Book Description
Discover magazine recently called Richard Dawkins "Darwin's Rottweiler" for his fierce and effective defense of evolution. Prospect magazine voted him among the top three public intellectuals in the world (along with Umberto Eco and Noam Chomsky). Now Dawkins turns his considerable intellect on religion, denouncing its faulty logic and the suffering it causes. He critiques God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence. In so doing, he makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just irrational, but potentially deadly. Dawkins has fashioned an impassioned, rigorous rebuttal to religion, to be embraced by anyone who sputters at the inconsistencies and cruelties that riddle the Bible, bristles at the inanity of "intelligent design," or agonizes over fundamentalism in the Middle East—or Middle America.
Customer Reviews:
Listening to the audio version is much better than reading it yourself.......2007-10-18
This is not going to be a review on the content of the book because it has already be been covered in depth. Instead, this is a review on the quality of the audio version of the book. Both the author and a woman take equal turns reading the book and they switch back and forth reading passages every few minutes. Both are excellent speakers and they due a superb job of reading the material in a very energetic and passionate manner. I would highly recommend getting the audio version of the book as I think it conveys the author's ideas in a much more interesting and engaging format than reading the book yourself. The only complaint I have about the audio is that the woman's voice comes across noticeably louder than the author's voice so at times I found myself turning up the volume when the author spoke and turning down the volume when the woman spoke.
The God Delusion.......2007-10-17
This is an outstanding book! It's beautifully written, and so funny in places I laughed out loud. I love this guy!!
Imagine: No More Religion.......2007-10-17
Dawkins covers all the bases and does so in an engaging and provocative style. Whether you believe in God or not, if you have an open mind, you'll want to read this book. I only wish it had come out when I was writing my novel, Neitherworld (also on Amazon), since I write about all-powerful aliens who are NOT God. Dawkins is a scholar, though as he rightly points out, there is no need to delve into arcane religious squabbles until there is proof the God of the bible actually exists. He does use the bible to good effect, however, in showing how God is a spoiled, egomanical, bullying, egotistical brat (or words to that effect). It is a harsh indictment of religion, but a fair treatment given today's holy warriors on all sides.
Barking up the wrong tree.......2007-10-17
The "god-in-a-box" delusion would be a far more fitting and palatable title. The main thesis of Mr. Dawkins' book is that God does not exist. He does. Just as the shadows in Plato's cave are only a very poor indication of the real things which cast the shadows, so the God that most religions try to explain and make us believe in are only shadows of the real thing. In this sense he is correct in making the point that God is a delusion. The "religious" God is a delusion but the spiritual God is not.
Don't bother to read all the new titles which have sprouted in opposition to Mr. Dawkins' book, just read Aldous Huxley's inspired and beautifully written "The Perennial Philosophy". Don't think of God, think of the "Godhead" (a word which does not adequately convey the mystical idea contained in the German "Gottheit", more akin to "Godness" and which has nothing to do with the concept of the Holy Trinity). The problem with formal, structured religions is that they mostly pervert the very sense of the word religion, with its roots in Latin, re-ligare, to re-connect. To bring back individual consciousness into a "divine whole", to bring man back into the fold, not of men, but of holy existence. Not into the fold of churches as they are today but of communities of sensitive, intelligent, open-minded and socially responsible men of good will.
This is what God is about - (w)holiness. Most religious teaching ends up by doing exactly the opposite, it is divisive, pitting one doctrine or dogma against the other, acting not as defenders of true faith but of this or that belief, pitting church against church, community against community, human being against human being, ultimately human being against him- or herself. When Mr. Dawkins quotes Nobel Prize-winning American Physicist Steven Weinberg as saying "...for good people to do evil things, it takes religion" he misses the point. This is barking up the wrong tree. It is not religion that makes good people do bad things, it is precisely lack of religion, lack of spirituality, lack of holiness which makes us do so. It is false religion, it is distortion of religion which causes so much damage.
In this sense I am an atheist. I don't believe or try to understand the shadow of God as served down to us by "official religions", the shadow "God-in-a-box". God is somehow beyond space, time and mind and in this sense he is incomprehensible. I don't understand what God is and I don't think God is understandable (which doesn't mean I am agnostic). Just as I don't believe that the universe is or will ever be wholly understandable by the mind. In either case it would be so presumptuous on our part to even believe we could do so. But we all know that if we are not able to understand something that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Do scientists understand the universe? Surely they know it exists. Surely they know that there is more than the "known universe"? Do we only believe in what our senses perceive? Who is it that perceives the world around us? Our brains? Only our brains? Must we ultimately concede that we can only perceive and understand what our brains are capable of perceiving? Are we bound and limited by our sensory organs? Is God only the stuff of our imagination? I believe that such notions as beauty, harmony and love are will never be fully "understandable" and neither need they be. But they are notions which I perceive, I "know" to be, beyond notions of "true" or "false", "right" or "wrong", "good" or "bad", even if I am not able logically to explain or understand them in their totality.
But Mr. Dawkins rightly attacks the awfulness of all and so much that religious thought and action has done to mankind. But this awfulness is a result of a complete distortion of the "good news" which true religious consciousness - the perennial philosophy present deep down in all currents of religious thought - is concerned with. Ironically, it seems to me that it is precisely reason which is responsible for such distortions, by man trying to understand God, by putting him in a box which is reasonable, understandable, "provable". Are there are not things beyond reason? Why must reasonable man forever feel the urge to prove everything? I don't have to prove the color blue and I don't have any urge to do so. But coming back to the awfulness committed in the name of God. It is not religion that is responsible for so much awfulness. Bigotry is the culprit. It is lack of humbleness, lack of meekness, lack of love. It is arrogance. It is wasting time trying arrogantly to prove the existence of God by thought instead of humbly doing more for the weak, the hungry and the oppressed. Which church is meek? Where is love, as charity? Each one feels itself better than the other. The very worst ones claim to hold a total monopoly on truth and hold the contents of holy scriptures as unassailable truths, as if spiritual truth is something one could pin down or put in a book. At most such readings could be seen as a map to help us on our journey through life and even then no one ever got anywhere by only reading a map. And taking the case of the Christian bible, quite frankly, you have to read it very thoughtfully if you don't want to get lost. But read it thoughtfully, with open heart and mind and it will help you on your journey.
But no enlightened human being who has read the bible will have to read Mr. Dawkins' book to realize that the Old Testament can only be seen as really fully valid from a cultural, poetic perspective, never from a spiritual, moral or religious perspective and even less from a historical one or that the New Testament is not to be taken literally. But if you take a look at the content in some of the books refuting Mr. Dawkins you might reconsider the notion that there are a lot of enlightened people out there.
The roots of my faith (not of my beliefs) lie not in the bible but deep in the world and in the stars around us. Oh, yes, God exists, not only in my dreams and certainly not only in my small rational brain. Not the watchmaker, the ineffable.
Will change your view of the subject.......2007-10-15
While this book may not change your beliefs, it can definitely have the effect of forcing you to challenge your assumptions. The role of religion in our society is examined under a harsh light, and the logic used by religious organizations when trying to convert children or influence secular laws is called into question. Dawkins leaves very little wiggle room for a rational person to accept any sort of religious rationale for morality or laws.
