Book Description
In Senior Year, Dan Shaughnessy focuses his acclaimed sports writing talents on his son’s senior year of high school, a turning point in any young life and certainly in the relationship between father and son. Using that experience, Shaughnessy circles back to his own boyhood and calls upon the many sports greats he’s known over the years—Ted Williams, Roger Clemens, Larry Bird—to capture that uniquely American rite of passage that is sports. Sam Shaughnessy was born a natural hitter and quickly ascended the ranks of youth sports. Now nicknamed the 3-2 Kid for his astonishing ability to hover between success and failure in everything he does, Sam is finally a senior, and it’s all on the line: what college to attend; how to keep his grades up and his head down until graduation; and whether or not his final high school baseball season, will end in disappointment or triumph.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing.......2007-09-14
I found this book vapid and disappointing. As a father of a teen-age son, athlete, specifically baseball, I was hoping for insight after our difficult senior year. I found none. Our son's leaving for college was difficult. Experiencing a four year varsity starter with many interested D-1 colleges decide not to play baseball was very difficult. Listening to the author brag about how great his children are and by implication how great he is was nauseating.
For Every Baseball Parent.......2007-09-10
If your son or daughter has aspirations of playing sports in H.S. and beyond, this is a good book to read. It's entertaining and insightful. I have purchased it for friends. Enjoy it and their H.S. years.
A personal look into the world of one family.......2007-07-31
The entire Shaughnessy family deserves a great deal of credit for allowing us to share an entire year of their lives. Dan is an accomplished reporter and does a wonderful job of "reporting" on the deeds (and at times - misdeeds) of his youngest child as he prepares for the transition into college life and college athletics. Dan brings you, as the reader, to the time and place to share with him his thoughts and expereinces as he watches his only son grow up before his very eyes. This is not a heavy philosophical book - instead it is a comfortable read that many of us with young children can relate to as we prepare ourselves for the series of "Senior Years" to come.....
Just to set the record straight.......2007-07-31
Someone used my name to write a negative review of this book on July 10. It's not like my name is even medium-sized in the larger sportswriting world, but it bothered me. I spoke to Amazon about having it taken down (they're working on it) but the Amazon folks also suggested that I write my own review to clear the matter up and to counter-balance the other. In truth I haven't read Dan's book, though the New York Post's Mike Vaccaro gave it a rave notice in his column, which is more than good enough for me. But while I only met Dan once, years ago, he was nothing but nice to me and I didn't want my name associated with ripping his book. -- Thanks, Pete McEntegart, SI.com
Insightful tale of fatherhood through the prism of sports.......2007-07-20
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I have other Shaugnhessy books, including Reversing the Curse. I've been reading his columns since he covered the Celtics as a beat writer many years ago, and I was suprised to discover wisecracking Dan could offer such moving insights on how to handle a son without being overly involved or intrusive. He very successfully combines tales of his own high school career with that of his son, and it really does transcend that personal story by shining a very keen light on the differences and similarities between teenage-hood today vs. thirty years ago. I know some have written that the son seems callous and spoiled, but to me he just seems like a very typical, contemporary teenager, although it is impressive how close this boy was to his family -- even if it takes him a while to reveal his innermost fears. The Shaugnhessy-bashers will hate this, but it's clear throughout just how tightknit the family is. Dan has very strong opinions about parents' need to be back off from too much involvement in their children's lives, while also forcing them to assume adult-like responsibilities, in this case, to their team and their teammates. I found it all very refreshing and inspiring. There's also a very moving portrait of a community here -- not just among the parents of the son's baseball team, but also the neighbors in their section of Newton. In a world where everyone is supposed to be isolated from their neighbor, it was very encouraging to see a group of people who rally to support each other in good times and bad. My only complaints are two trivial ones -- after taking glee in making fun of Alanis Morissette for not knowing the difference between irony and coincidence, I would have expected this Globe writer and Holy Cross grad (my alma mater, too) to know that he shouldn't write -- three times no less -- about his son feeling "badly" when the context had nothing to do with Sam losing sensation in his fingertips. And Dan, it's "en masse" not "en mass." Dan also needs to let go of his obsession with ripping Curt Schilling every chance he gets -- as he once again calls him a blowhard here. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and hope Dan continues to broaden his writing horizon because I look forward to whatever topic he may decide to tackle next. (I do wonder, though, what price young Sam may have to pay as he walks around the BC campus this year, with anyone who's willing to read the book being able to get such an intimate portrait of his life.)
Customer Reviews:
WOW! We have writings of early trusted church pastors!.......2007-05-27
Why isn't this book on every evangelical seminary's guidebook to help us avoid many of the false teachings of the modern cults and churches? After studying in seminary and being mostly influenced by Dallas Seminary's Lewis Sperry Chafer and majority of trusted pastors of the last 150-200 years (Charles Spurgeon, Charles Swindoll, Graham, Kenneth Wuest, D.L. Moody, Matthew Henry, G.Campbell Morgan, J. Vernon Mcgee, and host of other popular writers), this is the first time I have known that we have actual writings of the early church pastors in such an easy to read guide format.
How the faithful looked at their impending martyrdom is beautifully seen in "the letter of Ignatius to the Church in Rome" and in Pastor Polycarp's martyrdom written down by the faithful for our edification. It is amazing how their view of faith included trust in Christ all the way to the end, just like John Wesley taught.
It is awesome to know that the early Church always baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity as I read in the last pages of this book, in "teachings (didache/gk) of the apostles".
It is awesome to read that worshipping Christ as God was a normal practice of faith among early Christians from the beginning and how much these trusted pastors exalted our LORD's words and life, death and resurection as the foundation for all Christians.
