Religion Books

I had bought the other book - Pagan Christianity - from the author and I thought it was the best until I picked up this book. Truly an awesome book. If you had been confused regarding the epistles regarding the context, background, etc -- this book is for you. It tells a story (story from Acts) and takes you through the entire New Testament in order (except the Gospels because that is totally different work). After reading this book, you will look at the epistles in a totally different way.

The thing I liked about this book is that it included not only history and background to properly understand the context for the epistles on why, how and when they were written but also the fact that this book acted like a little workbook -- in a sense that author would give you details regarding a particular place, writer, context and would actually tell you to go read the epistle, which I found very very helpful. Five stars to this book, buy it and read it - you can't go wrong. You will see what I mean...

I've had this book for a while now. It is absolutely wonderful! After you read it and stop at the points that it says to stop and read certain books of the New Testament, you will have a radically changed view of the NT and the early church. This book is a must have addition for anyone currently interested in organic church life. I've bought two copies of it: one for me and one for my step-mom.

This book is great, he explains the story of the New Testament in order. Some of it is made up from "Mirror Reading" and extra Biblical history, so don't expect absolute truth. But it will open your eyes to some interesting things that were hidden for you all along.

Frank Viola has, for a long time, studied the modern church. He has written a number of books on church renewal and reform. He is passionate about returning to the methods of the early church and its effectiveness. In The Untold Story of the New Testament Church, Viola has "straightened out" the New Testament, by placing the NT books in chronological order following the events of the book of Acts.

This is a fantastic book. If you really want to understand the New Testament, you can glean bits of information from a sermon here, a convention there, or get it all mixed up by watching a movie (normally not concerned with accuracy as much as drama). But you can save yourself time and frustration by reading this well-written, engaging, and often fascinating book.

This last year I have been exploring the Hebrew roots of Christianity, reading somewhere between 75 - 100 books. (Such books as Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus: Insights from His Jewish Context and Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church, excel, filled thoroughly with information on their specific topics.) But even after so much reading, I've highlighted nearly every page of this book! The interplay with society and history, and the original meaning and progression of the New Testament letters is thought-provoking and motivating.

This book's clear, enlightening manner will answer questions you've had since becoming born-again (for me that's 29 years). More importantly, it will help correct thinking you were sure you were right about.

For your personal study and understanding, I recommend this book right up there with getting a Concordance!

Pastors, Bible Study leaders, Youth group leaders - prevent misunderstandings of the New Testament from taking root early, or help your students uproot wrong ideas. Though this is not a text book (and the writing is fluid and accomodating) it could easily be used as one. Get this book. See for yourself that it is a crucial addition to your ministry material.

I'm going to make this review simple. If you enjoy action packed movies, you'll enjoy Virtually Eliminated, Terminal Logic, and Fatal Defect by Jefferson Scott. Reading his books is like seeing a movie in your mind, it's wonderful. No joke, these books are great. If you want to encourage a young person or an adult to read more, give them Jefferson Scott's books. Once I read these 3 books, 3 of my friends read them and they all ENJOYED the books. For one of my friends, Jefferson Scott's book was his introduction to Christian Fiction. I love it!

Jefferson Scott's techno-thriller trilogy is a great series, one which I would recommend to anyone. It is set in the near future, and is very inventive. The books are Christian in nature, but are not overly "preachy." An interesting aspect brought out in all three is the balance which can be found between faith with science. Most Christian books I have read are seriously lacking in depth. In some cases, they're downright "hokey." Not these books, though. They are well-written, they have good story lines, and they'll keep you turning pages until the end. And once you've read the last page, you'll be eager to get the next book in the series

Loved this book! Couldn't put it down. Almost made me late to school one day because I couldn't stop reading... Highly recommended!

Jefferson Scott sends techno-thrills that make you think and read faster all at the same
time.

I was very impressed with Mr. Scott's Firebrand novels. They depicted the military and civilian world
together for a believer coming from one to another. In this novel, the author takes us shortly into the future -- into 2005!
It is enjoyable to see what the future holds for 2005, as depicted in 1996. Not too far off, really, but some minor
descrepencies are notable. This doesn't remove interest from the story, however.

I liked this book for many reasons, the least of which was not the fact that it takes place in my home metroplex.
The main character, Ethan Hamilton, works in Irving, TX and lives in the Mid Cities Area, as do I.
The author constantly references highways and landmarks in the Ft Worth area that I recognize and see on a weekly basis.
This brought the story to a closer reality for me, causing me to visualize it right down the road.

Jefferson Scott easily turns this cyber-thriller into a family story good for everyone read, one that will
hold the interest of everyone in your clan. I recommend this book to any and all readers of any age. Jefferson Scott is climbing to the
top of the list for Author's that I constantly watch for!

The first time I saw this book, I thought, yeah another book about computers, it's all good.