Dawkins is not asking the reader not to believe in God - just to understand that society and the rational mind function best when religious ideas that have no basis in sound logic or solid evidence are left out of the equation.
Worth reading, regardless of your viewpoint.
Book Description
Dr. Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, is one of the world's leading scientists. He works at the cutting edge of the study of DNA, the code of life. Yet he is also a man of unshakable faith in God and scripture. He believes that God cares about us and can intervene in human affairs -- on rare occasions, even miraculously. Collins has personally discovered some of the scientific evidence for the common descent of all living creatures, even though he repudiates the materialist, atheistic worldview argued by many prominent Darwinists.
In short, Dr. Collins provides a satisfying solution for the dilemma that haunts everyone who believes in God and respects science. Faith in God and faith in science can be harmonious -- combined into one worldview. The God that he believes in is a God who can listen to prayers and cares about our souls. The biological science he has advanced is compatible with such a God. For Collins, science does not conflict with the Bible, science enhances it.
For many years Dr. Collins kept his views largely to himself, as he helped oversee the Human Genome Project's stunning sequencing of the code of life. Now, in what may be the most important melding of reason and revelation since C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, Dr. Collins explains himself in detail. The Language of God makes the case for God and for science. Dr. Collins considers and rejects several positions along the spectrum from atheism to young-earth creationism -- including agnosticism and Intelligent Design. Instead, he proposes a new synthesis, a new way to think about an active, caring God who created humankind through evolutionary processes.
He has heard every argument against faith from scientists, and he can refute them. He has also heard the needless rejection of scientific truths by some people of faith, and he can counter that, too. He explains his own journey from atheism to faith, and then takes readers on a stunning tour of modern science to show that physics, chemistry, and biology can all fit together with belief in God and the Bible. The Language of God is essential reading for anyone who wonders about the deepest questions of all: Why are we here? How did we get here? And what does life mean?
Customer Reviews:
gman.......2007-10-14
When I first received this book from a friend, not knowing anything about the book, I was excited to read. I thought there would be some wonderful explanations of DNA (perhaps in layman terms) and its elegance.
Big Disappointment. This book is just a defense of Theistic Evolution. With many of the same tired arguments.
His defense of faith is almost entirely quotes of C.S. Lewis... so please, just read C.S. Lewis.
His defense of Evolution has many of the same arguments we've heard before...
"But how did self-replicating organisms arise in the first place? It is fair to say that at the present time we simply do not know. No current hypothesis comes close to explaining how in the space of a mere 150 million years, the prebiotic environment that existed on planet Earth give rise to life." p. 90
He goes on to explain that someday we may know. Francis, what happens if we find out something different? This feels sort of like the Theory-of-the-Gaps.
"No serious biologist today doubts the theory of evolution to explain the marvelous complexity and diversity of life." p 99
Your basic Tautology argument.
He does a poor job dismantling the creationist and Intelligent Design arguments, basically claiming their arguments simply are not true, without much support.
I believe he tries to make you feel foolish if you do not believe in evolution, or are even attempting to make arguments against it.
There is a small portion of the book which is a bright spot, and I learned something new. That was the appendix, on bioethics, discussing stem cell research and cloning.
In the end, if you're looking for a good textbook on Theistic Evolution, this is the book for you. If not, don't waste your time.
Evolution of a Genetic Scientist.......2007-10-13
This book is a thoughtful, well-reasoned answer to extreme fundamentalists and to the extreme atheistic scientists such as Christopher Hitchins and Richard Dawkins. It is the evolution of a leading scientist from atheist to Christian. I found the book though an interview on Point of inquiry, a podcast devoted to rational humanism.
No Tower of Babel Here.......2007-10-10
The Language of God is genius in Dr. Collins' skill in conveying the complexity of science and the wonder of the divine in easy-to-understand language. No polemics, no rhetoric, just the facts and they logically point to the existence of God. At last, a credible read for both the science-minded and the evangelicals among us.
Suzette Martinez Standring
Believing in God Not a Problem for Scientists and Engineers.......2007-10-08
Having heard Francis Collins speak on this topic several years ago, I eagerly awaited the chance to read this book. I was not disappointed.
This book is one which will be appreciated by every scientist and engineer as being genuine. There is no white-washing science, or diminishing its importance in our world. Collins is a scientist and it is clear that he loves his life's work. And at the same time, he recounts his personal journey to faith in God. He does not leave his intellect behind when he searches for God. Every person's journey is different, but it is fascinating to read an account of how a smart, clear thinker fully reconciles his faith in God with the incredible world that God created, while also recognizing that neither diminishes the other.
As an engineer who also has worked for the Catholic Church, I most enjoyed the parallels that he made between scientific developments and his belief in God. I've found many parallels of my own during my journey and it was a pleasure to read about the connections Collins has discovered.
On the negative side, I found the part on evolution a bit too long. Evolution is a hot button for many people, however, which is probably why he dwelled on it for so many pages. Also, the Appendix had some opinions that were counter to Catholic teaching. But despite these shortcomings, this is a book that will bring much good in helping people realize that God and the world are not "opposites" but rather both co-exist extremely well together! This may be obvious to many of us since God created the world, but not to everyone, yet.
appeals to logical fallacies at key points.......2007-09-30
This book attempts to create a bridge between evolution and the Bible by arguing for theistic evolution, but falls flat through its use of logical fallacies in defense of evolution. Here is a sampling:
p. 99 "No serious biologist today doubts the theory of evolution..." p. 174 "for anyone familiar with the scientific evidence..." This is the "poisoning the well" fallacy, where people who disagree with him are mocked as amateurs or ignorant.
p.199 "Theistic evolution is the dominant position of serious biologists who are also serious believers." Poisoning the well, and Ad Populum. There was a time when 'the earth is flat" was the dominant position of serious people. Did that make it true?
p. 99 "... it is difficult to imagine how one would study life without it (evolution)." Arguing from lack of evidence. I can't imagine it, therefore it cannot exist.
p. 146 "evolution is so overwhelmingly supported by scientific evidence". Tautology, due to the ground rules of science. Science allows only natural causes for observed effects, which rules out supernatural causes, therefore in science the only possible cause of life is evolution.
p. 96 "while there are many imperfections in the fossil record, and many puzzles remain to be solved, virtually all the findings are consistent with the concept of a tree of life of related organisms" (evolution). Aside from the data that disagrees with my view, all the data agrees with my view. The ancient astronomers observed that planets occasionally seemed to reverse direction, which they viewed as an imperfection in their orbits. Scientists later discovered that the imperfections were not in the orbits of the planets, or their data - it was in their wrong framework (geocentric) for interpreting the data. Could evolution be the wrong framework for interpreting the fossil record?
I would not note the logical fallacies, except they are essential to Collins' arguments, and therefore essential to his conclusions.
Book Description
"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.
Customer Reviews:
Love that Schama!.......2007-10-18
Just as fun as the PBS series! Has more information than the series too.
Good, but hypocrytical . . ........2007-10-11
As a Christian who frequently finds sustaining spirutuality in more resources than just the bible, I enjoyed this book some of the time.
