Bishop Books

Bishop Spong is one of those select individuals I love to hate and hate to love. His books, whether I agree with him or not, are very engaging. His writing style is easy and provocative.

In this latest compolation of essay, Spong tackles many subjects such as his family and mentors, social issues, religious issues and much more.

The strength of this book is by far the way he writes about himself and the people close to him. I found this "celebertism" to be interesting and enlighting.This is howevevr, the really only good thing about this book. The rest of the book, though engaging, is overy wrought with logical errors and self-refutation. He spin doctors for his cause as well as any White House spokesperson. He mentions the 80s as a decade of greed. However, he is largely silent when a liberal is in office. After all, what are the 90s? I assert more greed.

Of course, Spong addresses his "pet" issues such as his views on "Christology", homosexual rights, abortion, and many more. It is provoking, yet, empty: emotional, reflective, yet, very illogical.

Another great book from Spong! In a bunch of essays short enough to be digestible, a wide variety of topics is addressed; some controversial, some not -- but always enlightening. Makes you think!

The series of essays has been compiled from Bishop Spong's columns over the years, and it deals with topics ranging from ecumenism to politics to family members. All of these essays are articulate, passionate, and beautifully written. The personal ones are actively touching, the political ones incisive and thought-provoking. It is fascinating to see how both his writing style and perspectives evolved over time.

Those who dislike Bishop Spong will undoubtedly loathe this book. Those who admire him will find his perspectives and thoughts to be challenging, impressive, and extremely helpful in evaluating personal and public struggles in the light of an open, inclusive faith tradition. An excellent summation of Bishop Spong's beliefs, thoughts and ideals.

Probably the most controversial person I have seen still inside the Christian leadership, Spong never ceases to amaze me. Whether you agree with his views, theology, or his process, you must respect his strength. What amazes me is how someone of his generation and age can be so openminded and fight so hard to try to change a religion that he feels will crumble without such change. This book is a great overview of his writings and the evolution of his principles. If you are interested in Bishop Spong, but are not sure where to start, these essays are usually under 10 pages, and are a great look at a great mind.

In writing this review, I have to restrain myself from giving my own thesis and boring the those reading this review. This is hard because so much of this book is so bad. The are only two redeeming values: (1) Bishop Spong is a skilled writer and (2) a person gets to climb inside the mind of an extreme liberal theologian.

Bishop Sppong's liberal bias is so evident that he often is self-refuting. He calls everyone and positions who/which seems to disagree with him such trigger words like dishonest, spin-doctoring, fundamentalist, and distorting the truth.

Of course, Spong is therefore self-refuting as he, more than anyone is the master of theolical "spin doctoring" and dishonesty. He claims on page 111 that the Bible is wrong because it was used to promote slavery and segregation. This lack of logic is frightening. This doesn't mean the Bible is wrong, but those individuals who distorted scripture for the purpose of salvery are wrong. Didn't the abolitionist use scripture to free men? Is the Bible now also right.

This is just an example of his useless logic. Read only for the understanding how individuals who are blinded by idealogy will disregard evidence in favor of their own agenda.

Enter a world of dark shadows, private dicks, and dames. Gardner's novel is hard-boiled and thrilling. Don't expect much characterization from Gardner, though; his specialty is non-stop action. Although the plot is a bit convoluted and at times difficult to follow, I really enjoyed the fast pace and sense of place. Highly recommended!

Bishop William Mallory of Sydney, Australia visits Perry Mason about a manslaughter case. Could a sudden emotional shock cause stuttering? Perry calls Paul Drake to see if the bishop is genuine (Chapter I). They find where Mallory is staying, but there is a mysterious attack on Mallory in his hotel room. An ambulance came for him, then another ambulance came for him! They track down the woman who visited him (Chapter II). Her story about a personal ad checks out (Chapter III). But the bishop got on a ship bound for Australia (Chapter IV). Julia Branner, formerly Mrs. Oscar Brownley, visits Perry and tells of her past life and what she wants (Chapter V). Perry visits Renwold C. Brownley and they discuss the case (Chapter VI). An early morning phone call wakes Perry with the message that a woman has shot and killed Renwold C. Brownley (Chapter VII)!

Perry finds that Julia Branner had gone to the waterfront, and saw another woman shoot Brownley. Perry tells her to not answer questions and he'll try to help her (Chapter VIII). Julia Branner was arrested for murder, Mallory disappeared from his ship (Chapter IX). Della's impersonation of Janice Seaton draws out two private investigators (Chapter X). Perry meets the granddaughter of Brownley, and finds Victor Stockton, one of the two private investigators, with a scheme that will trap Perry in a crime! Perry meets Philip Brownley, the grandson, who tells what he knows (this substantiates what a witness saw). When Perry interviews Julia Branner in jail he gets an unpleasant surprise. Paul Drake found a yachtsman who visited Mallory (Chapter XII).

