Religion Books

This is the third Telushkin book I have read, and I am not disappointed. The book is not merely a summary of the key events in the Tanach. Telushkin breaks down the events into easily digestable nuggets. This approach allows Telushkin to provide suprising depth of anaylsis, drawing from both Talmudic and medieval commentaries, as well as more modern Rabbinic scholarship. Reading this book is a very enriching experience that inspires the reader to study further.

I've seen the Hebrew Bible explained by true believers of several kinds, or critics of various sorts. But never have I seen it examined with such open curiosity. With Rabbi Telushkin as a guide, I was struck as never before by the Bible's painful honesty. It faithfully records the pain of inhumanity and the cost of each moral victory. But I seem to need an unblinking guide like Telushkin to really expose this.

The book takes three passes through the Hebrew Bible. First Telushkin highlights people and events. Then he explores the development of values and ideas. Third he details the rise of Jewish law through the Torah. I want to give quotes from two of these sections.

In examining Genesis 22, Telushkin considers how Isaac and Sarah felt about Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son:

"Does he [Isaac] have trouble trusting his father after this incident? Or trusting God?

And then there is Sarah. The woman has waited almost her entire life to have a child, and Isaac's birth was her supreme joy. Yet her name is not mentioned once in this chapter. How does she react when she hears what happened? Do Abraham and Isaac tell her, or do they make a pact to keep the incident secret?

Again, we do not know, although the late Rabbi Abraham Chen points out a peculiar, seldom noted detail in the text. When Abraham returns from his trip, the Bible notes that he stays in Beersheva. Yet the second verse in the next chapter (Genesis 23:2) records that Sahah died in Kiryat Arba, and that Abraham came there to mourn for her. Although the text never explicitly says so, the implication is that Abraham and Sarah were living apart when she died. If so, did Sarah move away from him when she heard what Abraham had almost done?" (p. 41)

Concerning the development of values in the Bible story, we have this concerning the problem of theft:

"... The Bible's primary concern, however, is with aiding the victim. The first demand it makes of a theif is that he return the stolen goods to the victim. In addition, the theif is to be punished with a hundred percent fine, payable to the victim, not the state (Exodus 22:3). ... It is evident that biblical law is primarily concerned not with punishment of the thief, but with gaining restitution for the victim." (p. 447-448)

--author of "Different Visions of Love"

If you are looking to know more about Judaism one of your best investments is to buy any book written by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. Especially, "Jewish Literacy" and "Biblical Literacy" because both of these books have all the essential information about pretty much everything and they are great reference to have in your library once you are done reading them for the first time.

They are both easy to read with short chapters and you can read them front-to-back and back-to-front. Both books are great start up books for Judaism and they will make you crave for further reading as suggested in the chapters. They are both AWESOME guides to further study. Reading them you will know the essential on each subject and from there you can take your studies in any direction.

These books are addictive and once you start reading them you are going to be hooked! That is what happened to me. :-)

"Jewish Literacy" starts with an explanation of the Jewish texts and it covers topics chronologically from Genesis to current events. The chapters in "Biblical Literary" will go more in depth about the Torah and Tanach which is already covered, with less detail, in "Jewish Literacy".

Both of these books are the best introduction to Judaism books you can buy today.

This book contains summaries and explanations of the major Biblical stories. It describes the major ideas events and people of what the Christian world calls ' The Old Testament ' and the Jewish world calls " Tannach". It is done with great intelligence, insight and balanced wisdom.
But it is best used as supplement, as a tool for better understanding problematic passages and readings.
It can in no way compare to the Biblical text itself , and the effort at reading and understanding it.
This book is written in clear explicatory prose, and is filled with information.
"Tannach" itself is a poetic document in the deepest sense. It is one that reverberates with meanings , one which demands reading and rereading of to be understood.
If the reading of this particular text can be thought of as a kind of study, the reading of Tannach is study and much more than that.
Again if anyone believes that by reading this work they will understand and know the reading of Tannach, they are mistaken. This is a book of information and insight, a highly valuable one but it should be a supplement and not a substitute for the real thing.

