Q Books

William E. Arnal is a scholar who received his doctorate in 1997 at the University of Toronto under the direction of John Kloppenborg. He has three books to his credit and many scholarly articles in prestigious journals. Both a critic and a historian he brings an unusual perspective to the matter of Christian origins. He is an atheist. He is also deeply read in the Marxist critics and has published scholarly works in that area as well. As he has stated and I paraphrase, he is a member of the Religious Studies Department and not the School of Theology. He sees no necessity for a scholar in his area of endeavor to be a confessing Christian. I agree fully with this conclusion. What I have read in this book and elsewhere about this young man indicates that he is a rising star in the field of Christian origins and academic criticism and is already considered to be a major scholar by his peers. He is safely ensconced as an associate professor, read tenured, in the Religious Studies Department at Regina University in Saskatchewan. This book and those of a few others by exceptional young scholars are being deeply discounted by their publisher Fortress Press. Expect to pay less than five dollars for a new copy of this book through online Christian bookstores.

This is a book in six parts. After a provocative introduction that forewarns the reader that major revisionism and criticism lie ahead, Arnal provides five chapters each of which is capable of being a stand alone essay. The big trouble I refer to above is that this book presents a massive challenge to the congenial presuppositions many of us have found in the "third wave" scholarship on the subject of Christian origins. My academic training in history lies elsewhere, but the degree to which I have been able to find a Jesus to suit my own needs and prejudices in current scholarship has troubled me immensely. The first chapter deals with the foundational idea of itinerant apostles, prophets and teachers in the Didache as explicated by Adolf von Harnak. Second, in chapters two and three, the reader is treated to a complete explanation and total dismantlement of Gerd Theissen's theory of itinerants as pivotal to the early spread of the Jesus movement. The sloppy methodological execution of Theissen exposed by Arnal comes as no particular surprise to this reader. When you use historical form to validate your own preconceived bias, you do no write history, you write polemics. And, as I have pointed out elsewhere in my reviews on Amazon, there is far too much polemic in what passes for scholarship in the writing of the history of Christian origins. Chapter four is an in depth study of the socio-economic realities of the Galilee that effected the "Q" community. Chapter five including the conclusion provides a detailed literary criticism of the "Q" document, and in light of all the foregoing a history of the "Q" people that naturally follows.

The prose in this book move from understandable to difficult to ponderous. It would appear that this work was intended for Arnal's peers rather than you and I, the lay readers. Expect to ultimately be burdened with the language of academic literary criticism. Whether you call it jargon or a meta-language, it is present and is opaque to many readers. And yet, there is an almost liberating truthfulness about this book as I see it. The assumptions questioned and challenged by this work should cause the open minded to completely reassess their understanding of the spread of formative Christianity. Ultimately, however, there is nothing here that should shake any one's faith. Nor, do I believe it was the intention of the author to do so. What is going on here is a corrective to the loose methodological criterion that have informed far too much of the third search for the historic Jesus and early Church history. Once again, we have been tripped up by our own preconceived bias. Shame on us. This book is an absolute must read. And please be advised, Arnal, Harland, and others have far more highly revisionist things to say on these topics which are available for you to read elsewhere. For myself, I find these scholars a breath of fresh air in a discipline that is generally far too self satisfied.

This book truly brings to us, the readers, the word of the
Q'ero. After a fair amount of personal preparation, including
previous trips to the sacred lands of the Andes, the author,
along with carefully chosen teachers, guides, and translators,
embarked upon another journey for the purpose of recording the
stories, accounts, and answers to many questions that the
Q'ero paqos (trained spiritual leaders) gathered to share .
It was clear that there was respect, love and friendship between

the visitors from the west and the Andean medicine men and women.
And I use the word "medicine" in the spirit of anything which
assists in giving wholeness, connection, insight and healing,
of body, mind, and spirit.
The book clearly explains various terms and methods within this
cultural system of spiritual connection, growth, and healing.
We are carefully guided into a vision of how another culture
feels, thinks, and acts. Let us not allow this knowledge to
disappear.
Reading this beautifully written book, interspersed with stories,
a bit of historical background, lovely photos, and , above all,
insightful dialogue, I felt that I , too was present and aware
during the heartwarming several days during which the "word of
the Q'ero " was gathered. It is clear that Joan Parisi Wilcox
is a gifted writer, and a person of great integrity, and she
shows us the gifts and integrity of her teachers, companions,
and the Q'ero people, as well. I feel there is great spiritual
energy present in this book. Several months later, I have been
drawn to read it a second time! And for me, it is all the more
insightful and inspiring. I am inspired to be grateful for the
world of spirit available within the world; within all of us!
I am also inspired to visit one day, not for anything lacking
within myself, but to experience and pay homage to this part of
the earth, and to perhaps gain insight and strength for my own
work within the world - for peace, understanding, and healing.
I would recommend this work to anyone curious about any of the
content described above- Peru, the Q'ero, spirituality, energy
medicine, shamanism; it is a meaningful adventure.

