Christianity Books

Philip Gulley gets it. He understands so much of what has gone from our lives, where society has fallen off the path. And though he is a Quaker Preacher, he doesn't force feed it down your throat. This book doesn't come off as preaching, but rather as Gulley allowing you a glimpse into his life.

He shows us by examples rather than telling us. His stories of neighbors and family are as heartwarming as the front cover of a porch with rocking chairs promises. He references Bible passages but not in every story, and in a manner that is easy to relate to. His humor and wit are evident throughout and gives the reader the feeling that Gulley would be just the person to sit next to in those rockers and listen to for hours on a summer night.

If you are in the need for a pick-me-up, quick and easy read, I highly recommend this book.

This book's title gives an excellent description of the book. It is a book that I will keep and read over and over. I recently gave a copy to my pastor and have also given copies to a couple of friends. The stories help me to be a better person.

I purchase this book for my elderly parents and listened to them read every night until completed. They thoroughly enjoyed the book and the large-print edition is a bonus.

Book arrived as advertised BUT shipping via USPS very slow, took almost a month for book to arrive.

Philip Gulley serves as the pastor of a small Quaker church. He was asked to write something for the church newsletter which he did, little suspecting that some of his writing would end up in the hands of Paul Harvey who read it on his radio show. This book is a compilation of the essays that Gulley wrote for his church newsletter. They contain his observations of life summed up in chapters such as "My Cup Runneth Over, and So Does My Toilet" which I'm sure many readers can identify with. His wry humor is evident throughout the book as is the genuine compassion he has for other people.

I have been acquainted with Brian for several years now and also have met many of the characters in the book. In fact I have visited the scene of this incredible story. What God has done there will melt most anyone. God's work is stunningly beautiful and He has blessed Brian with a rare experience coupled with a storytelling gift. Not only will you be drawn into the story, you will - without hardly knowing it - come away trained in basic church planting principles. I recommend this book to anyone called to the mission field and to anyone called to support and care for missionaries.

For some of us who wonder where God is working in the world today, this is a great read. I did frontier missions training under Brian and Louise Hogan and had heard their story before, but got so many new insights and better understanding by reading the book. It is well written, exciting, and a great way to "story" your way through George Patterson's church planting principles. It's interesting to read what happens on virgin soil when a great farmer comes in and plants good seed, then nurtures it and as a strong plant, it starts to reproduce the good seed that was originally planted. Very exciting and heart rending, the book gives a good idea of the obstacles that church planters are facing in the 10/40 window.

This is an eye witness account of how God works among people all over the world to grow His Church! Besides being extremely readable, full of engaging stories and observations of life in a Mongolian community, this book contains illustrations of key principles of pioneer or frontier missions. For example: how to lead from the middle, how to grow indigenous leadership, how to find and use local metaphors.
If you are a Christian, you'll be encouraged and challenged. If you are not a Christian, you'll see inside a Christian's heart to see what makes a missionary tick.

I happen to live near Brian and Louise and they are the real deal. No fluff or artifice here. You will LOVE this story.

This is a great tale told by an interesting character. It's just life depicted in a very open, humorous, candid manner. It is a can't put it down read that reveals a families heart for one another, for a foreign people group, and for what God has placed them here to do in this life. It's fun, sad, exciting, humorous, engageing. Read it!!! You will be glad you did.

This is the first Omartian book I have read, and I love it. The breakdown is short easy chapters, so I can read a few minutes and still cover a topic. Great advise and insights are on every page. I also plan to use it as a reference/refresher when I need advice.

Don't order from Caesureus I hear the book is very good. Still have not recieved shipment though ordered over a mont ago!

This is an excellent book. It was recommended to me by a friend and worth every penny. Extremely motivating. I have two other books in the series that I enjoy just as much.

I am pleased at how fast that I have received this book. I have been using this book with my weekly Bible study. It is a wonderful book and a great resource for women who want to become better prayers.

If you're looking for more of a closeness and intimacy with the Lord, this is a good book to read. I also recommend the power of a praying wife.

