Organizations and Institutions Books

I thought this book was a great starter book for those who have little knowledge of AA worship. My main problem with the text it is a little to academic for the masses - a little too much jargon. But I could relate to much of what stated from my personal and family experiences.

A book that gives you more details of how Africans evolved into Afro Baptist, I would highly recommend Mechal Sobel's Been in the Storm Too Long." This book is excellent and can compliment this book. She deserves reading. She speaks truth.

Ok, so what can I, a white guy (perhaps, I might emphasise, a VERY white guy), get out of a book on African American Christian worship? More than one might think - read on.

Costen, in her book 'African American Christian Worship,' begins with a discussion of core theological beliefs that shape all of such worship. This core seeks to locate and connect the liturgy with the rest of life, such that the practice of worship has meaning that influences the rest of life, and vice versa. These core beliefs are rather interesting, and not at all out of line with what my own basic theology would contain. However, the liturgical practice in my own background does not always realise the larger connection between the shape of the worship liturgy and the larger universe.

There is a strong focus on personal experience as a primary spiritual element. Being interested in such spirituality, I was intrigued by her quote:

'Unlike the Western-oriented Christian, whose theology is rooted in Greco-Roman concepts and culture, African peoples tend to seek to know God personally rather than to know about God from doctrines and creeds.' (p. 20)

While I am a very creed-based Christian, I still seek those experiences and practices which help me to know God, as well as having respect for those practices and studies which talk about God. There has been a tension between these orientations in the more Euro-centric history as well as the African American history, with each side having a similar suspicion of the other. One of Costen's shortcomings in this book is that she ignores the whole of the Western contemplative tradition.

Costen elaborates on the historical aspects of African American worship, particularly as it continues to be informed by its origins as an expression of oppressed peoples. There is, however, no single pattern or form for African American worship; rather, the variety of African American worship that exists today across many denominational lines are all influenced to varying degrees by this background. For instance, 'all African American denominations (Protestant especially) can claim heritage in the Invisible Institution, regardless of when and where they enter denominational history.' (p. 87) However, this is shaped and influenced by a number of factors, including location, leadership, daily life of worshipers, and what Costen describes as the 'denominational ethos' of the worshipers. To think that there is one pattern of African American Christian worship is a mistake.

As someone coming out of the Anglican tradition, I was interested in the discussion of the role of the Church of England and British-based movements on the early African American experience. This is not a history of which I am very familiar, and it is not one emphasised in other historical texts I have studied.

Certainly, practices such as the Ring Shout are very removed from my experience and tradition. I wonder if the description and discussion in Costen's book does this practice justice, as I did not get a good sense of what exactly takes places and what feelings and connections to God are manifest in the practice. This is most likely another case of the necessary difference between reading about a practice and actually enacting and participating in the practice.

I was very interested in the idea of the Invisible Institution and the improvised architecture and accoutrements dedicated to worship. As one who often has to improvise meeting spaces, etc., I have had to deal with some of the difficulties discussed here, albeit none as difficult to deal with as official societal and legal suppression as was enacted against early African American self-directed worship experiences.

Perhaps the most important chapter for me was the concluding one, which discusses worship as empowerment. Costen states, 'In order for corporate worship to be authentic and empowering, it must be psychologically relevant to worshipers and commensurate with their lived experience.' (p. 123) Likewise, she writes, 'The most effective demonstration of true liturgy is what we do in obedience to God in Christ with our lives when we gather and when we scatter as a community in the world.' (p. 127) These quotes sum up for me the importance of worship in life, learning, and the hoped-for relevance of what takes place during our liturgical-worshipful times to our overall lives. This transcends the unique experience of any particular group such as African Americans, and becomes important for all people.

It would take me several pages to adequately write a review that expresses the scholarship contained in this book. I am honored to be able to review this text because it is such an outstanding piece of work. I know that this book has been discussed by the academy, clergy, students, and laypersons alike. It is a very scholarly, well researched, and organized writing on African American Christian worship. I really don't know where to begin because there are just so many great things I could say about this book. It is a must for every library of scholars interested in the area of worship. I used this book as a primary resource for a seminary graduate project in music. But the book has much more to offer and is not limited to any one topic of worship. Costen starts with a discussion of the theology of African American worship and how this relates to our "core belief" system and our "doctrine of God." She notes that African American worship can be characterized in general as "experiential." African people "tend to seek to know God personally rather than to know about God from doctrines and creeds." She presents music, preaching, prayer, ritual, and shouting as a means of communication and empowerment in worship. These acts are also described as "celebrative acts of worship" that engage the community of faith into divine communion with God and with one another. From a historical perspective, Costen begins with worship in the Invisible Institution and discusses how it uniquely shaped the culture of worship for African American people. Later on, she provides a historical summary of the African American denominations and congregations and the history behind their formation. The book has much more than I could ever discuss - from a detailed history of African American music to a contemporary model for worship. This book is very well written, scholarly, and simple to read. It is a must for every library.

Melva Wilson Costen's "African American Christian Worship, though now nearly a decade old, remains an undated core text for understanding the African American Christian religious experience. From a Caucasian perspective, some may mistake "worship" in the title as referring to one part of a Sunday morning service. As Costen, and African American Church history demonstrate, nothing could be further from the truth. "Worship" is a 24/7 experience of God and the gathered community of God's people meet to celebrate what God has done and to empower one another with what He will continue to do.

Costen's strength is her ability to tap into the history of African American Christianity. In fact, in many ways this book is just that--a history of African American corporate worship. Moving from the bitter waters of enslavement, to the Invisible Institution, to the Praise House, Costen shows both the actions and the theology behind those actions. She then beautifully ties together these historical foundations with the modern Christian worship experience of contemporary African American churches. For anyone wanting a well-researched history of the gathered African American Church, this is a great source.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction .

