Religion Books

Excellent, concise, yet complete. A required text for my Chrisitan Theology 1 course, but one I will keep and use often!

This dictionary is definitely for the layman's theologian. For those of a somewhat firm grasp of theological terminologies, you're better off sticking with a standard merriam-webster collegiate abridgement, or a larger, deeper theological dictionary. This dictionary is probably for the novice, or beginning student of theology or philosophy. There are many terms NOT included in this dictionary that I find often in theological studies that you'd think would be included. Where's the entry for "semiotics"? Where's the entry for "cosmogony"? Or how about "bibliomancy"? This book is very small, so at least they don't mislead you about its size. There are other theological dictionaries which have better application for the theology student/scholar in mind.

I suggest picking up Westminster's Dictionary of Theological Terminology by McKim for a more complete dictionary.

This book lives up to its title; (hints pocket dictionary) was not intended to be a textbook of biblical theology. This small book provides its readers with short answers to common theological terms. I would have to agree with one of the other reviewers, not all the words I looked-up were in this little book. However, that is clearly not the books intent.

This may make a good tool if you are teaching someone and do not want to lug around a 5 pound dictionary. If you are looking for the 5 ponder, it's titled, "Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology" and is a standard seminary text. I have to give this book five stars, because of the content and living up to its name.

For the price and the size, this dictionary is an excellent buy for a bible college student, and for all those working as pastors, in youth ministry, discipleship educational ministries (formally called Church Education) and so forth.
At last I've been able to find a dictionary with terms like pragmatism, predestination, panenthiesm, and other such terms I cannot recall at this moment. Many people do not understand the differences between a bible dictionary and theological dictionary, so for a long time I did not know that a theology dictionary existed. My only gripe is that there are theological terms not in this book (natural evil, free will theory,etc..) and many of the terms in this book are way to concise. However I did find a expanded dictionary on theological terms at the local Christian Bookstore, but it cost over $50 and was not pocketable.

So my conclusion is. If you just need a simple dictionary that is both cheap, and does not weigh 50 pounds, then buy this dictionary.

The Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms is a small, slim (122 pages) book which typically devotes five or six lines each to theological terms, major theologians, and theological movements and traditions.

It need hardly be said that a book which tries to squeeze a world of theology into a mere 122 pages will have its limitations. Nonetheless, it is surprisingly comprehensive, and refreshingly clear and concise. So, for example, it covers the Council of Nicea, the theology of Karl Barth, the meaning of fundamentalism, and more than 300 topics besides.

The authors state that their purpose is simply to "provide you with a foundational, working knowledge of the concepts". In this they certainly succeed - and with language that should be within the scope of most beginners. While most of their definitions would find general acceptance, they state that they give preference to a "broadly evangelical, Protestant perspective".

The one obvious shortcoming of the book is that it would sometimes seem to be capricious in its selection of terms. For example, salvation is defined, yet mission is not. The imago Dei is defined, yet the imitatio Christi is not. Adolf von Harnack receives an entry, yet Jürgen Moltmann does not. And finally - wait for it - Protestantism is defined, yet Roman Catholicism is not!

Having said this, many of the omissions (e.g. Roman Catholicism) would come into focus with a complete reading of the book, and this does not seriously detract from the usefulness of the book as a whole.

A full theological dictionary can "cost a ton", besides being difficult for beginners to cope with. This small book provides a cheap and handy alternative, and has the endorsement of leading evangelical seminaries. For what it is worth, it is a good reference work well written.

This is a wonderful book written by Christian couselors. It teaches a person to re-train their thinking to overcome depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, etc. A lot of people, especially when very young, are given wrong messages about being a bad person or a failure, etc, and it carries through adulthood causing shyness, low self-esteem, etc. This book tells you that those wrong messages are lies and are not the truth. In lots of cases, we have more capacity than we think we do, and we deserve more credit than we give ourselves.

This is a really awesome book, using Christian backing.

The book is excellent. Im' reading it for the second time which I rarely ever do with books. The dissatifation I have is the 1st week I had it the book started to come apart. Books are not made as good as they use to.

