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by Sarah Cunningham
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Zondervan (2006-08-01)
ISBN: 031026958X
EAN: 9780310269588
Dewy Decimal #: 262
Paperback: 224 pages
SKU: 081308034
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...No noticeable Underlining or Highlighting...light shelf wear on cover
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Product Description
Dear Church is a series of letters from a former emergent church staffer to the global church she's not always sure she wants to be a part of. On a personal level, Sarah's story awakens the sometimes M.I.A. voice of the twenty-somethings who are distancing themselves from conventional expressions of religion. But, thanks to discussion questions that can be used for personal or group reflection, this book is much more than just one person's story. On a global level, Dear Church invites every person to engage their own disappointments and share in Sarah's story—the story of journeying through disillusionment and back again.
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Customer Reviews
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Coming Full Circle
Rating  (5)
Date: 2007-09-12
This book was an absolute page turner for me. I empathized with the author as a believer, yes, but definitely as a pastor's daughter who has seen the church from almost a 360 degree view. Dear Church sheds light on those issues that keep many looking from a distance, yet they remain reluctant to fully dive in. On the other hand, it calls believers to conviction with the simple reminder that "We are the church." And, the church is Christ's bride. Our commitment is (or should be) "for better or worse."
Every believer may benefit from adding this one to their library. However, it is surely a must for Christian leaders in the church or in the community, Worship Leaders, Pastors, Pastors' family, and anyone else who has gone beyond the realm of frustration. May you be blessed my this young woman's transparency!
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Review of Book for Course on Young Adult Ministry
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-03-09
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Summary
With witty humor and in a cleverly constructed format, Sarah Cunningham writes a series of letters on her generation's disillusionment with the church. Telling things as they are, these letters are addressed simply as "Dear Church". Cunningham begins by recounting her own story of disillusionment with the church and then shares a list of characteristics she has found to be true about twentysomethings - who make up the so-called "disillusioned generation". Following, she explains our disillusionment and proposes a way for hope in the end.
One of Cunningham's particularly astute observations comes from her list of twentysomething characteristics. She points out that because of today's technology - which allows us to "get the dinner dishes done and still make it to the movie on time" - we live in a "both-and" culture that has pervaded not only our society, but also our politics and spirituality. As a result, we do not feel threatened by polar opposites but perhaps thrive off the differences. I appreciate Cunningham's mention of so many "groups" who are often excluded by the church because I believe that it is in the context of twentysomethings' "both-and" culture - as well as our resistance to identity labels - that the postmodern generation has come to value inclusiveness.
Review
Cunningham's fundamental question regards the identity of the church. What or who is the church? Her raw reflections realize that the church is human, that "thanks to the imperfect nature of its participants, every kind of local church we imagine or bring to expression is marked by human flaws, missed expectations, and disillusionment" (2006:108). This statement most plainly means that the church is the people themselves, not the building nor the institutional structure. The quote also brings to the table what Cunningham raises as a major reason for our disillusionment: unreasonable, unhealthy expectations up to which no human could possibly live! Implicitly tying this to the characteristic need among twentysomethings for authenticity, she writes that we must honestly admit the flaws that are present in the church. Finally, the quote leads to the book's conclusion that the church is not to be the hope of the world. Rather, Jesus is! We are merely flawed reflections of Jesus, trying to live by his example but failing miserably at it.
By her poignant understanding that the church is the people, Cunningham creatively places the responsibility for disillusionment not on a distant, faceless institutional church but on each individual comprising it, including - and perhaps even especially - on those who have been disillusioned. In her words: "We all do our part in contributing to the church's shared mistakes, but when it comes time to take the blame, we seem to lose our individuality. All of a sudden, the church is just one faceless, nameless, ownerless institution that can't own up to its failures" (140). Therefore, we must each collectively take responsibility for the mistakes of the church, owning up to the reality whether we are to blame or not. Indeed, I would agree that ownership of the church - or the lack thereof when it comes to our collective faults - is key toward developing serious credibility, not only with the church, but also - and I believe more importantly - with the world. Dedicating an entire chapter to the dangers of dwelling on our disillusionment and the need for forgiveness, she calls attention to the fact that any solution process will necessarily involve pain. However, that "suffering is actually linked to the production of hope" (135). We must understand this reality in order to keep moving forward and not run away when the difficult moments arrive.
In a sense, Cunningham's conclusion borders on the simplistic. While she introduces a solution - to live as Christ - I wish she would have analyzed it in the context of postmodernism, using her list of Generation X and Y characteristics. What is it about twentysomethings that might call for a slightly different solution? What are some practical steps we can take - specific to our generation - toward living like Jesus? Indeed, Cunningham does not directly address the postmodern issue other than to base the book on her extensive correspondence with a diversity of postmodern twentysomethings. At the same time, perhaps a simplistic solution is best, since that is what the reader may remember best in order to apply to complex contexts.
My final comment is this: What about those who are just plain disinterested in church?
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A Must Read
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-03-09
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Being over 20 something I had a hard time with the first few chapters, because I totally agreed with everything the author said. I don't think disillusionment with the church is something that is reserved only for the 20 something group. It runs the generational gammet. Chapter nine had me in tears and the rest of the book was pure perfection. A must read for everyone inside and outside of the church.
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Important words, but...
Rating  (3)
Date: 2007-02-22
5 out of 8 customers found this reveiw helpful
First, I was extremely excited when the names and places of my (and now Sarah's) hometown of Jackson, MI showed up. I have been away from home for four years now, pursuing my M.Div. degree while pastoring a small, rural church in Ohio and I miss home. The nature and substance of the letters struck a deep chord with things I have observed, experienced, and criticized from within the system to which she writes. However...
Part of my dilemma as Christian/pastor/worship leader/theologian/dad/etc. is the undertone of Sarah's book (which echoes the very words I have heard from many people in my own generation (X) and after) that take the form of complaint regarding "boring worship services." She makes valid points about the word "service" and the like that we associate with "going to church." But what I fear is the ignorance (and I mean this word in it's true sense: the act of ignoring) of the word "worship." The Sunday gathering is not, as the Boomers started and everyone after swallowed hook, line, and sinker, feeding time. It is not designed (nor has it ever been so until contemporary services came along) to give anyone an encounter with God, an emotional/spiritual high, or some divine insight. To be sure, any one or all of these MAY happen, but that is not the intention of the gathering. It is WORSHIP, it is an offering of ourselves TO God, an intentional giving of our attention to God, a recognition of the, for lack of a better word, hierarchy of the relationship. Worship is not an expectant waiting for God to come to me, it is me coming before God. It is not a time to receive, it is a time to give.
I can hear the heads shaking everywhere now, so please don't misunderstand. God does desire relationship with us. God does desire our relationship to each other. This is why love of God and love of neighbor are, in Jesus' teaching, the greatest and second greatest commandment (note that the greatest is our love TO God with all our heart, mind, soul, etc.). I am deeply excited that the dialogue of God's people is finally taking this relational turn. But I beg you to consider how you would feel about a relationship with another person who only came to you in order to GET from you.
