Religion Books

I'm always amazed when mediocrity somehow finds mass appeal. A song heard on the radio has a stock melody and banal, cliched lyrics and still becomes a hit. Obviously, after reading the overwhelming majority of positive reviews, I'll have to admit that Andy Andrews' "The Traveler's Gift" has resonated with a lot of people. It hasn't with me. I found the writing to be over-simplistic, juvenile, cliched, contrived and predictable. But beyond the literary merits or lack thereof, what about the moral message. It seems that the 7 rules for enhancing life are mostly concerned with financial success and that this is nothing more than a quick-fix-it manual for attaining personal wealth in the guise of a Christian leap of faith. I would find it difficult to pattern my life after Christopher Columbus who, according to many historical sources, tortured and murdered native Americans.
Moreover, why select historical figures involved in acts of war (Truman, Lincoln, and Chamberlain)? Why not people like Ghandi, Mother Theresa, and Martin Luther King?
Philosophically, I have problems with "The buck stops here" being a life-affirming bromide. The notion that we take responsibility for everything that happens to us in life is absurd. Surely a person who dies from a mugging attack or a serious disease does not bear sole responsibility for being victimized. Yes, the person who was mugged may have chosen to walk alone at night through a bad neighborhood and the person suffering from the disease may have eaten the wrong foods but there were certainly other factors involved.
In the hands of a talented writer, this could have been avery moving story with powerful messages delivered. In my opinion, it was anything but.

After running across his "7 Decisions" DVD, I was impressed enough to pick up the book. No surprise here, it's a great read with practical applications in life.

The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal SuccessThis will remind you of the things most of us know but really need to remember every year, month, day. Easy to read and great to pick up again and again. Must have for your library.

I had heard about this book and had it on my "to read" list for sometime but was in no hurry to purchase it. One of my friends had read it and told me how highly he thought of it, so I moved it up the priority list.

I don't normally read fictional books, but this one was very good and I appreciated it when using it from a "self-help" growth book as the lessons the book provided I feel are extremely beneficial.

The lessons, which are seemingly simple that we should all know and apply, I feel were made stronger and possibly more 'memorable' by having them applied in the form of the story that was told. The use of historical figures to deliver the individual lessons appealed to me as well.

The book was a quick read and I found myself highlighting many pages for comments that really hit home. Statements such as "...while public opinion might sway back and forth, right and wrong do not" really stood out to me and I don't think it was necessarily because I filtered the line through the current political election mindset we're in.

In the end, I feel that this should be part of everyone's "to read" list of books.

This is a business parable, but really more of a life parable. The book provides seven lessons about taking responsibility and control of your life. Rather than letting your circumstances provide you with reasons for reacting to life and letting difficulties turning into personal failure, Andy Andrews preaches what some call an internal locus of control. No matter what happens to you, it is up to you to take charge and do something about it. Book is about David Ponder. He is a middle-aged guy with a great wife and a daughter. Like so many people who have been in a comfortable job for decades and then lost it, he finds his life spinning out of control. Unable to get a job anywhere close to the one he had before, without health insurance, and getting fired for merely using the phone to talk with his wife about his sick daughter, he wonders if his family wouldn't be better off with his life insurance than him. Driving recklessly fast, he spins out on some ice and wakes up talking to Harry Truman, then Solomon, and so on until he wakes up with his wife and daughter worrying over him in a hospital.

The seven lessons are very good affirmations to meditate on every day of your life:
1) The buck stops here. I am responsible for my past and my future.
2) I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others.
3) I am a person of action. I seize this moment. I choose now.
4) I have a decided heart. My destiny is assured.
5) Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.
6) I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself.
7) I will persist without exception. I am a person of great faith.

After each of his encounters in history, David reads a short essay on each of these lessons and, of course, we read it, too.

My own take is that this is a superb book for teenagers just deciding who they want to be in life, young adults who want to sharpen their path, and adults who want to get on a different and better path to getting control of their life.