Perry visits Hamilton Burger to explain his actions. Burger gives Perry little time to justify his story. It doesn't look good for Perry and his client (Chapter XIII). The preliminary examination of Julia Branner begins in Chapter XIV, this reviews the known facts about the shooting. Perry notes the strange facts: if the shooter ran away, and Brownley was dead, who drove the car off the wharf? Perry is in an impossible situation. If Brownley drove off the wharf, he was not shot dead by Julia Branner (Chapter XV). A chance remark by Della Street puts a new light on one person's activities the night of the murder. Perry plays this hand and it pays off (Chapter XVI). They find out what happened to Bishop Mallory (Chapter XVII). Perry explained what happened, and why Julia Branner refused to talk (Chapter XVIII). The next chapter concludes this case.
In this story Perry was very close to jail and disbarment. He was involved in more action than in other stories. This 1936 novel reflects the outlook of its day.

I really enjoyed this book. I've always enjoyed the perry mason books.

This book is, admittedly, my first experience with the literary Mason (before that I had only seen the television version). The other review pretty much states the plot, so I will only give you my opinion.

It was a fantastic, well-crafted mystery. Each chapter seems to throw new developments at you, yet in later chapters things start to come together, connecting the various bits together into a cohesive and plausible whole. Fun reading all around.

My only complaint is that the last few chapters were kind of droll, but perhaps they were necessary to tie up all the loose ends.

If you've never read a Perry Mason novel before, this one is as good as any to start off with.

The title character of Erle Stanley Gardner's "The Case of the Stuttering Bishop" enters Perry Mason's office one day and presents an enigmatic story about the granddaughter of a wealthy man. The girl's mother gave up the child for adoption long before, but now the granddaughter is coming forward to claim a share of her grandfather's estate. At the same time, an imposter has come forward--or so says the stuttering bishop. But is he for real, or is he merely an imposter, too?

Before Mason can determine the answer to that question, the bishop is attacked in his hotel room and then disappears, apparently into thin air, while boarding a ship. At the same time, Mason is trying to track down the various parties and to determine who's who. When the wealthy grandfather is murdered, though, it appears that Mason has his first guilty client.

Unlike many Perry Mason novels, "The Case of the Stuttering Bishop" does not end up in a dramatic court confrontation, and it therefore deviates somewhat from form. The case here is also significantly more convoluted than that in many of the Perry Mason novels. Because of this change of form, I found the novel less satisfying than the other Perry Mason novels I've read. The name Perry Mason, after all, connotes brilliant lawyering, and the emphasis on the detective work here left me disappointed.

In this second book of the series, Quill and her sister Meg are again entwined in running their inn (which is having cash flow problems), running their love lives (both have love interests but are not ready to be too committed to them), dealing with the goofy visitors that are part of the inn scene at this point in time, and, most importantly, trying to solve a perplexing series of murders that is affecting town residents.

The whole shebang appears to start out with the arrival of a Martha Stewart take-off named Helena who films a TV series called "A Beautiful Life" In true Martha fashion this is a series that attempts to show you how to live the beautiful life with a charming hostess (Helena) who is actually a very snobbish and delightfully wicked person with the cameras turned off. Most of the humor in this book revolves around Helena meeting up with real life situations in this upstate New York community.

One of the reasons why Helena is visiting the inn is that her show sponsored a contest for the design of the most beautiful plate settings and the winners are five ladies who work for the local paint plant in Hemlock Falls. The contest is worth a cool million dollars to the winners and Helena has come up to meet the winners. Although, in the beginning she thinks that there is only one as only one name is listed. Well, women who work in the paint plant are not exactly the kinds of people that Helena likes to associate with and so her nasty side tends to come out.

At this point in the story, the five women start to die off or disappear. One is killed in an apparent hunting accident in the woods where Helena is walking, another dies in a hit and run "accident" and one disappears. Ths invigorates Quill and Meg to start their own research. Research which ultimately reveals other possible sources of trouble in Hemlock Falls including some shenanigans related to the paint plant. Finally, all is resolved although I must admit that I did not figure out who was the culprit until the final chapter myself.

Altogether an enjoyable light read that would be perfect for summer reading at the beach.

Sarah Quilliam is used to tempermental guests but even she becomes impatient with Helena Houndswood. Helena has a tv show called "It's a Beautiful Life" and she fancies herself an expert on the subject. She conducts a contest on her show in which people compete to design the most attractive table ware. The winners are five women who work at a paint company near the Inn at Hemlock Falls. When Helena meets them she is distressed to see that these ladies do not live up to her expectations of people who are leading "a beautiful life". She threatens to keep them from collecting the million dollar prize money, but the ladies have other ideas. Suddenly the prize winners begin to show up dead or presumably missing. Helena is a prime suspect, but so are the other guests at the Inn. Quill is determined to find the murderer, but as usual she goes off in the wrong direction before the actual murderer is revealed. This is a well-written, enjoyable mystery.

I liked the way Ms. Bishop built up her characters in this book. But mainly I really enjoyed the humor. I had fun finding the nods to Miriam Monfredo and the scattered quotes from my much loved Shakespeare. (Although I missed any Gilbert & Sullivan references this time!) I cook for a living and can relate to Meg and her wrath toward the uninvited in her kitchen. Though I had mixed feelings about Quill giving up her art entirely in the first book; I am glad to see her sketching again. I also like the recurring town characters and am glad she has'nt killed them off. (yet!)