Ok.. So I am a little biased, being that I am Jewish, but I do believe that most would agree. This book presents the "important" aspects of the "Hebrew Bible" with Telushkin's use of excellent language. I have tried other Biblical interpretations from various Rabbis and have often found myself creeping into a steady decline to sleepy-land. But this book is an exception! I have read the author's other works and decided to give this one a try (despite the 700 page factor being a mild intimidation). This book ultimately has lead me to appreciate my Jewishness. Thanks Rabbi Telushkin!

This item is worth it's weight in gold. A wealth of information to strengthen your faith and witness. A must have for any true bible believer. The use of charts & diagrams help with visualizing the finer details often overlooked when studying God's word. If you haven't added this great book to your library, what are you waiting for!

Easy to study and is accurate according to the Holy Scriptures.A must have for serious Bible students.

Great book. The repoduced print is somewhat difficult to read especially with the extremely small print on the charts.

The original book was wider than the average book. When they did the softback reprint they had to reduce the print to fit the more narrow format. This not only left considerable white space above and below the text, but the text, especially in the charts, is entirely too small to read, some even with a magnifying glass.

I returned the book, but Amazon gave a full refund, even the postage one way.

Don't know where to start when reviewing this incredible book. Rev Larkin gives so many wonderful insights to so many different subjects. It is beyond obvious that he has put years upon years of study into the Bible, and it shows through in this book!! The teaching on the Great Pyramid is absolutely incredible, and his study of prophecy (timelines, events, ect.) are astounding. He does what few can do, by letting the Bible interperet itself using scripture with scripture. A definete must have for any one serious about Bible study!!

This book is great! - and is that next step after you're done with "intro" books

I spent so much time reading "intro" books, and they've all been great - and I've been searching for that next level -- and I've either found books way to sophisticated for me - or that are transcripts of speeches/teachings

Again, those are good - but I wanted a stepping stone

THIS book is that stepping stone -- packed with stories, lessons, poems, letters and everything in between -- it's a great great book and not only teaches, but befriends --

"When you hear the wooden chicken crow in the evening, you will know the country where your mind was born. Outside my house, in the garden, the willow is green, the flower is red."

The dog runs after the bone.. KATZ!!!

(you will understand the above and really love the book if you are ready of abstract or theoretical stuff in spirituality).

Often humorous, wonderful book taken from Korean Zen Master Seung's talks, letters and interviews with students. This is a book you can pick up time and again. I first read it 20 years ago and always enjoy opening it. Stephen Mitchell, now married to Byron Katie, was an early (as Americans go) student of Seung Sahn's and has gone on to a career of writing and translating many spiritual books.

This the most entertaining book on Buddhism I have every read. I found myself laughing quite a bit and breezed through the entire books with little effort.

This book does not espouse the conventional methods on obtain enlightenment instead takes a uniquely different approach. I highly recommend anyone interested in the subject to read this book, especially if previous attempts were stifled by weighty material.

Whatever the case I'm positive most people can get something from this book especially since it is couched in such an amusing way.

I have owned numerous copies of this book; lent them out never to see them again. With most books, I don't bother to repurchase them, however I find myself wanting to pick this book up every couple of months to read either a random story or spend a couple hours with it from cover to cover.

If you are looking for a dissertation on zen or buddhism, this might be a bit of a ho-hum read (as other reviewers have asserted, over and over again) but if you can gain insight from the interactions of others... then Dropping Ashes on the Buddha has you covered.

For those looking for ways their church can serve their community, this book is it. Through scripture and examples the authors challenge you to look outside the walls of the church to serve the community. Must reading for anyone being lead to follow our Lord's command to serve.

I am so glad I read The Externally Focused Church. It is so insightful and eye opening to what the New Testament church was and should be today. I appreciate that it is not just opinions but that they are backed up with scripture. I am currently reading it through with a couple of men from our church.

this book does a good job of helping Christian see the potential for getting involved in their community. Rusaw does a good job of not only telling the pluses but he also shares some of the challenges as well.

This insightful book will inspire followers of Christ to impact their communities through the power of authentic relationships. The authors present thought-provoking strategies designed to equip churches to play a significant role in community transformation. Concrete examples back up every strategy, and the pages at the end of each chapter are very practical for implementation. Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson are on the leading edge of this important movement in the church, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make a difference in the world.

