Religion Books

Very insightful and thought provoking. Made me question many of my views and my perspective of other Christians.

so, from the beginning... its good. I mean you immediately get the sense of where it is going and which role Niehbur's interprets christ as playing but his interpretation of culture as "that artificial secondary environment that man superimposes upon the real..." is quite interesting. its something i can almost agree with, yet enjoy considering. creates a context for stimulating conversation about the substance of culture itself.

The only helpful thing in this book was the description of the five types. This does provide a framework for analyzing different position. The types could have been defined in a much shorter work.

The book does not offer clear Biblical argumentaion for or against differnt views. One flaw (which is apparently common in Liberal theology) is that he talks about the New testament writers postions as if they were contrary and not complementary to each other. For example he talks about Pauline and Johanine Theology as if they had separate, and contradictory on some points, views.

With each view Neibhur talks about a few historical people who have held this view. These people are for the most part extremist who have taken one idea and thrown out the rest of the Bible. The majority of them were heretics. The association of each view with some very extreme exponents of it may give the conservative Christian the impression that the view itself is heretical (Which it may or may not be).

More work needs to be done on this subject with Biblical argumentation for the different views.

If in reading this book you are (as I was) attempting to develop a Biblical theology of Christ and Culture I believe you will find it a dissapointment.

What do I mean by dated . . . but . . . foundational?

DATED
Christ and Culture has been around for over half a century now. When first penned it attempted to describe all the various ways in which Christians interact with culture, and make sense of it. The book was profound, for its time period. However, a lot of theology has been written since 1951 and culture has changed even more. At first glance the reader might find himself or herself toying with several ideas that are more recent than Niebur's.

FOUNDATIONAL
This book made such a splash that some Christian colleges adopted similar classes. This was the prevailing text. Therefore, most of the ideas on this subject that churn in the modern Christian reader's mind were formed in reaction to this book, even if the reader is unaware of it. Therefore, if the reader of today can grasp the concepts of this work, that reader will have a deeper understanding of his or her own beliefs.

RECOMMENDATION
This book is dated, but not outdated. Read it and compare it with newer works for a broader grasp of the subject. By the way, this is one of the most important subjects that today's Christian can wrestle with. Too many of our Christians react to culture with limited understanding of what they are doing or why they are doing it. We Protestants, of which I am one, are horribly weak in our understanding of what it means to be the Church of Jesus Christ in a fallen world.

I thought the 5 approaches were good but the reading is tedious and difficult. Actually, I thought the articles and reviews ABOUT this book were much easier to understand and more helpful on the subject than the book itself.

I had expected more from this author. For me, the analogy got lost in the revelation of her personal struggle. I still highly recommend this book as it addresses such an important topic. We can let nothing deter our commitment to trust and follow, especially in our darkest hours. Our Isaacs come in many forms as do the rams in the brush, but God is constant.

Carol's book is heart wrenching. We have only one child also, and we have had to "lay our Isaac down" and trust that God will take care of our son. Reading Carol's book made me realize that I am powerless over some circumstances, but God is still in control. I have a feeling though, that this book would not be understood by those who are not Christian. The idea of trusting a God who would allow so much pain is hard for people to understand. I'm a Christian, and believing in a God who allows horrible circumstances in our lives is hard for even me to understand. Carol's book helped explain how we can still have faith while experiencing difficult times.

While Carol's experience is somewhat unique, her story and the application of the principles of faith to our own difficulties and disappointments in life, as well as others around us, is uplifting, encouraging and filled with hope. This book helps us to look outside of the dark and isolating closet we find ourselves in when an Issac experience enters our lives, or those around us, and see that we can carry on.

This story is filled with the love of God and the expectations of God. WHen God doesn't answer the prayers the way you expect him to. thats when your faith shows up and becomes the strength you live by. Amazing Grace!

When I Lay My Isaac Down: Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances

This book brought me back from a month of severe depression. And it renewed my faith in God. I have shared it with two friends who have absolutely felt as I did about the book. Carol Kent writes about an unspeakable family crisis and her decision to cling to her faith in spite of her grief. I recommend this book heartily to anyone facing a crisis and especially a crsis of faith.

