Saint The Books

This book provides an objective review of the cases supporting and opposing intelligent design. The author discusses the strengths and weaknesses of each case. It brings sanity in an area of study where emotional retaliation seems to be the predominant response.

It is also very informative in discussing the progress in the study of biology for the lay reader.

The Case for Divine Design is a must read for anyone interested in the Intelligent Design (ID) controversy. I was attracted to the book because the author wrote a college level botany text I once used and has authored several leading college textbooks in this area with major textbook publishers. The author has a PhD in plant physiology from Cal Tech and is a leading researcher in the field. Salisbury was also department head at Utah State University for many years. He reviews a great deal of cell biology and biochemistry in this 258 page well illustrated book and does an excellent job, showing that the case for Intelligent Design is very strong and this is one major reason for the opposition to the idea today. Opponents see it as clear competition to classical Neo-Darwinism, although in articles critical of ID the authors try to imply the opposite. He also does a good job answering many of the common objections to ID. No one can claim to be informed about this issue without reading this well documented book which should become a classic in the field. He has much good material on irreducible complexity, showing that everything is irreducibly complex except quarks and leptons and they may not be fundamental particles either! If 2 or more parts are required for something to function, it is irreducibly complex.

I love this man and wish more of his books were translated into English. His insight is phenonemal as well as his research. A must read 'before' your trip to Chartres. It arrived after I returned last year, but encouraged me to go again this year.

Jean Markale's books are an amazing journey of discovery through philosophy, gnosis, and the wonderful world of esoterica. He is a mystic and a scholar, he is a teacher and a guide. Markale will never force his conclusions upon you, rather he leads you to them and makes you think and feel for yourself. There is no dogma in his work, only wisdom. While he researches with the thorough tenacity of the most intrepid academic, he is never pendantic or stodgy in his conclusions.

There are layers of fascinating historical information within, the kind of detail that isn't found in a library, but that comes from Markale's lifelong love of his French homeland and the folklore and cultures that he was raised in. This is wisdom firsthand. It is experiential and real.

If you have an interest in ancient cultures, goddess worship, the sacred nature of the cathedrals and those who built them, and the path of Gnosis, there is much to love in this book. But don't expect a linear, typical journey. Markale is a genius, and he would never do anything that obvious.

Read it, put it away and read it a few months later. You will see something within it that you did not see before.

This small book is an excellent introduction to St. Catherine of Siena and her writings. The letters she wrote contain practicle advice for anyone in any era. In the "Dialogue", Catherine asked questions of God and His answers and are truly profound! St. Catherine was uneducated so her words are simple and easy to understand. It is as if God is sitting down at the kitchen table and answering universal questions about why we were created and why we suffer so much. The "Dialogue" makes sense of so many seemingly unaswerable questions, that it can help anyone of any religion in their spiritual understanding of creation. I was so deeply affected by this book, that I had to read the "Dialogue" in it's entirety. A must for all spiritual seekers!

Catherine of Siena: Passion for the Truth Compassion for Humanity: Selected Spiritual Writings

Catherine Benincasa, named the "Doctor of the Church," lived during the fourteenth century in Italy. She was born in 1347 and grew up during a period almost identical to ours: one of war, famine, homelessness, confusion, social upheaval, crisis in the church, and a plague of unknown origin and having no known cure. Her theological writings applied to her own time, but also apply to our modern situation. We should be especially attentive to her role as a peacemaker and her writings that pertain to the subject of peace.

Catherine dedicated her life to becoming a "Mantellata" with the Dominican Order. Although she declined to move into the monastery near the church of St. Dominic in Siena, she dressed in their white tunic with a black mantle and followed the rules of the Dominican Order. Upon joining the order, she went home and confined herself to solitary prayer for a period of three years. She only ventured back into the world upon a command from God that to love him, she must love her neighbor. If she truly loved her neighbor, she must put forth an effort to help relieve their suffering.

This woman saw her role in life to be one of messenger to the people. She maintained that love of God and love of neighbor were synonymous and that you could not have one without the other. Likewise, they increased and decreased in equal increments. This was the basis for all her testimonials and teachings. She spent many years of her life as a peacemaker and tried to teach people that Jesus was the greatest proponent of peace through all history. To live a good Christian and walk in His footsteps, we must seek peace!

The writings in this book clearly demonstrate Catherine's intense love and passion for the Lord. Her words are exuberant and her writings intensely ecstatic, filled with passionate cries of servitude, friendship, and love. As you read them, you will become caught up in the spirit of worship. You will become engulfed in the flames of her passion for all things right and just. There are so many strong messages and lessons in this book. For example, Catherine explains how to love your neighbor, have charity, and be an obedient servant to the Lord.