After reading this book, I've since given away my copy and bought it twice. It's based on a simple concept: eliminate negative self talk by recognizing it, arguing with it, and replacing it with the truth. Anyone who has ever been discouraged, experienced doubt, or been angry at themselves will learn from this book.

Very beneficial book for both counselers and clientele.
I would recommend this book to anyone searching for a Christian solution
to every day problems that are difficult to identify and overcome. I first read this book in 1984.

After reading this life changing book by Backus I am completely transformed. I used to suffer from depression and anxiety (for 10 years) and had paid lots of money for therapy and medications but NOTHING helped me until I read this book. It opened 100 windows and has changed my life for the better.

Beth has a way of opening minds to the reality of Jesus and helping others to break free of themselves and their pasts. This is another
"you go girl"

A Letter to My Sisters: The Way Out
I am indeed invigorated and ready to proceed into the future. This book helped me to break away from the bondage of things that had been sitting in my way for a while. Thank you Lady Beth for sharing you revelation.
A Letter to My Sisters: The Way Out

This was one of those really excellent experiences. Shipping was done within the days specified. The shipper sent notification the book had been shipped and the book arrived within a week. Above and beyond expectations!!

Great Amazon Seller! Would buy from again. Received book exactly as described in great timing.

Don't you just love Beth Moore?!? What an inspiration Beth is to ALL Christian women across this world. God has used Beth in such an awesome manner - don't you wonder what it's costing her? To whom much is given, much is required. This book flows just like her Bible study with the same title. This book will help you to find areas in your life where you are being held back and weren't even aware you were being held back! There are so many things that we as humans accept as just a part of normal life. Beth shows us in biblical terms why that is just not true! Just because it's a common 'side effect' of living in this sinful world DOES NOT mean that we have to accept it in our lives! I strongly urge you to find a church in your area that offers Beth Moore Bible studies. Read this book - it will set you free!!!

The more I read of Richard Foster, the more I like his style. As is always the case in his books, Foster's Streams of Living Water presents a well categorized methodical approach to understanding the Christian faith. In this case, he focuses on what he calls the "Traditions" of the faith.

Other reviews have detailed the Traditions of which Foster speaks. So, I'll comment on the structure of the chapters, which, in my opinion, is excellent. Each chapter gives multiple examples of people who focused on the Tradition for that chapter. One of these people is contemporary (Billy Graham is one), one is historical (St. Augustine of Hippo), and one is Biblical (Amos, for example). After using examples to give you a feel for the Tradition in question, Foster lays out what he considers to be the essentials of the Tradition, its defining characteristics. He then moves to a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the Tradition, and closes the chapter with a discussion of how we can integrate it into our lives.

It's clear from reading the book that it is designed with an ecumenical understanding. Foster sees each modern expression of Christianity as presenting a part of the life of wholeness we are to live. Through people reading this book (and joining Renovare groups and such), Foster hopes to encourage Christians to live a balanced life. This book is certainly a good step in that direction.

If you want to live a full Christian life, this book will help guide you on your way.

A final note: I love the first Appendix in this book. It is a brief outline of some Church history, along with certain contributions that each branch of Christianity has given us (from Catholic to Orthodox to the various Protestants), that we can apply in our lives, regardless which of these groups we belong to.

On the whole, this is simply and excellent book. I pray that each one who reads it moves to apply it in their own walk.

PLOT: Like some other Renovare' books, this one deals with 6 traditions of Christianity: contemplative, holiness, charismatic, social justice, evangelical, and incarnational. For each tradition (stream) Foster introduces us to Christians from Scripture, history, and modern times who serve as examples of that stream.

PROBLEMS: There was nothing wrong with the examples Foster selected, but they didn't grab me as much as other Renovare books have. Perhaps I'd rather read each person's own words than read about that person's life. Also, the binding on my book broke. I don't know if that is a problem or just happened to me.

