Product Description
Dave Hunt and T.A. McMahon present their view that Christians are being deceived by a subtle new world view that is seducing the church and issue a call for vigilance and differentiation between the real and the counterfeit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Seduction Exposed.
"The Seduction of Christianity" by Dave Hunt and T.A. McMahon is one of the most important Christian books published since the 1960s. That's because it ideals with the main and most destructive of attacks against Christianity and Western Civilization. This attack "...will not appear as a frontal assault or oppression of our religious beliefs. Instead it will come as the latest 'fashionable philosophies' offering to make us happier, healthier, better educated, even more spiritual."
Christians are open to this attack through the growing acceptance and practise of possibility and positive thinking, healing of memories, self-help philosophies and holistic medicine. These spiritual dangers started to become popular during the 1960s and have gained a much wider acceptance since then.
There are many warnings, especially in the New Testament (though prophesied in the Old Testament too) that a great apostasy must occur before the Rapture and and--subsequently--Armageddon. Despite Replacement "theology", psychology and other widespread heresies prevalent in the liberal and ecumenical churches, many professing Christians concur with these false teachings. They do not even see these things are actually prophesied in Scripture as part of the Apostasy.
Dave Hunt and Tom McMahon deal with this spiritual seduction thoroughly, frankly and with compassion.
This book has received much vitriolic condemnation from ecumenists and liberals as divisive; though this has never been the intention of the writers:
"We have written this book reluctantly, yet knowing it had to be done. We have no desire to cause controversy or division; our desire is to expose a seduction that is gathering momentum and is no respecter of persons. All of us are being affected, from the average Christian to mature and respected leaders. It is our desire to rescue rather than condemn."
Hunt and McMahon have achieved that goal. I say so as someone who was greatly influenced by those delusional teachings and teachers. I have friends who have been and still are influenced by them.
I am grateful to those two authors and broadcasters because "The Seduction of Christianity" woke me up to those false teachings--or, plainly, heresies.
We can easily think we'll never be deceived. But a deceived person never believes he's deceived--otherwise he wouldn't be deceived!
The comment on the back cover sums up this incredibly important book as the world in these apostate times accelerates towards Armageddon:
"A compelling look at the times we live in. A clear call to every believer to choose between the Original and the counterfeit. Only then can we hope to escape THE SEDUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY."
This book is essential reading if you are a Christian--especially if you are a Christian who thinks you don't need it.
"Seduction" was written in 1985. Many of its warnings have since come to pass. The seductions have well and truly taken root and its tendrils are strangling the knowledge of the truth of the Gospel in the mainline churches.
It is astonishing that mature and older Christians, who should be able to remember when we lived in a society which had biblical values, cannot see that many churches no longer have those values and no longer even believe in the infallibility of Scripture. While thiswidespread Laodicean attitude is found mainly in liberal-ecumenist churches (where the antipathy towards "The Seduction of Christianity" was most profound--no surprise there), it can also be found among conservative congregations!
Ironically, those detractors are fulfilling the prophecies regarding apostasy.
A quarter of a century after the writing of "Seduction" this amazing book's warnings of what was to come are being verified daily. Dave Hunt's and Tom McMahon's The Berean Call is worth checking on the net. You can find them on YOu Tube broadcasting and debating on similar subjects to "The Seduction of Christianity."
But that shouldn't stop you buying it! Besides the fact it is a book which will help to free you from deception and help you to spot false teachers, it will show you how much that was warned of has come to pass. It will remind you also of how much Bible prophecy has come to pass and show the reality of the times in which we now live.

THE modern version of Luther's 95 thesis
For me this book is a classic - Dave Hunt brought me out of compromised Christianity on to the narrow, straight path that leads to eternal life.
Dave's usual detailed footnotes add greatly to the credibility of this work.
I first read "Seduction" in 1988 and have returned to it many times.
This is a simple truth - the false science of psychology has truly seduced the churchin America.
"Seduction" has made me a life-long fan of Dave Hunt

Wake up Church!
It's time that the true follower's(disciples) of Jesus wake up and see what is going on! We are rapaidly heading for the One World religion and government. Though this book was written over 20 years ago, it is very accurate describing where the Church is at today!

Deception in our day
This book should be required reading by all who think they are Christian but do not KNOW the Word of God for themselves.This book reveals the deception being wrought in our day by ministerial missuse of the Scripture and the hearer does not discern the difference.

Take this word of caution by Mr. Hunt and return to the Knowledge of the Holy before agreeing with many who are preaching health, wealth, and the power of positive thinking for much of this is a true deception.It is posited before people who should know better.This book helps the reader to understand what deception is and how to discern it.

I highly recommend this work.

Good, but not the best
This book is a very good overview, although it is a little dated. That's why I'm giving it three stars. Dave Hunt's updated book is called Occult Invasion and is a better purchase.
As for the people who do not want to accept what is written in these books, I offer the advice to err on the safe side. What's the point in splitting hairs? Call it what you will, and label as you please, the truth will always stay the truth.
... Read more

Product Description

The "dangerous idea" lying at the heart of Protestantism is that the interpretation of the Bible is each individual's right and responsibility. The spread of this principle has resulted in five hundred years of remarkable innovation and adaptability, but it has also created cultural incoherence and social instability. Without any overarching authority to rein in "wayward" thought, opposing sides on controversial issues can only appeal to the Bible—yet the Bible is open to many diverse interpretations. Christianity's Dangerous Idea is the first book that attempts to define this core element of Protestantism and the religious and cultural dynamic that this dangerous idea unleashed, culminating in the remarkable new developments of the twentieth century.

Customer Reviews (14)

Over-Ambitious and Shoddy Analysis
When I first started "Christianity's Dangerous Idea" by Alister McGrath, a former Oxford professor who now holds the Chair in theology, ministry, and education at the University of London, I thought the book would be about Martin Luther's struggle with the Catholic Church, and how the Protestant affirmation of individuality changed Western culture.If only.Instead the book is an over-ambitious, sprawling, erratic account of the entire six centuries worth of history of the Protestant religion in 478 pages.

The story begins when the Catholic Church faces a crisis of legitimacy.Its upper management (the bishops) are dominated by Europe's powerful nobility (one powerful noble even managed to institute his eight-year old son as a bishop) who use the Church as an extension of their power, and the priests are uneducated, incompetent, and corrupt.The supremacy of the Pope makes the Catholic susceptible and prone to power struggles.And while the Catholic must deal with internal management problems, the face of Europe is changing rapidly:nation-states are rising, capitalism is developing, and an educated middle-class is forming.For Christianity to survive, it must adapt itself to these powerful socio-economic forces, and all around Christiandom (especially in the German principalities and Swiss cantons) voices of protest are being raised.

In Mr. McGrath's account, Martin Luther, a brilliant young man who had a history of mental instability and who found himself fortunate to be under the protection of Frederick the Wise, would launch the Protestant Revolution.But it was Calvin, working from Geneva and using the power of the printing press and writing in the vernacular instead of Latin, who would be the engineer, architect, and theoretician of the Reformation.In this Luther would be the Jesus and spiritual godfather of Protestantism, and Calivin would be the Paul and founder of modern Protestantism.

From this beginning, the author takes it upon himself to trace the entire development of Protestanism, examining the rise of Anglicanism in England, the import of Puritanism to America, the divergence of Protestanism into hundreds of stands, and the spreading of Protestanism into Africa, Asia, and Latin America.The book would have been much more interesting and manageable if he had just stuck with Luther and Calvin.

It's interesting how Mr. McGrath discusses constantly that Protestanism's identity was in opposition to Catholicism, but doesn't really include Catholicism in the story (no mention of the Inquisition and the schism that would create the Orthodox Church).For centuries, the Catholic Church was the European hegemon, controlling thought and action.Against this monolith, Protestanism asserted individuality and diversity, and broke the Pope's monopoly.But I think the more stunning accomplishment is how the Pope managed to create and maintain this monopoly in the first place.Despite its problems, the Catholic did manage to create a bureaucracy, a culture, and doctrines that held together in a frightening conformity diverse, chaotic, and restless Europe (without the power of the media and public education).

Also, McGrath fails to explore in detail the social, economic, and cultural circumstances that led to the Protestant Reformation.The German princes must have been jealous and suspicious of Rome's power, and when an individual like Martin Luther came along to offer the rhetorical justification to dispel the influence of Rome they seized upon it.Indeed, Luther championed his political patrons, and here is McGrath's explanation for this symbiosis:"The price paid to scure [Protestanism's] reforming measures was to give religious legitimacy to existing authorities." (page 327)In McGrath's perspective, Luther was the agent of reform who sought political alliances to cement his reforms.A more likely explanation is that social, economic, political, cultural, and historical forces conspired to weaken the unnatural monolithic grip of the Catholic Church, and Martin Luther found himself riding these forces, and when Luther no longer served the interests of these forces they turned to John Calvin.

What's remarkable about Calvinism is how, in its praise of hard work and savings, legitimizing of usury and trade, it so conformed to the needs of Europe's new monolithic power:capitalism.Or perhaps it wasn't a coincidence.Perhaps capitalism (which was already apparent in Geneva) needed a theoretician to help co-opt Christianity.An exciting book would examine the relationship between the rise of capitalism and the Protestant revolution.

Ultimately, the biggest problem with this book is that the author chooses to believe that there is in fact a coherent body of thought called Protestanism.There is in fact too much diversity and variety in Protestanism (would anyone write a book on the history of "white people"?), and certain strands such as Lutheranism have more in common with "the other" (Catholicism, in the case of Lutheranism) than with other more Protestant strands.There is an entire universe, a whole spectrum of ideas and practices in Protestantism.What exactly is the difference between Episcopalism and Presbyterianism, and the difference between the Church of England and the Vatican?Congregationalism is revolutionary by any standards, and Pentecostalism is dangerous by any analysis.

