Book Description
This well loved writer effectively uses his personal mistakes to illustrate riveting truths about repentance and forgiveness. As he focuses on the true authority of God, he is careful to explain by example the important difference between "submission" and "obedience."
The same struggle with divine authority is also represented through the lives of John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul, and other biblical figures. An especially helpful book for Christians who want to develop a serious pursuit of God.
Customer Reviews:
Faith builder.......2007-07-16
Respect for authority in and out of church is at a all time low. I'm not saying that I agree with everything word for word, but I do understand and live by the thought that if we (as in all people) can not function under authority we'll never be able to function in it! I try not to forget that just like the roman centurion Jesus is under the father's authority and he never disobeyed.
Spritual Poison.......2007-07-16
This is one of the most abusive and manipulative teachings under the classification "Christian literature" that I have ever read. While the idea and importance of submitting to Gods inherent authority is indisputable, The agendaized, one-sided presentation of it is categorically false. In this book Bevere neglects to teach the full council of God as represented by Christ in his resistance to the religious authority of His day. As is shown in the Gospels, Christ rebukes, resists, confronts, questions, and evades those in authority until His appointed time. Never, through Christ's actions or words, does He suggest mindless submission to errant authority. John the Baptist resisted and rebuked the religious and civil authority; Paul confronted Peter's hypocrisy, he didn't submit to and follow his wrong example; although David didn't take Saul's life, because it wasn't his to take, neither did David utterly submit to Saul's errant authority but withstood Saul until God's appointed time.
This Book promotes "a different Gospel" Throughout this book. It suggests that we must get right first (thru repentance) before God will accept us. Though repentance is an essential component of salvation it doesn't suggest perfection but a change in pursuit; we no longer pursue the things of the world but the things of God. All throughout his book Bevere's statements suggest a works salvation, a salvation that is obtained through correctness and self-effort rather than the work that Christ has done. Bevere suggests that God is not able to have grace (unmerited favor) on anyone unless his personal work is right. Everywhere I turn in Bevere's book I read a gospel of works salvation. Biblically, those who teach or hold this position are categorically, false teachers.
THE GOSPEL IS SIMPLE; Christ died for the sins of the world, not only for eternal life but also for the result of sin in the world today. You don't have to work for God to be able to have mercy on you; God is able regardless of your efforts. It is faith alone in Christ and His atoning work on the cross that saves. No amount of work can be done, in this present life, to improve your condition, Christ has done it all; faith in His work is sufficient for all and that faith in Christ secures your right standing with the Almighty. If you believe that Christ died on the cross for your sins, then you are "in Christ."
So why do we work? Simple, it is an expression of love and appreciation to God for His infinite mercy. When we circumvent Christ's work with our own we are attempting to work for our salvation and this brings us under the requirement of being 100% perfect to be saved.
I plead with anyone considering this book, in the name of our Lord and savior, Christ Jesus, avoid it, IT IS POISON!!!!
Doctrine of Demons.......2007-07-11
There are numerous instances of "proof-texting" in this book. Scriptures are taken out of context in order to create a new doctrine, similar to what Satan attempted with Jesus. Specifically, Acts 26:14, Matthew 21:31, 1 Corinthians 11:31, 2 Peter 2:19, Exodus 9:16, 1 Peter 2:17, and the list goes on. Here are three important examples:
1) Bevere quotes Psalm 91:1-He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. A shadow is a likeness of someone, meaning Christlikeness produces rest. Bevere extrapolates the word shadow to mean covering, but the word "covering" isn't in the Bible the way Bevere teaches.
2) Exodus 9:16 "But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." The words "raised you up" in the original Hebrew mean "to stand." In context, this means that God spared Pharaoh from the plagues, thereby granting him mercy. Bevere implies that God put Pharaoh in power, giving him authority. Bevere assigns the work of the enemy to God.
3) Bevere quotes Romans 9:18 and Romans 11:33-34 as if they read together. This totally changes the meaning!
We are told in the 10 Commandments to honor our parents, but to worship only God. We must never idolize pastors or institutions. It is time for reform in the church! Moses' authority was Old Covenant. Jesus is the New Covenant head of the church, and His church is a living organism, not in institution. Never forget, Jesus criticized and was insubordinate towards religious authority/hierarchy, yet all the while, He was submitted to God.
Life Changing.......2007-07-09
This book, along with another of John Bevere's books "How to Respond When You Feel Mistreated" have absolutely changed my life for the better. I have a freedom in my heart that I have never experienced!
The devil exposed .......2007-05-30
What an eye opening book.I thank God for making me purchase this book.Every believer should be aware of the message written herein to help them with their spiritual walk.
Book Description
Your Answer is Right Under Your Nose. With God's Help You Can Master Your Mouth! You and I go through life with an awesome power-like fire or electricity or nuclear energy-right under our noses, one that can produce death or life, depending on how it is used. -Joyce Meyer. By applying the biblical truths outlined in this book, you will learn: -The effect of your words in the natural realm. -How to speak God's language. -How to break the chains of the past. -How to cross over to victory. -Plus much more! Amos 3:3 (KJV) says, Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Bring your mouth into agreement with God ...and begin to walk in victory!Is your mouth busy telling about all the troubles in your life? Does it seem as though your mouth has a mind if its own? Put your mouth on a crash course to victory. You can take hold of the words you speak and make them work for you! Me and My Big Mouth will show you how to train your mouth to speak words that will put you over in this life. Bestselling author Joyce Meyer emphasizes that speaking the Word of God must be coupled with living a life of complete obedience to the Word of God in order to see the full power of God flowing in your life.