Miller is dead on in his assertion that "the Church" and from that really all Christians, need to re-connect with the example of Christ's love, especially with regards to those whom Christians don't mingle with on a daily basis (at least my "daily basis" anyway).
His hypocrisy ruins it for me, though. It seemed like every time things were warming up about "loving others", Miller would drop some hugely critical comment about Republicans, fundamentalists, evangelicals, etc. I get it that these people aren't necessarily his cup of tea. However, if we are to accept, and adopt, Christ's example of love, it's all inclusive.
Loving only the less fortunate doesn't count; Christ loves all of us. And if Miller is going to write with integrity about emulating and expanding that love in our own lives, he can't pick and choose whom to love and not to love. In short, he falls in to the very trap he accuses "the Church" of living in.
And the hypocrisy of that makes it difficult to take his message seriously, at least for me.
With all that said, I am sending a copy of the book to an atheistic friend. You never know!
Miller's faith perspective rings true.......2007-10-10
Get Real: a spiritual journey for men
Blue Like Jazz is a beautifully written book that requires the reader to think honestly about issues of faith. Miller has moved well beyond the posturing and pretense that characterize too much of Christian apologetics. It's impossible to read Miller without being struck by his disarming candor and honest self-examination. Rather than introduce doubt, Miller makes sense, and he makes a strong case for a Jesus who is real and interactive in the world today. Like journalist Derek Maul's "Get Real: a spiritual journey for men," (2007) Blue like Jazz presents the Gospel as engaging, incisive, and deeply authentic.
Inspired Me to Read His Other Books.......2007-10-08
Blue Like Jazz is a sort of meditation on Don Miller's spiritual life so far (he's in his early 30s), sprinkled with a little Christian apologetic told by narrative rather than by theories or "spiritual laws" (Miller's "Search for God Knows What" is more along the lines of an apologetic though). Miller's writing style is accessible and easy, though he's prone to meditative tangents on the nature of God or faith or creation that may annoy the less religiously-inclined reader. Miller has a lot of credibility in the so-called emerging church movement for his narrative approach (and probably for his decidedly left wing politics), but his religious beliefs themselves come across as pretty standard evangelical Christian, which I was a little surprised by. It's not heavy theology by any means, and there's a lot of raw meat in Miller's book for the internet's theology attack dogs to tear apart, but the books resonated with me. After reading "Blue Like Jazz," I was inspired to read Miller's "Searching for God Knows What" and "Through Painted Deserts." My favorite moment in the book was the "reverse confession booth," where the campus Christians confessed the sins of the church to astonished students. For a new spin on evangelical Christianity, check out "Blue Like Jazz."
Re-thinking my original opinion.......2007-10-06
I am actually re-reading this book because I got so much out of it during my first read. I may have made a mistake by reading all these negative reviews here, but I'm finding I agree with some of them to an extent. It's funny because I am seeing both sides here, both good and bad, about the book. Yes, some of the stuff he wrote about is a little self-obsessed, but some of the stuff he wrote sparked real passion in me and furthered my relationship with God. I think I just had a moment of realization (an epiphany, if you will) that you cannot take ANYONE'S word for anything, except God's. This is just more proof to me that people, no matter who they are or what their intentions or how close to Christ they are, can lead you astray. To conclude; read the book (it has some good stuff in it), take from it what you will, and trust God with all your heart.
Customer Reviews:
Enlightening read.......2007-10-18
I found this book to be written with a sense of humor mingled with heart felt truth. Rob Bell gives personal and biblical references for his premise. He shares ideas with clarity and an enlightened perspective. His view about the nature of human sexuality and how it is a gift from God was refreshing to hear. He explains in various ways how our sexuality is such an important part of who we are in many realms beyond the physical. It is a beautiful and poignant truth about our spiritual and sexual connection.
Sex God.......2007-10-10
Great Book! Whether or not you agree with the author, Rob Bell, his book is an enjoyable read/listen as his enthusiasm and joy at the majesty of God are contagious. Rob takes you through the evolution of God's love expressed in the union between a woman and a man. The book would be appropriate (and recommended) for any young teen getting to the age of dating and considering serious relationships. And it's great for those who are married to help reaffirm their love.
I'd recommend anyone having marital problems to listen/read the book together and rediscover the beauty and holiness of God's gift of a man and woman to each other. Go through it together chapter by chapter, thought by thought and discuss those things that both of you find challenging. But listen to the whole book once first together or alone.
The audio CD is read by Rob and he is one of the few authors I enjoy hearing read his own work. I also recommend his book Velvet Elvis on CD. The print in his books is a little hard for my older eyes to see. But his CDs are marvelous!
Flat out amazing.......2007-09-26
Rob Bell really connects with his readers in this book and I would recommend it for people of any age
Fabulous perspective with an easy approach.......2007-09-09
With it's provocative title, this book can seem like something to be afraid of. on the contrary, Rob Bell does an excellent job at not only sharing a fair perspective of sex and spirituality both with and without Christian orientation, but he also walks the reader through it quite easily. With an almost Socratic approach, the reader can realize meanings and derive personal conclusions through the authors suggestive questioning (much more pleasant than if the auther were to share an epiphany and use the rest of the book as means of persuasion, especially with such a bold subject)
Sex Is Not The Answer.......2007-09-07
This was an excellent book if you are looking to understand why sex is so prevalent in this day and age when we all seem to be ever more so disconnected from reality.
Book Description
Internationally renowned motivational teacher, spiritual instructor, and popular theologian Caroline Myss has created a transcendent work of unique insight and revelation in Entering the Castle. This exciting new teaching of contemporary mysticism is also a brilliant synthesis of the psychology of consciousness and of Eastern and Western mystical traditions. Myss provides a highly original inner path to self-knowledge -- which is also the road into a spiritual knowledge of God and your own soul -- as she reveals a necessary external path, one that takes you out into the world to serve God and others as a mystic without a monastery -- without having to retreat into total silence, self-denial, or isolation.
As her main template for this extraordinary, modern spiritual journey, Myss uses the beloved, revered writings of The Interior Castle by Teresa of Ávila. Adapting Teresa's vision of the soul as a beautiful crystal castle with many floors, or mansions, and many rooms within those mansions, Myss guides us from room to room, helping us meet different aspects of our self, our soul, and our spirit -- preparing us for the ultimate encounter with God and our own divinity. Through intense practices and methods of spiritual inquiry adapted for contemporary life, she helps us to develop our personal powers of prayer, contemplation, and intuition and to ascend the seven levels of soul knowledge that build an ever stronger interior castle of our own -- a soul of strength and stamina.
As in all her books, Myss also recounts stories of profoundly moving real-life experiences -- of her own, as well as of her students and of renowned spiritual figures -- that bring home the universal truth of her insights. Presiding over the entire book and journey are the great mystics, ancient and contemporary, of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism with their inspiring lives and discerning spirits. And over all, the benevolence, truth, and gentle and tough love of Teresa of Ávila shine through.
Doubtless Myss's most deeply personal, revealing, compassionate, and transforming book yet, Entering the Castle is a comprehensive guidebook for the journey of your life -- a journey into the center of your soul. There, peace, God, and a fearless bliss wait for you to discover them...and claim them for your own.