This book is exhausting in its ambition, and clumsy in its analysis.

Christianity's Dangerous Idea
Christianity's Dangerous Idea:The Protestant Revolution--A History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty First.

Alister McGrath does a good job of putting together A History of Protestants, although the Author is a An Anglican, and Not Catholic, (In my opinion as A Catholic Myself.)He does a great service by putting together this book,Although the title fooled me as I expected A Stinging Critique of Luther and the mess he made with his so-called Reformation and the many spin-off/pick and choose varieties ever since(fanatics) and how Christianity has been split since.I feel the book could have been better. I recommend Reading this but also Luther By Fr.Patrick F. O'Hare and Triumph by Hw Crocker III as well as How The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization By Woods.

Excellent Unbiased Historical Account Of Protestantism
Mr. McGrath clearly has a broad knowledge of, and understands the many facets of the Protestent Reformation.Without passing judgement on either Roman Catholicism, nor the "Dangerous Ideas" introduced by the Reformers, the author brings to light, in clear terms the issues relating to the developement of the Protestant movement.Without a "post-modern" bias of many christian intellectuals in todays academia, Mr. McGrath holds an unspoken yet deep reverence for the Church Christ established... in all of its many forms.

Protestants of all persuasions, and Roman Catholics alike will gain a meaningful historical understanding of the influences, circumstances and threats that shaped todays Protestantism, begining with the birth of the Reformation in the early 1500's.

Dennis K.

McGrath's Thought-Provoking Book
Alister McGrath has written a very informative and thought-provoking history of Protestantism from its beginnings in the 16th Century to the present.Although McGrath is considered to be an evangelical anglican, he writes from a scholarly and objective view, showing Protestantism "warts and all."Although not a trained theologian, I found the book to be readable, accessible and interesting.A major theme of the book is the historical development resulting from the Protestant ideas of Sola Scriptura, and the priesthood of all believers.Without an official or authoritative body to mediate disputes over the interpretation of Scripture, McGrath shows how these basic Protestant ideals have led to a diversity of doctrinal outcomes in areas such as the nature of the sacraments, baptism, church government, spiritual gifts, the role of missions,and the role of women in ministry.On a critical note, he seems to analyze some of the current disputes in the mainline denominations over sexual orientation in the same terms, whereas, most evangelicals would see the clear weight of scripture as condemning the recent developments in the liberal wing of the Episcopal Church and other denominations.On a similar note, McGrath seems to downplay the viability of detailed church confessions such as the Westminster Confession, and he seems to feel that once we go beyond the very basic ideas in the Apostle's and Nicene Creeds, we are in the Never-Neverland of chaotic Protestant disputes that can not be resolved without a magesterial body to mediate these issues.McGrath does not really offer any meaningful solutions to the problems of Protestantism that he identifies. The final portion of the book focuses on the often overlooked statistics about the current demographics of Protestantism, most notably the explosive global growth of Pentecostelism and the shift of its center of gravity to the southern hemisphere.The data suggests that Protestantism in its modern form is not dying but alive and well, and most of all unpredictable.Overall, I enjoyed the book.It challenged my thinking and opened my eyes to a number of issues I had not considered.

Protestant History
McGrath has written a few books that I considered as contenders for my favorite theological books including 'Christian Theology' . This particular work stands out because it is for me his most engaging, and it gave me a much deeper understanding of the history and structure of my own Protestant tradition.

The book has three sections. By far the longest is its first which is a history of the Protestant movement from its inception until modern times. McGrath shines here as his years of writing about justification and Reformation history come through combined with a gripping writing style. Then McGrath details the current state of Protestantism, from Evangelicalism, to the shift of the church to the 3rd World, to the Pentecostal revival. Finally he puts forth some issues and potential solutions Protestantism will be facing in the near future.

It seems to me that the Protestant movement stands at something of an important crossroads at the moment, and it is by understanding who and what we are through resources like this that we will have the proper awareness to proceed forward in the best way.

Review Originally Posted At
newwaystheology.blogspot.com ... Read more

Product Description

Marcus Borg's The Heart of Christianity struck a chord for countless Christians across this country. Church groups and small groups have been reading this influential book, hoping to put into practice Borg's helpful suggestions for how we can be passionate believers today. For the millions of people who have turned away from many traditional beliefs about God, Jesus, and the Bible, but still long for a relevant, nourishing faith, The Heart of Christianity presents a new outlook on Christianity that is both refreshing and compelling. This companion to The Heart of Christianity is an invaluable resource that provides the tools to talk about Borg's new vision for a life of Christian faith and how it can change our spiritual lives and Christian communities today. For groups as well as individuals hoping to go deeper in The Heart of Christianity, this guide includes personal reflection questions, discussion topics, exercises, and selections from the bestselling book. Organized into twelve chapters, or sessions, Living the Heart of Christianity includes both an individual or participant's guide as well as a guide for group leaders, allowing the reader to engage with the issues that lie at the heart of Christianity today.

Customer Reviews (7)

The Heart of Christianity
I recieved my book in a decent amount of time and it was like NEW! I'm happy!

This is a Must Read
If you are even remotely considering this book, DO NOT HESITATE to get your hands on a copy and READ IT!!!Furthermore, read everything you can by Marcus Borg.And John Shelby Spong.I am a life-long Christian (Disciples of Christ), a "preacher's kid".Thankfully, my parents were both very progressive in their faith and theology.For that reason, I have always been comfortable asking questions and not feeling terribly guilty in my "doubting".Marcus Borg's books have helped me immeasurably to find new life and meaning and hope in my faith.

Borg Wrote this Book for Me
As I read this book, it felt like Borg wrote it especially for me. I am a lover of Christ who is completely disenchanted with, and at times, disgusted by how Americans claim to practice Christianity. It seems to me that Christ's essential message - love God and love others - has been lost in favor of exclusivity and judgmentalism. Borg's explanations of the meanings of the cross, sin, salvation, and other central tenets of Christianity make so much sense in the context of how I understand the Message and who I understand Christ to be. Thank you, Dr. Borg, for speaking to my heart and helping me deepen my relationship with Christ.

Beautiful book of non-denominational Christianity
I wish this book could be sent to every member of Congress and the Senate, and they would read it.

To be Christian is not to be judgemental, but to be compassionate.

Read this and re-think whether you, or our leaders, are really living a Christian life.

Structure not consistent with the topic
In my opinion, a new paradigm calls for a fresh teaching structure.
This one is a cookie cutter plodding along -let it float and sing!
Borg deserves better.

wcdiii ... Read more

Product Description
What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ today? And are Christians really prepared for the answers? In Mere Discipleship, Lee Camp sets forth his vision of what it means to truly follow Christ, challenging Christians to put obedience to Jesus as Lord ahead of allegiances to all earthly authorities--be they nationalistic, political, economic, or cultural. Camp clearly lays out a sound biblical framework of what disciples believe and therefore what they should do. This substantially revised and expanded second edition updates examples, adds chapter introductions and summaries, and includes new study questions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Very challenging book for most Americans! Must read!
I just finished this book and plan to buy copies for more than one person! This is a must read for all American Christians!! As Author Shane Claiborne said; "This is one book that you wear out carrying around, marking up, and loaning out."

Not a book on Discipleship
Is hardly a book on discipleship. But more of an expose of modern christianity that is full of people who live in disobedience. Not a bad book, but I was looking for a book on discipleship. It is an overview of gospel doctrine. He thinks that by educating the lukewarm christians who may happen to read this book, they will change into disciples. How naïve! It is not for lack of knowledge. This book can be retitled: A Survey of Today's Modern Lukewarm Christianity. He attempts to fix it by re-educating and defining the gospel, church, and discipleship in light of politics and history. This is an academic, history book, not Christian living.

Mere Discipleship review
Mere Discipleship does not beat around the bush.The author is very clear in expressing his world view from a Christian point of view.

Mere Discipleship
I found this book to be very thought provoking, I don't agree with all of Camp's reasoning, but it is well thought out. Everyone concerned about the strange bedfellows Christianity has, might get some insight into how that came about. I do think we have blurred the lines between church and state, and that we have joined in unethical means to get good ends. I highly recommend this book to all those that aren't afraid to kill the Sacred Cow.

Did not receive
I never received the book I ordered. I sent two emails and they never responded. ... Read more

Product Description
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relentless condition, the primary symptom being the occurrence of terrifying ideas, images, and urges that jump into a person's mind and return again and again, despite the individual's attempt to remove them. Christians who suffer from OCD may grapple with additional guilt, as the undesired thoughts are frequently of a spiritual nature. Yet people may be surprised to learn that some of the greatest leaders in Christian history also struggled with this malady. What did they experience? How did they cope? Were they able to overcome these tormenting, often violent, obsessions? Where did God fit into the picture?Ian Osborn shares the personal accounts of Martin Luther, John Bunyan, and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, as well as his own story, in exploring how faith and science work together to address this complex issue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Wonderful book
This is the very first and perhaps only product review I have and ever will do on Amazon.This book was TREMENDOUSLY helpful.It taught me things about myself that I didn't even know, along with techniques to help understand how to deal with OCD.The stories of other Christians (famous ones) who had the same problem made me feel a lot less alone.I have learned a tremendous amount from this book that I can apply in my daily living and after reading this book I have noticed improvements immediately.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.If you're looking for help with OCD from a Christian perspective, incorporating therapy with our God, then I highly recommend you purchase this book.

Blessings, good luck, and best regards.

Very Therapeutic!
As a sufferer of OCD since I was a child, I have often been confused, mis-diagnosed and often hopeless of every feeling "normal". Reading about such remarakble Christian figures who now are believed to have suffered from OCD was a very therapeutic experience. This book also taught me a lot about the disorder, history and treatment options. I would recommend this for any person (mostly Christian) who has OCD and their loved ones. I especially recommend it for suffers who experience religious obsessions.