Customer Reviews:
Decent book--Very convicting!.......2007-09-21
I purchased this for a bible study at my church and have been reasonably happy with it. I don't totally agree with some of her concepts, but the general idea is definitely worthwhile.
A must for those who have the "I can't believe I said that!" moments!
Well-Written and Quality Printing.......2007-03-27
We have watched Joyce Meyer's weekly (Mon-Fri) program for a few years now and overall find her to be a very good practical teacher on how Scripture corresponds with daily life issues. The product is formatted well and is designed to partner with her book of the same title. A worthwhile topic!
Your way to Success.......2007-01-05
I was giving this book by a spiritual mother. Joyce, in her tell it like it is manner, informs us of how we set ourselves up for the 'lesser' things of life.
She gives a practical spin to the scripture 'life and death is in the power of the tongue". Its not about get rich scheme success or how to name it and claim it; this book teaches you how to train your ear and bridle your tongue to only speak what will manifest Godly character in your life. It also teaches us about the ills we do to poison our spirits and how to be liberated! PRAISE GOD!
Me And My Big Mouth.......2007-01-03
This is a great study for anyone who has a mouth, not just "big" mouth! Our words are the fruit of our thoughts. This book is an eye opener for how our words affect our lives and the lives of those around us. This is great for men and women.
You have two ears and 1 mouth for a reason.......2006-09-18
I had this book for a while now and I decided to read it. I am so glad I did because it was just what I needed. I learned so much and I'm sure you will too.
It is really great how Joyce has stories about her life that you can relate to.
Customer Reviews:
Concise and To The Point.......2005-06-14
This book covers every aspect,of the Native American Church, necessary to provide the reader with a good solid understanding of the significance and importance,of it, not only in the Native American population, but the religious freedoms of the United States as well. Highly recommended for anyone who has an interest in this church, Native American Studies or in religious freedom. Well written and well organized,(Co-Authored by significant member of the church). Includes history and the Religious Freedom Act (1994)
Highly Recommended
Entheogens: Professional Listing.......1999-05-01
"One Nation Under God" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy" http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy
Book Description
One Cosmos Under God takes the reader on an intellectual and spiritual journey through the whole of creation, describing the evolution of the cosmos from the big bang to the ultimate state of consciousness. It is a comprehensive, self-consistent account of our universe which draws out implications of the latest scientific knowledge and accessibly harmonizes material from a wide range of disciplines. The book also provides a "road map" for serious spiritual aspirants of all faiths who wish to establish an experiential relationship to the non-local dimension that is the ultimate source and destiny of our cosmos.
One Cosmos under God represents nothing less than a new religio-scientific "mythunderstanding" for our time, in which humans are cosmologically situated and revealed to be the key to fathoming the mystery of existence itself. Daring to venture where language cannot go, One Cosmos actually begins in the "mind of God" prior to creation, and culminates in the "mind of the saint" who has transcended the culturally conditioned ego, awakened from the nightmare of history, and merged with the divine mind.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Book!.......2007-10-17
This is a life altering book from a rare and gifted mind, who's book and its companion blog present God in such a way as to introduce serious doubt into the mind of the staunchest atheist.
This eye opening foray through the cosmos reintroduces you to the concept of God and helps erase some of the lingering dismisiveness that many of us continue to harbor on the subject from our young know it all years.
Another added benefit from reading this book is that you are introduced to a good number of other intriguing authors who've been under appreciated thus far.
The following is a quote that I've heard regarding this author and it is definitely true, "If you read this author your brain will thank you."
Wow... uh?... Yes!.......2007-08-16
I agree with the other reviewers here, this is a magnificent book that spans eons of time and numerous disciplines...
I picked up Robert Godwin's book after his intriguing interview in `What is Enlightenment' magazine...
It's not an easy book to read, but this is in no way a lack in Godwin's writing style which is engaging, clear and humorous... No the difficulty comes from the depth and breadth of the subject matter...
This is an Integral approach to what is basically the spiritual, psychological and corporeal history of the Cosmos no less... Whew...
By Integral I mean that along with other modern day thinkers such as Ken Wilber, Coombes and Beck, here is an attempt to pull together what may appear to be disparate threads of varied concepts, theoretical models and even religions that have spanned myriad times and places and integrate them into a `whole'...
There is no doubt in my mind that we are in a position now to re-evaluate science, spirituality and psychology and place it into a new modern context in view of the strides we have taken all these areas ...
This doesn't mean `cherry picking' ideas and making them `fit' our modern or should I say post-modern (get with it!) world view... But along with Wilber's `Integral Spirituality' (recommended book), there can be a reframe of where we are and where we are headed in view of what has gone before and the fact is, that zeitgeist can only be observed for past events...
So exploring the past, as Godwin does, from the perspective of all we know right now gives new `juice' to religion for example...
There are some books that you really should read, and this is one of them - and I am amazed that something so profound can be so much fun - this is one of the real strengths of the book... It is an emotional and intellectual roller coaster in places, for the reasons outlined above, but feeling your worldview change as you read is thrilling...
A tour de force...
