against cult prostitutes both male and female, but never infers that the males are having sex with other males. This is a complete lie on Gagnon's part, and clearly shows his homophobia.



One of his weakest arguments is when he states that Jesus ordered his followers to "take up their cross, deny themselves, and lose their lives for Jesus' sake." (52) It is appalling that as a scholar Gagnon does not utilize one of the most groundbreaking works of the 20th century in his research. A large group of Biblical scholars from around the world worked collectively on the five Gospels (Mark, Matthew, Luke, John and Thomas) and translated them from the oldest existing copies to modern English. Once the translation was completed, they worked for years to decide if the sayings attributed to Jesus were things he actually said, or if they were added after his death. In all instances, the saying that refers to taking up one's cross was agreed to have been added after his death, as the cross did not exist as a symbol during the time of Jesus. (Funk, Hoover and the Jesus Seminar; The Five Gospels) It is hardly appropriate for a New Testament scholar to insist that modern-day Americans follow a directive that Jesus never actually gave.



All-in-all, the book is truly not worth reading. Via's arguments are fairly good, though his use of an English version of the Bible doesn't help his case. Gagnon's arguments are clearly homophobic, and his dishonesty and deliberate misinterpretation of the writings indicate beyond a doubt that he can't be believed. I would suggest that if anyone is interested in this subject that they look at Daniel A. Helminiak's What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality.

I do not come to this with merely abstract interest. I was asked to read this book by a good friend who is a gay Christian man (his description of himself). As he and I have had a many month conversation about homosexuality and the praxis of Christian sexuality I was seeking to read some of the best of the pro-gay Christian writing. This book was the first he assigned.

Dan O. Via is a Professor Emeritus of NT at Duke (per back cover) and Gagnon is a PS USA guy at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Both are very able scholars and clearly very bright. One could get an adequate book review by simply looking at the pictures on the back cover of the volume. Via has this slick, "I know what I'm doing and I know I know it" hypnotist look on his face, and Gagnon has this preppy little tie tied over a well starched white shirt with his perfectly groomed ill advised beard.

Via's essay read like he looks. It's smooth, direct, authoritative. Via sees Homosexual orientation as, in the words of my friend, "part of God's diversity in creation". Specifically he says he regards gay people as "differently ordered rather than disordered." (pg. 4) Via takes two main tacks- one exegetical and one hermeneutical. Exegetically, he argues that the prohibition of homosexuality in the OT is parallel to uncleanness, not sin. He then goes on to note that the category of uncleanness is abrogated in the NT. He states "the OT category of impurity is annulled" (pg. 9).

Hermeneutically Via sees quite a lot of room between the ancient text and our present reality. In fact, it's best said up front: anyone looking to via for a pro-gay argument with a "high view of scripture" will be disappointed. Via seems to hold some view in the neo-orthodox trajectory and if you're looking for something else he'll loose you on page 2.

Gagnon is also as you would expect form his picture- a mathematical perfectionist in terms of grammatical argumentation, semantical occurrences, and general factual scholarship. While Via's essay is 39 pages, Gagnon's is 58, and even within that longer essay he points us to his web page for more on the issue at hand. The astute bibliophile will note he has published a 493 page version with Abingdon press in 2001. Gagnon has a more direct, less stylistic approach that could not be more stylistically different than his co-author. Generally speaking Gagnon disagrees with Via. He has a somewhat higher view of scripture, takes the biblical passages in a more historic way, sees homosexuality as non-essential in regard to personhood, and sees the hermeneutical gap between the ancient text and the modern context as much narrower than Via.

In terms of my assessment, Via frustrated me and I found Gagnon's arguments to be more clearly explained, better though through and well supported by verifiable facts. For example as Via explains that homosexuality in the OT is considered unclean and not sinful he makes the argument that the two different words for "abomination" in Leviticus are synonymous- implying that eating a dead bird is as offensive morally as homosexual sex. But this is a true claim that is also very false. It is true that the LLX (Greek translation of the OT 200 BCE) uses the same word to translate the word for the "abomination" of eating unclean animals, but it does so only once in 18 occurrences (the rest refering technically to animals that are unclean or in an unclean state). The other verb that is supposedly "interchangeable" is translated with two other verbs 38 times and the "interchanges"one only once. So Technically he's telling the truth, but to those of us with linguistic training and training in the Biblical languages, he's being intellectually dishonest or he didn't check an important claim in a source he didn't cite. This broke my trust, and Via was arguing uphill from page 8 on.

This is especially startling given the contrast of Gagnon's rigor. Gagnon's meticulous nature reminds me of the kind of person I'd never date but who I would love as an oncologist. His argumentation is superior in my view by a long shot, but then again, I don't think that's much of a feat since I think arguing scripture does not condone homosexuality does not take a tremendous amount of creativity. Via is very creative, but to a fault I think if one is attempting to write a Christian theology.