POSITIVES: For me, the joy of this book was in the appendix and extra material. Foster gives us one appendix of critical turning points in church history and another of notable figures and significant movements in church history. He begins each chapter with a chart from the time of Jesus to present that lists significant people, movements, and dates related to that tradition.

CONCLUSION: The extra material is easily worth the cost of the book. The chapters are just the added bonus on this one. I've returned to these charts for reference time and time again.

This is truly one of the best books that I've ever read. Having deeply appreciated Foster's "Celebration of Discipline," I had high hopes for this one, but they were met and exceeded.

In "Streams of Living Water," Richard Foster breaks down the entire history of the church into six traditions of spirituality, which he calls streams. He begins the book by describing how Jesus Christ demonstrated all six streams without blemish. Within his descriptions of each stream, he tells fascinating stories to gives examples of each tradition as represented by a historical figure, a biblical figure, and a contemporary figure. The six traditions are the contemplative, prayer-filled tradition (exemplified by Antony, John, and Frank Laubach), the holiness, virtuous tradition (exemplified by Phoebe Palmer, James, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer), the charismatic, spirit-empowered tradition (exemplified by Francis of Assisi, Paul, and William Seymour), the social justice, compassionate tradition (exemplified by John Woolman, Amos, and Dorothy Day), the evangelical, Word-centered tradition (exemplified by Augustine, Peter, and Billy Graham), and the incarnational, sacramental tradition (exemplified by Susanna Wesley, Bezalel, and Dag Hammarskjold). The book concludes with two significant appendices, explaining "critical turning points in church history" and defining "notable figures and significant movements in church history."

The strengths of the book are many. For those unfamiliar with church history, Foster will introduce the reader to some interesting individuals. It was striking to realize how unfamiliar I was with several of the individuals outside my primary faith tradition. His writing style is both intelligent and accessible, to the point that I was simultaneously challenged by and engaged in the text. The breadth of information and history is tremendous, yet it never feels overwhelming or encyclopedic. And the appendices alone are worth the price of the book, serving as excellent primers on the basics of church history.

My primary critique is relatively minor, but I felt that the ending was abrupt. I would have appreciated if Foster had spent an extra chapter providing some better closure and bringing together these rather disparate traditions.

Overall, this book is tremendous. It helped to free me of the Pharisitic superiority complex that I often feel toward my own faith tradition. Foster does a masterful job of demonstrating that all six streams are legitimate, life-giving expressions of the church, as shown by the model of Christ. We would be well served to honor Him by embracing our own stream or streams, opening ourselves to experiencing Him within a new stream, and appreciating the streams that may be beyond our own experience. In any case, I am confident that anyone will be blessed to read this wonderful book.

This book vividly shows us how we cling so tightly to our 'right way to worship' that we miss out on the greatest revelations!! We think in terms of "one way of worship" as the truth.....Foster explains how the most balanced people use all the 6 traditions of Christian faith. I didn't realize how narrowly focused I was until this book presented itself to me. You will come away with, not only a tolerance for all denominations of Christianity, but a recognition of NEED for all that each offers in worship of God.

Foster's "Streams" is a radical idea in contemporary Christian circles - drawing together the strengths in each of the recognized major protestant Christian sects he asserts a new, more whole view of life with God.

Foster uses modern and historical/mythical persons to flesh out the strengths he ascribes to each branch of protestantism. While this approach will test readers who look down on the stories of the saints of old (he relates St. Francis' reasoning with a wild wolf in one chapter) if you can put aside modern protestant prejudices against christian mythology you'll be much the better for it.

I found the book to be a refreshing approach to integrating the major movements in Christianity. I am more mindful of the traditions of faith I did not grow up in and am attempting to incorporate their strenghts into my experience of Jesus Christ.

Okay...like another reviewer stated, if you are looking for serious, thought provoking questions, get a different book. Perhaps philosophy.

Not everyone will appreciate the questions, and some are just plain silly, but it's a lot of fun if your electric goes out, camping, or a party that's jut not taking off.