Cosmic, Comic View of the Cosmos.......2007-08-02
A recent New Yorker cartoon showed a clown sitting in a bar, talking to another customer. The caption: "I tell the truth, and sometimes it's funny." Robert Godwin could make the same claim about "One Cosmos Under God."
The author presents four books within his book. The first considers matter, the field of physics. The subject of the second book, life (the field of biology), transcends and includes the first book. The third, mind (the field of psychology) transcends and includes the first two. Finally, the fourth book, Spirit (what Godwin terms cosmotheosis) transcends and includes the first three. For readers familiar with Ken Wilber's developmental and holarchical model of the Kosmos and integral approach to knowledge, this book provides a view that is intellectually rigorous, emotionally engaging, and spiritually sensitive and aware. I come away from the book with a strong impression that Godwin is writing to my mind, my heart, and Spirit.
Godwin takes his biggest risks in the third book in building a scenario of how the opportunities and challenges of self-consciousness in early humans created considerable fear with which we must continue to contend today. It's a sobering argument.
While respectful of religious traditions, Godwin argues that they have created words and symbols that are highly "saturated" with cultural baggage, and therefore weak as effective pointers to Spirit. In the fourth book he presents an intriguing set of symbols that on the one hand are precise and clear, and on the other are quite free of content. This spiritual glossary offers an excellent reframe for fresh ways to communicate about Spirit.
Robert Godwin, if not in the Punster Hall of Fame already, definitely belongs. Throughout Godwin's writing is playful, yet his punning has behind it the serious intent of connecting the old and familiar with the growing edges of Spirit. His plentiful puns create new "wineskins" so that we may hold and share for awhile a taste of new wine. This is a book I will continue to study for some time to come.
Unification Theory.......2006-04-19
In `One Cosmos under God`, Robert Godwin shares his thought provoking insights into the deepest workings of the cosmos, each individuals purpose on earth and the ultimate destiny of mankind. In explicit detail he explains the universe's progression and transformations from Oneness with Spirit, to Matter, to Life, to Mind, and ultimately back to Oneness. Mr. Godwin turns the contemporary understanding of the workings of the universe on its head and fleshes out that theory with reasoned logic and well documented research. In addition to being a theoretical exploration and explanation of the Cosmos, the book also serves as an ultimately practical guide to realizing your own spiritual evolution.
This book has enabled me to think about the universe and my place in it in ways I never had before, and the clues contained in the book have contributed immensely to my own personal and spiritual growth.
If you've ever asked yourself "What's this life all about?" then this book offers keys to those on a path of spiritual discovery and understanding and is well worth the price of admission.
Inspiring and Useful.......2006-02-23
I enjoyed this book a great deal, but I got something more important and lasting than enjoyment--inspiration, and a useful vocabulary for reminding myself, when I need reminding that 'this' is not all that 'is.' What you see around you, matter, your town nation Earth solar system stars galaxies, is not the whole of the truth about Reality. We all need to be reminded of this from time to time, lest we slip into the half-sleep of the human herd animal, going to work to get the money to buy the food to give us the strength to go to work to get the money...until finally the blessing of the Last Sleep relieves us of such petty concerns.
Dr. Godwin (aka Gagdad Bob) has provided us with a pleasurable and humorous reminder.
Now a good many other fine authors, starting approximately at the time of the invention of writing (before that, they were after-dinner speakers), have attempted to communicate and reiterate this important truth to their fellow humans, with more or less success. Bob's great strength is his ability to gather, study and evaluate a few thousand years worth of material on the subject and synthesize it, with humor, compactness and readability, into a coherent Wake Up Call. This is no mean feat, as others who started out with great promise have ended up caught in eddies and cul-de-sacs, writing whole bookshelves worth of obscurities that awakened no one, at least not without great difficulties. Aleister Crowley is an example that comes to mind.
I'm not going to go through the book from beginning to end and try to describe what can only be grokked by actually reading the whole thing; I was most struck, personally, by the symbolic system Bob has devised (starting on p. 207) "to create an unsaturated spiritual language through which each individual may 'realize' and 'discover' their meaning." In this system O stands for "the ultimate, unchanging, unqualified, non-dual ground and source of our being." I 'discovered' this to mean everything above and beyond what the senses tell us is there; the One Big Thing that surrounds everything else, that contains it, The Thing that we all too easily forget as we go about our business.
If one is truly a strict materialist, life can have, indeed must have, no meaning, for meaning is not a material thing. The problem is that all of us human-all-to-humans have a natural tendency to fall into routine and slide, so to speak, down the slippery slope into a default materialism. We forget about O.
But I find myself forgetting it less, since reading this book. It's gotten to the point where I see that television commercial where the very attractive woman purrs, "It's all about the O" and I find myself answering back, "You got that right, baby!"
Hey, that alone is worth the price of admission. My recommendation: Buy it! The yokes alone are Chappelle Perilous, and eventually you'll find that the beginning was The End all along, in the Apocalypse Now. And yes, Every Man and Every Woman is a Star.
At least Crowley got that much right.
Book Description
In the same uncompromising style of Jesus Freaks, bestselling authors Michael Tait and TobyMac of dc Talk now urge readers to take their stand for America's future--by examining our past. Using unforgettable accounts of both famous and little-known Americans, Under God examines the stories of men and women who forged our nation. Against these, they pair the dark side of America's legacy--racism, slavery, injustice--in order that a new generation might seek God's face and avoid repeating sins of the past. The authors draw on the resources of WallBuilders, a national organization that distributes historical, legal, and statistical information and helps citizens become active in their communities.