No, this is not profound art. However, the lessons can have a profound affect on your life and help you enjoy more, achieve more, and bless the lives of others more.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

There are many people today who are talking about the major shifts that are occurring in culture and in the church in the West. Many are speaking of the return to a mission-centered approach to the Christian life. The problem is that many (myself included) tend to get bogged down in the talking and thinking phase.

Tim Chester and Steve Timmis live in the UK, which, culturally speaking, is further down the road of secularization than we are in America, but not by much. It's therefore very helpful to learn from them, as they have had more time to work out the implications of what this means for church life. What they've found is that we need to retool our conceptions of what it means to be the church, and once again learn to live deeply as the body of Christ in our local communities.

In Total Church Chester and Timmis propose that the two core components of church life are the gospel and community. They winsomely and compellingly show that the major responsibilities of the church, i.e. evangelism, discipleship, mercy ministry, pastoral care, etc. are all meant to be accomplished in community, specifically communities of Christians that commit themselves to living under the gospel together. So, for example, in the case of pastoral care--when a person is struggling with fear or anxiety the first place they should go is not to a professional, but to their community, where they can be reminded of the truth that they are secure in Christ and can find their rest in him. Or in the case of evangelism--rather than formulaic, lone-ranger evangelism, the life of the community of Christ itself is to be a demonstration of the power of the gospel to change lives, in such a way that neighbors and friends a) wonder why we love each other so much, b) realize that Christianity may not be so freaky after all, and c) ask questions of us to which the only reasonable answer is "Christ."

Chester and Timmis' articulation of how the gospel can and should shape our life together has changed me, for the good. That's why I strongly encourage you to read this book yourself. Let it change how you see your life and the life of the church. And then let it shape how you live...

Andy Crouch's Culture Making is everything that readers familiar with his writing will expect: witty, readable, wise, funny, and thoughtful.

This book offers a much-needed corrective to outdated modes of Christians engaging culture. It also provides a constructive platform for any future Evangelical/Christian explorations of culture. Crouch argues that Christians are called to be creators and cultivators of culture (as opposed to being primarily critiquers, condemners, consumers, etc.). This thesis includes an articulation of what culture is (everything) and what it is for (human flourishing), allowing followers of Jesus to engage culture in a transformative way.

Especially impressive and useful, perhaps, are the methodological tools that Crouch provides for readers to evaluate and engage culture; this is not simply a book that tells us how we ought to be, but one which creates in the reader the facility to do what the book recommends. I expect that Evangelical readers in particular will be intrigued by Crouch's "five questions" to ask of any cultural artifact, as well as the structure he identifies as necessary for making complex cultural goods (a core of 2 or 3 people, an inner circle of 12 or so, and a more expansive network of 120). I can readily imagine these compelling methodological tools becoming widely known and used in Christian circles.

It's a superb achievement. If the subjects mentioned in the title/subtitle pique your interest at all, you should read it -- you won't be disappointed.

Someone once told me that our twenties are about figuring out who we are, and our thirties are about figuring out what we should be doing with our lives. I'd say that's about right, in my own limited experience. A mid-career switch from a steady and well-paid job I was good at to a couple of iterations of a new vocation I'm not sure I'm good enough at--this has been the story of my life in my thirties, and I've sometimes gotten pretty lost in all of it. The Church's varied, and usually unsolicited, opinions on these matters often don't help at all.

"Culture Making" offers sharp insight into the issue of vocation, delivered methodically, yet beguilingly, via elegant and sometimes beautiful prose. Andy Crouch sets the scene and tells the story of culture, then rapidly sweeps the reader into this story, finishing with a heart-stopping, imagination-grabbing, challenge to go and make something of the world.

After defining the terms--culture is what we make of the world, creating new culture is the only way to change culture (although gestures of condemnation, critique, copying and consumption may certainly have validity)--Crouch filters the biblical story from Genesis to Revelation through the lens of culture, then addresses our role as co-creators and cultivators with God in this world and the next (it's filled with co-created cultural goods that pass what I call the `new Jerusalem test', and the idea takes my breath away). While all three sections of the book are tightly integrated, it is this third section, entitled "Calling", that really sings.

