Religion Books

Well, most people are. THis book is great for those of us who have forgotten that EVERYBODY in high school thinks they are wiered.

I have read many of Ortberg's books but overlooked this one until now. Wow, what a great book. I have been quoting this book on a daily basis. The advice, which seems aimed at Men due to the fact that we have trouble with "fellowship" and opening up, is very helpful. Once again Mr Ortberg has made me search my soul, strengthen my faith, and laugh out loud. Very insightful and highly recommended for anyone.

My cousin thought it would be a book I liked. I am planning on reading it soon.

But I am reminded immediately why I have every John Ortberg book on my wish list.

He is an amazing writer. Funny, intelligent, insightful. I hightly recommend his "If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat"

It was truly life changing.

Inciteful discussion of barriers to community building and fellowship. Helpful consideration of practical elements such as conflict management. Unique and entertaining perspective including extensive applicable Scriptural references and illustrations. Well written. An entertaining read and valuable reference work. Each chapter includes questions for reflection and discussion. Effective for group study and discussion.

Opinion from an Apostolic Pentecostal Family: We really like this book. We use it as part of Ambleside Online Homeschool Curriculum. We don't know of any other book except "the book of martyrs" that the Amish has out that puts Christian Martyrdom in such a sober and accurate light. The first lesson was tough becuase of the tears my children found streaming down their face. They were literally putting themselves in the story as Polycarp (for example) and said if they were him they would be "scared to die because it would hurt", but ultimately they came to the realization that in Revelations we are told that we will be forced to choose between God and ________(fill in blank) and then suffer a consequence. I want my children to be prepared to know how to handle that situation and to know that to face death for our Saviour is just one way we can show Him our commitment. He paid the ultimate price for us. We want to have a willing heart to do the same for Him. This book helped us all (age range 7 to 31) to look at this very real and serious predicament and to answer and commit to a path of action should the time come. I cannot say that this book lists all the "dirty laundry" of the folks who are respresented but I can say that it doesn't matter... the heart of the matter was to inspire us to take a more steady and stronger course of action in our personal lives when challenged to "denounce Christ" or to "go with the flow" and relax a little...

Thank you Richard for this awesome and inspiring book.... I will be giving copies to family for Christmas this year...

This book is so informative. I have learned so much about church history from it. Although I wouldn't recommend reading it to a child under the age of 8, I think it has many good facts and lessons for a child to learn. I read this to my kids and they are always asking questions afterwards. It's thought provoking and inspiring.

I use this book for homeschooling my ninth grader. It gives a great selection of short biographies on historical figures in church history. we used it regularly when studying the Dark and Middle Ages. Excellent buy.

I'm not sure that there's a time or a place for hagiography. Anyone other than a Christian from a reformed tradition will have difficulty with the biographies here. In general they fail to show the full human-ness of the subjects -- tho' the specifically Catholic or liturgical traditions are, if not condemned outright then certainly have a disapproving eye cast upon them. This work, like others of this kind, fail dismally in that they sanitize the lives of real, sinful human beings -- a standard even the Bible does not aspire to. Yes, many of these Christians have served God faithfully -- but in many more cases God has worked in spite of their failings -- some of which count among the serious sins -- abuse of fellow creatures, adultery etc. To set these people up as some kind of standard to which all Christians should aspire is a real problem, especially when the whole story is not presented. Frankly I find it much more inspiring to know that God can work through little old me, in spite of my many sins and failings. Faithfulness in the midst of sometimes significant short-comings is a much more realistic and holy goal. I bought this book as part of our homeschooling program, but I shall re-sell it. I'm not about to subject my children to these misleading stories.

Many people have a bias against history, thinking it is either boring or that it has no application and value for the modern time. As a result, many people of the past and their contributions to what we are now are never known. This book can change that. Its well written and engaging style warmly introduces the reader to many important people in Christian history, giving a brief summary of the lives of 46 Christian men and women, beginning with Polycarp down to the modern time ending with Richard Wurmbrand. We've been reading a chapter a week in our church's Wednesday night studies to a mixed crowd of adults and children. I think it says something of the author's ability to communicate when both adults and children say that have been blessed and inspired by the witness of these saints as Hannula tells their stories.