In "Truth In Translation", Jason BeDuhn strips the original Biblical language down to its bare bones and shows the reader what the Greek is literally saying, as he analyzes some commonly mistranslated words and phrases in 9 of the most widely-used English Translations of the N.T. available today.

One truly amazing thing about this book is that it seems to go down a path that no Biblical scholar has gone. Regardless of the final conclusion of his book (which will surprise many), just the whole idea of comparing translations using specific verses to see which is most biased is really unique in Biblical exegesis.

Although Dr. BeDuhn does not reveal his own religious leanings, choosing to remain as unbiased and neutral as possible, he strongly hints that the Trinity doctrine is not Biblical and that it has only found its way into Christianity due to biased English translations of the New Testament. As the author shows through careful consideration of the evidence, his suggestions about the Trinity, (and by extension, his book's conclusions) are essentially correct (although I slightly disagree with him on a few pionts).

But the true message of the book is not the wrongness of the Trinity doctrine, but the honesty of the translators. It just so happens that the Trinity doctrine is probably the best way to show how biased the translators of English New Testaments have been throughout the years.

Hopefully in the future BeDuhn will update the book to correct some of the typographical errors, which I found surprising due to his usual meticulous attention to detail when it comes to the Greek language. But those errors do little if any harm to his down-to-earth prose and honest evaluation of many commonly misapplied and misunderstood verses in the New Testament.

Congratulations to the author of this very important and ground-breaking book, a book that should assist many to open their minds and ask themselves the question that BeDuhn himself, through this very well-researched and honest material, is asking: Can my Bible translation be trusted?

I've had the pleasure of reading this very academic (and sometimes humerous) work by BeDuhn. I was not disappointed. I collect and own several bible translations, many of which are included in his review. I have to say that in the past when I've sat down to read them on differing occasions, I often felt something was not quite right about how some things were written, but couldn't put my finger on it. After reading "Truth in Translation," especially Chapter 8 entitled "Words Together and Apart," I felt that I received some long overdue answers only to come up with new questions.

There are a few things that need to be said about the negative reaction to BeDuhn's research. For one thing, all of us who embrace Christianity as our faith should demand nothing less than accuracy in the translation of God's Word from koine Greek into other languages. If we (namely Protestants, JWs and others founded on Sola Scriptura) rely on the Bible as the source of inspiration and use it for direction in our lives, then what is the problem with questioning the reliability and faithfulness of the translating process? I know from personal experience in learning a different language that translating is a difficult task that requires a lot of research and thought, but in no way does that warrant saying/writing something to suit what we WANT it to say rather than what it ACTUALLY does say. We do not flatter God when we write (and therefore believe) what is or may be wrong.

Another issue is the flack surrounding BeDuhn's conclusion that the NWT is one of the more accurate translations (along with the CATHOLIC New American Bible--talk about oil and water). Critics only flew off the handle because the NWT is published by Jehovah's Witnesses, and many of us know how we feel about them and their theology. (Personally, I have studied with JWs, but my issues with some of their beliefs is based on INTERPRETATION, not TRANSLATION of Scripture.) But what has that to do with Bible accuracy? Nothing. If it's more literal, then it's more literal, though I find it a bit awkward to read in terms of wording and structure. I think it's safe to say that a person outside of their organization can judge the NWT itself with fairness and even choose to read it without necessarily agreeing with Witness doctrines. But nay-sayers apparantly believe that this is not possible. What's more, ACCURATE doesn't mean PERFECT (no translation can achieve that). The NWT is critized by BeDuhn as having its own brand of bias peculiar to JWs. He dedicates an entire appendix to that. To BeDuhn, adding what's not in the original texts is as unacceptable as leaving out what is, no matter how great the intentions are.

I think that it's noteworthy to add that A. Frances Warren did her own analysis concerning accuracy in the Old Testament, and according to her findings, the NWT and NAB dropped several notches in that portion of the bible. For greater details, one might also consider purchasing "Truth in Translation:...the Old Testament" by Ms. Warren. Only then can a person get the full weight of how accurate their favored translation(s) are from front to finish.