Surprisingly, our early church also saw great significance in the life of Christ as they saw our imitation of Christ's Perfect life to be a holy goal of every Christian every day of our lives. They did not interpret "be ye perfect as your Father in Heaven is" allegorically or as pre-Grace-dispensational in any way. To them, good works of Love motivated by Faith in Christ's Perfect Life and passionate suffering at the Cross, with His victory over satan through death and Resurrection, was a much stronger emphasis of the basis for our Salvation than simply saying a "magical" 4 laws or sinner's prayer to welcome Jesus in our hearts. The early Church's view of God's Grace is clear: "By Grace you are saved, not by your own doing, but by the will of God in Christ Jesus" spoken by Polycarp, the trusted disciple of John called and appointed to lead the Church in Smyrna. However, it is also true that they took Paul's words in Galations 5 as Holy Scripture and took all of Christ's words inline with James' letter, rather than show an adverserial relationship between Christian good works and our faith in Christ. To them, Christ's calling to holiness, His perfect obedience through the pains of the cross, revealed faithful calling of the Christian to live holy lives as part of our salvation, rather than as a separate past/present/future salvation message that I have heard by majority of our teachers in the past 200 years.
I was surprised to read that John Calvin, Martin Luther, and John Wesley, honored many of these early Christian writings and always taught reading them for edification and Biblical understanding as PART of our sola scriptura belief, and they never intended that anyone should read the scriptures and privately interpret it against the writings of all these early church pastor's teachings. No wonder all Christians everywhere agreed for majority of the first 1800 years of our faith on the significance of Baptism, Holy communion and hosts of other early church practices and beliefs and none of them tried to use "saved by Grace unto good works" as beyond what the early church taught, that there are jewish cereminial laws we were freed from unto Christian good works in Love.
The view of humility in Ignatius truly is humbling against majority of our teaching in the western culture, since he would never want any believer to independent of the Apostolic Christian Church to exalt oneself above the honest teachings of the Apostles and trusted pastors of the early church.
I would highly recommend this translation. Easy to read and follow without liberal antiChristian slants from some other early church books. The print material is also easy to read unlike the glaring papers used by Meier's Eusebius edition and there is not much antiChristian antihistorical Christian bias one finds in some of the early church translations.
Book.......2007-01-05
Excellent,
Every true Christian should read this. and know what the early church founding fathers Really Believed
Descriptive Insight of Early Christian Lives.......2006-12-15
'Early Christian Writings' is a collection of various epistles, as well as an account of the martyrdom of Polycarp, a religious leader for 1st century Smyrnea. The language is beautiful and eloquent, worthy of any Christian library. Literature is noncanonical, although professionally accepted as authentic 1st century Christian writing.
I wholesomely recommend this book to all peoples, and, were I a minister, would encourage my congregation to partake of the wondrous sustenance it bears for the soul.
Peace to you in His name,
RSM
Evangelical shake-up.......2006-07-09
This is one of those paradigm-changing books. At least, its the one that has brought me closest to converting from Baptistic evangelicalism to Orthodoxy (or, to a lesser extent, Catholicism).
The letters of St. Ignatius were particularly troubling - in a good way. I was taken aback by his hardcore bishop-and-eucharistic centered theology, as well as his clearly defined tripartite form of church government of bishop, priest and deacon. His letters, which also powerfully attest to the martyr spirituality of the early church, really caused me to re-think whether congregationalism is right interpretation of Scripture. I mean, exegeting the Scriptures alone doesn't seem to yield a single conclusion, but to have a record of an episcopal form of church government from a bishop who was purportedly acquainted with the Apostle John... well that's got to count for something, right?
All of the works in this volume are elegantly translated, and would do any Christian a world of good to read, especially evangelicals who are wanting to be introduced to the writings of the Church Fathers and who don't know where to start. Without question, this is the book to begin with, for the best, and earliest source materials, in an easy to read, yet intelligent, translation.
a quick review.......2006-03-06
An excellent introduction to the apostolic fathers, including very helpful introductions and footnotes for context, and a much more modern translation of texts than is found in the Loeb Classical Library.
Book Description
This work brings together for each day of the year three prayer practices for contemplative living: first, a brief "active prayer"; second, spiritual reading; and, third, Lectio Divina. The brief introductory prayer sentences are from various sources - the Bible and traditional prayers of the church or of well-known spiritual writers. The spiritual readings come from eleven of Father Keating's books and one audiotape, with a month's worth of readings derived from each work. Each day's entry concludes with a brief selection from the Bible, or Lectio Divina.
Customer Reviews:
Transforming Us Into Christ.......2007-06-09
Centering prayer has one primary goal: to transform us into the image of Christ. This day-by-day reinforcement of the means of that transformation is invaluable. I use it every day.
Thomas Keating.......2007-03-13
The words from sacred scripture chosen for daily consumption are selected from many sources and reach through the page to inspiration.
Good things come in small packages.......2007-03-12
This book gives you a short devotional thought each day that gives you a lot to chew on. I am finding this helpful in conjucntion with some other resources from the Contemplative Outreach Center. It is supplementing my spiritual discipline practices and helping me connect with God.
The Daily Reader Fits the Daily Schedule.......2006-07-03
Excellent opportunity for short contemplative prayer time or for expanded prayer time utilizing centering prayer and lectio divina with provided selections. Like the notion of themes. Excellent.
meditation for a day.......2005-10-14
This wonderful book provides a biblical quote for every day and a short meditation on it. It provides something to ponder during those free moments during the day when you wish to turn your thoughts to God and refresh your spirit for the tasks at hand.