Customer Reviews:
Some inspiring civil rights stories of faith.......2007-04-03
Though fragmentary and sometimes inaccurate, this book contains some wonderful stories about the U.S.'s progress and the powerful Christian faith of individuals. "American Gospel" by John Meachum does a better job overall of showing how the Christian and Deist faiths in the founding fathers shaped the nation's Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and historic events. Sadly, these particular stories in "Under God" are often more legendary than factual, especially in the cases of Franklin and Jefferson. "The Christian History Book of Days" also gives good information on faith's impact in the Revolutionary period and during the U.S. Civil War.
That being said, wow! What inspiring acts of faith the authors mentions! The stories of Ruby Dee and various civil rights leaders clearly contradict Marx's supposition that "religion is the opiate of the people." These people put their belief in Christ's truth in action in amazing ways that still impact us today. The info on the Sand Creek Massacre and on the Tejanos also give excellent background, though it shows little directly about the Christian faith. The details about lynchings sober the reader, and lead him to consider how far our country has come and how far it has to go. An especially poignant example is the story of Wilson's showing of "Birth of a Nation" in the White House. The book's strength is its documentation of the impact of faith in the civil rights struggle, and this is often overlooked by those who mention the historicity of the Christian faith in the U.S.
All in all, the book is not a definitive volume of the impact of the Evangelical faith in American history; I don't think it was meant to be. However, it is an excellent supplement to some of the other books that I mentioned.
An Abomination.......2007-02-07
With everything in me, I had to keep from screaming when I read this book. To be so infatuated with "Jesus Freaks" and martyrs, Toby Mac and Michael Tate have deliberately ignored the passages in Romans 13 that specifically tell Christians to not rebel against their governments. They actually suggest at one point that Jesus would have picked up a weapon and joined the fight if he had been here at the time of the revolution. This is the abomination of abominations. Jesus told his disciples to sheath their swords. He would have never condoned a revolution for any reason.....especially for some farmers and merchants who were ticked off that their taxes were too high. Why didn't the disciples declare war against the Roman government? I mean, they were being treated much worse than the American colonists. Maybe it's because they cared about following Jesus and not leading a physical rebellion against Caesar. Your taxes go to Caesar, and your life belongs to Christ. May the Church begin to ponder these issues and study the commands of their Savior because the end is near.
Toby and Michael, I will be praying that you learn of your blasphemy and repent of the wicked false gospel that you have poured out on so many young people. What a wretched shame that you have deceived them into believing that there are times when we should ignore the commands of the Bible. Start following Jesus!
"Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
Matthew 5:9
"Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves."
Romans 13:2
"My Kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting that I might not be delivered up to the Jews."
John 18:36
"The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as Jesus walked."
I John 2:6
So - so.......2007-01-18
Great format and great idea, but put together and written with very little proof-reading by anyone with a college education. The vignettes remind me of high-school reports. Too bad that the civil rights theme is laid on the reader so heavily, as if to inspire us with tremendous guilt for the slavery issue. It's the same drone that the American Indians like to try to put on the American white man..."Don't you feel guilty for what your ancestors did to mine?" The answer is "No, I don't." If I did, then I'd ask the same question of them, for their ancestors' slaughter of my ancestors. Should I feel guilty for my grandfather's abandoning his family in the Tennessee wilderness and running off with another woman? Answer...NO.
Inspirational.......2006-05-27
Toby Mac and Michael Tait have compiled a superb collection of short stories featuring a wide variety of people.
The people depicted vary widely in their fame and life circumstances. The unifying theme is the role that God played in their lives and in the life of our nation.
An amazing story about George Washington starts off the book. Although I had read about this particular event before, it is one that is spine tingling even in a repeat reading. The role that God played in the founding events of our nation is truly inspiring.
There are numerous well known Americans featured in the book including John Adams, Patrick Henry, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Also included are several people that are not well known or even unknown to most people. Some of these include: CJ Miller, Phillis Wheatley, and John Perkins.
Many of the accounts are related to slavery and the civil rights movement and the way that downtrodden people overcame their circumstances by leaning on God.
Though not intended to be a scholarly review of US history, it does include numerous historical events from a spiritual perspective. It is very inspirational and well worth reading.
Great Resource.......2005-09-02
This is the best book for ready reference for thoughts from our Founders and other Christians who made significant contributions to our country.
Book Description
How to maintain your godly boundaries even under pressure.
When you’re faced with an imminent threat, your body releases adrenaline. Your heart beats faster. Your muscles tense, and all your senses switch to “Go.” But what happens when your spiritual well-being is under attack? Do you stand strong in your desire to do God’s will…or run for the hills?
The path of faith is tough traveling. Fighting to hold on to God’s purposes under adverse conditions is inconvenient, impractical, and thoroughly unpredictable. Standing firm under pressure reveals our true convictions about God, about everything.
In Being God’s Man by Standing Firm Under Pressure you’ll examine one man–named Daniel–and his band of brothers who demonstrated how not to compromise under pressure. They didn’t let misfortune, temptation, manipulation, intimidation, or even death shake their faith into compromise. Instead, they faced each new challenging circumstance with courage and trust. As God’s man, you can, too.