It is discovered that Helena Houndswood, TV star of It's a Beautiful Life, is staying at The Inn at Hemlock Falls incognito. Sarah Quilliam ("Quill") and her sister Margaret Quilliam ("Meg") run the inn. Meg is the grourmet chef and Sarah is the manager. Then it is discovered that a group of women who work at the local Paramount Paint plant won the design contest sponsored by her Helena's TV show.

Soon one winner is missing and another dead. Who is behind this? Helena begins to show her true colors. She is a snob with a heart of stone until the camera is rolling. Then she is all class. Could she be behind the disappearance and death?

I have read the whole series of books set in Hemlock Falls. They are delightful and easy to read. I feel as if I know Quill and Meg. They always end up helping solve the crimes. Quill dates Myles the local sheriff and he doesn't approve of her help in these matters.

There are many wonderful characters who work at or stay at the Inn in each of her books. Dina, the receptionist, is the one who recognizes Helena and alerts Quill. Doreen, the head housekeeper, with her many opinions and schemes often helps Quill but can also be an embarassment.

Then there's the town Chamber of Commerce. Quill is the secretary, but she can't seem to take readable notes. The Chamber is always sticking their two cents into the mix. In this book they set up the Little Miss Falls beauty contest and attempt to get Helena to cover it on her show.

Quill gets herself into many situations while looking into the disappearance and death. The plot is very well written and the setting is beautifully described. I would love to go there for a stay. I highly recommend this book as well as the whole series. They are great!

I enjoyed the book and thought I had figured out at least who the "bad guy" was. But I was wrong. The plot was well laid out and kept my interest.

Nice cover and an acceptable content. However, the data and the layout could be more detailed and better designed. The large book format is also a disadvantage when you look for a reference to use on a day-to-day basis. The most commonly used weapons are listed, but interesting details are missing and a more extensive list of weapons is desirable. Ok reference to start with, if you have no or limited knowledge within the area.

Very comprehensive. It includes most NATO and WarPact smallarms, but fails to mention anything about the M240 general purpose machinegun. It does mention the the FN product from which it was liscensed, however.

This was a gift for my son who has a great interest in weaponry. He loved it.

I have read many books on small arms and this is the best. Unlike some books that are all specs or all pictures, this has a good blend of both, plus it contains entertaining and illuminating anecdotes about many of the weapons. The most popular weapons have extended treatments.

The pictures of the weapons are in color. Black and white pictures of the weapon in action accompany many of the articles. There are color drawings illustrating usage of some weapons. In a few important cases, there are detailed drawings showing parts. The book is intelligently organized with a good layout.

This is truly an encyclopedic work. It covers all of the models of each weapon, noting important differences. Origins of designs are given. Key specifications, such as caliber, weight, and rate of fire, are listed. Multiple country usage is indicated along with current usage, where relevant. Pros and cons of a weapon are often given, including production changes that either improved or degraded the weapon.

If you like military history or weaponry, you will find this an enjoyable book to read and a useful reference.

I just got this book to fill an order for a gift card I have had for over a year. I have just flipped through a few pages and have noticed many inaccuracies mostly with pictures and their captions. As an example on page 262 the article on Chinese type 56 shows some girls that are each obviously holding a SKS and the captions says they are type 56 carbines. This is just one of many I have noticed and I have just flipped a few pages.

One of the most frequently forgotten biblical truisms is Solomon's repeated assertion that "there is nothing new under the sun." Christians, certain that their age and their time is unique, struggle mightily to devise "new" responses to "new" challenges. Modern Christians seem particularly susceptible to believing that the past cannot inform the present. In this information age, how can the indecipherable volumes of the ancients speak to the sound-bite interests of the postmodern generation?

In his brilliant, clearly-written work, Curtis Chang has demonstrated how the strategies and even the words of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas can bring hope to ministers struggling with "creating" a way to relate to the present age. At the mere mention of the names Augustine and Aquinas, the eyes of today's "hip" and "relevant" pastors and evangelists often begin to glaze over. This is a mistake. As Chang clearly demonstrates, the "great cloud of witnesses" that has gone before us not only observes but also reaches through the centuries to provide wisdom that is critical to today's challenge.

Do not be dismayed by the book's scholarly title -- it is written for the scholar and layman alike. The writing is crisp and, at times, poignant. Through the power of Chang's pen, difficult and complex works become accessible and inspirational. It is this accessibility that is perhaps Chang's greatest triumph. Even a small mind can read the complex and then "explain" it through equally complex prose. The good mind can take the complex and clarify it so that its ultimate answers seem almost simple. If you are confused by the challenge of reaching today's alienated and tribalized culture, read Chang's book -- and allow the past to illuminate the present.

The author points out Christianity has faced prior challenges from a hostile culture. The first after the fall of Rome, when pagans sought to blame social problems on Christians, the second from a rising Islam.

The challenges stimulated Augustine (413 A.D) and Aquinas (1260 A.D.) respectively, whose responses took the written form of "The City of God" and "Summa Contra Gentiles", two key works in the history of Western civilization.