Keep seeking, keep loving, be at peace and be blessed.
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A Nineteensomething
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-02-19
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Dear twentysomethings, oldersomethings and younger. I read this book when I was eighteen years of age and cannot express to you how deeply moved I was. When beginning the book, the first thing I saw was someone just like me, getting everything off their chest about the Church today and was completely reading my mind.I must say, in the beginning it was very nice to let out even my own anger with the Church as I read through these pages, but as I read on, it became a tool for me. She began to uncover how these problems and issues we face with the Church today can be of great use and in turn be the exact opposite of what we thought. This is a book I thought was going to make me feel all good inside about not wanting to go to Church anymore and make me feel right about my rebellion and frustrations with the church. I came to find the exact opposite with her convincing people that maybe leaving the Church isn't the best thing and showing how to truly forgive. It's a beautiful book that you will relate to whether you are twentysomething or not. This book brought me great hope and insight. What a blessings I have received!
Shalom
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by Susan G. Shumsky
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Fireside (1996-08-05)
ISBN: 0684801620
EAN: 9780684801629
Dewy Decimal #: 299.93
Paperback: 288 pages
SKU: 102808014
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...No noticeable Underlining or Highlighting...minor wear on cover
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Product Description
INCREASE YOUR SPIRITUAL STRENGTH AWAKEN YOUR HIDDEN POTENTIAL AND FULFILL YOUR DESTINYSushan Shumsky has taught thousands how to develop a deep spiritual connection within themselves by learning to listen to and trust the "still small voice" within -- the voice that embodies the wisdom needed to set a clear direction in life and make the biggest decisions with peaceful confidence. In Divine Revelation, she presents her proven techniques for opening your heart, mind, and spirit to the riches of inner divine contact and for learning how to: * Augment your innate intuitive abilities * Identify the source of intuitive messages and test their authenticity * Overcome resistance to divine contact by breaking through ego barriers * Attain mastery in the practice of meditation * Become self-reliant in solving personal problems and charting a course for the future
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Customer Reviews
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Great Book
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-04-21
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Although I do not necessarily agree with everything the author presents in her book, I love it. After more than 20 years on a spiritual journey myself, I found the writing to resonate with me at this time. In my perception, she offers a cross of guided hynosis/meditation incorporated with the idea of still meditation; waiting to hear what spirit has to say. After all my seeking that is what I have come to find...we all have a connection with Spirit and we spend so much time seeking outside of ourselves. If we allow ourselves to be still enough we can make a connection, where life will never be the same. She also writes beautifully, it is evident that her experience with Spirit shows through her writing.
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Publishers Weekly Missed Something
Rating (5)
Date: 2003-05-12
19 out of 19 customers found this reveiw helpful
I just read the above review of DIVINE REVELATION by Publishers Weekly, and I must say that whoever wrote this review is very prejudiced and close-minded. The scathing comments about the author are completely inaccurate. Obviously the reviewer did not even bother to read the author's biography in the back of the book. I read DIVINE REVELATION a few years ago, and I still use this simple, practical way to communicate with God directly. This book completely transformed my life. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to lead a more spiritual life and have direct contact and experiences of God. One of the most important features of this book are the nine tests that helped me to tell the difference between the true voice of God and other voices in my mind. I have found the author's nine-test program is unparalleled among metaphysical authors. The affirmations and prayers for spiritual healing are extremely useful for getting back to center whenever I feel "off." I use these every day, and they have been a life saver for me. I made a guided meditation tape using the instructions in the book, and I found it really helped me get the experience much more deeply. I rate this as one of the top five spiritual self-help books that I have ever read.
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How to Hear and Trust the Still Small Voice Within
Rating (5)
Date: 2001-06-07
16 out of 16 customers found this reveiw helpful
Do you remember the most recent time you needed help making an important decision, and wished you could have gotten some really good advice? Perhaps you tried hearing the "little voice" of intuition, but weren't sure whether you were hearing the best advice for you to follow... or perhaps you couldn't hear anything at all. Not to worry! Susan Shumsky's wonderful book, DIVINE REVELATION, describes how to find deeply meaningful answers to all your questions -- as well as how you can follow nine steps of discernment to ensure that the voice of intuition you hear is a true message from Spirit. She lists eleven safeguards to ensure you receive divine messages, as well as signals for healing and "yes" and "no" responses, and fourteen steps for receiving clear answers. Shumsky also describes how to word your questions for Spirit, so you will gain maximal benefit from the answers you receive. The basic premise of Shumsky's book is that we can receive information and inspiration simply by asking for it, so she provides mediations and prayers to help get us started. Shumsky recommends that healing prayers be utilized often, since they are essential for clearing out negative habits, thoughts, feelings, and psychic ties to others before we attempt to clearly receive spiritual messages. Whether you have never before received messages from Spirit or are quite adept at it, DIVINE REVELATION is jam-packed with wonderful ideas to help you receive information more clearly than ever before. There is a tremendous emphasis on self-knowledge in this book, so those who are willing and eager to look more deeply at themselves will likely enjoy it the most.
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First book of it's kind...
Rating (5)
Date: 2000-06-06
16 out of 16 customers found this reveiw helpful
For the first time in my 15 years of reading metaphysical books, one has come along and describes the dangers of getting involved with expanding and opening your mind if you don't know what you're doing AND shows you how to deal with them, protect yourself, and PROPERLY receive higher, spiritual guidance. I had some very negative experiences with "astral entities" as they're called in the book, almost prompting me to abandon my spirituality altogether. But, after reading the chapters on protection, healing, and becoming "spiritually street-smart", I am now confident that I can contact the divine at will and know it will be safe, loving, and comforting. Thank you, Susan Shumsky, for finally bringing to light a safe and workable method for connecting to God on a regular basis for the benefit of your own life and all life.
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Confirmation that intuition really exists! Thank you!
Rating (5)
Date: 1998-10-10
9 out of 9 customers found this reveiw helpful
So often in my life, I have had that nagging feeling in my "gut" that I should, or should not do something. Too often I did not listen to that little voice (or as some call it "intuition") and later I had to live with bad decisions. DIVINE REVELATION was a revelation of sorts for me, confirming that we are provided with spirit guides, certainly the guidance of our most supreme master, God; each who help us with every day decisions, if only we will listen. DIVINE REVELATION was also "divine" for me and has helped me to finer tune-in that which each of us are surely blessed; that little inner guidance system that ensures that we will succeed or be saved from anquish. I now listen carefully! Thank you Susan Shumsky for your eye-opening little book. I only wish it had been around to help me with many of my wrong decisions in the past thirty-plus years. My future is now much brighter. I recommend this book to all who believe that we do not go through life alone!