Customer Reviews:
Carry this book with you on your spiritual journey..........2007-09-12
Carolyn Myss coined the phrase, "We are becoming mystics without monasteries", which is the essence of this wonderful book, based on St. Teresa of Avila's seven interior mansions. However, the book is not meant to be a quick read - it is a roadmap that each one of us may take into the interior place of our soul, our castle, where we can purify, blend, and distill the gold from within, so that we may shine our light out into the world. Take this along on your journey of spiritual growth and service.
Caroline Myss at her best.......2007-08-25
If you've enjoyed and benefitted from any of Caroline Myss' previous work, then definitely get a hold of this. I've always found her voice particularly reassuring and inspiring, so the CD is probably your best bet if you're like me. Entering the Castle is a fascinating modern interpretation of Teresa of Avila's most creative work. Myss's psychological and spiritual adaptation and her explanations and instructions cannot be underrated. I hesitated on this, but am glad now that I've taken the next step on the Myss journey.
Good for some.......2007-08-14
I did not care for this book, but I am giving it 3 stars because I think that it might be a valuable book for some people, especially if you are Catholic or Christian, as this really forms the basis for this book. Carolyn makes an attempt to draw in other faiths by mentioning Buddhism now and then, but she makes it clear that practices such as meditation and repeating mantras just doesn't cut it as a mystical practice. I'm sure the Buddhists & Hindus worldwide are supprised to know that they aren't *really* doing a spiritual practice. Also, if you are New Age or New Thought then you know darn well that you don't want to keep focusing on "the dark night of the soul" and all the other fearsome stuff that Myss dwells on or you're going to attract it and who wants that?
Anyway, I think there are many other ways to get closer to your God than this, but if you've already got that focus on sin, humility, surrender, redemption and such and love to journal and do lots of exercises then this might be your cup of tea.
Lost in Translation.......2007-07-29
It takes 100 pages before you enter the first mansion. Some of the material in the beginning is important, but I'm sorry, I just could not connect with the author's own personal experiences. Some of them just sounded to "new age" to me. Superficial is the word that comes to mind although I do not want to to discredit the author's experiences.
The author brings up a good point about the need for deeply spiritual people in the world. The author uses the term "monks without monasteries". It is a catchy phrase, but it confuses the purposes of different vocations. Both vocations call for personal sacrifices (a word not much used in this book), but they are directed toward different goals. The author belittles, or does not recognize the secondary function of monasteries as a conveyor belt to drive and supplement, to support and re-energize the spirituality of those working in the world. (The primary function of monasteries is beyond the book and this book review.)
It seems like the author is specifically looking for some kind of extraordinary experience of God. We all are. But St. John of the Cross and even St. Teresa of Avila herself, along with many other genuine mystics, urge not to seek, or even hope for, these kinds of *extraordinary* experiences. Although they can and do reinforce faith, they become distractions and obstacles for "the one thing necessary"--to love God for God, not for God's consolations and gifts.
There was also an alarming tone of lack of poverty of spirit throughout the book. The author waits too late to address humility in the book, and then it was a bit shallow. The author treats it almost as a drawback or turnoff to reading any further in the book. In too many places I wrote in the margin, "What about grace?" (One definition of grace, avoiding much Christian connotation, is the gift to see old things in a new way. It is a gift and not something that can be self-manufactured.) The author makes it sound like *you* yourself are responsible for working your way through all the mansions of the castle. Yes, the first couple mansions require *work* on your part, but even through these, God is still doing the *real work*. You have to show up and choose to cooperate. Yes, you have to do your homework, but only grace (energy, power, or whatever term one uses) from God will empower you to do so, not your own volition. Without sincere, deep, and total humility, St. Teresa said that it is impossible to progress through the mansions regardless of how much one wants. (Read Johannes Baptist Metz's small book, Poverty of Spirit if you really want to understand humility and realize/live true poverty of spirit.)
In a spirit of ecumenical/all-faiths dialog, the author has sacrificed the beauty and depth of St. Teresa's original, albeit Christian, metaphors and symbols. The author decides to use the word "reptiles" instead of St. Teresa's word "snakes" for evils and worldly temptations. The word "love", although loaded with connotations, seems to be used very sparingly by the author. St. Teresa's word for God, the object of her total desire and commitment, was her "Beloved". This one missing word makes entering the Interior Castle more of an abstraction or exercise of improving ones self-esteem instead of the infinitely more personal and real seeking union with God.
The questions the author asks within each mansions do assist one along the proper path as outlined by St. Teresa. One should be aware that there are many other questions (and rooms) within each mansion that have not *yet* been explored by the book. It is also important to remember that it is not a sequential, linear progression as the author notes.
The detailed imagery the author uses to describe each room and mansion may help many people, but remember the whole idea of the Interior Castle was to be a metaphor/symbol for the *real* journey. Each room and mansion is just a signpost to where you are suppose to go, to some place to visit within. Do not get attached to the signposts, to the imagery of symbols and metaphors. Since St. Teresa was an apophatic mystic, all of the words and imagery themselves will eventually have to be left behind any way in order to seek union with the God above all concepts.
If this book gives you some insight, great. But I recommend reading the original from St. Teresa. Although this author adds much helpful psychology (which is different in many ways than spirituality), too much is lost and sacrificed in the translation.
get to know yourself.......2007-07-28
this has wonderful exercises to delve into your soul. an enchanting read full of great information. a must for someone on the spiritual path!
Book Description
Giants. We must face them. Yet, we need not face them alone.
This profound look at the life of David digs deeply into the defeats he suffered, and the victories he won, as he faced the giants in his life. When David focused on God, giants tumbled. But when David focused on giants…
he stumbled.
Goliaths still roam in our world. Debt. Disaster. Dialysis. Divorce. Deceit. Disease. Depression. These super-sized challenges swagger and strut into our lives, pilfering our sleep, embezzling our peace and robbing us of our joy. And while these giants try to dominate our lives, we know what to do! We've learned what David learned, and we do what David did. We become God focused. We pick up five stones. We make five decisions. And we take a swing.
Customer Reviews:
Overcoming circumstances.......2007-09-29
I was given this book, it was a good read, but the information wasn't anything new, nor was it very impressive. It was a smooth reader, but almost to the point of beating a dead horse. Now, I am not putting down the work of the Cross or Jesus or the Holy Spirit or even King David. It's just the same ole story with a different author. I did find some of Max's antedotes and case histories of his own family interesting and the view of the Rainbow, that was most interesting.
Would I buy the book, no. Would I recommend someone else to buy the book? Not really. There are better books for the money.
Here are some examples: They Smell Like Sheep by Dr. Lynn Anderson
True Discipleship by Kossler, The Holiest of All by Andrew Murray, Power Filled Living by R.A. Torrey. These are just a few.
I've found when we are facing the giants, if we focus on God, Center ourself on Him, in Him and then look outside the box, so-to-speak and allow the Spirit of God to lead us to someone else that is hurting more than ourselves, God will work out our problems usually by the interaction of our neighbors.
In Christ we pray. Amen.
Learning from David's Triumphs and Mistakes.......2007-09-21
Max Lucado is known for his encouraging books, and this book is no exception. Here, he studies King David, both the good and the bad, to show us how to face the giants in our lives.