It would take me several pages to adequately write a review that expresses the scholarship contained in this book. I am honored to be able to review this text because it is such an outstanding piece of work. I know that this book has been discussed by the academy, clergy, students, and laypersons alike. It is a very scholarly, well researched, and organized writing on African American Christian worship. I really don't know where to begin because there are just so many great things I could say about this book. It is a must for every library of scholars interested in the area of worship. I used this book as a primary resource for a seminary graduate project in music. But the book has much more to offer and is not limited to any one topic of worship. Costen starts with a discussion of the theology of African American worship and how this relates to our "core belief" system and our "doctrine of God." She notes that African American worship can be characterized in general as "experiential." African people "tend to seek to know God personally rather than to know about God from doctrines and creeds." She presents music, preaching, prayer, ritual, and shouting as a means of communication and empowerment in worship. These acts are also described as "celebrative acts of worship" that engage the community of faith into divine communion with God and with one another. From a historical perspective, Costen begins with worship in the Invisible Institution and discusses how it uniquely shaped the culture of worship for African American people. Later on, she provides a historical summary of the African American denominations and congregations and the history behind their formation. The book has much more than I could ever discuss - from a detailed history of African American music to a contemporary model for worship. This book is very well written, scholarly, and simple to read. It is a must for every library.

If you're an evangelical Protestant as I am, chances are that you hear very little about Paul's words that some are gifted by God to remain unmarried. We acknowledge Paul's observation, but we only extremely rarely (if at all) think of people as called to a life without marriage. Perhaps making it more difficult for those who are or might be called to such a state, we tend to think in terms of singleness vs. marriage, a juxtaposition that, given our culture, connotes loneliness vs. happiness.

Father Dubay challenges this view by arguing that God never calls anyone to singleness, because singleness in and of itself is not a life vocation that enables you to serve others. Instead, God calls some to marriage (serving primarily your family), and some to celibacy (serving others who are not of your family and devoting yourself to Jesus apart from the married state). The difference in terminology between singleness and celibacy might seem like splitting hairs to some, but I think Dubay is on to something in that the terminology we use affects our outlook. Furthermore, his emphasis on directing our lives toward self-giving counteracts the materialistic, self-centered messages from our culture.

Within the pages of this book, Dubay gives much advice concerning signs of a call to a celibate vocation, and paints a detailed picture of what a life of celibacy looks like. And Dubay's love for the Lord Jesus Christ shines through on every page he writes.

Obviously, this book is more accessible to Catholics than Protestants. However, I found the majority of this book to be quite useful and insightful. (Of course, there will be some points where evangelicals have strong disagreements with Dubay.) A book (as opposed to just a few words or a chapter in a book) is needed to address this subject from an evangelical Protestant perspective. Until then, Dubay's book is a valuable read.

Father Dubay's moving and genuinely realistic presentation of the gift of consecrated celibacy takes us beyond the usual stereotypes of celibate life as strictly a means to enhance one's service or show a commitment to community life. Using the classic, solid background which has endured for 2000 years of Christianity, Father Dubay presents a brief but deep exploration of the love, sacrifice, and commitment of vowed chastity, unhampered by trendy or empty references.

This is a book that I think could help basically anyone understand better the spiritual reasons for the practice of consecrated celibacy. It has a lot of substance without requiring the reader to be a sophisticated theologian, it is just clear and direct. Celibate chastity ("virginity") is a charism, a gift, and as a choice of a way of life it is an exclusive centering on God as the one essential truth and love of one's entire life. Because of this exclusive gift of self to God, the virgin who lives this life with spiritual integrity and generosity receives from God the grace of a manyfold increase in her/his capacity for charity toward all people. "And You Are Christ's" makes a really excellent statement of the contemplative and apolostolic dimensions of consecrated celibacy, especially in relation to women. It also describes the various kinds of consecration within the Catholic Church, and the signs by which this gift/charism may be known in individuals. This book will be valuable to anyone discerning a call to celibate life, to their families to help them understand this vocation, and to committed celibates to help understand more broadly, deeply, and clearly the reasons for the value of their choice, that they might live it more fully in God's service.

Although I think that all of Fr. Dubay's books are excellent, this book is one of the best books I have ever read, and indeed the finest book I have ever read on the subject of celibacy for the Kingdom of God. In reading this book, I felt my heart and soul identify with Fr. Dubay's words, written with an eloquence which I could never achieve.

As a member of a Secular Institute (for those unfamiliar with the term: being a member of a Secular Institute is having a vocation in the Catholic Church as a lay person - not a religious, priest, brother, sister - who takes the vows of a religious, i.e. poverty, chastity and obedience, but remains a lay person living in the world and living the vows within the context of a lay life), I especially appreciated Fr. Dubay's clarification of "vocation" as being not what one "does" in life (which is what a "career" is), but what one IS in the depths of one's soul, and his explanation of gospel virginity as being a "love affair", as opposed to the world's negative view that it is a "giving up" of something (marriage, sexual intimacy, family life, etc.), or that it is an unhealthy or unnatural way to live.

Fr. Dubay explains that everything we search for in life, even so much as a cold drink to satisfy physical thirst, is but an indication of our deeper quest for the Lord, and how a vocation of gospel virginity is not a "giving up" but a fulfillment of our deepest yearnings for God. For the person consecrated to gospel virginity, Fr. Dubay writes of the difference in how we live our lives if we live cognizant of the true nature of our vocation.

I think that this book would be an outstanding aid for those who may be struggling to understand their child's/family member's/friend's decision to live a life of gospel virginity. Further, I believe that anyone who feels they are being called to a celibate and chaste lifestyle would benefit by reading this book and gain great insights into why they feel attracted to gospel virginity.

Finally, for all those who are living a celibate lifestyle, whether diocesan priest, religious priest, religious brother or sister, nun, or consecrated lay person, this book will be an incalculable affirmation of our chosen lifestyle and love affair with the One who is Love itself.