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by Daniel B. Clendenin
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Baker Academic (1994-11)
ISBN: 0801025885
EAN: 9780801025884
Dewy Decimal #: 200
Paperback: 176 pages
SKU: 092808009
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: some underlining...minor wear on cover
More Product Infomation
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
An explanation and appraisal of Orthodoxy compares its essential theological themes with doctrines of evangelical Protestantism.
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Customer Reviews
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Good but not great
Rating (3)
Date: 2007-08-28
I picked up this book for cheap and had a free weekend so I figured I would give it a read. I think the author does a good job of finding common ground and explaining some of the theology of the Orthodox church. Which in all fairness was his goal . . . But he sticks with the things that we can easily share common ground on and makes it look like the divisions are simply semantics. I thought it convenient that he left out all he other stuff that makes peoples heads spin. I mean when you get to the end of the book you are kinda thinking well why don't we all just hold hands and sing a chorus or two. Thats not even close to the reality of things I am afraid.
So while I wasn't so impressed it was an OK read. His perspective was interesting. And it provides a good book for me to give to my in-laws when trying to explain to them that I really haven't gone off the deep end by joining the Orthodox church "See mom . . we really are just the same . . . .just different decorations . . . " and that I am thankful for. it helps that it is written by a protestant. However if you want real church history and a real overview of the church and her theology I am going to have to concur with everyone else that "The Orthodox Church" by T.K. Ware is far and away a much better source.
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Useful
Rating  (4)
Date: 2007-08-07
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I am very grateful for Clendenin for assembling his collection of essays by prominent Orthodox theologians and historians, since many are out of print in their original publications. See here for that useful collection: Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader.
However, this book I found to be rather curious and misleading at the end. It is always tricky to critique someone else's religious tradition (although I attempt it all the time), and I am not sure that the author has been completely successful in representing the views of eastern Christianity with accuracy, which then leads to me to wonder which version of Orthodoxy he rejects.
He leaves aside discussions of the saints, Mary and the sacraments (mysteries) as the subject of discussion after one has already examined the nature of tradition, scripture, deification, icons and negative theology (Apophaticism). This makes some sense since they are the distinctive doctrines that most Protestants, especially Evangelicals, have very little exposure to via their Roman Catholic friends (or, more likely, based upon the wild Romaphobic stereotypes adrift in the evangelical subculture). On the whole he is presents a very sympathetic view of Orthodoxy, agreeing that a sense of wonder and mystery should accompany the more analytical, logical theological structure of his own tradition. On the whole I think he is fair.
My only questions would surround the following point. He mentions that the dividing difference between Orthodox and Evangelicals is ecclesiological, but, unless I missed it, he never goes into that point in the previous chapters, leaving me a little lost to the point. If it is so important, why was it overlooked? Perhaps he means that since Orthodox reject the branch theory of Church history (what I would see as "Bride of Frankenstein" ecclesiology, with everyone have a body part of the bride), Orthodox somehow deny the work of God in the lives of non-Orthodox Christians, Catholic or Protestant. But Orthodoxy does not teach that. It surprises me that he would make such a claim, especially since he was the editor of the above-mentioned collection of essays. I would assume he actually read the authors to make the editorial decisions involved. So while Orthodox indeed claim to be the only and true Bride of Christ, it does not follow that the Holy Spirit is limited to the boundaries of that Church. The Spirit blows where it will. Or, as Bishop Kallistos Ware has said, "We are bound by the sacraments. God is not bound by them."
Buy this book, but also take the time to read other works on the subject, including these helpful resources: Common Ground: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity for the American Christian, The Orthodox Way, How Are We Saved?: The Understanding of Salvation in the Orthodox Tradition, Discovering the Rich Heritage of Orthodoxy.
Regarding his statement that the quality of Muslim treatment toward Orthodox is "a matter of some debate" is more than off the wall. Please refer to The Dhimmi: Jews & Christians Under Islam.
My other review often are about ecumenical topics, so they also may be useful.
May all be one.
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America's "fourth major religion" introduced
Rating (4)
Date: 2006-05-17
4 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
Orthodox Christianity is little known to mainstream Americans, be they Christian or otherwise. It seems an exotic import from Russia, Greece, and the Balkans, and as foreign to American Protestantism or even American Roman Catholicism as Tibetan Buddhism. Moreover, there's a great deal of skepticism and even outright rancor directed at Orthodoxy by many Protestants and Roman Catholics. The former see it as unbiblical (whatever that charge means) and the latter see it as a challenge. Finally, too many Orthodox in this country take such an exclusivistic position when it comes to salvation (only the Orthodox Church is the one true church) that they only encourage wariness or dislike by non-Orthodox. (Each of these positions is reflected, by the way, in earlier amazon.com reviews of this book.)
Daniel Clendenin's _Eastern Orthodox Christianity_ has the great merit of introducing the "fourth major religion" to Americans in a reader-friendly and remarkably accurate (for an outsider) way. Other introductions to Orthodoxy are just as good (e.g., Timothy Ware's _The Orthodox Church_), but they're written by insiders. Clendenin is an evangelical Protestant who spent some years teaching in Moscow and absorbing the doctrines and liturgy of Orthodoxy. He writes with a great deal of sensitivity and sympathy.
Clendenin begins with a short history of the Eastern Orthodox Church and its break with the Western Latin Church. Then he focuses on its doctrine, dealing chapter-by-chapter with its understanding of God, the importance of icons and incarnationism, pneumatology, and theological anthropology. He concludes with a couple of chapters that spell out his reservations about Orthodoxy, and his reasons for remaining a Protestant, in spite of his agreement with many aspects of Orthodoxy. (An earlier reviewer who criticized Clendenin's "uncritical approach" apparently skipped these chapters.)
Clendenin is particularly good in his discussion of apophasis, and his analysis of Orthodoxy's skepticism of rational "worded" theology and its embrace and celebration of mystery. His chapter on anthropology, in which he focuses on theosis--a much neglected Christian fundamental here in the West--is also masterful.
The chapter on icons isn't as well thought-through. A Protestant confused about the significance of icons for Orthodox Christians isn't likely to get a great deal of clarification here. Clendenin also occasionally cites Patristic quotations already cited by secondary authors, rather than going to the original texts themselves, and this is a bit troubling. But it must also be pointed out that one of the remarkably refreshing features of his book is his generous quotations of early Greek Fathers who aren't often studied in the West.
All in all, Clendenin's book is an invaluable resource for outsiders interested in the "fourth major religion" in this country. Highly recommended, particularly when read along the accompanying anthology _Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader_.