Crouch's broad definition of culture making--the introduction of any cultural good--is also liberating for those of us with a narrow view of vocation. Essentially--we can, and must, be creative in every area of our life, because we bear the image of our creator. This is must-read stuff, and not just for artists (although I think artists will really sink their teeth into this one). It's food for thought for any Christian wishing to make a meaningful contribution to their world. It certainly has contributed deeply to my own thinking about vocation.

I think it was my grandfather, a welder who spent most of his time working in the oil fields in Southern California, who told me that it's easier to tear something apart than to put it together well. He did a lot of both of those things during his 90+ years but his observation is helpful, especially when one looks at how the followers of Jesus engage the world. For too many of us (especially those of us who hang around the academy), our skills at critique far outpace our ability to make something of the world that is good. Andy set out a compelling challenge that captured my imagination and invites us all to put something together well.

This is a must-read book for those of us who are tired of talking and ready for action. Crouch works through the story of humans as presented in the Bible to show God's work in developing human culture, whether it be words, omelets, art, government, or relationships.

Crouch provides an expanded definition of culture - beyond art, media, and politics - and calls Christians to be producers, not just critics, in order to create and promote good in society. He writes with discernment, providing context for the ways the American church has historically responded to culture (condemning, critiquing, copying, and consuming) and giving a vision of the way things could be.

Andy Crouch's book is the best I've read on culture and Christian responsibility. He is a gentle but trenchant critic of the church's current and past failures, a smart celebrant of the church's successes, and best of all, a trustworthy guide toward a productive future of culture making.

Truth be told, I sort of expected all that, and was glad to have my expectations met. But I was surprised by what I see as the book's core accomplishment, which is a re-reading of the Bible that reveals the centrality of the concept of "culture." The book powerfully reorients us, not only in terms of our thinking about culture, but also our way of interacting with and living according to scripture. "Culture Making" deserves to be a watershed moment for Christian witness, and I hope it is.

Bart D. Ehrman's "Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why" is simply the most enlightening title I have ever read! Par with his other works, Ehrman condenses centuries of relevant biblical history into this remarkably informative and accessible volume. As one of the world's leading biblical scholars, and chair of the department of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Ehrman's qualifications and experience empower him to deliver candid and noteworthy insight into the most provocative topic the world has ever known. In his luminous book, "Misquoting Jesus", Ehrman reveals the academic and historical truth about the New Testament texts and their turbulent rise to become our society's most influential--and controversial--body of spiritual knowledge. This book is sure to prove itself an imperative revelation for any Christian seeker, and a comprehensive examination of fact-versus-fiction for the inquisitive reader. "Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why" is, without doubt, one of the modern world's most significant and important contributions to the effective understanding of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Ehrman follows up on his 2003 study of The Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew by turning his eye for Biblical criticism on those books that did make it into the canon.

Ehrman talks briefly about textual criticism as applied to New Testament source manuscripts, suggesting that the currently accepted canon has been revised inadvertently and intentionally over in over 30,000 places. He provides a handful of examples, and provides a very elementary introduction to the discipline.

Not that compelling. Most interesting is his introductory biographical essay, telling of his boyhood in the Lutheran faith where Bible study wasn't encouraged, to a teenage born-again experience, to his scholarly studies which have made him pull back and refer to "born again" in quotes.

The most interesting question he raises is how to square Biblical inerrancy with textual revisions, some of which have surely taken place, although none of his main examples are faith-shattering. His point, well taken, is that if you believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, then having the actual words of the original writers is vitally important, and needs to be considered seriously as a theological question.

Erhman's book provides a clear and concise explanation of new testament history.

This history shows the finger prints of humanity on the authorship of the Bible.