One of the best books on this subject. Every Catholic should read it to have a better understanding of the priests and religious who serve them. Especially good is the explanation of the priest as a bridegroom whose spouse is the Church, in the image of Christ the Bridegroom found in Scripture. Also good is the explanation that "being" precedes "doing." We are valuable in God's eyes because we "are", not because of what we "do," that love falls into the category of "being" rather than "doing" and is the "greatest of these." Also good is the explanation that consecrated life is an image of the life to come, and that it's role in the Mystical Body is to compliment, rather than compete with, the marriage vocation. The section on "compensation compromises" is excellent for any state in life. It explains how we make compromises to compensate or reward ourselves for the sacrifices we make in our vocations. For example, "I am overindulging in (fill in the blank) because I deserve it for the enormous sacrifices I make as a (choose one)priest, sister, wife, husband, mother, father. Wonderful insights. A must read.

This is a wonderful program. I honestly can't say enough good about it. What a way to reach out to the women in your church, or in your neighborhood! I went through the program last summer and had the opportunity this week to serve at a new AOG session. It has been such a blessing to me, especially at a time where not many take the time out of their busy schedule to nuture friendships. I have never felt so truly cared for. The meals we did were not the ones in the book, but we did do meals. Some groups have chosen to leave this part out. I would definitely not do this. There is something so great about having a meal together and also not lifting a finger! You feel so pampered! Can't wait until the author pens a continuation study!

If you can find some mentors to lead you and friends through this study do it, but don't be afraid to start your own group. This is great for a neighborhood study. JE

This is a wonderful idea for strengthening relationships with older and younger generations. We are going to try it in our church. We may alter the program a bit as it is quite ambitious, but I think we can make it work. Be willing to work with it and don't get bogged down in the details of making it look just like the model.

This is a great book and program by a lady that really shows her love for the LORD!

Read this book and then buy more to give to your friends. This is a wonderful group program for older women to mentor younger women.

The great Harnack thought that were the historian of dogma to include within his bag of evidence the liturgy, he would be giving himself over to superstition outright. This book counters and corrects such a claim, which is also a premise in the works of the late Jaroslav Pelikan. Distinct from paganism by its monotheism, and distinct from Judaism with its binitarian (not ditheistic) devotion to Christ, Hurtado argues that the early, and limited, amount of liturgical evidence from the Christians offers an insight into the Christian understanding of God with an application to today's worship.

The whole question of who Jesus was thought to be by his followers and their immediate successors, and thus who we are to think he is, is tied directly not only to the scriptures of the old and new testaments, but to how they were written for and used in the Church's liturgical worship. Make no mistake about it, Christianity is a liturgical religion through and through, and without this hermeneutical principle in place, how we understand Christ will be skewed. To this extent Hurtado's work comes as a welcome read on the whole, since it places Christian worship in its true sitz im leben of Jewish, Roman and Greek religion and public life.

His summary of public and private worship during the late BCE and early CE is worth the cost of the book, fitting it all in the first 39 pages. He moves from there to consider a few key themes of Christian worship: intimacy among believers, especially around the Eucharist, equal participation of all regardless of socio-economic standing through baptism into Christ, fervor and zeal, perception as the redeemed Body of Christ on earth, eschatological hope and participation in the kingdom of heaven here and now as a foretaste and finally, charismatic potency, something that is often overlooked in modern accounts.

Following this, Hurtado considers the strong binitarian nature of their worship, with the Father as the one who is accessed and praised in the Son, Jesus Christ. Hurtado proposes that the role of the Spirit was more of the whole ambiance, imbued with the Spirit's potency, which is the "same Spirit whom Jesus has sent". This is a very useful section for those who believe Jesus "became a God" only in the 3rd of 4th century for political reasons after Constantine. (If you have any background with the primary sources, you understand quickly that this late deification theory is a bunk proposal, long outdated, used to sell books under controversial titles.) Readers may be interested to pursue this idea further in Hurtado's amazingly detailed door stopper, Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity or the short version, How On Earth Did Jesus Become A God?: Historical Questions About Earliest Devotion To Jesus.

Finally, Hurtado tries to apply the previous knowledge to our modern context of confused, silly and downright heretical worship that tries to pass itself off as Christian. He does it rather gently with the typical calls to being clear who is being worshiped (not confusing the persons/roles of the Trinity, e.g. the Father did not die on the cross, etc), not being patriarchal (whatever that means for worship he doesn't exactly say, only that we are not create God in a male image after our own likeness) and worship as a participation in the heavenly worship even now (a shock that most Protestants are wary of given their soft belief or downright rejection of the "communion of saints" idea from Hebrews 11 and 12). See Any Friend of God's Is a Friend of Mine for some food for thought.

There are only a few points that I think could be better explained or corrected. First, he claims early on (46) that the early church had no priesthood (presbyteros). Well, perhaps it is semantics, and I suppose is depends on how you define it, but if it means "someone in a position of spiritual authority who leads the community and deals with a religious sacrifice/offering to God", then by all means they did have a priesthood. Why? Because the early Church understood their Eucharist as an offering of thanksgiving (the meaning of the word) unto God, which was a participation in the "once for all" sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our salvation. And we know from the NT and the witness of people like Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp that certain men, not women, officiated at the gatherings doing this action. The NT calls them overseers, which is an English translation of episkopos/oi, which is another way of saying "Bishops". The fact is that the distinction between the episcopacy and a parish priest/elder was blurry in the first century and even in the second in some parts (see Acts 20:17 and Titus 1:5,7), but the role of priest/elder only developed when the house churches expanded in a given city beyond the liturgical participation of the "one bishop to every city" rule and Christ's return was not as soon as expected. In a sense, the Church had to be more structured for the foreseeable future, which could be a long time. But the liturgical action was the same, which is the point. See Elders in Every City: The Origin an Role of the Ordained Ministry and Apostolic Succession for two brief introductions to the topic.

That early worship was rather "informal" may not be the case, and I am not sure that is the only perspective to take from the primary sources. Whatever "relatively informal" means, it doesn't mean "make it up as you go along". Yes, there is was certainly a place for that, but the main structure of readings, homily, meal was set based upon synagogue and temple worship. It was still a very Jewish event. See The Shape of the Liturgy and In the Shadow of the Temple: Jewish Influences on Early Christianity.