Special Features:
·Practical studies facilitate personal encounters with God and other men
·Questions encourage genuine reflection and help build godly convictions
·“Real Life” case studies show how the truths you discover have worked out in other men’s lives
·“Standing Strong” section gives you the opportunity to form and express your action steps with God and your group
Book Description
In this highly original approach to the history of the United States, James Moore focuses on the extraordinary role that prayer has played in every area of American life, from the time of the first settlers to the present day and beyond.
A stirring chronicle of the spiritual life of a nation, One Nation Under God shows how the faith of Americans—from the founding fathers to corporate tycoons, from composers to social reformers, from generals to slaves—was an essential ingredient in the formation of American culture, character, commerce and creed.
One Nation Under God brings together the country’s hymns, patriotic anthems, arts, and literature as a framework for telling the story of the innermost thoughts of the people who have shaped the United States we know today. Beginning with Native Americans, One Nation Under God traces the prayer lives of Quakers and Shakers, Sikhs and Muslims, Catholics and Jews, from their earliest days in the United States through the advent of cyberspace, the aftermath of 9/11, and the 2004 presidential election. It probes the approach to prayer by such diverse individuals as Benjamin Franklin, Elvis Presley, Frank Lloyd Wright, Martha Graham, J. C. Penney, Mary Pickford, Cesar Chavez, P. T. Barnum, Jackie Robinson, and Christopher Columbus. It includes every president of the United States as well as America’s farmers, clergy, immigrants, industrialists, miners, sports heroes, and scientists.
One Nation Under God shows that without prayer, the political, cultural, social, and even economic and military history of the United States would be vastly different from what it is today. It engages in a thoughtful, timely examination of the modern debate over public prayer and how the current approach to prayer bears deep roots in the philosophies of the country’s founding fathers, a subject which remains distinct from the debate over church and state.
Customer Reviews:
Lovely Book, But..........2007-10-07
Lovely book, but is the author quite certain of the attribution of the prayer poem that appears on page 312 of the book to one found in the pocket of a dead U.S. soldier in North Africa during WWII? This is actually an English translation of a rather famous Russian poem found in the pocket of a dead Russian infantryman during the Great Patriotic War (as WWII is known in Russia). The original Russian uses very powerful lyrical language that is lost in the English translation, where, for example, for purposes of achieving rhyme a colloquialism such as "calling a spade a spade" is used. Furthermore, one line in the poem is a dead giveaway that it is not American in origin. I doubt very much that an average young man in pre-WWII America had been told that God did not exist or that he had not been exposed in some way to the prayer culture that abounded in America at that time. The Communist Soviet Union, on the other hand, pursued one of the most aggressive religious persecusions known to man in the 1930s at the time when this young soldier author was growing up in an atheistic state. The reason for the poem's power lies in the fact that after years and years of indoctrination and lack of belief, the beauty of the night sky was enough for one individual to realize and recognize the connection with God he had been missing all his life. Framed in this light, the prayer poem achieves extraordinary pogniancy.
A Rare Flowering.......2006-08-15
I must have been living in a cave all this time. I just stumbled upon this book and found it to be absolutely incredible. I then came to the website to see what others had to say and loved to read how much this single volume has maent to so many. Count me as one of them.
I found the author's writing style to be very inviting. I felt as though he were talking just to me rather than to some big general audience in some impersonal way. The material in this book is stunning. I loved the vignettes that were interspersed with the prayer life of America since the earliest times. Honestly, this book is just stunning.
I am an Asian-American, born and raised in Japan. I came to the United States originally to study and now am a successful businesswoman who finds herself shuttling between both countries. I found in this book the chance to understand Americans in a more intimate way. Thank you to Mr. Moore, the author, for this incredible gift to me and to so many others.
I just wish that my parents, who speak no English, could read this book. Through it they would learn why I have come to have an affection for the American people - a very different impression than the one in the world media these days.
Comfort in Time of War.......2006-07-26
I have been beside myself over the way our government has been behaving in the Middle East. Over dinner last night my friends echoed the same concerns and misgivings.
It was then that I told them about One Nation Under God. This is a book that I finished a few weeks ago and loved from the very start. It gave me a perspective that I really did not have about the incredible spirituality of our country since before its inception. It is masterfully written.
Coincidentally I picked up the July issue of St. Anthony's Messenger and found the same opinion, which I have attached. Thank you to James Moore for this extraordinary contribution to our country for years to come.
IF ASKED to describe the United States, would the first adjective to jump into your head be "prayerful"? After perusal of James P. Moore, Jr.'s book, it would seem that no other description is as accurate.
From the Native American inhabitants to the modern era of immigrants practicing myriad religions, we Americans have been a praying people. Moore is neither a historian nor a clergyman but a professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. He has produced an impressive study of the effects of prayer on virtually all facets of American life.
In 16 chapters, Moore thoroughly documents his text with excerpts from the writings of the individuals chronicled or those of firsthand witnesses, which necessitates 34 pages of Notes and a 15-page Index. Readers will find no legends here.
Early explorers were deeply religious and mandated how their crews would pray daily. Christopher Columbus was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order, as were his sponsors, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. In Jamestown, Virginia, in 1610 a law was passed that all residents should attend morning and evening prayer services, enumerating the punishments to be leveled for absence.
The Founding Fathers, Moore writes, used prayer as "a coalescing tool to bring together widely disparate colonies, communities, and churches." At the First Continental Convention, after the report of a British incursion in Boston, the delegates prayed "for America, for Congress, for the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and especially for the town of Boston." John Adams wrote in his diary that the prayer and emotions expressed were "as permanent, as affectionate, as sublime, as devout, as I have ever heard offered up to Heaven."