Thank God for this book!
I have been searching for a good book to address where faith and mental illness intersect for a long time.I wish I'd known about this book a long time ago.It is an easy read, very insightful and informative.I couldn't put it down!

An Intelligent Look at Psychiatry and Faith
The title seems simplistic to me, but a friend recommended this book.I am glad I got past the title. Osborn does an excellent job of integrating his knowledge as a physician and his Christian faith. He is well regarded professionally and has personal experience of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

There are sections of the book where Osborn explores the role of faith in helping Martin Luther, John Bunyan, and Therese of Lisieux.Of course, all three lived before the diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder was developed.However, Osborn provides convincing evidence that they were sufferers who eventually found great comfort in coming to a deeper knowledge of God, particularly God's grace and Jesus' sacrifice for us.

I particularly appreciate how Osborn holds forth cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, and spiritual growth as all having merit.He does not try to play off one against another.

I have suffered from OCD for decades, but have benefited greatly from medication.Nonetheless, I was very glad I read this book.

Integrating faith and treatment
This book should be really helpful for anyone trying to integrate their faith with their treatment plans for OCD. The review of the three lives of Luther, Bunyan, and Therese are well done and demonstrate how difficult and painful OCD was for them.The summary of their answers to this challenge long before psychiatry posed solutions is solid and helpful.The recommended steps in the final chapters can really help individuals integrate their faith with solid treatment principles. ... Read more

Product Description
If you use Microsofts PowerPoint® presentation software, this fantastic ready-to-use teaching tool will allow you to project on a screen-or show on your computer monitor-a comparison of the beliefs of 20 different religious groups. Contains more than 300 slides. Groups compared: Christianity; Scientology; Judaism; Buddhism; Islam; Unity School of Christianity; Armstrongism; New Age; Hinduism; NEW! Wicca; Mormonism; Hare Krishna; Unification Church; NEW! Nation of Islam; Jehovahs Witnesses; Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism; Christian Science; Transcendental Meditation; Spiritualism; Bahai World Faith. Know what they believe about God, Jesus, Salvation, life after death, and their interesting practices. Shows the founder, date, and location of the groups headquarters. Has photos of founders, headquarters, symbols, key writings, magazines and tracts, practices, etc. Each frame shows the beliefs of a particular religious group on a certain topic. At the bottom of each frame is a Bible button that allows you to go to the frame that shows the Christian belief on the same topic in just one click, so there is no scrambling to find the right frame. One more click will return you to the previous frame. Compatible with Macintosh and PC. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

TIme tested - Great resource
Let me start right off by saying that the resource I'm about to review is very near and dear to my heart.This is a piece of nostalgia from my very early Christian days.I purchased what was probably the 1st or 2nd edition of Rose's chart of Christianity, cults and religionsat a Bible bookstore in Fayetteville, NC as a brand new Christian and absolutely devoured the information in it for years.It has helped me in countless ways both in distinguishing my new found faith from false teachings around the world and also helping to prepare me with good solid answers during discussions on religion with friends, fellow servicemen and family members.I still have the old, tattered and faded copy from all those years ago.

I was blessed by Rose Publishing to be provided the 7th edition of Christianity, Cults and Religions free of charge in exchange for a written review.

Wow, they certainly have come along way in updating this guide.Here are some additions that make this worth every penny you'll pay for one:

* Pictures of group leaders have been added in and around the descriptions of each group.This helps those of us who are more visually oriented.

* Charts of the beliefs and doctrines of different religions.For me, a real chart and map geek, I love this feature.This helps put things in an orderly fashion making it easy to quickly understand how one group is either similar to different from Biblical Christianity.

* Breakdown of the difference between Sunni and Shi'a Islam.This is a much needed feature in today's world.The world, and especially the Christian world, has had to come face to face with the worlds fastest growing religion, Islam.Understanding the very important differences between it's two main sects is critical as we interact with the people of this religion and culture.

* Groups, religions, cults added: Sikhism, Kabbalah Centre, Nation of Islam, Wicca, Seventh-Day Adventism, Soka Gakkai International

* Groups, religions, cults removed (from the 1996 version I have, at least): Armstrongism, Spiritualism(Spiritism), Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism

Overall, a very well laid out pamphlet full of very good basic information.This is the perfect material to tuck inside your Bible or Bible case and review every so often so you are ready to "give a defense for the hope that lies within you" (1 Peter 3:15) when you interact with others who ascribe to some or all of these beliefs.I highly recommend virtually any Rose resource, but I can definitely say that the Christianity, cults and religions booklet is a must have.The apologetics novice to the apologetics expert can benefit from this material and I commend it to you.

Excellent Resource
I received an advance copy of this recently updated pamphlet as a donor.The clear, carefully researched responses, using non-pejorative language,make it a helpful resource for clearly comparing / contrasting the key distinctives of Biblical Christianity vs. other religions and "off shoots" of Christianity.The pamphlet responds to 8 questions for each of the 20 groups covered in a side-by-side format.The compact nature of this laminatedpamphlet make it a very practical, useful document.

Excellent material for quick reference
This product is a must have for a Christian pastor, apologist, missionary, a home group leader or any follower of Jesus who may encounter adherents of the other belief systems. At a glance, it provides useful information on world religions and the most commonly encountered cults, - regarding their origins, set of beliefs and the differences compared to the orthodox Christian views. Because many cults claim themselves to be "Christian", the clear information provided by the pamphlet is very useful for understanding of their true nature and finding opportunities for evangelizing. Highly recommended.

COMPARATIVE RELIGION
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Apologia Report Contributing Editor Paul Carden recently finished updating the best concise religion comparison tool in print, the 7th edition of Rose Publishing's Christianity, Cults & Religions. In this 14-panel fold-out side-by-side comparison chart of the Christianity's 20 principal rivals in the West, details for each belief system considered include: founder, date, location, teachings on God, Jesus, salvation, death, key writings, other beliefs, and distinctive practices.
The news regarding the 7th edition centers on a fresh DVD-based curriculum that is designed to complement this product. To learn more, go to [...].
From Apologia Report 15:23, Jun 24 '10, [...]
.

A Very Useful Tool
I received an advance copy of this pamphlet as a donor. I've used earlier editions of this guide as well.

This resource gives good, concise information on key elements of Biblical Christianity and 20 cults and world religions in an easy to use comparison chart format.It also provides the Scriptural foundation for testing prophets and teachings, how to become a Christian according to the Scriptures, and Biblical responses to false teachings about Jesus.
This is a very useful tool with many applications.For example, churches can supply their busy members with a way to quickly grasp the essential differences between Biblical Christianity and the other groups and religions, for use in evangelism and apologetics.Sunday School teachers and small group leaders can use this guide to ground their people in the essentials of the faith, and show how significant the differences with other beliefs are.Finally, the pamphlet provides a foundation for gracefully reaching out to people in other groups and religions, and helps alleviate the fear of doing so.
... Read more

Product Description
This profound and thought-provoking book is one of the classics of modern missionary writing. Superficially just a good missionary story, about how one man brought a number of groups of Masai people in east Africa to Christian faith, it is something much more than that. For in what the author says about the method and content of evangelism; the meaning of the eucharist; and the nature of ministry, we are led back to the question our understandings of the mission of the church in all its contexts. For Donovan, his experiences in Africa meant a total reappraisal of the meaning of his faith, and therefore a rediscovery of his Christianity. His book, which is written with moving simplicity, continues to represent a provocative challenge to all those engaged in issues of evangelism and multiculturalism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Excellent experience
Seamless transaction -- product as offered, delivery fast, no hitches -- certainly will use these folks again!

But does it rediscover enough?
I highly recommend this book, and have given away several copies over the years. But I've tempered my recommendations since reading The Early Christians: In Their Own Words, by Eberhard Arnold.

Donovan makes many excellent points (you can read about them in the other reviews), but doesn't rediscover the fact that the Church we take to the mission field is radically different from Paul's. The ordained clergy to which Donovan belongs did not exist, and the concept of the communion was somewhat different from the one he took to the Masai.

This is not to single out Donovan, or the Catholic Church. Since reading Arnold's book, I've been deeply troubled by many questions about how we do church, and how we missionize. For the sake of balance I'll mention a hallowed tradition among us evangelicals: the altar call. The fact is, early Christian services had no altars, and acceptance into the Body required a much more from the prospective Christian than simply confessing his/her sins.

I would be happy to see a discussion of these issues, because as a missionary as well as a follower of Jesus, I really would like to understand them better.

A seminal missionary contribution
Vincent J Donovan, Christianity Rediscovered (Maryknoll: Orbis, 2003)

Donovan talks about how when he went to the Masai people in Tanzania and dropped all the medical and teaching work (and the associated asking for land for buildings and bringing in Western technology and financial support etc.) that missionaries usually got caught up in, and just talked about God. He would tell someone a story, ask them to tell others, and ask the whole community to respond and explore what the gospel meant for them. Donovan saw himself as a learner and then a facilitator of ongoing and mutual learning: `I told them I believed that they knew God long before we came, and that they were a devout and very pious people in the face of God. It was not our belief that God loves us Christians more than them, nor that God had abandoned them or forgotten them until we came along. From the beginning it was evident that we were going to have to learn from them as well as teach them.' This is an inspiring account from a missionary in another culture who grew dissatisfied with traditional missionary strategies and structures, and so just talked about God and expected God to be there ahead of him.

A young person learned from Donovan and said this about serving and leading a people on the move (p.xix):
"Do not try to call them back to where they were,
and do not try to call them to where you are, as beautiful as that place might seem to you. You must have the courage to go with them to a place that neither you nor they have ever been before."
What does that say to you?
I reckon it's a beautiful description of the unpredictable journey, leading to a new place none of us has ever been. When I hear that invitation, when I sense Spirit calling, when I'm open To God & mission, I'm in, I'm volunteering, my hand is up.