Customer Reviews:
Singing Praises.......2007-03-12
What a rare and wonderful talent. A story so moving, told with love and an incredible witt. I eagerly await the next Angermeyer story. Do yourself a favor and get lost in a tale of determination and mastery at it's finest in reading My Father's Island: A Galapagos Quest. You will not be disappointed.
A wonderfully well-written story........1999-09-27
"My Father's Island" captures the sense of adventure, wonder, and fear of pioneer life on the Galapagos. The story is both humorous and tragic, and the book is compelling enough to read in one sitting.
A delightful biography and travelogue........1998-05-26
"My Father's Island" is absolutely delightful. The book includes a very amusing view of cultural differences as seen by young Johanna; first between America and Quito, Ecuador and then between civilized Quito and the rugged pioneer lifestyle required just a few decades ago in the Galapagos.
The flora and fauna of the islands are more accurately named and described here than in the book "Floreanna." I recommend "My Father's Island" over "Floreanna" for providing more information on the islands, the lifestyle and for a more compelling story.
I now feel that I have a better idea of the hardships and challenges faced by the early settlers to the Galapagos. And, to top it off real life love stories are included, too!
I am looking forward to Johanna Angermeyer's next book.
Amazon.com
Strong is the urge to write one's life story as a keepsake for oneself and one's family. The difficulty is knowing where to start, and then where to go from there. Carl and David Marshall, a grandfather-grandson team, have created a fine and fun do-it-yourself autobiography. The cover of the journal-sized Book of Myself is intended to resemble handmade paper; the inside pages have the yellowed hue of a keepsake found in a musty attic trunk. The book is not especially pretty. But the questions--one per page, divided into early, middle, and late years, and then again into sections concerning family, friends, education, work and responsibilities, and the world--are good enough that it hardly matters. Among the 201 jumping-off points included here are questions concerning childhood toys, crushes, and forbidden exploits; adult embarrassments, betrayals, and achievements; and how one's views change over the years. --Jane Steinberg
Book Description
Strong is the urge to write one's life story as a keepsake for oneself and one's family. The difficulty is knowing where to start, and then where to go from there. Carl and David Marshall, a grandfather-grandson team, have created a fine and fun do-it-yourself autobiography. The cover of the journal-sized Book of Myself is intended to resemble handmade paper; the inside pages have the yellowed hue of a keepsake found in a musty attic trunk. The book is not especially pretty. But the questions--one per page, divided into early, middle, and late years, and then again into sections concerning family, friends, education, work and responsibilities, and the world--are good enough that it hardly matters. Among the 201 jumping-off points included here are questions concerning childhood toys, crushes, and forbidden exploits; adult embarrassments, betrayals, and achievements; and how one's views change over the years. --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews:
Bought one for Mom and Daughter.......2007-09-06
After purchasing this book for myself, I bought one for my Mother and Daughter. What a great journal of your life and thoughts!
If you have the time.......2007-07-23
My husband and I bought these to fill out together, but it's not really like that. They are in depth answers that require thought. Perfect for self reflection if you have a lot of time to write. Good thought provoking questions.
get to know yourself with this.......2007-03-19
Great tool to get to know yourself and for others to get to know you
Great gift for parents.......2006-12-07
I gave this book to my father many years ago, and had completely forgotten about it. He recently passed away and, when going through his things, I found the book. He had completed it. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to have his words and thoughts in writing, many of those words and thoughts quite new to me! My brothers and I will treasure this book forever...once a gift to him, now a gift to us.
This book is a hit with my mother and relatives!.......2006-04-16
For my mother's 60th birthday, she told me she'd like to reflect on her life thus far. I'd seen books of this nature, in which the reader can fill out question to create an easy autobiography. After using reading lots of different reviews on these types of books, The Book of Myself stood out with the best ratings. I bought the book from another bookstore, and from just skimming through the book I loved its questions. Finally, I presented it to my mother at her birthday dinner. She beamed with excitement when I explained the nature of the book, and she repeatedly said it's just what she wanted. After the dinner, she immediately called her sisters and told them about the book. They said they would like one for a christmas present, and eventually have all their siblings fill out the book. In light of other deaths in the family, my elders were seeking ways to preserve their memories. They're looking forward to discussing the questions as a group, and recalling all the chapters of their lives. Also, my mom told her co-worker about the book, who in turn wanted one for herself! "You see," my mother said, "this book you gave me is really taking off."
I love seeing my mother's enthusiasm for the book, and she informs me of her progress in filling it out. She decided to type her answers to the questions, and she's saving her answers on a keepsake CD. My father and aunts will be doing the same, and we anticipate having a memory box full of these books and autobiography CDs! Overall, I'm so blessed to have stumbled upon this book, it seems like it's becoming an integral part of preserving family memories.
Amazon.com
"Half of my poet friends," confides Donald Hall, one of America's best poets and essayists, "think I am insane to waste my time writing about sports and to loiter in the company of professional athletes. The other half would murder to take my place." Either way, aficionados--both of games and words--should simply be thankful.
Hall's lyrical voice, graceful craft, and spiritual bravado are evident throughout from the opening title essay--a first-person reminiscence of a spring-training sojourn with the Pirates--to a meditation on football that serves as the volume's final gun. In between, he offers lovely, finely tuned odes to Fenway Park, Old Timers' games, Ping-Pong, and former Celtic forward Kevin McHale. From a reader's perspective, "Proseball," a grand tour of baseball literature, is particularly poignant; as Hall goes down his line-up, your heart should break when you realize just how much good writing--from Roger Angell, Thomas Boswell, and Red Smith, for starters--is currently, and tragically, out of print. --Jeff Silverman
Book Description
In the pantheon of great sports literature, not a few poets have tried their hand at paying tribute to their love affair with the game -- Walt Whitman, Marianne Moore, and William Carlos Williams among them. This elegant volume collects Donald Hall’s prose about sports, concentrating on baseball but extending to basketball, football and Ping-Pong. The essays are a wonderful mixture of reminiscence and observation, of baseball and of fathers and sons, of how a game binds people together and bridges generations.
