Divine Books

This is simply an excellent book. Very well written and inspiring. During and after reading the book, I felt my own divine desperation. I appreciated the author's transparency and honesty. He and his family certainly faced gut wrenching problems as their missionary career spanned the globe. God's faithfulness shines throughout. A must read.

This book was exactly what I needed. The title hit home "desperation" was precisely what I felt when I picked up and read and it's helped me to stand back up and let God be God. The book is written in a way that we not only have a glimpse into the life and ministry of the author and his family, which is interesting -- but also a clear view into how God works. So matter-of-factly, Dr. Hurston shares fantastic miracles he witnessed and/or experienced; so matter-of-factly he reminds us that it's all about God, all about Jesus, all about the Holy Spirit and we are just to obey and get out of the way. So simple and yet so easy to forget - it's good to be reminded. Thank you Dr. Hurston for taking the time and effort to put your life and wisdom into book form so that the rest of us may grow and learn from you. Thank you!

Divine Discourse is a philosophical and theological treat. It offers a philosophical exploration of the devotional reading of scripture. In so doing, it unveils the conceptual, epistemic and interpretive obstacles that one faces if one believes that God spoke and perhaps continues to speak through sacred texts. Like most of Professor Wolterstorff's books, it is a first word rather than a final word on a thought provoking topic. It begins a conversation and encourages further discussion. In Divine Discourse, Wolterstorff takes up three important philosophical topics, viz., divine revelation, philosophy of language and hermeneutics. The opening argument of the book is that the Bible should be understood under the rubric of divine speech, rather than divine revelation. This argument is followed by an analysis of divine speech in light of the speech-act theory of John Austin and John Searle. Such an analysis attaches significant weight to the role of the speaker or author in fixing the meaning of a speech-act or text. Since this is not an uncontroversial position in contemporary philosophical discussions of interpretation, Wolterstorff devotes a couple of chapters to answering criticisms from two of his more important critics, Paul Ricouer and Jacques Derrida. The remainder of the book takes up a variety of interesting hermeneutic and theological issues that arise from the fact that the Bible is both a divine and a human product. I would recommend this book on the strength of the opening discussion of Augustine's conversion experience alone. For anyone interested in the philosophical and theological issues surrounding the nature and interpretation of the Bible, this book is worth a careful read. For anyone interested in the impact of philosophy of language on hermeneutics, Divine Discourse provides important food for thought. And for anyone who is weary of the traditional disciplinary lines separating theology from philosophy, hermeneutics from the philosophy of language, or Anglo-American from contemporary European philosophy, this book will provide a welcome and refreshing change.

Wolterstorff delivers a carefully argued defense of the claim that God speaks today. This book would be an interesting read for those who might doubt whether God does indeed actively interact with humans today. However, the seeker might be frustrated by the fact that the argument is based upon the assumption that God does indeed exist. Overall, the precise argumentation and the unusual subject make this book a real gem.

I bought this book for the 20 page section entitled The One Alone, which is very nondual. I also read the 18 page Translator's Introduction, which tells about the life of Ibn 'Arabi. These two sections alone make the book an important addition to a library of nonduality books. The bulk of the volume, a book of wisdom on governing oneself, I have only so far scanned and therefore have not included any other mention of it in this review.

Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi lived from 1165 to 1240. He "has become one of the most important expounders of Sufi wisdom." "Ibn 'Arabi all his life felt the pain of not being understood. Yet the breadth and depth of his wisdom, insight, vision, and knowledge was and is awesome to whomever catches a glimpse of it. Many of his expressions of divine mysteries have never been improved upon. Many important affairs, which he foretold centuries ago, have taken place and continue to take place."

This introduction is brief, a distillate of the life of Ibn 'Arabi. It covers his life from birth to death, describes his physical appearance, reveals extreme controversy surrounding Ibn 'Arabi, demonstrates his wisdom, tells about a meeting with an adolescent Rumi, and more. Throughout this distillate is communicated the author/translator's love and understanding of Ibn 'Arabi, the person and his works; clearly, it must be the case, otherwise how could Ibn 'Arabi's words set forth in this book cut so cleanly?

