5 comments about El Velo Rasgado (Torn Veil, The).

1. Torn Veil is a personal story of a daring woman. She has got guts, having the courage to go against an oppressive society to follow what she knows to be true. But I guess it helps a lot when you are healed by Jesus of a lifetime of paralysis. It is a recurring theme that though people, her own family, saw the great miracle happen, they still reject the Healer: closed eyes for fear of what people will think.



2. This is a wonderful story of a muslim girl who is miraculously healed from her life long sickness by the special touch of jesus.Rather than rejoicing with her, she was forsaken by all at home. But God through his wonderful ways is using her as a powerful testimony around the world. This is the best gift for a muslim friend of yours.



3. This is an amazing book and I would recommend it to all Christians, and perhaps more importantly, to anyone else who is open-minded about the claims of the Christian faith. The book describes how a Muslim girl, Gulshan Esther, is miraculously healed of a severe physical disability by Jesus when He appears before her. The book also details Gulshan's rejection by her own family when she becomes a Christian, and her great courage and determination to serve Jesus and tell His people what He did for her. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

   For the reviewer below, Susan Mathew, who wanted to know Gulshan Esther's contact details, here is her address and telephone number:




4. A very interesting biography of a Muslim girl's conversion to Christianity. Very inspiring and humbling story. Recommended for Christian people, those week in faith will not believe this truly remarkable story.



5. This is such a simply told story and appears to be honest and straight from the heart. I am amazed - God can do anything. I also heard Gulshan's story in her own voice and words on uTube. She is a real person of Pakistani origin.

1 comments about Catherine Laboure: Visionary of the Miraculous Medal.

1. Laurentin invites us to spend time with Catherine Laboure as if we were living and working along with her. We experience her farm life (market day at Montbard, bread baking) and her spiritual life--we kneel with her on the cold flagstones of the church.
   Catherine's visions are described in such vivid detail that I felt as if I were seeing them for myself. Rene Laurentin, one of the preeminent Marian theologians of our time, gives us the opportunity to see through the eyes of this wise mystic, while debunking some of the myths and folklore surrounding her.
   Catherine's love for the poor and elderly makes her a wonderful example for anyone living in our modern world. This "ordinary" farmwoman performed her daily tasks with an unmatched holiness and closeness to God.
   This biography is a an enchanting mix of historically accurate storytelling and stands as a testimony to the importance of faith and humility: "The most important thing is that her visions did not deflect her from faith, and her extraordinary charisms did not deflect her from the humblest and most ordinary service. Quite the reverse; they encouraged her along this dual pathway. This is one of the most striking features of her life" (book excerpt).

No comments about Elie Wiesel: A Religious Biography.

3 comments about Walking with a Himalayan Master: An American's Odyssey.

1. Justin Obrien, having been directed by his master, Swami Rama, almost a quarter of a century ago to someday write a book about their times together, finally completes his task.

   If you know who Swami Rama is, you will surely enjoy this collection of "Swamiji" stories as told by his devout disciple, Justin OBrien. And if you don't know him, this book will introduce you to a guru extraordinair.

   Swami Rama came from India to America with a mission to bridge the gap between East and West, and in the process accomplished some incredible feats. In this book, you will read of the miracles of a Saint, and the growth of his disciple, Justin, as told in a delightfully entertaining fashion.

   Don't pass this one up.




2. Reading about Dr. O'Brien's experiences with Swami Rama (one of the most influential yoga masters of the 20th century) is spiritually galvanizing. This is one of the best spiritual autobiographies ever! Very interesting, very inspiring, very highly recommended!



3. This story touches my heart, my funnybone, and feeds my soul. His accounts are both entertaining and spritually informative. By just reading this book, I feel like I have studied directly with Swami Rama, and am connected with his teachings. I would like to thank the author for sharing these experiences in such a heart-felt and honest way.
   
   I highly recommend this book for everyone, but in particular it would be beneficial for people who are dissatisfied with religion, but aren't necessarily drawn to new-age thought, people who want to deepen their spiritual practice, people who are ready to awaken to a new reality, or folks who are just looking for some answers or meaning in life. Be well.

