Inspiration Books

Modern, fun and to the point! De Grantis did it again! Wisdom and spiritual growth was never so fun and easily accessible.

I like that this book really gets to the point on how to be a REAL sexy witch. Her other book was spiritually healing, but where was the part about learning how to be sexy? This book is modern, flirty, progressive and fresh. Good going Francesca Degrandis!!
My best friend (who has picky taste in books) was entertained and even many non-Wiccans will find it useful.

It's not earth-shattering to hear that women fill many roles. But who would have thought "Goddess of Wrath and Unintentional Destruction"?

With tongue in cheek, this book guides us through self-acceptance and encourages the creation of more goddesses. My friends and I have shared many glasses of wine while naming each other's best characteristics.

This is a wonderful book. Ms. DeGrandis is OBVIOUSLY one who lives closely with the Feri folk. Part of the magic of the fey is that they teach great lessons--such as how to identify your own flavor of magic/goddesshood--while distracting you with laughter, glitter, and play. And goofy quizes (which I thought were a lot of fun!)

For those who are not yet ready (or able) to find the wisdom hidden in the joy and play of this book, I'd recomend that they read BE A GODDESS or GODDESS INITIATION, two of Ms. De Grandis' other books.

What a gift, being able to learn more about myself and the Goddess without a lot of dry dogma or bad "poetry". When I start to forget the joy which is at the root of my spiritual practice, this is the book I grab to remind me to laugh.

Nope! This book is silly, pretty, sparkly and fun. With profound magical workings thrown in. Growing does not always have to be painful, and those of us who are always working on self-improvement and mystical power sometimes need to get off the high horse and giggle a bit. This is not one of Francesca's "serious" magical/spiritual/personal development books (Check out Goddess Initiation and Be A Goddess for that flavor), but it resonates with her silly humor and impeccable mystical work.

While this read repeats some material offered in the first Dannion Brinkley book, I nevertheless reaped additional and essential knowledge and inspiration. Indeed, there was a sense throughout of a graceful acceptance that one eventually will gain awareness concerning the evolution of the soul--that knowledge of this great work we are all participating in is as inevitable as, say, birth and death and rebirth.

I appreciated, as well, how this book built upon the original story of Dannion's NDE experience--how Dannion's entire life had been transformed through a greater understanding of the processes we all are a part of and eventually will have awareness of. I consider it, along with other Dannion Brinkley books, an essential addition to my spiritual library.

"When thirteen Beings of Light tell you to do something, it is hard to say no." (Page 157, "At Peace in the Light," in which Brinkley answers his critics regarding his plans to build stress reduction "The Centers." Also a very funny quote!)

Dannion Brinkley writes an excellent follow-up on his hit best seller regarding his two NDE's (near death experiences). This is the fellow who was struck by lightening , clinically dead for 28 minutes before being revived, met by a "Spirit Being" both times he died, and received subsequent visions from these "Beings of Light" regarding the creation of his stress reduction "centers."

Click on the link to "see all my reviews" for my take on his *first* book. Interestingly, he appeared to use very few direct quotes from the original book, choosing instead to rephrase descriptions previously written about. For example, Brinkley quotes Dr. Raymond Moody on both page 183 of "Saved by the Light" and also on page 168 of "At Peace in the Light" as follows: "You don't have to die," he said. "Stay for me. I need your help." Very original!

He masterfully uses a brief, well-written forward by James Redfield, another expert in the field. Brinkley co-wrote his riveting sequel with talented author, Paul Perry (who also co-wrote with him on his first book). Also interesting: He only waited about a year after completion of his first book to finish his second.

Brinkley, now himself a talented author, again discusses the boxes of knowledge, leaving some future predictions for your review. Working with both average citizens and those dying in a hospice setting, he brings home the themes of:

* Control of our lives to make a positive change for the future;
* A spiritual evolution, in which we understand that what we do to others affects us deeply (Christians will recognize this as the "law of sowing and reaping");
* His desire to dispel all fear of death is a key motive in his writing of these book; and, lastly,
* Brinkley shares my views on alternative medicine, particularity testifying to the healing powers of chiropractic (which has also proved useful for me).

He adds an account of how he felt useless and used, merely using his talent to help gambling friends win at the horse races or on bets on sports events! (Masterful and compelling.) A family friend, whose father had been a slave, was dying and came to see him. This was touching and a contrast to his other "so called" friends.