The author compares the two responses and concludes they share methods that allowed successful disarming of the threats: "entering the challenger's story", "retelling it", and "capturing" it in the broader logic of Christianity.

This is the natural thing to do: understand the challenger's position better than they do, show how it doesn't answer the questions they think it does, then demonstrate your position encompasses theirs. Easy to do when on the side if truth (what "is"), impossible for opponents to duplicate.

Thus chapters 2,3,4 are golden. But sections of chapters 1 and 5 aren't. The author, based in academia, asserts post-modern denial of human ability to determine truth is the dominant threat; that utopianism suffered a shattering blow in WWI and WWII and is dead.

A stronger case can be made post-modernism is a minor linguistic procedure; take the leading post-modern theorist from the ivory tower, put him on a dude-ranch, away from TV, baling hay for a few months and post-modern pretensions vaporize.

One can't function in the world while taking seriously the idea there are only myths people fabricate to avoid cognitive dissonance, or dominate others. That truth is not knowable. It is simple to see through post-modern gamesmanship, once language methods they use are understood. Post-modernism seems credible because it is poorly explained. And the other academics confronting it are also verbalists.

The college student, leaning against a pillar, vexing the author by asking "How can you know anything is true?" will, even if no one is there to answer, one day graduate and get a job. 5-10 years later, the campus nonsense will be a dim memory, lost in real-world experience. Time will have been wasted and a life diverted from greater richness, but it needn't be terminal.

By contrast, utopian idealism, the denial of human sin, has been reformulated on the assertion humans are only mechanically derived animals; complicated bits of matter to be manipulated to a higher state by an elite which believes it has higher vision (replacing God with their own desires).

This idealism has spread far from academia. It shapes nations, political parties, education, law and people's lives, on a moment to moment basis. From Darwin to Marx to Freud to Stalin to Hitler to the 60's culture to modern hate groups, socialists and activists; all linked by the belief humans can "progress" to a perfect world they imagine. Christians understand a fallen humanity cannot. Utopianism IS a virulent threat, corroding the culture as a now invisible assumption.

So one must keep the book's title in mind; it's about engaging "unbelief", not disbelief. But the author dismisses disbelief, the greater threat, too readily. Unbelievers go quietly into the night, like a forest of deadwood clearing itself. Disbelievers do not.

Another concern is an author too far gone "entering the challenger's story". He seems to accept the premises of post-modernism; that life is about myth-making and story-telling, seemingly conceding the concept of truth. He urges incorporating the opposition's beliefs, which he apparently has done.

If the author saw in Augustine the idea of taking captive opponents' ideas, a clearer picture of how the Church in Rome became the Roman Catholic church snaps into view; the praying to Mary more than God (goddess worship), rituals involving physical objects (rosaries, statues), papal (human) infallibility, icons such as paintings of Jesus and other human-built objects of veneration.

Protestants have historically seen this as idol worship of false images, contrary to biblical law, but similar to pagan customs. It seems one can enter the opponent's story a bit too much. There is the impression Augustine's battle with Roman pagans was not conclusive, trading away some of God's laws for the church, so as to cease hostilities. Is this why we have thousands flocking to offer prayers to a tortilla whose shadows look like Mary?

In the end, the author suggests addressing the post-modern era in its own language: film-making. Protestants would say this a call to create false images of worship; idolatry. That there is a good reason there are no physical descriptions of Jesus. That Christianity needs spiritual doctors, not herding people into dark isolation rooms to see human contrived, out-of-context images flashed before them for emotional manipulation.

The author says the post-modern Augustine or Aquinas probably won't be one of the white male Christians with impeccable credentials, but will most likely be someone on the margin, as Augustine and Aquinas were: "...a single Pakistani woman who has an abortion before coming to Jesus and is a budding film-maker."

Ruinous conclusions drawn from an interesting comparison. Perhaps the problem lies in misuse of the sources he returns to for inspiration. Or far more likely, perhaps the problem is intrinsic to the sources. Because there is a pattern.

A more comprehensive and practical presentation from the Protestant understanding (marginalized in this book) is "How Now Shall We Live". Christianity needs to be understood as a comprehensive world-view before one can easily deal with the disbelievers and unbelievers. And you don't have to give up on truth in the process.

Postmodernism is a notoriously slippery subject, but in this book Curtis Chang does a good job of introducing and explaining it; he then proceeds to give a plan of action for engaging it, based upon his reading of St. Augustine's CITY OF GOD and Aquinas' SUMMA CONTRA GENTILES.

To me, the most important facet of this discussion is how the Christian faith, which claims objective truth, can be communicated to people who do not admit the existence of such truth (at least in theory). The apologetic method of the past hundred or so years, the "evidence-that-demands-a-verdict" approach, isn't particularly successful anymore. Is there something that can replace it, so we can better communicate the faith to those that have rejected Enlightenment rationalism? That is the question that Chang attempts to answer here.