2 comments about Ridiculous Packaging (or, My Long, Strange Journey from Atheist to Episcopalian, in Two Acts).

1. I have had the great opportunity to both read Ms. Favreau's book and hear her speak about the art of writing memoir. She is both candid and eloquent. She is painfully open about her experiences and frank about her very personal journey. I can't say that I could be so open and honest. She writes her story skillfully and it is worth reading, regardless of your "spiritual" or "religious" place in life. Don't let the publisher's Gen-X label for this book discourage you; it is a pleasure regardless of age. Sure, I didn't know everyone mentioned in the book (due to age or differing interests), but I am from NC, so I did know Richard Petty's name. Ya win some, ya lose some. If you get the chance, hear her speak, but definitely read this book.



2. What an honest portrayal of one woman's search! Favreau is disarming in her stark admission of the wandering path her life took, leading her to God. Her voice is funny and real. I read the book at every spare moment (and I have small children, so they are few!)
   
   She has amusing and quotable insights on spiritual searching, religious denominations and atheism. And she includes a short list of further reading, which I plan to follow.
   
   I've already loaned my copy to an interested friend. And if this book came in a Large Print edition I'd be buying it for my mother and her friends. They'd love it.

1 comments about Crazy Quilt: Pieces of a Mennonite Life.

1. When the Manhattan-transplanted narrator of Cynthia Yoder's "Crazy Quilt" visits her family in rural Pennsylvania, her Mennonite grandmother laughs at her leather granny boots, purchased at a Soho boutique. The boots look remarkably like the old-fashioned gear the grandmother wore in her youth and was relieved to be rid of. But both women are delighted that "the somber style has been resurrected into something playful and worldly." That kind of makeover is exactly what the narrator hopes to achieve in her own life. A preacher's kid, the daughter of a Mennonite minister, she has earlier renounced much of her heritage and religious upbringing, fleeing to the city to live a Bohemian life. There, she marries a sexy ex-Mennonite rebel, who puts on eye make-up to go out dancing, and exchanges earrings with her in their commitment ceremony. Together, the couple tastes the 20th century pop culture pleasures of drag queen parties, Wild Turkey, The Cure, and open-mike poetry readings. But the narrator finds the American trick of self-reinvention hard to pull off. She remains haunted by her sense that it's her "responsibility to change the world." Her life is stalled by depression; her marriage disintegrates. Seeking a viable way to move forward, she looks backward at the heritage she thought she'd thrown off. She returns to Pennsylvania, to interview her Mennonite grandparents for an oral history of her family -- in the process, conducting a rigorous self-examination of her identity, values and faith. Yoder's journaling and reflections on her life are effectively contrasted with a series of matter-of-fact diary entries made by her grandmother in the 1930s, a sort of Mennonite Day-Timer that offers up the day's labors to God. Any woman who's seeking to cobble together a new self from the contradictory standards held up by family, tradition, religion, 21st century pop culture and advertising, and our own yearning toward something richer and more rewarding, will relate to this deeply felt memoir. No matter what culture we come from, we're all quilters, working to stitch together a sense of wholeness out of the competing images and precepts we've been handed.

5 comments about The Faith Of George W. Bush.

1. It apparently doesn't strike people as odd that Bush does not belong to a congregation and rarely goes to any church. Too busy? He spends more time on vacation than any President in history. Too disruptive? Carter not only attended a Washington Baptist church every Sunday, but taught Sunday school. Bush isn't alone; Reagan didn't attend church while President, either.



2. This book is basically a biography of Bush's life from a more religious perspective. In it they compare how Bush's beliefs supposedly shaped his life.
   
   While the book seems truthful it leaves out alot of facts. It does not mention the scadals going on at the time or screw ups he had made.
   
   The other problem is that the book is dated as it was released pre his reelection. The author might be writing a totally different book about how religion screwed up his presidency with the scandal and blunders hes in now.
   