Have you ever changed your mind because intuition demanded that you do so? How about that dream that came true or a de'ja vu? What explains that odd feeling that someone is staring at you, or knowing the phone will ring and who will be calling? Why can you "hear" someone else's thoughts, though their words are unsaid? These are variations of ESP (extra sensory perception) or the sixth sense.

Scientists debate the probability of psychic skills; they want proof in the form of repeatable, controllable experiments. Most of the time the psi talent is quixotic and theories remain just that. However, anyone who has experienced the paranormal recognizes that something strange and unexplainable has happened.

Testing: There are over thirty games and experiments to measure and explore ESP. These are not complicated setups requiring labs and isolation, but can be done in front of the fireplace with a standard deck of cards or a pair of dice. More complicated tests are described as well. Telepathy is the psi of sending thoughts -- similar to saying the same thing at the same time as your companion, or completing a sentence for someone else. Over all these games can be fun. If the test is done with ten items, and if you or your friends happen to have scores of 0-2 or 8-10, remember that is outside the standard 50% chance. Too low or too high indicates psi.

Writers of any genre can benefit from this how-to book. Having the detailed descriptions of events that occur in a controlled environment can help writers create characters and stories that have veracity. Since these tests are easily conducted in the home or in public, the information gleaned can be the crux of rich characters and plots because the experiences are not imagined. Correct terminology and settings let the reader trust enough to suspend disbelief. The characters and scenes may well take over the story because they are the psychic aspects.

What neural transmitters remain dormant in the unused portion of the brain? Well, that's another story.

Five stars for usability, information, creativity, and ingenuity.

Victoria Tarrani

This book is very nice, and I especially like it because it has22 dinosaurs in it to draw.

This is by far the best textbook on the South African law of delict (tort). The author has passed away, and the book will become progressively dated. It remains, however, unsurpassed for masterful exposition of principle. The juxtaposition of terse, lucid text and detailed footnotes is perfect. The book is a casebook, with extracts as its main text. But it beats monographs for an overview.

In eleven chapters and eleven categories Bean answers a total of 157 questions he's received as a leather writer over several years. His writing is easy to read and from both his heart, his research, and his experiences. While sometimes very specific to the gay leatherworld, there are several questions and answers that should be helpful to anyone. A definite must have for newbie leathermen.

The best part of this book is that it's about ME!

The book is also titled "Giant of the Lord - Life of a Pioneer".
This is an interesting history of a man who was a member of the Mormon Battalion that took them to California. He was one of the men present when GOLD was discovered at Sutter's Mill and he and others present panned for the precious mettle before the word spread throughout the world.
I may be a little biased in my interest in the book, because I am related to James S. Brown. Our family has reprinted the book for our family members.

On its surface, this book is an exceptionally thorough record of the materials and methods employed by 19th Century military engineers in building the Third System of American Seacoast fortifications. In providing us with a clear picture of the state and level of their technical understanding, and of their economic considerations, Gillmore has given us a window into this period and provides a blueprint for performing historically authentic restoration/preservation work.

Beyond that, however, we also can get some sense of the man - painstakingly thorough in his assessments, highly educated in both the English and French texts and technologies of the day, and duly skeptical of anything that cannot be conclusively demonstrated and proven. For those with a grasp of the technical details upon which Gillmore elaborates, there can also be found an element of dry, incisive wit.

The materials and works upon which Gillmore dwells still stand, in large measure, because 19th Century American engineers got it right. For those in tune with it, the book calls out across the span of some 135 years, and implores us to use the same thoroughness of study, skepticism and focus to get it right today. If you have not read and re-read this book, you cannot truly consider yourself a serious preservationist.

The videos and sounds accompanying the text allows the viewer to experience the Myan environment and culture in a virtual sense. I felt as if I had been transported in spirit to the culture of the Mopan and Q'eqchi Maya of the Toledo District of Belize. The superb photography in each section, the Elder stories, the selection of the topics, such as their arts and crafts, agriculture, traditions, stories, folktales and much more describing the daily life of the Maya today, as well as their history, provides a wonderful, entertaining and important journey backward and forward in time simultaneously. The users guide with its basic and advanced questions is a great educational tool and fun to use. It is like being introduced to a piece of history and a group of people who are living that history in the 21st century. What an unusual experience. I thoroughly enjoyed this journey. It is one I will take over and over again!