Religion Books

The book is wonderful. the only complaint is that the book was sent to someone else in another state and i recieved thier books. It took an extra two weeks to track it down and then pay for the post "again" to get what I paid for in the first place.

Jerry Smith

Josephus is an important proof for the Biblical Account, and an important read for scholars interested in the Jewish wars with Rome, the Destruction of Jerusalem, and other events of the age from an eyewitness.

want to know how Christianity was working when the apostles were still the ones calling the shots? here is a first/second century historians perspective on what was going on in that time

Josephus was a Jewish priest with, I believe, a definite love for truth and righteousness as well as for his Jewish nation, which he defends in one of his essays. It is part of classical history that thinking people should read (and get away from the nonsense and worse of the TV set).
His history of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD is one of the classics of history of all time because of its demonstration on God's hand in history and the fulfilment of the prophecies of Moses written many centuries earlier.

This is a nice format and presentation of Whiston's original English translation of the complete works of Josephus. One of the classic extra-biblical historical references, this edition has been updated with the Loeb Classical Library (LCL) numbering sytsem, clearer text, Arabic numbers throughout, and an updated Introduction. Also includes index, maps, and tables of various weights, measures, coins, etc. mentioned in the text.

I have the first edition, first printing of this book and have read through it randomly several times. This year starting on January 1st, I decided to read it straight through on a daily basis, as Deng Ming-Dao no doubt intended it to be read. I have delighted in some of the insightful, inspiring verse and meditations on common every day situations; some of these have seemed deeply profound while simply stated. Meditation #82, July 1st, entitled "Flow" begins with, "If the boulders are moved,//Even a river will change its flow." And continues, "So it is with the flow of our lives.... The freedom to choose and to change belongs to us." However, there are other meditations or ideas that have left me cold. Today's meditation, in fact, completely turned me off when he stated that you cannot find the Tao if you live in an urban environment. That cities "stink," literally, and they are too noisy for anyone to become "fully realized." That cannot be true. The Tao, or enlightenment, may be experienced in any time or place as it has nothing to do with time and place. But Mr. Ming-Dao is entitled to his opinion as this is his understanding of the Tao philosophy. Overall, the work is worthy of daily or random reading. That this work has had more than 30 print runs over the last 15 years speaks to its enduring wisdom.

There is a problem concerning the age of the edition. The book advertized is not the book shipped.
Customer service was not able to correct the problem. Apparently the ISBN number is
the same but the book received is from a 1992 printing. The book advertized was printed around 2002.
The book is excellent. The translation of Tao is very easy to understand.

I read the meditation daily and find that it is a positive influence as I go about my daily life

Deng Ming-Dao is, in my opinion, a modern day Lao Tzu. He writes with clarity and a simplistic beauty and thus captures the essense of Taoism, managing to apply it to modern life. Much like Lao Tzu, he seems to also write this book out of necessity for the times, unlike people such as Wayne W Dyer who seem to be attempting to cash in on the "new age" market.

This small book has a commentary on Tao for each day of the year, an guide to application to life. It avoids both abstruse explanation and sermonizing, merely suggesting guides along the Way. Highly recommended as a means to understanding just what Tao is about, but, of course, never trying to define it. A worthy addition to my shelf of handy books.

This book is phenomenal and is filled with scripture. John MacArthur does a great job of making these women's lives parallel to our current culture and easy for anyone to relate. Each woman has her own personality but all have lessons to learn from. I have just started the book and am about half way through already and each page has spoken to me that most of the book is underlined and commented on. If you're looking for God to move in your life and teach you some great lessons pick up this book!!!

We have been studying this for the past few months slowly due to only meeting once a week. We have discovered fascinating new details about some of the women of the Bible that we did not know. While we have found a few discrepancies, they are minor and we talk it out as a group. Overall, we are finding this study to be enlightening and are looking forward to the rest of it.

It helped me so see and understand how important these women really were in the lineage of Jesus. How God can change the seemingly impossible. Wonderful book!

I could only get through the first two chapters before I had to put it down. I sought this book out for inspiration, but found it was sexist and insulting. I write this not because I one of those "new fangled feminist types", but because I posses a brain - a God given one. What I glean from the way the stories are presented is that the author's belief is that women exist only through men and have no real intrinsic purpose or value to God or the world, except through men.