Customer Reviews:
Nostalgic look at our childhood memories........1999-03-31
Donald Hall had taken me by the hand and walked me up the runway into the Polo Grounds for my first baseball game all over again. His recap from the drive to the ballpark, the surroundings, the weather right to the clothes he wore made me feel like it was 1962. This is a must read for a father of a young boy who is just starting to attend sporting events. The stories brought a tingle to my spine and a tear to my eye. I relived watching Larry Jackson beat my Mets and remembered getting my first autograph by Sandy Koufax. Being 42 didn't matter anymore, I felt like I was 6 years old again and seeing the greenest grass I had ever witnessed albeit at such a young age and growing up in New York City. It is a book you read to your son at bedtime and you hope he never falls asleep so you can keep reading.
Book Description
Why Children Need Wild Places
In this unique collaboration, two naturalists ask what may happen now that so many more children are denied exposure to wildness than at any other time in human history.
"This thoughtful presentation, testifying to children's need for direct contact with nature, has value for parents and those who work with children."
-Publishers Weekly
Customer Reviews:
interesting, pretty pictures, but blah.......2004-03-21
As the reader breebree mentioned, it is more of a reflection and definitely not a guide to parenting. I found this book to have interesting insights as the authors thought back to their childhoods with a different perspective, and observed the reactions of their children and those of others to their landscape. There were a bunch of cute little nostalgic tales but not a lot of impact. There are messages in there, but they're diffuse. I wish they had put more emphasis on their points or otherwise offered a more concrete discussion than just offering personal examples, muse a bit, and leave it there. It gave enough perspective to discuss our childhoods in small groups but beyond that I didn't find much use for this book.
I was even more disappointed when I discovered that many of Nabhan's stories were presented in Cultures of Habitiat, a book tat was printed later but I had read first.
This is a rambling, musing, anecdotal, diffusely reflective book. Not my cup of tea.
The landscape through a child's eyes.......2000-04-29
Gary Nabhan and Stephen Trimble have penned a fine collection of essays on how children perceive and play in their environment. References are made to psychological studies that support a child's need for wild places, but the real value I see in this book comes from the authors' own anecdotal experiences with their children. If you are a parent of small children, you will especially enjoy the ideas you will get for places to take children to play and explore. Read this book and you will begin to learn why children need to experience wild places. And why, as adults, if we share the "hands-on" experiences with our kids, our own connection to the landscape becomes more deeply rooted.
I loved it!.......2000-02-09
At first glance, this book seems to be another in a long line of published material telling parents how to be good parents. But it really seemed like a personal reflection of what makes life great through a child's eyes. Instead of trying to raise a child through adult methods, this book shows that through simply remembering what being a child was and why it was fun is enough to help you understand what your child is thinking. Through this understanding, you will become a great parent. I was very pleased with my purchase and recommend this book to anyone that has had any contact with children.
Customer Reviews:
Heard Sue William at a reading.......2007-09-03
The story belongs to the one who tells it best. This will never be topped. Sensitive and brave, Sue William finds the words to tell the truth and heal not only her own soul but many others.
The Best Book I've read about Sexual Abuse.......2007-07-14
There is a reason why this book has such a high customer rating. I have never read such a well written and beautifully articulated story of horrendous abuse. I read ALOT of books on this subject. None can compare. It addresses the subject of incest by a father and an enabling mother. It speaks of her relationship with her parents well after the abuse has ended. Anyone who must, or choose, to stay in relationship with their abuser will relate to this. There is much to connect with in her story. Buy it quickly!
A Stunning Memoir .......2007-06-26
I bought this book with hesitancy due to what I thought would be wading through the horrors of family incest, however; Silverman writes with such beautiful prose she makes the subject remain heartwrenching, yet readable in one of those books that does not come along very often. Her account is horrific and not for the faint of heart, but the writing and her courage to to endure and survive the atrocities of her childhood give the reader faith in how strong the human spririt can truly be. An amazing story told by an amazing woman who is obviously also a very gifted writer.
A Terrible Tragedy.......2007-05-15
It's hard to reflect on the book because it is so disturbing. The title alone is disturbing. One more example of the destructiveness and far reaching consequences of sin. God never intended for things to be this way. But something has happened to the human race. Man is capable of things that animals don't do. It is a dreadful thing. The hearts of people, unrestrained, imagine all manor of evil and wickedness. For a young girl to be terrorized by her father and have seemingly no real closure to it all is almost mind numbing. Only God can heal trauma like this. Notice I did not say 'control the symptoms'. I read this book to gain an understanding of what women go through who experience these things. I can say with certainty that not all end up as does this book. My hope and prayer is that she and others like Sue turn to Christ who alone can shoulder this burden.
Shocking.......2006-12-14
This is an excellent book written in the form of a memoir. Sue Silverman can weave together words quite eloquently. You can sense her soul as she tell the most horrific abuses she endured at the hands of her own father. It is sad, and will bring tears to even the most hardened of souls. I commend her for being courageous and sharing her most painful moments with us readers. She is worthy of praise.
Book Description
The writings of the Church Fathers affirming the Reformation principle of Sola Scriptura.