The Bible we have today is the result of one version of early Christianity winning the battle for orthodoxy over competing factions. The victors declared the losers heretics and wrote the "word of God" to support their views.

Ehrman has masterfully succeeded in putting together a piece of academic scholarship on the writing and construction of the New Testament, which is easily accessible to the lay reader. I recommend it for those interested in a readable starting point in the field of "who (wrote) and how" the Bible was written. While Ehrman prefers the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, his book demonstrates that all Bibles are based upon an incomplete and often times erroneous interpretation of our earliest Biblical texts. We do not even have the original texts, as the Gospels themselves were written a generation or two after Christ's death. Ehrman suggests also, however, that all readers of the Bible need not despair for despite these changes many scholars believe that the meaning and intent of the Bible been preserved. What Ehrman challenges most squarely is the Fundamentalist reading of the Bible that asserts it is the Word of God without error. Ehrman himself believed this at one point, and went to the Moody Bible Institute, then proceeded on to Princeton Theological Seminary in pursuit of the deepest understanding of the Bible, so his credentials and ability in this field are well-established. He has concluded that, while the Bible's meaning may in many places be intact, there are some significant revisions and alterations to the text that have taken place, and that should give us great caution in making inflexibly dogmatic statements based upon it. Anyone wishing to understand the New Testament and the message of Christianity better would do well to read this book.

This book is well worth reading if you are interested in the subject matter. Perhaps most refreshing about this book, despite its rather provocative title, is that Ehrman is very objective in his review of early Christian writings. I read a lot of books on the topic of religion that have been written by atheists and, while I enjoy most of these books, I have to admit that many of these authors have a tendency to be sarcastic (some might even say smarmy) when referring to the faithful. Ehrman, a former fundamentalist Christian turned agnostic, appears to respect the religious convictions of others, even if his own research caused him to change his beliefs. His interest in the subject matter seems genuine to me. I didn't get the impression that he had an agenda, other than a genuine scholarly interest to discover, to the degree possible, the truth about early Christianity and the evolution of the New Testament.

It is because of Ehrman's objectivity that I was surprised (although I shouldn't be really) that there is a book called Misquoting Truth that disputes Ehrman's research. I guess this indicates that Ehrman, who has been writing books on early Christianity for years, has achieved a level of success that brings with it a degree of notoriety.

Because I've read a number of books on early Christianity, not everything in this book was new to me, but I found quite a bit of information that I hadn't heard before. It has a logical flow, is accessible to a lay person, and is well researched and objective.

It is unlikely that fundamentalist Christians will read this book with an open mind, but I think a lot of Christians could find it very enlightening to read. I know that as a child, attending Catechism, I was either taught (or just assumed) a lot of things that I suspect many Christians believe. I always assumed that the gospels were written by men who knew Jesus (or at least had first-hand knowledge of his life) shortly after his death. I assumed that the four gospels in the New Testament were the only gospels, that they were consistent with one another, that they never changed, and that we had the originals somewhere. I assumed that all of the followers of Jesus had the same beliefs about his life, death, and resurrection.

I have come to learn that these assumptions are likely false. The gospels were written decades after the death of Jesus and its unlikely that they represent first-hand accounts of his life. There were many very different variations of early Christianity and numerous gospels and writings circulated at this time, reflecting a wide range of interpretations of who Jesus was. These writings reflect the different theological interests and competing agendas of early Christians. The four canonized gospels contradict each other (quite significantly at times) and no originals have been found. Most interesting (and the focus of this book) is how the gospels and other writings of the New Testament were altered by scribes over hundreds of years. Some changes were accidental, but many alterations were likely deliberate. Ehrman objectively analyses the probable motives behind many of these changes.

This is a very well written, well researched, discussion of this topic. I recommend this book to anyone interested in early Christian history.

Prayers That Rout Demons

Since the day I discoved this powerful tool that has been released to the body of christ, My prayers have never been the same, in fact our church are making full use of it ... I have also been purchasing this book and making it an easy access to the body of Christ.I believe that every son of God "must" have a copy of this book. when you pray you know that God hears because it His very words you are praying back to Him.
God bless Apostle John Eckhardt.

