5 comments about The Cross and the Switchblade.

1. This book was very interesting reading. I was familiar with Teen Challenge, but not familiar with how it started, only with the way I've seen it change people's lives. Also, I was born in 77' so to read about gangs and drugs in society during a previous generation and Wilerson's attempt to reach out was a world I hadn't been exposed too. My picuture of the 60s is of Mayberry, not the streets of New York, so it shattered some of my misconceptions.
   
   Motivating story and an easy read worth your time.



2. The story of what God can do with a chosen vessel, and a heart of obedience.



3. This Book changed my life when I read it in jail in summer of 1970,after the hippie years of many many drugs and all that went along with it.I would surely be dead now if not for this book and the Lord Jesus who caused David Wilkerson to write it.Jail was the only place I would have stopped to read it at the time.So I am sure the Lord wanted me there then.I have been reformed since that day.I am presently giving it to my son who also has the bad addiction gene which seems to run in my family .He is currently serving 6 Months in mandatory County Rehab.So he too will have time to read it . I just pray that anyone who has a friend or family member who has an addiction of any kind will send this book to them to read it. They won't read the Bible but they will read this book- The Story of Rev. David Wilkerson,His life saving Teen Challenge Outreach and Nicky Cruz,whose life was also forever changed in this book.Praise God for this Book!!!



4. Just saw that there is an old movie, with Pat Boone, made from this book.
   Don't know how the movie will be yet. However, I like to give good reviews for books that deserve them and many years after having read this one - which I had virtually forgotten til today - I still see it as one of the most profound witnesses to what a life in Messiah should reflect. Amazing story. It will bless you and humble you.



5. This book is based on a true story. A true testimony to the power of God. The kind of transforming power still available today. The impact of this true story has continued to touch and change lives forever. The movie is also very powerful if you get the chance to view it. Thank God for men and women who continue to listen to God's voice in a time that many naysayers say the sitution is hopeless.

5 comments about My Life With the Saints.

1. This author and book are absolutely fantastic. I have been recommending this book to every person I know. I thank God for James Martin, SJ and and for the Saints.



2. I love this book for two reasons:
   1. It makes the saints acessible.
   2. It makes religious life, like James Martin's, sound exciting and, dare I say, FUN!
   
   1) It makes saints accessible. They are unique - each with their own faults (mostly the dudes). I feel like I can relate to them, just like Martin does in this book. He connects their struggles to his, their strengths to his.
   
   2) James makes religious life sound so fun! It's not second rate to the married life, as Martin believed (and I). One instance he's at a retreat running, literally, with his buddies to the next contemplative service, laughing along the way; another time he talks about really good cheese at St. Merton's monastery in Kentucky. James is the kind of guy who's cool to grab a beer with and watch a movie.
   
   I'm not done with the book yet. But I'm loving it! James, good work.
   
   PS "I'm a Saint in the Making" is a song by Jacob and Matthew



3. Father Martin has given us a personal look at his relationships with the saints included in this collection. For everyone who grew up with the idea that saints were holy-card perfect, this book provides a healthy alternative look at people whom we all might hope to imitate. His approach--to include those holy men and women (some not yet canonized) who play a personal role in his own life--is a helpful way to consider the communion of saints. Highest recommendation.



4. This is a book that tells as much about the life of the author as it does about the saints. I found it very inspiring. It is well written, easy reading and well worth spending time with.



5. This book is a picture book of devoted and prophetic saints. In reading each chapter the author painted a mosaic image of each saint with regards to its life and legend. The author's life experience brought on by the impression each saint left to him was beautifully woven into each chapter.
   This book is a text book for those of us who desire to know the saints better and to learn how to open our hearts and souls to God and gain a closer relationship with God.

No comments about Thomas Merton: A Life in Letters: The Essential Collection (Merton, Thomas//Journal of Thomas Merton).

5 comments about Living Water: Powerful Teachings from the International Bestselling Author of The Heavenly Man.

1. I have absolutely loved this book. I know this is a completely overused statement, but I really felt like this book was written just for me, to me. I could feel the Lord speaking through the author, and snapping me out of my complacency. I can't wait to go back and read the first book. This book put a mirror to my face and showed me how much I take for granted my faith and my Savior.



2. To bad that someone from as rich a spiritual culture as China would succumb to the westernized version of the christian mythology.
   Hope he discovers the truth before he spends his life in vain.



3. A lot of the time when I read inspirational books I am unsure if the author is truly sincere, or if they are just writing what sells. With this book I had no doubts! Brother Yun is a true follower of Jesus. Because of his faith he has faced persecution, and yet he has stayed strong. Who better to tell us how to grow?
   
   Shares pieces of brother Yun's life and the trials he has faced serving as a pastor in China.
   
   I love how he believes in becoming a "new wineskin", turning from traditional religious rituals, and truly following Jesus.
   
   Though brother Yun and I come from very different places and very different circumstances, we have a lot in common. Some of this book felt as if I had written it, I shared so many of brother Yun's views.
   
   One of my two current favorite books.
   
   This book can change your life, if you will only let it.



4. Brother Yun is an intriguing religious voice in this new millennium. His roots are deep in 20th-century evangelical missionary work in China and for most of his life he had preached a gospel aimed at traditional 20th-century evangelical goals of winning souls in all lands.
   