Every president has acknowledged the existence of a higher power in his inaugural address; admittedly with varying degrees of belief and, possibly, for ulterior motives. But all presidents, sooner or later, would call upon and acknowledge this power to aid in carrying the heavy burden of office.
John Carroll, the first Roman Catholic bishop in the United States, inaugurated prayers for the country's leaders to be recited after Mass on Sundays to allay suspicions that Catholics were loyal only to the pope. Carroll composed a special prayer on the occasion of President Washington's birthday in 1794. Carroll was foresighted enough to request permission of the Holy See to use English for all Mass prayers to help integrate Catholic immigrants.
Publishing in the United States began with The Bay Psalm Book; a hymnal was the first songbook. These overtly religious writings were followed by uniquely American poetry, prose, drama, art, dance and architecture executed by talented people using their expertise to praise the Almighty.
The Jazz Singer, the story of a Jewish cantor, was the first talking movie. The first American opera to be written and staged was George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, which has songs like "Oh Doctor Jesus" and "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way."
The chapter entitled "The Dreamers: The Legacy of Slavery" alone is worth the price of the book. Dealing largely with Frederick Douglass, a slave who was able to buy his freedom and work for the release of other slaves, the narrative is spellbinding in detailing the role that prayer played individually and communally in the life of a slave.
Many unique spirituals were introduced to the country and the world in 1871 by the touring Jubilee Singers of Fisk University, and the response was overwhelming. Andrew Ward, music biographer, has said the spirituals "not only declared faith but carried news, raised protests, expressed grief, asked questions, made jokes, lubricated a slave's never-ending toil."
Many industrialists felt called upon to aid the religious cause: Andrew Carnegie purchasing 7,000 organs for churches and schools, the J.C. Penney Foundation providing funds for care of retired ministers and Church workers. Military leaders encouraged prayer and often led by personal example.
Most of us will have lived through the events recounted in the last five chapters, culminating in the second inauguration of George W. Bush, but there are still personal and often touching new insights here into the personalities behind the media reports. Yes, Moore exhibits some political favoritism, but seven years of research utilizing and reproducing primary resources on prayer from virtually every religious sect is a blockbuster publishing event. This historical compilation is as readable and accessible as a novel.
Masterful History.......2006-06-15
I just want to put my two cents in and let readers know what a joy this book was for me to read. Honestly, it is one of a handful of the best histories of America I have read, and I have read hundreds over my lifetime. The author interweaves spirituality and history in a very straightforward way. While endearing, it never becomes sappy or over the top in any way. I intend to see that firends and fmaily get copies as gifts. It's that good and relevant for a wide swath of people. Congratulations to the author and publisher.
The True America.......2006-06-06
These days it is tough to pick up the newspaper or turn on the television. The problems around the world and the mistakes that our government seems to keep making have made me anything but optomistic. In reading One Nation Under God, however, I must admit that I felt as though I was buoyed in my faith in our country and its people. I am not a church goer and consider myself to be more liberal certainly than conservative. What I found in Mr. Moore's book was a refrshing take on America that did not deny the heritage of any single group.
One Nation Under God is a refreshing, extremely well written take on America's "soul." I hope the author will consider writing other books in the future. I was enchanted by this work - from sports heroes to the down and out of our society. Bravo!
Amazon.com
After nearly a decade of bull markets, Americans have come to equate free markets with democracy. Never one for mincing words, social critic Thomas Frank, editor of The Baffler and author of The Conquest of Cool, challenges this myth. With his acerbic wit and contempt for sophistry, he declares the New Economy a fraud. Frank scours business literature, management theory, and marketing and advertising to expose the elaborate fantasies that have inoculated business against opposition. This public relations campaign joins an almost mystical belief in markets, a contempt for government in any form, and an "ecstatic" confusion of markets with democracy. Frank traces the roots of this movement from the 1920s, and sees its culmination in market populism as a fusion of the rebellious '60s with the greedy '80s. The overarching irony is the swapping of roles--suddenly Wall Street is no longer full of stodgy moneygrubbers, but cool entrepreneurs "leaping on their trampolines, typing out a few last lines on the laptop before paragliding, riding their bicycles to work, listening to Steppenwolf while they traded." Meanwhile, "Americans traded their long tradition of electoral democracy for the democracy of the supermarket, where all brands are created equal and endowed by their creators with all sorts of extremeness and diversity." Frank's close reading of the salesmen of market populism nails such financial gurus as George Gilder, Joseph Nocera, Kevin Kelly, and Thomas Friedman. Their writings, he contends, have served to make "the world safe for billionaires" by winning the cultural and political battle--legitimizing the corporate culture and its demands for privatization, deregulation, and non-interference. Frank's incisive prose verges on brilliant at times, though his yen for repetition can be exasperating. In either case, his boisterous reminder that markets are fundamentally not democracies is worth repeating as the level of wealth polarization in America reaches heights not seen since the 1920s. --Lesley Reed
Book Description
In a book that has been raising hackles far and wide, the social critic Thomas Frank skewers one of the most sacred cows of the go-go '90s: the idea that the new free-market economy is good for everyone.