I also feel that Hurtado could make much more of the significance of both baptism and the Eucharist, since they are defining liturgical elements in what it means to "do Church". It seems he stayed out of any areas of theology that may ruffle feathers. In this regard, please see Jeremias' two brief studies Infant Baptism in the First Four Centuries and The Origins of Infant Baptism: A Further Study in Reply to Kurt Aland and Werner Elert's magisterial Eucharist and Church Fellowship in the First Four Centuries . Christians were very much of one mind that they participated in the body and blood of Christ and were born again in union with Jesus through participation in baptism for remission of sins (little kids, too, and babes in arms) and regeneration. He skimps out on the Eucharist part, but does show that baptism was more than a "me and Jesus" affair. His explanation of what it means to be "called out" (ekklesia) is very good, however.

Lastly, his ending discussion on gender, God the Father and idolatry is interesting, but I am not sure where he goes with it. He writes that we are not to think God is a male, so males run the show. It is unclear if he means that woman can therefore lead the Eucharistic assembly as the bishop or elder, or if he means that men and women are otherwise equal, or what. Maybe I need to reread him. Be that as it may, I think it is not a proper use of liturgical theology, if this is what he means to say, that woman can officiate the Eucharist since we are all one in Christ with no male or female, rich or poor, etc. The elder/priest/bishop represents Christ, serves as an icon of Christ. I am not entirely convinced that this excludes woman from that role, but I would not make that sort of argument based upon talk of God as Father. It has everything to do with Jesus and his role, not the Father. When St Paul says that we function as images of the Father and not vice versa, this is not what he is writing about, so I wonder where to apply Hurtado's theme. Since the book is about liturgy, it seems to apply it there, but he never comes out and says it that way. On this point, see Speaking the Christian God: The Holy Trinity and the Challenge of Feminism, This Is My Name Forever: The Trinity & Gender Language for God and Women and the Priesthood. ( cant use more than 10 links per review, sorry!)

Ok, very lastly, in the context of his argument about gender he seems to say we cannot use images in worship, citing Exodus. Yet he could go on to cite a few verses further where God commands Moses to use images and he fails to see that post-incarnation we very much may image God in Christ, along with the saints, who are deified by his grace alone, which is done very early on as seen at Dura Europas and Rome. Seems a little truncated in the conclusion department. And that the book as not index is unacceptable. Seriously, what text of a scholary nature should go without an index? A major pet peeve!

Definitely worth the read.

As noted by others, this is a readable abridgement of Hurtado's more extensive published materials related to early Christian worship. Central to Hurtado's work is an insightful assessment of the key role monotheism plays in the object of worship and the equally central role intimacy plays in the context of that worship. Although not rejecting Trinitarian understanding, his assertion that early Christian worship was "Binitarian" (the worship of God in and through Jesus Christ) is as revolutionary as it is historically accurate.

Hurtado has a more detailed version of this book, but since it costs around $55 (!!!) this short version may be better for your wallet. Hurtado makes detailed comparisons to Roman religious practice showing how Christianity did (and did not) fit in well with Roman praxis. Among the interesting trivia is that Christian rejection of the use of images and sacrificial ritual led some opponents to think Christianity was more like a philosophical association than a religious group [25]. Hurtado also explores in some depth the implications of Christian worship terminology and practice, and concludes with a chapter on the implications of his findings for Christian worship today. After reading this book, you may not recognize your next Sunday service.

This is a short book, but, like everything written by Hurtado, is outstanding. Hurtado stresses from the outset that it is important to study the devotional practices of the early Christians because of what they reveal about Christian beliefs.

Christians saw themselves as monotheists even though they were also proclaiming Jesus as God. In fact, "There are basically two main identifying marks of early Christian worship, when considered in its religious context: 1) Christ is reverenced as divine along with God, and 2) worship of all other gods is rejected" (p 39).

Hurtado lists six phenomena of early Christian religious devotion which he contends amounted to a "pattern of devotion that was unparalleled among other known religious groups that identified themselves with the biblical/Jewish tradition" (p 71). It was a distinct mutation. Certainly no group identified with Jewish traditions called upon a man as equal to God the Father as did the Christians. The name of Jesus was invoked as God even in the initiation rite of Baptism.

A well thought out and impressive work of scholarship.

Professor Larry Hurtado is one of the most important scholars of early Christianity. AT THE ORIGINS OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP contains his 1999 Didsbury lectures. While this book includes much of the same territory covered in Prof. Hurtado's other book, many readers will find it more accessible. The book's chapters on the Roman religious scene into which Christianity was born and contemporary Christian worship make the book a worthwhile purchase even if you have Prof. Hurtado's other works.

The news about public school education has been bad for almost 30 years. Statistics published by city, state, and federal information banks show that kids are just not learning what they need to know, schools are overcome with violence, teachers are demoralized, and yet billions of dollars are literally shovelled into the system. Where does this money go, we have all asked,as we walk down our children's school hallways and have seen the paint falling off the walls and ceilings, the broken desks and chairs, and we have heard about the lack of services and resources going to our kids. There has been little documentation of the misappropriation of these funds until now. Lydia Segal has written an excellent and important book on this topic that will become THE textbook on corruption, theft, fraud, and patronage within the Board of Education not only in New York City, but also in Chicago and Los Angeles.
Lydia Segal, a former Investigator of the New York City public schools, says that very little of the dollars allocated to students in our public schools actually gets used by them. She details how coding problems, the procurement process, compartmentalization and opacity of information leave administrators with only two options: good corruption (which ultimately helps the kids) and bad corruption (which never helps anyone but the perpetrator and his/her allies and accomplices). Indeed, the system fights those who try the good corruption route. Ms. Segal describes in graphic detail the "godfathers" and "godmothers" (the school board members), who obtain jobs for their "pieces". Furthermore, no one who reads her chapter "Lessons From Local Political School Control", with the sub-headings "How Language Illuminates the Pathology", "No Real Accountability", "The Ease of Building a Patronage Army", "Controlling the Tools For Patronage", and "Exploiting Parents' Poverty" will ever listen to a school Principal, Superintendent, or School Board official in the same way. Our perception of public school education is changed forever by this book.
The pathology of this corruption suggests the remedy, Ms. Segal says, which is decentralization of power into the schools and the hands of the Principals. The 52 pages of footnotes, interviews, and reference materials as well as the easy reading style make every word Ms. Segal writes believable, although depressing. There is no question, however, that anyone who is interested in school reform and/or who works toward a goal of establishing an education system that puts children first must read this book.