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."

it's great that people are studying, but its sad that people think they will study Islam by reading books by people with the most slanted veiws! If you are looking for ways to find negative with any people, culture, religion, you will find it. There are extreme views in any circle, but ISLAM is the ONLY religion where the faith is accountable by the actions of individuals, instead of being accountable for themselves. In America you have nuts doing all sorts of sick and crazy things but when are the ever defined by their religion? and then there are those who will say well Muslims kill in the NAME of ALLAH! but noone has given them authority, they are just people who are following the wrong example of the message that has been given! If you want to learn about the Prophet and what is actually taught in Islam, not this nonsense that is written by a man that obviously doesnt have the facts, but just assumes by talking about half a story, For example Marrying a 9 year old! if anyone of you read stories of the Prophet and his marriages, maybe then would it become more clear. America has hatred for things they are ignorant of. Instead of gathering real information, they base their knowledge on one side of the story. Americans really need to gain understanding, and this book is defininatly not the correct way to go about it because it is nothing but hatred. Also, for those who dont know any better, the Quran is against the killing of women and children, against such foolish ideas as running into a market and blowing yourself up...Yes these things are happening, but dont base your ideas of Islam because of how some, and a very small amount, of Muslims live and die. This is just fear and hate mongering, and if anyone knows Muslims then they would know how Muslims really act, humble and love for all of Gods creation no matter if Muslim, Jew Christian...as we were taught by the Pophet! all are brothers..but in America you are taught to hate muslims and programmed to hate anything that is different from you! its unfortunate, but i am so happy that these books exsist because if people are intelligent, they would look into the matter more, and eventually break through this garbage and come to the TRUTH about ISLAM and the Prophet Mohammed!

Mohammad's conduct during his rise to power was no more brutal than any number of other power-hungry monarchs of his day - but some of his present-day followers would present him to be the perfect example of conduct for the 21st century. Spencer presents documentation from respected Muslim sources that shows exactly how modern Muslim leaders can preach a message of hate and get away with it.

During Mohammad's career he consistently received convenient revelations from Allah that furthered his agendas. Sounds like the sort of behavior exhibited by Jim Jones, David Koresh, L. Ron Hubbard, and Joseph Smith. Were these messages from a god, self-delusions, or purposeful power plays? Whatever they were, when the negative aspects of their dogmas has been stressed, humanity has not been well-served.

This book is a synopsis of the behavior of Mohammad that would be considered sociopathic by today's standards - only touching briefly on his more gentle side. It is not particularly fun or easy to read. The cast of characters all have names that are difficult to spell and pronounce, and the book briefly covers events that could fill volumes. Spencer's commentary is quite helpful in making sense of his condensation of a vast amount of data.

Muslims who would base morality on a 7th century dictator need to get over it. Judaism and Christianity, except for an occasional abortion clinic bombing, have managed to figure out how to ignore excerpts from their holy books that aren't up to today's standards. Islam should do the same. As well-shown by Spencer, Islam's inability or refusal to do so shows that it deserves Spencer's title appendum, "the world's most intolerant religion."

This man has an axe to grind. Every book he has written concerning Islam is vitriolic and is hate-filled. His books are pure rubbish.

I read this book with the hope that the PC gloves would come off. I am personally will versed in the history of Islam. This book will anger the purists who want to deny some the truths about the early days of Islam. Liberal but uninformed Americans will realize his or her ignorance about the roots of modern-day Islamic fanatics and Jihadists. I pray that discourse will ensue and a clarity of mind will take over the rhetoric that seems to be passed off as fact. Bottom line, read this book with an open mind and you to will be set free of the malaise that many find themselves in regarding this topic.