`An Introduction to the New Testament' by leading NT scholar and writer, Raymond E. Brown may be the best possible introduction to its subject for the lay reader and for pastoral readers. I am relatively sure the book is also used as a text in college level courses on the New Testament, if only for the wealth of bibliography on each aspect of its subject.
I give this glowing praise with some reservations, since I have been bitten before by praising a book on a subject on which I have not read many different works; however, by now I have read numerous books on both New and Old Testament subjects, on both introductory and `scholarly' levels, and this experience assures me that this is a superior book for its audience.
As you read this volume, you may be surprised to discover that the author is a Catholic, since there is not one wit of `bias' which would diminish the work for our Protestant kin. Rather, the author brings in notions from Catholic practice for which the Protestant, even the deeply scripture - imbued Lutheran tradition, has no easy concept. My favorite is the notion expressed by the Latin (of course) phrase sensus plenior, or `fuller sense' of a reading of scripture. This is totally consistent with Herr Luther's dictum that a scriptural reading has but one meaning. It just means that one wants to find the broadest sense of the text, taking all things into account.
Another of the author's positions which warm's my heart (and assures me the author is intellectually sound) is his opinion that the politically correct terms for what we all commonly call the `Old Testament' are no more accurate than this ancient term which some feel is disrespectful to our Jewish cousins. All common alternatives such as `Hebrew' scriptures are actually less accurate than the adjective which says these came before the Christian scriptures.
The greatest service I can do for you, kind reader, is to point out that the proper audience for this book may be much wider than the title may suggest. I would offer it as a NT complement to James Kugel's `How to Read the Bible', which deals only with the Old Testament (as Professor Kugel is a Hebrew scholar). It is also an excellent replacement for such heavy tomes as `The Oxford Bible Commentary', which I have never found exceptionally helpful in getting into an unfamiliar book of the Bible.
A dramatic illustration of how good this book is compared to some other works is to compare it to the recent Lutheran introduction, `Opening the Book of Faith' on four ways to read the Bible. Brown gives ten (10) different ways the Bible has been studied, and that doesn't even include the Lutheran text's `lectio divina' and `theological' readings. The former is a classic devotional reading and the latter is the approach promoted by Lutheran theologians.
If I have any reservations at all about the book for serious students, it is the fact that it was published twelve years ago, and probably written up to two years before that, which means the bibliography may already be slightly dated. However, I still found the bibliography exceptionally good, even with its limiting itself to works in English, proper for a book written for the lay reader or beginning student.
I was tickled to find, at the very end, a bit of a polemic against the works of the Jesus Seminar in an overview of works on the historical Jesus. He shares the dim opinion of this enterprise held by Catholic colleague Luke Timothy Johnson. This is the only place in the book where Brown strays one iota from an even handed approach to Biblical scholarship.
If you are first starting out in serious Bible reading, this book is a Godsend!

Raymond Brown sure knows how to write an introduction. Though I am not exactly sure how long the New Testament is, surely it is dwarfed by the 800+ pages of Brown's commentary. He does an excellent job covering the books as well as discussing various approached to studying the New Testament. I used this for background while studying Mark. Thus, this work is approporate for specific research or a general understanding of the New Testament. Though it is not quick reading, if you have your bible handy it the learning process is better. Unlike many theologians, he does a good job of sticking to mostly understandable vocabulary. I would say this could be of use for all beginning and intermediate-level bible students as well as those extremely familiar with the doctrines surrounding the New Testament. High praise for Brown in attempting such a collasal task!

This is a great book. Ray Brown is a scholar who has the ability to write so clearly that he is able to pull together years of study and scholarship and bring beginners, students and Scripture readers up to speed on the latest in Biblical understand. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about the Bible and how to read it and understand it.