   For more than a decade, though, he has lived in exile in Europe (his home base is in Germany now) and his message to Westerners really is an intriguing call to grassroots spiritual action. That part of his message is perfectly in tune with emerging voices like Phyllis Tickle, Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, Rob Bell and others. In that particular theme he preaches, it's as though his own ministry is leaping forward from a fairly traditional message to become a new prophetic voice in this era of turbulent change in Western Christianity.
   
   It's fascinating to encounter a fully mature Asian Christian returning to evangelize -- and in some cases to criticize -- some of the movements that, a century ago, helped to seed his own church in China.
   
   His earlier book "The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun" was a best seller with dramatic tales of life under persecution in China. "Living Water" is a fresh inspirational look at the road ahead.



5. Read his books, if you live in America we don't know what it means to follow Jesus as the Chinese Christians do. We may think we have died to ourself for Him but we need to see others who have suffered for Christ and we can forget our own struggles. The Heavenly Man changed my life and his new book, Living Water is awesome. I am following God and on fire for Him and live for Him completely and would give my life for Jesus and this still put new insight in what God does when we trust Him completely. We don't know what suffering and giving our lives to Jesus is in America. These books will make you stop and think next time you think you are hurting or suffer in life. He shows in, The Heavenly Man, the miracles God does when you put your whole self out there for Him. And the, Living Water, will help you have a closer walk with God.

5 comments about Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion.

1. take this bread is one of the best left-of-center spiritual memoirs i've read, ever.
   
   sara miles is a self-described liberal, an intellectual journalist who spent much of her life covering wars from the side of the oppressed (often in stark contrast to u.s. policy). she grew up in a staunchly athiest home (though both of her parents were children of missionaries, which ends up playing into her story in surprising and deeply satisfying ways), and was, as she says, the last person her friends would have expected to start talking about jesus.
   
   sara walked into a san francisco church one day -- called, one might way; compelled, she wasn't sure why -- and took the eucharist. and something clicked, in that moment. she had an encounter with jesus that she was never able to dismiss or shake off. eventually, her connection with jesus became a compelling call to feed others, as she was fed. sara started a food pantry, literally ON the alter of her extremely nervous church. the book walks through her multiple conversions, and those of the people around her, many of them already professed christians.
   
   the comparisons to anne lamott are easy (especially to anne's first spiritual memoir, traveling mercies). both are brilliant with words; both are liberals from san francisco, who grew up in book-loving, athiest, intellectual homes; both are liberal in every sense of the word; and both are deeply in love with jesus and passionate about following his lead. this -- i think -- is what seperates both anne and sara from classical liberals, who spent a good deal of their time distancing themselves from jesus.
   
   but sara miles and anne lammott are not the same. sara doesn't have annie's wit, which, while i absolutely adore annie's wit, makes this book somewhat more compelling, and a bit less like a collection of witty, liberal, jesus-y essays. if annie's "theme" is her self-loathing and insecurity, sara's strong-willed theme is: food. food weaves its way through every chapter of the book: from her childhood, to her experiences as a chef in new york, to her connections with people in the third world, to her intitial and ongoing experience with jesus, to her establishment of one, then many, food pantries. it's hard not to read this book and not simultaneously hanker for a chunk of some cheese you can't pronounce, and want to give that cheese to someone who wouldn't otherwise experience their next meal.
   
   wonderful, wonderful reading. challenging at points. highly edible. deeply nourishing.



2. Sara Miles' book "Take This Bread" is a perfect read for our times. Her realization that feeding others is an ultimate act of goodness came during a worship service. But the real story is what she did next. She went out from that church and created a feeding program when others said it couldn't be done. Then she helped others create feeding programs. I have recommended the book to people of different faiths and political views. They all love it. And even more, they have been inspired to get involved in helping the hungry. The new paperback version contains a Readers' Guide - perfect for book groups.



3. Take This Bread: A Radical ConversionThis book is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the community of food! Sara Miles is a writer and was an athiest who came to understand the role of sharing a meal in building community. After a varied career of cooking in restaurant kitchens and serving as an activist in poverty stricken and war torn countries, she comes home to a radical conversion resulting from the simple words: "Take this bread" said to her at a service of Holy Communion. Her conversion leads to growth in understaning the community that God intends for all humankind. Along the way, she is drawn into the community with afforded by a food pantry program she starts at her newly found church community.
   
   Its all about the human hunger for belonging and for the meaning that comes from sharing food!
   
   A wonderful book and a quick read!



4. I love reading about converts to the Episcopal Church, I am one myself. The more unusual the story, the more it interests me and Miles' story fits that bill. Although I found some things about her puzzling- for instance: she calls herself "lesbian" but has an affair with a man (Huh?!) and then she seems to think that getting pregnant in the middle of a war was a good idea (What?!), I thought her life was fascinating. She is also admirable for starting the food pantry, and for linking food to ministry and to communion- the Body of Christ. The analogy is excellent. It also shows how a church can be so open and welcoming to all people from all walks of life, and although not intended as an ad for the Episcopal Church, it sure serves as great publicity!



5. This book was SO good. It is one of the best queer spiritual journeys I've ever read. Sara Miles is unpretentious and honest, and I think she captures the spiritual dilemmas that so many of us face right now.
   If you are struggling with your spiritual journey and chafe against old names and categories, this book will change your life. I think it's going to be a very influential text.
   Oh, and it's a fabulous read! I couldn't put it down.

3 comments about The Book of Mychal: The Surprising Life and Heroic Death of Father Mychal Judge.