Originally reviewed in`The Emerging Church: Spirituality and Worship Reading Guide.'Zadok Papers S159 (Autumn 2008).

Christianity Rediscovered
I have trouble putting this book down - it is so refreshing to read the experiences of such a humble and open man.

It is also very affirming of my own journey.I couldn't recommend it more highly, particularly for those in the role of evangelisation, as it so respects those who would listen to them.

A Remarkable Story of a Missionary and the Gospel
Christianity Rediscovered really is a "must-read" for Christians involved in ministry, not only missionaries but especially missionaries.Fr. Vincent Donovan shares his journey of Holy-Spirit led ministry to the Masai tribe in Tanzania.His story is one of a rediscovery of the good news of Jesus Christ in sharing it with this African tribe unfamiliar with the gospel.

The unassuming and humble tone of the book is refreshing in itself; the story is truly remarkable.

Donovan's first profound discovery is the power and grace of the gospel, apart from all other endeavors and institutions.He patterns his ministry after Paul's missionary journeys. As Paul preached the gospel and saw that as his task, Donovan sets out to do nothing else but preach the gospel to the Masai. Concerning his story, he writes,"The conviction of the book is the belief that the gospel itself, untied to any social service or other inducement, is a message filled with power and fertility and creativity and freedom." His story is about the power and fruit of the gospel.

As he steps forward on that journey, he relearns the gospel one message at a time as he transmits it to be relevant and graspable by the Masai.He comes to learn that preaching the gospel is the concern of the missionary and that the interpretation of the gospel is the concern of those who hear it.He gains a sense of freedom and rest in preaching the gospel and letting the Masai accept or reject it.

Through his experience he comes to learn more of the mission of the church and the role of the priest. He comes to appreciate the community of believers and the necessity to trust the community for their life in the Spirit and for leadership of their church.

Donovan returns readers to the message of the gospel: the way of Christ and the cross.His message for the church is one of mission, humility, service, action and preaching the gospel above all else. He encourages Christians to become people for others, not self-concerned but existing for those outside the church that they might know the good news of Jesus Christ.

The stories of Donovan's interactions with the Masai complement his spiritual memoir and teachings for readers. This is an interesting and profound book that will help readers rediscover the good news of Jesus Christ for the world.
... Read more

Product Description
A well-researched and clearly written book specificallydesigned to help recovering Christians integrate their faith andtraditions with Twelve Step spirituality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Twelve Steps for Everyone
The church needs to revisit the Twelve Steps and see that we all need to understand and live by these principles. Saul Selby does a great job of combining Christ's teachings with these tried steps. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is designed to lead students into the world of Christianity by way of primary literary sources. It contains the most notable and instructive primary sources from the entire sweep of Christian history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Disappointed
The book was posted as in good condition but it has coffee stains and many pages highlighted with different colors.

Withheld information
I bought the book and the description said that there was slight wear and small spine bending. Then when i got it it was all water damaged which they failed to put in the description. Not happy with this withheld information

Primary sources of Christianity
This book includes many important primary sources of Christianity to convey a sense of the history and growth of Christianity. He breaks the history up into Biblical foundations (Old and New Testament), ancient Christianity, Medieval times, reformation, early modern Christianity, and modern Christianity. Within each era the division of the writings into Events, Institution, Teaching, Ethics, and Relations may be a bit artificial (for example is the beginning of Monasticism more about events, institution, or teaching?), but does help organize the readings. Some of the dates on the sources are not clearly given, but generally this is not a problem as the general era is clear.

Van Voorst should be congratulated for including womens' perspective throughout the history, and at least some writings from the Eastern Orthodox Christianity, which often seems neglected in this country.He often does a great job of pairing primary sources, for example pairing Anselm's scholastic argument on proving the existence of God with Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae.Everyone will probably find missing some of their sources (like Dante), but there is a chance of discovering new authors shaping Christianity (like Hildegard of Bingen). Whoever reads these texts will find some new understanding of how Christianity has grappled with some of the same historic issues of faith and works, but has also dealings with new topics such as bioengineering. ... Read more

Product Description
There are many commendable books on the Bible and homosexuality which span anywhere from a hundred to several hundred pages in length. For the curious, such books can sometimes be inaccessible or more than they really want to read. "The Bible, Christianity, & Homosexuality" is a concise yet profound analysis of the Bible verses often misused to condemn gay and lesbian Christians. This study was written to be accessible to all, indeed, something family members and friends of gay and lesbian Christians might actually take the time to read.The Los Angeles Times describes this work as "...an illuminating...analysis that argues the Bible doesn't condemn faithful gay relationships." (McGough, 7/18/05). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Simple View
Cannon, Justin R. "The Bible, Christianity and Homosexuality", CreateSpace, 2008.

A Simple View

Amos Lassen

A lot of people seem to be writing about the Bible and homosexuality and there are so many good books out there. This is a rather elementary look at the issue and therefore it has merit. Written for the layman and not the scholar, this reads easily and the research has been done. The main point is that the Bible does not condemn faithful gay relationships. In fact, contrary to fundamentalist and popular thought, the Bible does not have anything at all to say about homosexuality--not one word.
The book is really a starting point for further exploration. So much has to do with translation. The Scriptures cannot possibly an authority when they contain nothing about the subject. If we are to take the Bible seriously, we must know what it really says and not what others say it says. This is what Cannon does. That's why this is an important book. He gives a concise overview of a subject which causes controversy based upon nothing. Cannon is a gay Christian and is able to be at peace with his beliefs. He shows us the words that are so often misinterpreted and mistranslated. He writes the truth and therefore gives us reason to smile.

Helpful, but less scholarly than I expected
The book was very informative and the author definatley did his research, but I felt like it was more of a college essay than a scholarly publication.If you're okay with that, then I highly recommend it to you!

Excellent and brief overview/explanation
I found Cannon's overview and explanation of Greek words, historical context, passage-related context, contemporary Christian thought and Christian tradition to be a great starting point for further exploration. Cannon's source material is reliable, and his conclusions are well-founded. I highly recommend this, and I've bought a second copy to pass to friends and family who are interested, since I marked up my copy so much. For anyone who wants an introduction to the issues surrounding homosexuality within Christianity, this book is a fantastic jumping-off point.

Quick, Concise, Understandable, Straight to the point
Gay Christian 101 - Spiritual Self-Defense For Gay Christians

The Bible, Christianity and Homosexuality provides a crisp, concise overview of a subject which continues to stir controversy in the modern church.

Cannon writes from the position of a Christian who also happens to be gay and reconciles his gay identity with his orthodox Christian beliefs.

This interesting booklet goes to the heart of the matter by explaining the words which are so frequently mistranslated in modern Bibles. If you're interested in truth, Cannon's writing will warm your heart.

Rick Brentlinger, author of, Gay Christian 101 - Spiritual Self-Defense For Gay Christians.

Very Helpful
I came from a pretty conservative church background and was taught that the Scripture is the final authority on all things relating to our lives.

It is from this context that The Bible, Christianity and Homosexuality transformed my life.Its simple, well-reasoned approach allowed me to structure my own study of this topic in a fundamental way.

This book is easily readable and accessible to anyone.As my review title states...very helpful! ... Read more

Product Description
Inner Christianity is the first introduction to mystical and esoteric Christianity for the general reader. It speaks from a nonsectarian point of view, unearthing insights from the whole of the Christian tradition, orthodox and heretical, famous and obscure. The esoteric tradition has traditionally searched for meanings that would yield a deeper inner knowledge of the divine. While traditional Christianity draws a timeline from Adam's Fall to the Day of Judgment, the esoteric often sees time as folding in on itself, bringing every point to the here and now. While the Church fought bitterly over dogma, the esoteric borrowed freely from other traditions—Kabbalah, astrology, and alchemy—in their search for metaphors of inner truth.

Rather than basing his book around exponents of esoteric doctrine, scholar Richard Smoley concentrates on the questions that are of interest to every searching Christian. How can one attain direct spiritual experience? What does "the Fall" really tell us about coming to terms with the world we live in? Can we find salvation in everyday life? How can we ascend, spiritually, through the various levels of existence? What was Christ's true message to humankind? From the Gospel of Thomas toA Course in Miracles, from the Jesus Prayer to alchemy and Tarot, from Origen to Dante to Jung, Richard Smoley sheds the light of an alternative Christianity on these issues and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Inner Christianity
This is a good book for other Rosicrucians but would also be a GREAT learning experience for people who go to churches and really need a good dose of reality as to the group that they SHOULD follow the example of (the essenes) and I recommend it as a gift for that purpose.

Excellent Book!
An exploration in the knowledge behind Christian religion! A must have! If for nothing more than the explinations of Jesus' cryptic statements.
I found this book extremely helpful.

A Potent, Wise and Important Book
Long before the Da Vinci Code and the furor that it generated, a number of serious scholars were examining some of the "lost" books of the Bible and an array of other sources that suggested that there was much to be learned about the early history of Christianity. Insights that would enrich our experience and understanding of the Christian message.

Richard Smoley, the author of this insightful and challenging book, is the former editor of the magazine Gnosis and, with Jay Kinney, also co-wrote another extremely interesting book: Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions.

He writes that, "In current Christian discourse, I see an enormous interest in the devotional side of the tradition, in prayer, contemplation, and mysticism. Indeed, Christianity has always laid great emphasis on the heart, the emotional life of the soul as it is lived in communion with God. No one could deny that this dimension is necessary on the spiritual path, but it is not sufficient. For the spirit to develop in a harmonious and integrated fashion, the pole of love must be counterbalanced by the pole of knowledge. It is this aspect that I see as most lacking in Christianity today. While there is no scarcity of theology and biblical scholarship - which has tremendous value in its place - almost all of it is at the outer rim of Dorotheus's circle, grappling with the details of the literal level and with truth in its most superficial form. Knowledge of the inner levels of experience has been for the most part forgotten. It is primarily this need that this book is meant to fill."