I almost did not buy this book. I would like to understand why our schools are doing such a bad job at educating our kids. The title to this book suggested a narrow focus on issues such as bribery, which, while interesting to a District Attorney, do not seem central to the problem.

What I discovered, however, is that this book really covers alot more ground that the title suggests. Yes, Segal is a lawyer, and she started out in this area by investigating honest to goodness corruption. She is concerned about bribery, waste and abuse, all of which are larger problems than I had realized.

The book goes way beyond those relatively small issues, however. It really gets to the heart of WHY our schools stink, in a way that I have not seen anyone else do. What Segal really gets into are the reasons why our largest school districts are such ossified bureaucratic dinosaurs. She tells a number of really hair-raising stories about how totally the system does not care about efficiency or educational quality, and, perhaps more imporartant, she explains WHY the system can not care. It is a very interesting story. It goes back to the early 20th century when the Progressive Movement was fighting urban corruption, and scientific management was all the rage. The bottom line, however, is that our large systems have fundamental, systematic problems that make it astonishing that they teach as well as they do. As Segal makes very clear, tinkering around the edges with curriculum reform and such like will do next to nothing, until the organizations are fundamentally retooled so that basic efficiency and educational quality become a focus again. As things stand, there is so much red tape, so much administrative ho-ha and general bureaucratic nightmares that there is no possible way that the system can deliver a quality product at a reasonable price.

Very important book.

As a mother of two, facing the tough choice between public and private schools, I found this book full of critical insights as to how the public schools really work. Segal's analysis of the perverse incentives, corruption, and overwhelming bureaucracy that are dragging down our schools is compelling and persuasive. Her suggestions for what should be done to fix the system are intelligent and long overdue. Everyone with school-age kids should read this book now!

A real eye-opener, this very well-written and powerfully argued book finally helped me understand why
urban public schools never seem to have enough money
to educate our children despite repeated national and local efforts to change that. Ms. Segal contends that waste and abuse are the primary culprits and offers thorough and persuavie doumentaion that this is indeed true.
Because she concludes that the problem is with
pathological systems, not people, she spends a good quarter of the book discussing how to overhaul the systems.
The suggestions are overwhelmingly intelligent, inspiring, and above all, realistic.
This book is a must-read for anyone looking for concrete and specific ways to improve our educational system.

A real eye-opener, this very well-written and powerfully argued book finally helped me understand why
urban public schools never seem to have enough money
to educate our children despite repeated national and local efforts to change that. Ms. Segal contends that waste and abuse are the primary culprits and offers thorough and persuasive documentation that this is indeed true.
Because she concludes that the problem is with
pathological systems, not people, she spends a good quarter of the book discussing how to overhaul the systems.
The suggestions are overwhelmingly intelligent, inspiring, and above all, realistic.
This book is a must-read for anyone looking for concrete and specific ways to improve our educational system.

This is an excellent general book on worship. It includes exposition of both Old and New Testament texts, leading the reader continually back to the bible as the source for authority and information on God-centered worship. Horton taps into the thinking of other bible scholars. He also presents some material that may surprise some readers, in which the voices of the very young adult generation of Christians speak out on what they believe about worshipping God. If you invest in only one book on worship in the near future, this would be the one to read.

Michael Horton is editor of Modern Reformation. The magazine comes out every other month. It is devoted to bring a new reformation to the evangelical churches today. Each issue concentrates on a different doctrinal truth and how churches of today have moved away from that teaching. The magazine argues for systematic theology which today's culture pulls many a Christian from studying or discovering. The author of this book believes the Christian Faith is being dumbed down.

Jesus Christ is the central character of the whole Bible. The human writers of the Old Testament did not comprehend, but God knew.The Holy Spirit breathed both the Old and New Testament. God is the ultimate author of all scripture. The Law, man's rebellion against God, animal sacrafice, and prophecy all point to Jesus Christ. The Author states what is less clear in the Old testament is made clear through the revelation of the New Testament.

And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:25-27 RSV)

The author's explicit thesis:

God has promised to save and keep His people through means he has appointed and through no other; the ordaining means of grace are limited to the preached word and the sacraments.

Worship ought to focus on God. All praise should be to God for who He is, what He has accomplished, and what He will do. Worship is a response to God. The author quoted from the Heidelberg Catechism: that God wants His people instructed by the living Word.....} If the people were not up to speed the answer was to get them up to speed, not accommodate the degenerating condition.

Scriptural Reading recommendation, Nehemiah 8:1-8

This scripture tells us the word of God was read and explained. The book of Hebrews explains the coming from the old covenant to the new. The word church comes from the Greek word ekklesia meaning shared. But the primary or chief concern of the church is not to build community, to enjoy fellowship ,or to have moral instruction for children. The primary or chief concern is worship our Creator for being the chosen, redeemed, justified, and sanctified, until one day we will be glorified in heaven. Therefore the gathering should not be out of habit, social custom or heart felt needs. As John the Baptist declared: Behold the Lamb of God to take away our sins. God provided the means to wash away our sins through Christ's sinless life, death and resurrection. Therefore the gathering should be a shared praise and worship for His Grace and long suffering.

The author further argues that praise should be object centered: God and His saving work in Christ. Not subject centered praise; lyrics of songs should not concentrate on what we are doing. An example of subject praise is the hymn: In the Garden . He walks with me He talks with and tells me I am His very own.