These writings are equally as applicable today as they were during the fourteenth century. In our time of confusion, this is a book filled with logical answers that are simple to understand. It should be of great benefit to every reader.

I'm 17 years old and have had the bible for a little more than a year and have found it very helpful in answering mnay of my questions. Its very youth friendly with sidebar notes that help better explain each passage and relates them to teens today. I would very much recomend it because it is worth the price and then some. : )

Refreshing way for young people to read the Bible. Easy to understand introductions to each Book of the Bible such as "Did you know? The Silent Women of the Bible"

Dee Don

Wayne Weible is FABULOUS. Can't put his books down. Truly an inspiring and inspired writer!

I read this latest book after finishing Medjugorje the Mission, also by Wayne Weible. Medjugorje the Mission was written in 1994. There is some continuation of the story about his family and its crusade against abortion, but the focus in this latest book is with young peoples' stories, not Wayne's own mission. As such, it is a wonderful and inspirational read and shows the value of the Medjugorje messages for conversion of everyone, no matter their age or circumstance.The book's format is tastefully done, with a chapter heading, story and at the end a message from Our Lady that has a connection to the story for the reader's personal meditation. Unlike the review from Publishers Weekly, I did not find the book syrupy, but do affirm its claim to help us regain our child-like innocence. When one has a pure heart they can hear God better and respond more fully to Our Lady's messages. In this world that is bent on corrupting everyone's innocence, this book is an antidote to the cynicism that occurs every day through the media and in interpersonal relationships.

This is a must have for any music leader. It covers all the songs in the children's songbook with helpful and fun ways to teach the songs. It doesn't have pictures, like the primary partners series, but has wonderful ideas for learning all the songs - even the golden oldies that the kids don't sing anymore, but we wish they would! I highly recommend this to any and every music leader!

kids really enjoy the CD, we travel a lot and they want to listen to it over and over again.

I had just finished writing "The Christian Family Toolbox" the day the earthquake hit. We don't take earthquakes casually in our coastal village. Our beach town is highly vulnerable to earthquakes and tidal waves. Our beachfront grade school is located just a few feet above sea level, and has the distinction of being the most vulnerable school in the nation to the threat of a tsunami. My children grew up in that school.

The day the earthquake hit, one son was in Middle School (10 miles away), one in High School (12 miles away) and one in college (90 miles away). My wife called to discuss what we should do. "They're in God's hands", I said, trying to sound reassuring. We've always believed our children belonged to God first. I found myself fighting away feelings of fear, wondering what we would do if it were a real emergency, with a 30-foot wave crashing into our village resulting from an offshore earthquake.

I've always been amazed at how many thoughts can crash through our brains in a few short moments: Have we adequately prepared our children for facing emergencies? Have we spent enough time with them? Did we love them enough? Have we successfully given them a solid foundation of faith in Jesus Christ? What could we have done better as parents?

The only waves to break over our coastal village that day were waves of panic and then relief when we heard the "all clear!" signal on the emergency loudspeakers in town. The earthquake was an inland quake, centered 100 miles away. Though the earthquake did cost over $2 billion dollars in damage to buildings and property in the northwest, no tsunami hit our town that day.

That night at dinner, our family joined hands in a circle and prayed together, thanking God for protecting us and watching over our lives even when the earth shook under our feet. Then we talked practically about what we would do in the event of a major earthquake and tsunami.

"The Christian Family Toolbox" provides parents with the type of guidance and encouragement we discussed at our family dinner the night of that earthquake: spiritual foundations and practical tools for building stronger families, families equipped to face times when the foundations begin to shake.

Like any home gardener who loves caring for growing things in the yard, parenting is all about nurturing growth in our kids. Just as a gardener employs a wide variety of tools in the garden, even so, wise parents employ a wide variety of tools to grow their kids up in wisdom, grace and love. "The Christian Family Toolbox" offers parents a whole year's worth of "tools" to nurture growth in your home among your children.

I am in absolute agreement with the review below. As I set my heart upon the Lord in the early pages of this work, it brought healing tears to my eyes. This book helps open heaven to our hearts, and would be wonderful in meditative prayerful reading. it was written in 1650 by a man who in deep sickness thought he was dying about the glories of heaven, but went on for 40 more years and had one of the legendary ministries of England. A Puritan/Calvinist, but this work will be apprieciated by all who love the deeper Christian life.

Dispels fear and reminds you what is really at stake. A lovely wonderful work.

Read this book. Read this book even if you don't like Becnel's others, even (perhaps especially) if you disliked her other Christmas one. Read this book if your Christmas spirit needs some major help.
This is the story of the Montgomery family, outwardly successful, but desperately unhappy. It's the story of the Christmas they spend stranded with the Walkers--a family whose lack of material success can't obscure the love and joy they've found. And it's the story of how this very special family helps the Montgomerys rediscover the very real blessings they had almost lost.
Read this book. I can hardly say it enough.