As others have stated, this if you only buy one book for a study on the nuts and bolts of the New Testament, this is it. It is extraordinary in its scope, magnificently researched, and best of all, it's written so well that it does not become tiring or try to impress you with huge complicated words or phrases. This is an outstanding volume for the common man and the advanced student as well. Thank you Raymond Brown for leaving us with this marvelous tool to understanding the times and structure of the New Testament - this book will serve as a legacy and the benchmark by which all others will be compared for ages to come.

I am a somewhat new Christian and have really felt a connection with God since becoming faithful. However, I became wary of Church dogma and completely literal, simplified views of info in the Bible. I knew it had to be deeper than that. I had a hunger to learn more about the history of the New Testament and it's books, letters, etc. to help me better understand it. This book was extremely helpful and easy to understand; but I can see how it would be good for people who already know about Biblical critisism. It has deepened my faith more reading this book which actually has a centrist point of view for the most part. Highly recommend to all. I had read Raymond E. Brown was the way to go for this information and I'd have to agree.

Dr. Ogden has given the church, and especailly pastors who see the command to disciple, a great tool. Discipleship Essentials provides a frameword where "life on life" discipleship can take place. It is the catyist that allows men and women to go deeper in their relationship with Christ, and also growing together toward the goal of being reproducing disciples of the Savior. Hats off to Dr. Ogden! Doc, you're the real deal, thanks for serving the Savior with your fine work!
PC - Amery, WI

I'm two months into Discipleship Essentials with two other men, and I'm already seeing amazing results. This is by far the most effective approach to disciple making that I have ever experienced. It has revolutionized my ministry and given me a do-able, long-term strategy for training leaders and growing our local church. I also highly recommend reading Ogden's Transforming Discipleship: Making Disciples a Few at a Time before launching your own discipleship group.

Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28:18-20 to go and make disciples of all nations. This book helps do just that. It guides a person through the process of becoming a mature disciple of Jesus Christ. More than that, it is helping create strong intimate relationships between people. This is something that disciples need to do but we are often "too busy" to do.

I have used Discipleship Essentials with two different triads over the past two years and found it to be wonderful and effective in deepening spiritual maturity.

Greg has spent a lot of time creating study ideas for sessions with disciples. This is a practical curriculum for disciplemaking involving engagement with scripture, discussion, and issues to pray for. It's a book I would recommend for people looking for study ideas.
-Dennis McCallum, author Organic Disciplemaking: Mentoring Others Into Spiritual Maturity And Leadership

I found this book well written and very informative and extremely helpful. Max Lucado brings to life the pain of our bagage and the awesome work that the Savior has done for us to relieve us of the garbage we were never ment to bear. It is so well written that it can't help but touch your heart and pierce your soul. You will finish the book willing and ready for change in your life. I definitely recommend it.

Max Lucado is an excellecent writer. He is truly a man close to God. He can take anything an explain it with Biblical text from days of yore to the present. This book is a very good read.

This book was awesome for unloading the heavy baggage of guilt. And it's a small, easy-to-read book. I've given many of them away to people I've come across while working in the ER.

I READ THIS IN A DOCTOR'S WAITING ROOM AND IT MADE THE TIME FLY.
WELL WRITTEN TO HELP MOST OF OUR NEEDS.

What can I say? Loved the book as I always do,with Lucado. I never tire of reading his books. He always writes so well. I like reading all his works.

Don Piper died and went to heaven. Then he came back. The author of the million-copy bestselling book 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN recorded the events surrounding his car accident 15 years ago when he was pronounced dead by EMTs and for 90 minutes was clinically deceased.

Though Piper recounts his experience of being in heaven for that short space of time, he relies on those at the scene of the accident to tell what occurred while he was dead. After paramedics walked away from Piper, a fellow minister felt compelled to stop at the roadside crash. Then he asked to see the body and began praying for Piper, who suddenly stirred to life again. The minister ran to get help, but the EMTs dismissed his claim that Piper was alive. Finally, to assuage him, these professionals checked Piper again and rescue efforts redoubled. So began the long journey, or crossing the bridge, as Piper likes to say, back to earthly existence.