So where do we go from here? Mr. BeDuhn "went there," so are we who are interested in the truth bold enough to pack our suitcases and follow? I hope that other scholars committed to fairness about this issue will pursue unbiased research of their own to give weight to and even greater clarification of BeDuhn's findings. In fact, I'm half hoping that there is some kindly old Buddhist monk or nun out there who's thoroughly fluent in reading and writing koine Greek who can accurately translate biblical manuscripts into English. He or she would have virtually no vested interest in being biased. LOL!!!

On a serious note, however, I feel that BeDuhn's analysis has put us closer to the water trough, but many will still refuse to drink, even when they are dying of thirst. It will be interesting to see if publishers and translators will answer the challenge. We may well see a barrage of academic research and commentary on the subject of bible accuracy, but that won't necessarily mean bible translators, publishers and even readers will budge much. For example, publishers of the NWT will probably ignore suggested changes regarding the usage of Jehovah's name in the New Testament where it's not found. Too much of Witness dogma is staked on this, so it may be safe to say that they'd rather be guilty in that respect. As for others, we might see some changes to their texts, but not enough of it to be satisfactory. Again, embedded doctrine is a strong factor where change is resisted. At best, we may see yet another version of the bible come into existance with the claim that its true to the original manuscripts, blah blah blah. But after BeDuhn's (and Ms. Warren's) research, this time, the claim needs to be truer than it has ever been. There can be no excuses. I know I'll be watching--and reading.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is deciding on what bible to read. One thing that is key to understand about this book is that it does not compare each bible in full to determine an accurate NT translation as a whole from its original Greek Manuscripts. Instead it prefers to single out what the Author perceives to be key verses/words in the bible and then compare them amongst other translations to review its authenticity in terms of freedom from bias and interpretation. So does this mean the most accurate and least accurate are really that? I would have to say no, it merely illustrates the most accurate and least accurate within the verses selected or how neutral a specific text is on an issue that can not be truly declared with certainty like some bible illustrations inaccurately do.

The bibles in question are

King James Version
New Revised Standard Version
New International Version
New American Bible
New American Standard Bible
Amplified Bible
Living Bible
Today's English Version
New World Translation


The conclusion may or may not surprise you depending on which religion/bible you follow. I however was surprised and being that the victor was already revealed in previous reviews I will then repeat it again. The New World Translation(JW) was deemed the most overall accurate within the verses/words analyzed with the New American Bible(Catholic) a close second. How close of a second? I do not know. How far from accuracy are the other ones? That might end up as a matter of an opinion, because again this audit of the bible only breaks down certain aspects of the bible which means that the most accurate and least accurate may be accurate/least accurate in other areas of the bible that was not analyzed.

I would have liked to see a more definitive grading scale and ranking system for each bible to see just how far apart they truly are as a whole, but again only certain aspects of the bible itself was reviewed so even then the accuracy of the declaration of accuracy can always be questioned.

However overall this book is excellent and I highly recommend it for anyone regardless of the denomination.

This book is thought provoking and very well written. Translation from the original language to modern English in the Bible should be free of religious bias. The author demonstrates the need to be accurate in Bible translation and his final conclusions are very revealing!!

An excellent read,an academic subject written for a wider readership. The author relates the challenges involved in accurate translation of 2000 year old writing. He does so from the standpoint of a Greek language and history scholar without religiuos bias. This is a book for truth lovers only - are you up to it?

This book is a must read for Christians who are not satisfied with their spiritual life and a MUST READ for those in churches considering major capital expenditures that will serve only the members. It will change the way you think about how you and your church can best serve Jesus.

For many years I have felt disenfrancised from the church, even though I have spent my entire life in it and even raised my family in it. Now that I am nearing fifty, I have found myself seeking ways to spread my faith that are real and substantive. This Present Future has given verbal affirmation to what I've felt all along, and to what I've always known to be true. But in Churchian circles, the only truth is the one they tell you, and to think outside the box is frowned upon. But now I understand why, and I understand what I must do to change and effect my world for Christ.