I liked it!
xox
MEF

The IF books are amazing. They're excellent icebreakers for all ages, great for spicing up holiday get-togethers with family, PERFECT for first dates or getting to know people, and wonderful resources for interviewing guests, celebrities, job applicants, etc!

I HIGHLY recommend the entire series... Just make sure you keep the IF3 & IF4 books set aside for separate situations. IF3 is GREAT for getting laid... NOT Great for learning about your grandparents' habits in the bedroom... & IF4 is perfect for grandparents... NOT perfect for getting someone hot & horny... LOL. Trust me on this!

This book has a few interesting questions, but for the most part, it was all things I had heard before.... just not what I was hoping for!

I first found this at a local coffeehouse and the entire coffeehouse had a great time answering the questions. I liked it so much I bought it myself.

Book is good, interesting, but pretty short. (And very small pages -- maybe 4"X4" or so.) So I feel it's a bit over-priced, but it has some fun conversation-starters. We also use it as a supplement for the game "Loaded Questions".

I give this book 5 stars. This book took me by surprise. I purchase it to help someone else, but I end up helping myself. I enjoyed it and have recommended it to others.

This book can be summarized as a Biblical based approach to understanding personal growth and how that relates to spiritual growth. Two psychologists, Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend examine the personal growth process and point out how that process is found within the pages of the Bible. With that personal growth process as the starting point they then show how personal growth is in fact spiritual growth. This is one of the best books on personal growth that I have read. How People Grow is highly recommended to anyone seeking to change their life, get out of the rut of stagnation, or move to a happier place in their life. It is also recommended to Christian counselors, Pastoral counselors, and others involved with helping people.

It has been an excellent study for me. It raises questions I had not thought about and attitudes I didn't realize I could be harboring. It was an excellent study guide for me.

This book encouraged me and reminded me that God uses all things to work together for good, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. The authors bring together their many years of psychiatric hospital experience and their theological training. An excellent resource for anyone seeking to understand themselves or those they love.

How People Grow is an easily accessible, Biblically-centered, psychologically-deep, and thorough overview of the growth process. I have read through this book twice and refer to it sporadically to refresh my memory on various parts of the growth process and, in my work with college students, urge them to read the book. I have found that living out and sharing its insights has helped me in every area of life, from becoming a more effective evangelist to developing stronger work habits. My main challenge in reading it is owning up to how misguided my understanding of the growth process has been, how I have subsequently misled others, repenting of these mistakes, and seeking to think and live differently in the future. It is a book that speaks to deep issues in a grace-filled but challenging way.

This is an excellent source for faith formation. The title says it's for youth and although some of the language is geared toward teens, I would highly recommend it for adults as well. Its content is good, different sections of the book are very useful for catechists as well as the reader, the illustrations are beautiful and the layout was done very well.

I use this text as the confirmation text for Confirmation Candidates I sponsor in the Episcopal Church. The text succinctly presents the Catholic tradition of Christianity and provides ample material for discussion, thought and contemplation. It is not written for academics, yet it isn't banal or overly simplistic in its explanation of core dogma and doctrine. Very good for students from all traditions of Catholicism be they Anglican or Roman.

While I applaud the authors' attempt to produce a comprehensive, single-volume guide to the faith for teens, this book is problematic. Far too often the authors make false distinctions between a supposed "old" Church that existed before Vatican II and a "new and improved" Church that exists now. For instance, they describe worshippers before the council as "not participants as much as watchers, separated by distance, architecture, and language." Nowhere in the documents of Vatican II or in authoritative pronouncements from the Magisterium will you find such a sweeping, negative assessment.

The authors also claim that Vatican II removed Latin from the liturgy, when in reality the Council fathers instructed that "[t]he use of the Latin language is to be preserved ..." (albeit with an allowance that some of the vernacular may be incorporated.) Likewise, Vatican II had nothing to do with communion in the hand, an innovation introduced in the United States and other Western countries years later; the authors list it as an achievement of the Council. A frequent theme of this book on liturgical matters is disruption instead of continuity.