After having endured 34 operations, spending 13 months in the hospital and then two years of rehabilitation, Piper understands physical suffering better than most. He also writes movingly about his other losses: diminished physical abilities, constant pain, inner and outer scars. And yet, Piper focuses on the broader scheme of life. He writes this new text as an encouragement and a challenge to other Christians to face their pain and life disappointments as catalysts for growth and change. Championing the premise that every person makes decisions, great and small, that affect their life and destinies, Piper asks readers to pause and reflect. Beginning with his own story of conversion to Christ, he lays out the gospel message succinctly and then walks interested travelers through life's main juncture points.

Piper discusses happiness and how this term works itself out in a Christian's life; how standing alone for Christ translates into greater intimacy with God; how "getting over it" is sometimes the best advice ever given; and how identifying and embracing "life markers," or those events that drastically change one's life forever, can be opportunities in disguise. He also expounds upon living life in the "new normal" stage, where nothing that was can be revisited. The author invites believers first to release the past and then set goals for the future. He notes that "most of our important beginnings take place in the darkness --- that is, outside our awareness." In other words, Piper asserts that "the most powerful learning take place when we're totally unconscious of it."

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Piper likewise encourages Christians to focus on the eternal and live every day to its fullest by learning to laugh, show compassion, give thanks, cultivate contentment and give to others despite one's own sorrows. Readers will empathize with Piper's harrowing ordeal and find him a steady source of good counsel for prevailing over and conquering trials of every shape and size.

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

I loved 90 Minutes in Heaven and I loved this book (the sequel), too. It does get a little repetitive (he says a few set phrases over and over) but his intent is good. These two books have made such an difference in my life! I've been sharing them with so many!

90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life
This book tells a story that seems very unreal but after reading and also meeting Rev. Piper, it has to be true. He has taken an opportunity that many of us wonder about and given some details that match what you will find in the scriptures and brought a very personal message from it. He also shares the difficulty of his recovery and also the importance of giving others the opportunity to use their gifts of hospitality to strengthen others in this book. But the part that stays with me is how important intercessory pray is for people we know who are going through a tough situation. It really let me know again just how great our God is.

I loved 90 Minutes in Heaven and this book was just as good. It was easy to read and I really enjoyed the book. As in the first book, Piper discusses his own personal experiences, backing them up with Scripture.

What I found intriguing was that the author waited two years after his near-death experience before he went public with the story...and this was only after strong encouragement from close friends.

This is one of the best writen books out today. Mr. Piper's book is very inspiring and gives people hope.

I got the feeling that the Gospels were reviewed as if they were written by Faulkner, Hemingway, T.S. Eliot and James Joyce. Lots of talk about symbolism and references to the "Sacred Writing" as there is in reviews of the previously named authors.
Mr. Wills is writing as a believer and this makes his comments biased.
Still, Mr. Wills is an engaging writer and I finished the book.

Very interesting premises. Well written. Wonder what the other titles from this author would be like.

The author has provided significant scholarship on the
meaning of the gospels. For instance, he contrasted
the lengths of the gospels. This turned up a 19,000
word document by Luke's gospel- the longest rendition.

There is an excellent section on the Sermon at the Mount.
The beatitudes are set forth in great detail together
with understandable prose to support the biblical script.
The miracle of Cana is described ; wherein, Christ turned
water into wine. The apostle Mark spent about 1/3 of his
writings on Christ's passion. Luke's gospel described the
famous prodigal son. The death and resurrection of Jesus
is told in strict accordance with the biblical account.

Overall, the book is an excellent rendition for biblical
enthusiasts. I was looking for more discussion of
"the end times" as related to the official biblical scripture.

Prof. Wills put forth this book to deepen our understanding of the Gospels. The Gospels are not biographies, or history books, or treatises (P.5). The Gospels thus find Jesus present in persecution (Mark), in instruction (Matthew), in consolation (Luke), and in mystical exaltation (John) (P.8)

He quoted from scholar Raymond Brown in explaining and commenting on the four Gospels with comparison and contrast. It is a highly readable scholar work in understanding how, what and why on the Gospels, quite different from the Sunday sermon on the historical Jesus.