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Could have been better
Rating (3)
Date: 2006-03-06
2 out of 9 customers found this reveiw helpful
I think the author did a lot of work on this book and it is helpful but it really reads like a book written by someone trying to convert Protestants to Orthodoxy. The mystery is why Clendenin is still Protestant. The book does not make, as I recall, one criticism of the theology or practice of Orthodoxy. For Protestants who would like to examine Orthodoxy biblically (e.g., evaluate the biblical underpinnings of icons, pro and con) this would not be a good choice. I would recommend "The Three Great Churches" (Rials) or "the Gospel According to Rome" (McCarthy). Even though the latter is about Catholicism, many of the issues are the same for Orthodoxy. All that said, this book and its companion (the reader) are very helpful and illuminating for those wanting to understand Orthodoxy from a theologian's perspective. The graphics are very good and it is very well documented.
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Orthodoxy from a cultural and historical perspective. Very solid but not comprehensive.
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-02-09
2 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Daniel B. Clendenin has done his research. Not only does he have the credentials (Ph.D. in Theological and Religious Studies, Drew University) but he has also spent some years teaching religion at the Moscow State University (right after the communist soviet union collapsed in '91) right in the heart of Slavic Orthodoxy - (Moscow has also the nickname of the 3rd Rome, in christian history).
Considering that Clendenin has been and still is a Presbyterian, it is very assuring to read this book and realize how non-polemical and theologically un-biased it is. A great companion for this read is Clendenin's other book "Eastern Orthodox Theology - A Contemporary Reader."
This book is written from a Protestant and Western perspective. Basically Clendenin tries to explain Eastern Orthodoxy to the average Western man and woman or your average Protestant churchgoer. A lot of this introduction has to do with the cultural and mystery/mystic-driven aspect of Orthodoxy.
He starts the book with two chapters on church history, a great foundation necessary to understand the early development, isolation, and ethos of Orthodoxy.
The following four chapters are discussions and explanations of four important aspects of the Orthodox faith and theology:
3) Apophatic theology and the mystery of God,
4) Christ's image and the use and meaning of icons in Orthodoxy,
5) On the authority of Scripture and Christian Tradition, and
6) Theosis - a very Orthodox term and concept.
The last chapter (#7 - "Hermeneutics of Love") presents balanced analysis and questions challenging the Orthodox believer as well as the Protestant Christian. This chapter is the one where I had the most to learn from.
As a result of reading this book and the companion I have a much better understanding of Orthodoxy (as a Protestant Christian) and have things to talk about with my Orthodox fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Other books I would recommend on the topic of Orthodoxy are Timothy (or Kallistos) Ware - "Orthodox Church" and especially "Orthodox Way."
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by Daniel B. Clendenin
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Baker Academic (1994-11)
ISBN: 0801025885
EAN: 9780801025884
Dewy Decimal #: 200
Paperback: 176 pages
SKU: 092808009
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: some underlining...minor wear on cover
More Product Infomation
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
An explanation and appraisal of Orthodoxy compares its essential theological themes with doctrines of evangelical Protestantism.
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Customer Reviews
|
Good but not great
Rating (3)
Date: 2007-08-28
I picked up this book for cheap and had a free weekend so I figured I would give it a read. I think the author does a good job of finding common ground and explaining some of the theology of the Orthodox church. Which in all fairness was his goal . . . But he sticks with the things that we can easily share common ground on and makes it look like the divisions are simply semantics. I thought it convenient that he left out all he other stuff that makes peoples heads spin. I mean when you get to the end of the book you are kinda thinking well why don't we all just hold hands and sing a chorus or two. Thats not even close to the reality of things I am afraid.
So while I wasn't so impressed it was an OK read. His perspective was interesting. And it provides a good book for me to give to my in-laws when trying to explain to them that I really haven't gone off the deep end by joining the Orthodox church "See mom . . we really are just the same . . . .just different decorations . . . " and that I am thankful for. it helps that it is written by a protestant. However if you want real church history and a real overview of the church and her theology I am going to have to concur with everyone else that "The Orthodox Church" by T.K. Ware is far and away a much better source.
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Useful
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-08-07
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I am very grateful for Clendenin for assembling his collection of essays by prominent Orthodox theologians and historians, since many are out of print in their original publications. See here for that useful collection: Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader.
However, this book I found to be rather curious and misleading at the end. It is always tricky to critique someone else's religious tradition (although I attempt it all the time), and I am not sure that the author has been completely successful in representing the views of eastern Christianity with accuracy, which then leads to me to wonder which version of Orthodoxy he rejects.
He leaves aside discussions of the saints, Mary and the sacraments (mysteries) as the subject of discussion after one has already examined the nature of tradition, scripture, deification, icons and negative theology (Apophaticism). This makes some sense since they are the distinctive doctrines that most Protestants, especially Evangelicals, have very little exposure to via their Roman Catholic friends (or, more likely, based upon the wild Romaphobic stereotypes adrift in the evangelical subculture). On the whole he is presents a very sympathetic view of Orthodoxy, agreeing that a sense of wonder and mystery should accompany the more analytical, logical theological structure of his own tradition. On the whole I think he is fair.
My only questions would surround the following point. He mentions that the dividing difference between Orthodox and Evangelicals is ecclesiological, but, unless I missed it, he never goes into that point in the previous chapters, leaving me a little lost to the point. If it is so important, why was it overlooked? Perhaps he means that since Orthodox reject the branch theory of Church history (what I would see as "Bride of Frankenstein" ecclesiology, with everyone have a body part of the bride), Orthodox somehow deny the work of God in the lives of non-Orthodox Christians, Catholic or Protestant. But Orthodoxy does not teach that. It surprises me that he would make such a claim, especially since he was the editor of the above-mentioned collection of essays. I would assume he actually read the authors to make the editorial decisions involved. So while Orthodox indeed claim to be the only and true Bride of Christ, it does not follow that the Holy Spirit is limited to the boundaries of that Church. The Spirit blows where it will. Or, as Bishop Kallistos Ware has said, "We are bound by the sacraments. God is not bound by them."
Buy this book, but also take the time to read other works on the subject, including these helpful resources: Common Ground: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity for the American Christian, The Orthodox Way, How Are We Saved?: The Understanding of Salvation in the Orthodox Tradition, Discovering the Rich Heritage of Orthodoxy.
Regarding his statement that the quality of Muslim treatment toward Orthodox is "a matter of some debate" is more than off the wall. Please refer to The Dhimmi: Jews & Christians Under Islam.
My other review often are about ecumenical topics, so they also may be useful.
May all be one.
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America's "fourth major religion" introduced
Rating (4)
Date: 2006-05-17
4 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
Orthodox Christianity is little known to mainstream Americans, be they Christian or otherwise. It seems an exotic import from Russia, Greece, and the Balkans, and as foreign to American Protestantism or even American Roman Catholicism as Tibetan Buddhism. Moreover, there's a great deal of skepticism and even outright rancor directed at Orthodoxy by many Protestants and Roman Catholics. The former see it as unbiblical (whatever that charge means) and the latter see it as a challenge. Finally, too many Orthodox in this country take such an exclusivistic position when it comes to salvation (only the Orthodox Church is the one true church) that they only encourage wariness or dislike by non-Orthodox. (Each of these positions is reflected, by the way, in earlier amazon.com reviews of this book.)