Eve is portryaed as a pathetic figure, the author writes patronizingly about Eve's sin: "As the weaker vessel, away from her husband, but close to the forbidden tree, she was in the most vulnerable position possible..." and "...Adam's sin was deliberate (when he took the apple) and willful in a way Eve's was not. Eve was deceived". So, the author doesn't even think she deserves equal billing in the "downfall".

In chap. 2 about Sarah, when explaining how Sara and Abraham lied when they entered Egypt, saying that Sara was his sister so other men would not kill Abraham for her the author concludes: "...Abraham's motives were selfish and cowardly, and the scheme reflected a serious weakness in his faith. But Sarah's devotion to her husband is nonetheless commendable, and God honored her for it..". So, she is not a whole person in this author's view - they both lied, he calls it "cowardly" on Abraham's part, but believes God commends Sara, because she it was good she supported him - EVEN when he did something "selfish and cowardly".

As a Christian I found the simplistic and ridiculous for the 21st century.
I cannot recommend this book to anyone with a brain.

I have led numerous Bible studies, and this book has been a real disappointment. The writing lacks balance, is often disorganized, and even has an "anti-women" tone to it. I find myself having to work all week to plan our study, to supplement what he's written. I would not recommend this book.

"Consolation of Philosophy" was on the syllabus for a "History of Philosophy" class I took my senior year in college. To say that I loved it would be an understatement. I still have the copy I read back then (academic year 1980/1981) and I have re-read it several times over the years. I treasure this book like none other.

I looked through my copy to type out a passage that I find particularly inspiring, but found that I couldn't because there are so many. I've recommended it to literally dozens of people, and every one to took me up on my suggestion thanked me for it.

_Here you find the unequivocal declaration that not riches, not high position, not fame, not physical pleasure are worth pursuing in-and-of themselves. Such things are of value only if they are obtained in the pursuit of the highest Good. This highest Good is demonstrated to be God. Moreover, Boethius points out that when evil men succeed in obtaining such goals over the righteous, then they cease to truly be men- they are beasts and subhuman. This is a refreshing reminder in the modern world, a world not unlike that of late Roman times.

_All happiness, all worth, all reason for being, lies in the One and the Good. Even when we commit immoral acts, it is a result of ignorance on our part in seeking this ultimate goal. Indeed, to turn from the quest of finding the One is to cease to exist at any meaningful level. There is no "fire and brimstone", or talk of eternal torment in hell here. There doesn't need to be. As long as you willfully or ignorantly stray from the Path then you are in hell. And to not find reconnection with the One and the Good is to cease to exist. All of our earthly existence is for the purpose of reawakening to our true nature. This truth lies within all of us and it is only reached by personal introspection (Know thyself.) Only in this way will we return to the eternal Source that lies beyond time itself.

_The consolation of the Consolatio lies in the fact that suffering serves a purpose if it puts us back on the true Path. Moreover, earthly recognition of virtue is irrelevent. God always recognises the man of virtue if the masses do not.

Boethius, in his "Consolation" written in prison shortly before his death, turns to the pre-Christian philosophers and the tradition of Rome and Greece for aid and comfort. The work is one of the most historically important works ever written: it is through Boethius that we had knowledge of Aristotle during the middle ages.

The work takes the form of a Platonic dialogue, mixing prose and poetry as the author slowly convalesces with the aid of Philosophy, his "nurse." This literary style has been imitated many times since.

The work ought to be read not only for its historical and literary appeal, but for its arguments, which are as cogent as they were nearly two thousand years ago.

I don't read a lot of philosophy texts, but I read this one after my father died and was surprised to find it very meaningful and truly consoling.

The Consolation is a philosophical treatise written by Boethius (c. 480-524 A.D.) while awaiting his execution after being imprisoned by the Gothic emperor Theodoric. The first time I heard of Boethius and his most famous composition was, as so often is the case, when I was reading another work. The work in question is A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy O'Toole. The main character of O'Toole's novel, one Ignatius J. Reilly, had based his entire life and worldview around the philosophy of Boethius and his assessment of Fortune. A great work in its own right, A Confederacy of Dunces left a lasting impression in my mind and, when by chance I came across a copy of the Consolation in the used bookstore I jumped at the opportunity to see for myself what Boethius had to say.