Let me repeat a few key points you may have missed up until this review:

I view Brinkley as a credible and believable psychic: My research was unable to uncover any independent testimony to discredit or call into question his sweeping claims that he was able to see into the private lives of people by merely touching them.

This true ability is not unlike that of the late Rev. Roland buck, whose claims that he got messages from Angels of God about peoples' private lives has NOT been refuted or discounted, even roughly twenty-five (25) years after publication of "Angels on Assignment," the classic book, in which Charles and Frances Hunter took down the testimony of Pastor Buck, an aging pastor who wasn't trying to write any book or turn a dollar. (I highly recommend "Angels on Assignment.")

Brinkley again mentions religion. However, as in the first book, red flags go up, which should be of interest to the Judeo-Christian reader:

* In his sequel, here, Brinkley continues to omit any mention of Jesus' role in all of this, supporting previous claims that there are many paths to righteousness, on page 202 of his first book.
* Again, he doesn't even touch on the topic of Hell, which is certainly mentioned in both the Old and New Testament Bible.
* He repeats his themes of leaving the body, assuring a visiting Japanese journalist that it is "quite normal." (Page 176; She gets the shock of her life!)
* Use of "necromanteums" (page 172), where people make contact with the dead.

Christian readers should know that magical arts, which author espouses, are strictly forbidden: Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:26, as is "necromancy," that is, the speaking to the dead: Deuteronomy 18:11. Could the "Beings of Light" be fallen angels, demons masquerading as God's Holy Angels? "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." (2nd Corinthians 11:14-15)

As with his first book, which I also reviewed, I can not in good conscience give it the top rating of five stars for these reasons, but I still consider it among the few books among the "required reading" category, not only because he probably really saw something, but, and let me emphasize, I feel that his heart is right and pure, and many of the things he says are true, and VERY beneficial (not to mention outright fascinating!).

However, for a more balanced approach to the dark side of the Spirit World, I also recommend "The Beautiful Side of Evil," in which Johanna Michaelsen writes in this reliable perennial, equally a classic, her experiences with leaving her body under the influence of evil spirits and the journey back home to rid herself of the occult and witchcraft. Also, read your Bible, separating truth from fiction, to keep from going astray and overextending yourself, in the same way drug users and thieves must later "pay the piper" for that initial, but forbidden, thrill.

I highly recommend Dannion Brinkley's book, and extend my good will towards him for his momentous effort and fervent concern for his fellow man.

Repetitive and largely pointless. Not well written. Apparently the author's spell-checker malfunctioned too.

Brinkley takes us a little further along on his life journey with more messages for life. His stories and insights are both entertaining as well as inspirational.

I suggest that you read his first book before this one so you have a better understanding of where he has come from and what happened to change his life.

as a beleiver in only myself to change my life and suffer all the consequenses of all my own actions,this book confirmed what i already thought about most things in life, or at least hoped. i knew this life here was a test, to see if we can struggle and overcome saddness and pain and still come out positive, not scorned,not miserable, but wiser and stonger. i knew it couldnt get worse than this, here on earth.i learned of the review of your life you have upon dying and have deceided you must see that first so you can see what and how you were at that moment, so you can feel truly sorry or humility or embarresed, or ashamed at your actions or words, you get to feel what pain or sadness you caused others although not realizing it at that particular moment, and feel deeply sorry.not untill then will you go to the next level. you actually judge yourself. thats why its so important to be a good loving person,to treat people as you want to be treated, you get what you give,to realize the only thing that really matters is leaving this earth with the feeling of being loved, its the only thing you can take with you. asnd every one you loved will be waiting on the other side happy healthy and ready for a new journey. infinity. i like dannion cant wait to get there.no more fear of the unknown, no more worrying about forcing myself to beleive in god or i wont go to heaven.i have faith in myself and my actions i make in this screwed up world, and hope they are right and learn from them if there not.keeping hatred and negativity far away.

Creating true peace is one of those books that you can read with time. No need to hurry. The entire book radiates serenity, as do all Thich Nhat Hanh's books anyway.

I especially admire his simple ways of confronting us with our behavior, and his encouragements to evaluate the way we treat ourselves and those around us.