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the
sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
(Hebrews 10:19-25 RSV)

Scriptual recommendations: Romans 10:5-8, 13-15, 17;

Faith comes by hearing the word of God. The author argues that the sermon is central to worship. It must be about the word of God and not pop culture. through communion and Baptism God conveys His grace through the common elements water, bread, and Wine(or grape juice). God summons His people together for this purpose. Michael Horton argues you most know the things of God to know God. Faith is the sole means of justification. Faith comes through the hearing of the word.

For, "every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be
saved." But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not
believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!" (Romans 10:13-15 RSV)

Michael Horton argues that acceptance of authority even God is abnormal. Cutting ones path apart from everyone even God is normal. An individual cheat himself when he tries to reshape God instead of allowing God to reshape him. A church/worship service should reconstitute the individual life into a Christian life. A new script to an individuals life. Purpose, identity hopes should be conformed by the word and Spirit.

Spacialization of Heaven

Two Different Realms of Existence

Present Rule of Sin and Death

vs.
Coming realm of Consumation

Those Who Belong to This Age

vs.
Those Who Belong to That Age

The World is divided between those who belong to Jesus therefore the coming age and those who belong to the world, therefore are doomed in their sins.

The author also discusses today's and yesterday's culture. No age has a monopoly on truth. But truth in God's word should be the guide how worship should be structured, not how it attracts unbelievers or pleases the believer.

Overall Dr. Horton's book is excellent, particularly chapters 4 and 5. He does a tremendous job of locating the constitution of worship in Scripture and of addressing the narcissism so unfortunately prevalent in the church today.

I did find his virtual assault in chapter 2 on believers experiencing God somewhat overdone. Granted, there is far too much seeking of the experience in the church today, but that does not and should not be taken to mean that a believer cannot have some kind of experiential reality of God. Further his observations in this area seem to neglect passages like Psalm 27.7-9. And his discounting of believers seeing God at work in the present "The world is shot through with divinity and nearly everything and every experience is an opportunity to touch and see God's face" (pg. 39) seems to emphasise God's transcendence at the expense of His immanence, the latter of which is also confirmed by Scripture, e.g., Psalm 19, 50.6, Romans 1.20, etc. The overall thrust of this chapter suggests that it is impossible for a believer with, for lack of a better phrase, their theology straight, who is seeking God in accordance with His word, to witness God in His creation, which again seems to me to contradict Scripture. It is true that these experiences are not means of saving grace as defined in Scripture, nor should they be mistaken for or sought as ends themselves, but that does not - when they are truly of God - diminish their reality or significance in the life of the believer.

Insofar as the reference to ministers being formally sent or approved by an ecclesiastical body, "And, by the way, Paul clearly understood 'sent' to mean sent by the church through its appointed officers, as his insistence on the laying on of hands reminds us" (pg. 42), while that is true, I would offer that what Paul did not have in mind are the formal scholastic hoops now required by many of those same bodies before they will even consider recognising (much less ordaining) a person as a minister. The idea that one cannot be a theological sound and truly called minister unless formally educated and ordained (which seems to be what Dr. Horton is getting at) is contrary to the Scripture to which he appeals. Timothy had no formal education that we know of other than being brought up with an understanding of the Scriptures and his being mentored by Paul. Neither did Titus, or for that matter Peter, James, John; nor in all likelihood did the many house church leaders like Priscilla and Aquila, Nymphas, etc. While I agree that seminary and ordination is the common and perhaps even preferred route into ministry, that does not mean that God cannot/does not sometimes call and equip people without their having done everything according to some set of denominational rules and requirements.

In closing, while the bulk of this review takes issue with the author's views as mentioned above (thus the 4 star rating), the book on the whole is well worth reading. It speaks particularly to a serious problem in the church today and should be read and heeded by far more people than it probably will be.

A Better Way: Rediscovering The Drama Of God-Centered Worship by Rev. Michael Horton (Associate Professor, Westminister Theological Seminary, California) is a clear and careful examination of the Christian worship of God. Individual chapters address the Biblical passages that form the source of Christian worship, and the importance of putting God and Jesus Christ foremost. Specially written for those who keep the faith, as well as for pastors and worship leaders, A Better Way is strongly recommended as a profound, life-changing book about what it truly means to express one's reverence with a Christian context of scripture and tradition.

In this day and age, all you have to do is shop around and you can probably find the church that has a worship style of your choice. In some ways, this might be good, but it does cause some bitter division in churches that have not settled on the style that "works" for them.

Is this the right way for it to be? Has the purpose of worship gotten lost somewhere between the traditions and the new ways? Where is God in all this, in other words.

The author, one of the members of the popular White Horse Inn radio show that examines Reformed theology for the edification and equipment of the believers, realizes that worship is one of the primary functions of those God has called to Himself. Using Biblical illustration, he teaches readers what worship was meant to be, and also provides some useful material that brings aspects of the Bible to a new light and helps some parts that have not quite made sense a bit more comprehensible.

***** The man to whom the book is dedicated, James M. Boice, would be proud if he could read this educational and informative text.

This book gives you a great understanding of Billy and Ruth Graham's sincere contribution to Christianity and their faith in God.

I loved this book. It was an inspiring and delightful time spent viewing the photos and reading about this man's life. I ended the book with the feeling it was more than just a book about Billy Graham - it was a book of history. Mr. Graham has touched the lives of countless people, but has also had the opportunity to meet with more heads of state and influential people than most public officials. The pictures and commentary were indeed a trip through history. Billy Graham is a true public servant as well as a preacher. What a great gift has been given to this man of God!

For many years through all his dedication in giving his life for Jesus Christ and helping others, Billy Graham is truly God's Ambassador. Tehabi Books in conjunction with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has organized and produced the story of the man with a lifelong mission of giving hope to the world. The book is lavishly covered with black-and-white and full color photos from the archives of eyewitness photographer Russ Busby. Busby had spent most of his life documenting Billy Graham's ministry around the world. In just half a century, Billy Graham has traveled the world to preach the Gospel to millions of people across the globe-more than anyone in history.