In the chapter on the Bible, the authors operate from the presumption readers believe the Gospels were written soon after Jesus' death and Resurrection. To the extent teens have thought about this question at all, it's more likely that they believe the more pervasive false notion that the Gospels were written hundreds of years later. (See Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code.")

Perhaps one day someone will take the recently-released United States Catholic Catechism for Adults and adapt it for teens. In the meantime, this book is a flawed substitute. Excellent resources currently available are Father McBride's Teen Catechism, the multi-volume Didache series produced by the Midwest Theological Forum, and the Prove It! series written by Amy Welborn.

"The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth" is a very good resource for youth and adults wanting to learn more about the Catholic faith and tradition. It is up to date in it's theology. It provides not only the basic catechism of the church, but also gives great stories and descriptions of some of the lives of the saints. It is easy and enjoyable to read and understand. I use the book for my catechists to help them to pass on our tradition and beliefs to the children and youth they encounter in a language that can be understood.

It's getting harder and harder these days to find good information on the Church that isn't tainted by polemic. I have used this resource as part of confirmation programs, RCIA, high school classes, and had people tell me it was great just to peruse through as a reference. Faithful to the Catechism and the broader Tradition, but also engaging and apropos to the interests and questions of most teens. I highly recommend it as a complement to the Catholic Youth Bible for every teen.

I have read hundreds of Christian Apologetics books. I have read all of Lewis, all of Schaeffer, all of Peter Kreeft, all of Dr. Geisler's books, including his encyclopedia A-Z twice, and his Systematic Theology twice, I have read Plantinga, McDowell, Craig, Ravi, Moreland, Holding, Swinburne, N.T Wright, Paul Copan, R.C Sproul, Van Til, Gary Habermas, Lee Strobel, David Noebel, Francis Beckwith, Chuck Colson, Nancy Pearcy, Chesterton, Stuart C. Hacket, Martin, Richard Purtill, Stephen T. Davis, Dembski, Behe, Johnson, Collins, Paul K Moser, and many other Christian Philosophers and theologians . I have also read all the top skeptic authors, so I am pretty familar with worldview issues, and the arguments and counter-arguments from both sides. I cant imagine why someone would say this book is not worth reading, unless there either uninformed or have some axe to grind. I would take the word of both top Christian Philosophers and Skeptics that endorse this book before I would listen to some disgruntled person reviewing on here(who I suspect has not even read the book). There must be something very admirable about a book that can be granted endorsements form both sides! Here is what Dr. Geisler( who is considered the DEAN of Christian apologetics, and wrote the Christian Encyclopedia of Apologetics, along with 70 other books) said along with some other High Caliber Christian Thinkers.

Dr. Norman L. Geisler, Christian apologist and author of The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics: "[John's book] is a thoughtful and intellectually challenging work, presenting arguments that every honest theist and Christian should face."

Dr. Mark D. Linville, Christian philosopher and contributor to the forthcoming Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology: "Of the spate of books coming from the so-called "New Atheists" that have appeared in the past few years--Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, et al--John W. Loftus's critique of Christian theism is by far the most sophisticated. Where, say, Dawkins might be found attacking a man of straw, Loftus understands and assesses the arguments of today's premier Christian apologists and philosophers. Evangelicals cannot afford to ignore Why I Became an Atheist."

Dr. James F. Sennett, Christian philosopher and author of Modality, Probability, and Rationality: A Critical Examination of Alvin Plantinga's Philosophy: "Scholarly unbelief is far more sophisticated, far more defensible than any of us would like to believe. John W. Loftus is a scholar and a former Christian who was overwhelmed by that sophistication. His story is a wake up call to the church: it's time for us to start living in, and speaking to, the real world."

And Here are some endorsements from skeptics.

David Mills, author of Atheist Universe: "John W. Loftus is to atheism what Tiger Woods is to golf, or what Babe Ruth was to baseball. Loftus has provided, in this superb and entertaining volume, the crown jewel of the new atheist movement. As much as I admire and enjoy Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens and Dennett, Loftus is, far and away, my favorite author on this riveting subject. Loftus' esteemed reputation within the freethought community is indeed richly deserved. But this book exceeded even my highest expectations."