1. Daly, Michael. "The Book of Mychal: The Surprising Life and Heroic Death of Father Mychal Judge", Thomas Dunne Books, 2008.
   
   A National Hero
   
   Amos Lassen
   
   Father Mychal Judge became a hero after his death. He died while he was helping victims at the World Trade Center after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He was the chaplain for the New York City Fire Department and he soon became the supreme symbol of those who put their lives at risk so they could help others and he paid the highest price. He was loved by his fireman and was always ready to listen to anyone who needed to talk. He not only was minister to firemen but to gay New Yorkers as well even though many of his firemen had no idea that he was gay and did not learn that until he was dead. Father Judge had problems with reconciling his private life with his public life and this was discovered in a journal he began keeping in 1999. We read that he yearned to speak out but he felt that coming out would cost him his ministry, his friends and his standing in the Catholic Church.
   Michael Daly, who was Judge's friend and who wrote this book, had access to the journals and gives us the thoughts of Judge.
   Judge's life was gripping from being a youth in Depression Brooklyn to his Catholic upbringing. The last section of the book hits hard as it deals with September 11 and the days following. I love the way we get to see Father Judge as he tries to balance his work with the fire department and his life as a gay man especially during the 1990's when New York City was engaged in a war between the church and the gay community. Daly gives us a peek into Judge's private life as well and with great sensitivity. We read of his involvement with the AIDS crisis, when he bucked his church's official policy on homosexuality. We also learn of the priest's ten year love affair with a much younger man but Daly says that it was never consummated because of the Church.
   What makes the book so special is reading about Judge's inner thoughts and turmoils as well as the love his fireman felt for him. He was quite a man and Michael Daly has done both the man and his memory justice.



2. That's what this book clearly is - a labor of love, a probing biography by a Daily News columnist. The author delves deeply into Judge's Irish upbringing, the Catholic church, the Fire Dept, and New York City politics. A Pulitzer-worthy book.



3. This book brought tears to my eyes. We know that Mychal Judge's life was tragically ended on September 11, 2001 but this book told his life's story in a very real and touching way. The lessons of Mychal Judge's life will stay with you for a lifetime.

5 comments about The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East.

1. This is a sublime work of art, made all the more so by its complete factual accuracy. Sure, Sandy picks and chooses the facts he'll present, as any historian does, but every thought, every moment, comes only from historical records and interviews. And perhaps it's this plain "just the facts, ma'am" approach that makes the story so much more filled with pathos and tragedy.
   
   I know of no other book on this subject that so clearly shows the suffering on both sides of the aisle. Most books are either clearly Zionist or focus on al Nakba and the suffering of the Palestinian people. Sandy doesn't take the easy road. He presents the longing and angst- and hopes- of both peoples. He shows us the struggles and poverty of Dalia's family, and their rejoicing on finally finding a home. He shows us Bashir's family's delight in the land, and the horror of seeing it stripped from them. And he shows us the greater suffering of the Palestinians in the last 50 years, as more and more land, life, and dignity are stripped away.
   
   Through this history we see the Principle of Violent Mimicry, where we become that which we hate, as first the Israelis model Nazi practices, and then the Palestinians learn from the Israelis that only violence and terrorism can solve their problems. We see a clash of cultures, with Dalia locked in European Cartesian paradigms of "I think therefore I am,", and Bashir birthed into a narrative of "I reside therefore I am." And through it all we wonder- can there be any hope for change, for peace, for justice? Sandy gives us some glimmer of hope of reconciliation, but it is clear that it is not an easy hope- for this is real life, and not a Saturday morning special. This is gritty historical narrative, and more than ever, after reading this book, I think our only path out of this morass is the one blazed by South Africa.



2. This book should be required reading for whoever becomes President, or anyone else who needs to understand what happened between Israel and Palestine. This is the fairest accounting that I have ever read.



3. yes, after 1948 there were many conflicts between jews and arabs, but what some reviewers here fail to highlight is the very critical timeline of the conflict: no arab ever had a problem with jews prior to 1948, prior to when israel took what was without any interpretation arab land and declared itself a country. did the reviewers even read what they wrote? the grouping of the arabs against the jews was nothing other than solidarity with their kinsmen for losing their land to a newly-, arbitrarily-created country. imagine if a group of muslims joined the significant muslim population in an american city, suddenly declared themselves a country, then cried about the injustice of "all the american states unifying against them"...ludicrous to expect otherwise. Of course this book doesn't portray EVERYTHING, but if it portrays the conflict somewhat favorably towards palestinians, it is because that's the way the facts played out. Some israelis think that an unbiased report means a neutral report, most are willing to accept some fault for starting the whole mess.



4. Much of Sandy Tolan's book reads like a novel, and yet it is a true story. (The rest of the book reads like a well documented -- which it is -- history book.) I absolutely loved it! Tolan goes out of his way to be even-handed in terms of not favoring the Jewish or Palestinian 'side' of the issue. He just tells the story from both perspectives as it was told to him and according to his extensive research. It's a beautiful, informative, and very well written book. I highly recommend it.



5. Though the telling of the true personal story of the intersecting lives an Arab man and a Jewish woman, the complexities of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict come alive in a way that political/statistical books can never achieve. This is a story of real people - good people who are trying to make their way in a world that makes no sense to either of them. The author has managed to remain true to the story in an unbiased way leaving the reader to grapple with the controversial and convoluted issues. This book is a wonderful way to learn about the complexities of this small geographic area that affects the hearts and minds of millions of people on our planet. A must read for all those who care about peace and justice in our world.