In other words he is proposing that a way to gain greater insight and understanding within the Christian tradition is by a synthesis of heart and head. Richard Smoley has seen that it can be such a mistake to bury the heart and soul of Christianity in rules and dogmas. They have their place, but cannot be the tail that wags the dog. As he shows throughout this book, the Christian message is far more subtle, profound and multidimensional than many people realize.

The book is extremely well written and includes Notes, a Bibliography and Index.

Inevitably anything suggesting change will draw criticism. But for anyone interested in deepening his or her spiritual experience, whether or not your orientation is Christian, this book has much to offer.

Highly recommended.

Breaking Spiritual Path Understanding
This book was writtten with a dimension of Any religious experience that
makes the person on their journey consider the inner dimension of theirspirituality to drive their outward doing.It breaks the theological hold of
the structured beliefs of organized religions and replaces them with the
pursuit of the inner power of your your own discovered truths to determine
the values and decisions of your manifested spirituality.In summary, a
book to heigthen ones spiritual awareness and developer of ones own path.

The Quiet, Still Voice
As an evangelical christian, any hint of 'occult' being applied to christianity seems on the surface to be misguided and just plain wrong.

This book, with it's labrynth-decorated cover kept catching my eye though.'Inner Christianity'.What could a book with that title be about?

Smoley is erudite and more, convincing.

Early christianity was pluralistic, primitive and from what I see, dogma-less and without creed.

The demarcation is that of outer and inner.

The outer is what I, and perhaps you, are most accustomed to, living in the United States.

But the inner, how rich and diverse a picture Richard Smoley presents!

And christianity is not the only world religion with an esoteric tradition.

Islam has it's own in sufism, for example.

As Mr. Smoley points out, the esoteric branches of the world traditions may have more in common with each other than with their own local external religions.

In this day of loud and the brash personalities who somehow manage to come to the fore in modern christianity, Mr. Smoley reveals a thread that has run through the faith since it's conception and before.The voice has just been more quiet and more still than what we have grown accustomed to. ... Read more

Product Description
Includes six titles:Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, A Grief Observed, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, and The Great Divorce. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Flowing wisdom
These books have so much in them.I haven't read them all yet, but I plan to learn from the great C.S. Lewis, and his infinite wisdom.

Classis C.S. Lewis
As a gift this was purchased for our library collection,
C.S. Lewis is great on literature,christian fantasy
and christian classics.

Greatest works of C.S. Lewis
These books are by far some of the best known to Christian Apologetics.
I would have rated this five stars, but the covers on these books did not match the description.
It is a shame that they were published to look and feel so cheap. I'm not too sure if they will be
able to hold up to more than one reading.

Beautiful books.
Books arrived in good time and in excellent condition.The cover designs are wonderful.

Wrong Product! 2007 "rough cut" edition instead
IMPORTANT: This review is about the physical product being shipped when you order C. S.Lewis Signature Classics: Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, A Grief Observed, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, and The Great Divorce (Boxed Set). The product being shipped IS NOT THE PRODUCT PICTURED on that page at the time of this writing.

I have the greatest respect for Lewis and his writings, and love every book in this collection. For the content of these volumes: 5/5 stars. You needn't look very far to find many high-quality 5-star reviews of Lewis' work.

However, this physical product is one of the lowest-quality publishing jobs I've ever seen. I don't think HarperCollins (or anyone) should ever try to pass this edition off as the same product as the earlier edition box set depicted in the product pictures. The original 2001 box set has different art, different typesetting, different dimensions, different paper, etc., etc. the list goes on. The original (2001) edition is also far more durable, and ages better. I should know, I have both.

What you *want* is the original edition, but good luck finding it. HarperCollins refers to both the 2001 box set and this newer "rough cut" edition with the same ISBN, so if you search for and believe you've bought the 2001 box set you'll most likely be unpleasantly surprised to receive this inferior version instead.

I will try to post a picture illustrating the differences between the two editions.

EDIT: Review edited to reflect Joseph's feedback. Thanks! ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Trübner in 1881 in 377 pages; Subjects: Religion; Christianity; Philosophy / History & Surveys / Modern; Philosophy / Religious; Religion / Christianity / Literature & the Arts; Religion / Christianity / History; Religion / Philosophy; Religion / Christian Theology / General; Religion / Christianity / General; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL!!!
"I DO NOT GENERATE THE OBJECT FROM THE THOUGHT, BUT THE THOUGHT FROM THE OBJECT" - Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach
From all the books I read so far, this one has touched me the most. Feuerbach's way of theorising is totally compelling and his words are completly overpowering. This is the MOST BEAUTIFUL, MOST POWERFUL AND MOST HUMANE piece of literature I've ever come across!!!

Anthropology
"Conscousness of God is self-consciousness, knowledge of God is self-knowledge." wrote Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1872) in his landmark text ESSENCE of CHRISTIANITY.Atheism had found its critical voice in a student of Hegel.

Feuerbach took on the task of showing that the antithesis of divine and human is altogether illusory, that it is nothing else than the antithesis between the human nature in general and the human individual; that, consequently, the object and contents of the Christian religion are altogether.God is a projection of the highest human values.

The ideal of humanity, realized collectively by the aggregate of all human experience, replaces a divine ideal.Feuerbach contends that the consciousness of God is nothing else than the concsiousness of the species; that man can and should raise himself only above the limits of his individuality, and not above the laws, the positive essential conditions of his species; that there is no other essence which man can think, dream of imagine, feel, believe in, wish for, love and adore as the absolute, than the essence of human nature itself.

Although he espouses a distorted and often inaccurate picture as a result of his completely arbitrary use of biblical and ecclesiastical texts and facts, Feuerbach addresses a very real problem with Christianity, specifically, and religion, in general.Namely, that a heavenly focus can sometimes be of no earthly value.Feuerbach saw the evil that persisted in the world exacerbated by the neglect fostered by religious institutions.But does Feuerbach offer anything more concrete when he speculates on an ideal of a collective humanity?

Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud were both greatly influenced by Feuerbach's work.Marx offered a socio-economic system of dialectical conflict.Marxist socio-economic solutions have shown themselves to be no more compassionate to the problems of humanity than the systems they tried to replace.Freud's psychoanalysis viewed religious ideas as the fulfillments of the oldest, strongest and most urgent wishes of mankind.This is quite true and the believer in God can say the same.Feuerbach's, and subsequently, Marx and Freud's, atheism turns out to be a hypothesis that has not been conclusively proved, nor disproved.

Herr Doktor Hans Küng in his landmark text _Does God Exist?_ identifies three points in Feuerbach's critique of religion that religious and spiritual people would do well to consider._Have not Church and theology frequently defended God at the expense of man, the hereafter at the expense of the here and now?... Is it not clear at this point how close we are to atheism if we do not distinguish between theological and anthropological propositions, if we identify man's interest with God's, if we one-sidedly stress God's nonobjectivity, almost see God as absorbed in our neighbor and the mystery of being simply as the mystery of love?... The weaknesses in the first place are those of an all-too-naïve, anthropomorphic talk about God, his words and deeds, in metaphors, formulas predicates, that are actually more appropriate to the reality of man than to the reality of God... But the weaknesses are also those of philosophical-speculative talk about God..._

For my own spiritual relationship, I can accept Feuerbach's anthropological argument. Assigning God as the ideal of human values does not bring my spiritual relationship any closer to my individual experience.Instead, it tends to remove my commitment from the experiences of my life directly opposed to Feuerbach's intent.My spiritual relationship becomes yet one more humanist tool with which to navigate through the challenges of life.On the other hand, I find strength in my spiritual commiment when the circumstances of my life become opportunities of faith.When my own individuality, denied by both Feuerbach and Hegel, is acknowledged, I am not only more aware of my shortcomings but also, my own capacity for a spiritual relationship.Whether this is theology or anthropology, I encourage each reader to decide on their own.

If you are interested in the origins of atheism, the development of western philosophy or in challenging your spiritual assumptions, this book may be interesting to you.

PEACE
Catrina

Interesting and influential, but not on target
Feuerbach makes a persuasive case here, but the logic and grounding of it are very shaky.His conception of Christianity is clearly not that of the Catholic theologians that make up the heart of Catholic thought and Christian thought in general.It seems that he has read Luther and Augustine but not Aquinas, a fatal flaw.His understanding of Augustine seems to gravitate towards tendencies of his that are questioned by the other major Catholic thinkers.Feuerbach falls into a dualistic world view giving the devil real power and existence which is one of the faults that the Catholics point out in Augustine- a hang over from his days of Manichaeism.Feuerbach also seems confused on the idea of human free will and thought.When he points out the contradictions in Christian theology and doctrine he is doing so from a logical materialistic point f view, he assumes that logic and the material world are truth.This skirts the issues of true theology, especially mystical theology, because these contradictions are part of the mystery of Christianity, not a detraction from it.Faith, Christianity is by definition not totally logical or material, it is an Enlightenment mistake to think it is.

He may persuade and have had a huge influence on Marx, both of which are reason to read the book.But this work is not very well researched or argued.He may persuade people who are already non-believers (or skeptics) and people that do not understand Christian theology well but those who have a strong faith or know theology will hardly be touched.His argument assumes that Lutheran/ protestant theology can be substituted for all of Christianity, and that logic and materialism are far superior and truthful than faith and the spiritual.He is preaching to the choir.

I've seen the light!
This book needs to be back on College Philosophy and Religion reading lists! Never before have I read such a clear and obvious explanation of the religious mind. Wonderful translation and editing work by George Eliot makes this a revolutionary work of religious philosophy. I'm a wife, mother, English Literature graduate and a spiritual seeker whose life was changed by reading Feuerbach's analysis of God as our subjective projection as Other. Please don't let your questing mind miss this one.