Thank you Reggie McNeal.
Lonnie Friesen
The Homeless Heart

Reggie McNeal writes a thought provoking book that will either excite and challenge you or anger you. Not everyone is ready for the truth that is laid out in his book. But it is the truth none the less. The American Church has lost the right to be heard and this book gives us some tough questions we need to ask ourselves in doing a self-evlaution and earning the right to share the important message of Jesus Christ and be heard by those who need to hear it. This book was a great confirmation for our church in who we are and why we don't seem to fit in with the other churches in our community. God is doing a new thing and this book has shown our church we are part of it. I am now taking our entire church leadershipo through the book. I highly recommend every Christian who is tired of "doing church" and maintaining the status qou read this book.

Fantastic book. Really makes you reflect on your ministry and the questions the book asks gives a structure for evaluating the overall focus of your church. I would highly recommened this book for someone seeking to bring about revitalization within their congregation and personal ministry.

Excellent book which speaks to the problems the modern church faces. Gives specific information and direction to deal with current issues. I have found this work tremendously useful in advocating change for the church I serve as pastor.

This book takes the simple and sheds light. It takes religion to complicate things - This is a good reminder that we are here for relationship not religion, and of the beauty and simplicity of the gospel! Great book, Thanks Dr. Munroe!

For the first time in my life as a believer I am understanding what God intended for us. The Scriptures have been clear but my thinking was incorrect, off -track, muddled by cultural circumstances. Dr. Munroe takes you step by step into the Word of God and emphasizes what JESUS said, did and wants for us. My thinking is changed, my perspective is different. I am applying the Word of God to my life and it works. Every believer needs to read this book... with the Word. Wish I had learned about kingdom principles as a chld as my entire life would have taken a different path. From this point onward I am thinking and living Kingdom of God!!

There are times as a Christian that we need a little more insight. This book by Myles Munroe helps you to understand more clearly some of Gods Word and plans for our life as Christians. This book will help you put some Godly plans into action.

This is a perfect book for a Christian Library. The concept is based on God Kingdom. This book is perfect to use in Sunday School classes or just for personal study. I enjoy reading it and I'm still using it as a reference.

This book is a must read for everyone who wants to know the true and the ministry and purpose of Jesus Christ mission on earth. This teaching on the Kingdom needs to be taught in the churches around the world. I'm including schools, governments, and companies big and small to get the understanding. I will be buying this and the other teaching books and CD's on the Kingdom to invest in my bishop pastor friends and family.
Really understand what Matt6:33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness get the book...

This book provides a theological look at the nature of the spiritually disciplined life. Willard explores the "why" of the disciplines more than the "how." While this book certainly stands on its own, it makes an excellent follow-up to Foster's "Celebration of Discipline." Willard's intent takes him deeper than Foster and provides a more thorough exploration of spiritual disciplines. Highly recommended.

This is an excellent book for all followers of Jesus Christ or someone who wants to know what a true follower should be doing as a disciple of Jesus. If you want to grow and strengthen yourself in your walk with Christ, this book is an excellent guide. Just like a high caliber athlete practices and trains daily, we also need to follow certain practices to strengthen ourselves and develop good habits of prayer, worship, celebration, solitude with God, and many others. Without following these disciplines that Jesus Christ Himself practiced, the Christian can only expect to get so far before getting stalled in their faith. These spiritual disciplines are truly essential in furthuring our walk with Jesus. Dallas Willard's book is an excellent resource for that growth. Tom W.

a great source of spiritural disclipines, easy to understand and use in your daily life. great writing as ususal by Dallas Willard

"The Spirit of the Disciplines" focuses on the various disciplines that God uses to change people's lives. The book contains 11 chapters and 2 appendix for a total of around 265 pages.