5 comments about Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels.

1. The information in Part 1: "The Birth of Jesus" is worth the price of this book. Previous commentators had remarked that Luke has the Greek word katalyma in Luke 2:7 and again in Luke 22: 11. In the first instance it is commonly translated "inn". In the second instance it is commonly translated as "guest room" or "upper room". Bailey states, "it is 'an upper room' which is clearly a guest room in a private house. This precise meaning makes perfect sense when applied to the birth story." p.33 This explanation then includes the clarifying diagram of a typical village home in Palestine showing the stable, steps leading from the family living room to the stable, the mangers and finally the Guest Room "kataluma". Bailey goes on to expand on the Christmas story. But he states, "Looking at the story in this light strips away layers of interpretive mythology that have built up around it." Bailey's lived knowledge of the Middle East, rhetorical patterns, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek and acquaintance with commentaries by Arabic speaking Christian theologians and exegetes makes this book truly unique. Examples could easily be multiplied. A summary glance of the Index section reveals the scope of this book: Early Jewish Sources, Middle Eastern Arabic and Syrian Christian Authors, Arabic, Armenian, Coptic and Syrian Versions of the Gospels, Greek and Latin Authors. One must read the book to see how masterfully these sources enrich the interpretation. Lastly the author does not hesitate to apply his exegesis to present day attitudes, issues and problems.



2. This book deals with the influence of cultural studies on the New Testament text. It was refreshing to read a book about Jesus from a scholarly point of view without the author constantly questioning the miracle accounts and the divinity of Jesus. The author does a superb job in informing the reader of the cultural background of the text. The text seems to come alive as the scenes in the Gospels are brought to life through the culture interaction. The accounts in the gospel are powerful as Jesus is seen in his original context. It is really amazing how the 21st century church has read some of the parables and stories about Jesus. A lot of times the modern reader has missed the point of the teaching because of looking at Jesus through modern eyes. The author deals with the birth story, the beatitudes, the Lord's Prayers, dynamic stories, Jesus and women, and the parables. The book is a great read, not a short read (426 pages). The book will give you a renewed respect and love for Jesus Christ. He was truly the master teacher, the Son of God, and warrior for the downcast and trodden. If you are looking to see your Master as he was, and not how we have made him, this is a great book.



3. I've been teaching in depth for over 20 years and this book brought new insights. This study is detailed and from credible, documented sources. Mr. Bailey brings a fresh look at material that until recently seemed pretty familiar.
   This book is worth your time.



4. Review of Kenneth E. Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2008). ISBN 978-0-8308-2568-4. 443 pp. This review originally appeared on the Exploring Our Matrix blog.
   
   
   In his latest book, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Kenneth Bailey provides further discussion of various parts of the New Testament Gospels, from the perspective that has been his own unique contribution over the past three decades or so. To my knowledge, there is no comparable New Testament scholar who is a native speaker of English and yet who has grown up, lived and taught in the Middle East and been fluent in Arabic, and as a result has been able to mediate the cultural perspective of that region on the New Testament to English-speaking readers. As such, Bailey provides a genuinely unique perspective, and I expect anyone interested in understanding the New Testament will want to read his latest book, as well as earlier ones.
   The book is divided into six main sections, each containing several chapters each of which is focused on a particular passage from the Gospels. The introduction should not be skipped, since it emphasizes the importance of the unique perspective Bailey offers and the neglected sources he draws upon. Bailey draws heavily not only on his own experience of life in the Middle East, but also the neglected witness of Christian authors writing in Syriac and Arabic over the centuries. The insights that can be gleaned both from contemporary life in this part of the world, and from the Christians who lived there prior to the modern era (and in particular those who spoke Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, the language Jesus himself spoke) are extremely important. So too is being aware of the poetic structures in which storytellers and writing authors expressed themselves. The book's introduction focuses on such materials, not uniformly neglected by scholars, but certainly not the focus of sufficient sustained and detailed attention. At the very least, as far as the awareness of such matters among Christians and other readers of the New Testament more generally is concerned, these sources of knowledge about the cultural context of the New Testament are little known, and Bailey's book, while certain to be of interest to New Testament scholars, presents matters in a manner accessible to a wider readership.
   
   Bailey professes to keep his focus primarily a literary and cultural one, which is wise, since a discussion of historical issues would have distracted from his primary interest, which is the meaning of the stories we have in the New Testament when understood against the background of Middle Eastern culture (p.20). Nevertheless, there are moments when Bailey seems to raise issues of history, such as in assuming that the murder of the children of Bethlehem took place (p.56). That there was such an event is not at all a historical impossibility - on the one hand, there is no corroborating evidence that it occurred, while on the other hand such an action on Herod's part is certainly in keeping with his paranoia as known from other sources. The point is simply this: whenever a scholarly work seems to take for granted that a story is essentially factual, it can feed into the tendency of many lay readers to assume that a historical critical approach to the Bible can be bypassed. On the whole, however, Bailey's approach minimizes the number of places where such issues come up, and Bailey himself appropriately points out where structural considerations suggest that either Jesus, or the later church or the Gospel authors, supplemented and commented on earlier material, even though this is never his primary interest.
   