The Externally Focused Church is an excellent, practical book - a must read for Pastors and leaders who dream of a church of mobilized ministers who are effective at sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our church has changed because of this book.

Excellent Book!

Flashbang is a humorous look at life and Christianity. It is entertaining, but it also has substance.

The book consists of various situations in the author's life, a humorous look at them, and a spiritual application. It is pretty subtle at times, but the point is made. The writing style is a bit disjointed and is a bit of an acquired taste.

The common theme addressed is that Christians aren't and don't need to be perfect. They just need to trust the Lord more to do His work. It is good, but certainly not great.

This book came highly recommended to me and it has exceeded my skeptical expectations. I love how Steele takes the lion share of the beginning of each chapter to recount hilarious personal stories and then takes the last few pages of each chapter to make challenging applications that I did NOT see coming. I have been so entertained and challenged- an unusual combination- by this book. The result is that I am now more challenged to live a life that will leave a lasting effect and NOT just a life that makes me FEEL like I am doing things that matter. Read it, you will love it!

I didn't know that this book was a "spiritual" type book. I usually don't read them....honestly, I didn't get the spirtual message....it's that subtle. The writer is awesome. Had me crying and doubled over in laughter with some of his stories. Will probably read this again....it's a quick read!

A

An awesome read... a must for anyone who wants to challenge their faith and grow. Taking the pain and living it, finding God in it. In getting over oneself. Unfortunately, it happens with hindsight... and I'm not there yet...

If C.S. Lewis had been a standup comedian, I think he would have written a book like this.

I've heard some people accuse this work as being too simple, but I disagree. It's easy to read, yes, because it's ridiculously funny. I've never laughed out loud so much during a book. But that is no indication of it's depth and rest assured, it gets deep.

Steele writes in a way that reminds me of a good sermon. His anecdotes and musings keep you entertained and interested, but then he brings it all together to show you the point he's making...and it's a wakeup call. One minute you're doubled over in laughter and the next minute you're in deep conviction.

Perhaps the most endearing quality the author possesses is his ability to be real. Steele shares his thoughts with no hint of finger-pointing, high-and-mighty theology. He simply bares his soul and tells his story, and he tells it in such a way that makes it easy for the reader to relate.

If you're looking for literary fluff, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a refreshingly humorous book with true Christian roots, get Flashbang.

Schmemann delivers an overview examining the sacraments of the church from an Orthodox perspective. He begins with the sacraments of the Orthodox Church to lead readers into the understanding that for the Christian all of life is sacramental and filled with Christ. This is the best insight from this book...that in Christ Heaven has come to be present in believers and in the world. Sacraments are not a separate, distinct event in the Christian life but are indicative of the fullness of the Christians entire life and being that are filled with Christ's Spirit.

The Life of the world is Christ's life present in the world through his Spirit dwelling in believers and moving through all things. By his death and resurrection, Jesus has reconsecrated the world for God. For the Christian, there is no such thing as the secular versus the sacred. Christ dwelling in us makes all we do and are sacred through his death and life.

Schmemann discusses the Eucharist and Baptism in depth while also discussing the sacramental view of time and mission. He elaborates on marriage and love, death and the witness of Christ in the world.

This book will help all Christians, not just Orthodox ones, better comprehend the meaning and power of sacraments and to live a sacramental life in Christ.

I was disappointed with the Appendices that were previously published articles that I did not think added to the book's message or theme.

A Must read for anyone willing to find the true Christianity. Reveals and explains the Orthodox Church the true and holy one settled by Christ and continued by the apostles and having no modern changes of faith or trends. The same true and holy faith as in the first centuries worshiped by the apostles.

This is my favorite book on Christianity. Less than 150 pages - yet it is rich in meaning and application. I have bought several copies of this book as a gift for others who might be interested in the meaning of Communion and the purpose of Worship. My original copy of this book has almost every word underlined. Fr. Schmemann's writing style is warm and very insightful. A truly great book - I'd say one of the classics of Christianity, like C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity," it should be in every Christian's library and read at least once a year!!

I am Catholic. I began reading Orthodox theology about five years ago, after experiencing the Orthodox liturgy in the most dramatic and sublime manner possible: at Pascha vigil. It simply blew me away. In thirty years of weekly mass attendance I had never seen anything remotely approaching what I encountered that night.