Daniel Clendenin's _Eastern Orthodox Christianity_ has the great merit of introducing the "fourth major religion" to Americans in a reader-friendly and remarkably accurate (for an outsider) way. Other introductions to Orthodoxy are just as good (e.g., Timothy Ware's _The Orthodox Church_), but they're written by insiders. Clendenin is an evangelical Protestant who spent some years teaching in Moscow and absorbing the doctrines and liturgy of Orthodoxy. He writes with a great deal of sensitivity and sympathy.
Clendenin begins with a short history of the Eastern Orthodox Church and its break with the Western Latin Church. Then he focuses on its doctrine, dealing chapter-by-chapter with its understanding of God, the importance of icons and incarnationism, pneumatology, and theological anthropology. He concludes with a couple of chapters that spell out his reservations about Orthodoxy, and his reasons for remaining a Protestant, in spite of his agreement with many aspects of Orthodoxy. (An earlier reviewer who criticized Clendenin's "uncritical approach" apparently skipped these chapters.)
Clendenin is particularly good in his discussion of apophasis, and his analysis of Orthodoxy's skepticism of rational "worded" theology and its embrace and celebration of mystery. His chapter on anthropology, in which he focuses on theosis--a much neglected Christian fundamental here in the West--is also masterful.
The chapter on icons isn't as well thought-through. A Protestant confused about the significance of icons for Orthodox Christians isn't likely to get a great deal of clarification here. Clendenin also occasionally cites Patristic quotations already cited by secondary authors, rather than going to the original texts themselves, and this is a bit troubling. But it must also be pointed out that one of the remarkably refreshing features of his book is his generous quotations of early Greek Fathers who aren't often studied in the West.
All in all, Clendenin's book is an invaluable resource for outsiders interested in the "fourth major religion" in this country. Highly recommended, particularly when read along the accompanying anthology _Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader_.
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Could have been better
Rating (3)
Date: 2006-03-06
2 out of 9 customers found this reveiw helpful
I think the author did a lot of work on this book and it is helpful but it really reads like a book written by someone trying to convert Protestants to Orthodoxy. The mystery is why Clendenin is still Protestant. The book does not make, as I recall, one criticism of the theology or practice of Orthodoxy. For Protestants who would like to examine Orthodoxy biblically (e.g., evaluate the biblical underpinnings of icons, pro and con) this would not be a good choice. I would recommend "The Three Great Churches" (Rials) or "the Gospel According to Rome" (McCarthy). Even though the latter is about Catholicism, many of the issues are the same for Orthodoxy. All that said, this book and its companion (the reader) are very helpful and illuminating for those wanting to understand Orthodoxy from a theologian's perspective. The graphics are very good and it is very well documented.
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Orthodoxy from a cultural and historical perspective. Very solid but not comprehensive.
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-02-09
2 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Daniel B. Clendenin has done his research. Not only does he have the credentials (Ph.D. in Theological and Religious Studies, Drew University) but he has also spent some years teaching religion at the Moscow State University (right after the communist soviet union collapsed in '91) right in the heart of Slavic Orthodoxy - (Moscow has also the nickname of the 3rd Rome, in christian history).
Considering that Clendenin has been and still is a Presbyterian, it is very assuring to read this book and realize how non-polemical and theologically un-biased it is. A great companion for this read is Clendenin's other book "Eastern Orthodox Theology - A Contemporary Reader."
This book is written from a Protestant and Western perspective. Basically Clendenin tries to explain Eastern Orthodoxy to the average Western man and woman or your average Protestant churchgoer. A lot of this introduction has to do with the cultural and mystery/mystic-driven aspect of Orthodoxy.
He starts the book with two chapters on church history, a great foundation necessary to understand the early development, isolation, and ethos of Orthodoxy.
The following four chapters are discussions and explanations of four important aspects of the Orthodox faith and theology:
3) Apophatic theology and the mystery of God,
4) Christ's image and the use and meaning of icons in Orthodoxy,
5) On the authority of Scripture and Christian Tradition, and
6) Theosis - a very Orthodox term and concept.
The last chapter (#7 - "Hermeneutics of Love") presents balanced analysis and questions challenging the Orthodox believer as well as the Protestant Christian. This chapter is the one where I had the most to learn from.
As a result of reading this book and the companion I have a much better understanding of Orthodoxy (as a Protestant Christian) and have things to talk about with my Orthodox fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Other books I would recommend on the topic of Orthodoxy are Timothy (or Kallistos) Ware - "Orthodox Church" and especially "Orthodox Way."
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by Daniel B. Clendenin
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Baker Academic (1994-11)
ISBN: 0801025885
EAN: 9780801025884
Dewy Decimal #: 200
Paperback: 176 pages
SKU: 092808009
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: some underlining...minor wear on cover
More Product Infomation
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
An explanation and appraisal of Orthodoxy compares its essential theological themes with doctrines of evangelical Protestantism.
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Customer Reviews
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Good but not great
Rating (3)
Date: 2007-08-28
I picked up this book for cheap and had a free weekend so I figured I would give it a read. I think the author does a good job of finding common ground and explaining some of the theology of the Orthodox church. Which in all fairness was his goal . . . But he sticks with the things that we can easily share common ground on and makes it look like the divisions are simply semantics. I thought it convenient that he left out all he other stuff that makes peoples heads spin. I mean when you get to the end of the book you are kinda thinking well why don't we all just hold hands and sing a chorus or two. Thats not even close to the reality of things I am afraid.
So while I wasn't so impressed it was an OK read. His perspective was interesting. And it provides a good book for me to give to my in-laws when trying to explain to them that I really haven't gone off the deep end by joining the Orthodox church "See mom . . we really are just the same . . . .just different decorations . . . " and that I am thankful for. it helps that it is written by a protestant. However if you want real church history and a real overview of the church and her theology I am going to have to concur with everyone else that "The Orthodox Church" by T.K. Ware is far and away a much better source.
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Useful
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-08-07
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I am very grateful for Clendenin for assembling his collection of essays by prominent Orthodox theologians and historians, since many are out of print in their original publications. See here for that useful collection: Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader.
However, this book I found to be rather curious and misleading at the end. It is always tricky to critique someone else's religious tradition (although I attempt it all the time), and I am not sure that the author has been completely successful in representing the views of eastern Christianity with accuracy, which then leads to me to wonder which version of Orthodoxy he rejects.
He leaves aside discussions of the saints, Mary and the sacraments (mysteries) as the subject of discussion after one has already examined the nature of tradition, scripture, deification, icons and negative theology (Apophaticism). This makes some sense since they are the distinctive doctrines that most Protestants, especially Evangelicals, have very little exposure to via their Roman Catholic friends (or, more likely, based upon the wild Romaphobic stereotypes adrift in the evangelical subculture). On the whole he is presents a very sympathetic view of Orthodoxy, agreeing that a sense of wonder and mystery should accompany the more analytical, logical theological structure of his own tradition. On the whole I think he is fair.