Mindfulness is a simple concept, yet so easy to deviate from in our daily activities. Reading this and other books from Thich Nhat Hanh helps you to refocus on the things that are really important.

A strong work for those who seek tranquility in a hectic society.

Thich Nhat Hanh was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He guides the reader of this new book how to go about getting rid of the violence he holds inside. As in his book, ANGER, he tells how anger and unhappiness can consume you. Violence is an outmoded response we can no longer afford politically and in daily life with family and friends (we usually tend to lash out and hurt the people we love the most).

Walking can calm our feelings and help us recover out peace. Walk to release your anger and pain. It calms negative feelings, helps you to get in touch with positive elements within and around you. Walking outdoors increases our happiness, peace, and harmony.

He tells us that we can each make a difference by being compassionate and not overbearing toward others; we are not helpless by any means. In our community, where the bigwigs hold sway and money is everything, we need to seek peace but not accept repression. Each individual is precious in God's grace -- I hope Tristan had a peaceful transition. He was a good-looking young man.

We can all work on inner change in personal lives, but global changes are in the hands of politicians, the leaders. So many are inexperienced and unsuited to lead anybody; others are corrupt. As in the movie, 'Kingdom of Heaven,' we will have to hope that God is on our side.

The best feature of this book is the emphasis it makes on being present and mindful in a relationship, especially relationships with loved ones. It is true that authentic peace begins with the individual, and can only be present when the "ego," the "me" in all of its separatist activities is absent. I think it was misleading to suggest that both ego and peace can coexist, since the very nature of the undeveloped self is to behave in divisive fashion. Thich Nhat Hanh speaks from the Buddhist tradition, and like all spiritual traditions, it can only take one so far. A great teacher once said that an ounce of falsehood can spoil a thousand pounds of truth, and although this book is well-intentioned, I believe it is of limited value. If you have a family, then by all means, read it, but for consistent truth, I suggest reading Eckhart Tolle's, Power of Now, and/or exploring the many great works of Guy Finley and J. Krishnamurti. Once the ego has been transcended, there is no longer a need to "cultivate" anything because true peace will emanate naturally from being.

I began working on the poison of anger and obtained books & a video to help, including this book, "Working with Anger" by Thubten Chodron, & the video "Good Medicine" by Pema Chodron (about Tonglen & Atisha's Lojong Slogans). I had read 1 Thich Nhat Hanh (& heard a public speech), no Thubten Chodron, but several Pema Chodron works before this. I found both Chodron's works quite helpful, but not "Creating True Peace." Later, I read TNH's book on "Anger" which seems a bit better--I must have a very different Myers-Briggs than TNH. While only a Buddha knows what people need, I don't think we should wait to put Bodhichitta into practice (e.g. Tonglen)--learn by doing and dissolve the barrier between subject & object. I disagree with p. 25: "If you do not know how to handle the anger and violence in yourself, it is impossible to help someone else."
p. 59: "We should not try to help others in an effort to escape our own sorrow, despair or inner conflict. If you are not peaceful and solid enough inside yourself, your contributions will not be useful." IMHO de-focusing one's problems by focusing one others' problems can help both; one can work on oneself & help others.

IMO, he communicates a SE Asian perspective--not readily transplantable to the West (per Jung's comments). Also, this book is full of complaints, judgments, & criticisms of the West & devalues science & progress. This seems one-sided to me. I agree that Peace is achieved through the transformation of individuals: the 100th Monkey Principle says that when a critical mass of beings embrace something, it spreads rapidly through the whole, as does Malcolm Gladwell's "Tipping Point." TNH says on p. 16: "When we hold back our feelings and ignore our pain, we are committing violence against ourselves...do not make war on our feelings or reject them, but just recognize, embrace, and transform them. When anger or fear is present in us, we bring awareness to it. We smile to it and call it by its true name." There's truth here, but not the whole truth. Buddhist psychologist Anita Barron also viewed TNH's take on anger as simplistic in Marianne Dresser's "Buddhist Women on the Edge," & Robert Moore's Warrior archetype, in "The Warrior Within," includes purposeful pain & suffering--such as Tenzin Palmo's experiences in retreat (see "Cave in the Snow" & "Reflections on a Mountain Lake"). IMHO TNH has some good points but goes too far (e.g. he appears to imply that mindfulness breathing will solve everything) & projects a limited & extreme leftist orientation. I prefer Tonglen, the middle way, & the nuns Chodron.