Frank's target is "market populism"--the widely held belief that markets are a more democratic form of organization than democratically elected governments. Refuting the idea that billionaire CEOs are looking out for the interests of the little guy, he argues that "the great euphoria of the late nineties was never as much about the return of good times as it was the giddy triumph of one America over another." Frank is a latter-day Mencken, as readers of his journal The Baffler and his book The Conquest of Cool know. With incisive analysis, passionate advocacy, and razor-sharp wit, he asks where we?re headed-and whether we're going to like it when we get there.
Customer Reviews:
revealing.......2007-01-06
although it seemed a bit repetetive at times, this book was right on. i guess it seemed that way to me because everything was so intertwined. Many thanks to pbs for bringing this author to my attention.
Very Worthwhile.......2006-08-14
If you want to know how the economy really works and who is really in charge, read this book. You don't need to agree with all of the author's conclusions, but the the facts and arguments presented are very compelling.
Solid thoughtful, nails our national policy failures in a big way.......2006-08-02
This is a very serious book, one that any candidate for President would do well to read, especially so the centrist candidates willing to announce that both the Democratic and Republican parties have sold the public into slavery to corporate fascism.
In summary, the author documents in detail how the Reagan Revolution, and especially the firing of the air traffic controllers and the wrongful use of military air traffic controllers as "union busting" scabs, eliminated the counter-vailing force of labor unions, at the same time that government deregulated and abdicated its responsibility for a social safety net, the media converted into advertising with a "news hole," and corporations lost all moral and social standards.
He deconstructs the "New Economy" in persuasive detail and caused me to re-evaluate some of my earlier readings, especially of Kevin Kelly and others in the WIRED generation who articulate with blind faith the democratic value of the network, but fail to see, as Robert Samuelson and this author would have us understand, that outsourcing is union busting, and the actual effect of the network has been to make it possible for corporations to outsource middle class jobs while importing poverty through illegal immigration. The net loser is the Nation, because one of its most important sources of national power, an educated engaged citizenry, is being sold short.
The author is brutally on target when he points out that corporations have achieved a slight of hand in disconnecting labor from the value of created wealth, claiming much more management value (to the point that CEOs make 400 to 1000 times what their workers make, up from 25 times long ago). He also points out that the democratization of the stock market is code for what Mark Lewis called, in "Liar's Poker," "exploding the client. The smart money rides the early surge and then sells out to the middle class dreamers, who end up losing 80-90% of their value over time.
I have a note in the flyleaf that this book is "quite extraordinary, almost breathtaking in scope, with a compelling array of well-ordered facts."
Overall, while many will not like the term "corporate fascism" and the author prefers to use "extreme capitalism" while others discuss immoral and predatory capitalism, or "class war" (see my review of Faux's "The Global Class War" and, somewhat less solid but still good, Pabast's "Armed Madhouse" (dispatches from the front lines of the global class war). The sorry reality is that Americans have been lulled to sleep like sheep for a slaughter, and do not seem to appreciate the fact that there has been a MASSIVE theft of public capital through what this author calls "the Wall Street tax" on America.
The greatest strength of the book is how the author documents the calculated and comprehensive manner in which Wall Street and the evangelical right came together to turn reality on its head, and persuade everyone including blue collar workers that it was okay to break the social contract with labor, and that what is good for Wall Street is good for America and its workers. In fact, as the author points out repeatedly, when workers get laid off, Wall Street stocks go up. His entire review reminds one of Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman's classic "Manufacturing Consent." Public relations has been used in a classic manner by American corporations, to include penetration of teen-age sub-cultures and the manipulation of teen-age desires. In Europe they consider public relations to be, according to this author, advanced corporate lying.
The author draws an excellent connection between the "blind faith" that keeps the corporate illusion of free trade on the table, and the "blind faith" that led Dick Cheney to depose George Bush and invade Iraq without regard to the policy process, accountability, or reality. America is in the grip of a very destructive combination of corporate ideology, religious ideology, and political ideology.
The author is properly and comprehensively critical of the media for failing to do its job. Journalists, a few exceptions aside, have become "filler." The author excels at picking Tom Friedman apart, and at mocking the Wall Street Journal for idiocy in print.
The book ends on a sobering note, where the author points out that reality has a way of unmasking ideological pretensions in a most painful manner. He specifically suggests that George Bush Junior (he does not mention Cheney) will go the way of Herbert Hoover in the history books. Reality--that's what one White House staffer is reported to have said had no relevance, because this White House "creates its own reality." Yes it does--a reality of greed and theft and immorality at the top, poverty and disease at the bottom, and a loss of American honor around the world.
First class thinking and writing. A really strong book.
Enlightening romp through a decade of idiocy.......2006-05-07
From John Perry Barlow to Virginia Postrel, from _Liberation Management_ to _Who Moved My Cheese?_, from dot-com millionaires to cult stud academics, Thomas Frank summarizes, contextualizes, and debunks a decade's worth of pro-business propaganda. The major theme, he argues, was the concept of "market populism", the notion that The Market was far more democratic than actual democracies, doing whatever their copious focus groups had determined the people wanted. Frank, a serious supporter of genuine democracy, skewers their absurd myths and provides some insight into the harm they did to working people.
The Democracy Bubble.......2006-01-17
If there were two overall themes guiding this book, I'd say it was these:
During the late 1990s, it was pretty obvious that a rising tide was not lifting all boats. And for a very long time now, conservative and many liberal economists, business owners, investors, business writers and assorted pundits have equated democracy with the ebbs and flows of the free market.