Customer Reviews:
Quotations of Church Fathers Teaching Formal Sufficiency.......2006-12-18
[This is the same introduction that I gave to my review for Vol. I and II. The actual review below is different.] Although it does not cover every disputed exegetical and historical question in detail (and what book could without making the volume massive!), I give this three volume set five stars since there is simply nothing else like it from the Protestant/Evangelical side out there. Since it is a popular polemical work, I shall use a polemical tone in my review. But, before I get to the review, I would like to note that much of the criticisms of this work by the Roman Catholics below are actually addressed in the three volumes. These people remind me of the militant Darwinists who don't even read I.D. books before giving the book a one-star review and repeating ad infinitum ad nauseum the same tired arguments the book tries to address. So, now to the review:
Volume Three:
This volume is simply a "quote book". In chapter 1, King and Webster list the quotes from the church fathers that explicitly state that all doctrines of faith and morals have their basis in Scripture. As one of the more hostile reviewers (but more thoughtful than the one-star review types) noted, some of the quotes don't actually state material sufficiency; rather, they show that the church fathers derived doctrine from Scripture. Perhaps one could say that the cumulative weight of the quotations, from say Justin Martyr, deriving every major doctrine of Christianity from Scripture would show that he believed in material sufficiency. This is probably what the authors had in mind. Secondly, it must be noted (contrary to a previous reviewer) that, although most Roman Catholic (R.C. from now on) apologists believe in material sufficiency (but deny perspicuity), a denial of material sufficiency was the *most* widely held opinion in the R.C. Church in ages past (including the majority of bishops at the Council of Trent), and it is still denied by some today. Thus, this 128 page section is very much needed simply to establish the historicity of sola Scriptura completely.
Chapter 2 is a 13 page section that lists the quotes from fathers such as Cyril of Jerusalem and (mostly) Augustine that explicitly state that the Scriptures have ultimate authority and *judge* the doctrines of men, even bishops. In other words, these church fathers expected their hearers and readers to search the Scriptures to see if the bishops' doctrines were true. This clearly presupposes that the laity could understand Scripture apart from the bishop telling them its meaning. For example, I'll quote Cyril of Jerusalem: "For concerning the divine and holy mysteries of the Faith, not even a causal statement must be delivered without the Holy Scriptures; nor must we be drawn aside by mere plausibility and artifices of speech. Even to me, who tell thee these things, give not absolute credence, unless thou receive the proof of the things which I announce from the Divine Scriptures. For this salvation which we believe depends not on ingenious reasoning, but on demonstration of the Holy Scriptures."
Chapter 3 is about an 80 page section that lists the quotes from the fathers that show that they believed that Scripture was, for the most part, clear and easily discernable, especially those doctrines that are necessary for salvation and morals as well. Unlike some of the reviewers below, these quotes are not at all irrelevant since material sufficiency combined with perspicuity is the very substance of sola Scriptura! What need have we of an infallible interpreter or oral "Traditions" (which supposedly also "properly" interpret Scripture) if everything we need is found in Scripture and is sufficiently clear to be discerned?!? Material Sufficiency + Perspicuity = Formal Sufficiency (i.e. sola Scriptura).
The next chapter, ch.4, is a list of church father quotes that teach the principle that clearer Scriptures interpret less clear/difficult ones. This section is very necessary since R.C. apologists frequently mock this foundational belief of the Protestant doctrine of Scripture.
Chapter 5 lists those quotes which teach "The Holy Spirit Makes Scripture Understandable for Those who Pray and Walk in Obedience" (chapter title).
Chapter 6 and 7 is on the necessity of diligent study and private reading of Scripture for an understanding of Scripture. This shows that the policy toward the laity reading the Scriptures differed greatly than that of the Medieval Roman Church and (for the most part) the Roman Church of today.
Now, I would like to respond to a few of the criticisms below. In one review (P.J. Porvaznik), it is claimed that Webster and King are trying to establish that the church fathers believed in sola Scriptura in the full, modern, Protestant sense. On the contrary, they make it clear throughout their work that the fathers sometimes used "tradition" as a guide. However, they also make it clear that the fathers never believed that "tradition" was an *infallible* source of authority. In Vol. II of this series, Webster quotes a Roman Catholic historian that sums up the argument the two authors are trying to make quite well:
"The Fathers of the Church, St. Augustine above all, themselves practiced that devotion derived from Scripture, whose ideal the Protestants steadily upheld; they hardly knew any other. No doubt they were much more careful than many Protestants not to isolate the Word of God in its settled form of Scripture from its living form in the Church, particularly in the liturgy. But, this reserve apart...they were no less enthusiastic, or insistent, or formal, in recommending this use of Scripture and in actually promoting it. Particularly from St. John Chrysostom, one might assemble exhortations and injunctions couched in the most forcible terms; they have often been recalled by those Protestants, from the sixteenth century onwards, the best grounded in Christian antiquity. It would be impossible to find, even among Protestants, statements more sweeping than those in which St. Jerome abounds: Ignoratio scripturarum, ignoratio Christi is doubtless the most lapidary, but not necessarily the most explicit. What is more, in this case just as when the authority of Scripture is viewed as the foundation of theology, the constant practice of the Church, in the Middle Ages as well as in the patristic times, is a more eloquent witness than all the doctors...For them, it was not simply one source among others, but the source par excellence, in a sense the only one."
-Louis Bouyer, The Spirit and Forms of Protestantism (Cleveland: World Publishing, 1964), pp.132-133. Translated by A.V. Littledale. First published by Les Editions du Cerf, Paris, 1954.