During Christmas I was recovering from a demoralizing illness and terrible panic attacks that had shaken my faith. Searching for...something, I began reading the writings of the Spanish mystic Teresa of Avila to learn more about her devotion to Christ. But I found her so advanced, I was overwhelmed. Then a God friend recommended this book. I'm so glad he did, because it met me where I am and set me on my current path. It has had and continues to have a profound effect on me--deepening my spiritual life and taking me to a totally different level of belief. I think I'm beginning to GET it-what God's relationship with me is about and vice versa. The book also made aware of Jesus as a human being-something I'd been searching for for years--and enabled me to begin to reallysee Him in His life and words.

This is the first book that I read after 10 years of being devoted solely to the Bible. I had the book for a year till I felt I was ready and it was worth waiting for. The way it is written is so comfortable yet challenging. It is like they read my 'laundry'! It seems that so many Christians have a book for you to read, and there are many good ones out there but I have yet to find one that really speaks to the heart like all his books do. I now have this book with my Bible and look forward to more. The workbook is great and highly recommend doing it with some close friends!!!!!! I did and I grew in myself and with my girlfriends in a way that was lifechanging.

The Sacred Romance Drawing Closer To The Heart Of God
I was very disappointed in this book. It is not all it is cracked up to be. After everybody telling me how great it was on the Intimacy with God.
I didnot make past chapter 2.

The first chapter which introduced the book was very inspirational. I was totally inspired to accept what Eldridge and Curtis were saying. They encouraged the reader to pursue a deeper relationship with God. By describing the abundant life that God had for me, that included adventure and intimacy I was totally inspired. This is what I've been waiting for I thought. Then I kept on reading looking forward to the keys to this life. How do I open myself up the live this more abundant life? How do I take part in the sacred romance?

Although it may not have been there purpose, my expectations about life were raised, and then lowered as I have no idea how to get from here to there. I don't want to live a life of dutiful service and small indulgences which is as far as Eldridge and Curtis were willing to take me. I guess the rest of the journey is up to me to figure out.

While I'm really sad about what happened to the author, I just couldn't get past the first chapter. I didn't see any practical applications in life, or good advice here. Just flowery feely language trying to allegorize a spiritual relationship with fleshly romance.

Excellent historical discussion on The Nicene Creed. Reads like a well-written narrative: captivating and enlightening. Highly recommend.

The product was as described and delivery was within timeframe selected.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone who is interested in obtaining a clear and concise understanding of the Nicene Creed. Father Berard gives a thorough explanation of each article of the Nicene Creed from a biblical, historical and ecumenical perspective.

Marthaler's book was extremely helpful to me in putting the Creed into a context that is relevant for me today. Gender and the Nicene Creed by Elizabeth Geitz, an Episcopal priest, is an excellent companion to it, offering a completely different perspective. Worship is much more meaningful to me now that I have a clearer idea of what the Creed means. Mindless recitation is over for me!

This book is a one volume compendium of Catholic Theology organized around the Nicene-Constantinople Creed. In addition to a detailed explantion of basic theological principles, the book also traces the history of the creed especially during the first centuries and details the many heresies that contributed to each word being carefully chosen for the final product. The author offers the reader many keen insights into the inner workings of the magisterium as each ecumenical council wrestled with the many agendas presented by the disparate factions who were represented.

How to be an Adult is a great book to guide the reader towards establishing boundaries in any relationship. It is a reference book of sorts. It is small but don't let the size fool you. It takes a while to read as the concepts that are introduced are new and you find yourself attempting to figure out how to apply them. Great read for those who need to affect positive change in relationships.

I agree with others who said this book is not a fast read. It takes a few pages at a time to analyze and apply the information to your own life. I see that the author is very educated person. He gives a lot of statements from famous psychologists. On my opinion some of the authors own statements sound even better and underline better point than those of famous once. I enjoyed the book, although it was a little difficult to read. A lot of thinking should be involved when reading this book. It's definitely a very helpful book. It changed my perception of life phenomenally. I received a lot of answers to my questions: where my fears come from, what is a loss and how to live with it, the most important for me was explanation on unconditional love- I love that part. I highly recommend this book!!!

