engage Books

Michael Cook's book is a great introduction for Jews interested in the New Testament and the study of Christianity. Speaking for an average Jewish reader, and a beginning student of comparative religions, I feel this book provides a great starting point to begin a study of the New Testament. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the relationship between Christianity and Judaism, and especially to Jewish and Christian lay leaders interested in starting interfaith dialogue.

The Jewish and Christian faiths share a common origin, and have been bound closely through the ages. "Modern Jews Engage the New Testament: Enhancing Jewish Well-Being in a Christian Environment" shows how several rabbis and other Jewish leaders view the Holy Bible's New Testament. Touching on New Testament topics that are critically important to the Jewish people, such as how Jewish traditions are entwined within Christianity, and how the New Testament regards the Jewish people, "Modern Jews Engage the New Testament" is a thoroughly accessible work of scholarship. "Modern Jews Engage the New Testament" is highly recommended for anyone interested in a look at the New Testament from another perspective.

Rabbi Michael Cook's book, Modern Jews Engage the New Testament: Enhancing Jewish Well-being in a Christian Environment, is a wonderful, very readable insight into the New Testament. He rightly explains why Jews have shied away from reading the Christian's New Testament, but his book allows all Jews to read it, and understand it from a truly Jewish viewpoint, one of respect for the text of another faith, but that it is not our Holy Scripture. In this day and age, when Jews are asked questions about our faith in comparison with that of Christianity, Jews need to know the issues, and have a familiarity with the Christian's New Testament to be able to discuss those issues intelligently. The Talmud teaches us, "Da mah l'hasheev," to know how to respond to such questions. Rabbi Cook's book enables all Jewish readers to do just that. On the other hand, Christians who read this book will find very interesting how Jews can come to understand Christian Scriptures in light of history, and how it has been used, and misused, through the history of Jewish and Christian relations. Rabbi Cook truly wrote this book in a way that makes all people of all backgrounds and faiths feel welcome to read it.

Rabbi Cook uses plenty of graphs and diagrams to explain the New Testament that help the reader understand how it was constructed. Of equal importance, there are words that both Jews and Christians use that have different meanings to each group. Rabbi Cook goes out of his way to explain the different uses of these words. Jews and Christians cannot really communicate when they use words that they each think the other understands the same way, when we do not understand them in the same way. At the end of each chapter, Rabbi Cook has a summary which he titled, 'The Most Valuable Ideas In This Chapter May Be:' This means that the reader can use this summary to help understand the chapter, and go back and re-read the chapter looking for the original explanation of these main important points. Furthermore, at the end of each chapter is another section which Rabbi Cook titled, 'Loose Ends Worth Tying:' in which he further explains issues raised in the chapter. Finally, Rabbi Cook includes different indexes of his book that are quite useful. They dont appear to be computer generated, and they appear to give every citation of the use of the indexed words or ideas. One is an index of other authors cited or quoted and where they are cited or quoted, an impressive list of scholars. Other indexes are of the Biblical verses used in his book, an index of the subjects covered in his book of course, as well as an index of the concepts he is trying to convey, the core of his book. Each one helps the reader to better understand the Christian's New Testament, and to better and more easily grasp the points Rabbi Cook makes.

This book is an important book because it covers information that all Jews need to live in a world where our paths cross more and more with Christians, and when Christianity influences many things with which we come in contact. And I believe all Christians need this book, too. On the back cover of the book, the text reads, "While written primarily with Jews in mind, this groundbreaking volume will also help Christians understand issues involved in the origin of the New Testament, the portrayal of Judaism in it, and why for centuries their 'Good News' has been a source of fear and mistrust among Jews." I could not agree more, and, frankly, it is about time that a book like this was available.

Modern Jews Engage the New Testament: Enhancing Jewish Well-being in a Christian Environment

Rabbi Michael Cook's new book, Modern Jews Engage the New Testament is a fantastic introduction to some of the most valuable information in the field. It not only contains some of the basic information in the field of New Testament study, but it also offers an abundance of new ideas and insights. Gospel Dynamics is perhaps the most creative and appropriate term for the approach that Rabbi Cook takes in dealing with this sensitive subject matter.

My 30-year rabbinate has been filled with so many conversations of meaningful and respectful dialogue with people of other faiths that focused on the topics of this book long before it was written. Those conversations would have been so much richer had I had this as a resource then. I am grateful that it will inform future discussions.

This book is intended not only for Jews or for rabbis. Cook makes it easy to use his writings in a variety of settings. The layout and helpful directions makes this accessible for Gentiles as well as Jews, lay readers in addition to scholars, secularists and religionists, young and old. The book has multidirectional reading options. Those for whom this is a first venture into these subjects will find it easy to navigate from the beginning, while those who have ample background can select those chapters that most interest them to read first. My guess is that any reader will eventually read it from cover to cover again and again.

Our synagogue is planning a joint adult education program with a neighboring church. We have done a variety of things with them over the past two decades. Rabbi Cook's writings will enable us to do some serious study and dialogue about a subject that is too often avoided because of fear and anxiety. It is a process that promises ample rewards. Michael Cook has provided a welcoming doorway through which those who enter will be changed forever for the better.

I am purchasing this book two and three at a time. There are many people to whom I want to give it as a gift. But the real gift is the one that Rabbi Cook has provided for all people who care about knowledgeable interfaith dialogue and respect.