Another criticism made by Porvaznik is his appeal to Joe Gallegos' section on patristics as found in "Not by Scripture Alone" as the definitive answer to people like Webster and King. However, Webster, in Vol. II of the series, addresses Gallegos' man-handling of the church fathers extensively. One wonders if Porvaznik actually read the entire work or just read little snippets about it from internet discussion boards.
The next criticism I would like to address comes from A. Renault. His first criticism is the typical "we need the Church Magesterium to determine the books of the canon" argument. Though I don't remember whether this series addresses this argument directly (see especially Chapter 6 of Volume I and Part II of Volume II of this series), it is addressed in just about every standard work on the canon. In my review of Volume II of this work, I suggested Michael Green's "The Books the Church Suppressed". For a popular level work, it goes through how the canon was formed. The canon wasn't done by some Church Magesterium, but rather, it was discovered through historical analysis and debate.
The next few criticisms by A. Renault are all addressed quite thoroughly in Volumes I and II.
Everyone in this debate needs to own this work.
Wonderful quotes, but still lacking.......2005-10-12
The aim of this book is to prove that the Early Church Fathers believed and taught the Reformation doctrine of Sola Scriptura, which proclaims both the "formal" and "material" sufficiency of Scripture (which is to say that Scripture is our final rule for all matters pertaining to faith, and that Scripture is perspicuous enough to be intelligently understood by anyone apart from what the "church" might say). To that end it consists entirely of quotes from the Fathers about Scripture.
Many things struck me as I read this book. First of all, 95% of the quotes are irrelevant to proving the Reformed doctrine of Sola Scriptura, but are still wonderful quotes, and help to show us what a reverent and high view of Scripture the Fathers had. This is something that Protestants, Orthodox, and Catholics can all rejoice in.
The second thing that struck me is that even the term "scripture" is misleading. The implication is that it means the 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New. But the New Testament canon wasn't even universally agreed upon until the late 300's AD. And what about the deutero-canonical books? The quote from St. Cyril on pages 59-60 tells us not to read the apocrypha (except for Baruch), nor should we read the book of Revelation! For many years, and by many churches, other early Christian writings were thought canonical, such as the Shepherd of Hermas, or the epistles of Clement and Barnabas. Most Early Fathers considered the Old Testament apocrypha to be canonical. So if Scripture is all we need, one must ask "Which Scripture?"
A third thought is that if the Scriptures are as perspicuous as Protestants claim, then why do Protestants all differ with the almost universally held Patristic beliefs of baptismal regeneration, venerating the ever-virgin Mary, free will, the ability to fall from grace, the real presence of Christ in the eucharist, etc? If Scripture is so perspicuous, and if the Early Church fathers truly believed in the Reformed doctrine of Sola Scriptura, then why didn't they understand that all these things are supposedly wrong?
Fourthly, it must be admitted that these quotes can be a bit misleading. Many of the opponents and heretics that these Fathers were fighting against believed solely in the authority of Scripture. (See, for example, Gregory of Nyssa's comments on pg. 75, paragraphs 1 and 4, and Augustine's comments on pg. 105, paragraph 3.) Thus, when arguing against them, the Fathers are OBVIOUSLY going to use scripture alone. They won't use Holy Tradition to counter a heretic if the heretic doesn't believe in Tradition to begin with. (Interestingly, on pg. 79, Gregory argues against someone "who interprets scripture at his own sweet will." In other words, "Sola Scriptura"!) Likewise, the opening pages of the book show us Justin Martyr arguing against Trypho using scripture alone, and Trypho commending Justin for doing so. But does the casual reader realize that Trypho is a JEW? Obviously Justin can't appeal to Church tradition or even to the New Testament to prove Christianity. Again, when countering the Gnostic emphasis on mystery and secret knowledge, the Fathers are obviously going to emphasize scripture's perspicuity. This in no way proves they believed the Reformed doctrine of Sola Scriptura, but will lead the uninformed reader to think they did.
Finally, though the casual reader wouldn't know this from these quotes alone, the Early Church Fathers generally did and taught things that aren't found anywhere in Scripture. Augustine, Basil, Hippolytus, and Tertullian (just for starters) all repeatedly taught the importance of making the sign of the cross on one's forehead, both for protection from the enemy as well as the right sign to accompany baptisms. Jerome (on pg. 81, paragraph 4) suggests a spiritual act found nowhere in scripture, involving a girl going to the temple with her parents. And of course "temple" is not a New Testament term to describe any building. These are all things that the Fathers could never arrive at if they truly believed in Sola Scriptura.
In conclusion, this is a book filled with wonderful quotes that reveal the Early Fathers' beautifully high view of scripture, but it fails to accomplish its purpose. Unfortunately, without understanding the deeper context, the average Protestant is likely to read this book and say, "Aha! The Early Church Fathers REALLY WERE proto-Protestants. This proves it!"
the title does what?.......2003-05-15
catholic4areason should note that the title of the series is based on a quote from the church Father, Irenaeus. So it would seem that he has not read either. To say the title contradicts Scripture is to say Irenaeus contradicts Scripture.
Phils criticisms are dealt with directly in the books and supported by a great deal of documentation. An example of where his review is misleading is when he claims Webster and King say that the early church contrast scripture and tradition. In fact, not only do Webster and King NOT do this, one of their points is that the modern Catholic church DOES. Tradition, as understood by the patristics, is completely circumscribed BY Scripture and that is one of the MAJOR POINTS. Therefore, the supposed 'contrast' or 'dual authority' of Scripture and Tradition is a result of modern Catholicisms redifintion of the early church's understanding of 'Tradition' (pradosis). Why Phil would seem to suggest otherwise could only be to keep naive Catholics from reading the criticism.