   In the end it was a decent read thoug for facts i would rather stick to a less biased source. As i said this author seemed very much like a buddy of Bush's putting a book out for him.



3. Hey everyone. I'd like to talk about how, as a Christian, I feel that I have been used by George Bush. It's not my place to say whether or not Bush is really a Christian or not. But the Bible does say that you will know a person by their fruits, that is, you will know whether a person is bad or good by the things that they do.
   
   The 2004 exit-polls showed that faith and religious beliefs were the sole winner determining factor in the election. Bush told everybody that he was a Christian and would be a Christian president and defend our beliefs and protect marriage but he hasn't done any of that really. Under his watch the Ten commandments were pulled out of a courthouse. Under his watch ga-ys and les-bians were married across the country. The only thing he has done in office was the War in Iraq and Afghanistan.
   
   Now the war on terror is very complicated. It would be wrong to say that if we just left Iraq that Muslims would become peace loving allies and everything would return to a utopia-like past that never really existed. Something has to be done. But the war in Iraq has made no sense form the beginning. If we are at war why aren't we fighting it like a war. Why are our soldiers over there standing around waiting to be blown up like sitting ducks?
   
   In the mean time it's politics as usual in our country as the Democrats and Republicans take any opportunity they can to bad mouth the other and say how perfect their party is. Bush alone isn't tearing America apart, all politicians are. They are all corrupt as far as I can see. When an all-powerful oligarchy has taken over the countries political system what hope does democracy have? When both candidates in an election are members in a strange fraternity organization, Skull and bones, who are we supposed to vote for? A third party candidate that is probably no better and has no chance of winning?
   
   This book was probably just another publicity campaign tool meant to make Christians think they should vote for Bush because he was on our side. But who were we supposed to vote for? John Kerry? Ha! Al Gore? Double Ha! In hindsight I would have to had voted for a third party candidate and thrown away my vote.
   
   Well, at least we know that whoever we vote for, we're going to get a lying crook.



4. Regardless of what you think about George W. Bush, in my humble opinion, Stephen Mansfield has written an insightful biography of the role of religion in the president's life. While some reviewers may indeed criticize some of Bush's actions, what right do they have to judge as to whether or not he truly has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
   
   Mansfield, while appearing to be a Bush supporter, does not hesitate to describe Bush's struggles in his early years (rebellion, drinking, smoking, women, etc.) that ultimately led to his now famous walk with Reverand Billy Graham on a Maine beach shore that challenged him to redirect his life towards Jesus Christ.
   
   Mansfield also shows how the president's faith has led to his stances on various positions: abortion, 911, faith-based initiatives, etc. Whether or not you agree with the president, you cannot argue the obvious influence that faith has on his life.
   
   Anyone who reads this book, Bush supporter or not, will find this read to be very enlightening and transparent. Read and enjoy. Highly recommended!



5. I am so glad that other loving Christians have taken this book and one of our finest presidents to heart.
   Jesus may have said that we should turn the other cheek, but He certainly didn't mean that we should not seek revenge on the Saudis who bombed us on 9/11 by bombing Iraq and Afghanistan. Yes, thou shalt not kill, but only if someone else doesn't do it first. We are finally right in line with the teachings of Christ these days, thanks to compassionate religious men like G.W. Bush and Richard Cheney.
   Our nation's deeply held Christian values must be shared with the world, whether they like it or not. Sooner or later they will understand that there is only One God, and that He is Our God. When the Constitution talks about religious freedom, it means freedom to proselytize and keep military bases in almost every other country. It is clearly the will of God, and not the false prophets Allah or Buddha or Krishna, etc.
   Jesus would be so proud of our peaceful and loving Christian ways, and above all proud of His minion and faithful servant George W. Bush. Sure, he did a lot of cocaine but that was a long time ago, and he has been Forgiven, as he will soon forgive the millions who are in jail for the same crimes he was caught but never tried for. When your family is a little closer to God, good things can happen.
   While not quite as noble a President as Taft or Harding, GW will no doubt go down in history as a great man, a deep thinker committed to educating the world, and above all a committed Christian who has never lost sight of the compassion and love for ALL other people that Our Savior preached. If only Jesus would return before the end of Bush's term, He would confirm that our present foreign policy is not only deeply Christian but almost exactly what He had in mind when promoting peace, good will, and charity. Thank God Bush found Christ before he came into office; Lord only knows what a non-Christ-loving Bush would be up to.
   God Bless America, and George W. Bush. May his kind and loving Good Works continue to resonate in our markets and environment and national character long after he leaves office.
   Somewhere, Jesus is smiling at the picture of G.W. Bush on His heavenly desk.