The ultimate lesson is simple, when your focus is on God, giants fall. Yet he uses stories from first and second Samuel, both the good and the bad, to show us how this played out in David's life.
The book works as a biography, showing us the events in David's life as they happened. While most chapters are a self contained lesson, it does allow us to see how one event often led to another.
Obviously, we see David fighting Goliath. But we also see him hiding from Saul, his friendship with Jonathan, hiding with the enemy, keeping his promises, falling into adultery and murder with Bathsheba, and watching his own children spin out of control. From this we learn the importance of friends and family, but ultimately the importance of putting our focus on God.
Max Lucado very rarely brings anything new to the table. That's certainly the case here. There is very little I haven't heard before. But he always puts such a fresh, encouraging spin on things, I always see things in a new light. And even when admonishing us, he still does it gently.
I set this book down reluctantly when I finished. My heart was encouraged, and my focus was where it needed to be, God. If you need some help remembering where your focus needs to be, this book is for you.
Max's Best .......2007-09-17
This is absolutely the most enlightening and funny book I've ever read from a Christian author.
This wonderful book is deep enough for an elephant to swim in, yet shallow enough for a child to wade in.
That describes Facing Your Giants to a T.
Like all Lucado books, awesome.......2007-09-06
An insightful tie to old testament events around Davids life and life for us today.
Wonderful book!.......2007-08-26
Story of King David's successes and failures confronting the giants in his life, and how we can learn from them. Many challenging question in study guide at the end of book.
Average customer rating:
- Flawless
- Buy Individual Books in Order--Replaces Bible
- An easy read that will get you to think...
- just a comment
- Below normal comprehension
|
Conversations with God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 1)
Neale Donald Walsch
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
| Adolescent Psychology
| Applied Psychology
| By Topic
| Child Psychology
| Clinical Psychology
| Cognitive
| Counseling
| Creativity & Genius
| Developmental Psychology
| Education & Training
| Ethnopsychology
| Experimental Psychology
| Forensic Psychology
| General
| History
| Hypnosis
| Industrial Psychology
| Logotherapy
| Medicine & Psychology
| Mental Illness
| Movements
| Neuropsychology
| Occupational & Organizational
| Pathologies
| Personality
| Philosophy of Psychology
| Physical Illness & Psychiatry
| Physiological Aspects
| Psychiatry
| Psychoanalysis
| Psychobiology
| Psychopharmacology
| Psychosomatic Medicine
| Psychotherapy, TA & NLP
| Reference
| Research
| Sexuality
| Social Psychology & Interactions
| Statistics
| Suicide
| Testing & Measurement
General
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Mysticism
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Occult
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Parapsychology
| Occult
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Spiritualism
| Occult
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Spirituality
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Walsch, Neale Donald
| ( W )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Conversations With God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 2)
-
Conversations With God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book #3)
-
Conversations With God: An Uncommon Dialog, Vol. 3
-
Home with God: In a Life That Never Ends
-
The Complete Conversations with God (Boxed Set)
ASIN: 0399142789 |
Amazon.com
Blasphemy! Heresy! Who does this man think he is, claiming to speak directly to God?! Jesus did it, Muhammad did it, the Jewish prophets did it, but none of their Gods had the sardonic wit or raw verve of Prophet Walsch's God. Neale Donald Walsch isn't claiming to be the Messiah of a new religion, just a frustrated man who sat down one day with pen in his hand and some tough questions in his heart. As he wrote his questions to God, he realized that God was answering them... directly... through Walsch's pen. The result, far from the apocalyptic predictions or cultic eccentricities you might expect, turns out to be matter-fact, in-your-face wisdom on how to get by in life while remaining true to yourself and your spirituality.
Book Description
Conversations with God Book 1 began a series that has been changing millions of lives for more than ten years. Finally, the bestselling series is now a movie, starring Henry Czerny (The Pink Panther and Clear and Present Danger) and Ingrid Boulting (The Last Tycoon). Produced and directed by Stephen Simon (producer of Somewhere in Time and What Dreams May Come) and distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Fox Home Entertainment, the theatrical release is set for October 27, 2006. The movie is the true account of Walsch (played by Cierny), who went from an unemployed homeless man to an "accidental spiritual messenger" and author of the bestselling book
Customer Reviews:
Flawless.......2007-10-19
This book is so utterly flawless. Recently I've been having the trouble of finding "faith" in the things that I thought. They just weren't quite turning into belief. This book has far exceeded in turning my thoughts into belief. They affirmed them in such a beautifully simplistic way that it brought me to tears. It has answered so many of my questions and I don't think by the end of this series that I'll have many left. It is the most flawless assortment of words in the English language I can possibly imagine. Please...buy this book.
Buy Individual Books in Order--Replaces Bible.......2007-10-16
I regret not paying better attention to the reviewer of the collected set (one book with three parts and no covers). Do buy the books individually for a more distributed appreciation.
This will sound like sacrilege to many, but in my view these three books in combination replace the Bible as the foundation work for the future of Humanity as God in Community on Earth. There is so much common sense in all three books that I am just blown away.
Although I am 10-15 years late in appreciating the cultural creatives, integral consciousness, one from many, I sense an imminent renaissance of humanity, aided by the amoral wickedness of Dick Cheney and those foolish enough to obey his unconstitutional orders. These three books are our manual for re-establishing Humanity in Community.
Book 1 introduces a God who loves us unconditionally, whom we can have faith in, and who does not need to bloated religious bureaucracies of fear-mongering, hate-mongering, sexually-inhibited priests, imams, and rabbis (some exceptions not withstanding).
The bottom line is this: you can live in fear or live in love--unconditional love. Fear is exclusive, love in inclusive.
Here are the notes I kept:
* Core values are truth, patience, open mind, open heart.
* Arts are inspiration and help spirituality grow and be shared
* Feelings are the language of the soul
* God is found in the highest thought, clearest word, grandest feeling
* Receive and embrace God directly, not via false intermediaries
* Knowing, experiencing, being
* Point of life is to remember the One and rewind back from fragmentation
* You, not God, determines outcomes--live the change you wish to see (Gandhi)
* We choose heaven or hell on earth
* Only by accepting responsibility for ALL poverty and other high-level threats to humanity can we resolve them.
* Judgment fragments and lessens community
* There are no coincidences
* You attract what you fear through emotions
* Choose love, end war--Humanity is losing patience (see Blessed Unrest)
* Sex with joy and sympathy is the ultimate form of love
* Money is the ultimate divider, irrelevant to achieving peace & prosperity
* Stop accepting "original sin" and start remembering you are one with God.
* Passion is in the doing
* Freedom is living life without expectations
* When you are so good you no longer need God, this is God's greatest moment.
* Religions that stress damnation are flat out WRONG. Not possible to offend God, whose love is unconditional.
* Priests and others are a major part of the schism of demanding religions.
* Purpose of relationships is to have another with whom you can share your completeness.
* Love is BEING, not fulfilling a NEED.
* God asks that you love yourself and always make the highest choice.
* Act before thinking; emphasize being, follow a calling in life.
* Gratitude in advance--reciprocal altruism, is the highest path.
* Worry can be fatal. Stop worrying.