The minute though that I read the first page I was hooked. Jefferson Scott has done a great job of balancing Sci-Fi with a great Christian Theme. As a christian, I found this book really uplifitng and an insight into just how we are called to treat others.

This book is just totally "there" and it just hooks you in from the start. Every page, every twist, every plot turn has you in suspense. This book is just one of the excellent novels that Jefferson Scott has produced and you must get it!

I also highly recommend the sequels, Terminal Logic and Fatal Defect as well as the Operation Firebrand Series

This book gives a dipicton of WWII that you do not get in most books. I have meet this man and heard him give many presentations on his book and experiance. I would recomend this book to anyone that is interest in WWII and what happend over there from someone that experianced it.

I just finished this book. It is an amazing story that proves fact is better than fiction. What an amazing life this man lead. His courage and fierce determination to survive brought him through the key places and major events of WWII. Buy this book and pass it around. I was fortunate enough to have this book passed to me.

I too was fascinated with Mr. Van der Geest's book even though it sounded too good to be true. I am a student of WWII and of the Battle of the Bulge in particular as I had an uncle who was killed outside of Champs on Christmas morning. I question Mr. Van der Geest being there as he said he was. I have researched the events of December 22nd, 1944 in great detail and in no account (A Time for Tumpets; The Battered Bastards of Bastogne, The Bitter Woods, etc.)can I find any mention of Mr. Van der Geest being there and interpreting anything and these books go into great detail in naming names of those who were involved with the surrender proposal. I wonder if he was even attached to the 101st airborne as he talks about them fighting their way out of Holland on the way to Bastogne where they were going to meet up with Patton. The battle hadn't even started yet; Patton hadn't made his proposal to relieve the 101st and besides the 101st was going to Mourmelon to rest and refit. He writes about going to Bastogne the first week in December, but the 101st didn't leave Mourmelon until Dec. 18th.
I have found other errors in the book as well and it makes me wonder if perhaps Mr. Van der Geest took accounts of the war and made them his own.

Mr. Van Der Geest spoke at my school and I have never heard a more amazing story of courage and faith. This book captures his story of his survival during WW2 and all he accomplished after he escaped the death camp. I would recommend this book to any person young or old because we cannot forget what happened to this man and the thousands of others like him - especially those who were not so blessed as to survive. We cannot forget our history and we must learn from it. This should be a mandatory book to read in highschools everywhere, because it carries a far more important, interesting, heartbreaking, and yet hopegiving story than any other book I certainly ever read. I'm so glad this man had the courage to tell his story.

My father recently sent me this book as a present. It was probably the best book that I have read this past year. This story, of Jack Van Der Geest, life...really hit home for me. Recently, I became very sensitive to racism. Specifically, my fiances son was beaten by a group who believed him to be a white supremist.

I plan to buy this book on a regular basis and give it as a gift to those other parents that need it...to educate our youth on the tragic events of World War II.

Jack Van Der Geest...is an inspiration...

Rob Johnson

There are a plethora of translations of Chinese classics out there, but please know that many of these "translations" are just "re-imaginings" of the original, i.e. the authors usually do not know Classical Chinese (let alone modern Chinese!).

Merton is one such "translater". This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as one is aware that this does not strictly reflect the original text (although it may resemble it). What we have here is a picking over of existing translations of the Chuang-tzu and a recombination of them. This is often done with some artistic licence.

Merton is better than most in that he is somewhat sensitive to the original material. Things get vastly worse with translations of the Daodejing (for example, Ursula le Guins monstrous butchering). If you want a more accurate account of the Chuang-tzu then I recommend A.C. Grahams' expert translation which is a relatively successful facsimile of the Chinese original (given the difficulty of rendering Chinese into English anyway).

I am a recently retired teacher who for thirty-five years have begun every class (Theology, Sexuality, Physics, Chemistry, Math and in summers Arts and Crafts to kids 4-12 years old) with a sounding of small brass cymbals (Tibetan), a minute of silent breathing followed by a short reading from the Tao Te Ching, Emily Dickinson, a portion of the Sermon on the Mount, or the Way of Chuang Tzu by Thomas Merton.
I meet former students now pushing into their fifties who baldly admit that those moments have stayed with them all these years and they have included meditation as one of the most important activities in their lives.
Thomas Merton's Introductory Notes say it far better than I ever could and should be read .
I can only wholeheartedly recommend that you buy this book and keep it at your desk or bedside for a quick straightening out of your mind concerning what is really important in life.

If you have an interest in learning the deeper meanings of Tao then this is a book you must add to your collection. A seldom translated philosophy of poetic renderings are clearly detailed in the transliterations of Thomas Merton...the spirit of Tao is clearly revealed.