A document of human motivation
I read this book in search of the philosophical roots of Max Stirner, author of The Ego and Its Own. For this purpose, the book is excellent; you can see where Max Stirner came from on a number of issues that had hithertoseemed a bit cloudy to me - both in what Stirner reacts to and what he hasdrawn on.

The book is, however, a very compelling read in its own rightas well. Feuerbach takes us through literally the whole catalogue ofChristian belief, and shows us how each item of belief is explained atleast as well - or perhaps even better - as an anthropomorphism rather thanas a supernatural manifestation. It must be said, though, that each singleone of his arguments on their own do not lead to such a conviction. Justlike you are not convinced that the dice are loaded by getting 6 once ortwice, you will not be convinced if anthropomorphism fits the bill ofChristianity in a few single instances. However - analogously with the dice- when you strike 6 nearly every time, you will be convinced that the diceare loaded.

If I have a criticism of Feuerbach, it is that after he hasrevealed the Essence of Christianity as being the worship of Man, he keepsthe essence and only discards the accidental properties of Christianity,i.e. the supernaturalism. This was also what Max Stirner called him on. Butmy disagreement does not mean a disparagement of the value of the book. SoI recommend it as a read. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by Joseph Ratzinger shortly before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures looks at the growing conflict of cultures evident in the Western world.

The West faces a deadly contradiction of its own making, he contends.Terrorism is on the rise.Technological advances of the West, employed by people who have cut themselves off from the moral wisdom of the past, threaten to abolish man (as C.S. Lewis put it)—whether through genetic manipulation or physical annihilation.

In short, the West is at war—with itself.Its scientific outlook has brought material progress.The Enlightenment’s appeal to reason has achieved a measure of freedom.But contrary to what many people suppose, both of these accomplishments depend on Judeo-Christian foundations, including the moral worldview that created Western culture.

More than anything else, argues Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, the important contributions of the West are threatened today by an exaggerated scientific outlook and by moral relativism—what Benedict XVI calls "the dictatorship of relativism"—in the name of freedom.

Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures is no mere tirade against the moral decline of the West.Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI challenges the West to return to its roots by finding a place for God in modern culture.He argues that both Christian culture and the Enlightenment formed the West, and that both hold the keys to human life and freedom as well as to domination and destruction.

Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI challenges non-believer and believer alike."Both parties," he writes, "must reflect on their own selves and be ready to accept correction."He challenges secularized, unbelieving people to open themselves to God as the ground of true rationality and freedom.He calls on believers to "make God credible in this world by means of the enlightened faith they live."

Topics include:

• Reflections on the Cultures in Conflict Today
• The Significance and Limits of Today’s Rationalistic Culture
• The Permanent Significance of the Christian Faith
• Why We Must Not Give Up the Fight
• The Law of the Jungle, the Rule of Law
• We Must Use Our Eyes!
• Faith and Everyday Life
• Can Agnosticism Be a Solution?
• The Natural Knowledge of God
• "Supernatural" Faith and Its Origins
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Quite important in these days of relativism
A must read if you are interested in the recent and ongoing decline of western civilization.The causative factors are clearly delineated from many points of view, but always from the starting point of the pope's awesome faith and love for God and His Creation.

-Jeremy

Adressing the current situations with a keen and clear understanding
In this book Cardinal Ratzinger studies the tension that arises when a split occurs between the state and religion. He tackles modern secularist notions, discusses abortion, and also addresses the notion that if not atheism, then perhaps agnosticism is the best position that man can hope for. The discussion he provides is well thought out and easy to grasp. You may not agree with everything he says, but the beauty and brilliance of the arguments put forth are undeniable.

Succinct
Non-Catholics and those of nominal faith might be more comfortable reading
"Without Roots: The West, Relativism, Christianity, Islam"
by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and Marcello Pera first. The analysis is much the same but correctives, in the form of a return to a pan-European shared faith (by Pena--the head of the Italian Senate) and/or individual action (Benedict)will find a wider audience.

Either book is a must read for anyone commenting upon or interested in the current geopolitical scene. At the end of the 19th century, Dostoyevsky in "Notes from the Underground" andPope Leo XIII in "On Socialism" (Quod Apostolici Muneris) warned whereconflicts within Western Civilization were headed. 1917 and the horrors of communist and fascist totalitarianism were not adverted. Pera and Benedict are raising the same warning flags today. Is the problem as critical as they believe? Can a tragedy be averted? No one knows of course. But that there is a problem is irrefutable and these two book should not be ignored.

Recently purchased "America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It" by Mark Steyn. Rated it three stars and that was being charitable as Steyn not only provides little hope but the witty prose his newspaper columns are, rightly, admired for is flat and tendentiouswhen spead out over 256 pages.

Benedict and Pera, in contrast, explain why the west is unable to condemn evil and what can be done to ameloriate that failing.

An essential read for understanding the crisis that we are in
Pope Benedict has been a keen and precise critic of the cultural clashes that have been shaking the West over the last half a century. He doesn't kowtow to the latest politically correct fad, nor does he mince words to state the truth. In this book he clearly outlines the what the greatest threats are to the Christian culture and the civilization which is based upon it. This is a must read for anyone who wants to understand better the position of the Catholic Church in the ongoing global culture wars.

An essential read
Along with such classics as 'clash of civilizations' and 'rage and the pride' this book is a must read for anyone interestedin the least bit in preserving their culture and faith in the face of the assault on the west by various non-western and supra-western cultures.For those who are pro partial-birth abortions, probably this book will be offensive because the Pope takes the Catholic church's view that abortion is immoral.

The central theme of this book is that the West is threatened by the new immorality of western moral relativism and that it is additioanlly partially threatened by the non-western immigrants who invade the west, however the greater danger is internal, the abandonment of religion and faith, and the denial of the fact that Christian roots are indigenous to Europe.

Many wont be able to stumach this book, and even some protestants will find the catholic overtones problematic.However it is an essential and important work.

Seth J. Frantzman ... Read more

Product Description
A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians, in the Middle and Higher Classes in this Country, Contrasted with Real Christianity. is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by William Wilberforce is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of William Wilberforce then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
The twenty-first century has opened with a rapidly changing map of Christianity. While its influence is waning in some of its traditional Western strongholds, it is growing at a phenomenal pace in the global South. And yet this story has largely eluded the corporate news brokers of the West. Layered as it is with countless personal and corporate stories of remarkable faith and witness, it nevertheless lies ghostlike behind the newsprint and webpages of our print media, outside the camera's vision on the network evening news.Miriam Adeney has lived, traveled and ministered widely. She has walked with Christians in and from the far reaches of the globe. As she pulls back the veil on real Christians--their faith, their hardships, their triumphs and, yes, their failures--an inspiring and challenging story of a kingdom that knows no borders takes shape.This is a book that coaxes us out of our comfortable lives. It beckons us to expand our vision and experience of the possibilities and promise of a faith that continues to shape lives, communities and nations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Entering the Larger Picture
Research and scholarship are clearly Adeney's strengths, but Kingdom Without Borders is far more than a factual recounting of Christianity around the globe.What could simply fall flat as a contemporary update on religion blooms into something more through Adeney's moving stories and unforgettable characters.Kingdom Without Borders gives us a taste for what God is doing in China, Latin America, the Middle East, India, and Africa, and the ways in which his Spirit is communicating with humanity--as well as the practical and economic realities that followers of Christ face in their corners of the world.By the end of this book, you will be realizing along with Adeney that "the worldwide church is built from a thousand thousand communities of grace, one story at a time."

This book will graft you into that complex and beautiful global church, reshaping how you perceive God's love for people and His work among them.

great stories, dull information
Miriam Adeney has a great story-telling voice, and I only wish that I had heard more of it in this book.

I didn't find this as compelling as Daughters of Islam: Building Bridges With Muslim Women, her earlier book that gives Christian women guidelines for discussing faith with Islamic women, as some of the factual prose about organizations seemed hastily written and unenlightening.

BUT... the stories alone are worth a read, and overall she provides a strong picture of some of the cultural forms of Christianity around the world, through the narratives of people she has interviewed in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Worth a read! ... Read more

Product Description
This true story of a soul's life after death will change the way you look at A provocative work that makes the case that Jesus taught reincarnation. Using evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls and Gnostic texts, it argues persuasively that Jesus was a mystic who taught that our destiny is to unite with the God within. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Author dismisses New Testament
I am trying to reconcile my Christian faith with my belief in reincarnation. I have read enough books on reincarnation that I have no doubt in its existence.

I believe Jesus is the Son of God, died on the cross, rose from the dead, etc. Clearly the author does not believe this. She says Jesus was a Mystic. So if you believe the 4 Gospels to be pretty accurate portrayal of Jesus, this book will not solve your problem if you're trying to fit this together with reincarnation.

It is thought provoking material, but I am going to have to do some more searching to figure this whole thing out! No way I can give this book more than a 3, as I do not feel it is very coherent, plus I think the title is a bit mis-leading. I credit the author for trying though.

"Probably"
I agree with much of the other feedback from "Dallske" and there is ALOT of info missing in explaining any true facts.My biggest bug is that she constantly uses the word "Probably."To me, that makes it All speculation!

An Invitation to Nondual Christianity
A truly, truly excellent and "spiritually nonpartisan" invitation to what I'd call post-modern (or, to be historically correct, pre-modern) non-dual Christianity.I put this book on the same shelf with my books on Dzogchen and Advaita Vedanta.A reader interested in "tummo"/inner heat practices will find Elizabeth Prophet's writings of much relevance as well.Lastly, the book features a highly useful and exhaustive chronological guide (in the form of a table) to the people, places, and events that coalesce into this mystic stream.

