Passion The Books

I read this book in Spanish but was delighted to see an English version so I could share it with my friends. I will never again be able to look at a map, see the tiny speck of Clipperton and not recall this horrific and amazing story. Laura Restrepo did an outstanding job of giving us the facts and filling in the details. Her prose is smooth and she managed to keep me on the edge of my chair even though I knew the outcome. Highly recommended.

Checked this book out from our local library, and was very impressed with its information, though it was printed a quarter century back.

The book contains many drawings, photographs, and charts. Discusses items such as flora, fauna, climate, coinage, streets, temples, palaces, and people in Jerusalem and entire Holy Land at time of Jesus.

Facts such as it took a three day journey to go from Galilee to Jerusalem, that at the time of Jesus Jerusalem was not the capital city but Caesarea, Herod's newly built Roman city by the sea, was the capital, that many homes in Galilee were built of basalt rock since that area was a previous volcanic activity center or that the population of Galilee would approximate 300,000. Also has information from both Josephus and Pliny's natural histories.

One could go on and on, but for the reader interested in the Holy Land and Jerusalem in the time of our Lord, this small book is a true treasure trove. Glad to have found it.

Semper Fi.

After picking up this book several years ago, I finally pulled it off the shelf to read. It was such an easy read and extremely interesting in light of the present day conflicts in the middle east. I would recommend this book to anyone who is searching for a real look at life in Israel.

Now in an updated second edition, Jesus on Trial: A Study of the Gospels is a classic study of the trial of Jesus as related by the Gospels. written by Gerard S. Sloyan (Professor Emeritus of Religion at Temple University; Visiting Professor of Religion and Religious Education at Catholic University of America) specifically to improve Christian- Jewish discourse. Taking issue with numerous demonstrably false writings about Jesus' trial that have been harmful to Christian-Jewish relations and dialogues, Jesus on Trial dissects the gospel account word by word at length, in full context of the social and political realities of the era. Highly recommended especially for theologians and anyone studying the Gospels.

This is an extremely balanced, engaging book about Christian spirituality in North America. Updated and thoughtful enough for an academic who is curious about theology at the popular level, and interesting and accessible enough for a teenager who wants more background on Christian cultural phenomenas like "The Passion of the Christ". I appreciate that this book truly assumes an objective position to the material--I think that Christians will find it friendly and thought-provoking, and those interested for other reasons will enjoy a critical, non-evangelistic look into the world of N. American Christian culture.

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Al Stramiello (Professor of Teacher Education, Tift College of Education, Mercer University), Mary Willianham (Professor of Reading, Tift College of Education, Mercer University) , and Carl R. Martray (Dean of the Tift College of Education, Mercer University), A Joyful Passion For Teaching is a commanding series of essays about committed, dedicated teaching by faculty of Tift College of Education, at Mercer University. Essayists relate to the ideal model of the Transforming Practitioner concept in education. The definition 'a living link in the educational process, is an educator who is changing internally through understanding, practicing, and reflecting such that, individually and collaboratively, he or she implements for all learners appropriate and significant life-changing experiences that effectively provide for the needs of the individual, actively engage students in the learning process, and promote life-long learning (p.2).' Within a Baptist heritage context, Tift College has selected the Conceptual Framework principles of 'To Know, To Do, and To Be' as infrastructure supports to its teacher education program. In addition, teachers who are Transforming Practitioners also must exemplify the basic processes of understanding, practicing and reflecting as components of transformation. All of the varied contributors to A Joyful Passion For Teaching demonstrate that fine quality of joyful compassion that informs the best teaching styles. From inspiration for first grade teachers to helping students to access digital media for communication, all the essay subjects continue in that best of teaching styles models. Contributors include Mary Willmingham, Ed.D., Catherine Gardner, Ph.D., H. Anne Hathaway, Ed.D., William O. Lacefield, III, Ed.D., Ismail Simbwa Gyagenda, Ph.D.,, Tracy Knight Lackey, Ph.D., and Jerry Worley, Ph.D., among others. Here are essays to inspire the coming generation of teachers and educators, stories of students and experiences so unique and yet so universal that they form a spiritual template for a dedicated teacher. All who choose the teaching profession face many challenges, not the least of these is overcoming the students' own obstacles to learning. A Joyful Passion For Teaching is a wonderful tool to re-ignite the flame of dedicated and compassionate teaching.

WHO REALLY KILLED JESUS
Book review
By Andre Austin

Author, Gary Greenberg has released a brand new book, The Judas Brief: Who really killed Jesus. His main thesis is an attempt to rightfully indict and exeronate the murders of the man you know as Jesus Christ. He uses all of his lawyer verbal and writing skills coupled with digging deep through the historical records to offer an alternative ethological assumption of the murder of Jesus. Gary cuts through the chase, hyperbole and all of the embellishment handed down to us all the zealous followers of Jesus.