My only questions would surround the following point. He mentions that the dividing difference between Orthodox and Evangelicals is ecclesiological, but, unless I missed it, he never goes into that point in the previous chapters, leaving me a little lost to the point. If it is so important, why was it overlooked? Perhaps he means that since Orthodox reject the branch theory of Church history (what I would see as "Bride of Frankenstein" ecclesiology, with everyone have a body part of the bride), Orthodox somehow deny the work of God in the lives of non-Orthodox Christians, Catholic or Protestant. But Orthodoxy does not teach that. It surprises me that he would make such a claim, especially since he was the editor of the above-mentioned collection of essays. I would assume he actually read the authors to make the editorial decisions involved. So while Orthodox indeed claim to be the only and true Bride of Christ, it does not follow that the Holy Spirit is limited to the boundaries of that Church. The Spirit blows where it will. Or, as Bishop Kallistos Ware has said, "We are bound by the sacraments. God is not bound by them."
Buy this book, but also take the time to read other works on the subject, including these helpful resources: Common Ground: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity for the American Christian, The Orthodox Way, How Are We Saved?: The Understanding of Salvation in the Orthodox Tradition, Discovering the Rich Heritage of Orthodoxy.
Regarding his statement that the quality of Muslim treatment toward Orthodox is "a matter of some debate" is more than off the wall. Please refer to The Dhimmi: Jews & Christians Under Islam.
My other review often are about ecumenical topics, so they also may be useful.
May all be one.
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America's "fourth major religion" introduced
Rating (4)
Date: 2006-05-17
4 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
Orthodox Christianity is little known to mainstream Americans, be they Christian or otherwise. It seems an exotic import from Russia, Greece, and the Balkans, and as foreign to American Protestantism or even American Roman Catholicism as Tibetan Buddhism. Moreover, there's a great deal of skepticism and even outright rancor directed at Orthodoxy by many Protestants and Roman Catholics. The former see it as unbiblical (whatever that charge means) and the latter see it as a challenge. Finally, too many Orthodox in this country take such an exclusivistic position when it comes to salvation (only the Orthodox Church is the one true church) that they only encourage wariness or dislike by non-Orthodox. (Each of these positions is reflected, by the way, in earlier amazon.com reviews of this book.)
Daniel Clendenin's _Eastern Orthodox Christianity_ has the great merit of introducing the "fourth major religion" to Americans in a reader-friendly and remarkably accurate (for an outsider) way. Other introductions to Orthodoxy are just as good (e.g., Timothy Ware's _The Orthodox Church_), but they're written by insiders. Clendenin is an evangelical Protestant who spent some years teaching in Moscow and absorbing the doctrines and liturgy of Orthodoxy. He writes with a great deal of sensitivity and sympathy.
Clendenin begins with a short history of the Eastern Orthodox Church and its break with the Western Latin Church. Then he focuses on its doctrine, dealing chapter-by-chapter with its understanding of God, the importance of icons and incarnationism, pneumatology, and theological anthropology. He concludes with a couple of chapters that spell out his reservations about Orthodoxy, and his reasons for remaining a Protestant, in spite of his agreement with many aspects of Orthodoxy. (An earlier reviewer who criticized Clendenin's "uncritical approach" apparently skipped these chapters.)
Clendenin is particularly good in his discussion of apophasis, and his analysis of Orthodoxy's skepticism of rational "worded" theology and its embrace and celebration of mystery. His chapter on anthropology, in which he focuses on theosis--a much neglected Christian fundamental here in the West--is also masterful.
The chapter on icons isn't as well thought-through. A Protestant confused about the significance of icons for Orthodox Christians isn't likely to get a great deal of clarification here. Clendenin also occasionally cites Patristic quotations already cited by secondary authors, rather than going to the original texts themselves, and this is a bit troubling. But it must also be pointed out that one of the remarkably refreshing features of his book is his generous quotations of early Greek Fathers who aren't often studied in the West.
All in all, Clendenin's book is an invaluable resource for outsiders interested in the "fourth major religion" in this country. Highly recommended, particularly when read along the accompanying anthology _Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader_.
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Could have been better
Rating (3)
Date: 2006-03-06
2 out of 9 customers found this reveiw helpful
I think the author did a lot of work on this book and it is helpful but it really reads like a book written by someone trying to convert Protestants to Orthodoxy. The mystery is why Clendenin is still Protestant. The book does not make, as I recall, one criticism of the theology or practice of Orthodoxy. For Protestants who would like to examine Orthodoxy biblically (e.g., evaluate the biblical underpinnings of icons, pro and con) this would not be a good choice. I would recommend "The Three Great Churches" (Rials) or "the Gospel According to Rome" (McCarthy). Even though the latter is about Catholicism, many of the issues are the same for Orthodoxy. All that said, this book and its companion (the reader) are very helpful and illuminating for those wanting to understand Orthodoxy from a theologian's perspective. The graphics are very good and it is very well documented.
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Orthodoxy from a cultural and historical perspective. Very solid but not comprehensive.
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-02-09
2 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Daniel B. Clendenin has done his research. Not only does he have the credentials (Ph.D. in Theological and Religious Studies, Drew University) but he has also spent some years teaching religion at the Moscow State University (right after the communist soviet union collapsed in '91) right in the heart of Slavic Orthodoxy - (Moscow has also the nickname of the 3rd Rome, in christian history).
Considering that Clendenin has been and still is a Presbyterian, it is very assuring to read this book and realize how non-polemical and theologically un-biased it is. A great companion for this read is Clendenin's other book "Eastern Orthodox Theology - A Contemporary Reader."
This book is written from a Protestant and Western perspective. Basically Clendenin tries to explain Eastern Orthodoxy to the average Western man and woman or your average Protestant churchgoer. A lot of this introduction has to do with the cultural and mystery/mystic-driven aspect of Orthodoxy.
He starts the book with two chapters on church history, a great foundation necessary to understand the early development, isolation, and ethos of Orthodoxy.
The following four chapters are discussions and explanations of four important aspects of the Orthodox faith and theology:
3) Apophatic theology and the mystery of God,
4) Christ's image and the use and meaning of icons in Orthodoxy,
5) On the authority of Scripture and Christian Tradition, and
6) Theosis - a very Orthodox term and concept.
The last chapter (#7 - "Hermeneutics of Love") presents balanced analysis and questions challenging the Orthodox believer as well as the Protestant Christian. This chapter is the one where I had the most to learn from.
As a result of reading this book and the companion I have a much better understanding of Orthodoxy (as a Protestant Christian) and have things to talk about with my Orthodox fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Other books I would recommend on the topic of Orthodoxy are Timothy (or Kallistos) Ware - "Orthodox Church" and especially "Orthodox Way."