Pavel Somov, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, author of "Eating the Moment" and "Present Perfect"

Very Provocative
This is an amazing book. Although I disagree with many things that Mrs. Prophet has said throughout the years, this book provides solid arguments, both logical & biblical to support the idea of reincarnation in Christianity.

The information regarding Church Father Origin of Alexandria is specially convincing to me.

Mind opening & easy to read, I highly recommend this book to anybody wishing to explore new ideas.

This Book Introduced Me to New Ideas
When I read this book in 2001, it was my first exposure to the concept of reincarnation. At the time, I was steeped in a Christian belief system that did not allow for open-minded thinking of such things as explained in this book. But, I was searching because I had sadly began to realize that I had been disillusioned by the fear-based dogma of the churches I had been attending.

This book opened my eyes and introduced me to new ways of thinking and I have continued to search for truth wherever it exists for me ever since. I appreciate this book because it helped me move forward on my spiritual path and accept other people's beliefs without judgment.

Yvonne Perry
Author of More Than Meets The Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife ... Read more

Product Description
The most useful survey of Christian history for the student or general reader, fully updated by a team of respected scholars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Shallow and spotty overview with no depth
Amazingly, even though this two-volume history has over 1500 pages, it still is way too shallow. Latourette is an expert historian who wrote a different, 7 volume church history, but condensing it into these two volumes didn't work.

Reading this history gives a feeling like a museum tour which started very late, with the guide only having time to point to objects as the tour runs through the museum: "And over there is such-and-such, while over here is this-and-that". Terms are not explained, doctrines are not even summarized, and details of events are not included, so that all in all this just seems like an outline. Also, the Author seems to favor certain areas which he is expert in, while neglecting others. Making all this worse, the index is inadequate even though it is almost 40 pages in small print.

One example is that the Pentecostal / Charismatic movement is almost totally skipped, which is inexcusable even considering that these books were written back in 1953 with an appendix added in 1979. Methodism is covered in several pages, but one still can't even begin to grasp what it meant to be a Methodist and what the doctrines are.

In summary then, these books are really just an outline of Christian history. It seems best to read this history while connected to the internet, ready to look up all the unexplained doctrines and movements. Additional history and doctrine books are required to get details in any area.

Everything was great
Got here in a timely fashion.Book was wrapped in cling wrap, but it worked.Everything worked out great.Thank you.

Jhaeman's Review
I picked up a copy of Kenneth Scott Latourette's A History of Christianity, Volume I: Beginnings to 1500 at a used bookstore a year or two ago, and its place has finally come up in my queue. I have to say it was quite a chore to read and extremely disappointing. There's a lot I don't like about the book, so I'm not sure where to begin. First, Latourette has such a pro-Christian bias that it is hard to separate out his judgments based on an objective analysis of the facts from his judgments based on his own personal religious beliefs. This is tied into a second major problem: there's no footnotes or other citations, which means that the reader has no idea whether any given assertion is well-grounded in historical fact or scholarship. Third, Latourette likes to make extremely broad generalizations and has no tolerance for conflicting evidence or interpretations of history. He accepts, uncritically, that everything in the four gospels are historical fact, has little interest in discussing why certain texts were canonized in what today we consider the Bible and others weren't, spends just a handful of pages on the Crusades, writes barely a single page on the Inquisitions, and makes a pathetic attempt to explain away Christian support of slavery as having offered "dignity" to the working man (p. 246). For what it's worth, I can say the book has a thorough (if boring) discussion of monasticism and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Still, suffice it to say, I have no interest in picking up Volume II.

Badly Dated
Readers should be aware that this study was first publishedin 1953, and despite light revision reflects the state of scholarship half a century ago.We've learned a LOT about the history of Christianity since then, and many of the sweeping assumptions of this book (e.g., in the ghastly section entitled "The Darkest Hours: The Great Recession, A.D. 500-950") have been thoroughly discredited.The bibliographies for each section don't include works published in the past half century (despite the so-called revision).Even the very language is dated, with its grandiose, sweeping style, capitalization of popes, etc.This book perpetuates a great many old myths, making the job of historians of religion just that much harder.There are now much better books on the market.

Quick Review
This work is an important 20th century contribution.An outstanding two-volume series!

Of all the histories of Christianity, this one is very clear and engaging to read.I love his writing style.It is really,really worth every penny! ... Read more

Product Description
There is a war going on for the future of our country. Most people know that. What they may not know is that if Christians lose, the result won’t merely be enduring public policy we disagree with—it will be a prison sentence for those who oppose it. We’ve all seen the attack coming. First the Supreme Court said kids can’t pray in school. Then the Ten Commandments were ripped from the classrooms. Now pastors are being removed from their pulpits and put in jail for speaking out against homosexuality (Sweden). And things are only getting worse. How in the world did we get to this place? And why is it that Christians are singled out in this assault on morality? Serving as a wake-up call for America, this book will expose the truth that Christianity is being criminalized—and that we must stand up against it now .

BACK COVER

[Head]

“You Have the Right to Remain Silent…”

Which of the following actually happened in America ? A man is fired for displaying Bible verses in his work space. A judge orders a mother not to teach her daughter anything that could be considered “homophobic.” High school students are trained to roam the halls in search of verbal “offenses” to report to law enforcement officers. A pastor faces a prison sentence for reading from the Bible. All of the above.

[In smaller point size]:

ANSWER:

[PRINTED UPSIDE DOWN]:

E) All of the above. Here’s where: A) Idaho , B) Colorado, C) West Virginia, and D) Pennsylvania .

[back to normal body copy sized font]:

As a Christian in this country, you may be understandably reluctant to speak out on moral issues like abortion, homosexuality, or pornography. But while we have the right to remain silent, that’s not what God calls us to do.

Because if the world can silence the truth, it will silence the gospel.

Don’t believe it? Read this book.




INSIDE LEFT FLAP:

(to wrap to back flap if more space is needed):

The Agenda to
Silence the Church

In The Criminalization of Christianity, Janet Folger presents a well documented and frightening road map of how Christianity is slowly becoming against the law in America . The movement to ban public prayer and to ban public displays of the Ten Commandments or of any other Christian symbols was only the beginning. She shows convincingly how the ultimate aim is to make Christianity against the law.

The Criminalization of Christianity explains where the threat is coming from and suggests what we as Christians can do to preserve our rights.

—William J. Murray, Chairman Religious Freedom Coalition
Son of Madalyn Murray O’Hair, plaintiff in a case to remove school prayer

[Start of body copy]:

People in New York are fired from their jobs. Kids in California are suspended from school. Pastors in Sweden are sentenced to prison. Their crime involves nothing more than exercising their religious freedoms.

At first the attacks against Christianity were subtle. The Supreme Court ruled that children can’t pray in school. The Ten Commandments were removed from our classrooms and, later, our courtrooms. Now pastors are being imprisoned for speaking out against homosexuality from their own pulpits.

How in the world did we get to this place in a “free” and civilized society? And how far will it go?

While headlines reveal a gradual undermining of moral values in our society, the truth between those lines silently screams that our very freedom is at stake. Now this provocative book exposes the attack on values for what it is: a pointed war being waged against Christians and the faith they profess.

A frequent guest on such programs as 20/20, Hannity and Colmes, Hardball, and Inside Politics, conservative advocate Janet Folger uncovers the hidden anti-Christian agendas that are driving public policy, key court decisions, public school regulations, political correctness in the media, and modern-day censorship.

The question is, how will you respond? At a time when upholding traditional values has somehow become synonymous with “intolerance,” will you rise up and defend your religious freedoms —before it’s too late?

Story Behind the Book

In 1997, Janet Folger heard a speech by Bob Knight of the Family Research Council in which Knight said that the ultimate goal of the homosexual movement was the criminalization of Christianity. At the time, Janet considered his comment to be an overstatement. But then she watched, listened, and learned. Now pastors in Sweden are being thrown into prison for speaking against homosexuality from their own pulpits. Canadians are being fined tens of thousands of dollars for refusing to print materials they are morally opposed to. Can an intensified assault in the U.S. be far behind? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Here we go AGAIN!
Why is it that it is considered a "grave sin" to criticize Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Paganism, or ANY OTHER belief, ...EXCEPT Christianity?

There is another growing religion in the news today. Its followers are almost always in the news, all over the world. Why? Because their most passionate practitioners are frequently cited in the news for hijacking airlines, blowing up aircraft (or some other mode of public transport), blowing up public buildings, kidnapping, murder, rape, assualt, ...and all kinds of other pleasant little diversions, ...and they do it in the name of their god.

They also believe that if they die violently in the commission of such "holy deeds", they will go to a special Heaven in which they will have 70 wives, ...who will all be "virgins" every day!

They treat their women like cattle. Their women are frequently imprisoned, beaten, raped, and/or murdered for any given infraction to the religion. Their religion ENDORSES and DEMANDS this. WHERE is all the feminist outrage from the REST of the world?

We are not supposed to talk about this other religion.

We are told that the REAL threat to the world, ...is Christianity! Why? Because Chistianity is "intolerant" and "superstitious".

Oh yes! Centuries, and even decades ago, those Christians did a lot of "bad stuff".

Well, about two-thousand years ago, Christians were not treated very well by the world power of their era. They were frequently executed enmasse as "public entertainment". Some Christians were forced to be gladiators, and at least had a chance to fight for their very lives. Others were just fed to wild animals, and this was considered to be great fun for the average Roman citizen.

There is a large country in central Europe, that received a new Reichskanzler some 70 years ago. He was a quaint little man from Austria, who was JUST FULL OF IDEAS.

1.His political party began ridiculing and alienating certain citizens who practiced a different religion from the majority.

2.Then, the new party began to openly ban them from certain public establishments.

3.Then, those "outsiders" were being openly harassed and assaulted by government officials, and the rest of the citizenry was encouraged to participate in this free-for-all.

4.Then, the "outsiders" had their property and possessions confiscated, and they were rounded up and sent to camps with a lot of barbed-wire and furnaces.