I had to give this book a rating so I could post this review. I haven't bought the book yet so don't count my rating as anything that would persuade you to buy or not to buy the book. I was posing on here because I want hear some 'actual' testimonies that took place after praying and reading those decrees and scriptures from the book. I want to hear some stories of results instead of opinions from people. We have plenty of opinions in this world but what we need is solid testimonies to bring about hope in our hearts and spirits. So if anyone (holy spirit filled christian) is out there that has this book and have prayed the prayers inside the pages please give us some testimonies of God's delivering hand.
God is very clear that the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony destroys the work of the devil. So please list all the works of the devil that have been destroyed!!
Thanks

powerful,powerful,powerful! declare these prayers in your life and touch the heart of God ... buy several because you'll want to give them away!

What ever you do get this book it is absolutely amazing it has changed my life forever.If there ever was a manual to slay the enemy this is it.

This book is an excellent reference for prayers/scripture verses on a variety topics that plague all of us as human beings. There is an ongoing battle for the souls of all mankind being waged by the forces of darkness against the forces of light, and this gives true "prayer warriors" some additional weaponry to be used in that fight on the side of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and against a defeated Satan and all of his fallen "angels" (i.e. demons, evil spirits, etc.). A "must have" reference for those who want to free themselves (and others) of demonic spirits!

Dan's first book, "Losing Faith in Faith" was a very important book in my departure from religion. But I thought it was a little too antagonistic, a little impersonal, given that it was a collection of articles that he had written for the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

His new book is more of a biography that delves into exactly what happened to Dan as he went from one of the most "on-fire" Christians to a leading atheist. Of course, Dan doesn't pull any punches and tells it like it is. This takes great courage and it's something that I admire in Dan--his ability to look religious people in the eye and without blinking, tell them they're wrong.

For anyone looking for a handbook on the major arguments against religion, I highly recommend "godless". I'd buy copies for all of my Christian family if I thought there was a chance in hell that they'd read it.

Incredible book, a must read for anyone and everyone who questions. If only more religious people would have the courage to read books like these. Another good book to read is "Atheist Universe."

this is a very good book on atheism,citing the reasons that led dan barker to become an atheist.the only flaw that can be found is that it is more of a personal confession,dealing with the emotions of the writer,than a strict philosophical assessment of the arguments supporting atheism.despite this,it is a highly recommended book,because it shows the inner struggle that someone has to go through when he realises that all that he believed was false.i do not agree with his conclusions about the merits of atheism,but i have to admit that he is to be congratulated for his persistence in the search for truth.

The startling thing about Dan Barker's writing is how he well tells the story of his journey from Christian preacher to freethinker in a warm, human way, then proceeds to dissect the errors of that former faith with keen precision. Like a letter from a good friend who has abandoned the realm ruled by unreason, the book is both personal and persuasive. Barker is writes sincerely about Christian and non-Christian life, and firmly but without a trace of rancor about leaving the Christian religion. His reasoning is clear, accessible to all, and complete. This is a fine book for an atheist to give to a friend who can't understand their lack of faith, and it makes good reading for anyone who finds it necessary to explain their unbelief to others. This is perhaps the best all-round book on atheism of the last couple of years.

Dan Barker's life is an amazing testimony to the power of reason and science over the delusion of believing in Christianity. As an influential Christian evangelist and song writer he shares in this book why he could no longer remain a Christian, and why he became an atheist. It is a powerful and profound story that almost brought tears to my eyes, having experienced a similar change of mind as a former minister and apologist for the Christian faith.

If a skeptic wants to get into the mind of a Pentecostal Christian then she needs to read Barker's story. Dan tells of how everything that happened had a "spiritual significance" for him, even to the point of following so-called divine hunches while driving, to turn right, and then left, wondering if these hunches were actually voices from God. Dan tells of a time when he followed them and found himself at a dead end in the middle of a cornfield! He concluded God had merely tested him to see if he'd be faithful! Isn't that the hoot!