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY is a wonderful, heartwarming story. A story that carries a clear message for today's fast-paced lifestyle.

Charles and Judith Montgomery have everything -- success, money, and the million dollar family - one boy and one girl. But Charles, Judith, and their children are living a nightmare. They are running on the treadmill of modern life. Living together in a family home, living apart as a family. A family that is too busy, too stressed, and too filled with conflict.

Charles Montgomery did not reach the top of his profession without insight and he has enough insight to know his family is presently falling apart. He must do something. He elects to give his family an old-fashioned Christmas, a Christmas in the mountains, a Christmas together. What he gives them is a disaster, for the Montgomery family needs far more than a bandage to hold it together. What they need is an example of wholesome values and love. What they acquire is the Walker family.

The Walkers, a ragtag crew of five, stranded and asking for help. The Walkers, a family who love and respect each other. The Walkers, a family with nothing, yet a family with everything.

A sudden and unforeseen blizzard forces the two families together, to live and to learn about each other. To fend without the convenience of modern amenities. To provide, to survive, and to support each other. An uncomfortable situation? Yes. An enlightening situation? Oh, YES.

Rexanne Becnel writes a gem of a message. This is an uncomfortable read, for it hits very close to home; still it is a lovely story and it is a very worthy read. Grade: A-

Reviewer for: www.romancedesigns.com

Brazos Press in Grand Rapids, Michigan - which describes itself as "faithful to the wide and deep embrace of God, publishing out of and to all the major streams of the historic Christian tradition," has produced the latest entry in the respectful dialogue now taking place between some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("Mormon") and its evangelical neighbors. On the evangelical side of this published back-and-forth is Dr. McDermott, a professor of religion and philosophy at Roanoke College and teaching pastor at St. John Lutheran Church.

While I did not consider this book nearly as engaging as "How Wide the Divide" - a book so terrifically engaging that it is banned from some Christian bookstores (i.e., the Mormon guy won big!) - "Claiming Christ" is a fascinating study in the notorious back-pedaling that always occurs when an honest evangelical comes face-to-face with a real Mormon and real Mormon doctrine. I have no doubt that Drs. Millett and McDermott are dear friends - and that their efforts in writing this book were hardly to create this kind of reaction in someone like me - but I have rarely seen such stark proof that evangelicals have been libeling Mormons in the most egregious ways for nearly two centuries now. They did it without shame, and they did it for money. A lot of them still do it, though a few of them - while unwilling to embrace the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ - are at least repenting somewhat for those past sins.

This book demonstrates that, again and again, in-the-pew Christians have been grossly misled by their leaders on the issues of Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and LDS doctrine - and someday there is going to be an accounting. Until then, here are some highlights from the "tipping point" to come (all of the following quotes are concessions made by Dr. McDermott):

pp. 55-56, I'm afraid I am one of those who has misunderstood and misrepresented Mormons. ... I mistreated a distinguished Mormon historian when he came to speak to my class more than a decade ago. Besides treating him rudely, I did not understand how central Jesus Christ was to his faith and to the LDS Church generally. ... I suspected he wasn't telling me the whole truth when he insisted he was trusting in Jesus for his salvation, and I suggested as much to my class by my repeated counter-assertions and questions.
I have since learned that ... Jesus Christ is indeed at the center of Mormon faith. As I have learned from my own reading of the Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ is central to the story .... The Mormon view of Jesus Christ is different from that of evangelicals and other orthodox Christians, but the fact remains that Christ is central to LDS consciousness. I am struck by [one Mormon scholar's] calculation that Christ or his ministry is mentioned on the average of every 1.7 verses in the Book of Mormon.
... [V]erses [in the Book of Mormon] that would surprise evangelicals who have been led to believe that all Mormon doctrine is totally wrong on Jesus are 2 Nephi 11:4 and 7. These passages assert plainly that there is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ .... They also proclaim that Christ is God .... This and many other passages in the Book of Mormon prove clearly that the Mormon Jesus is not ... less than fully God[], despite the belief of many evangelicals and other Christians.

pp. 63-64, Evangelicals and Mormons agree on lots of things about Jesus. Many evangelicals are surprised to learn, for example, that Mormons believe not only that Jesus is the Son of God but also that he is God the Son. I find that many evangelicals have somewhere picked up the idea that Mormons deny the deity of Jesus Christ. They are often amazed to learn that, unlike Jehovah's Witnesses and other groups they typically classify as "cults," which do indeed deny the deity of Christ, Mormons declare emphatically that Jesus was and is incarnate God. ... I have to say that evangelical agreement with [Mormons] on Jesus is significant and, when compared to a history of evangelical denunciations of Mormonism, remarkable.