The book captures public and private moments from his humble beginning as a dairy farmer's son in Charlotte, North Carolina to one of the most influential evangelist of the 20th century. 'Billy Graham: God's Ambassador' includes comments, quotes and personal reflections mostly from the words of Billy Graham himself and those who have been closest to him. This insightful book looks at Graham as the advocate and preacher of human rights and world peace, Counselor with Presidents, world leaders and celebrities, inspired a positive influence in times of conflict and discord and at home with his family he was husband and father. This is an intimate and unique portrait of a man who dedicated his life to the Gospel and the world's most prominent figure of this century. Quoting from Daniel Webster-"If we work on marble, it will perish; if on brass, time will efface it; if we rear up temples, they will crumble into dust; but if we work upon immortal minds and imbue them with principles, with the just fear of God and the love of our fellow men, we engrave on those tablets something that will brighten to all eternity."

As a biography, "Billy Graham: God's Ambassador" is not as good as Graham's own autobiography, "Just As I Am". However as a coffee table book it is excellent. The photography is superb. The text is eye catching. The layout exceptional. This is a much better book for public display than most of the books I come across.

This book covered everything I could hope for on this man who has been voted one of the most admired and influentuel men of the last century.I loved the photos as well as the commentary by himself and from so many other sources. It was inspiring and informative. My husband and I were competing for our chance to enjoy the book. Should have bought two copies!

We Presbyterians needed a book which conveys our tradition and guides us in prayer. This book is wonderful! I can see the hand of providence (how Presbyterian of me!). Its major sources are The Book of Common Prayer, The Book of Common Order, Ecumenical Prayer Books, and "New" material. The book has given order to my prayer life and infused my devotions with meaning.

I have committed myself to the spiritual discipline of writing meaningful letters to friends; yet, I just could not give up the daily practice of intentional, guided, prayer. In the past five or six months I read a devotional reflection, scripture, and prayers, both written and private. I then used these prayers and scripture as a type of mantra to reflect on a theme for the day. After this has concluded I would clear my mind and wait for God to speak. There is a specific small leather covered book I have used to recite guided prayers and Scriptures. The Book of Common Worship: Daily Prayer has been an invaluable tool in my discipline of daily prayer. The Book of Common Worship: Daily Prayer has a number of beneficial tools for a daily prayer practice. The book has provided an outline for Morning and Evening Prayer time, with alternative texts for special seasons and festivals within the church year. The book even provides a section for prayers at mealtime. The book breaks down the Psalms into those shared at Corporate Worship and then ones that can be used in private reflection. Prayer Litanies are provided on a number of subjects of need. The Book of Common Worship: Daily Prayer concludes with a helpful listing of the daily lectionary for the church year. I have enjoyed the process of learning the Psalms in an ongoing spiritual process. I have explained on numerous occasions the difference between reading Scripture, and using Scripture as a communal discipline of prayer. Reading a psalm and then saying the same verse over and over until I know it by heart allows me to internalize the message. Then I allow the passage float between my conscious and unconscious mind in silence. Once in a while a spark of divine recognition takes place in the directed silent communion with God through prayer. This book is a stepping off place in your daily prayer life. I recommend this book for the holidays because of it's a gift of prayer. The leather cover, with gold trim, is elegant while remaining affordable. How many Christmas gifts have the potential to change lives. If you decide you want the Book of Common Worship: Daily Prayer for yourself or someone else, give the church office a call and Jane can give you the number for Cokesbury publishing, so you can order in time for Christmas or find it on the web at www.amazon.com. Let me know how this resource influences your daily prayer life. Rev. Scott Paczkowski, First Presbyterian Church, Merrillville, IN

Anyone wanting to have a structured prayer life I highly recommend Book of Common Prayer. It is a beautiful book and praying the psalms helps deepen one^s spiritual life. The Lectionary gives you the daily readings of the church. It is an ecumenical book with many beautiful and inspiring prayers. This is a book that will give you much thought for meditation. I highly recommend it. The book is for morning and evening prayer.

Anyone wanting to have a structured prayer life I highly recommend Book of Common Prayer. It is a beautiful book and praying the psalms helps deepen one^s spiritual life. The Lectionary gives you the daily readings of the church. It is an ecumenical book with many beautiful and inspiring prayers. This is a book that will give you much thought for meditation. I highly recommend it. The book is for morning and evening prayer.

Anyone wanting to have a structured prayer life I highly recommend Book of Common Prayer. It is a beautiful book and praying the psalms helps deepen one^s spiritual life. The Lectionary gives you the daily readings of the church. It is an ecumenical book with many beautiful and inspiring prayers. This is a book that will give you much thought for meditation. I highly recommend it. The book is for morning and evening prayer.

During the middle ages the Christian church increased in political power and cultural authority. "The Christian East & The Rise of the Papacy: The Church AD 1071-1453" is the fourth volume of the acclaimed 'The Church in History' series, and covers such topics as the reformation of the papacy, the crusades, scholasticism and its impacts on the Eastern Orthodox church. Also exploring theological and spiritual trends that helped the Byzantine Commonwealth maintain its identity even as the empire itself crumbled. An informed and informative work, "The Christian East & The Rise of the Papacy: The Church AD 1071-1453" is very highly recommended to any Religious Studies shelf, as well as the non-specialist general interest reader who wishes to learn more about the history of the Christian Church.

SVS Press has publishes another invaluable volume for the church historian in "The Christian East and the Rise of the Papacy" by Aresteides Papadakis, since it focuses on the much-neglected area of Byzantium. Papadakis' essential thesis is that the final split between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches did not come about in 1054, with the mutual anathemas, but in 1204, when crusaders sacked Constantinople. The factors that led to this were a stronger papal control over the church, and an imperialism during the crusades, wherein Eastern Christians were the victims more than Muslims were.