   Part 1 is "The Birth of Jesus", and the first chapter incorporates material that had previously been accessible only in a journal article, expanding and supplementing it not only with additional text but also with more sketches of what typical rural homes in Palestine are like. Among scholars, Bailey's argument about the cultural background of these stories, and in particular the likelihood that Jesus was born in a rural peasant home rather than an "inn", has been found persuasive not only because of the points Bailey makes about the cultural setting (including the nature of hospitality and travel in this part of the world in the first century and even today, and the fact that feeding troughs (or mangers) were and are typically found in homes rather than separate barns or stables), but also because the term for a commercial "inn" is not found in the story. The presentation of the evidence and the likely meaning of the relevant details in Luke's story are here made available to a wider audience. This material alone would be worth the price of the book.
   
   Of the additional points made that go beyond Bailey's earlier article, perhaps the most provocative is his discussion about the shepherds in the context of Middle Eastern hospitality. If the shepherds had found Joseph, Mary and Jesus huddling in a stable, they would have insisted they come and stay in their own homes. Also worth mentioning is that Bailey, in addition to scholarly and popular works on the Biblical narrative itself, has composed a Christmas musical based on his understanding of the story, entitled Open Hearts in Bethlehem.
   
   In addition to the elements that are so distinctive of Bailey's work on these stories, Bailey also offers a fresh look at some features that are noticed by scholars more generally, such as the women/gentiles in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. There are some details about Matthew's infancy narrative that are overlooked (e.g. p.55, where Bailey assumes the traditional crèche scene with shepherds and Magi side by side, rather than considering the possibility that the scene in Matthew's story is set when Jesus is around 2 years old). But the new material Bailey offers, such as a survey of Arab Christian traditions suggesting the Magi were from Arabia (pp.52-55), more than make up for any and all such oversights and weaker points.
   
   Part 2 is "The Beatitudes", and Part 3 is "The Lord's Prayer". The latter unfortunately does not explicitly address the popular notion that abba means "daddy", but nonetheless does communicate what clearly was the distinctive characteristic of Jesus' use of abba as a way of addressing God: Aramaic-speaking Jews in the first century still used Hebrew for the purpose of prayer, and so Jesus was praying, and teaching his disciples to pray, in their own vernacular (p.95). In this section, we also see Bailey's familiarity with Islam as a living religious tradition in the Middle East, and while remaining conscious of important differences, he regards Islam's traditions and perspectives as ones from which Christians can learn things of value (pp.98-99). Bailey discusses prayer in Judaism as well (pp.104-107), and notes that one can only talk about what was distinctive and emphasized in Jesus' prayers if we know what he assumed, so that we can see not only what he included but also what he altered and what he omitted. Ezekiel 20:41-42 is highlighted for the light it sheds on the petition "Hallowed by thy name" (p.108). In discussing the petition "Thy will be done on earth..." Bailey notes both the implicit possibility of God's will not being done, and also that the viewpoint of the prayer suggests that Christianity's concerns are not merely other-worldly (pp.117-118). The mystery of what the Greek word that lies behind the all-too-familiar English rendering of "daily" bread may mean is elucidated by appeal to the Old Syriac version of the Gospels, which uses the adjective ameno which means "lasting, never ceasing" (p.121). In addition to making impressive contributions to scholarship and our understanding of the New Testament, Bailey also wrestles with difficult aspects of the application of the text, such as the relationship between the call to Christians to forgive and the need to identify and stand against injustice (pp.126-127).
   
   Part 4 covers "Dramatic Actions of Jesus". At one point (p.144), Bailey suggests a much earlier date (in the 50s) for the composition of Luke's Gospel than even most conservative scholars would accept. One wonders why such a controversial suggestion is made when it is not central to the author's argument. If the issue could not be addressed in this context, some acknowledgment that this is an unusual viewpoint, or a footnote to further discussion by scholars, would have been appropriate. Otherwise, the point could have been omitted with no harm to Bailey's overall treatment.
   
   In chapter 12, it is suggested that Jesus may have been nurtured with a "theological education" in the lay movement of the haberim that sprung up around this time (p.147). The Dead Sea Scrolls are appealed to as shedding light on the Messianic understanding of Isaiah 61 (pp.149-150), and the Targum also helps us contextualize the passage as it was understood in early Judaism (pp.155-156). The complaint that follows Jesus' reading of that text in Luke's Gospel is, according to Bailey, to be understood as expressing the community's feeling that Jesus has departed from their own understanding of the passage. Nazareth was a "settler town" (p.152), and the community took offense at Jesus' omission of those very lines from Isaiah that gave voice to their expectation that the Messianic age would be glorious for them, while a time when God's vengeance would deal with their enemies (p.162).
   
   Crucial cultural background is given to other stories in chapter 13: the healing of blind Bartimaeus and Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus. Too often readers of these stories do not have an adequate understanding of the cultural realities of the time. What was the situation of a blind beggar, and what would the situation of such a person be if they recovered their sight? Would a powerful member of the community climb a tree? To what extent was Zacchaeus exaggerating when he said he'd give away half his assets, and to what extent was such exaggeration culturally appropriate? Bailey addresses all these subjects, and more, in a fascinating way.
   