On to Book 2
Conversations With God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 2)
See also:
Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution
Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming
Left Hand of God, The: Healing America's Political and Spiritual Crisis
One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization
Escaping the Matrix: How We the People can change the world
All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies, and the Politics of Dignity (BK Currents)
An easy read that will get you to think..........2007-10-14
Perhaps it is time for Amazon to only let people comment on books if they have purchased them or can prove they actually read the book.
I'm willing to bet that anyone who gave this book less that 3 stars never read the book. It is a fascinating read. Many of us question the existence of God. This book gives you an alternative to the religious doctrines out there today and will get you thinking.
I loved his take on the Ten Commandments and Original Sin.
If God really gave us Ten Commandments is there any power in the universe, other than God that would give you the power to break them?
Original Sin was in fact one of God's greatest gifts it proved that mankind could think and act for themselves. All the animals on earth act out according to Gods laws... sharks swim and eat and reproduce. They aren't going to do anything their nature has not laid out for them since they first appeared on earth but man... Man will look around pick up a rock, smash it, stick it in a fire, turn it into a metal, shape it... and end up flying to the moon with.
This is a great read... I'd tell you the uplifting description of why God allows horrible natural disasters to take place but no... read the book... I'll give you a hint... it involves a play ground.
just a comment.......2007-10-14
I havent read this book yet or any of the books, but i've seen it on the bookshelves. my youth leader sent an email to the department this past week advising volunteers to ck it out and beware of what our children are reading. parents are livid because the book appears on the scholastic reading list. i've read over some of the reviews and there is no overwhelming consensus either way good or bad. i do not think i will purchase the book for the sake of principle, but i will however look for it in my public library. how else can we help our children if we do not know what they are up against. upon completion of this book, i will of course draw my own conclusions and perhaps post a review. until then, i consider myself a biased individual leaning toward the word as presented in the bible. anything outside of that i consider blasphemy. training, learning, growing is a constant without it we parish.
be nice on here people. dont shut others down simply because their opinion differs from yours. state your position and leave it at that. it's up to the individual reading the review if they agree with you and are intrigued to read or not to read.
Below normal comprehension.......2007-10-10
This book is utter dribble. Some passages remind me of text written by hippies high on drugs. When one starts having conversations with themselves that's usually not a good thing. I don't need Mr. Walsch to answer my questions, if I have questions to ask of God, I'll go the original source -- my bible. I have more confidence in the consistency and accuracy of the bible's answers than I do of a man responding to voices in his head.
And why do people assume God does not love unconditionally. Wasn't that the whole purpose of Jesus' sacrafice. Plus He shows his love the way any parent would. Didn't all of our parents punish us if we did something wrong like lie. They disliked that we lied and punished us for it, but that didn't stop them from loving us or continuing to provide for us.
Book Description
Throughout history, arguments for and against the existence of God have been largely confined to philosophy and theology. In the meantime, science has sat on the sidelines and quietly watched this game of words march up and down the field. Despite the fact that science has revolutionized every aspect of human life and greatly clarified our understanding of the world, somehow the notion has arisen that it has nothing to say about the possibility of a supreme being, which much of humanity worships as the source of all reality. Physicist Victor J. Stenger contends that, if God exists, some evidence for this existence should be detectable by scientific means, especially considering the central role that God is alleged to play in the operation of the universe and the lives of humans. Treating the traditional God concept, as conventionally presented in the Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions, like any other scientific hypothesis, Stenger examines all of the claims made for God's existence. He considers the latest Intelligent Design arguments as evidence of God's influence in biology. He looks at human behavior for evidence of immaterial souls and the possible effects of prayer. He discusses the findings of physics and astronomy in weighing the suggestions that the universe is the work of a creator and that humans are God's special creation. After evaluating all the scientific evidence, Stenger concludes that beyond a reasonable doubt the universe and life appear exactly as we might expect if there were no God.
Customer Reviews:
Excellence.......2007-10-18
I absolutely enjoyed this book. It truly deals with the scientific opinion of the beliefs and fears, that religion has weighted our society down with. excellent scientific study
An excellent analysis!.......2007-10-17
Dr. Victor Stenger has made a very solid analysis of religion based on the scientific method. Throughout the book, Dr. Stenger painstakingly goes item by item debunking every conceivable religious argument. The author, as a scientist also leaves the door open to probability. Even when the possibility of a contrarian probability is implausible!
The author has a poignant flair for the classical apologist and pseudo-scientific religious apologists. The book is a required to reading for the serious student of the religious/faith/logic and reason.
Without any reserve, I do recommend the book!
Another Good Book On The Subject .......2007-10-13
I read this book by Stenger in just over an hour. Stenger is correct in his title of the book. The hypothesis of a god does not hold up to any scrutiny. It falls apart and its adherents always fall back on the sacred fictional book known as the bible. Very good book from a well known scientist. Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris are trying to open the eyes of the western world and I applaud them for it. My profession is science and I do hold graduate degrees as does Dawkins and Stenger. This subject and its exposure has long been overdue.
Basically there is no evidence for a supreme being. You may want to consider this.
Some questions you may want to ask yourself as a Christian:
1. Where is heaven? Christians believe in it so it begs the question of "Where is it located specifically or even generally?" In all my studies of astronomy, I can't seem to remember any place labeled heaven. Is it near Saturn or Jupiter?
2. Where is hell? In my studies in geology, I don't remember a place called "Hell" being labeled somewhere on this earth.
3. Where is God? Does he exist somewhere in our solar system or someplace else in the universe? If he exists, he sure makes himself, herself, itself conveniently mysterious and absent.
4. The Islamic god must be more powerful than the Christian god, because the Christian god sure didn't do anything to stop 9/11 from happening. The Christian god didn't lift a finger when more than 6 million people were murdered by the Nazis in concentration camps known as the "Holocaust". Not to mention all the other disasters, diseases and such that have occurred throughout history.
This god seems to impotent and very much absent.
This whole concept of god etc.. is all in your minds, put there by parents, pastors etc... You are basically playing psychological mind games with yourself.
As a PhD myself in the biological sciences, I have given up trying to explain things to Christian fundamentalists and Christians in general regarding their irresponsible disinformation that they put out about science and theories. I have (my own personal experiences) found that many "Christians" will bend, distort and even outright lie about scientific findings in order to twist it so they can either discredit a finding or distort things to the point that they are trying to put a square peg into a round hole. The Christian believe that a "god" created everything and that the bible as factual is an agenda of most Christians. Most Christians I have spoken to do not have the correct definition of "theory" Almost like robots, they recite the rhetoric "Evolution is just a theory" Their meaning that Evolution is just a hunch or a guess, when in fact this is not so.
You throw out the theory of evolution and that throws out the foundations of biology and microbiology. So we throw Darwin's theory, do we start teaching biology from the perspective of the bible and the Christian way of thinking. As scientists, we would scrap it in a heartbeat and replace it with a new theory if it did not work anymore; however, we do not scrap it because the evidence supports Darwin's theory. I have talked to several Christians who say, "The theory of Evolution has been discredited and proven false". Well that's news to me because most of the major universities (i.e.: University of California etc.) teach evolutionary biology. Another disturbing thought process by some Christians is that they also believe that the "Big Bang Theory" has been discredited. News to me again. So you can understand why I do not have time for people who distort the truth.