That unknown beauty both crushed and liberated me. It revolutionized my worldview.

I began reading everything I could on ecclesiology, Church history, liturgy, and Orthodox apologetics. For Orthodox thinkers I dug into Lossky, Fr. Meyendorff, Elder Ephraim, Archbishop Kalistos Ware, the Philokalia, Pere Clement, St. Gregory Palamas, the Desert Fathers, the Cappadocian Fathers, St. John Climacus, Solzenhitzen, so on & forth. It was all utterly amazing. I had had no idea.

This book though, is a standout even amongst such rarified company. Schmemann is simply stunning. From the first page he piles insight atop insight. I've given my copy of the book away, so I haven't got it in front of me. Still, from memory I can tell you that he takes and reveals to you blatantly obvious truths about the sacramental life that have been right in front of our noses all along. That all of creation is in fact Eucharistic, rent with power of the Resurrection. You will never approach the chalice with the same mind again, once you've read it.

Orthodox theology and spirituality is most often like this: limpid & fierce, uncompromising. Very bracing, in a culture as decadent and corrupt in it's thinking as ours.

Shamefully, only the very best in contemporary Catholicism - both in terms of liturgy and theology - can touch or exceed the Orthodox average.

That said, the tragedy of historical Orthodoxy is that has been unable to make an apologetic case for itself in the so called West. Ground as they were for so long under the heel of all those Arabs, Turks, Tartars and communists. Maybe those persecutions preserved the "East" from modernity, and are the reason the flame burns so clean, particularly in the Russian, Arab & OCA parishes I've visited? God scourges those he favors, after all.

The yoke is mostly cast off, though. This seems to me to be an Orthodox moment. Can they get their act together, throw the bushel basket off their lamp, and engage the world? If the Orthodox are the Catholic Church of the Creed, as virtually every Orthodox I've talked to has insisted, I demand nothing less. (Heh. Demand! Quelle cheek, huh?) Heretics are swarming the West. So where's our Tome of Leo? Where is it? Is there a bishop to equal Athanasius in the East? Or are the Orthodox going to succumb to secularism, now that they've slipped the Communist & Saracen yokes? Will rationalism, relativism, sloth, lust and avarice do them in too? Will suburbia demand organs and pews, shorter liturgies, prefab iconography, the abrogation of feasts & fasts, & the rest? Or will Slavic ferocity save them?

No matter, all irrelevant, it seems. Orthodoxy isn't even really on the cultural radar screen. The Orthodox take on Church history is just incomprehensible here, mostly because people have never heard any of it before. The categories and data are for the most part utterly foreign. Is this excusable?

Or is it simply as it was in Noah's time, foreordained that no one should care about the Ark? But didn't Noah warn the people, anyway?

Or are the Orthodox anointed with the Sign of Jonah? And is the West Nineveh?

Or are they - God forbid - simply petulant xenophobic schismatics with nothing relevant to share?

In any case, this book - as well as everything else I've read by Schmemann and other Orthodox authors - needs to become part of our common discourse.

The time is ripe. The harvest is now. We all need to be Orthodox. Just as we need to be Catholic. Not all Roman, but Orthodox Catholics.

Which isn't necessarily to say that there isn't a Petrine charism or primacy of power in the Church, as per Isaiah 22:15-25.. Nor is it to say that ultra-montagne papists don't have a hard historical lesson or fifty to learn along the lines of the Donation of Constantine affair.

Let there be polemics! Catholic Answers & Co. all need more of a challenge than shooting poor 'fundamentalist' fish in a barrel. Please! Help them! Their apologetics are sooo boring. Spot them 1 Tim. 3:15. The rest of their apologetic directed at the prots is sheer redundancy. Let's get down to nuts and bolts and excavate the meaning of that verse. It all boils down to that.

The significance of the primacy is already planted firmly on the table. John Paul did that. Benedict is now throwing up huge signals, too. No one I heard remarked on the most interesting thing about his oh so terribly scandalous Regensburg speech. That quotation was not arbitrary. A pope does not accidentally quote Orthodox (Imperial!) sources.

I just know that all can be resolved and forgiven, if we only submit to each other in love and (re)adhere to our tradition. If the Arians were vanquished, why not our schism? As Paul re-embraced Peter? Forget Vatican III. Why not Nicea III?