In the 11th century, the clergy were appointed by feudal lords in Western Europe, which resulted in all kinds of simony and corruption. "It was undoubtedly lay control of ecclesiastical structure that made possible the purchase or sale of virtually every clerical grade the general rule by the tenth century. Simony became in fact unavoidable once clerical offices began to be treated like secular appointments." (p. 23) Most priests were married, and the church property simply went to their children. Further, the papacy itself was a puppet of the German emperor. A reform movement emerged in response to these abuses, led by Peter Damian and Leo IX. First, they wanted to enforce mandatory celibacy to prevent church property to pass into the hands of the priests' children. Second, they wanted to make the papacy independent of secular political control by electing the popes through conclaves made of cardinals. The College of Cardinals, which survives to this day, was Peter Damian's idea. "Significantly, the belief frequently expressed by medieval authors that the college of cardinals was the pope's supreme advisory body and, as such, was an imitation of the ancient Roman senate, was first articulated by one of the most uncompromising of the early Gregorians, Peter Damian." (p. 35-36) Finally, they wanted to end lay investiture.

In the context of the newly-powerful papacy and a suspicion towards Islam, the crusades were launched. The ostensible purpose of the first crusade was to re-capture Jerusalem from the Muslims and help the Christians of the east. Unfortunately, this is not exactly what happened. The papacy wanted to bring the Eastern Christians under its control, evoking the Donation of Constantine and historically specious arguments. Many in the western church saw the easterners as traitors. After the first crusade, parallel Latin jurisdictions were set up in areas where there were no Latin Christians before. This continued through the crusades in the Middle East (to say nothing of the Northern Crusades). Papadakis does not neglect to note that the idea of violence in the Western church had deep roots. "The theoretical justification for just war or even holy war outlined above- expressed for the first time by Augustine- was to have a lasting influence on the ethic of warfare in Western Christendom...Later papal reformers, insofar as they viewed their opposition to feudal power as a struggle against heretics and schismatics, or even excommunicates, were to find in these ideas a number of useful weapons...The belief that the Church had the power to authorize violence against heretics was in fact expanded to include pagans, as pope Gregory I's encouragement of such activity for the purpose of evangelization in the sixth century illustrates. This principle of forcible conversion may have inspired Charlemagne's later campaigns against the pagan Saxons." (p. 80) Many on both sides, however, still thought that some form of reconciliation was possible.

With the sack of Constantinople in 1204, any hope for re-union was effectively destroyed along with the city. The purpose of Fourth Crusade was to conquer Muslim Jerusalem via an invasion of Egypt. Instead, the crusaders diverted to Constantinople and took the city. The sacking was brutal, even by medieval standards. It did not happen in a vacuum or in a fit of mob rage, however. The constant rhetoric that people were hearing in the west was that the Byzantines were heretics, schismatics, and traitors. "Such observations came to be viewed as Gospel truth by the end of the century. They had become so popular by then that the diversionary assault on Constantinople, when it finally did come, was accepted with little hesitation. The fatal attack was rationalized by everyone involved by the belief that the Byzantines were already heretics. For the fourth crusade apparently the schism had been in existence for some time." (p. 103) Although there were attempts at reconciliation after 1204, in the Councils of Lyons and Florence, they ultimately failed. In addition, though Constantinople was eventually returned to the Byzantine Empire, the sacking of the city so weakened the Empire that they were unable to withstand the Turkish assaults in the 15th century. "Conceivably, the systematic Ottoman occupation of Asia Minor and the Balkans would not have been so effortless had the empire been able to maintain its territorial unity and strength after the fourth crusade." (p. 410) Although the Christians in the Ottoman Empire were allowed to exist and practice their religion, theological/cultural development would come to a halt, and they would be cut off from communication with their Western brethren until the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Highly recommended for students of church history.

The period covered in this book is 1071-1453, the final "decline and fall of the Roman Empire". In 1071, both of the Byzantine Empire's deadliest enemies launched their initial attacks - the Turks at Manzikert and the Italian Normans in Greece. The Norman onslaught was intimately connected with the relationship between eastern and western Christianity and caused such a decline that the Empire could not resist the Turks.
In the West, the Saxon kings of Germany had demanded that the Pope restore Charlemagne's title as "Roman Emperor" and grant it to them. Consequently, these "Holy Roman Emperors" (the title actually originates later) interfered in the papacy in order to maintain their claim to be Roman Emperors, forcing their choice of German prelates on the church. Eventually the German Popes asserted themselves and claimed universal authority over all of Christianity and all Christians. They also established the rule that the Cardinal-Bishops, previously a less powerful set of advisers, would be the sole electors of successive popes.
In the middle of the eleventh century, a papal legation attempted to force the Patriarch of Constantinople to be subject to the Pope. The Eastern Church's position is that the Pope was one of five patriarchs, equal in power and independent, differing only in that the Pope was owed a higher degree of respect since his city was the founding city of the Roman Empire. Further, the government of the Church was instituted by the human race for human needs by the Church Councils and the Pope was not an infallible king. The legate (Cardinal Humbert) excommunicated the Patriarch and several other high officials.
This schism was not recognized as being irreparable at the time, but every attempt at reconciliation ran into Papal demands for submission.
Indeed, a friend of mine who is in the Roman Catholic clergy stated that the Catholic Church would welcome the Orthodox back into union and would only impose the "magisterium" of the Pope "lightly" - the very sticking point of the past millennium.
The Normans used these differences to arouse hatred toward the Empire during the course of the Crusades, eventually resulting in the diversion of the Fourth Crusade into the conquest of Constantinople, a catastrophe from with the Empire never fully recovered. The Fourth Crusade and the treatment of the Eastern Church by its western overlords solidified the schism.
The Crusades were devastating for not only the Orthodox, but also for the Copts (Egypt) and Nestorians (Syria, Persia and farther east) who had been quite numerous and had thrived under Muslim rule. The Crusades established the idea that Christians were the enemy of Islam and so these communities were subjected to severe persecution