So just who killed Jesus? We are led down a road to believe that Pilate with the assistance of Jewish priest forced Pilate to crucified Jesus. However, all that we know about the cruel Pilate was that only another individual with similar or equal power or the Emperor could make Pilate budge on issues dealing with political and military operations within his jurisdiction. According to the Bible "Herod and Pontius Pilate met together...to conspire against your holy servant Jesus" (Acts 4:27). Herod was called a fox a possible allusion to foxes who wore sheep clothing because by birth he was a Jew but was Roman in all of his ways. So if Herod conspired to kill Jesus just what did he do? When you conspire it's a joint effort of two or more person to achieve a criminal or immoral goal. The goal was killing Jesus. The trumped up charges was he claimed to be Son of God and or Son of Man. Theses terminologies meant King and ultimately treason to Herod and Pilate; and we are lead wrongfully to believe it meant blaspheme to Caiaphas, the Sadducee priest.

For some reason or another the apocrypha book the Gopel of Peter (GOP) didn't make it in the official canon of the New Testament, however it's useful because it continues the dialogue of fully explaining Herod's conspiracy to kill Jesus. According to the GOP Herod was the one who gave the order for the execution. "Herod the king commandeth that the lord (Jesus) be taken saying to them (Pilate), what things soever I commanded you to do unto him (Jesus), do" (GOP). This settles it for me. Like father like son Herod the great attempted to kill Jesus, (with no massive baby killing was the embellishment), in his infancy and his son Herod Antipas finally was able to get him as an adult. In the New Testament Jesus had taunted Herod to try to kill him out of his jurisdiction. Herod beheaded John the Baptist which he thought Jesus was a reincarnation of.

As I read The Judas Brief, I began to see the real picture. Judas didn't betray Jesus the correct term was "hand over" temporary for house arrest at the Sadducee priest house. It is very unclear in the gospels just what Judas Iscariot's betrayal consisted. Matthew says that Judas' payment and death were prophesied by Jeremiah, and then he quotes Zecharian 11:12-13 as proof!

According to Matthew 26:15, the chief priests "weighed out thirty pieces of silver" to give to Judas. There are two things wrong with this:
a. There were no "pieces of silver" used as currency in Jesus' time - they had gone out of circulation about 300 years before.
b. In Jesus' time, minted coins were used - currency was not "weighed out."
By using phrases that made sense in Zechariah's time but not in Jesus' time Matthew once again gives away the fact that he creates events in his gospel to match "prophecies" he finds in the Old Testament. The embellishments were for moral teachings not historical teachings. Judas was a trusted treasury and rebuke Jesus for using expensive oil that could be used for the poor. This behavior is inconsistent with a man wanting to kill Jesus for money. Although the bible says Satan entered Judas the only apostle called the devil was Peter and that was because Peter didn't want Jesus to die. Judas also didn't commit suicide which Greenberg points out the contradiction. And if you read also another apocrypha book called the Gospel of Judas you will see the allegation that Judas was murdered.

The deal was brokered that Jesus would remain under house arrest after the Passover festivals was over. When Herod found out about it he countermanded Pilate to put Jesus on the cross. The Jewish authorities had to hand him over to Pilate and Herod to avoid widespread killing spree. So Jesus died so that many Jews could live at that time and place. Judas and the others didn't believe in suicide, martyrdom or sacrifice but it was out of their hands now. The Jews had very little to do with Killing Jesus.

It appears that at one point in time Christians and Jews didn't get along. It's possible that in that zeal of animosity the Jews involvement with killing Jesus was hyped up.

I stopped everything I was doing to finish this book. Two thumbs up for this page turner. It was worth my money.

Fr Groeschel is well-known for his speaking talents and his writings but this little book is outstanding.His comments and guidance each day through Lent has helped me contemplate on issues I hadn't even thought about. He helps you see things in perspective and deal with adversity grounded in a perspective based on historical understanding. Lent is now in its fourth week and every day I am eagerly looking forward to reading his text.

"A Little More than Kin" is is one of the most amazing works of American fiction I have ever read. "Kin" showcases a few days in the life of a down-on-his-luck New Englander and his "special" son. A must read!

This is a classic ethnography about the Ilongots, wonderfully written and insightful. Michelle and Renato Rosaldo both learned the Ilongot language rather than relying on interpreters, and really got to know the people they studied. I think the Rosaldos were very brave to live among people whose ritual for manhood had included headhunting, and they were very openminded to be able to portray the Ilongots sympathetically as well. It is a tragedy that Michelle Rosaldo is no longer alive.