The One Alone is a work of pure nonduality. To demonstrate that, here are a few quotations, a few fragments which do not do justice to this entire work:

"Therefore, if you know yourself without being, not trying to become nothing, you will know your Lord. If you think that to know Allah depends on your ridding yourself of yourself, then you are guilty of attributing partners to Him -- the only unforgivable sin -- because you are claiming that there is another existence besides Him, the All-Existent: that there is a you and a He."

"You presume others to be other than Allah. There is nothing other than He, but you do not know this. While you are looking at Him you do not recognize Him. When the secret opens to you, you will know that you are none other than He."

"...do not think that you need to become nothing, that you need to annihilate yourself in Him. If you thought so, then you would be His veil, while a veil over Allah is other than He. How could you be a veil that hides Him? What hides Him is His being the One Alone."

"When the secret of a single atom out of all the atoms from which the elements are made becomes known, the secrets of the whole universe visible and invisible will be revealed. Then you will not see anything but Allah either in this world and in the Hereafter."

"Thus when you know yourself, your self and selfishness will leave you, and you will know that there is nothing in existence but Allah."

"...the meaning of 'The eyes cannot see Him...' is that there is no existence other than His. The Truth can only be conceived of by Itself, which has no other identity except the Truth: Allah sees Himself by Himself and by none other than Himself. His Essence sees His Essence."

Anyone who loves nondual expression will value this book and might choose to set it on a shelf alongside other books expressing the nonduality of the other major religions.

Jerry Katz
One: Essential Writings on Nonduality

May Allah Grant Him Peace. This book gives all of insight to the "power" that leaders in an Islamic society have. He goes over the rights, regulations, rules, limits and most importantly, desieses of the heart from many rulers, not only confined to the Islamic world, but all "rulers" in general.

He quotes only from the Quran and Sunnah, and gives his blessed insight to devine rule, based on Fiqh, and Shariah.

A wonderful text.

This book will help you find balance in your life, by teaching you how to control your emotions, destiny, as well as your kicks, punches, and temper. This book will make you a better person, I hope that you enjoy reading these stories of about my life. This book also brings East & West together taking the best from each.

I should first start by saying I read this book, carefully and fully, before writing this review. Also, I should say that I am a student of Sensei Ferol Arce. So while my review may seem biased to you, I am also a living proof to confirm that the teachings of this book is an everyday reality of Sensei Arce's Karate-Do School and THEY WORK!!
So in other words, this is not just another book that theorizes concepts, we at the dojo are actually inspired to work on those lessons everyday.
You will find that this book has so much to offer on a way of living peacefully and to it's fullest capacity, whether that's applied to a path of mastering a Martial Arts or anything else for that matter. It supplies its readers with tools, anecdotes, spiritual messages, learning methodology, and all are from differing perspectives to provide you with the big picture; Sensei Arce draws from not only his experience, but also from his teachers' and balancing that with the experience of the very people he is teaching to, namely, many of his students' viewpoints. It is refreshing to know that Sensei Arce's co-author, Patrick McDermott represents the beginner's perspective to complement, something that you don't see many Martial Arts experts do when they write a book. Also, you will find references in this book to many well-known successful people such as Albert Einstein, Sun Tzu, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and others.

One of the most profound things about this book is that it conveys a message about Martial Arts being more than just a self-defense system but a way of having peace and clarity by way of training your Mind Body Spirit so that you don't think have to think about how to achieve, you just do. And those Easy-to-say-hard-to-achieve concepts are backed by Eastern and Western views to bring theory into practice with Sensei Arce's proven advice.

I recommend this easy to read, practical yet spiritual book to anyone not just Martial Artists. May you all achieve balance with your Mind Body and Spirit.

We all want to feel that there is some value we can add to society but often feel overwhelmed by the task - so we do nothing. Here is a wonderful guideline to show you the way to accomplish the task and it is so much easier and more fulfilling than we imagine.

John's book is a powerful story filled with inspiration and insight into the spiritual path. He takes the reader on a personal journey through the field of infinite possibilities into self-discovery and fulfillment. A happier and healthier planet is within our grasp as each individual awakens to their own hero's journey.