I cannot praise this book or author enough. It and he are truly inspirational.

Thich Nhat Hanh is an incredible teacher who writes clearly and provides personal short stories as examples to leave the reader with lucid understanding of the message of placing yourself in the other person's shoes. Listening, speaking kindly, and taking the time to become calm, and to mindfully resolve suffering and conflict in a peaceful and lasting manner.

He encourages us to practice Mindfulness meditation and to inter-be and create a special safe room in your homes as a sanctuary for peace, calmness, mindfulness, and resolution of conflict.

On page 172 in the author's own words, he says:

"We need to look deeply to see what we are now doing with our lives. We let individualism prevail in the twentieth century, and frankly we have made a mess out of it. We must begin anew for the twenty first century; we need a new different direction. We can no longer continue to destroy ourselves and the planet we live on. With determination we can abandon the cult of individualism and the self, and act and live in harmony in the spirit of interbeing.
The sangha, the spiritual community, is our new direction, and sangha building is the noblest task we have before us. To build a sangha, we have to learn to open ourselves to each other and to share our experiences, insights, time, and love. The sangha must be our refuge for all of us in this new century."

This author spends absolutely no time trying to convert anyone to his religion. Instead he spends his life promoting non-violent co-existence methods and a vision of appreciation of the miracle of all life.

This is a book of hope and understanding. Buy it now and you will be so happy that you did.

This is an interesting work by a scientist who is interested in exotic psychedelics, Proust, Einstein, Surrealism and other singularly offbeat subjects.

This is a great book, which touches on a number of subjects, but is directed to the concept that our language dictates our concept of our "reality". You just have to read it, as there are way too many references to everything from Sushi, to Machine Elves..... A great read if you have a good sense of humor. I would recommend this book to anyone who isn't an idiot. Well, even some idiots.... Eric Melendy, Memphis Tennessee. 4/1/08 April Fools!

This book isn't the most cohesive look at psychedelia's possible link to alternate realities though it produces some good arguments and questions about it. This book is a lot of things but primarily Dr. Pickovers own ideas into the evolution of language and its inherent limitations that keep us from experiencing things like alternate universes. The idea that language shapes our realities isn't new but that there might be possible ways to escape the vortex of our current reality via mind altering substances was entertaining to me. I would have given this book 5 stars if it weren't for the lecture on creative writing found in chapter 6 or 7. I would have cherished something that was more binding of the previous chapters to the later ones. None the less his stories, insights, and questions provide for a trip into Pickovers mind about where the state of reality really lies. I don't know if there was a purpose to writing this book but I found a nice and intriguing way to pass the time on the bus. Give it a try you just might like it.

The title of this review is of course facetious. It's not about everything, but it is about everything that ultimately matters: human beings and the ways they imagine the world and create it; and re-imagine the world and re-create it.
In this book, Clifford Pickover in a stream of consciousness and easy to read style gives the reader the tools to better understand the human condition and allow us to rise above it; or as the title suggests, to "transcend" the human condition through knowledge, perspective and understanding.
By giving us "tools" I don't mean to suggest that this book is work or tedious. To the contrary, I've never had such fun reading a book before. The ideas come fast and furious and just when you follow a certain path, Clifford Pickover takes you down another. But none of them are blind alleys. The paths run parallel, though they will all meet up one day (although I might add, probably in a parallel dimension). For instance, in one Chapter alone ("From Holiday Inn to the Head of Christ") Mr. Pickover leads us down paths that show us his memories of celery flavored soda; the concept behind the Holiday Inn chain; the psychology of television laugh tracks; Thomas Jefferson's remarkably humane version of the Bible; DMT elves; living forever in the Pi matrix; and the kinds of maths that Jesus would have known. I was naturally buzzed after reading that Chapter. (And all this time I thought Holiday Inn was just a hotel chain. It never occurred to me that the Holiday Inn really changed behavior on a large scale by making it easy for most Americans to take long distance vacations. Think about it!)
This book really is for everybody as my review title suggests. Except, of course its probably not for those who have no interest in the world around them and no interest in understanding and making the world and themselves a little better through knowledge and insight. Unfortunately, those are the exact people who need this book the most. The rest of us will simply want to read this amazing book like we want to breathe the air. Free your mind, and the rest will follow.