Via will not convince the unconvinced thinker with biblical specialization, and I would not recommend him as a spokesman for Gay Christians. For others having this conversation between heterosexual and homosexual friends, I would recommend "Homosexuality and Christian Community" ed. Choon-Leong Seow. Some articles are no better, but the spattering of Princeton Scholars that contribute to that volume construct a better overall volume I think.

Concerning this volume, quite frankly I expected more form a Duke Scholar and was badly let down by Via. I am still looking for a really good pro-gay writer who has put his/er view together with a high view of Scripture.

IMHO, Rev. Morford has certainly put a lot of work into The Power New Testament and should be commended for it. (Glory be to YHWH)The Glossary is really informative. I need to spend more time with it but the Translation could really use some re-working on the English end. There are so many awkward renderings. Words, phrases and sentences quite simply do convey good English.

I agree with A. Bigg's review on many points as well. With some tweaking and re-working, this would really be a wonderful Translation for all but I'm sorry to say it falls short in it's present state.

I had previously ordered this New Teatament for myself. I liked it so
well that I ordered two to give as gifts. I recommend it for people who
are serious bible students and want a good understanding of the times
and expressions of the times the scriptures were actually written.

I've been a christian for 32 years and have learned much. Much more than I can apply to my life. THis book really opened the new testament like nothing else. I finally understand the meaning of things in the gospel. Having the jewish point of view really makes it come alive with meaning and application.
P. Hadley

This is simply a well researched and well written text that I have grown to prize greatly. The Power New Testament is an enlightening resource and insight to the language and cultural perspectives of the original authors. Very easy read and navigation.

I have been looking into the new upsurge in Christian interest in our Jewish roots for many years now, and have found many good products on the market. Comparatively, The Power New Testament ranks as good, but it seems just a little shaky in certain areas. I know that Mr. Morford has spent decades on this project, but it's as if he spent far too much time on some things (like adding opinionated footnotes) giving them a crowded 'overworked' feeling, and too little time on others (like delving into further Jewish research). Maybe I'm too critical since I also own many works by Messianic Jews and Christians whose scholarship is breathtaking. (I suppose I am spoiled.) I'll list my observations of this translation in no particular order.

I love the way Mr. Morford translated the Greek verbs, that is of course the top reason to get this translation. Many of those 'old familiar' verses really pop out when the reader can 'think greek' and feel the dynamic movement and force of the words as they were intended to be read. English is such a static, detached, dry language that we often lose the urgency in most of these passages. This helps to restore that. The dynamic verbs alone makes this translation worth getting as a supplement to your library.

I would not recommend it as your ONLY New Testament, however, because in my opinion it falls a little short of its stated goal. The goal was noble: "to bring a greater understanding of and appreciation for the Jewish roots of Christianity," as the translator writes. However, the majority of what he actually accomplished was a greater understanding and appreciation for the Greek language version of the New Testament. I find the translation just a touch weak on the Jewish roots of Christianity theme, as if Mr. Morford didn't finish researching Judaism before he put the manuscript out to be published.

The Glossary, however, is worth reading all by itself. In it Mr. Morford addresses in mini-treatises many of the serious issues confronting the anti-semetic version of Christianity today.

I give him kudos for translating the word "Law" as "Instruction" or "Torah," since that is what the word 'Law' actually means. This helps a lot to erase the typical Christian fear of "The Law" as some kind of great evil in the world that must be avoided at any cost. (Since when did God write an evil book?)

Kudos also on how the chapters are broken into actual themes, instead of following the old midevil numbering system! (Numbers are included for reference, but do not hinder the reading flow.) Thank you Mr. Morford! This is one of the best points in favor of this book, since grouping the lessons and teachings by subject keeps the flow of reading even and logical.

On the other hand, I don't know if Mr. Morford is aware of the latest linguistic and archaeological research that has confirmed that the New Testament was originally written in Hebrew. He seems to avoid this issue entirely in his Preface, which makes me think that he has not come across this information yet. Thus he treats the Greek as the 'original,' the most common mistake of New Testament translations for the last few centuries. A New Testament that strives to restore the lost Jewishness of the N.T. and yet isn't aware that it was written in Hebrew first strikes me as a little out of the loop.

As other reviewers have commented, he also does not translate the names of Jesus and the Apostles into their original Hebrew within the actual text (although there is a Glossary in the back which does this). Jesus, Paul, Barnabas etc. all remain Romanized, and of course there is no mention of the fact that Yeshua (Jesus) didn't actually have an apostle named 'James' (It was Jacob, or Yakov. 'James' was substituted for Jacob to honor King James, but the name James is in honor of the god 'Janus').

He did get several of the Hebraisms (phrases that mean something different than their literal translation in Hebrew: like 'it rained cats and dogs' would be in English). Many Hebraisms seriously effect the way a scripture can be understood, like for instance when Jesus mentioned the "evil eye." (Mt. 6:23 and Lu. 11:34) Mr. Morford makes mention in a footnote that the "evil" or "dark" eye is an idiom for being stingy and refusing to give to those in need. Thus, Jesus said whomever is not stingy and gives freely to those in need, his whole body will be full of light.