If a Christian wants to say people like Dan and I leave the faith because we just didn't want to believe, then she needs to read Barker's story. Dan tells us that this process "was like tearing my whole frame of reality to pieces, ripping to shreds the fabric of meaning and hope, betraying the values of existence...It was like spitting on my mother, or like throwing one of my children out a window. It was sacrilege." Right that.

As he became an atheist he went through an "awful period of hypocrisy." Especially moving was when Dan, who had recently become a closet atheist, was asked to preach in a service where an openly atheist person named Harry was in attendance. Dan shares how he wanted to say, "Harry! You are right, I'm sorry. There is not God, and this is mumbojumbo nonsense." That was his last sermon. This story highlighted for me how hard it is to leave that which we had invested so much of our lives in. It can be very painful to leave what you've believed so fervently and preached with such intensity for many years. You feel lost. It's a real struggle. You don't really want to leave. But leave it he did.

Dan has some interesting and creative arguments as well, when it comes to the Kalam argument for the existence of God, and the resurrection of Jesus, two kingpins of William Lane Craig's apologetic. He critiques the coherence of the concept of the theistic God too. In one chapter we find a letter written by God to theologians where he asks them to explain where he came from, how he decides what is right and wrong, and even who he is.

Many skeptics merely list some Bible contradictions, as if that's all they need to do to debunk the Christian faith, and Dan lists plenty of them. But he also goes into some depth in a separate chapter on one of them, to show he could do that with the others he merely listed. He focused on the discrepancy between Acts 9:7 and Acts 22:9, with regard to whether the people with Paul on the Damascus road heard the so-called heavenly voice, or not. Dan made his case.

I don't think he made his case that Jesus was not a historical person, though, and I think such an argument will put Christians off. Only skeptics who do not accept the Christian faith will consider it, and it indeed is a worthy question. I think there are several other issues Dan could've dealt with that he didn't, like the coherence of the concept of a triune God, the incarnation, the atonement, the devil, and the resurrection of the body.

While I myself am quite familiar with the arguments in the book, I especially liked his personal story from being an evangelist to one of America's leading atheists. He is a great writer, a creative writer, and it shows in this book. In it he talks about his subsequent debates (64 of them so far!), the debate tactics he's used, as well as some of the court cases he's been involved in on behalf of the separation of church and state. He also shares a personal painful story of when his pregnant wife, Annie Laurie, had an eclamptic seizure (look it up) and survived, giving birth via c-section to their daughter Sabrina. At no time during this traumatic experienced did either of them pray to god for help. "We didn't even consider it," he wrote.

While Barker says that "atheism has no hierarchy, no clergy and no chosen people more `holy' than anyone else," he is surely to be considered the reigning bishop of those former Christians and ministers who have "lost faith in faith." This is his new church, and he's still preaching today. Instead of being "brothers in Christ" we are now "brothers in reason." I greatly appreciate my older brother.

The question for Christian believers is why God let Dan slip out of his hands if he knew in advance he would lead others "astray" from the fold like he has so effectively done. He's now preaching a new message, a powerful message, that God does not exist and that we can do better without such a belief.

Preach on brother! Preach on!

John W. Loftus, author of Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity

Good smattering of questions to talk through with your potential fiance. I bought two of them - kept one for myself and sent the other to my boyfriend in Canada. We'll work through the questions together. It's definitely not a devotional or self-help book. Just a great collection of questions to go over while considering marriage. Good to go through them BEFORE any marriage plans are made. It's a tool to help you get to know each other better.

I got this book for my friend who is getting married in 2 weeks. I didn't read it myself, but she said it was good! She said that they got through the questions pretty quickly, and enjoyed the discussions.

This book is a really great book for multiple reasons.