There is, as one reviewer below says, a danger in falling under the sway of postmodernist presuppositions oneself when attempting to engage with postmodernists. He believes Chang has taken this fall to a certain extent; I do not. By emphasizing the faith as story (or as myth even, remembering that it is a myth that happens to be true) rather than as a set of propositions that need to be embraced rationalistically, one need not tumble into subjectivism or relativism. To me, Chang does a good job of maneuvering between this rock and hard place.
I must also say that the previous reviewer's claim that Augustine himself fell into this trap, thus paving the way for Roman Catholicism's acceptance of devotion utilizing images and physical objects, is more than slightly wrongheaded. This reviewer is repeating (whether he knows it or not) old iconoclastic arguments that have been dealt with by both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, and it would do him well to read some of the works that Chang refers to when discussing this subject.

If there is one complaint about the book, it is Chang's reliance on contemporary, critical church history works. One is given a picture of the church of both Augustine's and Aquinas' times as muddled, ignorant and compromised. Undoubtedly there were some elements of the church that were like that (as there are today) but one needs to balance that picture by reading more positive appraisals such as Rowan Greer's BROKEN LIGHTS AND MENDED LIVES, which includes a valuable discussion of Augustine and his times.

All in all, though, this is a work well worth reading by anyone who is interested in the clash between Christianity and postmodern culture.

The Christian church has faced a variety of "epochal challenges" during its existence over two millennia. Author Curtis Chang, InterVarsity campus minister and apologist, defines an epochal challenge as a "paradigm shift" or the emergence of a new weltanschauung (German for "worldview"). This new worldview perspective, or comprehensive outlook on life and the world, directly challenges how people once understand such critical concepts as truth, reality, knowledge, goodness, meaning, and purpose. The Christian church through the centuries has felt somewhat unsettled during such shifting times with its accompanying changing norms. Accordingly, Christian thinkers have had to strategize as to how to best confront these new perspectives with the enduring truth of the gospel message. Today's epochal challenge is postmodernism, which, according to Chang, "now challenges all norms and truths." Postmodernity as a philosophical outlook is broadly characterized, critically speaking, by such views as religious pluralism, multiculturalism, relativism, and literary skepticism, all of which challenge Christian truth-claims.

Is there an effective Christian strategy for confronting the multifaceted challenges (metaphysical, epistemological, moral, literary, etc.) raised by postmodernism? How, for example, does one effectively present the universal and unchanging truth-claims of Christianity to a culture that rejects the idea of absolute truth? While there have been an assortment of Christian books written in response to postmodern thinking, Curtis Chang provides a provocative and substantive answer to this question in his book Engaging Unbelief. Reaching back into the apologetic works of two of Christianity's greatest thinkers, Augustine (354-430) and Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Chang has indeed uncovered an interesting strategy to respond to the postmodern quagmire.

Chang's view is that if evangelicals Christians are going to be genuinely successful in responding to the postmodern mindset they should heed the Apostle Paul's imperative in 2 Corinthians 10:5. "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Specifically what does Chang think this imperative actually involves? Since postmodernists prefer to speak in terms of one's individual "story" (perspective or narrative) rather than in terms of objective truth, this apologetic strategy involves engaging unbelief through penetrating the challenger's story.

Chang identifies three points that he broadly derives from two classic apologetic works, Augustine's City of God and Thomas Aquinas's Summa contra Gentiles. First, the Christian apologist must "enter the challenger's story" (competing worldview) by becoming thoroughly familiar with its language, categories, and authorities, and thus speaking from a shared perspective, though always guided by the gospel. Second, the apologist engages in authentically "retelling the story" from the inside by using again its own language and paradigms, but specifically exposing the story's explanatory incompleteness and highlighting its so-called "tragic flaw" or inevitable downfall. Third, the apologist engages in "recapturing that retold tale within the gospel metanarrative," thus showing how the Christian gospel uniquely solves the story's intrinsic flaw.

The real substance of Chang's book consists in his detailed and careful explanation of just how Augustine and Thomas Aquinas used this broad strategy to confront the epochal challenges of their respective times. Augustine, living in late antiquity, faced the real possibility of an emerging post-Christian society if the pagan Romans were able to successfully blame Christianity for the decline of the "Eternal City" (Rome) and ultimately of the collapse of the Roman Empire. Augustine's massive work City of God systematically refutes this pagan story and lays the foundation for an enduring Christian philosophy of history. Thomas Aquinas, living in the high middle ages, faced the possible challenge of an enduring religious pluralism if the Islamic intellectual tradition was successful in positioning its religious philosophy as a viable alternative to, and possibly even superior to, a Christian religious philosophy. Thomas's masterful philosophical treatise, Summa contra Gentiles, sought to set forth a genuinely Christian philosophy that properly integrated the important areas of faith and reason.

For a relatively brief paperback (187 pages), Chang presents a detailed and substantive analysis of Augustine and Thomas's monumental apologetic works. His rhetorical strategy drawn from the writings of these two great Christian thinkers is thoughtful and should prove helpful in responding to postmodern thinking. Certainly his intuition to look to Christian apologetic history for answers to today's apologetic challenges is insightful and refreshing. This reviewer, however, would go further than Chang in advocating that evangelicalism would benefit greatly from embracing much of the theology of these two theological and philosophical giants.