This is one of the premier books on brand development. The authors are spot on in advocating that brands are most effective when built from the inside out. If we do not engage our employees in the procees and get their buy-in we do not have a brand. Too often brand development is a communications and marketing effort. We need to make sure that we include HR as our brand partners, or brand leaders. There is a reason why Southwest Airlines is traditionally one of the first companies that comes to mind when we think of a case study in branding, and why it is consistently profitable. If I am not mistaken, it is the only US airline to be profitable each year since 9/11. I have seen Libby present before and she is one of the real pros in branding.

This predictable book on branding has a slight twist: aim your branding efforts at your employees as well as at your customers. Simple enough. Authors Libby Sartain and Mark Schumann have boiled employer branding down to eight essentials. Generally, they focus on their core concept with a positive orientation toward employees, although their lists, checklists and lists within lists do get repetitive. Maybe all those lists are intended to help the staff in human resources, where they place much of the responsibility for internal branding. We recommend this book to branding and internal marketing newcomers who want a rundown of the basics, and to human resource professionals who may need to learn about marketing to harness the impact of internal branding.

Adult learning theory is handily referenced in this neat little book, and it's those references that are just as valuable as the advice Tate offers for the newer professional staff developer (or anyone who teaches adults). The interested reader can follow the research to explore the subjects more thoroughly.

The theoretical framework pages are useful support for Tate's activities. Though some of the material and suggestions are a bit simplistic for the adult audience("...participants work together to create a song that shows what they have learned."), the majority of ideas can be easily altered to suit any level of inquiry required. It's a quick read, which is also helpful to time-strapped professional developers, and it explores the newest brain-compatible strategies as it inspires creative adaptation. I would recommend this resource as part of a working library, especially for newer staff developers.

Just like her other books, Dr. Marcia Tate takes her brain-compatible strategies and applies them to the adult learner. Often times adults are no more than big children and her techniques help to utilize instructional strategies to 'teach' the adult learner. Her ideas are great for professionals who provide professional development for the adult learner.

The reason I bought this book, and all her others, is because I was lucky enough to be in her 2-day seminar. She DOES practice what she preaches! In her book, she uses 20 research-based, brain-compatible strategies to motivate and engage learners, enabling them to reach higher test scores. During her seminar, she used these same 20 strategies with us and they worked! We actively listened and learned, because she didn't expect us to "sit and get". We were moving, talking, playing games, writing, drawing, etc...using those 20 brain-friendly strategies. I am now using these 20 strategies in my classroom. My math class all tested 100% on their first unit tests! I will use Marcia Tates books and strategies forever!

These are more of the same practices that you could probably think of yourself. Honestly, there is nothing original here. Treat yourself to lunch instead.

If you teach English in middle school or high school, you need this book! If you're tired of the "same old way" of teaching and find you often have discipline problems because your students are bored, GET THIS BOOK!

I teach 5th grade and use this all the time. The pages easily work with any genre you are teaching, whether it is biography, fiction, nonfiction, whatever. Another thing I like is the fact that there are some pages that integrate grammar into whatever story you are reading (like searching for verbs in the story.) This book is one that I use constantly.

If you are a reader, and haven't read this one, and then you are encouraged to read it, once you read it, it will be stuff you have read before. I liked the book, and I love what pastor Bob is doing on a glocal level. However, wish I would have read it when it first came out.

If the church would follow these principles we would effectivelly reach the world for Christ.

I truly enjoyed this book. It is not a typical "how to" missions book that merely confirms what probably you are already doing in your church. Bob Roberts pushes the boundaries. His perspective and approach to short-term missions is different from anything that I have ever read. From cover to cover, I felt as if my missiological practises and leadership as a pastor were being tested and refined.

The book is vital because it brings personal experience of a man that has put a side his old mental models and traditions in order to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. The book is not written in systematic style, but rather in a pragmatic way.

The author does a good job of engaging his readers. He develops a framework to describe the importance of focusing on a particular "people group" for the purpose of establishing true relationship, which in turn will produce transformation from the inside out.

Glocalization offers an exciting opportunity for those churches and individuals who are seeking a different approach in touching others people's life through relationship, respect and acceptance to impact this changing world for Christ.

There is only a handful of people whose life demands a read and careful study. Bob Roberts is one of those persons. What his church has done is unique. It is one of the few churches in the United States that has taken cultural transformation global while maintaining an Evangelical message. This book reveals the heart of such a pastor and presents many practical points of application.
I'm puzzled by the critical review of Isaiah. He's disappointed by a local church only adopting a few locations? Bob teaches that churches need to learn to specialize, pick a city or country and develop a relationship-better, a friendship, and encourage another church to do the same thing. To try to everything is to do nothing.
Isaiah's opening line, "If you believe you can just tell people about Jesus without caring for their physical needs, you may want to read this book." suggests he hasn't read the book very well. The book is all about cultural impact which is completely about ministry to the whole person.
It is especially disappointing to see a reviewer use pejorative terms--"self indulgent" does not describe this book or Bob Roberts.
Obviously there is a vital issue at stake. Read the book.
I rate the book with 4 stars, because I would like for it to be a little more systematic in its approach. While not being a systematic treatise, it is the heartfelt cry of a pastor who is doing something very significant and inviting many others to go along on the journey. As I think about it, perhaps the lack of system is a plus in a post-modern world. I guess my professorial habits have found me out.

This book is very interesting and full of practical strategies for reaching all students. It is a book for thinking.

this item was definetly not what I thought it would be. It is helpful but it does not have that many reproducibles. That is what I needed. I am still trying to work it in my schedule, because the projects that are included are very difficult to complete in one period. I cant let the students work on projects for more than one period. It would not be effective.