First off, the introduction is really well written and will make you face any major issues head on. It suggests if there are certain warning signs or red flags in your relationship, it might not be a relationship to stay in. Both my girlfriend and I were surprised that everything listed as warning signs and red flags pretty much described all our past serious relationships (but luckily not ours! haha). We wished we had somebody spell it out to us so clearly back when we were in them! lol

Second, this book does exactly what you are expecting it to with the 101 questions. Every single question we've read has either started a very good conversation, enlightened us into how the other views something, or was something we've discussed at length before and if we hadn't would be an important topic to talk about.

Now I suggested in the title that this book is for every couple and not just for ones thinking of getting engaged or married. It can be elightening to couples who are casually dating and want some interesting conversation topics, or couples who are getting ready to get engaged or married. Couples who are just dating will learn more about their significant other and see if it really is somebody they want to stay with. For couples who are getting engaged or married it can help work through alot of issues before the stress of being married is added into the mix.

All in all, to me it is a definite read to any couple and I will be suggesting it to all my friends and family.

In my opinion, this book is fabulous. It has allowed my boyfriend and I to discuss some really important topics that may have never just "come up" in daily conversations. I appreciate the comments at the end of each question. They are helpful and add depth to the discussions. It is definitely not a "feel good" relationship book. Instead it is for serious couples that are ready to delve into serious topics such as family history, finances, pornography, children, and past relationships to just name a few.

The authors have done an excellent job with the questions/topics in this book! We've talked about most of the questions in a round about way, but we've deceided to write (there's space, we assumed for writing) our answers in and many times there is a different point thrown in that we end up talking about the rest of the evening!

Highly Recommended!

Waste your money to buy,
Waste your time to read.

Nothing is researched as it was claimed by the author.

You can not study Islam by reading only what you like to read, and translating it and intrepreting it in the way only you want it to be intrepreted.

Highly opnionated. Shallowly researched and deeply biased.

Everybody knows the authors opinion about Islam and the last of the prophets Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family). None is interested in reading it because there are enough angry Christians and other opponetents of Islam going around out of the anger of loss to Islam their previous reputation in many spheres.

Those who oppose Islam are the haters, and this books proves how great is their hatred is.

I would have given it 5 stars but for the fact that it is a difficult read. If one reads in parallel with a Quran, one can see there is a near perfect correspondence with the text, and then one can interpret the material according to his beliefs.

I do not think Islam in itself is evil but rather the orthodox Islamic view of other faiths, intolerance for diverging opinions and lack of understanding of the west, and pluralistic societies (taking the Quran literally leads to this).

Wahabism has not helped at all in the understanding between Islamic East and the West, and it is unfortunate some middle East countries continue to fund its spread across the Islamic and 3rd worlds.

A clash of cultures is inevitable, and this book helps in reading, not necessarily understanding, the prophet and his hate for anything not Islamic and unbelievers.

I fully disagree with the author and his unproven personal opinions. He uses the words "faulty knowledge of Judaism and Christianity" but it's a shame that, he himself is at fault and without any knowledge at all about Islam. He is a biggot who thinks all Islam belivers are terrorists and trying very hard to have everyone hate them. It is not true Muhammad forced people to kill for him and took great satisfaction from doing so. As a matter of fact, Muhammad was defending himself and his people against enemies and had to kill to survive/live unlike most people today who kill for fun, kill for free oil and worst of all, kill for sadisctic pleasures. Robert Spencer is an ignorant biggot who should fully research the subjects he intends to write about.

By reading Spencer's book, I now have a clear idea of the dangers involved in trusting any Muslin. Mohammed, being the example for all Muslims was ultimately untrustworthy and strove to find fault in other while all the time harboring great defect in himself. All of his "revelations" echo the same delusional tone found in Joseph Smith. As a matter of fact they really have a lot in common, distrust of others while all the while being untrustworthy, polygamy, convenient revelations, deception and the killing of innocents.