   Part 5 is about Jesus and women, and here too Bailey draws on his knowledge of cultural norms, including appropriate and inappropriate turns of phrase in various contexts. Such evidence (pp.192-193) points clearly not only to Jesus having had female disciples, but also to their involvement in his public activity. Although Bailey's point (in connection with the story in John 4) about women in the Middle East always going to the well in a group (p.202) needs to be taken seriously, so too must the possibility that this woman was not alone, and that her arrival at midday reflects the story of Jacob and Rachel which is in the background (Genesis 29:6-12). Might not the relevant cultural background lead us to suppose that ancient readers would have assumed that the woman to whom Jesus addressed himself would never have come to the well on her own? This illustrates one of the difficulties that arises when applying cultural background information to the interpretation of Biblical texts. When would an individual's behavior in a story have been shocking, and when would hearers have filled in background assumptions that might have mitigated the shocking meaning?
   
   In chapter 17, which deals with the story of the woman caught in adultery found in some manuscripts of the Gospel of John, the cultural and historical background is appealed to in order to make sense of the manuscript evidence. Bailey imagines some individual requesting a copy without the story, concerned that his daughters might be influenced by it (p.230). While the scenario of an individual requesting a copy with a specific content is plausible in and of itself, in this case Bailey does insufficient justice to the fact that most daughters would at any rate need a male to read the text to them. Nor are the relevant considerations about the language and style of the passage brought into the discussion. Nevertheless, at this point and elsewhere (e.g. pp.270-273), Bailey rightly notes that cultural considerations are relevant to textual critical and redaction-critical concerns, as well as to the interpretation of the text in any given form. While Bailey appropriately brings the Roman context of Jesus' activity in Jerusalem into the picture when interpreting this story (pp.233-235), he neglects to mention the Rabbinic concern (perhaps to be found also among the Pharisees of Jesus' time) for avoiding capital punishment whenever possible. Thus it may be that they were testing Jesus not to see whether he would condemn her as they felt he should, but to see whether he could find a way of avoiding the death penalty. While scholars will often appropriately defer to Bailey's knowledge both of the contemporary culture of this part of the world and ancient commentaries on the New Testament from there, nevertheless those with detailed knowledge of the history of these times will need to critically evaluate the fit of models drawn from contemporary life experience to these ancient texts. Nonetheless, in very many respects Bailey's depiction of mob mentalities and other aspects of the scenario still ring true, and provide a challengingly different cultural viewpoint on this story, as on all those he discusses in the book. Bailey interprets a number of Jesus' actions as turning the community's wrath from other marginalized figures onto himself, and thus emphasis is placed on Jesus' "costly love" even prior to the crucifixion.
   
   Part 6 is entitled "Parables of Jesus" (a somewhat awkward title, given that parables have been discussed at previous points in the book). Bailey often emphasizes the open-ended character of parables, and at one point notes that even ones that seem final may be open-ended, since "In the Middle East the word no is never an answer, rather it is a pause in the negotiations" (p.273). Jesus the storyteller is presented as a "metaphorical theologian" (pp.279-280). In this section there is the most significant overlap with Bailey's earlier books on the parables in Luke, Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes, but as someone who cherishes Bailey's insight in those earlier publications, I can say that I did not find his most recent treatments in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes in any sense redundant. New angles and insights are offered, and much new food for thought is provided.
   
   There is a fascinating discussion, for instance, of the possibility that the story of the Good Samaritan may have been based on a historical event (pp.289-290), although it is emphasized that in the end such considerations have no bearing on the meaning of the story. Perhaps most significant is the way in which Bailey offers a different reading of several parables that have been the focus of scholarly attention in recent years, with other scholars attempting to utilize insights from the social sciences and situate them in the context of the economic realities of life for ancient Mediterranean peasants. Bailey's own approach does this too, but in a way that nonetheless takes seriously the landowners (often viewed negatively by peasants) as ultimately positive symbols of God, as has historically been the interpretation offered by Christian readers. Bailey's readings will need to be studied seriously and engaged thoughtfully by those working on the parables. One key example is in the "parable of the workers in the vineyard", which Bailey entitles instead "the parable of the compassionate employer". One detail Bailey notes because of his wealth of experience in the Middle East, which other interpreters overlook, is the significance of the vineyard owner's unusual behavior: he himself goes to find individuals who are looking for work, even late in the day when it would be unlikely to find anyone still waiting and hoping for employment. Without in any way denigrating the importance of many other social-scientific studies of the New Testament, it remains the case that those who have lived in cultures which share key values and customs with the New Testament world will be more likely to notice tiny but significant details of this sort, as well as picking up on things that are left unsaid but are assumed. This can be seen again in the "parable of the serving master", where Bailey realizes that the master in question slips out from the banquet he is hosting to bring food to his servants (p.374). Likewise in the parable of the pounds, where it is well known that trade for profit was frowned upon in "limited good" societies, Bailey suggests a plausible background of cultural-historical assumptions, suggesting that the issue when the nobleman returns is not profit but activity, which showed loyalty in his absence (pp.402, 405-7).
   
   In addition to the detailed offering of interpretation and analysis of New Testament texts, Bailey's book is full of delightful anecdotes from his own experience and from the Middle Eastern world that he knows so well. I highly recommend this book to absolutely any English-speaking reader who is interested in understanding the New Testament for whatever reason, whether they are Christians or merely curious about the Bible, whether they are scholars, clergy or laypeople. Almost everyone in this category who is a native speaker of English will lack Bailey's familiarity with this part of the world, its culture, its history, and the interpretations of the New Testament offered by its inhabitants down the centuries. Regardless whether you find any given argument or interpretation persuasive, what is crucial is that American, British, and other Western readers of the Bible need to be confronted with other cultural readings, to at least make us more aware of our own assumptions and the way they lead us to interpret these texts. All readers of the New Testament will benefit from making Bailey one of their guides and dialogue partners.