5. Then, over SIX MILLION of them were EXTERMINATED.

If you are a Christian, be aware that we are currently in STAGE #1, but STAGE #2 is now in progress. Don't let yourself get to #5. I know that REAL Americans won't let things get that far. I hope our brethren elsewhere will follow that example.

You had better WAKE UP, ...NOW.

The fact is, many contemporary "Christians", that is "liberal Christians", actually believe a large quantity of the "ideology" that their enemies uphold. You don't even KNOW that your "fellow liberals" HATE you SAVAGELY. You don't even KNOW that they see you as an enemy. Lenin called people like you "useful IDIOTS".

Right now, your "fellow liberals" lack the GUTS to proceed to #5. That won't last forever.

Janet Folger is a Hero.
The American public has been under a propaganda attack for 40+ years. From Paul Lynde to Lance Loud to Dawsons Creek, and thru Will & Grace, people are taught that all homosexuals are good, and anyone who does not feel that way is stupid and hateful. Since it's that pesky Bible that is viewed as the root for saying that homosexual acts and abortion are wrong, it and it's followers are attacked. The logical shortfall of hating Christians stance on homosexuality ignores both the scientific/evolutionary (no higher homosexual species) and the classical A priori -Before the fact- logic (Most people are born with the knowlege that things like canabalism, insest, killing children and homosexuality are wrong.) Janet Folger's book is a sad reminder of how far we have fallen.

Book did not arrive
Unfortunally I never did receive this book.
Apparently it got lost in the mail.
I did not contact anybody until the last day of the given delivery date because I believed the whole time that the book would arrive but I was also disappointed that it took so long.
When Icontacted the seller they told me that they had sent me the book almost the day after I had ordered it.
I was refunded the money faster then lightning. So for that part I gave it 5 stars.
sh

The Facts Presented
Hopefully, non-Christians who read this book will finally open their eyes to the lop-sided mentality permeating Western thought today.

We are being brainwashed to "tolerate" everything but our true spiritual heritage - Christianity. Our right to free speech does not include Christians. Those of us brave enough to exercise that right and to proclaim our views of homosexuality as abnormal (with roughly 1.5% of the population homosexual, statistically speaking, it falls in the range of abnormal), or abortion as murder (killing humans IS murder), or quoting the Bible when it proclaims only one way to a right relationship with God (all other major religions do the same, by the way), we are persecuted andprosecuted.

Read the book. Yes, it's true. Open your eyes, Western world - before it's too late and the freedoms YOU value are repealed - they will be.

HEADS UP!
I highly recommend this for anyone who loves the U.S., and wants to see her prosper. This book is a clear warning against the dark days that loom. ... Read more

Product Description

Whether debating Marxists, college professors, or Islamic apologists, Josh McDowell's hallmark has always been to walk boldly into enemy territory and speak truth. This book is based on the expectation that, with a growing number of adults becoming increasingly skeptical toward Christianity, there is a need for a solid body of persuasive evidence to be presented to them. This is a sourcebook for doubting seekers as well as current believers who need persuasive information to share with friends. Evidence for Christianity is McDowell's compelling answer to the hard questions so many Christians are afraid to discuss.

Customer Reviews (11)

Should Be In Every Book Library
There are some worldviews that outlaw critical analysis. Christianity invites your hard questions. Invites the magnifying glass. Josh McDowell has made it his life's work to write books like this. At 630 pages it is very through. Indeed some may considered McDowell to be obsessed with his chosen field of expertise. He knows the score, and he knows what he knows. He is not satisfied if there is a shadow of a chance of leaving any lingering doubts about weather or not he didn't explain something to the fullest extent. That is why I give this helpful book I go back to time and again, 5 stars. Maybe a little back ground check into this man is in order.

McDowell left the church because in the words of his father who farmed in Michigan, "If something doesn't work, chuck it." Josh put religion into that category. In university he was surprised by a believer who challenged him to intellectually examine the claims of Christianity. Not necessarily the Church, but more specifically Jesus Christ himself. He was so irritated by Christians who held their convictions with absolute rock solid assurance, that he left university to gather information to prove Christianity is a sham. But the more he researched the more he realized he was being intellectually dishonest with himself in ignoring what he called the "overwhelming evidence" of the claims of Christ. The rest is as they say, history.

As of the date of the printing of this book, 2006, he has 42 million book sales, from the 100 books he has authored or co-authored. He is considered one of the most sought after and popular speakers in the world today, having spoken in 65 countries.

The invitation is not a forced one, just like the nature of Jesus, it is gentle. "To him who has an ear to hear let him hear." Heaven is not for those who are successful at "faking it" for the rest of the world. It is not for those who believe it's all in the scales of good done while in the body, verses the bad. It's not in comparisons to and with "the other guy." You need to examine your own heart. McDowell now knows what his Christian friends tried to tell him. Let him explain the details. Christ gives a peace that is real and truly satisfies. Heaven is for those who bow down to the truth of who they are, and who God is. Read this book at the very least as a study guide. Every one owes it that much.

To the skeptic
Read it. You have nothing to lose. The information here is presented without bias. It is a mere record of historical facts. This is not an argument to convince people of the genuineness of Christianity. It is a presentation of the history on which biblical Christianity is based. It is a very thorough, factual, historical resource. Know the facts!

Solid Ground
As a PhD candidate in English, I find this book thoroughly researched with an extensive bibliography added with both believers and nonbelievers.Anyone who denies the historicity of the Old and New Testaments is simply denying the facts of modern research and archeology. McDowell began his journey for truth as an atheist but with a legal and inquiring mind collected irrefutable evidence to not only convince himself of the truth of the Bible and the resurrection of Jesus Christ but compels the rational reader to also arrive at the same conclusion.The crux of Christianity, which separates it from all over false beliefs, is the resurrection of Christ.It boils down to this:His enemies had no reason to remove the crucified body of Christ.The disciples were powerless and fearful of their own lives to attempt such an insurmountable task.The only possible explanation is that of a supernatural event.Most people who read the overwhelming evidence of this book begin their criticism with a presupposition of antisupernaturalism which even modern scientists are beginning to debate.In McDowell's own words, "If you read the exhaustive evidence presented in this detailed research and support of Christianity and scripture and you still don't believe that Christ is the Messiah than it is simply because you are UNWILLING to believe.There is no preacher's tone to this book.It is factual and convincing through and through.Many are called but few are chosen.

Preliminary review
Anyone who has said this book is "scholarly," "factual," "concrete," etc. obviously hasn't read it. I am only through two chapters (Chapters 1 and 13, because Chapter 1 references 13 for an in depth explanation of a topic discussed in Chapter 1) and I can already see discrepancies in the authors logic and research. In Chapter 1, the author alludes to unreliable information (p. 24), an inadequate brief on the documentary hypothesis (p. 30), and gives information without a source (p. 30). Chapter 1 references "part 2" for an in depth explanation on the documentary hypothesis, which is not only an incorrect reference (it is in part 3, Chapter 13), but when the reference is read (Chapter 13), it offers an even more mangled explanation of the topic discussed (Documentary Hypothesis). Chapter 13 leaves out pertinent information (i.e. the first "literary criticisms" of the Pentateuch), adds information that is not part of the topic (in the form of various writers that have no lasting bearing on the Documentary Hypothesis), and provides rebuttals from previous researchers that clearly use circular logic.

After nearly finishing Chapter 14 (which is unnecessarily long), I can tell you that this book improves absolutely none. The chapter is mainly used to provide archeological evidence against the Documentary Hypothesis. Problem is: the person whom the author most frequently sources (Professor William F. Albright) became the laughingstock of the archeological community in the 1970s after a well publicized critique of his methods and conclusions (see "Thomas L. Thompson") as well as further archeological findings at Jericho (see "Kathleen Kenyon") were released. Furthermore, the author continues to use circular reasoning and also makes more contradictory statements.

As I haven't finished, I have titled this "preliminary review." More will be added to this review as I read on, but based on what I have already read, the book does not deserve anything above the lowest rating it can be given.

This book should be a basic part of everyone's personal library.
So many times we hear about skeptics of Christianity and/or the Christian rant and rave on YouTube-like sites and various discussion boards.Some skeptics have already made their mind up because they were hurt by someone in the past.Therefore arguing is therapeutic for such people.However if you are a person who desires honest answers and technical/detailed evidence, which goes beyond the noise of semantic bantering and false analogies typical of many "so-called" free thinkers, you will love this book.This book should be a basic part of everyone's personal library. So much powerful evidence to make even the most outspoken skeptics of Christianity into some of its most ardent defenders and become devoted followers of Christ.The exhaustive amount of archeological finds, historical accounts, and ancient cultural evidence presented by this book debunks a myriad of objections proliferated by the academic elites within our secular universities by presenting just raw evidence and facts.While bible skeptics invent allegations and devise speculations that were never supported by the archaeological evidence, this book methodically supplies real evidence and hard data that would hold up in a court room.If you once considered yourself a Christian but now have labeled yourself an atheist or agnostic because you thought Christianity was just a bunch of "made-up stories" and is not supported by any real evidence, you will be pleasantly surprised that it is those supporting facts and hard evidence presented by "Evidences for Christianity" that set Christianity apart from every world religion and the religion of atheism.

Those who claimed see the risen Christ and His ascension would not put their lives on the line if they actually knew it was not true.Those who analyze the vast amount of prophetical fulfillment wrought by Christ, and acknowledge the fact that He violated Hebrew culture and expectations of what their messiah should do by NOT SEEKING to conquer the Roman Empire, will find it difficult to convince even themselves that these JEWISH converts would have just "made up" the story about Jesus when even those who persecuted Christians not only verified Jesus' existence but even confirmed what those early Christians believed about Him and the sufferings they faced for those beliefs.

http://evolutionfacts.blogspot.com
... Read more