David Richo presents his work as a handbook for psychological and spritual integration. The book is very condensed and should be read in small snipets so that the information can be digested. It offers many statements for meditation. The book is a journey beginning with our neurotic ego, exploring a host of personal obstacles such as fear, anger, guilt, self-esteem, boundaries, intimacy, etc., and finally guiding us back to wholeness and love. The author's use of lists, comparison charts, and well chosen quotations provides us with incredible tools for our journey towards enlightenment. Although tedious at times, this work is a must read for anyone seeking personal gowth, happiness, and enlightenment.

This is a great book. Its a dense read, every word is important, so don't think you can just read it in a single afternoon

I really appreciate the no nonsense easy to read style. It's a bit much to read straight through -- I like focusing on a couple pages at a time and marinating in them. A great handbook for those with questions about who and what they are.

The Reader's Hebrew Bible has been on the market for only a few months and looks set to become a "must" for everyone who has covered the basics of the language and wishes to progress to "real" Hebrew. You need, though, to have a good working vocabulary for it to enable you to read in extenso with fluency. The grey-scale shading of proper names is a good idea. The price is also exceptionally cheap for a product of this quality.
What would be really helpful is a Grammatical Analysis of the Old Testament similar to "Max and Mary" for the New.

I've got both the first and second editions of the Reader's GNT companion volume. Either is a great value for the money, but neither comes close to the quality and usefulness of the Reader's GNT published by UBS -- the real deal. So I was a bit hesitant to purchase Zondervan's Reader's Hebrew Bible.

My hesitation was overcome by the fact that I use my UBS RGNT on a daily basis for devotional use, but don't read the Hebrew text in the same way as frequently because of the need for a lexicon nearby. A reader's lexicon helps, but it's still a clunky way to read, and because Hebrew vocabulary is so much larger than NT Greek, there are few of us who will ever be able to simply read with no lexicon around. So seeing what a reader's GNT did for me, I ordered this.

I'm very pleased. It hast the same cheap binding and paper as the companion RGNT, but the fact that it's duo-tone (basically PVC plastic) does mean that despite being flimsy, it should hold up for a long time. They seem to have overcome the typeface problems present in both editions of the RGNT. This font is very easy to read. I have not found the proper names being in gray instead of black to be a problem -- they're not that light and the purpose is to make proper names used less than 100 times stand out so that the newbie doesn't waste time trying to parse them. That's the whole point: to gloss the words so the reader doesn't have to. The more you read, the more you learn, and the more often you read and learn the more Hebrew sticks in your mind.

The fact that this text is that of the Westminster edition of Leningradensis is great. They essentially cut and pasted from Bibleworks 4. There are minor variants between this and BHS/BHQ, but nothing significant and all differences are listed in the appendix. I also like the way they've dealt with Kethib-Qere readings -- something that should serve good training for the student just learning his way around the Hebrew Old Testament.

If Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft ever prints a readers edition of BHS or BHQ it will probably leave this in the dust just as the UBS RGNT leaves the Zondervan RGNT in the dust, but until then this is a great tool.

I received A Reader's Hebrew Bible with great anticipation and was not disappointed. I have found it to be a very well conceived and thoughtfully delivered Hebrew tool. It is perfect for someone like me who is trying to intergrate the Hebrew scriptures into my life in a practical manner. This tool has already allowed me greater ease of access and I recommend it to all.

Based on the success Zondervan had with A Reader's Greek New Testament, you knew it was only a matter of time before they'd put together a similar resource for the Hebrew Bible. To the delight of many, A Reader's Hebrew Bible was released this past March. I've been looking forward to writing this review and wanted to express a word of thanks to the folks at Zondervan for sending me a review copy. I'll be breaking this review into two parts. Part one will discuss the physical characteristics and also the packaging for this Bible. Part two will take a look at what's inside this Bible.