I find my encounters with Christians as being either having hostility toward those who do not believe in their god or they are very much lacking in basic understanding of biology and science in general, therefore, they express hostility toward science and are very convinced that they are right. If they want to think they are right, that is okay with me, but it is not the atheists and scientists who are knocking on people's doors, congregating in buildings to spread the word. It is the religious who want everyone else to think like them. I do not wish to bend and twist my mind around a bunch of untruths and I am sure many millions of others (Atheists) agree. The thing I find so insidious about the church is the "getting to the children when they are young" Putting this belief into a child's mind when their brains have not fully developed yet. I think this is something that is very bad in our society. So excuse me if I do not have time to convince every die in wool Christian that their thinking is faulty. Unfortunately at this time in history, it is the minority (The Atheists) who has it right. However, hopefully over the next 100 years that will change and the majority will have it right and only a minority will still believe in religion and all it's dogma that surrounds it. People will look back at the late 20th century and early 21st century and not understand why so many held on to a medieval way of thinking. We look back on the people who thought the earth was flat (a majority 300-400 years ago) and wonder how anyone could have such faulty thinking. Hopefully the majority of our citizens will be saying the same thing about us 100 years from now.
I am amazed how aggressive some(not all) Christians get if you challenge their belief in this "God". Why does this all powerful "God" need you to come to his/her/it's or whatever defense.
How do you prove the unprovable?.......2007-10-10
Stenger has bitten off a large argument here, and done a fairly admirable job at tackling certain aspects of it, but his larger premise is faulty based on his belief that humans, at present, have the ability to disprove the existence of a supreme being. While I agree with some of his goals, he takes it one step too far. Rational scientific evidence suggests that a god does not exist, and never has. This, however, is far from conclusive. Strong atheism requires almost as much faith as fundamentalism.
Perhaps the day will come when human knowledge will be such that we can provide a scientific proof against the existence of a god, but that day has not yet arrived. Stenger can disprove the "proofs" of the faithful quite convincingly, but that is all. The larger question remains unanswered, and will for some time; perhaps for all time.
Conversely, Stenger IS convincing in his assertions against religious visitations, miracles, and the answering of prayers. These are mythical stories perpetuated by those who want to believe. In all cases of so-called miracles there is a logical scientific alternate explanation. Remember Occam's Razor: the simplest solution should be the right one. Are we to believe a scientific explanation, or call it divine? Science is simpler and makes much more sense. Same goes for prayers allegedly being answered.
As for the historical evidence of the resurrection, I'm afraid the tales in ancient books of mythology do little to sway me. Many have faith that it, along with other biblical claims, did indeed happen. Faith does not equal proof.
Perhaps a god does exist, and perhaps he/she/it did create the universe. The limits of human knowledge at present are such that this can neither be proven nor disproved. However, the burden of proof is on the faithful. If I claim that the Loch Ness Monster exists, I need to provide some proof. It is not the job of unbelievers to disprove my assertion. While I find Stenger's arguments interesting, we as a species do not yet have the ability to irrefutably claim that god does not, or never has existed. Just as the faithful cannot prove that a god does exist. Perhaps we should stop trying and just agree to disagree.
Whether a god exists or not, there is substantial evidence that such a god does not intervene in worldly affairs. The stories of divine intervention on Earth have a more rational, scientific explanation. For example, Dr. Michael Persinger offers a reasonable explanation for why people can feel as though they have communed with a divine spirit. Did the Virgin Mary really appear in a grilled cheese sandwich, or is there a more rational explanation? Did Moses really see a god in a burning bush, or did he perhaps make it up? He may even have been schizophrenic. Again, Occam's Razor.
My basic point is that we can't prove that a supreme being does not exist. The evidence against it leads me to believe that a god does not exist, but this is far from conclusive. However, there is ample convincing evidence against such a god being involved in the daily happenings of its creation.
Let's say, for sake of argument, that there was a god that created the universe. What has he been up to since then? Scientific evidence indicates that he/she/it has left the universe to its own devices. Is he collecting unemployment insurance? Did he tire himself out and decide to sleep away the eons? Is he like an innocent bystander who just doesn't want to get involved? Did he figure he was finished his work and willed himself out of existence? Did he die? We can't know.
IF a god created the universe, then I guess he deserves our thanks. So, just in case, "Thanks, dude." That is all you will get from me. Daily or weekly groveling and prayer accomplishes nothing tangible, from my perspective. For the faithful, it can act as a shield against the some of the universe's harsh realities. It can also compel less thoughtful individuals to live more ethically.
As for me, I believe and accept that this is the only life I have, so I should live it fully. I can live a moral life without divine guidance. Unlike militant atheists, I can also respect the beliefs of those who disagree with me. If faith provides you with comfort and/or guidance, who am I to try and convince you otherwise? Unless you are a Scientologist, in which case I might want to call you a wack-job.
I am uncertain that strong atheism does anything to further the cause of rational scientific thought. It merely polarizes viewpoints, resulting in, as an example, a mixture of five-star and one-star reviews.
Many strong atheists see the faithful as deluded and irrational, while fundamentalists see atheists in a similar light. One interesting difference between the two groups is who holds the political power in the United States. The first President Bush once made a claim that atheists should not be considered citizens and not have the right to vote; how very enlightened from a man who once had control of a nuclear arsenal.
The atheist/agnostic movement has much to overcome to be accepted by society at large. I am not convinced that this book will help the cause.
Pseudoscience and bad history.......2007-10-07
Firstly, I would just like to point out that Professor Stenger has no historical credentials whatsoever. He is a physicist and an astronomer, not a historian! It is quite apparent that the little historical research he did, if any, is extremely skewed and faulty.
Secondly, I would like to mention how science cannot disprove any event in history, such as the resurrection of Christ. It is pseudoscientific to the extreme if any scientist attempts to do so! What happened in history happened, regardless of where science takes us.
I will now reveal the most important historical fallacies Stenger made in this book. The first historical error in this book is the claim that no extra-biblical records corroborating the darkness and earthquake during the crucifixion of Jesus exist. That is simply incorrect! There were two ancient Greek historians, who were extremely critical to the early church, who acknowledge this event in their writings. Thallus writes that this darkness was the result of an eclipse, even though he tries to explain the reason he is indeed aware of this event in history. Another Greek historian, Phlegon, also describes the darkness and the earthquake as well. He includes in his writing that the earthquake destroyed the temple in Jerusalem and killed thousands of cattle. He also includes the fact that the entire Mediterranean area was affected by the darkness.
Another major fallacy in Professor Stenger's book is his reliance on the King James Version of the Bible. I would just like to point to the fact that the KJV Bible has been shown to contain several fatal misinterpretations of the original manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments. This is due to the fact that when the KJV was written, the writers had a scarce amount of the original manuscripts. Today, we have a vast amount of the original manuscripts, thanks to archaeology. The KJV Bible should no longer be used as a source of information!