Each of the 11 chapters addresses a particular theme. Chapter 9, addressing the specific disciplines, is my personal favorite. According to Willard in Chapter 9, the disciplines are separated into 2 groups:

1. Abstinence - This group consists of actions that helps us from becoming too involved in the world so we may better focus on God instead of the things of this world. The disciplines included here are: solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy, and sacrifice. Willard's comments on solitude and silence were particularly insightful (solitude can help us in resisting conformity to this world).
2. Engagement - This group consists of actions we can do to serve others in this world so as to not become so isolated that we render ourselves useless to be used by God for His glory. Disciplines included here are: study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession, and submission.

Other chapters (such as 11) address issues such as: can a Christian be financially and spiritually successful at the same time?

Willard will definitely challenge you to think and pay attention as you read, so be forewarned - this is not a light read!

Read, enjoy, and be challenged and encouraged! Highly recommended.

In this book, Dallas Willard describes Christ's "easy yoke" of discipleship and corrects some erroneous beliefs as to what a life of discipleship entails. This does not replace the Gospel but is rather a fuller understanding of how to access the benefits available to us in our salvation.

Just as an athlete's entire life is devoted to the discipline of exercise, practice, diet, rest, etc. to result in the attainment of excellence that we see briefly during a sporting event, so a Christian's spiritual maturity and Christlikeness is not an accident but must be an ongoing intentional activity. Willard describes a series of "disciplines" which can be of value as we apply them to our lives:

The disciplines of abstinence:
solitude
silence
fasting
frugality
chastity
secrecy
sacrifice

These make way for the disciplines of engagement:
study
worship
celebration
service
prayer
fellowship
confession
submission

As we follow the Spirit's leading, we can utilize these disciplines to cultivate a deeper experience and awareness of Christ in our lives.

Willard also reviews how these disciplines have been abused and perverted over past centuries, resulting in the Protestant rejection of asceticism that has led to superficial contemporary churches that are devoid of spiritual depth and fruits of the Spirit.

There are also two very important chapters regarding poverty and wealth, and engagement with worldly power structures. Willard suggests that rather than "disengagement" with the world whereby we divest ourselves of our assets and worldly positions to become more "spiritual," instead we should steward these God-given responsibilities to work within our sphere of influence to advance the priorities of the Kingdom of Heaven.

As Willard says, "there truly is no division between sacred and secular except what we have created. And that is why the division of the legitimate roles and functions of human life into the sacred and the secular roles does incalculable damage to our individual life and to the cause of Christ. Holy people must stop going into 'church work' as their natural course of action and take up holy orders in farming, industry, law, education, banking and journalism with the same zeal previously given to evangelism or to pastoral and missionary work."

Willard says that the proper focus of the church is to cultivate disciples of Christ: "Ministers pay far too much attention to people who do NOT come to services. Those people should, generally, be given exactly that disregard by the pastor that they give to Christ. The Christian leader has something much more important to do than pursue the godless. The leader's task is to equip saints until they are like Christ, and history and the God of history waits for him to do this job."

As the church collectively and believers individually apply the "spirit of the disciplines" to cultivate Christ's nature within and among us, God's influence will be spread more effectively within the world. This book is a manual showing us how to go about it. As Willard says, we really have no other choice than to become disciples of Christ - or not. When we count the cost of each alternative, it is evident that the "easy yoke" is better than living according to the spirit of the world.

I've used Wiesenthal's The Sunflower as a text in college courses several times. On each occasion my original high estimation of Wiesenthal's narrative grows, while my dissatisfaction with the chorus of responses that takes up nearly two-thirds of the latest edition deepens.

Wiesenthal asks exactly the right questions that all of us need to confront about forgiveness. Is forgiveness always ours to bestow? Is it permissible or even possible to forgive on behalf of others? Should forgiveness be tied to repentance on the part of the transgressor? Should the transgressor try to atone for his/her wrongdoing? What if, as in the case of the dying SS-man Wiesenthal meets, the performance of overt acts of atonement are impossible? Are there certain actions that are unforgiveable, or is the philosopher Jacques Derrida correct when he insists (On Cosmopolitanism and Forgiveness) that the only kind of forgiving that makes any sense is the kind that forgives the unforgiveable? And in a godless world--a world where, as several characters in The Sunflower say, wickedness is so rampant that God seems to have gone on leave--is forgiveness necessarily a different kind of phenomenon than it would be in a Godded world?