This is a very good translation made by Tomas Merton of Chuang Tzu's works. This also gives a little bit of the view of Tomas Merton due to his Note to the Reader section and his specific selection of some of Chuang Tzu's writings to put in this book. This book has many good proverbs and stories written by Chuang Tzu which can be very enlightening and sometimes humorous. Chuang Tzu is one of the greats of Taoism but of course Lao Tzu takes the top position. If you are interested in the learning about the roots of Taoism you should check out this book and some about Lao Tzu also.

Like a fine wine, this collection is best consumed slowly. As it is clearly stated in the foreward, this is not a faithful reproduction of Chuang Tzu but a collection of personal and spiritual interpretations of his work. Readers that expected otherwise might consider reading the description of the book before purchasing it. It would seem embarassing to write a negative review of a product that goes in complete contradiction of the product's clear description and intentions.

Thomas Merton was a Trappist Monk who took a particular interest in Buddhism and Asian spirituality. Because Merton tragically died at a young age, we will never see a final product of this work. In "The Way of Chuang Tzu", Merton selects writings of Chuang Tzu which reflect a Christian mentality. Obviously, Chuang Tzu was not a Christian. However, this does not disqualify his writings to a Christian audience in any way. If the reader can go into this book with an open mind, he/she is likely to enjoy it. Those who are closed minded to this type of work which may seemingly blur the line between faiths according to their view may be outraged. I would strongly encourage open-mindedness.

Another great biblical resource that is packed with great illustration pictures, concise information and easy to carry along.

I purchased this book as a gift for my mother-in-law. My parents have the same book and they love it. My mother-in-law had been trying to find the book after seeing their's. The book is great to just flip through for interesting Bible facts or to find answers to questions.

I teach Bible Church School and this book is great when you need to understand the gist of a person or place in the bible. It's not your exhaustive detailed reference work, but it is a 'to the point book'.

Great little pocket/purse size for information on just about anything in the bible. Places, people, etc...fun to read!

A super resource for anyone interested in Bible characters and Bible places.

I have dealt with depression and lack of motivation for many years. Whenever I feel like I need a pick-me-up, I whip out this book and start thumbing through it. It has loads of ideas on things to do in your life. I recommend it to anyone and everyone who feels a little hopeless or bored sometimes. GREAT book!

I wish I had bought two...my husband got his for Christmas from me and he hasn't even looked at it yet. I have looked at it and love it. I may snatch it from him...

I bought this book about 5 years ago and have had so much fun reading it. I know I'll never get to do all of the "wishes" but I do check them off as I complete them. I would love to see how many I can achieve in the next 40+ years. It's a great book when you're bored to just pick up and open to any page. My kids have fun looking at it with me too. This is one of the greatest books I've ever opened!

This book made me realize two things when I received it in 1997. First, I need to remember how many things I have accomplished in my life. Second, what an accomplishment or "wish" is to one person is not to me. I define my own success.

I have been keeping for sometime a notebook in which I write things that I want to do in my life from sailing, visiting Italy, and writing a magazine article to eating less fried foods, and stop worrying for once. I have about 500 entries and its a great feeling when I can slash them off after they are completed. I bought Kipfer's 14,000 Things to be Happy About and I liked the lists of things she mentions that make you happy since it was so diverse and amusing. When I saw The Wish list, I thought perfect for me because it was just lists of wishes like that of my notebook. I like this book a lot because its simply ideas and wishes that I would never have thought about. From simple wishes such as join a health food co-op, learn to play the piano, stand up for a friend to the challenging, have dinner with former governers, hike the Appalachian, sit next to Jack Nicholsen at a Lakers game, this book has tons of ideas. I have added many entries from it and have never failed to be entertained by Kipfer's ideas. This is a small thick book that would fit well in a stocking, on your desk, and in good reading spots such as an office or even a bathroom. I love to pull it out and pencil off or circle entries that I have done or wish to do.

I have read Tims book a number of times. I am amazed with his comment (Pain is inevitable misery is optional). WOW what a perspective. I have bought and given many copies of the book ans seen it help many people.

al

Tim's story is amazing. He is an unbelievable man who has persevered through many trials. I liked the beginning of the book better than the latter parts. The part where he focuses on his story is much more interesting and captivating. A good, easy read.

I keep this book at all times to give to friends who have had surgery or any kind of physical "ailment." It is very inspiring; and I recommend it even to those who are well!

I read this book after being in a wheelchair for a year. Even though I had to spend another year in that chair, my outlook on life changed completely! I am now buying copies for others who are in the same circumstances. I would recommend this book to anyone who is suffering from depression or discouragement due to a debilitating injury or illness! Life is not over! A new chapter has just begun!

The author's story was very interesting to read. The way he handled being seriously injured in a mountain climbing accident, and then having to live the rest of his life in severe pain, was highly inspiring. I hope I can apply the same principles to improve my attitude about life and overcome depression!