I've never read What's The Matter With Kansas or The Baffler before. My introducation to Frank came through this book with it's marathon chapters, sometimes repetative thesis', and thoroughly damning evidence of our nation's continuing problems with a form of tulip mania and the delusion that a janitor/schoolteacher/truck driver playing the stock market with a few shares has economic parity with someone like Warren Buffett.
The title itself is an interesting look at the subject matter here: free market economics has long been a dogma among Americans. We are told time and time again that collective bargaining, state investment, and regulations over wages will lead us down the path to destruction. Also, supposedly, if we allow the foxes to guard the henhouse, someday we can all be rich.
Frank points out that this isn't a new ideology but it has become more and less popular over time. The end of the 20th century resembled the beginning more than any other time; the middle class was slowly eroding and obscene wealth consoled obscene lack of wealth with idea that even if you're living in poverty, you can just make a couple of smart investments, spend wisely, and the idea of the American Dream will be fulfilled and you'll get wealthy.
This might all seem painfully obvious, but Frank deserves credit for actually documenting it.
Book Description
The United States has been described as a nation with the soul of a church. Religion is discussed more explicitly and more urgently in American politics than in the public debates of any other wealthy democracy. It is certain to play an important role in the elections of 2004. Yet debates over religion and politics are often narrow and highly partisan, although the questions at hand demand a broader and more civil discussion. One Electorate under God? widens the dialogue by bringing together in one volume some of the most influential voices in American intellectual and political life.
This book draws on a public debate between former New York governor Mario Cuomo and Indiana congressman Mark Souder, who discuss how their respective faith convictions have been both shaped by and reflected in their careers as public servants.
This discussion, in turn, prompted commentary by a diverse group of scholars, politicians, journalists, and religious leaders who are engaged simultaneously in the religious and policy realms. Each contributor offers insights on how political leaders and religious convictions shape our politics.
One Electorate under God arises from the idea that public deliberation is more honest—and more democratic—when officials are open and reflective about the interactions between their religious convictions and their commitments in the secular realm. This volume—the first of its kind—seeks to promote a greater understanding of American thinking about faith and public office in a pluralistic society.
Contributors include Joanna Adams, Azizah Al-Hibri, Doug Bandow, Michael Barone, Gary Bauer, Robert Bellah, David Brooks, Harvey Cox, Michael Cromartie, John DiIulio Jr., Terry Eastland, Robert Edgar, Jean Bethke Elshtain, Richard Wightman Fox, William Galston, Robert George, Andrew Greeley, John Green, Anna Greenberg, Susannah Heschel, Representative Amo Houghton (R-New York), Michael Kazin, Martha Minow, Stephen Monsma, Mark Noll, Rabbi David Novak, Ramesh Ponnuru, Representative David E. Price (D-North Carolina), Jeffrey Rosen, Cheryl Sanders, Ron Sider, Jim Skillen, Matthew Spalding, Jeffrey Stout, John Sweeney, Roberto Suro, Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, Jim Towey, Doug Tanner, Mark Warren, Alan Wolfe, and Andrew Young.
Average customer rating:
- A Great Story, Simply Written
- A wonderful, energetic and idealistic adventure in Panama
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Fire Under My Feet: A Memoir of God's Power in Panama
Leo Mahon
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Customer Reviews:
A Great Story, Simply Written.......2007-06-08
Rev. Leo Mahon, spent 12 years in Panama building a new model of a Catholic parish. Sent by the Archdiocese of Chicago, his 'experimental church' grew to be wildly successful and a powerful tool in not only changing the faith of many of the poorer people in Panama, but also became a challenge to the authorities in that country.
With the Church becoming fearful of what Father Leo and other had created, plus a Government that feared the power if a rising class of poor people eventually lead to Father Mahon leaving Panama and the Church model eventually closed down.
This book is a poweful witness to Faith moving a people and the man who helped make that happen. This book is simply written, but that is what makes this book good. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who would want to explore their Faith and how it can change lives.
A wonderful, energetic and idealistic adventure in Panama.......2007-05-26
Father Mahon is now Pastor Emeritus in my parish, Saint Mary of the Woods. After reading "Fire Under My Feet", I am moved by the adventure that Father Mahon experienced in Panama. I am reminded of how provincial and non-adventurous most of our lives are. This 12-year "experiment" in Panama packs a lifetime of experiences.
It is more perfect, more rewarding, more Christ-like being a priest among the poor than among the affluent. What a great gift to humanity to go into a poverty stricken town in Panama, live among the people and help them build a community. What a wonderful, energetic and idealistic adventure. I both admire and envy Father Leo Mahon for having lived this life of love, sacrifice and adventure.
Father Mahon clashes with the Catholic establishment of the 1960s in Panama that retained unsavory medieval practices such as the selling of prayers and sacraments for a fee. He clashes with incompetent Bishops and Cardinals that are poor leaders. He clashes with unjust governments. He fights to defend himself from official accusations of heresy that steal energy from his mission. His approach to Catholicism and ministry was 50 years ahead of its time, but there was a price to be paid for this. In the end, Father Mahon builds a Christian community in San Miguelito far improved from 12 years earlier but in the struggles his energy in Panama is nearly exhausted. The struggle between good and evil continues... but Father Mahon scores one for the good guys.
Javier Gorostiaga 5/25/2007
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