Dr. Michael Shermer, Publisher of Skeptic magazine, and the author of How We Believe, The Science of Good and Evil, and Why Darwin Matters. "There is trend sweeping American culture today on the God question, with commentators on all sides ringing in with their opinions and theories about whether God exists or not, the origins of morality with or without God, and the origins and importance of religion. What is unique about John W. Loftus's book is his perspective: a one time Christian apologist who changed his mind and became an atheist. Here we get both sides of the debate between two covers, an honest and honorable look into the soul of belief and what it means to be a nonbeliever."

Dr. Hector Avalos, Biblical scholar and author of The End of Biblical Studies: "I truly enjoyed this book. Why I Became an Atheist combines a dose of Augustine's Confessions with a cauldron of unremitting rationalism to yield one of the most potent antidotes to Christianity on the market today. If there is such a thing as the New Atheism, then John W. Loftus is one of the standard bearers. Loftus is a former Christian evangelical apologist who became an atheist, and he tells us why in a detail and a depth worthy of the best atheist writers today. It is a well-written, informed, and potent critique of religion and Christianity."

Dr. John Beversluis, author of C.S. Lewis and the Search for Rational Religion: "Christians routinely dismiss objections advanced by skeptics on the ground that they are outsiders who are not in a position to understand the doctrines they presume to criticize. Nobody can say that about John W. Loftus. As an ex-pastor and Christian apologist, he understands these doctrines from the inside and is able to expose the logical flaws of the arguments offered in support of them--textual, scientific, theological, and philosophical--with luminous clarity and devastating force. His scholarship is impressive, but he also knows how to write in a way that engages the non-scholarly reader. The result is a startlingly honest book that ought to be required reading for every Christian."


So according to top thinkers on Both sides, people who say this book is not worth reading are dead wrong. You decide who to believe.



I think this book is the best single overall refutation of Christianity written, especially at the accessible level. The book Loftus wrote before this one, was the first skeptic book I read that made me realize I could be dead wrong, and I was a very intellectually committed Christian, trust me. I was planning on becoming an Apologist myself. This new book is like his old book but on major steriods! Loftus has added an extra 240 pages of content! I think this book is superior for multiple reasons

1. Its scope and coverage is more exhaustive on issues crucial to Christianity then other books.
2. Mr. Loftus anticipate objections from Christian philosophers and theologians that most skeptics do not, due to their lack of familiarity with the other side.
3. The book packs so much in such a little space, it has amazing brevity and at the same time brilliantly dismantles many core Christian beliefs and deals with many central issues that are left out of other works
4. The authors familiarity with Christian Theology and philosophy makes him much better at drawing fine and important distinctions that other skeptics miss, due to their lack of expertise of the other side.
5. The personal Deconversion narrative woven through out the book gives it an informal and personal touch that makes it more fascinating to read than other skeptical books. Plus he is the only skeptical author that I know of that was a highly competent Christian Apologist and Philosopher, this of course is another unique feature.
6. The authors non-abrasive style sets your book apart from many other skeptic books. He wrote the book in such a way as not to polarize the believer. The average believer would be much more likely to read this book than other similar books due to his respectful manner. This I congratulate him on.
7. The book strikes a great balance between high conceptual content and accessibility, a balance that is hard to achieve.

There are many other noble things about his book. But basically what I am saying is that I think Mr. Loftus has written by far the best single overall refutation of Christianity in print! This is the best book to give to a believer. If I could only pick one book for my Christian friends to read, this book by far wins, no contest. If your a skeptic you should buy multiple copies for your friends and family, and if your a believer you should do yourself a favor and buy copies for yourself and your friends and start honestly examining the claims of Christianity from both sides. If your wise you will buy and read this outstanding book! I give it my highest recommendation.