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by Stephen Arterburn, Kenny Luck (Foreword: Rick Warren) (Contributor: Mike Yorkey)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (2003-04-15)
ISBN: 1578566908
EAN: 9781578566907
Dewy Decimal #: 248.842
Paperback: 240 pages
Edition: 1
Release Date: 2003-04-15
SKU: 102308006
Condition: Used: Like New
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...excellent condition
More Product Infomation
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Spiritually, men are frustrated today because they feel they are repeatedly coming up short or are in other ways unfulfilled. Like football players in the “red zone,” they are struggling to complete the drive toward integrity and intimacy with God.
That drive toward spiritual maturity requires both a shift of heart and a re-examination of the spiritual habits. What men lack today is, first, clear understanding of what God is really after in the relationship, and second, a clear plan connected to their goals that make sense practically and biblically. That’s what makes this book special: It specifically reveals God’s heart for men in the spiritual “red zone,” and sets forth the choices they must make to take the relationship with God all the way.
Like other books in the “Every Man” Series, Every Man, God’s Man boldly gets into men’s heads and gives hope. It helps them persevere in their pursuit of God. Provides new insight into God’s objectives for them. And brings them to the new place God is calling them–a place of completion in the faith.
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Customer Reviews
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Absurd.
Rating  (1)
Date: 2007-07-09
0 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
The gentlemen in this book have someone follow them around and refuse to allow themselves any contact with women because they feel they cannot trust themselves not to act like animals.
I think that's really all that needs to be said about this book.
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GOD IS AWESOME.....
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-02-03
THIS BOOK IS WELL WRITTEN AND VERY CONVICTING. IT TRULY DISPLAYS WHAT GOD EXPECTS OUT OF MEN WITH PRACTICAL EXAMPLES AND WISDOM THAT YOU CAN USE IN LIFE!! THE EVERY MAN SERIES IS INCREDIBLE AND TRULY WRITTEN BY GODLY MEN. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK/SERIES TO EVERY MAN THAT LIVES OR WANTS TO TRULY LIVE THE LIFE GOD PLANNED FOR EACH OF US. I HAVE READ EVERY MANS BATTLE AND THIS BOOK AND IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE AND MY PERSPECTIVE OF WHO GOD IS. GOD IS SO AWESOME!! HE EXPECTS MUCH MORE OUT OF US THAN MANY PEOPLE EVER REALIZE.
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A Must For Every Man
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-11-10
I found this book to be a very valuable tool in my spiritual journey. Arterburn and Luck use years of experience, counseling, and insight to help each reader become what we all need and desire to be...God's Man.
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Could not put it down!
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-11-09
Wow...I actually couldn't wait to get back to this book each time I had to put it down to do something else! I believe that most of the book was Mike Yorkey speaking and his experiences, even though I picked it up because of Stephen Arterburn's name, but no matter, it was another phenomenal winner in the Every Man Series! I hope the quality instruction I have received in this book and in this series (I have read Every Man's Battle, Healing is a Choice, and I am currently reading The Secrets Men Keep) just keeps coming! It is an honor to be able to right a review on this title! Men...read these books! Women...if you want to understand men...read these books! May God bless you!
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Quality ideas about Christian integrity
Rating (4)
Date: 2006-02-22
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I think this books has a lot of good ideas, though in my opinion was a little lacking in assisting someone in applying to his life.
Good strong message on Christian integrity. Very readable book.
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by Stephen Arterburn, Kenny Luck (Foreword: Rick Warren) (Contributor: Mike Yorkey)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (2003-04-15)
ISBN: 1578566908
EAN: 9781578566907
Dewy Decimal #: 248.842
Paperback: 240 pages
Edition: 1
Release Date: 2003-04-15
SKU: 111408007
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...light shelf wear on cover
More Product Infomation
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Spiritually, men are frustrated today because they feel they are repeatedly coming up short or are in other ways unfulfilled. Like football players in the “red zone,” they are struggling to complete the drive toward integrity and intimacy with God.
That drive toward spiritual maturity requires both a shift of heart and a re-examination of the spiritual habits. What men lack today is, first, clear understanding of what God is really after in the relationship, and second, a clear plan connected to their goals that make sense practically and biblically. That’s what makes this book special: It specifically reveals God’s heart for men in the spiritual “red zone,” and sets forth the choices they must make to take the relationship with God all the way.
Like other books in the “Every Man” Series, Every Man, God’s Man boldly gets into men’s heads and gives hope. It helps them persevere in their pursuit of God. Provides new insight into God’s objectives for them. And brings them to the new place God is calling them–a place of completion in the faith.
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Customer Reviews
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Absurd.
Rating (1)
Date: 2007-07-09
0 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
The gentlemen in this book have someone follow them around and refuse to allow themselves any contact with women because they feel they cannot trust themselves not to act like animals.
I think that's really all that needs to be said about this book.
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GOD IS AWESOME.....
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-02-03
THIS BOOK IS WELL WRITTEN AND VERY CONVICTING. IT TRULY DISPLAYS WHAT GOD EXPECTS OUT OF MEN WITH PRACTICAL EXAMPLES AND WISDOM THAT YOU CAN USE IN LIFE!! THE EVERY MAN SERIES IS INCREDIBLE AND TRULY WRITTEN BY GODLY MEN. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK/SERIES TO EVERY MAN THAT LIVES OR WANTS TO TRULY LIVE THE LIFE GOD PLANNED FOR EACH OF US. I HAVE READ EVERY MANS BATTLE AND THIS BOOK AND IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE AND MY PERSPECTIVE OF WHO GOD IS. GOD IS SO AWESOME!! HE EXPECTS MUCH MORE OUT OF US THAN MANY PEOPLE EVER REALIZE.
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A Must For Every Man
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-11-10
I found this book to be a very valuable tool in my spiritual journey. Arterburn and Luck use years of experience, counseling, and insight to help each reader become what we all need and desire to be...God's Man.
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Could not put it down!
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-11-09
Wow...I actually couldn't wait to get back to this book each time I had to put it down to do something else! I believe that most of the book was Mike Yorkey speaking and his experiences, even though I picked it up because of Stephen Arterburn's name, but no matter, it was another phenomenal winner in the Every Man Series! I hope the quality instruction I have received in this book and in this series (I have read Every Man's Battle, Healing is a Choice, and I am currently reading The Secrets Men Keep) just keeps coming! It is an honor to be able to right a review on this title! Men...read these books! Women...if you want to understand men...read these books! May God bless you!
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Quality ideas about Christian integrity
Rating (4)
Date: 2006-02-22
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I think this books has a lot of good ideas, though in my opinion was a little lacking in assisting someone in applying to his life.
Good strong message on Christian integrity. Very readable book.