There is no consensus among evangelical scholars as to just how to view and respond to postmodern thinking. For some, however, Chang may grant more credence to postmodern epistemology than many would find warranted. A minor weakness in this overall very good and scholarly work is the absence of a good definition for postmodernism.

Curtis Chang has an excellent idea: read Augustine and Aquinas, two great Christian thinkers, compare how they explained their faith to non-Christian contemporaries of their eras, and see what we in the "post-modern" world can learn. Overall, I think he pulls it off well. Chang is a thoughtful writer, and the book is well-organized and clearly (though not eloquently) written. (Chang seems to be one of those writers whose diction remains structured and careful even when he gets a bit passionate.)

I was happy to learn a bit about Aquinas (whom I had not read) and to bask in Chang's exposition of one aspect of the thought of Augustine (whom I have long appreciated). He argues that the two men entered into the stories of their non-Christian opponents, deepened them, and retold them as facets of the "metanarrative" of the Gospel. This subject particularly interests me because I am doing research on the fascinating (and long) story of how Western, Indian and Chinese Christians have related the Gospel to their cultures. Also, I wrote a book a couple years ago, Jesus and the Religions of Man, that relates the Gospel to modern religions and ideologies in a way rather similar to Augustine's approach in City of God -- maybe more by accident than by design. I think the period in which Augustine wrote resembled our own diverse, multi-cultural society in many ways, and we have much to learn from him. (And, it seems, from Aquinas as well.)

I also learned a bit about "post-modernism" here, at last. (The term being unnecessarily ugly, I have previously tried to avoid finding out what it referred to. Ignore it, and it will go away!) I don't think, as one reviewer below seems to, that Chang accepts the "post-modern" view wholeheartedly, nor ask us to. "Both (A+A) . . . enter the pagan and Islamic stories still retaining their distinctive Christian identities. They refuse to give in to some confusing syncretism or an intellectual appeasement that would change the essence of the gospel." I don't think Chang is unconcerned about truth, just because he emphasizes story. (Which he calls "narrative," yikes.) Story and truth need not conflict. The Gospel marks where the two cross and become one. Chang's approach is to find truth in non-Christian philosophy, and show how the Gospel deepens and supplements it. I think that is a valid, Biblical, and rational approach to any worldview that contains truth, as "post-modernism" undoubtedly does.

Chang talks about Islam in an indirect way, because he thinks Aquinas wrote Summa Contra Gentiles to help missionaries reach the educated, philosophical Muslims of his day. Islam is of course on a lot of peoples' minds, my own included. I think Chang is a bit hard on the Crusaders -- it would only be fair for us to enter their story, too, if we are going to enter that of the Muslims. Not everyone has the luxury of responding to armies with words alone. And I am not sure Aquinas was always entirely tolerant either.

I was really excited to read this. In fact, I bought the big three-in-one trilogy Fiends of the Eastern Front, expecting to devour all three, but since I couldn't stand to read more than the first novel, I'm just writing a review for it.

First, there's no mystery in the book. Right away, the reader knows what's up and why. And I think the same could be said for the main characters, despite the occasional protest that they don't want to believe the obvious, which they do in a paragraph or two anyway.

Second, the vampires are stock. There's nothing new here except that they now wear Nazi uniforms and pilot tanks and planes.

I think there was and still may be lots of room for some good stories here, but this book didn't live up to the potential.

This definitely has the flavour of the strip I remember. Complete with the can come back from a speck of ash head vamp, Constanta. The pitched battle at the end, vamps v germans is most excellent. Running throughout all this, of course, is the horror of the actual historical panzer battle along the Eastern Front, with the accompanying infantry. Fans of both war and horror should enjoy this one.

This book and the second one are works of art.They would make a great movie.I recommend the book,as well as book two,to anyone who likes horror novels with a little history sprinkled in.The way Mr. Bishops writes keeps you engrossed in the story and craving for more........like a blood-lust.His words makes your imagination take over and go wild.Can't wait for the third novel to come out...Ill b the first one to get it.

Hans, Klaus and Ralf are all brothers fighting the Russians on the Eastern Front for Hitler during World War II. Hans, the youngest, is the most dedicated. Hitler and the 3rd Reich enthralls him. His other brothers have seen enough of war to know it's not all it's cut out to be. None of them are prepared for what they run into. Klaus, a pilot, wonders why the Rumanian pilots' canopies are black. How can they see? Ralf, in the Panzer division, finds dead Russians with bite marks on their necks. Hans of the Infantry sees wisps of smoke rise up and kill attacking Russian soldiers. What's going on?

Klaus finds out after he is shot down by a Rumanian plane and ends up in the hospital close to a Russian POW camp. What he sees horrifies him and he knows that he and his brothers must do something. But what? The monsters appear to be all-seeing, all-knowing but Ralf and Hans have seen enough to know that it must stop. So the brothers begin to plan. Will they be successful against Hauptman Constanta and his hoards?