This is the book I wish I could write. Loftus includes everything: absurdities, superstitions, interpretations, persuasive psychology, pseudoscience, morality, philosophy, proofs, logistical issues, history, miracles, methodology, prayer, creation, canonization, legendary embellishment, etc. Whereas pop writers like Dawkins and Harris scoff at the obvious stupidity of Christianity, and textual scholars like Ehrman and Price focus on apologetic issues without hardly mentioning that Christianity doesn't deserve the air of respectability it gets, Loftus tackles both methods with full force.

John does a wonderful job of pointing out how apologists are all extremely confident of their positions even if the contrast among one another, yet he also doesn't lose sight of the fact that a neutral start for these apologists would never prompt them to offer their conclusions. It is probably the best comprehensive book of the issues I've read. Fifteen dollars will net you fifteen hours worth of intense reading. Yes, ninety percent of the material can be found elsewhere, but this is to be expected when there is no true point of concentration in the book, such as you would find with a book that deals with one specific topic. It is a jack of all trades, and Loftus pulls it off beautifully.

Loftus, like very few writers, takes the time to explain why we start our observations "from below" rather than "from above." Persuasive psychology is briefly mentioned, and since I write on it frequently, I was extremely happy to see it (even if I would have liked to have seen more). What I really support is his focus on fundamental questions, which I believe deconvert more individuals than textual analysis ever could. These questions include why God needs worship, why religions distribute predictably, and why the Bible has no declaration against slavery. I also learned a few things while reading, such as William Lane Craig's ridiculous arguments for why God has religious diversity (while ignoring the obvious answer of societal conditioning) and Francesco Sizzi's equally ridiculous arguments for divinity in space.

While ninety-nine percent of this book is fantastic and I could write pages on how great it is, in the interest in balancing praise with criticism, I'll quickly point out a few things I would have done differently. The personal story (kind of boring, until Linda!) could lead critics to argue that John left for emotional reasons (even though he specifically states what should be obvious: the emotions merely got him thinking). The book isn't as entertaining as Shermer, Sagan, Mills, etc or as easy to understand at times because it isn't geared toward a mainstream audience. A thorough understanding of the text is beyond ninety percent of America because you need some good knowledge of the Bible to grasp all of it. For instance, Uzzah is mentioned in one chapter, but several dozens of people and pages later, he is mentioned (but not explained) again. If you don't remember who he is, John's point is missed at the second mention.

Loftus extensively quotes scholars without briefly mentioning their positions, and there are a slew of them because he has a terrific appreciation for the arguments in the field. He also uses terms that will be unfriendly to beginners (e.g. Pauline). John also made the same choice I did in my first book, which is to make laborious lists that aren't necessary to make a point (especially on visions). Most readers, I suspect, would become bored with it. In my opinion, he wastes time and paper on the Trinity and bodily resurrections (two topics that I feel should always be ignored). Arguing over how miracles work plays into the apologetic game. I love his term "chronological snobbery" for why social conservatives are consistently wrong, but it is already known as the "Planck Problem." He says historic Japan is "a great [society] by all standards of history," which I have to take exception with as a student of ancient Japan, since women were possessions, the warrior class could kill without accountability, and foreigners were immediately killed for stepping on Japanese land.

There are some editing issues as well. For example "and1563" on p309 is missing a space (spell check doesn't look for words with number/letter combinations by default) and "when did he know Jesus had died" is used on p368 instead of "how did he know when Jesus had died" (again, something spell check wouldn't grab).

None of these minor issues on which I complain really detracts at all from the book. In short, Loftus has left humanity much better than he found it, which is what all nonbelievers can only strive to accomplish.

The book is well worth the paltry price. While its true there is seldom a new twist to philosophy of religion issues, its also true that a straight forward portrayal of Christian fallacy epitomizes honest exegetical analysis. Loftus categorically excels in describing the many problems with the Christian religion. Thus "Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity" is a must read.