He pointed out the truth in the Gospels including the Mark Appendix - Whoever believe and is baptized shall be saved (Mk 16:16)

Reading this book will help the meaning and appreciation of history and theology, belief and lie, Jesus and Christ who helped shape and impact Western Civilization for over two thousand years.

The four Gospels help and guide reader to find God, meaning of life and good work for an everlasting life.

So far in this series of books, Garry Wills has goaded our brains into comtemplating What Jesus Meant and What Paul Meant. In examining the Gospels, both the Synoptics and John, Wills moves chronologically farther away from the historical Jesus and more into the young church's interpretation of his words and deeds. The important part of this scholarship is the relation of the gospel's Jesus and the character and needs of each individual congregation addressed by Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. This is interpretation uncluttered by church teachings. Surely anyone wishing an accessible, readable book on early Christianity could benefit from this volume.

Having loved The Da Vinci Code I'd thought I'd delve deeper since Holy Blood Holy Grail was the inspiration for it. Big mistake. This was an absolutely exhausting book to read. It seems to go on for over 300 pages of endless genealogies before it gets to the main hypothesis. It's an extremely slow read,at times repetitive and incredibly boring. The subject was interesting but getting there will kill you. Don't do it.

What an incredible book. Once you start reading it, you won't be able to set it down. The premise of this complex story is this- three different religions set out to discover the bloodline of Jesus and to accurately paint the picture of his life. With very little evidence this would prove a daunting task. While the book is controversial, it is all well written and a treat to have read. I even got yelled at by my boss for reading the book on company time. I've read it 4 times and each time is like the first time. There is a lot of information to process so get ready be blown away. It's awesome. Also, if you missed reading GE0RGI0U's masterpiece--FATES, go and read it. Fates (classic)

Well according to the gospels THERE IS! Is there something odd about the way Jesus was tried & convicted by Rome's accord? If you read the gospels with a historic eye THERE IS! People pick up the bible and read it along with what they question and you will come out with the same conclusion

i never got the product and i am still wating for someone to contact me.

The book arrived in excellent condition. Look like I had just plucked it off the shelf. No yellowing of pages, dog ears or tares.

Have read many books on leadership. This one tops them all. Useful at home as well as at work. Focuses on who's vision we are really following.

This is one of the best books on leadership today. It teaches leaders at every level how to get Christians from focusing on a personal agenda to getting on God's agenda. One of the best books on leadership ever written. I use it for small group leadership training.

Henry and Richard Blackaby (father and son) are leaders the Southern Baptist denomination, with leadership demonstrated in the business and academic realms respectively. "Spiritual Leadership" is an attempt to tempter the current crop of leadership books, which focus on the American concept of rugged individualism and creating vision. Blackaby and Blackaby, in "Spiritual Leadership" recognize the practical wisdom contained in such books, yet seek to ground their arguments in the foundational concepts of service to Christ and fervent prayer.

Indeed, prayer and submission to God are the central elements around with the rest of the book turns. The authors argue that "creating a vision" and reliance upon human wisdom are foreign concepts Biblical teachings on leadership. They argue that man does not determine his own paths, but rather God prepares activities for his servants, works through them to accomplish these tasks, and then follows up to produce the success (defined by God himself) of the endeavor. To determine what this pre-determined activity is, Blackaby and Blackaby argue that prayer is essential.

The message is simple--seek God's will in strengthening your faith, in your major life decisions, and even in your day-to-day activities through prayer, then (once God's will is determined) humble yourself and faithfully carry out that will. Yet, the message is not simplistic. The authors present the concept thoroughly, addressing growing prayer life and leadership style; showing what spiritual leadership is and is not; addressing short-term issues and long-term ones; showing how this style of leadership plays out in a variety of settings; and providing pastoral encouragement. Although the simple message is consistent, the book never becomes repetitive or boring; rather the prose is fresh and stimulating throughout.