David Bishop has written a plausible story of World War II from the point of the German soldiers who are more terrified of their supposed allies than they are of their enemies, the Russians. It's a well-written, scary little book that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you wonder what Constanta will think of next to torture not only the Russians, but also the German soldiers. If you like the unknown, this is the book for you.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

The German invasion of Russia in 1941 is underway. As they smash through Russia defenses, German units unite with their allies, the axis Romanian soldiers. That is when one young German soldier comes to realize that the Romanians in a platoon led by the young nobleman Constanta are vampires. When Romania switches sides and joins the allies, the young solider has the fight of his life trying to survive as Constanta and his vampires try to protect their dark secret from both sides. Operation Vampyr is the first in the new "Fiends of the Eastern Front" trilogy by David Bishop, fantasy action enthusiasts will be left looking eagerly toward the second volume, Blood Red Army, schedules for release in April 2006!

Donald Hilliard, Jr. gives excellent advice on how to seek God's guidance and mercy in everything! Wonderful reading!

I checked out one of the Bible stories that he told in the beginning of the book and it was exaggerated so it took away his credibility. I checked several versions of that story. I couldn't finish the book after that. I really like him as a preacher but I don't want to relay that story to someone else and have them check it out in the Bible and find out that I have exaggerated as well.

Not a lot of preaching, just straight talk on how to rely on God when the pressures of life get you down. We all have stress...but God's mercy is what keeps us from totally falling.

Reading this book will lift your spirits and take your spirituality to a new level in God. I read it twice in one month!
Excellent. Better than Chocolate!

Pam Perry
Chocolate Pages

This is the book that will break all of those strong holds. This is really a wonderful book I am tremendously proud of Bishop Donald Hilliard. Thank you for poring yourself into a book that will pour into the lives of everyone who reads it.

THIS BOOK IS THE BEST ONE YET! THE OTHER BOOKS BY THIS GREAT AUTHOR WERE GOOD, BUT THIS ONE IS FAR MORE THE BESTEST!

ALTHOUGH I'M NOT COMPLETING FINISH, I JUST HAD TO COMMENT ON THIS BOOK...I CAN'T GET PASS THE FIG TREE.....

FOR SOME OF US, WE ARE THAT FIG TREE THAT HASN'T PRODUCE ANY FRUIT, YET WE ARE GIVEN ANOTHER SEASON/CHANCE TO GET IT RIGHT, TO BEAR GOOD FRUIT. QUOTE FROM PAGE 33 "IF YOUR TREE IS DISEASED, THEN A CORROSIVE AND EROSIVE AFFLICTION IS EATING AWAY AT THE ROOT OF YOUR LIFE. IT IS TIME TO WAKE UP AND TELL YOURSELF, I MUST DEAL WITH THIS DISEASE" ASK YOURSELF, WHY AM I NOT BEARING FRUIT?
THIS BOOK TALKS ABOUT EVERY SITUATION THAT YOU GO THROUGH. I MEAN EVERY STORM YOU HAVE AND STILL MAYBE GOING THROUGH THIS BOOK HITS IT ALL!

THANK YOU MY BISHOP FOR A WONDERFUL LIFE CHANGING BOOK THAT HELPS ME TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE MORE OF THE THINGS THAT I EXPERIENCE IN MY LIFE THAT MAKE ME GO MMMMMMMMMMM...OH NOW I GET IT!.

GO GET IT! GO GET IT! GO GET IT!

I find the book very informative and easy to read. However, the book has a number of exercises that refer to a CD that ships with the book. I received no CD, so following some of the examples and performing the exercises can be quite difficult. If a CD is required, I suggest that it be included with the book.

virtual instruments good tool

virtual instruments good tool

Excelente para empezar con LabVIEW. Introduce al lector en forma gradual y con muchos ejemplos ya hechos y probados. Trata temas muy importantes a nivel superficial como procesamiento de señales. Es de fácil y rápida lectura. Lo recomiendo para un primer curso de LabVIEW.

This book takes you step by step from the beginning. A must for the beginning programmer and a good reference for the advanced programmer. I read it straight through and never got bored or confused.AWESOME!

I stumbled on this book while looking for "Broken Trust" after having read a review of that book. After reading the reviews of "Lost Generations" I thought I should order both books. What a mistake. I had hoped for a good telling of the Bishop Trust scandal. This is more of a diary of the life of a Hawaiian than any description of that scandal. If you like lots of Hawaiin slice of life stories then you will probably like this book. If you would like to read a coherent description of the Bishop Trust scandal, then look elsewhere.

"Lost Generations" is a personal and engaging story of how the charitable mission of the Bishop Trust to provide educational opportunities to native Hawaiians was corrupted by political appointees and greed but redeemed by the perseverance and resolve of the graduates and friends of Kamehameha Schools. It is a grassroots thriller told in a conversational style of why the mission went awry and the determination of the Schools beneficiaries to save the mission.

From the foreword to the last page, this amazing true story is a page turner thriller. J. Arthur Rath's beautifully told personal tale intertwined with that of his classmates from Kamehameha Schools and the Bishop Estate scandal is a heart warming and equally wrenching story of reluctant heroes and unscrupulous villains. Although the events take place in Hawaii, the story and its conclusion are universal. The heroes of this book are proof that high integrity and strong personal conviction can overcome even the most overwhelming odds. In an era seemingly devoid of both, this book is a refreshing read.