I was looking forward to this book after reading about it on an atheist web site. Unfortunately, it was a big let down. The material in the book is far from new. There are a few "new" biblical passages that prove the Bible is nonsense, but little else is new here. I would recommend Biblical Nonsense by Jason Long if your looking for a concise exposition of Christianity. If you have never read any of these types of books then you will most likely be impressed with this one. But if you have even read one of the latest atheist apologists this one will seem like a rehash of those works. It basically repeats the same arguments that have been better crafted by superior writers.

John Loftus's book is heavy in the philosophy and theology of Christianity - including why he rejects it. He outlines and summarizes arguments from both sides - so comprehensively, it could be used as a reference book. A strong point: in the process, he presents superb summary quotes from dozens of important thinkers from our past and present. The book is worth reading, not only for Loftus's words, but for these jewels liberally used in every chapter. My own feeling, however, is that the logical argumentations coming from philosophers and theologians degenerate into mental gymnastics over issues I've already decided are irrelevant. I prefer biblical textual criticism.

In biblical textual criticism I have read various viewpoints stressed by different authors: that the Bible is based on myth, that it is based on midrash, that various authors wrote in order to declare or defend a certain theology, that the Bible should be discounted because different authors' works can't be reconciled with each other, that the document looks exactly like what you would expect from had no God been present, etc. Loftus offers these arguments too, but adds a new twist I haven't seen as a main thrust. He stresses the overwhelmingly superstitious nature of the people of the day and offers a comparison. Even among the least educated people in the US, our worldview is infinitely more scientific than superstitious - when compared to the days of early Christianity. Then he blends in another main thrust - the importance of the worldview a person brings to the table.

Take home point: That a person's worldview, based on his/her cultural and individual milieu, is definitive in the way any religious debate unfolds. What baggage he/she brings to the debate is far more important than the rationale of the arguments, and the single most important factor continues to be, "what is the predominant religion where one is born." This leads Loftus to believe, and I agree, that they're all wrong. Most believers are atheists about every other religion except the one of his/her country of birth. When one rejects just one more religion and his/her mind is settled on the view that God is made in man's image - as opposed to the other way around - the extreme attention Loftus gives to individual issues of theology is not as interesting as it might be otherwise. A good example is the issue of the resurrection.

Loftus gives the issue of resurrection more credence than I would. He gives equal time to theorists advocating resurrection theories varying from complete bodily resurrection (a composite of the various versions in the gospels) to a metaphoric resurrection as attributed (by some) to Paul. Then he concludes with something more reasonable to those of us who think it's all mythology: "Until I experience people bodily rising up from the dead - and why wouldn't God do that once in a while just to show that it's a possibility? - I will continue judging the past by the present...Jesus died on the cross. He did not bodily arise from the grave. His body has rotted away."

I might add that Loftus's personal conversion and de-conversion stories are presented early. It connected with me and will connect with many other readers. "Why I Became an Atheist" is an expansion of a book Loftus wrote a few years ago and a lot of the new material is undoubtedly refined from his blogsite, "Debunking Christianity." I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it even for believers. It would be hard to find another reference with as complete an outline of apologetics for Christianity, even though Loftus gets the last word.

This is a remarkable translation both for its rigor in keeping to the original Classical Chinese text and for the beauty of its prose. I definitely recommend this one for anyone's first taste of the Tao Te Ching.

The publisher and ISBN number for this book are listed incorrectly. I have sent Amazon several messages attempting to get this corrected but to no avail! My translation of the Daodejing is now published by Hackett Publishing Company. The ISBN number is 0872207021. The previous publisher has no legal right to sell copies of my book. Please see the Hackett web page to order this volume.

This is probably the best and most accessible translation of the Daodejing available. It stays true to the original Chinese text, but is also sensitive to its poetic form. Hall and Ames' text is also excellent, but not useful for those who have only a casual interest in the Daodejing. Highly recommend.

Also, beware of copies of the Daodejing which purport to be "translations" when they are nothing more than re-imaginings (e.g. Ursula le Guin's, Witter Bynner and Stephen Mitchell's). These people openly state they do not know Classical Chinese and this is evident in their translations.

This volume is lovely, and the translation is excellent. I recommend this for both lay and academic readers.