There is however little mention of the Hebrew Festivals that are constantly referred to in the New Testament. My biggest issue with this was the fact that "manger" as translated in the King James (Jesus was born in a "manger") is a word that really means "booth" or "stall", and Mr. Morford went ahead and translated it 'manger' according to tradition. But since the season of Jesus's birth took place in late Autumn, it is almost a given that we should really translate this, "Jesus was born in a Booth," which means during the Festival of Sukkot (Feast of Booths/Tabernacles). During this Festival, every public sleeping or eating place such as an Inn is required by Law to build a temporary dwelling, or a "booth," outside for the customers to eat in. The Booths are in no way filthy and disgusting such as a manger would be, and would be a perfectly fine place to sleep extra guests that there was no room for inside the building. And, of course, the bible says that Jesus took on flesh or 'tabernacled' among us, which of course the Festival of Booths was foreshadowing. Thus the fulfillment of the ancient Feast of Booths in Yeshua taking 'a tent of flesh' wasn't mentioned.

Also I think he relies a little too heavily on Jewish "Oral Tradition" books such as the Talmud, Mishna, Midrash and Zohar. There is a sense that he himself isn't saturated in the study of these works, but he relies on Jews who are, and takes their word for it. There is a little problem with this, since it takes the indwelling Holy Spirit to separate out truth from error as we read through these works, and most Jews are not born-again. Thus, weird myths and bizarre little comments sneak in that I sense are incorrect, yet they are presented as "Jewish" and therefore authoritative. Lest we forget, everything we love that is "Jewish" was given from Heaven on Mt. Sinai and did not originate with man at all. They are not "Jewish" traditions (as in from the Tribe of Judah) but God-traditions from Heaven given to men. And a lot of weird things snuck in later as the Heavenly traditions were being passed along by error-prone human beings. Knowledge of the oral traditions are really the most helpful when interpreting the actions and words of Jesus and his disciples (talmidim) because they grew up with this culture.

Despite this, Mr. Morford makes an excellent point that Paul was probably not a "tentmaker," but a "tallit maker" (Prayer shawl maker) since the word "tent" in Hebrew is often used to refer to the Prayer Shawl (our own personal "tent of meeting" with God.) Major kudos for that observation, even the Complete Jewish Bible : An English Version of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and B'Rit Hadashah (New Testament) by David Stern missed that one. (Stern translates the names of the Apostles and various Hebraisms correctly, however. I recommend getting the two New Testaments together, as they fill out one another's weaknesses.)

My final quibble is the footnotes. Although a lot of them are purely linguistic and helpful, Mr. Morford evidentially accepted a lot of suggestions from readers of the first couple editions, and in many places inserted their comments on various verses as footnotes. Many of these are annoying and preachy, attempting to overlay a teacher's opinion of a verse over the actual verse (most of which I totally disagree with, yet they are presented as fact; a lot of the "preachy" footnotes are recognizably "Churchian" in theology). I think for these footnotes, he should have published a small companion study guide full of his teachings and interpretations, and left them out of the N.T. translation.

One final note: the 6x9" size of the book makes it a little difficult to carry around as a "pocket reader." It's also a full inch thick, making it a somewhat hefty book. (I own the soft cover version.) I recommend 'desktop only.'

Summary: Excellent as an addition to an existing study library for those interested in the Jewish roots of Christianity. Not a stand-alone New Testament. I recommend buying it along with the Complete Jewish Bible : An English Version of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and B'Rit Hadashah (New Testament) by David Stern, or the Jewish New Testament by Stern.

To understand the Bible better, Pastor Courson takes you line for line and gives his own commentary on what it means. The only criticism I would have is that he uses the King James version instead of the New King James version. Some of the thee's and thou's are sometimes hard to get through, especially for those who are new Christians and want easy reading. I have all three volumes that takes you through the Old and New Testaments. Jon Courson is one of the best Pastor's we have in our country today; those of us who live on the West Coast know his sermons well. On his website, you can listen to any of his sermons, past and present for free, or you can buy them through his bookstore at Applegate Christian Fellowship in Oregon.

Jon Courson takes you to depths you can't imagine. We have several of his books, and have never been disappointed.

I have not finished this book yet; however, I cannot seem to put it down. I love it and plan on getting the others when I finish Volume 1. Jon Courson brings up so many details as you read through the Bible that are unique and insightful, yet solidly backed with Scripture. I am learning so much. I love John Macarthur and R.C. Sproul for exegetical studies of the Bible. This, theologically, seems to be in line with them. The difference, however, is that it is soo easy to read, and you can pick it up almost like you would a favorite book and feel you've just listened to an excellent sermon. The book goes verse by verse through the Bible, printing the passages in bold (usually 1/2 to 2 verses). Below each passage, Jon comments and gives insight into the Hebrew meaning, explains the scripture and consistently shows how the Old Testament verses all point to Christ. He always backs up what he "says" with Scripture references. He writes as if he is simply talking to you, so again, it is quite easy to read even though it is full of deep truth.