3 comments about Maimonides: A Biography.

1. Rabbi Heschel may have been a great man, active in the civil rights movement and other just causes. His skill as a young writer and biographer seems lacking in this book though. Very drab and dry, it seems to bounce around way too often. One does not get a good feel for Maimonides and only a limited glance at the era in which he lived. I found little in this book that would encourage me to recommend it to others.



2. Readers of other works by Rabbi Heschel are likely to be surprised by this volume; it is not written in his usual poetic, epigrammatic style. While some of this may be due to Heschel's relative youth at the time of writing, it is also the product of a different translation process, done after Heschel's death. The introductory notes to the book explain how this came about, and in the process provide interesting insights on the older Heschel's writing process.
   
   This biography of Maimonides is one of Heschel's first works, and as such it is fascinating as a window on the development of his thought. His early fascination with the Prophets shines from every page.
   
   This is not Heschel at his finest, but for the discerning reader it can provide, nevertheless, a fascinating window on the man and the development of his thought.



3. This is a scholarly and well researched biography of Maimonides that demonstrates the author's broad and deep grasp of the Maimonidean ouevre. The author is attuned to all the choicy pieces in the commentary on the Mishna, the Guide as well as the Yad. For example, on Avos 4:4 his quote of Aristotle; in Mikvaos 4:4 his attack on a prominent personality [that Heschel claims is the Rif, a claim I have not been able to verify]. Heschel's grasp of the political and historical backdrop is also remarkable. The other biographies of Maimonides do not come close (other than Twersky's).
   
   It is a shame that this work did not receive the attention it deserved - quite possibly because the denigration of the translation (which was fine). The style of writing that Heschel used was not the flowery poetic form of his later years, but so what? This is how most people write.
   
   An arm chair psychologist would say that Heschel envisioned himself as a modern day Maimonides who would perform the same task of gathering and clarifying Jewish theology as the Rambam did with the Yad. What is funny is that this was probably Heschel's self-perception.

4 comments about Veil of Fear: Nineteenth-Century Convent Tales.

1. These tales aren't great literature, but they are an interesting read--fast-paced and determined to be sensational. Reed's tale led to the 1834 burning of the Ursuline convent near Boston, and Monk's highly fictionalized tale cashes in the interest surrounding the event. Both stories provide a fascinating look into the morass of nineteenth-century anti-Catholic prejudices and anti-immigrant xenophobia. The excellent introduction provides some much-needed context.



2. This book contains two reprints of hard to find 19th century books. The first, Reed's -Six Months in a Convent-, is a factual if unsympathetic account by a former student and novice at an Ursuline convent school in Charlestown, Massachussetts. The convent was burnt to the ground by a mob shortly before the book was published, after one of the nuns attempted to escape and was persuaded to return, and a rumour was started that she was being held against her will. Reed died shortly after its publication, of tuberculosis that was said to be the result of the austerities she practised.

   The second and more interesting of the two books is the more well known -Awful Disclosures of the Hotel-Dieu Nunnery- by Maria Monk. This is a fictitious libel, but its seriousness is undermined by the fantastic story told. A warren of secret passages and other Gothic trappings honeycomb the convent. The nuns are there basically to serve as a harem for Roman Catholic priests. Bizarre religious justifications are urged on the sisters for this practise. Any children they beget are first baptised, then slaughtered, and buried in a secret cemetery in the convent. This lurid tale is better told than Reed's; Monk, or her amanuenses, were better writers than Reed's.