Title contradicts scripture itself..........2002-06-26
The title contradicts scripture itself ... "The Ground and Pillar of Our Faith" ... has the author never read the scripture with open eyes and did he not recognize that even in scripture, the pillar and foundation of all truth is the CHURCH (see 1 Tim 3:15). Any bible-believing Christian should see that...isn't that what believing the bible is all about - believing what it "actually" says. There's much better stuff out there to read if you're looking for the TRUTH. Try looking where Jesus promised to leave all truth...the CHURCH. And, where in scripture does it say that scripture alone is the basis of all TRUTH. This principal seems to be a tradition of men.
Get the 38 Volumes from Eerdmans instead Volume 3.......2001-12-06
REVIEW CONTINUED...
Let's summarize the work of Catholic scholar and theologian Yves Congar -- since Webster and King have tried to use him to support their Protestant fundamentalist/evangelical assertions -- from Tradition and Traditions: An Historical and a Theological Essay (1967), pages 23ff
(A) The true Catholic Faith and true interpretation of the Scriptures is found only in the Church which is bound up with the succession of its ministers (apostolic succession, not of doctrine only -- as wrongly claimed by Webster/King -- but of its bishops, ministers, pastors succeeding the authority of the apostles);
(B) The "rule of faith" or "rule of truth" was not the whole of Tradition; it may be the principal part, but there are other things transmitted from the apostles by tradition: rules of discipline, conduct/behavior, on worship/liturgy, etc.
(C) The content of tradition consisted "materially" of the Scriptures, but "formally" of the Faith of the Catholic Church, its reading of the Scriptures in the Creed, etc; the mere text of Scripture alone was insufficient; heretics also quoted Scripture but they did not read that Scripture in the context of the Tradition or the orthodox Faith of the Catholic Church;
(D) The Catholic Church alone has received the apostolic deposit of truth, for in her the Holy Spirit of truth lives (John 14:16f; 16:13f); the Church alone is the sole inheritor of the true Christian teaching from God through Christ to the Apostles;
(E) This Tradition -- the Church's Tradition -- is itself oral; and if there were no NT Scriptures it would have been sufficient for the Church to follow "the order of tradition" received from the apostles; in the minds of the early Christians it made no difference if the transmission was purely oral since there was an assured connection to the apostles through the Churches founded by the apostles to guarantee authenticity;
(F) Scripture was everything for the Fathers, and Tradition was everything also;
(G) What was the nature of the Church of the Fathers? It was one universal visible Church ruled by a hierarchy of bishops, presbyters/priests, deacons, etc in succession from the apostles (apostolic succession, again not "succession of doctrine" only);
(H) The entire activity of the Fathers demonstrates that they united three terms that were separated and set in opposition by the controversies of the 16th century -- these three terms were Scripture, Tradition, and Church; it was always affirmed that Scripture is the rule and norm of faith only when conjoined to the Church and her Tradition;
(I) Hence, the Scriptures were never considered by the Fathers as formally "sufficient" or exclusive.
See also Congar in "Excursis A: The Sufficiency of Scripture According to the Fathers and Medieval Theologians" for his conclusions on "material sufficiency" in the Fathers.
Congar demonstrates and concludes (after much evidence and analysis) that the Church Fathers did not believe in Sola Scriptura in the "formal sufficiency" sense required by the Protestant Reformers. Webster/King accept this distinction and set out to prove "formal sufficiency" from many quotations of the Fathers. However, they fail to overthrow the consistent conclusions of Schaff, Kelly, Pelikan, and Congar above.
Joe Gallegos in his 160 pages on the Fathers (see Not By Scripture Alone, p. 389-554), following Congar's research, analysis and conclusions, has conceded the "material sufficiency" of Scripture in the Fathers, so "formal sufficiency" is where the debate needs to center. The vast majority of quotations brought forward by Webster/King on the authority, inspiration, inerrancy, power, beauty, etc of Holy Scripture in the Fathers ARE IRRELEVANT TO THE DEBATE. Even the perspicuity (clearness and clarity) of Scripture in the Fathers contradicts the assertions of Webster/King since the Fathers universally interpreted the text of Scripture in accordance with Catholic doctrine today (despite Webster's assertions on Matthew 16:18 which is not a problem -- note the Catechism of the Catholic Church on Matthew 16:18f, paragraphs 424, 442, 552, 586, 756, 881, etc).
Webster/King really could have saved us and them a lot of time by cutting out a great amount of irrelevant material from the three volumes, perhaps add more of a direct "biblical defense" (which is where ultimately their case must be established) of Sola Scriptura, and trimmed it down to one book of about 500 pages.
Volume 3 contains a lot of quotations from the Church Fathers, about 99% of which are irrelevant since no Church Father pitted the Tradition of the Catholic Church or the Dogmas of the Catholic Church AGAINST Scripture, which is what Webster/King would have you believe.
Vatican Council II affirms Sola Scriptura to the fullest extent according to their logic since: the Council Fathers teach the inspiration and authority of Scripture; the inerrancy of Scripture; quote from 2 Tim 3:16-17 the classical Protestant proof text; call Scripture the "Word of God"; say the Word of God for the Church is the "supreme rule of her faith"; that Scripture presents God's own Word in an unalterable form; they are the voice of the Holy Spirit bringing the words of the prophets and apostles to us; that ALL the preaching of the Church, and the ENTIRE Christian religion should be ruled by Scripture; the Word of God has force and power as the Church's support and vigor; the children of the Church get strength for their faith, food for the soul, and find a pure fount of spiritual life in Holy Scripture (see Vatican II Dei Verbum, 11, 21).
