Richardson Books

This volume, 'The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology', edited by Alan Richardson and John Bowden, is part of a series of dictionaries produced by the Westminster Press -- other volumes include Christian Ethics, Christian Spirituality, Liturgy, and Church History. Having gone through several editions since Richardson's first dictionary, it remains a standard reference for seminarians, ministers, graduate students and scholars.

The contributors include members of Catholic, Anglican, Protestant and Orthodox communities, and from all over the world. As Richardson said in the introduction to the first edition, theology is an immensely wide subject, intertwined with history, philosophy, politics, science and fundamental communications theory. It is in this light that the dictionary continues to be updated, as theological enterprises continue to push boundaries and explore new dimensions of faith and practice.

The list of contributors reads like a who's who in Christian thought; the list goes on for eight pages. The entries, ranging from a few sentences to a few pages in length, number in the hundreds, and deal with a wide range of terms and topics of concern to theological issues -- biblical criticism, historical issues, theological terminology, philosophical intersections with theology, and religious studies topics.

Each of the significant entries (those that are more than basic definitions) include references to theologians and particular works that develop the ideas. Often, a single idea or topic (Justification, for example, or the Problem of Evil) will have divergent, sometimes even contradictory sections in the entry, which reflects the diversity of opinion within Christian thinking.

Bowden's introduction (he took over the project after Richardson) talks of this dictionary being, as was its predecessor edition, a product of the time -- as such, topics such as feminist theology, liberation theology, and other more recent topics are covered, but as they are developing quickly, the entries may be by necessity incomplete; some most recent topics are missing altogether. However, it is in the nature of volumes such as this to be incomplete, given that the field is continually developing.

This is one of my standard reference books. I keep it handy during all my seminary and scholarly work. It is an essential volume for students, and a very present help for ministers and other readers interesting in theological ideas.

I purchased this book for my nieces and nephews because they were planning a family trip to Oregon. They found the book to be a lot of fun as well as very informative. I had looked for children's books on the Oregon Trail and found WESTWARD HO WITH OLLIE OX to be the best for young children. I recommend it highly.

Chick

The author believes that theology must develop God in order to
transcend scientific and sociotechnic systems. Instead, God is seen as a unifying presence aiming toward a righteous world manifested in a meaningful existence for man. The author challenges us to develop and apply new ethical principles to live
more harmoniously. Ultimately, he urges us to create a religious
foundation for every intellectus both collective or individual.
He applies a universal theory of unity to individuals and category systems of every relation and concept of whole.Ultimately, the author sees value in the soul of human beings despite the poverty and human misery which pervades a large part of the world around us.

This is the best guide to Moscow available. The maps are fantastic. It was INDISPENSABLE when I lived there in '94. I have not seen anything that can come close to it on the market. One plus was that it was small and discreet. You did not have to look like an idiot folding and unfolding a huge map. Just glancing at the cover gave you metro information. New guides like the Insight Guide, or the Rough Guide are useless in comparison, they are totally glossy and superficial.

A very delightful and touching story portraying the hopes and aspirations of a group of orphans in their search for a happy home. The story reflects the simplicity of children and their trusting nature in the lives of these orphans. The story also exposes the harsh realities of this world through the thoughts, motives and attitudes of the various adults in wanting to adopt them.

What impresses me most is the trust of the children in God in spite of all the difficulties and their readiness to face the challenges in life because they are confident that God will be their helper.

An interesting and easy to read story and one that I did not find easy to put down the moment I started reading because I was curious to know the outcome of the children in the various homes that adopted them. Children will enjoy this book. So will adults.

I loved it for many reasons. One is that the author is a cousin of mine whom i am very proud to say that he is family. He is a good person and a great writer. I recommend to all to check out Mr. Appels' other works.Easy to find thru amazon Love ya Billy. Keep it up.

This book can really make you think again when you feel you really know who invented what and who explored what first. This book goes through dozens of subject areas throughout history and tells the truth about who is really behind the inventions and discoveries. Also, each key entry is bolded in the margin for easy searching.

...Please don't be misled by the title and date of this book. It is really all about preparing for and conducting effective project interviews and, even though it's 12 years old, this book is one of the best 'process guides' for the topic.

The author provides many practical tips that, take it from this gray-hair, I am sure will help people who are uneasy with interviewing. It's worth the [item price] on Amazon. Read before your next interview--it will help!

If you enjoy the Guatemalan hand woven fabric, then this is a must read. The author takes us into the daily lives of these women living in a small mountain village. Included are beautiful photos of each woman and her story. Also are several photos of the village children, animals, and more. Reading each person's story is fascinating and surprising. These Guatemalan women have incrediable endurance, strength and courage. Yet with their hard lives, they still somehow make time to weave threads into beautiful designs as their way to express the artist and beauty within themselves.

History comes to life in Donald Richardson's new book Words of Truth. The story of David Mosher, his family and friends, unfolds around the Voting Rights march of 1965. "I had been part of history" (100) thinks David, a member of a small, black community whose hero is the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
The reader shares exactly one year in David's life, from one birthday to another. One sees him working at his uncle's filling station, hears him discussing questions of equality and injustice with other students and teachers, and worries with him about stolen money. Girls come into David's life to excite him, but they also scare the seventeen-year-old boy with their experienced kisses.
Reverend Bob gives David much to think about--committing oneself to something. And with words of truth the pastor encourages his youth group and the congregation in his sermon, calling them to find a purpose in life.
David is very impressed by Reverend Bob, this white man who takes a group of young black people to Selma, Alabama to march to Montgomery, the state capitol. One feels the concerns of parents when they hear the wishes of their sons and daughters to participate in the five-day march. But the reader is rewarded by the strong commitment of young people who involve themselves in changing society.
Chapter seventeen--the march--is itself sufficient reward for reading the book: history comes to life. Elderly people will refresh their memories, and young people may see the importance of the event more clearly, especially when they celebrate the annual holiday commemorating Dr. King.
The reader sings with the marchers, eats and rests with them, but also is concerned by passing Sheriff Clark and his policemen.
Besides history, a message runs through the book which leads to David's maturing. "Everything is a state of mind," he thinks, "and has nothing to do with race or skin color, with religion, or nationality." The author lets his created adolescent experience the Golden Rule by placing him among thousands of marchers.
And then, in the middle of so many people at the peaceful event, David contemplates their differences in race and class and asks himself, why can't the world's people be "accepting [of] others as we would like to be accepted?" --Ursula Wolf, Berlin, Germany