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by Tony Lane
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (1996-05-22)
ISBN: 0785211438
EAN: 9780785211433
Dewy Decimal #: 230.09
Paperback: 256 pages
SKU: 091908021
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: some highlighting...minor wear on cover
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
From Augustine to Aquinas, the early church fathers to the charismatic movement, Exploring Christian Thought introduces you to the thinkers and writings that have shaped Christian history and much of Western culture. Exploring Christian Thought offers a succinct introduction to over 100 influential thinkers and important events in the church, including the creation of the creeds, schisms and controversies, and the development of theology and doctrines.
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Customer Reviews
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A wonderful, short history of Christian thought
Rating (5)
Date: 2005-05-18
4 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
I'm almost finished with this book, but I've already been recommending this book to people. Although this book has a good deal of church history, it is not a church history book so it may be helpful to supplement your reading with another good church history book. (My favorite is "Church History In Plain Language" by Bruce Shelley
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0849938619/103-1572103-3320655
or if that's too long for you, a nice supplemental reference is Zondervan's "Chronological and Background Charts of Church History" by Robert Walton
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310362814/ref=sib_rdr_dp/103-1572103-3320655
although that one is not a good stand alone church history reference.)
Any ways, Tony Lane is great at encapsulating key people and events in church history and explaining how they significantly contributed to the different aspects of Christian beliefs as well as their contribution at different points in history. You'll read about the discussions through the ages from issues regarding the trinity and the reliability of scripture to others like the role of communion and baptism. The events and people are grouped in logical sections, although you won't always find them in chronological order, which is fine if you pay attention to the dates.
Tony also does a good job of presenting the different sides of various debates as fairly as possible. However, he's also not afraid to interject his own judgement calls when absolutely necessary. I especially appreciated this aspect of this book because it can be difficult to know which side of which debate to believe without a third party's opinion. This is a tough balance to hold, but I think Tony does a great job because even during those rare instances when he interjects his judgement call, he gives clear reasons why based on insights from other Christians in church history. Even then, you as the reader are equipped to make your own decisions based on the material.
Another great aspect of the book is that almost every chapter has excerpts from the actual writings of either the person or from the event discussed. The only thing that I can think of that would make this book better is if it had an index to reference different topics, places, and people.
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Great Survey of Christian Theological Thought
Rating (5)
Date: 1998-06-27
6 out of 6 customers found this reveiw helpful
This is a wonderful survey of Christian Theological Thought from ancient times to the present. Tony Lane writes in an engaging style and hits all of the high points. The various (100 or so) Theologians discussed have their ideas exemplified by short pertinent quotations. Although each discussion is, by necessity, short, I found this volume to be an invaluable reference in my own Theological studies as a way of putting into perspective various periods, issues, etc. that I was only peripherally studying. Well worth the read!
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by John Phillips
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Kregel Academic & Professional (2001-09-01)
ISBN: 0825434882
EAN: 9780825434884
Dewy Decimal #: 222.1107
Hardcover: 379 pages
SKU: 102308010
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...minor wear on cover
More Product Infomation
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
"John Phillips writes with enthusiasm and clarity, . . . cutting through the confusion and heretical dangers associated with Bible interpretation." —Moody Magazine
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Customer Reviews
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Not that good
Rating (1)
Date: 2008-01-10
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Most of the book is trying to show how the Bible must be true by discrediting Science, and then backing up the Bible by using Science.
Here is an e-mail to the author:
Dear John,
I'm sure you've heard this all before but as I was reading your book "Exporing Genesis", I read something that I had never heard before. I was barely a few pages into the book on page 39. You write that "the science of Kepler, Copernicus, and Newton is obsolete" and that "Scientists have what they call a five-year half life."
I am a Science teacher to 7th grade students and I have a BA in Biology. I have no problem with most religions and letting people have their own beliefs but the two statements above are lies.
Your God tells you to not to bear false witness. I hope the mistakes are from your ignorance and not to purposefully mislead people. I used to be a member of another church and one of the main reasons I left was because they would use arguements like these that made no sense, in order to keep me in the religion. When I left that church, I attended the local Baptist church for awhile, but their attitude was just as bad, and most times worse.
I'm not even going to bother to refute the above two statements except to say that Copernicus and Kepler's laws of planetary motion are still used today, Newton's 3 laws of motion are sitll used today, but the christian church's outdated viewpoint that the Earth is the center of the universe is not.
I am atheist now and it bothers me when religions zealots try to discredit science in order to build people's faith. This is why I left my belief in God years ago. Your arguements sound pathetic to anyone who understands anything about science. Scientists believe in what they can see. You believe what you feel is more important than what you see. That's fine. It doesn't bother me at all.
Just leave Science to the Scientists.
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can't put down book
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-05-14
this is one of the best of Johy Phillips series. he truly explores the book of Genesis in a way that we can all relate to.
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Outstanding Commentary
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-04-13
This is the best single volume commentary that I have seen to date on the book of Genesis. John Phillips offers simple, clear Biblical wisdom and guidance and moves you into the passages and stories of the text. He brings Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to life and lifts up the sinfulness of sin and the truly amazing grace of God in Jesus Christ.
The expository outlines alone would justify purchasing the book, but the richness and clarity with which he brings out the gospel truth is almost matchless.
I would recommend this book to any student of the Scriptures. Both laypeople and clergy will find it lucid and engaging.
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Review by a pastor and educator
Rating (5)
Date: 2003-03-01
3 out of 6 customers found this reveiw helpful
This book is full of historical and factual material that is very helpful. The outlines are extra good and useable. The spritual insight is very challenging and preachable. The best commentary I have read on Genisus.
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An extremely traditional analysis of Genesis
Rating  (2)
Date: 1999-09-24
17 out of 35 customers found this reveiw helpful
The author examines Genesis from a strict fundamentalist/literalist/"scientific creationism" point of view. Typical quotes from the book are: "The other books of the Pentateuch, Moses wrote out of his experience, but not Genesis. Genesis he learned at his mother's knee." "The basic command for all living things is that each reproduce 'after its kind'... It is the rock upon which the whole theory of evolution perishes." "One great factor in precipitating the Flood was the intercourse between 'the sons of God' and the daughters of men that resulted in a demon progeny of extraordinary influence." "Noah was fruitful... Three sons. That does not look like very much fruit, but from those three sons every man, woman, and child on the planet has descended." The book's principal weakness is that the author continually draws conclusions from scripture that the text does not substantiate. For example, about Joseph's brother Gad, a man of whom the Bible tells us only his name, Phillips writes as follows: "There was something about Gad that savored of the gang. He was the bully type, the kind who would pick a fight when it was safe, when numbers were on his side... Gad, the coward."
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by (Editor: Susan Easton Black)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Deseret Book Co (1996-02)
ISBN: 157345091X
EAN: 9781573450911
Dewy Decimal #: 230.9332
Hardcover: 250 pages
SKU: 080508006
Condition: Used: Acceptable
Comments: no dustjacket...lots of writing in pencil
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Customer Reviews
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Loved this book!
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-10-10
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I really enjoyed the testimonies that are shared in this book. It was great to read about people who are really smart and still have a strong testimony. I highly recommend this book.
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