The work is composed of five books beginning with Boethius struggling to make sense of his imprisonment and pending execution. Confronted with a fate that is seemingly at odds with the virtue and faith with which he has conducted his life, Boethius is about to succumb to the sorrow that is filling his thoughts. Just then he notices the presence of a woman in his cell, the awe-inspiring Philosophy. She bemoans that Boethius, once such an avid student of hers, is now about to abandon all that he had previously gained. Thus begins a journey of reason and contemplation between the two until Boethius in the end finds the consolation that he had almost given up upon. Interspersed between the dialogues of Boethius and Philosophy are a number of poems that range in subject matter and content. More numerous at the beginning of the work, the poems often times serve as transitions between arguments or help to put difficult concepts into a clearer light. Thus a remarkable harmony is reached between prose and poetry that can be appreciated even in an English translation, a rare feat indeed.



It is perhaps significant to understand the time in which Boethius lived a bit better to gain a more accurate reading of his work. Living long after Constantine's conversion to Christianity in the 4th century A.D., it is widely accepted that Boethius was a Christian and believer of the tenants of the Catholic Church (at a time when the Gothic emperor Theodoric, also a Christian but belonging like all Goths to the heretical Arian sect that believed that the father and son were not of one substance). One must find it a bit peculiar than that at no point in Boethius' text is Christianity mentioned in any overt context. To find a believer in his last days before death turning not to theology for comfort, as one might expect, but rather to philosophy has raised many questions about the nature of Boethius' belief. But one only has to look to the title of the work to see that Boethius is choosing philosophy for the subject of his work and could very well indeed have thought theology a better consolation, although one that would be and should be treated in an altogether separate treatise. With this in mind, Boethius draws on the works of the great philosophers and thinkers of antiquity; Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Seneca, St. Augustine, the Stoics, and the Neo-Platonists. This feat being all the more remarkable because Boethius apparently relied on his own memory to produce the arguments and passages seeing as he had no access to any literary sources while imprisoned.



Boethius has rightly been called the last classical man. Indeed his thoughts and works can be seen as forming a bridge etween the classical world and the Middle Ages. The Consolation influenced countless numbers of theologians throughout the Middle Ages and direct references are to be found in the works of masters such as Dante and Chaucer. His lonely contemplation of good and evil, fate and free will, fortune and the nature of happiness certainly still have an allure to inquisitive minds to this day.

You know, one of the early Christians attempted to harmonize the four gospels. His text was lost to history? Why? Because God gave us four DIFFERENT gospels for a reason! The Church has always rejected harmonizations. Don't buy this one.

This harmony of the gospels was recommended to me by a retired professor from Taylor University. I found the arrangement of material very defensible and very well organized. The essays at the end of the book give a good introduction for the uninitiated in fundamental problems in modern "criticism". Useful information on dating of events in the gospel narratives are also provided. I take exception to the critic who claimed that "The actual date of Christ's birth and death is written in stone and correlated by the Jubilee records." This view is held by a tiny minority, some of whom, to be charitable, have dubious academic credentials. On the other hand, both Thomas and Gundry, have published a number useful pieces of scholarship many of which can be purchased through Amazon.
I found the most obvious thing to jump out at me was the development of the controversies between Jesus and the Jewish leaders, and between Jesus and the village of Capernaum. Without some form of chronological guide it can be difficult to see the connections between events during Jesus' life. I found this to be the most helpful aspect of reading Thomas and Gundry's Harmony.

The book is well-coordinated and provides excellent footnotes which further amplify and clarify the Scripture in its historical/theological context. This edition, in the New American Standard Version, is easy to read, although I personally prefer the elegance of the King James Version (albeit that version does contain some obsolete and obscure words). It is wonderful to be able to compare the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John side-by-side! I had a similar scholarly volume during my college days but somehow it and I parted company over the years (My old edition had a _sewn_ binding. Unfortunately, this edition has glued-in pages -- but the book should endure fairly well with reasonable care).

You won't go wrong with this fine reference. It is certainly helpful to anyone who desires a fuller understanding and appreciation of the New Testament, especially regarding the life and sayings of Jesus.