Dr. Stenger's third error, more of a speculation, in his book is the claim that some of the prophecies from the Old Testament were not fulfilled in the life of Jesus. Now, the ancient Jews thought that the fulfillment of prophecies in the time of the messiah would depend upon Israel's moral state. When Jesus of Nazareth came, he fulfilled about half of the prophecies from the Hebrew Bible. The rest of the New Testament shows that the second half of the prophecies will be fulfilled at the end of time, when Christ comes again. It is a matter of time which describes how the prophecies were, and will be, fulfilled, not Israel's moral state or a "failure" of certain prophecies!
Book Description
Beth Moore wants readers to know if God could lift her out of the pit, He can get ANYONE out! She admits she wasn't just a visitor; this former pit-dweller had to be delivered from acres of life-accumulated dirt, bone-chilling darkness, spirit-deadening anger, heart-breaking desperation and mind-numbing confusion. The permanent lessons she learned in her desperation-shared in this very personal book-are lessons of hope for all of us. While she deeply empathizes with the hows and whys of life in the "pit," she continually points readers to the deliverance that awaits. Deliverance is for everyone, she proclaims-no matter how you got stuck, no matter how long you've been down, whether you think you deserve it or not. And in her straight-talking but loving style, she reminds readers that deliverance can begin for them this very day.
Customer Reviews:
Great book, terrible accent.......2007-10-10
I loved the content of this book on CD although Beth Moore's Texan twang could be a little distracting at times. Like all things Beth Moore, it was a very uplifting but stern reminder of the toll this life can take on us and how to make sure we don't get used to the pit we have fell in, slipped in or jumped in. This book has brought up a lot of discussion topics and afterthought. Well worth suffering through the accent!
First Beth Moore Book? It was mine..........2007-09-27
Before reading this book, I had never read anything by Beth Moore. Although talented and driven in her call, her style of writing is conversational and, at times, confrontational. As I was reading this book as a member of a club, I did not put it back on the shelf and suffered through becoming comfortable with a one-sided conversation. I am quite happy that I did.
If you have not read Beth Moore before, give her a chance. Let her "Talk at you", and respond with prayer - He is the one you are looking for a conversation with!
A Bit of a Disappointment.......2007-09-12
I was hoping this book would have some solid answers for me to get out of my own personal pit but all it did was describe many different types of pits without alot of specific sure fire help and ways to be free. I think it's great that so many of you found help with Beth's book, but if "I" had to do it over again, I wouldn't buy it.
What a blessing!.......2007-09-09
Whether you are currently in a pit of your own making or have been tossed in a pit via the wrongs of someone else or just difficult life circumstances, this book is such a wonderful tool to help keep your eyes on God through it all and to "get out of that pit". This is the third Beth Moore book I have read (the first was When Godly People do Ungodly Things and I am ongoingly reading Praying God's Word Day by Day)and she is such a blessing--accessible and solid.
Beth is at her best!.......2007-09-05
I read this book when I was in a pit, myself. Beth's bubbly personality came shining through in this book and made me laugh when I didn't especially feel like laughing. She has the ability to make you feel as if she's talking to you like a true girlfriend and you come away with the feeling that, "Yeah, she's been in a pit too and came out victorious." I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a good pick-me-up and a catalyst to turning to God for guidance in those times in your life when things seem overwhelming.
Becky Hester (Eastman, Ga)
Book Description
The simple revolution has begun. From the design of the iPod to the uncluttered Google home page, simple ideas are changing the world.
Simple Church clearly calls for Christians to return to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. No bells or whistles required, so to speak.
Based on case studies of four hundred American churches, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex. Simple churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking these four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus.
Each idea is examined here, simply showing why it is time to simplify.
Customer Reviews:
Concise and practical.......2007-09-07
Well, it would be awfully ironic if the book wasn't easy to understand. Fortunately, the authors do with the book exactly what they are calling leaders to do with their churches. They outline a simple structure for streamlining churches and letting loose the baggage that slows churches down.
The process is...simple (sorry to repeat). Churches should seek clarity, alignment, movement, and focus. Clarity is the singleness of purpose, stated in a single phrase. Movement is making sure there is a process of spiritual development that runs through the ministries of the church that fulfills the purpose. Alignment is the process of making sure that all the ministries of the church cannel people through a similar movement to fulfill the purpose. And focus is the challenging process of saying "no" to everything that distracts the church from its purpose. The authors have decided on this clear process as a saving grace to churches, repeat it fluidly, and walk the reader through all four steps.
The theory is based on a study of a number of churches that were considered thriving and many that were not. The authors say that their data shows highly significant difference between thriving churches that simplified and complex churches that did not.
The only part of this book, or the genre, that ought to give the reader pause is that the authors presume that ministry requires a strategic process through which people are funneled on the way to spiritual growth. While that is the reality of modern, institutional church management, it seems to overrule the fluid and organic (if not disorganized) ministry of Jesus and the disciples while co-opting their names. This is not a major critique of the book, just the observation that business management principles are governing the church whose founder had very little to say about business management.
Nonetheless, for those of us who find ourselves dealing with the necessities of management, this book is an essential read. It's well-written, accessible, and offers the bird's eye view that a lot of churches miss.
Good for discipleship and Church Growth.......2007-08-29
This is an excellent book that tells pastors and church leaders to keep it simple, rather than complex and this book tells you how. The basic premise of this book is that simple sells and that keeping it simple and maintaining focus is the best method of discipleship and church growth. If you have been trying to write long vision statements or missions statement or purpose statement and have come away frustrated, then this book is for you.
Simple, but could be simpler.......2007-08-23
I think this book will help many traditional North American churches to lower the bar of how church is done and raise the bar of what it means to be a disciple (to borrow from Neil Cole). But as a former pastor who has recently begun to enjoy the simplicity of a network of microchurches that has no paid staff, no building to maintain or enlarge, and yet enough time to be a small army of disciple-makers, I find Rainer & Geiger more complex than is necessary. If you like simple, you might like simpler even better!
Excellent example of making things simple.......2007-07-22
Simple church not only explained clearly how necessary it is to simplify our way of doing church,or more precisely making disciples, the book was a very good example of doing this. The demonstrated and illustrated in a straightforward way and the process suggested was very simple to follow and easy to apply. Great job!
Excellent -but felt slightly cheated.......2007-07-18
Excellent book, but really this should have been an article, or perhaps one chapter of a book. There's not really enough material to be a book.
Books:
- The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East
- The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class
- The Kalahari Typing School for Men (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Book 4)
- The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook: Stories and Recipes for Southerners and Would-be Southerners
- The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
- The Mapmaker's Eye: David Thompson on the Columbia Plateau
- The Middle Ground: Indians, Empires, and Republics in the Great Lakes Region, 1650-1815 (Studies in North American Indian History)
- The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Volume VI: Advocate of the Social Gospel, September 1948-March 1963 (Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr)
- The Rebel: An Essay on Man in Revolt
- The Secret Garden (HarperClassics)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- River Thunder
- Games of No Chance
- The Best Test Preparation for the AP Biology
- Vortex Methods: Theory and Applications
- A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005
- Environmental Law
- Better Homes and Gardens Fruit Desserts: Cooking for Today
- The Creative Artist: A Fine Artist's Guide to Expanding Your Creativity and Achieving Your Artistic
- Traditional Style Kitchens: Modern Designs Inspired By The Past
- Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and Europe: A Naturetrek Guide
Letter to a Christian Nation
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design