5. This book takes the reader into the cultural world of the Middle East, both at the time of Christ and in some cases in more recent times. It provides fresh insight into some of the teachings and works of Jesus that either escaped me before or had actually left me with misconceptions about what was happening. Bailey fills out a written two dimensional landscape to bring to life a truly three dimensional picture. The end result, for me, is to lead me to a greater appreciation and love for Christ. I have purchased several copies to give away, something I do only when I really enjoy a book.

5 comments about Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity.

1. Atheists are often accused of not taking Christianity seriously. If we would only read the bible with an open mind, we would be impressed with its wonderful truths, believers often tell us. And it is a fact that many (perhaps most) atheists don't want to bother with biblical or theological studies -- why should they? -- but this is not true of John Loftus. John has taken the claims of Christianity seriously, diving in with both feet (full immersion atheism!), unflinchingly examining the exact sources that believers urge us to ponder. What more do they want? When you read Loftus's penetrating analyses, you have no choice but to discard the truth claims of Christianity. Some might try to argue, nevertheless, that Christianity is useful -- but the most important question that can be asked of any religion is, "Is it TRUE?" Finishing John's book, I am now more convinced than ever that it is not. As a former evangelical preacher myself who can identify with the agony John was forced to endure as he methodically rebuilt his world view, I agree that atheism is not only defensible, it is liberating.



2. A book that should wake Christians up from their Kantian dogmatic slumbers. A book for our age. Written in Neitzschean blood from a courageous thinker. I suggest reading it along with Dan Barker's "Godless". If one continues to accept Christianity as a valid world view after consuming this buffet of brilliance, then one cannot be helped.



3. This guy has posed as a Christian for a few years, give or take, in my neck of the blogosphere. He is faultlessly impervious to reasoning, logic, or even his own words.
   
   And like any lunatic or enemy of the truth, he's never had any kind of real relationship with God.
   
   Don't take my word for it, go to the scripture. (Start in 1st John.) He's never been a Christian. Whatever struggles this warped (sorry) man has had, he hasn't had them with God.



4. I was fairly disappointed with this book. This book single handedly converted Andrew Atkinson, who is EXTREMELY well read on atheism and theism, into an atheist. So I was expecting some very heavy hitting arguments. David Ramsey Steele's book was by FAR a better book on atheism. It seems that the book should be titled "Why I became a non-evangelical" rather than atheist, because the book attempts to dismantle Evangelical Christianity as opposed to theism. However, he does spend a chapter discussing the standard arguments for the existence of God. His arguments are very unconvincing, and I suspect that his rejection of Christianity has informed his rejection of theism. A few chapters earlier he chastises Christian Apologists of chalking certain things up to being "at least possible," claiming that this should not be convincing. Yet in his dismantling of the standard arguments for God's existence (most notably from the fine tuning of the universe), the author does the exact same thing, proposing all sorts of other "possibilities" like infinitely many universes and multiple initial conditions that will give rise to life. This is not the only time the author falls victim to his own criticisms. In several places while discussing bible passages (for example when discussing the worship of the Golden Calf in Exodus), the author looks at the situation and claims that had he been in that situation at that time, he would have done something far different than the crowds. Yet this seems to me to be what the author earlier in the book defines as "chronological snobbery." Of course, being inconsistent does not at all address his arguments.
   
   While I"m discussing things that annoyed me, I was baffled by the fact that the book quotes Dawkins and Harris so much. Surely the author must know that the new atheists are not to be taken seriously. That's not to say he didn't quote reputable atheists like Kurtz and Neilson. But Dawkins and Harris? Their books are complete junk, and a disgrace to atheism.
   
   ore or less, I can sum up all his arguments against the bible. "This bible passage says X,Y, and Z. What reason is there to believe this? Is this based on science?" Unfortunately, the author has abandoned his faith in God and has instead accepted faith in science and his own intellect. He makes this known in many places through out the book, and it becomes tiresome to hear about how rational and good his arguments are.
   
   I don't think it would be accurate to say the author has poor theology. Rather, I think it would be more accurate to say that the author is not familiar with basic tenants of theology. The author will be discussing something (such as the problem of evil) and proceed to ask dozens of questions, all rapid-fire like, as if the more questions one can pose for which one does not know the answers, the better the case. Many of his questions have been foreseen by men such as Aquinas. This is part of the reason I"m lead to believe that while a very knowledgeable philosopher, the author has little to no theological training.
   
   I don't mean to go all "Seinfeld" on the book, but the author did tend to overuse the exclamation point. It tended to be used whenever the author thought he had made an especially good point, which seems to be quite frequent. Obviously that says nothing about his arguments. It just made the book a little more annoying.
   
   I don't mean to say all negative things about this book. It is NOT the new atheism. In other words, the author does look rationally at the evidence and presents what are real objections and real problems that need to be addressed. I also appreciated the whole flow of the book, in the sense that the author argues for an a priori worldview, examines religion in light of that view, and comes to a conclusion. This is a good method, I think; one that I can agree with. I also appreciated the author's honesty and openness when discussing his deversion story. As Dr. Geisler said, almost anyone who goes through what he did would be an atheist at the end. I am very sorry that so-called "Christians" treated him the way they did.
   