Jon Courson's commentary on the entire Bible (old and new testament)is
uplifting and inspiring. He takes each verse and brings it to "life"
with historic references and application to our everyday life. It's a
great read and a great reference.

Jon really knows how to reveal the hidden thing of the Word. Much better than McGee ever could. Just phenomenal insight in this book.

This is a GREAT book, impeccably documented. Avalos was a child evangelist who began studying the Bible in high school - in order to combat atheism. He soon found that, under scrutiny, Christianity didn't fare any better than any other religion, and decided the only honest position was atheism. In college, he studied under famed biblical archeologist, William Dever. Subsequently, he received a Master's and PhD from Harvard in biblically based subjects. He has been active in scholarly pursuits involving the Bible his entire life.

Before I forget, I must mention how much fun this book is to read - Avalos giving us snippets of the controversies and politics of biblical academia on every page. An outsider can be the proverbial "fly on the wall" while observing insiders discuss the elephant loitering in the room reserved for scholarly Bible study. These main refreshing themes recur throughout the book:

1. That the Bible was written during a time that has zero cultural significance today. The overwhelming superstitious nature of the times and the difficulty of simply surviving bears no relevance to our scientific Western world.

2. Virtually everything that can be learned about the Bible has been learned - yet we still don't have and won't ever have a secure handle on events that happened over 2,000 to 4,000 years ago.

3. The scholars in the academic institutions studying the Bible are incurably infected with the bias of religiosity. Even the secular ones give the Bible an undeserved pass when it comes to putting it on an even playing field with any other book of that era.

4. Biblical scholars end up with almost nothing new to study. Similar to other fields in the humanities, they maintain their relevance only amongst themselves - an illusion of significance in today's very different world.

5. Therefore, biblical studies should be placed where they truly belong - in the garbage dump of the obsolete.

Part I has chapters on the various translations, textual criticism, biblical archeology, the historical Jesus, the Bible as literature, and biblical theology. Part II covers religious studies in universities, in professional biblical societies, and in the publishing industry. To reiterate the themes - the whole field is perpetuated by a false sense of significance attached to a book of no more import than other (little read) books of the age; perpetuating jobs for the faithful and sanctifying a collection of largely mythological stories.

Avalos's outrageous book promotes a radical view that would, if obeyed, put him out of a job. He is not necessarily advocating abandoning religion, just abandoning a book, and other religious authoritative books, that condone worldviews our enlightened world is trying its best to leave behind. As Avalos says in his summary, "Privileging the Bible does not help the world except to keep alive a text that repeatedly is used as an authority for violence, racism, sexism, and the like...the more altruistic response is to affirm that the only mission of biblical studies should be to end biblical studies as we know it."

I haven't completed this book yet because I started it on vacation, and this book really needs to be read with a bunch of reference books (including an annotated bible)! I am really enjoying the book. It is fascinating and I can't wait to get back into it. I think I'm going to start it again so I can concentrate on the information. The book is so jammed with information that I am in awe at how readable it is. Thank you, Professor Avalos, for a great book.

I was highly disposed to like this book. After all, I have a biblical studies degree from an evangelical college in St. Paul, MN, and I have reacted negatively to the astonishing number of lies it turns out I was fed during the course of my "education." But the problem with this book is that it is boring and tedious.

What makes this an especial shame is that Dr. Avalos was excellent in a short presentation I saw him give. Perhaps the problem is the medium, then. An article, much like the presentation, might have been more appropriate.

Once one has announced the end of something--biblical studies in this case, obviously--and provided a couple of corking arguments for why this is the case, what is the point of writing on and on? Not that "End" is a particularly long book; it just seems Dr. Avalos could have made the same points more strongly with a scrappy little article or two, using far less flourish or academic gibber that wind up feeling like padding.

Hector Avalos presents in this book a concise summary of the current state of biblical scholarship. He shows that biblical scholarship, far from being a neutral and objective enterprise, is motivated even today by theological presuppositions. I am myself very sceptical about the ability of scholars to reconstruct ancient and medieval history given the limited documents available and the problems with establishing chronology. A reader who is not knowledgeable may be surprised to learn the earliest extant Hebrew manuscripts of the old testament, aside from the Dead Sea scrolls, date to the late middle ages. There is no principled way to know which texts are original, even if we had the earliest written manuscripts. Distortion may be added upon distortion as manuscripts are copied, "corrected" and copied again. On top of all of this is the problem of dishonest and tendentious translations which often deliberately distort the meaning of the original text. In light of this ,no intellectually honest person can believe the Bible to be inerrant. Even its continued relevance is achieved at the expense of faithfulness to the meaning conveyed by the earliest manuscripts in their original languages.