A fascinating history/memoir. Charming, entertaining, and a revelation. It covers a side of life and the culture of Hawaii one would never know from the colorful images of TV, movies and tourist attractions. When Hawaii became the 51st state, it was heralded as a mirror of the world of the future. A true rainbow of races, cultures, etc. Mr. Rath's book tells a story of a life that saw little of this future judgement. It is charming in its details of one boy's life, the influence of the missionaries, the repression of the native culture and the power of the Bishop Estate--the good, the bad, and everything in between. Especially interesting were the stories of the Japanese attack and life during World War 2.

Pulitzer worthy non-fiction complete with heros, villans, true love and loves lost, family secrets, forgiveness, pride, and overflowing with the true spirit of Aloha! A book that quite simply will compel you to be the best person you can possibly be and to treat others as all should be treated.

A true story that continues to live even in this week's headlines. The hero's are real. The history is amazing. Learn of old Hawai'i, new Hawai'i, and learn again how your heart sings out loud when good vanquishes evil and the common man rises quietly and with great dignity to do what is right.

Princess Pauahi and Oz Stender - non-contemporary partners - committing all they have and all of their love for the children of Hawai'i, eternally!

This book belongs in every household. Give it to a child and that child will grow to make you proud. Give it to an adult and you might change the world.

Imua.

Witch is a story based upon the life of Bridget Bishop. Bridget Bishop was the first woman executed for witchcraft in Salem in 1692. This book depicts the woman's life from her education as a teenager in London where she meets, falls in love, and marries her first husband, George Wasselbe. The book also describes Bridget's converts to Puritan beliefs, her sea journey to the United States, and her life in Salem. The author even includes the testimony of Bridget's trial at the end of the book.

I enjoyed this story as both a work of historical fiction and as the testimony of the life of Bridget Bishop. The author has obviously done a good deal of research not only into the life of the characters but also into the culture, norms, and daily lives of those living in Britain and in the Puritan colonies of the 1600's. These aspects intermesh perfectly allowing the reader to travel back in time to experience life as if he or she were a dear friend to Bridget Bishop, a friend who saw both her kind creative qualities and her manic destructive tendencies.

"The novel is a well-crafted story of Bridget's downfall. The author writes skillfully of the time period and sheds light on some of the feelings a woman of that time may have had...Wilson tells a story of one woman's life as an outcast in a society of outcasts. Most of the story deals with the times, the woman, and her society; the witchcraft theme is hinted at almost from the beginning, and prejudice and man's inhumanity to man is at the core of the novel." - Naomi Theye, Historical Novel Society

"Bridget's story is as important for the backdrop it presents as it is for the telling of her life. The harsh sterility of the Puritans in the colonies stoked a powder keg of repression lit by the anxiety of economic and political pressures. Witch hunts have become more sophisticated since then - McCarthy went after godless Communists, not dabblers in the paranormal, for instance - but are still around in one form or another. As long as powerful people promote a culture of fear and dare name the bogeyman of the hour, and as long as society at large allows itself to be sucked in by exaggerations and lies, Bridget Bishop's story will ever be repeated, the only difference in the details. The only way we can combat such hysteria is through, as Frances Hill's A Delusion of Satan suggests, 'constant reminders of common humanity.' " - Curled Up With A Good Book Reviews, 2005

"I enjoyed this story as both a work of historical fiction and as the testimony of the life of Bridget Bishop. The author has obviously done a good deal of research not only into the life of the characters but also into the culture, norms, and daily lives of those living in Britain and in the Puritan colonies of the 1600's. These aspects intermesh perfectly allowing the reader to travel back in time to experience life as if he or she were a dear friend to Bridget Bishop, a friend who saw both her kind creative qualities and her manic destructive tendencies. " - Tami Brady, TCM Reviews, Jan. 2006

While being a well researched book about Salem, this novel goes much further than a simple re-hash of the witchtrials. It examines women's issues, interpersonal power struggles, and takes a closer look at elements of religious fundamentalism.
The main character starts out quite naive and wide eyed and is swept up in the Puritan movement, later finding herself disillusioned and eventually persecuted when she decides to break away. There are a few typos, as is the case with some pod imprints, but nothing worth passing on the content for.
I recommend it for anyone who enjoys women's literature, or the sort of historical fiction that really makes you think.

If you're looking for over the top writing that would be better suited for a monologue on a stage--in an elementary school gymnasium--complete with velvety dress and a pointed hat with foil stars. I've lived in Salem, MA and seen ridiculous displays of foolery, and this fits right in with the rest of the kitsch. A useless waste of time for any reader older than 10.

Also, the author spent a bit of time living in Seattle, where the first five-star review hails from; anyone want to bet they know one another?

I thoroughly enjoyed Ms Wilson's writing. Finally we have a book that represents this long over-looked figure in American history. Bridget Bishop was a woman unfairly persecuted in a wave of colonial histeria. Now her story can be told.