If indeed Mohammed were the ideal man, I would prefer Hell. For as Spencer repeatedly notes, to understand a religion one must have an understanding of the founder.
To believe that I would spend eternity with the likes of Mohammed or Osama Bin Laden is no inducement to conversion.

It is apparent that Islam is the product of a singularly human mind that may have been trying to do good but was very lost.

There can be no treaty with an ideology that has it's origin in the imperialistic delusion of a 7th century lunatic. If of course you have no beliefs and are content to see all professions of faith as equal then you do not need to read this book. However, if you believe the there is a moral standard the rises above all else and murdering in the name of a pagan god is not included in that standard, read this book.

As for my family and me, we will trust Jesus, for his example is above all others, no matter what you believe.

Ever since the first Crusade and to this day, multiple distortions and twists to make a story fit the insidious hatred of the author is standard menu. Books of this nature run into tens of thousands.

It is rather sickening to read emotional regurgitation and this one distinctively emerges as the best of the worst. A few examples will suffice in comparative history, which makes this book utter rubbish.
Prophets of early years also waged war. Among them were kings who had absolute power. Prophets also had multiple wives. There is nothing new. If Robert Spencer is an Islam expert, then seven year school children are all Einstein's. When the 2nd Caliph of Islam entered Jerusalem, there was no blood spilt and freedom of religion proclaimed. When the Crusades entered Jerusalem, the city was knee deep in blood. European imperialism is mired as the most grotesque in comparative history. Read the history of the Americas - both North and South and Africa.

Perhaps Robert Spencer should read the accolades of famous people who commented on Prophet Muhammad.

Observations of some Western scholars about the high moral character of the Prophet before his marriages to Khadija (R.A.) are worth nothing: Sir William Muir, a very hostile critic admits: "All authorities agree in ascribing to the youth of Mahomet a modesty of deportment and purity of manners rare among the people of Mecca".

Emile Dermengham states that the Prophet "remained faithful to one wife much older than himself for a quarter of a century".

George Bernard Shaw said about him:

"He must be called the Saviour of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness."

My girlfriend suggested that I read this book because I've been having terrible guilt issues. She was SO right. One time through the book, and I was finally able to forgive myself! Second time through the book and I'm working on everyone else now. I can't even begin to express the positive impact it has had on my life. I'm purchasing it for everyone in my life who is feeling guilty about decisions they've made.

I read John MacArthur's book The Freedom and Power of Forgivness and R.T. Kendall's book Total Forgiveness a week apart from each other. I found the MacArthur book a stronger book, its biblical insights, and the important coverage given to Matthew 18:15-17, Biblical Church Discipline.

Mr. Kendall's book, while sincere and hopeful, doesn't properly articulate Matthew 18:15-17 for dealing with peoples' strongholds of sin. Either Mr. Kendall wasn't taught it, doesn't know how to carry it out, or doesn't know how to carry it out effectively and Biblically. Some of his suggestions about why we shouldn't confront people are contrary to Jesus' express commands that we are required to confront people in their sins (Matt:18:15-17). I found Jay Adams book Handbook of Church Discipline helpful in explaining Matthew 18:15-17, along with John MacArthur's book on Forgiveness, and Ken Sande's book The Peacemaker.

This is a beautiful book. Kendall does a splendid job in bringing forth the power of forgiveness and reminding us that it is always God's will.

I love the author's writing style so it did not take me long to read. I would recommmend this for every Christian because we all have times in our lives when we feel like holding a grudge or we are tempted to lash back at others who have brought pain and hurt into our lives.

Kendall points out in such a moving way that there is freedom and wholeness in forgiving others.

I also enjoyed the practical dimensions to this book as it made it more applicable. One of the best books I have read on this subject for sure.

This book should be read by all Christians. It will give each a new insight into a relationship with God.

You must read this to understand how to totally forgive. I still struggle with this especially after being done wrong by the same family member and who does not apologize for them.

The bottom line is....life is about serving God and not about my feelings....which sometimes is hard to swallow.

It is taking me a while to read this book as i am so engrossed in it.