Hector Avalos, associate professor of Religious Studies at Iowa State University, has written a brilliant and original critique of biblical studies from within. He argues that biblical studies should end, because it is just religious apologetics, not an academic discipline or a branch of scholarship.

Most biblical studies academics think the bible is worth keeping and studying and most are members of `faith communities'. But Avalos shows that the bible is irrelevant, the product of an ancient and very different culture whose values and beliefs about the origin, nature and purpose of the world are not useful or ethical. Religion is a fifth wheel, superfluous to life, a hindrance to all intellectual and scientific advances. It is an illegitimate claim to extra power for foolish arguments. We should not rely on any authority, especially not on a single ancient text.

He investigates biblical studies' various sub-disciplines. He shows that the translations of the bible are largely bowdlerised. Textual criticism has found no original texts or manuscripts, and Jesus spoke in Aramaic, not Hebrew or Greek, so there can be no original, pristine word of God.

Avalos shows how history and archaeology have disproved `biblical history'. He notes that centuries of Jesus studies have not found a historical Jesus: he has no verifiable words or deeds, and there are no contemporary eye-witness accounts. Literary criticism has not shown that the bible is better literature than other ancient works, and the excessive attention paid to this one text has meant that thousands of ancient Mesopotamian texts have never been translated.

Avalos examines the USA-based Society of Biblical Literature, with its 7,000 self-serving members, and shows how it has nothing useful or original to offer. Theology has found no coherent message about God; instead it is inconsistent and arbitrary, trying to rescue the bible through citing bits of texts. Nice people find the nice bits, nasty people find the nasty bits; both say that theirs are the essential bits.

It is often held against atheists like Richard Dawkins that they do not know theology, but they don't need to because others have done the work, like Walter Kaufmann in his Critique of religion and philosophy and now Avalos in this excellent book.

This thorough but not exhaustive work (like the bible) of the flow of biblical history in the book of Genesis is hard to put down----it's that good. All main areas are covered. Where Schaeffer brings in controversy he gives us fair warning. This book should be read as a unity with "No Final Conflict". "If we won't listen, we won't understand."

There is a basic mystery that holds true, that we came into being: 1. from nothing to something 2. everything began with an impersonal something 3. everything began with a personnel something, or 4. there is and always has been a dualism; there are no other choices, and 1,2, and 4 quickly erode when analyzed. The bible gives us structure, without it we are only left with an "existential leap"----a blind faith. Schaeffer says, "we who are finite can never exhaust the finite". Yes, even the finite.

Wish you well and blessings
Scott

This was my first Schaeffer book, so I was unsure of what to expect. I consider myself rather picky with regard to religious subject matter. Mr. Schaeffer's book was enjoyable, and I will try another one. While "Genesis" did not really have any significant new ideas, it was well communicated and easy to follow, even for laymen or the casual reader.

If you are unfamiliar with Genesis and the conservative approach to its interpretation, this is a good book. It is not scholarly or philosophical, in my opinion, but it remains substantial - which many people will find refreshing.

This is a great book for all Christians to read. It puts creation back into perspective and establishes all the solid biblical proof for why creation had to exist in both space and time. Unbelievers will scoff but in this book believers will be reminded of who they are and where they came from.

One of Schaeffer's best that I have read.He looks at the start of time for us not God, since God is eternal.It really made me stop and think. Also to look at Genesis in a whole new way

Francis A. Schaeffer (1912-84) was an American Evangelical theologian and philosopher whose works were very influential on Evangelical thinking. In this fascinating book, Dr. Schaeffer takes a look at the first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis, which many Christian thinkers seem to find irrelevant to a truly Christian worldview. On the contrary, Dr. Schaeffer shows that the early history of man, as contained in the beginning of Genesis, is crucial to understanding why man is the way he is, and how God works with and through man.

I must say that this is a truly mind-expanding book that goes a long way towards giving the reader a truly Christian view of the man and the world that he inhabits. I mean, how is man "fallen," and what was and is his relationship with God? These are crucial questions to understanding the very foundational concepts of our religion, and the answers are contained in this book.

This is a great book, and a true classic of Christian thought. I do not hesitate to say should be read by all believers.

I am only 2 weeks in to the book so far. I am enjoying it though. Along with that an my devotional I am enjoying getting up and having "my time". It is a fantastic way to learn the bible from front to back. It is interesting and keeps you wanting to read on.

From the pen of John Stott, life-long New Testament scholar, Anglican pastor, and evangelical advocate for biblical training of pastor/teachers around the world, comes a very readable book for daily use. Dividing the year according to the Christian Calendar, the author guides the reader through an overview of the Bible, and concludes each page with personal reflection and application. Scripture references are provided for further reading. Superb!!!

While the Bible is central to the Christian faith, polls and surveys have repeatedly shown how little people know about the holy book and how rarely they read it. With John Stott's new book, any Christian can be given a guided tour of the Bible in short doses throughout the year.