   The main problem is that for a Catholic who is semi-competent in his faith, this book poses no problems because it focuses mostly on the bible and because of the authors apparent lack of familiarity with theology. To be fair, there is absolutely no way you can undermine a good Catholic's faith by "exposing" the bible. The Catholic believes in the bible because of the authority of the Catholic Church, not because of the bible itself. But even reading this with my "evangelical glasses" on, I don't think it is too difficult to refute his criticisms of the bible, though I do need to learn my bible better. But to the Catholic, it's a moot point. As I mentioned before, the author seems to be quite knowledgeable about philosophy, but his knowledge of theology seems to be severely lacking. I have in mind his attempts to try and show that the concept of God (with certain attributes) is self-contradictory. Those who are slightly familiar with the writings of Aquinas on the nature of God should have no problem answering his objections. I'm not too familiar with Evangelical theology, so I wonder if in general it is weak.
   
   Finally, I have to say that while I love my Evangelical brothers and sisters, the author is correct to reject Evangelicalism because it is not the true faith. The author found the holes in Evangelicalism, and was able to expose them. In this sense, I agree with him. However, he threw out the baby with the bath water. I don't think the author is at ALL familiar with Catholic thought. I only saw a few names of Catholic scholars in the book, and they were all dissenters (Brown, Kung, Rahner) except for Regis Martin. I think reading some of the great recent Catholic theologians and apologists like De Lubac, Congar, Garrigou-Lagrange, Scott Hahn, Karl Keating, Steven Ray, William Most, JPII (specifically Fides et Ratio), and BXVI while avoiding others (Kung, Rahner, and Raymond Brown) will give the author some fresh insight and show him what he has thrown away, and that there are answers to his objections. That goes for anyone else who has been influenced by this book. It is NEVER too late to come home. It ain't over till it's over.



5. In my opinion this is one of the best refutations of christianity available. Its one stop shopping for the best criticism of christianity. It draws from a treasure trove or sources.
   If you can refute this book, you really have accomplished something.

5 comments about Here If You Need Me: A True Story.

1. Kate Braestrup has every reason to be mad at God. Her husband, a Maine State Trooper, was killed in a car accident, leaving her widowed with four young children. Instead, she took the opposite tack and went to seminary, eventually finding herself as chaplain to the Maine Fish and Game Wardens, accompanying officers throughout the state as they patrol remote areas, arrange search and rescue efforts, and aid lost and injured hikers.
   
   Far from being a "come to Jesus" tale of renewed spirituality, this book shares Braestrup's own struggles with spirituality (I loved the phrase, "I'm religious but not particularly spiritual.") and the dogmatism of her required courses, at the same time sharing a glimpse into the grace and beauty of the wilderness of the Northeast.
   
   Easy to read, moving, enthralling, this book made me respect these men and women in a whole new way.



2. Because the author's husband was killed in a car accident, Kate Braestrup decides to pursue her husband's dream of becoming a minister (not a great reason or calling). Kate Braestrup's stories about her work as a game warden chaplain in Maine are interesting. HOWEVER, Kate Braestrup's theology is extremely frustrating. As a Unitarian Universalist minister, she readily tells people who had lost loved ones that their loved ones are in heaven (she claims because this is what Unitarian Univeralists believe she can provide this assurance). Later in the book, she admits to not believing in heaven at all. She believes when people die, there is nothing more. She attended Bangor Seminary yet suggested erroneously that Christians believe Jesus was the reincarnated Elijah. With such weak theology, I found her role as a chaplain very disconcerting. I threw the book away after reading it because I did not feel it was worth passing along to others.



3. I stumbled on this book at the bookstore as I was looking for a good non-fiction book that was easy to read. Kate's story is about a wife and mother of four whose life is turned upside down when her policeman/husband dies suddenly in an auto accident. She finds an outlet for her own grief by following her husband's dream of becoming a chaplain. Her journey leads her to theology school and instead of being a police chaplain, she becomes a chaplain to the game wardens in Maine as they search for missing persons. Kate uses a few Bible stories in such a refreshing way. My favorite is the story of the ten lepers and what a real miracle is. You will be amazed at the answer! I thought the audio version was a different story when I ordered it but was not disappointed in getting the same story as the author, Kate Braestrup, reads it ... her voice was so soothing and expressive! I recommend both the book and the audio book.



4. I couldn't stop thinking about Kate Baestrup's powerful book for several days. How incredible for her to have such an intimate role in the experiences of families who may be -- or may not be -- struck by tragedy. I was on the edge of my seat several times hoping beyond hope that the child who was lost in the wilderness, or one of the other real life characters lost in the Maine wilderness and chronicled by Kate, would be found.
   But There If You Need Me is much more than an adventure book. It sheds light on spiritual truths about life and death with a caring yet totally real sensibility. Kate may be a minister, but she isn't afraid to talk about the saltier side of life, to record the off-color humor of her partners in the Maine Warden service, or admit to her all-too-human frailties. This is a book you'll remember for a long time, and want to come back to for further reading and reflection.



5. By way of revealing and often-humorous anecdotes, Kate tells how her job as a Maine Game Warden Chaplain helps her adjust to widowhood.
   This was a very good and thought-provoking narrative. It seemed choppy at first, but all the pieces came together later on and really made sense.