I'm sure the Turks will accommodate us ..

The Harvest awaits. The gates of hell shall not prevail.

SS. Cyril & Methodius, SS Benedict & Anthony, SS Augustine & Athanasius,

Pray for us.

After I have heard so many good things about Fr. Schmemmann and his contribution to the Orthodox Christian udnerstanding both in my church and on my livejournal, I decided to give this book a try. At first, I thought this book to be very difficult to read. Ideas were packed together in very tight, detached, scholastic manner, which differed both from companing kinds that I read in Russian or easy-easy modern Protestant. As I read on, I have discovered the depth and spendor of Fr. Schmemmann ideas about liturgical mission of life, daily devition, relationship to the world, and, most importantly, the meaning of sacraments and their connection to our everyday activity. Fr. Schmemmann was aware both of the intellectual and common culture of his time, as it was seen in his writings, but he never let them to dominate over his Christian teachings. He was also aware of the Tradition - something that many of us heard of, but never really reailzed.
I bought this book to share with my Protestant boyfriend, but now I am learning from it and rethinking my ideas of the Orthodox Christian theology and life.

I have greatly enjoyed using this book both as a personal resource and a group study resource. I anticipate using this book throughout my life both personally and in ministry. A must-have!

This is an excellent guide to prayer. We use it every day for a starting of our daily prayers.

I absolutely love this book. It combines just the right amount of structural guidance and freedom. I love the addition of "Spiritual Readings" to complement the Scripture readings and themes.

Each week focuses on a different theme. The Scripture readings help you discover various aspects of the theme without the authors manipulating the text. The readings are associated with the theme, but are not "devotionals" on the days Scripture readings. The readings are taken from some of the best Christian writers and classics of Christian thought.

Shawchuck and Job structure the daily devotionals as follows:

Invocation (a written prayer to focus you and draw you in for the day's theme)
A Psalm (Chosen to align with the week's theme.)
Reading for Reflection (Chosen from among the best writers in Christian history)
Daily Scripture Readings (Monday-Friday with the weekends consisting of a selection from the Lectionary)
Reflection: Silent and Written (Nothing written, but this give you time to sit quietly or journal)
Prayers: For the Church, for Others, and Myself (Again, not written, but this is the time where you spend time in prayer)
Hymn (Sing or read as poetry; either way you are exposed to some of the great hymns of the church)
Benediction (Provided by the authors to bring closing).

This book has helped me on my spiritual journey. I struggle with ADD and this book provided the right amount of structure to help me stay focused and yet the freedom to experience variety.

I love the way this is set up. It has different type of devotional components

This might be the only product on Amazon that I've ever seen with 20 5-star reviews and nothing else. I hate to be the grumpy one, but I'm just not tracking with these other reviewers. I found this to be one of the least helpful devotionals that I've ever used.

I was assigned to use this devotional for a seminary class and was fully prepared to appreciate it. I was excited about the daily Scripture readings, the collected quotations, and the weekly hymns, all tied to the same theme. This seemed like a perfect format. Unfortunately, it turned out to be dreadful.

My one primary complaint was that the Scriptures and the quotes were difficult to connect thematically. Though there was a category for each week like "Forgiveness" or "Wise Stewards," I often found myself completely perplexed as to how a particular Scripture reading was supposed to relate to that topic. I'm not suggesting that reading the Bible should be an inherently intuitive process, but if I'm going to be sent flying across the entire Bible from one day to the next, I would really prefer to understand the relationship between the passages.

I also found the "Readings for Reflection" to be a struggle. Though other reviewers raved about the authors who were represented, I found many of them to be extremely obscure (and for good reason). Many of the readings were very wooden, probably somewhat indicative of the time when they were written. I do enjoy reading the classics, but I did not find these selections to be especially enlightening and more often left me scratching my head.

Finally, I found the organization of each week to be extremely frustrating. I was constantly flipping back and forth from one page to another, and the binding of the book is so tight and its pages so narrow that it would frequently snap shut and leave me hunting to find my place. I realize that many will laugh at my focus on such minor details, but they really affect me. I'm distractible to begin with, and the last thing that I need when spending devotional time with God is one more thing to distract me. I really wished that the Scriptures and readings had been better integrated to allow for a more natural flow when using this book.