The majority of devotional Bible reading books starts in January, but this one is different. While you can pick it up anytime, if you want to start at the beginning and follow to the end, the readings begin the first week of September. Organized in 52-week segments, the readings follow the liturgical church calendar, which divides into three periods, each containing four months. From September to December, Stott focuses on how God the Father revealed himself in the Old Testament. From January through Pentecost, he focuses on the life of Christ in and through the Gospels. And between May and August, Stott looks at the Holy Spirit in Acts, the epistles, and Revelation.

Each day includes an achievable one-page reading with a Bible verse, a brief devotional thought and some further Bible reading with a reference to between three and five verses. Each devotional is a simple yet inspirational focus on a different portion of the Bible from Stott, who has spent a lifetime creating commentaries on various books of the Bible. For each reading, an individual gains an experienced mentor through the difficult and story sections of the Bible with insight from this theologian.

As an example, consider his look into 2 Corinthians during week 44 in the book's third section. The Sunday devotion titled "Power through Weakness" begins, "The lust for power has been a characteristic of the human story ever since Adam and Eve were offered power in exchange for disobedience. Still today the pursuit of money, fame, and influence is a concealed drive for power. We see it in politics and in public life, in big business and industry, in the professions and the media, and even in the church and in parachurch organizations. Power! It is more intoxicating than alcohol, more addictive than drugs."

Then, on a single page, Stott describes how the Apostle Paul gives three striking examples of how divine power can be shown through human weakness. God uses the weak vessels of this world through the power of His spirit to shame the strong. It teaches a pointed lesson --- and is just one example of the multiple teaching points in this powerful devotional book.

Many people know Stott from his 1982 bestseller BASIC CHRISTIANITY, which has sold over two million copies. Now, with THROUGH THE BIBLE, THROUGH THE YEAR, he touches the readers' hearts and connects them to the inspirational words from the Bible yet in daily bite-sized sections. For a heart-rending journey, I recommend this book.


--- Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin

What if you could read through the Bible shoulder to shoulder with a Bible scholar? Wouldn't the experience keep you motivated and give you an "edge" to keep going? It's what you get with THROUGH THE BIBLE, THROUGH THE YEAR.

Dr. John Stott, best-known for his BASIC CHRISTIANITY gives a fresh, devotional look at the Scriptures. Each day is loaded with spiritual insight and highly recommended.

Daily devotionals come in many varieties -- from simple one paragraph reminders of the fundamentals of the Christian faith, to several pages of relatively in-depth bible study on a short passage. Stott's book falls into the latter category. With one page per day, it's not too much to read when time is short, but the thoughts recorded within are clear, concise, and well worth thinking about for the rest of the day.
If you're having trouble spending time in God's word daily (as I was), then I definitely recommend this devotional. Start with just reading a page a day -- once this becomes a habit, you can breaking out your bible and reading the passage referenced as well as the devotional. Regardless though, reading a page from this devotional and spending time discussing it with God is an excellent way to draw nearer to Him.

Daniel Berrigan's "The Kings and Their Gods" is a wonderfully prophetic and
poetic piece that deserves a spot among the other commentaries on one's
biblical bookshelf. Berrigan's ability to connect the dots over the span of almost three thousand years is truly phenomenal. But what I appreciate most was his adroit handling of two incidents which are not contained in the lectionary and so are never read before the congregation as part of our regular liturgical discipline: the story of Micaiah (1 Kings 22:8ff) during the time of Elijah and the incident of cannibalism (2 Kings 6:24ff) during the time of Elisha. Berrigan's commentary on these two segments alone would have made the book worth reading. On top of the full
panoply he unfolds before the reader renders it a real blessing.

This book is not for everyone. I couldnt follow the authors expressions and ideas. His vocabulary was way beyond me.

As this most recent installment of the Reverend Father Daniel Berrigan's exegetical Old Testament series falls upon this current year of presidential appointment (dare we yet nor ever again write election?) in direct response to such anointments this millennium and their bloody, bitter fruit, we must not avoid its careful contemplation as lectio divina, as reading the writing upon the wall, as warning and as holy prophecy. Other essential readings from this great series include Isaiah: Spirit of Courage, Gift of Tears, Jeremiah: The World, the Wound of God, Job: And Death No Dominion and Ezekiel: Vision in the Dust.

Indeed we read upon the cover the words of the great Jim Wallis (author of Faith Works: How to Live Your Beliefs and Ignite Positive Social Change and Living God's Politics: A Guide to Putting Your Faith into Action): "Part biblical commentary, part poetry, and part prophecy - this is Berrigan at his best."

Again, upon its book this sacred text bears these blazing and true words of the Reverend Father Andrew Greeley (author of A Stupid, Unjust, and Criminal War: Iraq, 2001-2007): "In this powerful and disturbing meditation on the books of Kings, Father Daniel Berrigan, with all his usual prophetic fervor and scalding wit, compares Israel in the time between David and Isaiah with the United States today."