This parallel uses the NASB study bible notes and comments. It is basically very good except for some paralleling. The authors claim chronology parallelism only, but there are some cases of topic parallelism. One example is claiming that the sermon on the mount and the sermon on the plane are the same event.

Parallel Gospels are very good for lay readers. You can use this one as long as you do not take as a Gospel truth (sorry for the pun) that the paralled passages are always identical events.

I probably read the Gospels four times a year; so I'm very familiar with the details. This book added a lot to my perspective and understanding of Jesus's earthly ministry by filling in gaps by the overlapping of the records. His ministry had several distinct shifts with regard to His public and private life which became clear. The scholarly notes were also very helpful. Believe it or not I went through this book in less than two weeks (not because it is short, it has the entire text of M,M, L, J but ) because it was so interesting.

This book is an interesting read, chock full of practical advice and fresh insight. More than helpful in building skills to overcome negative mindsets and emotions. Thanks, Joyce.

I just started reading this book and I am very pleased. My husband and I are starting a new church and I think everyone should read this book even if you think you're not an emotional person. This gives you very good insight on both points of views and I believe it will be beneficial to anyone that reads this book.

i bought this for my daughter for christmas. she's 24, very sensitive and emotional. along with prayer, it's helping her gain a new perspective on coping with her emotions and dealing with life issues.

And this is exactly what you learn how to do in this book. I found it to be extremely practical and helpful, as is Joyce Meyers way of communicating. I did not realize how much I was allowing my emotions to control me rather than the other way around, which I found to be where a majority of my problems stemmed from. This is foundational information.

There were definitely some positive aspects to this book. I should acknolwedge that I've purchased many other Joyce Meyer books such as Battlefield of the Mind, Beauty for Ashes, The Battle Belongs to the Lord, In Pursuit of Peace etc. so sometimes in this book a few sections appear repetitive in accordance with her other works. I believe she copy/pasted from a few other books in some sections.

I was somewhat hesitant to purchase this book after already purchasing Beauty for Ashes which I believe is her best book that she has written. What swayed me in the direction of buying this book was because I saw chapters entitled "Codependency" and "Healing the Child Within" which I was kind of shocked to see in a Christian book. Those are typically secular psychology concepts. I knew she would present those topics in a balanced, scriptural way so I was kind of interested to see how she would approach it. She talked about codependency being dependent on people, behaviors, or things (which is the tradition definition) rather than being dependent on God alone. I did not like anything with regard to codependency because I just viewed it as addictions or idolatry of the Bible. And I came to a realization that it was just not being dependent on God alone like we should, which I was happy to see Joyce agreed with. And "Healing the Child Within" I thought is a dangerous topic because it so conflicts with scripture, but I was surprised in the way she dealt with it. She talked about "becoming as little children" like Jesus said in the Bible. And she talked about all the good attrtibutes of children we should strive after as adults in a very organized way.

These two chapters I don't think taught me anything new however. So, having Beauty for Ashes already (which I would highly recommend) I probably would not prefer to have bought it. Don't get me wrong, if you've never bought a Joyce Meyer book before, this could prove to be a very excellent book as she does cover many topics like in Beauty for Ashes and if it's all unique material for you, this book may be one of the best ones you've bought (besides the Bible). But I believe Beauty for Ashes is more complete and more applicable to my situation.

I think Joyce's two most important works are Battle Belongs to the Lord which discusses the importance of worship and praising God for who He is, and the second one is Beauty for Ashes which talks about abuse and how to deal with negative things others do to you. Battlefield of the Mind is her most popular book, and I think that is quite good to, and should be had more as a reference for times when you find yourself slipping into certain thinking habits.

Sometimes Joyce releases too many books in my opinion (smile) so it's hard for her to find fresh material. Very balanced unique books which I've read so far are Beauty for Ashes, Battlefield of the Mind, and The Battle Belongs to the Lord. They each have unique content which she worked hard on. I'm curious why she felt she wanted to release "Managing Your Emotions" when she already had "Beauty for Ashes" out. I felt if there was a topic unique to Managing Your Emotions which wasn't in Beauty for Ashes, then she should've thought about yet a nother new release revision and added those unique chapters to Beauty for Ashes. Her big thing in this book however was not being led by your emotions in making decisions, but rather by faith and God's input. I acknolwedge that is a unique concept. But her chapters on healing broken emotions and shame and forgiving yourself and others are very similar to Beauty for Ashes, and basically she is simply elaborating and emphasizing Jesus's teaching on the mount! Jesus is the one who revealed this, but I like how she emphasizes it. Hope this helps.