Now, I must admit skepticism based on certain doctrinal and practical principles. On the doctrinal side, I confess my belief that God communicates and communes with man through means--Scripture and Sacraments. On the practical side, I fear that people will simply imagine that God is "telling" them what they want to hear anyway--that is, that people will ascribe to God their man-centered ideas.

Although I still believe both hold water, I decided to follow Blackaby and Blackaby's advice and pray more fervently in the way they recommend to see if any change comes about. Indeed it had. Consistently praying (both prayers common to the church like the Lord's Prayer, Luther's Morning Prayer, and the weekly collects as well as idiosyncratic prayers), I found that my perceived connection to God strengthened, stress reduced, major decisions made with a strong sense of peace as I acknowledged God's direction, and even new, exciting opportunities presented.

While I would have liked to see this book focus a little more on holistic spirituality (e.g. the role of worship, daily Bible reading, Sacraments, etc) in the thorough way they presented holistic leadership, the fact remains that "Spiritual Leadership" is a positive, paradigm-changing book. This is true on the intellectual level (faithful servant versus rugged individual paradigms) and the spirituality level (my spirituality has deepened as a result of following the advice of the book).

How the arguments of "Spiritual Leadership" will play out in my life beyond the month trial or how my opinion of the book will shift as I increase in my understanding of prayer remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the command of our Lord to pray fervently remains, and Blackaby and Blackaby do a great service in showing how this command can be practically lived in a variety of situations.

The Blackablys have done a thorough job in researching and summarizing today's secular leadership teaching then contrasting it with spiritual leadership. They point out that many of the principles of secular leadership are of value but the underlying principle of spiritual leadership that differs from secular leadership is that we are to seek God's agenda and not our own. To make their point, early in the book they discuss Jesus as the model for spiritual leadership. Jesus, the very Son of God, did not seek His own agenda, but rather spent hours in prayer to align himself with God's agenda.

The Blackabys also do a great job teaching that spritual leadership is not just for leaders in the church. Spiritual leadership is also required of Christians that are in secular leadership roles. They give us many examples of US Presidents as well as military and corporate leaders that have aligned themselves to God's agenda and have been effective.

We are living in a world that is growing in complexity and the demands on leadership are ever increasing. The Blackabys have shown what an advantage spiritual leaders have in being able to align ourselves to the agenda of a wise and loving God rather than attempting to create our own agenda.

I found this book very engaging and was able to read through it without multiple pickups. By this I mean, that I didn't put it down for a few weeks and then pick it up again. Instead, I read through it in about four days. Overall, the book was very good. The only area I would have liked to have seen greater depth was in the decision making process. This was one of the shorter chapters and I felt the authors could have gone a little deeper here.

From a Christian perspective on leadership, this book would definitely be in my top five choices along with The Revolutionary Communicator, The Book on Leadership, Lead Like Jesus, and Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge. These other four are fine reads as well.

Rick Warren has written another common sense book for all to benefit from. The questions at the end of each chapter challenge the reader to go one more step. We are using it in our Bible study. I have enjoyed the book very much.

The author of this book gives great facts from the Holy Bible on the lives of the people in the Bible. That we may learn from their mistkes and their successes and how to avoid needless trials, temptations, and error in our lives

Rick Warren provides meaningful insight on how to deal with many of life's difficult problems. Very personally oriented.

Many of the chapters have titles that don't fit to ever person. But in this book, I found that even though they may not fit to my life it always provided me with just what I needed to hear. I highly recommend this book by Rick Warren

If you are struggling with stress, failure, depression, an overwhelming crisis, this is a great book. The great thing about this book is that it gives real steps that you can do right now to help your situation and the way you think. It is written from a Christian perspective and offers Bible references and stories that offer hope and strength in difficult times. I loved the story of Elijah. I had read I Kings 19 before, but never thought about it the way he explains. It is short and to the point, not a lot of fluff, just sincere help when you need it most.