Our beloved and revered Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister (author most recently of The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully) joins this holy chorus with these instructive words: The Reverend Father "Daniel Berrigan's Kings and Their Gods is not one book but three. The first book in question is scripture's two books of Kings, which most people ignore. The second book is Berrigan's own poetic, piercing interpretation of the books of Kings. The third book is about us - our country, our times, ourselves. In each case, the language is elegant and the narrative is dramatic and chilling. Most of all, Berrigan's interpretation is disturbingly real, frighteningly true. My advice is to read this book with the scripture in one hand and the newspaper in the other. But whatever you do, read it. Once you do, you'll never think of the books of Kings as useless history again. On the contrary, you may think of them all the time."

Like the great and grim Samuel Beckett curled seriously in a corner of a gay Parisian cocktail party when invited to join the fun responded he was drearily thinking about Dante, you might arouse from your deep meditations with the weary wail, you think only of Berrigan's Kings and their prophetic revelations within today's newspaper.

We have an octogenarian papacy in Rome continuing weakly to emit encyclicals which oddly fail to resonate, such as Spe Salvi Salvados En La Esperanza, Benedicto XVI which paints as grim and despairing a picture of human efforts as anything in Jean Paul Sartre. At least Camus granted Sisyphus the dignity of his existential efforts.

Here in Berrigan's Kings we find our Roman Catholic octogenarian prophet and priest of peace inscribing with the same profound clarity and concision, elegant grace and unsparing, courageous truth as when he wrote over forty years ago his monumental ode to peace and universal compassion Night Flight To Hanoi - War Diary With 11 Poems or his own chronicle from the court records The Trial of the Catonsville Nine.

This book calls us forth to individual repentance. This book encourages us bravely as Virgil along our way from darkness unto God's peace, stability and unity. This book calls us forth like Lazarus from the busy groaning grave of avarice and lust, of bloodletting and war, unto the fulfillment of the commandments of Love and of the blessings of Peace. The Reverend Father Berrigan speaks with authority and with truth, with courage and wisdom, with guidance as wise counselor, as merciful and compassionate father seeing us all so lost, and scattered, and eagerly pursuing that which leads to no peace.

To quote the great Catholic nun, Sister Joan, "But whatever you do, read it." You must read this book. Even if you have not seen the rest of his great and holy and prophetic opus, we must all now today, and forever, read this book, if we are to discover once more peace, and real hope.

Near the end of this great and holy book, the Reverend Father Dan Berrigan writes: "There came an interruption. A stick was driven in the chariot spokes of empire. The impediment was thrust in place by the hands of prophets, the great disequilabrists of self-interest and murder. They denounced the old order as inept, intolerable. They defended and cherished the poor, challenged and rebuked the oppressors. To Isaiah and his like, all praise (p. 201)."

Father Dan then soon recalls the first words of public ministry of Jesus, read from the scroll of Isaiah: "What we find in the Gospels is hardly reassuring: a strict repudiation of the wars of the Hebrew Bible. No word indicates admiration or empathy for the violence of Saul, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and the others. Jesus never draws on them, even by way of rebuttal, to enlarge or illustrate his teachings. The contempt, the silence are deafening. In place of the kings, images of the prophets loom large. In the synagogue of Nazareth, through the words of Isaiah, Christ conveys the substance of his vocation. Works of mercy and mitigation will mark his days: 'Good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, liberty for the oppressed . . . (pp. 201-202)"

"Blessed - and lonely and powerless and intent on the Master - and, if must be, despised and scorned, locked up - blessed are the makers of peace."

Read this book; whatever you do, read it.

In her memoir Things Seen and Unseen, Nora Gallagher recalls meeting Daniel Berrigan (b. 1921) in the spring of 1986. When she asked how many times he had been jailed, he responded, "Not enough." Poet, playwright, peace activist, and Jesuit priest, Daniel Berrigan has spent a long life obeying the good news of Jesus rather than the bad news of caesar. He and his brother Philip did time on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. In 1968 he and eight other activists stole 378 draft files of young men who were about to be sent packing to Vietnam, dumped them into two garbage cans, poured homemade napalm on them, and burned them in the parking lot of the Catonsville, Maryland, draft board. In 1980, he trespassed into General Electric's nuclear missile plant in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, poured blood on some warhead nose cones, then hammered away to punctuate his prophetic point.

Now eighty-seven, age has not extinguished Berrigan's fire. Death row, smart bombs, Iraq, and what he calls "abortion mills" still provoke his ire. These meditations reflect on the books of 1-2 Kings and, as you would expect, draw parallels to our own pathologies of political power today. How should we read these ancient texts about a territorial god who slaughtered his pagan enemies? In what sense are these pages inspired?