Like other reviewers, my biggest beefs with this book are the outdated illustrations and the "Thee/Thou/Thy" prayers. But our kids seem to enjoy the lessons, and the 4 year old can easily answer the questions. I know he's really taking it in because he brings things up and asks me about them days and weeks later. We do this book at dinner, and as soon as my husband or I have a clean plate, my 3 year old pipes up, "Read the Devotional!" This is a great introduction to the faith for any family.

As a mother of 6 children under 7, I was looking for a book to simply teach bible doctine to my children. This book has a very organized way of laying out who God is, what that means to my children, and what their role is in their world. The excerpts are short enough to keep their attention, but thorough to cover the concept. I love this book and love reading it to my children before bed. I recommend this book to every family!

I've been looking for a "curriculum" to use with home-churching my kids. This book should do the trick - each lesson has suggestions on readings, prayers, and hymns to go with it. Do a web search on the hymn music and you can have your own little church service in your home! Perfect for those who want to have more control over their kids' religious education or if you don't have a church with a good children's program near you.

This book is Great! And I received it so quickly! Thank You for your excellence!

My only (big) beef with this book is that the author consistently paraphrases the Bible, then puts the paraphrase in quotes. Perhaps that sounds nit picky, but then again we are talking about God's Word.

Many Christian High school students graduate and their parents send them off to college, even a Christian college. There they face challenges to "the faith of their fathers." The faith they profess is not the faith they possess. Soon they face challenges such as evolution, lack of credibility in the Bible, as well as temptations to sin or follow other religions. They will not survive on secnd-hand faith. This book will help them to develop and maintain a Christian lifestyle while away from home. It will help them to realize that they're not the "only one" out there.

Welcome to College: A Christ-Follower's Guide for the Journey

How to Stay Christian in College is a clearly written and useful primer on some of the key issues college students face. It is unique in that it is written from the perspective of a successful and thoughtful Christian professor at a large state school. Budziszewski offers helpful advice to students on issues such as politics and morality. College is a time full of opportunities and challenges for Christians and this book will help them begin to prepare for both.

this is a must-read for anybody who is heading into college or is already a college student. professor budziszewski understands the challenges of living the Christian life after high school and his insights will equip many to face each challenge with GOD's wisdom and help.

J. Budziszewski's own personal story is one of losing his childhood Christian faith in college, and not just in the sense of casually drifting away from it, but becoming openly opposed to it. So thoroughly had he deconstructed God and the meaning of existence, that he considered himself a wholehearted nihilist. In other words, there was no God, no purpose or meaning to existence.

He writes this book for Christian students going to college, those already in college, and for their parents (I might add teachers, pastors, and mentors). His purpose is to prepare them for the challenges to the Christian faith that they will face spiritually, intellectually, and socially--both in the classroom and among their friends. He breaks down the various worldviews and blends of them that occur in society and especially in college, such as naturalism, post-modernism, and what he calls "Do-it-yourself spirituality."

The section on "Campus Myths" is particularly good, and he writes with his usual compelling clarity and simple logic. The section shows how professors under the commitment of their particular worldview may show bias and inconsistency about how we engage in the search for truth, and the possibility of arriving at "truth" and "Ultimate Truth". The discussion of myths about sex, love, and marriage, would be a great basis for a high-school youth group study on the topic. Using a Biblical context, he shows how love is a "commitment of the will to the true good of another person. That means that its (love's) adult expresssion is not sex but the binding promises of marriage." He also demonstrates how sex outside of marriage can actually be damaging to relationships, and why God wants us to wait.

Advice for finding a solid campus ministry to get involved with is also given, and Budziszewski also gives the important advice that these campus groups or small groups ought never to take the place of regular Christian worship with a gathered congregation of believers. This is where the body of Christ as a whole meets to be fed by Christ's Word and Sacraments, and there we receive the much needed forgiveness of sins. Budziszewski writes with a boldness that he readily acknowledges might offend some, but he is unapologetic about the truth. And as he himself discovered, knowing the Truth (Jesus Christ) will set you free (John 8:32). This book prepares the Christian to be alert and open-eyed about the challenges that may face them (often even in private Christian colleges), and to engage in their learning and enrichment in the college years with wisdom and with the love of God. It doesn't turn them to be adversarial or antagonistic to professors or institutions, but to be equipped in their faith so they will not be surprised or caught off guard by attacks to their faith, and know how to handle them. I highly recommend this book for high school and college students and their parents.