p. 102, This chapter by Professor Millet has been, I suspect, another surprise for many evangelical readers. They were amazed to see such emphasis on the suffering and death of Jesus as the events that save you and me. Some might find it hard to believe that the Book of Mormon teaches that "there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah" (2 Nephi 2:8).

pp. 163, 169, 171, In the "fog of theological war" we evangelicals often accuse Mormons of teaching salvation by works, even when they protest they don't and try to prove it with passages from the Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants. ... Many of us have wrongly accused Mormons of teaching salvation by works because they have put some strong emphasis on works. We have become convinced that Mormons do not understand or teach grace ....
One of the problems with this evangelical view of LDS teaching is that ... Jesus also teaches the necessity of works. ... So let's put some old staples of evangelical anti-Mormon apologetics to rest. Let's stop saying incessantly that Mormons teach unadulterated salvation by works and that they have no conception of grace.

pp. 177, 190-91, What I am about to say may cause all of my evangelical friends to desert me, or think I have lost it. But I think we evangelicals have something to learn from our Mormon friends on th[e] subject [of salvation] that is absolutely integral to faith. ... Perhaps we can learn from the Mormons that we have wrongly separated faith from works, that we have created a false dichotomy between justification and sanctification, and that while we are saved from being justified by the law, nevertheless, the law is still "holy, and just, and good" (Rom. 7:12). ... We evangelicals are often guilty as charged, failing to admit the possibility that we could be wrong in our estimation of what Mormons really believe. ... Evangelicals have most typically dismissed Mormonism as unchristian because it was thought to teach salvation by works. I hope this chapter will show the case to be significantly different.

pp. 218, 220, Early on in my evangelical life I was told that Mormonism is a cult with radically un-Christian beliefs. Chief among these, I was told, were the ideas that we are saved by our works and that Jesus is not God. Their focus, I thought, was on Joseph Smith rather than Jesus Christ.
Then, a number of years ago, ... I ... discovered that there was more emphasis on grace in the Book of Mormon and other parts of the LDS canon than I had imagined and that Mormons worship Jesus as God. I saw a concentration on Jesus that I had previously thought to be absent. ... [I]t is clear that the LDS Church is related to the family of Christian communities. It is quite different, obviously, from Judaism or Islam, which reject the gospel explicitly. Mormons reject the relativism of some postmodern religions and, unlike many other spin-offs from the orthodox tradition, robustly profess the full deity of Jesus Christ.

Mcdermott concedes that MC has been falsely persecuting the LDS for over a century. The three points he continues to dispute however are the nature of God, creation out of nothing, and modern authorized revelation.

First Mcdermott uses Old testament scripture to support the hellenized Nicence God. What he misunderstands about these scriptures is that nations surrounding Israel at the time worshiped various Gods but they were not the true God. Thus Moses, along with other prophets, would teach and warn there is but one God and no others beside him.

Mcdremott disregards numerous biblical verses that testify that God and Jesus are distinct beings with bodies. Jesus claimed that the father is greater the he, Stephen saw Christ on the right hand of God, God proclaiming that he is well pleased with his son, The great intercesssory pray, Jesus ascending to heaven in front of the disciples and the angels proclamation he will return in like manner, the significance of the resurrection, legion desiring bodies of swine to no body. etc. McDermott calls these plain and simple statments divine mysteries. But if such simple and plain language is a mystery, then what is to stop the whole bible from being viewed in this light. This reminds one of the broad way Christ warned of. That MC represents an anything goes as long as Christ is mentioned form of worship is easily dicernable. The danger is that MC worships a false God fashioned by Greek philosophers which keeps man in the dark. It refuses him lasting peace in this world and the obtaining of eternal life in the next.


Light (truth) is shining in darkness and the darkness rejects the light because its works are dark. These works are adhereing to false traditions, and the preaching for fame and fortune. It is the same obstacle Christ and his followers had to confront. Modern and ancient parallels are strikingly similar.

MC rejects the need for modern apostles and prophets (revelation) but the early church was built and maintained upon the rock of revelation. New apostles were ordained when a vacancy arose. If divine revelation ceases to flow through ordained individuals, Christ's church cannot exist. What amazes is that with the abundant evidence provided, MC continues to prefer darkness and keep souls from the light. The LDS church is a warning to MC and the world that it needs to repent and prepare for the return of Christ. The LDS church is going forth in the spirit and power of Elias. Elias has returned and restored these keys. Like Moses pleading with Israel to look upon the serpent and live, the LDS plead with the world to look and partake of the restoration and live.