Berrigan reads 1-2 Kings as self-serving imperial records that portray Israel's kings as they saw themselves and wanted others to see them -- God is with us and against our enemies. He blesses us with their booty. No war crime is too heinous as a means to these delusional ends. And so on page after page we see hell explode on earth. There is one political end: extra imperium nulla salus, "outside the empire there is no salvation." There are many pathological means to this end: untrammeled imperial ego, political power with absolute impunity, military might, revisionist history, manipulation of memory and time, grandiose building projects, economic exploitation, virulent nationalism, and, sanctioning it all with divine approval, religious legitimation. In 1-2 Kings, says Berrigan, the Bible is thus "deconstructing" itself; "the medium itself is the message." A few dissenting voices object to imperial power, but they are silenced as unpatriotic and seditious. Only with the eighth-century prophets are these "official" texts amended so that we see and hear the real perspective of Yahweh about justice, kindness, and humility for all peoples everywhere.

1-2 Kings also function as mirrors in which we see our own reflection today. "Do our leaders differ, in any large degree, from the rulers of old? They are hardly different at all." Drawing upon the poetry of Czeslaw Milosz, letters from his friend Thomas Merton, and revealing snippets from the NY Times, Berrigan joins the hermeneutical horizons of ancient text and contemporary context. The last word on his final page? "One must urge (to his own soul first) a firm rebutting midrash; bring Christ to bear. Read the gospel closely, obediently. Welcome no enticements, no other claim on conscience. Mourn the preachers and priests whose silence and collusion signal plain revolt against the gospel. Enter the maelstrom, the wilderness; flee the claim that would possess your soul. Earn the blessing; pay up. Blessed -- and lonely and powerless and intent on the Master -- and, if must be, despised, scorned, locked up -- blessed are the makers of peace."

It was actually a gift for my father, who is a seminary student. He needed it for his discertation. Her really liked it a lot. It was worth the money! :)

This book clearly outlines how God has been working, is working, and will continue to work to redeem Mankind. The authors demonstrate, as reflected in the subtitle "The Story of God's Mission in the Bible," that God's redemptive plan began with Old Testament prophets and the Nation of Israel. His Plans culminates with Jesus Christ of Nazareth and continues with His Church. "Announcing the Kingdom" is an excellent companion to the textbook (a Reader edited by Winter and Hawthorne) used in the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course. Every Believer should take this course; every Believer should read the book by Glasser, et. al.

i thought that the book was a great introduction to the idea of the kingdom of God and its role in the entire Bible. The book was written in a scholarly fashion, but was accessible to anyone with Biblical knowledge. It sets a great foundation for anyone who is serious about critical Biblical interpretation and especially the influence of the Kingdom of God on the Bible. It brought me great insight and appreciation to what the Bible discusses about Kingdom and its power in my own life.

Although a long read, it's an excellent book on God's mission from Genesis to Revelation. Included in this book are many insight addressing issues in modern missions today such as ethics and strategy. Would make a great text for a biblical theology of missions class. Great for the seminarian, possibly challenging to the layperson.

Having read 5 well-published books within a timespan of 3 months on the subject of the Kingdom of God, this book was the most thorough and thought provoking. It's one downfall is the author's propencity to be sidetracked from the main subject at hand and his use of secular humanistic venacular. Besides these, it is very comprehensive and a joy to read yet not written for one's first book on the subject. If looking for an introductory book, look into Roberts's book entitled: God's Big Picture.

I love the sections that moms can connect to - other women of the Bible or special affirmations just for mom. It makes devotions and Bible study more enlightening. The reading plan is also very encouraging and easy to follow.

I don't rate many products, just the ones I really like. The devotionals take about 5 minutes to read, but they always touch my heart. The Bible is set up in an easy to read font and size. One added touch is that it puts a heart by every Scripture in the Bible that mentions mothers or mothering.

What an AMAZING book! The devotions are amazing!

This Bible is perfect for busy moms who may sometimes find themselves overwhelmed with the stresses and responsibilities of motherhood. Each devotional is a direct reminder that we should strive to apply Scripture to all that we do and face, not only as Christian mothers, but as women, daughters, and friends. The translation, NIV, is simple to understand for those moms who may be new to reading and applying Scripture.

I received this bible as a gift and I've really appreciated it. I like the NIV translation, and there is a nice daily devotional that runs through the entire bible. The devotionals have a brief passage to read, two additional passages on the topic and a short lesson. It's not as in-depth as some of the other devotionals I've used, but often it has been just the message I needed to hear. It's also super-convenient having it right IN the bible itself! The downside is that my old study bible had notes about passages, clearing up some confusing parts or adding historical references and I miss that.

One weird thing is that they marked verses about mothers with little hearts in the margin, which would have been nice if they really looked for verse about parenting/mothering. Instead, they simply marked every verse which has the word "Mother" in it, which means verses like "Mary the mother of Jesus" and stuff like that which really isn't about being a mother.

Occasionally the additional verses to read aren't really on-topic, which is a little annoying.

If you are a mom looking for a new NIV bible, this is a good, but not great one.