If you are an Evangelical or Catholic interested in this issue, you should get these volumes. Then take out the 38 volumes of the Fathers edited by Protestant scholars and see what Webster/King do not tell you. They are available online. And don't forget to purchase the 600 page Not By Scripture Alone: A Catholic Critique of the Protestant Doctrine of Sola Scriptura and compare especially the chapters by Sungenis, Blosser, and Gallegos where they have already answered much that is found in the Webster/King volumes.
Phil Porvaznik
Amazon.com
David and Daniel Hays, father and son, designed and built a small boat together, then set out to sail it around the tip of South America, a journey that David had dreamed of ever since childhood. Along the way they fought and swore and sweated and shared triumphs large and small.
Book Description
A story of adventure on a small boat, for fathers, for sons, and for those who love them. On this voyage the father relinquishes control, the son becomes the captain, and before long they are utterly alone, with only the huge waves of Cape Horn, a compass, a sextant, a pet cat, and the tiny boat they've built together. "The account of the passage, related in alternating sections by father and son, will be read with delight 100 years from now."--William F. Buckley, The New York Times Book Review, front page; "A must read for sailors of the sea and of the heart."--Eco Traveler.
Over three months as a New York Times Bestseller. A Literary Guild and a Nautical Book Club selection.
Customer Reviews:
Do you have a father?.......2006-11-29
Do you have a son? Have you ever dreamed of a sailing
adventure? This is a book about fathers, sons and
adventures. David and Daniel Hays had a unusual
partnership. This father and son team built a sailboat
together and then sailed it through the Panama Canal
and around Cape Horn.
Just the thought of that accomplishment is enough to
stun me to silence. But wait, as they say on late
night TV, there's more. The narration of the voyage is
shared in alternate chapters by the two men. They are
each astonishingly engaging writers and very willing
to share feelings about this enterprise and each other.
There is no posturing in their writing, just the sense
of hearing the voices of a particular family.
And what voices they are! You would be hard pressed to
find two more engaging writers. Even Dan's account
of being rolled by a Brazilian prostitute is,you should
pardon the expression, infectious.
Ignore the snarky title. This book is much better than
that and would make the perfect Fathers' Day gift from
or to a man you would like to have share your adventures.
--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the forthcoming novel bang BANG from Kunati Books.ISBN 9781601640005
Mildly interesting, turned off by language.......2005-02-18
I was enjoying this moderately until right about midway (between Galapagos and Easter Island) when the language got rougher than the seas and I deep-sixed it. After reading Joshua Slocum's "Sailing Alone Around The World", (a tremendous story!) this book seemed crude and sophomoric.
My old Man and the Sea.......2002-09-01
I listened to the audio version during a cross country drive with a friend. Along the way, we found ourselves laughing at times, crying at others. Our trip had a lot of ups and downs, much like their travels- of course the amenities of driving a car cross country cannot compare to sailing a boat around the horn!Anyway, my friend identified a little more with the older character, while I identified with his son- it made us think a little more about each others perspective. Definitely the best book on tape I've ever heard.
Inspiring!.......2002-08-07
David and Daniel Hays are the first Americans to sail around Cape Horn in a boat under 30 feet in length. "My Old Man and the Sea" is the inspiring true story of a father and son's 17,000-mile voyage in a 25-foot yacht named Sparrow to the bottom of the world and back.
Although David and Dan sailed the easier route from the Pacific into the Atlantic with the prevailing westerly winds and currents they endured horrific storms that included Dan being tossed overboard during Sparrows dangerous sideways roll.
The tale is even more impressive when you learn that they chose to sail simply, without an engine and used a sextant and compass instead of a navigational system. David explains, "Our sport is to tune our senses not our instruments."
David and Dan's eloquent descriptions of the magnificence of the ocean and the magic of sailing brought back fond memories of my own six-month adventure hitchhiking on sailboats in the Bahamas. Like them, I was inspired to write a book titled "Earth, the Forgotten Temple." Tales concerning profound encounters with Mother Ocean and her other wilderness places need to be shared.
Most moving of all, despite conflicts, the deep love between the father and the son shine through to warm us all.
A Good Sailing Yarn.......2002-08-05
I liked this book and found it to be a good sea story. It is well written and interesting. I especially enjoyed the father's recounting of his memories of boating with his own father before WWII and other random tales. And while I admire the courage of David and Dan's low-tech approach, I do not think this is something for us sailors to emulate; and indeed much has changed in the few years since the book was written due to GPS and improved communications.
The book has its faults. There is a bit too much patronizing half-baked philosophy and sentimental cogitating about personal relationships for my tastes, and the father/son-love-discovery bit gets to be cloying. The title is an indication of much of the off-the-wall, Woody Allen type humor that characterizes their writing. Sometimes their recounting of the jokes they play on each other, and the witty observations they make seem to be aimed at impressing the reader with how clever the authors are. I know they are wittier than I am, but instead of being entertaining, their superior wit left me brooding about my own inadequecies. (Note: Although Bill Bryson is very witty he never leaves the reader feeling inferior or inadequate.)
The actual voyage that the father and son made is not that remarkable and has been done by dozens of yachties. Nevertheless there are details, such as managing with a small motorless yacht, that make the story interesting. Dan and David are expert sailors and boatbuilders and there is much for the weekend sailor to learn from this book about boat handling and managing. Also I found the descriptions of the off-the-beaten-track places that they visited to be perceptive and engaging.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in books about voyaging in small boats (and who has a tolerance for BS).
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Books Index
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General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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The Entitled
Is This a Great Game, or What?: From A-Rod's Heart to Zim's Head--My 25 Years in Baseball
Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits
The 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox: Pandemonium on the Field
Impossible to Forget: The Story of the '67 Boston Red Sox