I haven't read any Pickover since _Computers, Pattern, Chaos and Beauty_, so I was looking forward to _Sex..._, especially with the promise of such a wide array of subjects. There were a few parts of this book that were very interesting, such as the lists of different authors favorite words, and a couple of passages made me laugh out loud (but a few of those were quotes). The chapter on his publishing experience came across as arrogant, if not useful for aspiring writers, and the constant mentions of his other books got annoying.

The most disappointing thing, and this is probably to be expected of a collection with such a broad subject matter, is that he barely scratches the surface with most of his ideas. I wanted to learn more about several of the subjects, but he just didn't go deep enough. In that regard, the provided list of recommended further reading will be useful.

One other thing: there was hardly any sex in the book! Unless you count his brief mentions of fried fugu sperm, fractal sex, fish sex calls, and penis-enlargement spam, the only mentions of sex are Annie Sprinkle's list of favorite words, some thoughts on what alien sex would be like, and a short exposition about the effects of technology on reproduction and orgasm length. It's like the word was put in the title to attract readers.

For all the criticism I offer, I do like Pickover. His thoughts and interests resonate with me. He is fascinated by reality, the nature of being and all of the colorful things in the universe.

I had the honor of taking a pendulum class from Ramon Grace in August of 2001 in Jacksonville, Florida. He is an awesome teacher...and this book is like having him in the same room with you telling his stories. I learned a lot from his class and this book served as an excellent refresher for me. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in dowsing.

Some great information presented in a refreshingly simple and unassuming manner. Definitely one book I'll reference again and again!

In a field so top-heavy with wannabe gurus, spiritual advisors, people who 'know' what others ought to do with their spiritual lives and precisely how they should do it, Raymon Grace is a breath of fresh air.

He's an humble, unassuming man who knows his role and does his best to pass on his quiet wisdom without spamming, chest pounding proclamations and pronouncements, New Age evangelism.

I recommend Raymon, his books, his approach to metaphysics, his work of any kind to readers, wonderers, wanderers, and all others who don't believe they yet know everything there is to learn about the workings of the self, the Universe, the position of humanity in the overall scheme of things.

We could all learn much from Raymon Grace, and we'd all be doing ourselves a great favor by doing so.

I really enjoy this authors attitude and approach toward energy work. This book skims the surface and makes me want to know more. I intend to own more of his work.

The purpose of this book is to encourage you to use your mind power essentially by intending the outcome you desire to experience. The style of the book is conversational, dynamic, open ended, which makes it particularly refreshing. You are encouraged to experiment and explore.
The author provides numerous examples from his experience and from experiences of other people of using the power of intent for healing, changing financial situation, removing obstacles and transforming the energy whether in people, places or situations, increasing energy, and much more.

I have been likewise using and experimenting with mind power all my life, and some of techniques I used are similar to the author's, some are different, but I have totally enjoyed reading this book because in the author's desire to experiment with just about anything, I feel I have found a kindred spirit. The only way to learn, to develop proficiency in using mind power, regardless of the tools and techniques used, is by doing it - by doing something and discovering what happens. The author repeats it over and over throughout the book and I totally agree with it.

At the end of the book, the author has added - in the Appendix - Dick Sutphen's talk "The Battle for Your Mind" which revolves around different brainwashing techniques. The talk starts well delineating the elements of brainwashing as used by different organizations and institutions and then it goes into describing few techniques related to persuasion and influence (there are many, many more) and the article with this talk begins to sound paranoid because the moment you dare to relax your mind, someone will mess up with it. He mentions in one breath that the spiritual purpose of a human being is finding True Self, but at the same time sounds terrified of the idea of stilling the mind so that this True Self can emerge into his conscious awareness. Until he is willing to still his mind, he will be forever seeking and never finding, because the True Self is experienced beyond the thoughts, beyond the mind. What Dick Sutphen didn't seem to realize at the time he made that talk is that we are always influencing each other with our thoughts, words and behavior and that the way of choosing your life and exercising your freedom begins with choosing your thoughts and living consciously. Unless you choose your thoughts for yourself, someone else will do it for you.