This is one of the best books we have read. It certainly opens your eyes to things you dont realize blocking blessings. I would recommend this to anyone wishing to get their lives in order. This is a re-read book.
Thank you

A must read! Find out what you're missing out on and what you can do to get it back!

This books overall theme is that anytime we open our eyes and become aware of our surroundings blessings follow. We can't change that which we do not first recognize. There are a lot of people who probably do not believe that the words you speak will come back to you, and that's okay. This book is just for those who believe and want to better themselves and their families. The book suggests that what you speak will come into existence. If your negative and speak bad things then your life will mostly exist with misery. If your positive and speak blessings, blessings are to follow. The book also suggests that people can speak evil things against us and they can manifest into curses, so we should not associate with people who curse us and when someone does, we should turn it into something positive and pray against that curse. Over all the book is very well written. There is not a moment you want to put the book down, it is a very easy read.

"10 Curses that Block the Blessings" is an awesome book inspired by God. A must read. You will be blessed to know that the curse can be reversed!

Larry Huch must have been led by divine inspiration when he penned these 10 Curses...they are right on and his writing style makes the information easy to read, easy to understand, and motivating to change. I read the entire book within two days - couldn't put it down.

This is the best guide I have ever read to helping you understand personal evangelism and to putting it to work.

It seems to me that today's mainstream evangelical Christianity is guilty of putting too much importance on what people SAY they believe, rather than placing importance on what beliefs actually have meaning in people's lives. About My Father's Business, written in an easy-to-grasp style and in terms that members of most evangelical churches will be comfortable with, urges us to return to the essence of Christianity. Campbell explains that as Christians we should focus on loving and building relationships with others (NOT just getting them to believe what we believe.) This is exactly the attitude that many churches (including my own) need to adopt in order to create a positive influence in today's society.

Go ahead and buy multiple copies, (if you have the $) because you will want your Christian friends to have this book too.

About My Father's Business is more than a Typical Christian book. It is a discussion of the calling and the lifestyle of "making disciples". As a result it makes the reader deal with issues of our heart like "How much do I really love the people around me?" and "What are the core motivations of my life?". Seeing this book as another book about workplace evangelism is a superficial reading of a book that calls out to much, much more. Campbell's setting is mostly the workplace becasue that is where his experience lies. About My Father's Business is a profoundly challenging book for Christians ready to expand beyond knowing more to following Christ. Letting this book seep into your life will challenge you in new and fresh ways to live in daily dependence on the guidance of the Spirit and to live sacrifically out of the overflowing gratitude in your heart.

I saw this book for the first time at PromiseKeepers and was interested as soon as I cracked the cover. Campbell does an excellent job of explaining his thoughts about bringing Christ to work and walks the reader through the thought process. For most the thought of "evangelizing" at work sends shudders down the spine, but Campbell shows that it doesn't have to be as scary as many of us view it. His approach of meeting co-workers where they are and giving them what they need is refreshing, and is far more akin to wading into the shallow end of the pool than jumping into the deep end blind-folded. This book has helped move me on a path to increased comfort in spiritual leadership in the workplace. A must read for those who struggle with how to keep from checking Christ at the doorstep to work.

This book includes an incredible tool for evangelism called the IMAP. It lined up perfectly with a passion for evangelism God was birthing in me, and as a result it's been one of the most impactful tools I've ever come across. It's helped me see the areas where I'm weak, it's given me consistency in keeping in touch with people, and it's given me vision for what to pray for them for. As I've had a desire growing again to have my time on this planet be all about personal ministry, this has been possibly the most effective tool I've come across to help me do that.

I had already read and very much enjoyed this book and wanted more to share. Thank you for carryiing a book I really liked and wanted to share.

Alicia Chole's "Anonymous" is a must-read for anyone who feels they are in a hidden or anonymous season. Her reflective style offers hope and healing with biblical and practical examples. It's a timeless piece of art on paper.

Jackie M. Johnson
"Power Prayers for Women" Author
POWER PRAYERS FOR WOMEN

Our culture works very hard to convince us that any moment we are not in gear and in the spotlight is a waisted moment. Alicia does a beautiful job of challenging this notion and giving meaning to those anonymous times in our life.

It is so comforting because when you are in one of those invisible times you need to be learning something important. That will never happen if we are focused entirely of getting "back into the game."

This book helped me be patient with who I am and what I am doing. Sometimes I like for things to go fast and God does not always work that way. I can choose to enjoy where I am and what I am doing as it is the only opportunity to do it, or waste it by being anxious for the future. It was suprising to see Jesus' hidden years from the Bible. I was skeptical to see if the material would be extra Biblical. It was not! She did great research.

Loved Alicia Britt Chole's insight through the scriptures of Jesus' hidden years. Made me know that I've not really had hidden years but years that have been viewed by Father God as "special and purposeful". I'm sure I will read thei book over and over and will treasure it always.