This fascinating book is an illuminating examination of powerful spiritual trends shaping the future of Canada -- and by extension and application (if you wish), the United States. The trends point to historic changes in the North American religious and spiritual landscape.

I strongly recommend "Divine Hunger" to anyone interested in the future of religion, research about trends and the remarkable power of baby boomers to produce lasting changes in society. I can imagine that the societal changes the boomers are now producing -- most of which are not yet on most people's radar screens -- will be the generation's most profound and defining legacy.

This fascinating book is an illuminating examination of powerful spiritual trends shaping the future of Canada -- and by extension and application (if you wish), the United States. The trends point to historic changes in the North American religious and spiritual landscape.

I strongly recommend "Divine Hunger" to anyone interested in the future of religion, research about trends and the remarkable power of baby boomers to produce lasting changes in society. I can imagine that the societal changes the boomers are now producing -- most of which are not yet on most people's radar screens -- will be the generation's most profound and defining legacy.

This text brings to surface the connection between philosophy and theology. The text includes some of Father Sweeney's previously published articles including:Was Augustine a Christian or a Neoplatonist? A great read for anyone wanting to better understand the link between theology and philosophy with empirical examples from some of the greatest thinkers.

It has been said that the starting point for the study of philosophy is a childlike sense of 'awe' at the universe and at existence itself. Fr. Sweeney certainly has that sense of awe and wonder at the world and at the ultimate reality: God. This wonder and awe has led him to contemplate God's nature, more specifically, the 'infinity'of His nature. Fr. Sweeney's brilliant work on the infinity of God spans four decades and is given a brilliant explicatio in this tome. I also recommend Fr. Sweeney's AUTHENTIC METAPHYSICS IN AN AGE OF UNREALITY and his recent CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY. Essential for students and scholars of the 'philosophia perennis.'

The book really made me think. It caught me off guard a few times with surprise plot twists and intriguing characters. Quite a great book. I'd recommend this to anyone!!!

Excellent story, very interesting. A real page turner and exciting read.

This is an unbelievable book by an author who is not only a true teacher of method acting but one of the script rewriters for the movie The Godfather. This is a perfect book for Godfather enthusiasts who want to learn some of the behind the scenes stories that happened when making one of the best movies of all time. Truly great read!

Fantastic book written by someone who was there. Ardell Sheridan Castellano has written an excellent book detailing the contributions of one of the best actors of his generation, Richard S Castellano. Always to be remembered as Clemenza, Richard S Castellano never received his just due for his contributions in making The Godfather one of the most important films of our time. As you will read he kept an inexperienced Al Pacino from getting fired. He made a slight adjustment in Pacinos characterization as Michael Corleone that not only helped Pacino keep his job, but helped him in creating a powerful and complex character. Perhaps Castellano knew the character of Michael intimately since his true life uncle was Big Paul Castellano. Castellano was also instumental in helping Brando understand Vito Corleone's motivating actions. Brando's relationship with Castellano suffered after this due to Brando's hurt ego. Brando was somewhat disturbed that Castellano knew how to find Corleone's intentions when he could not. Castellano was the only other actor who was considered for Corleone's role after Brando's screen test for the part. Castellano along with his wife and the author of this book, Ardell Sheridan, rewrote the Genco Oil scene when the version written by Francis Ford Coppola could not be properly acted by Brando. Again Richard was able to draw from his true life experiences growing up in a mob family and these experiences helped him in making this version of the rewrite truthful. Coppola has never given Richard and Ardell Sheridan their just due when it comes to their contributions in tightening up the Godfather script. A great book if your interested in the Godfather and the character Clemenza.

I first discovered this book on accident in a public library downtown. At first i didnt give it much thought but when i read a few of the beginning pages i was hooked. This is an all around good book. Its good all around becuase even if you dont believe in a god im sure you would still like it.

Susan Anderson tells her story with all the guts of the person I know she is. There is no holding back. This story will inspire any woman (or man) who is searching for their sense of self...and self worth. The brilliance of this book is that Susan eventually finds out who she is and what her purpose is on this earth. Something that still eludes many of us. Nancy Ediger-Stone