I've made it to page 92, and every page has made me laugh. He makes it seem as if unless a non-believer is asking, "How can Jesus save me what should I do." that they are blowing smoke and trying to divert your thought. He paints the non-believer as rude, and unintelligent on pages 70 and 71, where as the believer is portrayed as being calm, wise, and mannered. A lot of this book is written so that young Christians have a way to combat atheists, or those that might argue contrary beliefs. I am an atheist, I have heard Christian arguments some of them are well formed, this book tries to mimic them but fails horribly. His comparisons and descriptions are weak, and the author shows he has little understanding of alternate views, and his views on Christianity are also shaky depending on your denomination. I beg you for the sake of good argument, don't add this book to your arsenal. I would simply laugh, and end any conversation about religion with someone who would try to argue the way Budzisewski does.

I was raised and confirmed in the Lutheran church, my uncle who sent me the book is a Lutheran Pastor. If you want a way to defend your faith talk to your church leader, or research opposing views and think of them yourself. But don't use this book, you wont be taken seriously, and you'll seriously insult both yourself and the other person in the debate.

This is a nice companion to the book. She asks good, thought-provoking questions. I'm glad a bought the two together.

This journal gets you to think about what is holding you back and start making some important insights and changes in your life for the better. It is well organized and written and of great help and value to the Christian soul for growth. "Get Out of That Pit", will help you to help yourself to do just that. Thank you Beth Moore for being open to being used by God.

very good work book journal goes hand in hand with her book Gettin out of the pit

My pastor recommended this book after my own fall from grace and it has been eye opening (or closing). This book gives you the tools to curb your sexual appetite that is fed by your eyes. You look at a beautiful woman (God's creation) and notice here breasts, or any other part of her anatomy, so you stare and process this image with your eyes, then send it to your brain to remember her in your files, then it goes to your heart where the lust kicks in. Now you're hooked. Every Man's Battle starts with the eyes. Turn away, close them or bounce. Bounce your eyes means you see something innappropriate (internet, print, live, etc) and your eyes immediately move away to something else. This prevents the brain from processing it and sending it to your heart to relive.

My hope is that society will begin to appreciate women as God's creation and place them on a pedastal to be cherished and nurtured and not an object of desire for all to use.

Every Man's Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time (The Every Man Series)

Emotional integrity is something we don't often think about. In today's society, if you have not physically cheated on your husband, you have not cheated. This came crashing down around me when I was emotionally unfaithful to my husband, but not physically, and I came to understand that it could have just as easily destroyed my marriage (and nearly did). This book was a turning point for me. Shannon explains how God created women to be, and how we can be what He created us for with purity. A womans heart is so beautiful, and so fragile. We all want to be loved. Reading this book helps us to discover the one true lover of our souls, Jesus Christ.

Whether your issue is just one, or many of the topics covered in the book, it truly is EVERY womans battle. And when you read it, you feel like you don't have to live in shame because the title is EVERY womans battle. Every woman deals with one or more of these things.

Please, read the book and experience God's love, grace, forgiveness, friendship, and restoration for yourself.

Having read Stephen Arterburn's book, Every Man's Battle, I thought I would read this book to see what I could learn from it.

As for the men, you will probably not learn anything more out of this book if you have already ready Every Man's Battle. And for women, all I can say is wow, all women should be given this book at a young age to read.

This book can help one understand the what and why's of what is happening when it comes to sexual and emotional fulfillment in relationships, and what can be done to deal with it.

Yes, I somewhat agree with the other reviewers that complain about the book not talking enough about woman who have as strong a sex drive as men, but I don't think it was right for them to rate this book so low for that one point.

I highly recommend all woman buy it, and also make sure your Church library has one.

Wow!!!!!!!!!! Excellent study. In short, face facts and deal with your demons head on with God at the front of the battle.

Wow, what a way to learn about the heart of a woman. This was fantastic.