Weisenthal doesn't pretend to answer any of these questions, but he and the other characters in his memoir discuss them, presenting different perspectives and coming to different conclusions. The very real value of The Sunflower is that it encourages readers to think about the questions.

Which brings me to the responses. Most are impressionistic, unanalytical, platitudinous, and hence totally out of step with the brutal authenticity of Weisenthal's text. A few stand out from the others: Robert Coles', Rebecca Goldstein's, Abraham Joshua Heschel's, Primo Levi's. But most can be given a pass. My suggestion would be to focus first and foremost on Weisenthal's text and forget about the responses. A nice cinematic complement to the book is the documentary "Forgiving Dr. Mengele."

Summoned to the bedside of a dying Nazi who had willingly participated in the systematic annihilation of Europe's Jews, concentration camp inmate Simon Wiesenthal found himself the captive, solitary witness to this 21-year-old SS man's confession of responsibility for committing acts of unspeakable cruelty.

Kurt had asked a nurse to bring him a Jew (any Jew would do); quite by chance the nurse selected Wiesenthal from the work detail assigned to the hospital that day. Against his will, he listened to this man recount his experience of packing a house full of Jewish men, women, and children and then setting the house on fire while lobbing grenades into the inferno and shooting at anyone who had attempted to escape this hell. Kurt watched a father, mother, and small boy leap from a window to their certain death. Before the leap, the father had shielded the child's eyes.

The image haunted Kurt, who was unable to fight again. Instead, he froze on the battlefield and suffered and injury that first cost him his sight and then took his life. Before he died, though, he wanted to confess his sins to a Jew that he might be forgiven and die in peace.

Wiesenthal, who was about the same age as this soldier, heard him out but refused to forgive. Instead, he offered silence in response to the story and returned to the concentration camp.

The experience haunted Wiesenthal; soon after it happened, he discussed it with his friends back at the camp, with a Polish Catholic seminarian. Much later, he presented the story to theologians, political leaders, Holocaust survivors, and victims of other attempted genocides and asked each of these persons what he or she would have done in the same situation.

The story itself is first book of The Sunflower; the responses to the question, "The Symposium," are the text of the second book in this volume. Broadly grouped, the respondents are Jews and Christians, primarily. There are two Buddhist respondents and one Chinese respondent who makes no reference to religion though his response is in keeping with Buddhist thinking. Within these broad categories respondents reflect on different facets of the experience Wiesenthal describes and facets of their faith and life experiences and knowledge to make a response.

The Jewish respondents point to the fact that only the person against whom a sin has been committed has the right to forgive the sinner. Therefore, Kurt cannot be forgiven; his victims are dead. The Christian respondents point out, first, that they feel they have no right to address the question because they have never been on the receiving end of genocide. Then they point out that God alone can forgive and that it is incumbent on each of us sinners to find forgiveness in our hearts for others. The Buddhists respond, as Buddhists do, in the present tense and with an eye on enlightenment--a release from suffering. Each perspective reflects a different concept of individuality and therefore of the nature of accountability.

For this reader, The Sunflower accomplishes the important task of bringing the reader into the concentration camp alongside one of its victims, into the hospital room of the dying SS man, and into the heart of the questions the Holocaust raises about responsibility, accountability, forgiveness, restitution, and grace. These are questions that refuse pat answers and therefore remain alive and active in our minds. Wiesenthal's book challenges our ability to empathize with those who suffer and our ability to think about how and why we believe what we do about ourselves and each other. It is a humble and beautiful tribute to those who suffered and died in the Holocaust. We too can honor their memory by participating in the conversation this book presents.

Recieved item on time, right when we were told it would arrive. Book in very good condition.

