Boyd Books

Wagner's "Pauline Baptism and the Pagan Mysteries" was one of the major books of scholarship in the last century. It was part of the debate among biblical scholars about the History of Religions theory. This was a theory, once considered very viable, that Christianity had borrowed doctrines from the pagan mysteries.

Wagner's book investigates whether Paul's baptism in Rom VI drew upon mystery religions, an accusation that Bultmann and many other, earlier, scholars had made.

An outstanding German scholar, Wagner painstakingly lays out every bit of evidence we have. In the end, he concludes: "the cults of Marduk, Adonis, and Attis cannot be related to Rom. VI...The same would hold good for Eleusis, had we to suppose a descent of the mystes to the Nether World. In the Egyptian Osiris cult, too, we were unable to indicate the initiation of a living man...no points of contact could possible be established with regard to the performance of the rites and their significance" (p 266-7).

He draws heavily upon research by earlier scholars. All of them also found no instances of early Christianity borrowing a doctrine from on of the mystery religions. One important point: Rome had few mystery religions before the 2nd century, and it appears that some of the mystery religions that did appear in Rome later borrowed doctrines from Christianity. One clear example is the Mithric cult.

Wagner concludes that "Paul modelled his 'Christ-myth' on the myths about other 'dying and rising ' gods is now now no more seriously held than in the derivation of the observance of Sunday and the resurrection on the third day from the mystery cults" (p 269).

Nor does Wagner find any hint of reliance in any words chosen by Paul. Although he does use some words that were used in the mystery religions but he "uses them in a sense that does not correspond with the specific meanings accorded them in the mysteries" (p 274).

In short, the differences between the mysteries and Christianity "show that there is an unbridgeable gulf between the Pauline interpretation of baptism and the piety of the mysteries" (p 285).

This book has been out of print for some time. It should be reissued. Granted, the History of Religions theory is long gone, but, in spite of that, a whole new bevy of authors are churning out books that claim that Christianity borrowed from paganism.

These books are written by people who have no background in biblical scholarship and it shows. Most are on the level of the aliens-built-the-pyramids popular trash, but people read the, and believe them, amazingly enough.

Time to reissue some of these classic books to refute the nonsense writers.

I cannot say enough good things about this book! After working as a senior penguin aquarist at the New England Aquarium in Boston for many years, I started my own educational company ([...]) providing on-site programs about penguin biology, behavior and conservation for kids and adults of all ages. When giving grade-school programs, I send out a 'Penguin Packet' beforehand, containing carefully selected books, to help prepare the students for my visit.

I recently stumbled upon Mr. Pringle's book in the library. This is truly the best researched, best written and most beautifully illustrated book about penguins I have ever come across and, believe me, I've read LOTS of books about penguins. (I was even the expert content reviewer for three children's books about penguins.) I am proud to now have this exceptional book as part of my educational packet.

I was so excited about this book that I even wrote to the author telling him how fantastic I thought it was. And Meryl Henderson's penguin illustrations are truly the most beautiful, accurate and engaging that I've ever seen. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know. If you want THE superlative penguin book for children, I strongly encourage you to buy this one!

My children adore this book. It's written in verse and they know it by heart. It teaches them about how other people can view things differently. What is one thing to one person, is completely different to another. There is meaning in alot of things we take for granted.

Nancy Boyd Webb's work is considered essential reading in the field of play therapy by most professors and professional therapists alike. This is a practical and accessible book giving in-depth information on children in crisis and how to therapeutically intervene on their behalf through play. The case studies are invaluable in bringing together the material in the first part of the book with application to clinical situations. Excellent work and highly utilizable for practitioners.

Over the past several years, I have learned a lot about frogs. However, I have a lot more to learn. POISON DART FROGS has helped me in my quest for knowledge about frogs. The book is full of information and brilliantly penciled drawings. The book discusses such things as where the frogs poison comes from, how hunters gather the poison, how the frogs are born, and how they mate. A great book for any young person interested in nature or for anyone who loves frogs.

Why do some experts succees and others fail? Who are the planners? Whose interest do they serve? How does the new breed of advisors influence policy in the corridors of power?

Written for practitioners, for those who aspire to become planners, for those who hire planners and for those who distrust them, the text blends political insights with first hand knowledge of planning in government and industry. It reveals the power sources experts use and depicts the role of planning in modern technological societies.

Guy Benveniste brings almost three decades of practical and academic experience to his study of the expert's roles. As as economist he served for several years with the Stanford Research Institute, was on the staff of several White House tasks forces, served with the Department of State, the World Bank and UNESCO. In 1968 he received a PhD in the Sociology of Planning at Stanford University. Since then he has been teaching policy formation with the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley.
--- from book's back cover

When I first got a copy of this book in the early 80s it changed my life and the way I looked at things like only a few other books did. Jim Morton, the publisher, was a friend of Boyd Rice, who invented the term "Incredible strange films". The book looks at those products of from the world of pop, that nobody even considered pop, because they were somewhat strange and weird, but of course they were cool. This change of the paradigms of culture was unique and exciting at that time, today we are kind of used to it. But this book was the first I can remember to turn the values of pop culture upside down. Anyone interested in pop culture gotta have this book!

Postman Pat delivers the mail in a little village in Northern England and to the farms and stately home nearby. On this simple basis, John Cunliffe has constructed a series of books that will surely appeal to all children who are old enough to understand a simple story, especially those who are just beginning to read for themselves. Both my children have loved Postman Pat from age about two and a half, and my nephew enjoyed him until about the age of 10. The text is well complemented by colourful pictures. This addition to the series fully matches the standards of earlier books.

Prayers For The Later Years by Malcolm Boyd (Episcopal Priest and Poet/Writer in Residence, The Cathedral Center of St. Paul, Los Angeles, California) is a selection of deeply spiritual Christian prayers written especially for the aging generation of readers. Each page presents a different prose or poetry passage addressed to Jesus Christ, containing within the authors heartfelt love for God and gentle acceptance of the difficulties of getting older. A tender, reverently devotional book, Prayers For The Later Years is enthusiastically recommended reading, especially for seniors.

Irving Finkel has done it again with another immensely clever tale, bound to entertain with its dual settings of a distant snowy fictional kingdom, boreal and mountainous, and urban London. This whimsical love story is full of humor and insight into manners, art and the sometimes burdensome responsibilities of royalty. Conversations, characters and dialogue are perfectly crafted, somewhere between the wit of Oscar Wilde and irony of P. G. Wodehouse. Who wouldn't chuckle at a a king who repairs model trains and a crown prince who yearns instead to be the Royal Entomologist? No vapid princesses here who fall for hollow movie stars, these lovers are endearingly human. This heartwarming novel races along to a wonderful conclusion and leaves the reader with a smile. A work of genius.