Let me start by talking about the physical characteristics of A Reader's Hebrew Bible. It has a very appealing look about it; one might go so far as to say it's beautiful. The binding is a light brown Italian Duo-Tone. You will find the title stamped on the front cover and the spine in silver lettering. The page edges match the lettering as they are also gilded silver. This volume measures 7.2 in. wide by 9.9 in. high by 2.1 in. deep, which makes it a bit larger than the other Hebrew Bibles I am familiar with. The paper used for this Bible is a bit thinner than the paper used in some of the other Zondervan Bibles in my library. It is slightly transparent as you're able to make out some of the text on the other side of each page. However, this in no way hinders the readability of the Hebrew text. I felt that the decision to go with this paper was probably design-related as it lends to the overall elegant look and feel of the Bible. In addition to the great look and feel of this Bible, Zondervan went the extra mile by creating great packaging for it. This Bible comes in what I would consider a presentation quality box. The front of the box is windowed to show the front cover with the title in silver lettering. The back of the box has a well laid out list of information that will be important to someone who is looking to buy this Bible.

Next, I wanted to take a look at the inside of A Reader's Hebrew Bible. There are 28 pages of worthwhile introductory material at the front of the Bible. This includes the Author's Preface, a Quick User's Guide, an Introduction, and Abbreviations & Sigla. I am very excited to note that all of the introductory material is written in English. Many of the Hebrew and Greek Bibles available in the bookstores of Bible Colleges and seminaries come from the German Bible Society. The difficulty for many American students is that the introductory material is written in German. Since most of the students are not fluent in German, they miss out on the introductory information, which will help them to make the best possible use of their new Bible. Following the introductory material is the actual Hebrew text. I really appreciate that the Hebrew text goes across the entire page, with all of the notes appearing at the bottom. This serves to make the text more readable as you don't have any notes or references in the margins, breaking up the text as you're trying to read it. I think this will be especially useful to first year students who are working on their Hebrew reading as it will minimizes the distractions on the page. When the reader comes across a word they're not quite sure about, they can refer to the notes at the bottom of the page which contain glosses and definitions of Hebrew words occurring 100 times or less and Aramaic words occurring 25 times or less. These notes will prove very useful to the 1st year student as well as the more casual reader whose Hebrew skills may be a bit out of practice.

Let me summarize by saying that I think Zondervan did a great job with A Reader's Hebrew Bible. It's a very attractive and high quality Hebrew Bible at a reasonable price. The layout and notes will be invaluable for the 1st year student or the more casual reader. It will make a great gift for students, pastors, or the layperson interested in Biblical Hebrew.

The concept is great. But my major complaint with this book is the printing. A very common problem is that entire words in the text are faded (this is done intentionally to indicate less frequent vocabulary -- e.g. words used in the OT less than 100 times). Since these words are printed only in a very light ghost gray, they look washed out as if there were some sort of inking problem in the printing. Perhaps this is a usefule tool to some, but I found it less than appealing. Other than that, this Hebrew Bible makes for a pleasant alternative to awkward interlinear versions.

This book provided an easy and interesting read. Handy to carry in your purse for those few moments when you must wait! I truly enjoy this author's technique.

This book is written in a weird manner. I've only made it through Part I, and he toots his own horn for almost it's entirety. I bought this based on the reviews, and I am sorry that I did. Even at $10, it's not worth it. I am inherently skeptical of "self-help" books, and this does nothing to change that opinion.


Skip it.

Could be as an introudtion of a book on Leadership, because it just gives broad and theoretical ideas on Leadership.

Leadership 101 is a great gift and the special (buy three get one free) was perfect for holiday gift giving.
I also used this book in a post grad. class for a book review and it worked out great.

Maxwell's right on target when he describes this book as a quick read to review and develop a specific skill. I got through the 100+ pages in under 2 hours. It's specific, concise and immediately applicable, particularly if you're just starting a new job where you're in charge of someone else. Even if you're not 'the boss' just yet, you'll get a very good overview of what skills you need to develop before that next promotion or job shows up.