Simon Wiesenthal is best known as the man who had been indefatigable and single-minded in trying to bring Nazi criminals to justice as long as there was a single one of them left. For him this was an absolute moral imperative and something that he felt he owed to the memory of the murdered millions of Jews, of whom Wiesenthal could so easily have been one: he was the survivor of a succession of concentration camps: the Janowska camp outside Lvov, Plaszow (the camp of Schindler's List), Auschwitz, Gross-Rosen, and finally Mauthausen. It may come as a surprise to some readers that Wiesenthal was sensitive to the moral problems raised by the issue of forgiveness - yet this book is a moving meditation on that theme. According to his biographer, Hella Pick, Wiesenthal had `always considered it his most important book'.

Cruelty and casual murder were everyday occurrences in the Janowska camp, and are described in gut-wrenching detail in the first half of this episode from Wiesenthal's life. While doing slave labour at a military hospital near the camp, he was secretly brought to the death-bed of Karl, a gravely wounded 21-year old SS officer whose conscience was wracked - not just at death's door, but apparently immediately after the event - by his participation in a horrific massacre of Jews in Dnepropetrovsk. The officer got a nurse to find `a Jew', who happened to be Wiesenthal, to whom he could make his confession and from whom he could seek forgiveness. Wiesenthal wanted to get away; but something - apart from the dying man's grip - made him stay to hear him out. A Catholic priest later told him that that alone should have helped the man to die in peace, since confession and genuine repentance are more important than any absolution. But at the end Wiesenthal left the room without saying anything. Quite apart from the sufferings he was himself undergoing at the hands of the SS just then and from his expectation of death at their hands at any moment, it was not for him to offer forgiveness on behalf of the victims of Dnepropetrovsk. But the issue haunted him - had he done the right thing? After the war he sought out the SS man's mother. The young man had come from a devout and Social Democrat family who were distressed when their son had joined the Hitler Youth and even more when he had volunteered to join the SS. But the mother was convinced that her son had been a good man. Wiesenthal said nothing to her about what her son had done... The short but haunting book charges the reader to put himself in Wiesenthal's shoes and to ask himself `What would I have done?'

Before publishing his book in 1969, Wiesenthal sent his manuscript to a number of distinguished thinkers for their response, and the comments of ten of them were included in the first edition. Further contributions were made by others to the 1997 and 1998 editions: there are now 53 altogether, and they make up nearly two-thirds of the book. They include - to name only the most famous - those of the Dalai Lama, Cardinal König, Primo Levi, Deborah Lipstadt, Herbert Marcuse, and Desmond Tutu.

Some of the respondents seem to me to veer away from the question Wiesenthal had posed, and draw a distinction between forgetting and forgiving; others discuss the question of collective guilt (some reject it; others blame all the bystanders) - interesting, but irrelevant in the context of this story. Almost all agree that whilst individuals can forgive offences committed against themselves, no human can forgive in the name of other victims. In such cases, if the victims cannot be asked because they are dead, perhaps only God can be asked for forgiveness - though one respondent says that God was hardly fit to forgive something which He had after all allowed to happen. And the Jewish tradition has it that even God will not forgive the unpardonable sin of murder. It is unpardonable, because it is the one sin for which reparation is impossible. The Christian tradition, basing itself on Jesus asking God to forgive them, `for they know not what they do', and on the idea that you must hate the sin, but not the sinner, shaped the answer of some Christian respondents. Some say that forgiveness is not only a boon to the penitent, but also for the victim, freeing him from the burden and poison of hate. Two Asian contributors, one a survivor from the Khmer Rouge and the other a victim of the Cultural Revolution in China, blame only the top leadership, and have some understanding for those who were brainwashed.

One respondent hopes that Karl will rot in hell; others also refuse to accept the genuineness of his repentance, indeed stress the offensiveness of him putting a Jew - chosen not as an individual but picked at random - under the moral burden of hearing the confession and being asked to forgive. Wiesenthal at least saw Karl as an individual and is capable of some compassion towards the dying man and later towards his mother (but one respondent thinks that Wiesenthal did wrong to shield her from the knowledge of what her son had done).