   Monk's tale, of course, was a deliberate hoax, made to capitalise on the fame and market for anti-Catholic horror stories. Since Reed's book became a best-seller, an even more extravagant story had every good prospect of making money. Unfortunately, not for Maria Monk, who made little from her tale. She had apparently suffered a brain injury in her childhood that left her unable to distinguish fact from fantasy, and as such was a perfect and convincing patsy for her collaborators in creating this tale. She also died young in distressing circumstances.

   Roman Catholics were an exotic species in early 19th century America. They were the subject of more or less traditional hostility from Protestant Americans. The secrecy of the cloister, and the exotic rituals and language of the Roman Church, made the Gothic literary style a good fit to write anti-Catholic fictions. Maria Monk's book is in fact largely in the tradition of -The Monk-, Matthew Lewis's lurid fictional tale of a priest who made a bargain with the Devil for carnal pleasure.

   At this distance, when the right of Roman Catholics to practice their faith stands on a firmer foundation than it did in the early 19th century, those who take pleasure in lurid Gothic tales may also take pleasure in these as well. They are not great literature. They are, however, historically significant. And if you can put aside indignation --- excited either by the tales they tell, or the fact that they were ever published --- they are simultaneously sad, exciting, and ironically amusing, just like the best Gothic fiction.

   The editor's introduction, unfortunately, seems to advance airy academic notions that are unlikely, but all too familiar. The hypothesis is ventured that the destroyed convent was a threat to Bostonians and their "patriarchy" because it represented a community of sexually independent and educated women. Toni Morrison is invoked to support this notion. Reading her introduction, you could almost forget that she's talking about nuns bound by oaths of obedience to a male hierarchy. Rebecca Reed's indignant descriptions of debasing penances seem more informed by a spirit of liberation than the introduction.




3. The editors comment "These convent tales by Reed and Monk are classics that must be read by those interested in American studies, popular culture, social and religious history, literature, and women's studies." is clearly taken from the "anything for a buck" school of "Publishing For Fun and Profit."

   That's like saying "Mien Kemp" is must reading for everyone who seeks a deeper understanding of Jewish religious history and their love of God.

   Anti-Christian and specifically anti-Catholic bigotry is once again raising it's head from the cesspool of so called "politically correct" thinking. Make no mistake about this book and what it really is. It's a profit seeking re-publication of some of the most flaming, hate provoking semi-truths, half-truths and outright lies ever to be shamefully published in America.

   Not too many years ago no reputable company would even think about offering this trash for sale. They wouldn't want their name to be associated with it. Today, Amason.com seems to be proud of it.

   The biggest mistake the publisher made was not including a free sheet with every purchase; so the reader could fit in at the next KKK barbeque.

   What next? A new publication of "Bigotry For Dummies"??? Wait a minute, maybe that's not a bad idea.




4. After having heard Maria Monk's audio tape of her true story, I know that it is a lie to say that her story in this book was a hoax. The leaders of the Catholic Church would, of course, want to have people believe that she was lying, but they are the true liars. They lie about the reason for every one of their satanic rituals. Anyone interested in the satanic background of the Catholic Church should read The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop. Maria Monk cared deeply about the Catholic people who were going to die and go to hell because they never trusted what God said in the Bible. They believe in penances, purgatory, indulgences, worship of graven images, etc. etc. which are spoken against by God in the Bible. We are saved by being born again through a saving faith in Jesus Christ. He died once for all, and priests are all liars because they would have people believe they can somehow sacrifice Him over and over again on their demon alters. Maria Monk's testimony reveals a true witness for the saving grace of Jesus Christ. That this book, or any other book, has tried to slander her by saying it is fiction, reveals how far the devil can go to try to keep his deception alive and well that the Catholic Church is "Christian." Any born again Christian recognizes that the Catholic Church is full of pagan rituals that are evil and satanic. Read the Bible and the truth will set you free. May God bless Maria Monk for her braveness in telling her story in the face of evil.

No comments about Dante: A Brief History (Blackwell Brief Histories of Religion).