There is a little bit more to miracles than merely intending them - and that is an awareness that we are immersed in an ocean of intelligent energy, of Spirit, or whatever you like to call it, and not only immersed by also made out of and that everything else is made out of this intelligent energy - and when we use intent we are consciously working with this intelligent energy. The greater awareness you have of this ocean of boundless energy and the greater friendship, the more intimate relationship you have with it by communing with it daily, the more you can do with it.

I scoured all of the local libraries for books on wedding planning, and of the dozens that I read, this was by far my favorite book. While some of the advice is rather obvious, as other reviewers have mentioned (have your photographer friend take your pictures, etc.), I found this book to be such a refreshing departure from the typical books and bridal magazines that I have read. It provided such reassurance to me that it's okay to not want to spend tens of thousands of dollars on one single day of your life. When I was feeling the pressure to follow all of the expensive traditions that usually go along with a wedding, this book helped to remind me that our wedding day is about celebrating my fiance and I as a couple, not impressing people or living up to expectations. I've had so much fun finding really amazing bargains on everything from favors to decorations to invitations and more, and every time I really hit the jackpot with a deal, I wish that I could be in the book to tell our story.

It was definitely neat reading about others' weddings, but the advice in here is impractical, and impossible to follow depending on your situation. As previously mentioned, most of the couples in the book managed to have a cheap wedding by having friends and family donate things - food and photography services, in particular. If you don't have chefs or photographers in your family, this book's not going to be much help.

The weddings written about are definitely creative, but if you have a large family or are dreaming of a traditional wedding instead of a $5000 elopement to Disneyland or a casual barefoot-on-the-beach affair, you'll be out of luck with this book.

This book would be great if it were the only one out there. However, it is most certainly not. The only original parts of the book (and by that I mean ideas that you couldn't find elsewhere) were the dollar breakdowns of some actual weddings for less than $5,000. Those examples were very specific scenarios, and if you weren't one of those similar situations(ie: having a friend or family with a home large enough for your guestlist), there wasn't much value gained from the book.

Given the target audience for the book are couples trying to get the most for their dollar, the book itself fails to carry it's own weight. Page for page, better value can be found elsewhere, such as Bridal Bargains by Denise and Alan Fields. There wasn't a single idea in Priceless Weddings that I didn't find in Bridal Bargains.

The title of the book should be " How to be cheap without losing your dignity". It's impractical for most people outside of the midwest. I was given this book as a gift and I promptly donated it to my local public library. I wouldn't dare pass it on.

According to this book, the way to have a "Priceless Wedding for under $5000" is to rope your friends and family into footing much of the bill by providing to you, free of charge, catering services, music, photography, ceremony and reception locations, flowers... and so on. In the price breakdowns in the book, huge ticket items are not even counted as costs if someone other than the bride or groom writes the check or does the work. Oh, and items bartered for are also counted as a "free" items. Also, the rings, the honeymoon, "pre-wedding" stuff, such as the rehersal dinner, are not counted in the cost. Finally, some of the figures in the sample budgets are totally unrealistic. For example, in at least one incident, under stationary (for 100+) the total would not even pay for the postage (invitation, RSVP, thank-you notes) let alone the stationary itself...

I am very glad I purchased this book. This will be a part of my library and reference material. I know that I will be using this as a reference extensively.

I enjoyed this book -- part 2 of a 7 part series on systematic theology. Bloesch represents a "progressive evangelical" approach and sees inerrancy limited to the overall intention of Scripture. I would have appreciated a greater discussion of the Warfield/Hodge approach to Scripture. While Bloesch argues that Scripture does not teach historical inerrancy, Warfield makes a good case that it does -- based on Scripture's own teaching. Bloesch should spend a little more time on traditional arguments. There is just too much concern with Barth, Brunner, Bultmann (a whole chapter!), etc.

I enjoyed this book -- part 2 of a 7 part series on systematic theology. Bloesch represents a "progressive evangelical" approach and sees inerrancy limited to the overall intention of Scripture. I would have appreciated a greater discussion of the Warfield/Hodge approach to Scripture. While Bloesch argues that Scripture does not teach historical inerrancy, Warfield makes a good case that it does -- based on Scripture's own teaching. Bloesch should spend a little more time on traditional arguments. There is just too much concern with Barth, Brunner, Bultmann (a whole chapter!), etc.