These are just some of the responses to Wiesenthal's question. It is a question addressed to all of us, and it is not surprising that this book has been used as a text in many courses on the Holocaust.

Multiple issues arrived ahead of schedule and are in new condition.The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness (Newly Expanded Paperback Edition)

As one who had a 'wounded soul,' I cannot tell you how much this book changed and turned around my life. I received it as a gift many years ago and I have now bought my 4th copy of the book, as the ones I have loaned out never 'come home', which speaks of how powerfully this book also speaks to others. In this book, Max tells of characters of the Bible as if they are actually people you know in real life; perhaps an aunt or uncle, sister or brother, friend or neighbor. His narrative is so possitive that no one can read it and not be affected. I consider it a must for any library!.

I read this book several years ago. It's one of the author's finest, in my opinion. I remembered it being so moving and convicting that I purchased a half dozen of them to use in a bible study group I'm now hosting. The book has scripture reference and discussion questions for each story in the back of the book. It's proving to be wonderful for promoting introspection, group discussion and sharing. Our group loves it.

I enjoy much of Max Lucado's writings, but this has always been my favorite. I have found much in this book that speaks to my life, and to many others. This was the first book I read of his, and one of the first I read as a new Christian. Its easy to follow and great to inspire.

Our Wednesday morning bible group read this over the summer and met weekly to discuss it. We all have had years of extensive bible study and, consequently, felt this book wasn't as "meaty" as we would've liked. We did have some lively and inspiring conversations about some of the chapters. An area of concern was the wording of some of the questions in the back of the book: we couldn't understand them! We had to take a best guess as to what Max was talking about.

I've read most of Max Lucado's books and this is not only my favorite by him but my favorite book of all time. (Well, except for the Bible.)

This book is helpful in some way for anyone who reads it. I have given this book as a gift for so many people going through a tough time and it has helped each one.

No one tells a story in quite the way Lucado does. It is hard to put his books down and this is one book that I read continually until I finished it. It is a book you keep and read again and again.

God has blessed Max Lucado with a gift of story telling and finding scripture that might be obscure or a special verse that God shows him and then opens his heart to a whole new and unique way of looking at and explaining its meaning in a way that is easy to understand. He brings about such deep emotions with his writing.

God has given Max Lucado a special gift and in turn God, through Lucado, will bless each person who read his books. This book is a must read for everyone. On a scale of 1-5 I really give this book a 10.

Agree possibly the best book ever written on the subject, deep, slow read so much you must hit the breaks, should be a must read, old English but so powerful, get it if you are wanting to go deep.

Murray has left us a legacy of a high standard to emulate. This Christ-like virtue is not found in any religion.

This work has definitely got to be the best and most profound on the subject of humility, the fruit of the Spirit. There is no other challenger to this title today.

The matter at hand simply cannot be overstated enough, and if applied, is sure to bring fruit to all Christians alike.

A Christian classic.

I have read about humility in books, including the bible for over twenty years. I have searched for what it means to be a humble person, as I always interpreted it as being a doormat. Andrew Murray talks about humility using the life of Christ as our perfect example in such a simple way. I can now apply these very simple principles to my everyday life and I feel free.

I also love and appreciate that this is a small, very simple book. Andrew Murray gets to the heart of the matter without throwing in a lot of extra words.

After reading this book I bought five more copies. As God puts a person on my heart, I give them a copy of this book. this book is a wonderful spiritual journey.

This is much more that an book. It is truely a handbook for every believer. Keep it with your Bible and close to your heart. Give it to everyone you know who has a hunger for more of God.
God bless,
TDH, NC

Some may think Andrew Murry's work (born 1828) is no longer useful. They would be so wrong. Just like God's Word that never changes and is eternal. God Word has inspired great authors and their message about Christ. Andrew Murray is one. This is a must have book for every Christian. Christ showed humility while on earth and Andrew Murry shows the importance of Being Christ-like. He teaches that when we flee to Jesus and hide ourself in Him we too can be clothed with His humility. Get a copy while you can!