Upon rereading my critique, I probably paint myself as some sort of lazy idiot. I am not looking for a mindless devotional book. I am willing to invest in intellectual reflection when I study the Word and read what others have to say. Maybe "A Guide to Prayer" will work for other folks, but this guide left me disappointed and even frustrated. I will keep looking for a devotional guide that flows more naturally and makes more sense to me.

Years ago, I was assigned this book in one of my university classes. I number it in my most memorable and personally influential works that I have ever read. At the time, I had just begun to study archaeology and had very little understanding of the concept of ethnocentricism. My personal way of thinking was very black and white. The only real experience that I had with the dichotomies of the sacred versus the profane at that point was my own experiences.

The Sacred and the Profane gave me an entirely different perspective. I began seeing how others saw religion, spirituality, ritual, and symbolism in slightly different ways. How certain experiences could be interpreted in a variety of ways to become personal and cultural beliefs. I also noticed how these beliefs permeated into everyday life. So began my interests in spirituality, symbolic dichotomies, and the varied beliefs of others.

Yes, the sacred and the profane is discussed here. And guess what? They make sense. It's no secret, just sociology. Good sociology, too, none of your Discovery-Channel, sixth-tier, make every middle class viewer look down on those that are different from a Durkheim-style-deviance-arrogance and pray that they can forget just how screwed up they are kind of stuff. The good stuff. The meat, the bone and the marrow. Unapologetic, yet refined and in no way obscene. Great read. Well written, and, I can only assume, well-translated.

Be warned: The cover image on Amazon is not the one that comes on the book!!! The book you get from Amazon is a new-age style cover photograph of some half-photographed "natives" playing with a circle of candles. The nifty little negative portrait of the Triune God should have stayed. It was much more appropriate to the content.

I read this book with a great excitement. It tells people about essence of our religion. In my opinion, this book is quite good companion for religious comparison study.

Eliade's book is by nature limited to making general statements without extensive illustration and qualification. But the general statements he makes are fascinating. He makes the birth of the "world" and the birth of religion identical, since the "world" is by definition a meaningful and ordered space, and only a divine "hierophany" can establish a reference point for meaningful (& chaotic) space. Pre-religious man lives in a meaningless, homogeneous space, and therefore has no concept of the world.

This view sheds light on the association between religion and violence. The collision of two religions also represents the collision of two worlds, and the nothing is more terrifying that the destruction of the world. Of course religion is only the first source (on Eliade's account) of the "world"; today we have many non-religion sources of value from which a world-sense can emerge. Or perhaps "religion" has just taken on many new guises, even "non-religious" ones.

Eliade also discusses the recurrence of sacred time vs. the linear movement of profane time.

There are valuable reflections in the book on the hidden religiosity of modern, profane man. For all human beings without exception, meaningful existence is only possible when we respect some version of sacred space and sacred time.

Rich ideas for such a short book. Highly recommended, even if it does get a little repetitive.

I decided to read this book for a religion-course I'm taking, and I must say I'm happy I did! Mircea Eliade was a Rumanian historian of religions, philosopher and author, in addition to being a vaguely religious man himself. This book was written to serve as an introduction to the study of religion for new students and the interested layman, and it does so excellently. Eliade was interestingly enough a member of the Legion of the Archangel Michael, back home in Rumania, the organization of Corneliu Codreanu. In addition to this wonderful fact, he was also acquainted with Baron Julius Evola, so this is certainly one of "our own boys".

The book itself is, as the title implies, an attempt to show the difference between the archaic mans sacred conception of the cosmos, and the profane view of the world of today's "modern man". The first part of the book details the sacred space and the sacralisation of the world. What he means by this is the fact that so-to-speak all religions and the various races have traditions of themselves living near the centre of the world, axis mundi. This world pillar, known as Irminsûl to my own Germanic ancestors, was the place (mountain, tree, building, pillar etc.) where the world traditionally was highest and hence the underworld, the human world and the higher realm of heaven was connected the closest. The various races and peoples then thought that this was where Creation had begun, where the cosmos has flowed out from, and hence the most sacred space on Earth. Eliade then delves into some depth about this subject.

The second chapter is about holy time and myths. He shows how the archaic peoples thought of time as always recurring, going in cycles. The first break with this line of thought was with Judaism and later Christianity, who thought of history as a unique happening, centred on Christ and his coming. The archaic peoples did their rites and their religious cultism so that they could transform themselves back into the sacred eternal present time when the Gods performed the actions the myths mirror today.

The third chapter is about the holiness of nature and the comical view of ancient religion. He shows how ancient man conceived of their own role in the cosmos, and how their actions were supposed to mirror the actions of the creation of the cosmos. It's a very wide chapter that is difficult to summarize, but as everywhere else in the book he fills it up with example upon example from all over the world.

The final chapter is about the existence of humans and the holiness of life. He tells us how many traditions thought of the human body as its own cosmos. The opening at the top of the scull was the place where the soul would leap from at death, and hence some Indians have the tradition of crushing the scull of a recently deceased priest to ensure his soul's easy transcendence. He also mentions männerbunde and various initiations that served to give birth to man anew, after the initiation was complete, and the new sacred man arose. This chapter is also very wide and difficult to summarize, but the richness of the examples is splendid.

All in all, a book that is hard to characterize, but I've read it twice in two weeks now, so I guess that says it all. An excellent book that nearly is enough to make the most profane person catch a glimpse of the holy. Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition)

This book has helped me appreciate my journey toward God. I have had my conflicts with pleasing others and yet believing that in the end it doesn't matter who is happy with me. The pull to please others is so strong when I lose sight of God. My relationship with God has grown simply by understanding who He is just that much more.

In an age of overwork, programs and performance based assessments (of everything), this is a liberating book which majors on God loves for us, such great love. Jacobsen emphasises our need to know God and to abide in Him. He reassures us that we are loved unconditionally and that our service flows from our security in Christ, not as a method to attain that security. Thanks Wayne.

This book along with it's recommended selections, has literally changed my life. To find, in print, the very things I have wanted to believe about God for so long has been indescribable!

If you view your life in Christ not as a religious thing you do but as a journey, you will want this book in your backpack.

If I had to rate the five most infulential books in my life this one would definitely be on the list. For anyone who is tired of running on the "God is Good...You're Bad...Try Harder treadmill", this book is a source of rest. For anyone who is fatigued at viewing their circumstances through a warped crystal ball that alwasy leaves them wondering if God really cares, this book is a profound journey worth taking. This book had a radical effect on my spiritual journey.

I read this book at a particularly low time in my life, and I loved it. It encouraged me to stand on my own two feet, and it convinced me that my own two feet were more than adequate to sustain me. It opened up avenues of strength and opportunity. I went right out and bought other books by this compassionate author.

How to be an Adult is a great book to guide the reader towards establishing boundaries in any relationship. It is a reference book of sorts. It is small but don't let the size fool you. It takes a while to read as the concepts that are introduced are new and you find yourself attempting to figure out how to apply them. Great read for those who need to affect positive change in relationships.

I agree with others who said this book is not a fast read. It takes a few pages at a time to analyze and apply the information to your own life. I see that the author is very educated person. He gives a lot of statements from famous psychologists. On my opinion some of the authors own statements sound even better and underline better point than those of famous once. I enjoyed the book, although it was a little difficult to read. A lot of thinking should be involved when reading this book. It's definitely a very helpful book. It changed my perception of life phenomenally. I received a lot of answers to my questions: where my fears come from, what is a loss and how to live with it, the most important for me was explanation on unconditional love- I love that part. I highly recommend this book!!!

David Richo presents his work as a handbook for psychological and spritual integration. The book is very condensed and should be read in small snipets so that the information can be digested. It offers many statements for meditation. The book is a journey beginning with our neurotic ego, exploring a host of personal obstacles such as fear, anger, guilt, self-esteem, boundaries, intimacy, etc., and finally guiding us back to wholeness and love. The author's use of lists, comparison charts, and well chosen quotations provides us with incredible tools for our journey towards enlightenment. Although tedious at times, this work is a must read for anyone seeking personal gowth, happiness, and enlightenment.

This is a great book. Its a dense read, every word is important, so don't think you can just read it in a single afternoon