2 comments about William Wilberforce: A Biography.

1. Tompkin's has written a sympathetic biography of the great reformer but the author shows a better understanding of Wiberforce's Christianity than he does of his conservatism. I think that the author is in danger of judging Wilberforce by 21st century standards over his opposition to trades unions, support of fewer of civil liberties in the face of threatened French invasion and the persecution of the promoters of atheistic books. Wilberforce's campaign to abolish the slave trade is the major theme of the book as it was the dominating thing in his life. But this history would be improved by the inclusion of a brief chronology or time line, putting Wilberforce's campaign and life in the world historic context of the time which included the American and French revolutions as well as the rise and fall of Napoleon. Wilberforce turned down all office and advancement including a peerage. He was ever a man of principle not party, a great philanthropist and saint whose perseverance was a greater gift than his oratory.



2. A thorough, inspiring, and insightful biography, although the author at times displays a mean-spirited judgmental streak.

3 comments about Workbook for Intermediate Hebrew, A: Grammar, Exegesis, and Commentary on Jonah and Ruth.

1. Robert Chisholm, professor of Old Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary, has produced A Workbook for Intermediate Hebrew: Grammar, Exegesis, and Commentary on Jonah and Ruth. At 320 pages, the book is somewhat longer than the title. Designed for intermediate students or those nearing the end of first-year Hebrew, this new resource aims to transform grammar into syntax by providing direction towards developing a rough translation and outline of selected passages. Answers to all questions are provided. A useful parsing guide and glossary are also included. More briefly, Dennis Tucker has produced Jonah: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text (Baylor University Press).



2. I used this workbook both for a Ruth and a Jonah exegesis class. It is great for self-teaching grammar, syntax, morphology, etc. It is not a commentary, but it will help you learn the text of these two books.
   
   Answers in the back!



3. This is a good way for those who have a basic knowledge of Biblical Hebrew to keep up with it and learn a few more things.

5 comments about Gregory of Nyssa: The Life of Moses (HarperCollins Spiritual Classics).

1. First, You need to know I grew up Jewish, converted to the Episcopal Church, and became an Episcopalian Benedictine Monk.

   I read this while a monk. I felt one should read this kneeling.

   Using classical anagogical writing, Gregory writes not about Moses, but about Prayer, how God makes him/herself known to us, particularly in Sacraments, but also in the quiet prayer (hesychasm) practised by Eastern Orthodox and many Western catholic monks/nuns/lay people. How the practise of the presence of God is joyful and fulfilling, not a burden, an affirmation, not a loss.

   This is a richly satisfying book that should be read slowly, gratefully, enthusiastically.




2. A most wonderful book. St. Gregory of Nyssa is one the best known Saints of the Holy Orthodox Church, and his "Life of Moses" is a must for all Orthodox Christians. The cover of the book is handicapped by a hideous picture, but the contents far overshadow the horrible cover, which is unfortunately standard for all publishings in this series. A great and Spiritually beneficial work at a good and affordable price.



3. St. Gregory of Nyssa is regarded as one of the most prominent of the Greek Cappodocian fathers, the brother of St. Basil the Great, and friend of Gregory of Nazianzen.
   
   St. Gregory lets us know all about Moses. He mentions some things that really happened which were previously obscure now become brilliantly recognizable, and also tells us what every step along the Way meant for both Moses, Israel, and for us as Orthodox Christians.
   
   No matter who you are this book is going to open the eyes of your understanding. Moses was an amazing man and prophet, miracle worker, and "He who was drawn out of the water and called upon the name of the Lord."
   
   Moses' life is a perfect representation of what it means to live in the presence of God.



4. Gregory of Nyssa, one of the three great 'Cappadocians', is well represented in this mystical biography of the prophet Moses.
   
   Gregory of Nyssa is a towering intellectual figure in the Christian tradition. He is revered as one of the main Church Fathers, especially in Eastern Christianity, however he is somewhat below Augustine in the West, although much recent Catholic scholarship is recovering the theological and philosophical brilliance of this great man.
   
   Gregory of Nyssa wrote several key works, including a long treatise against the heretic Eunomius (who using Aristotle's logic claimed the essence of God is finite and knowable to the human mind), a commentary on the Song of Songs, and a mystical biography on Moses.
   
   In this work Gregory meditates on the famous life of Moses as recounted in the Old Testament, from his birth in Egypt to his calling in the field by the burning bush to his meeting with God on Mt Sinai. In his meditations Gregory introduces several themes which will dominate later Christian theology and mysticism, including the theme of the darkness of God, the notion of 'epikstasis' or endless progress into the Godhead for the saint, the infinity of God's Being (a critical concept for Gregory) as well as encountering God in light and unknowing. Gregory readily adapts several ideas from Platonic and Aristotlian philosophy but articulates a genuinely Christian understanding of God, as an ineffable and infinite mystery, One in three and three in One.
   
   Gregory also extensively uses allegorical interpretation in his approach to Exodus, from seeing the slaying of Egyptians as also the slaying of internal selfish sins which turn the saint from God, to interpreting the pieces of the Ark of the Covenant in terms of fundamental parts of the physical and spiritual universe which manifest God's infinity, goodness and power. For Gregory, the entire cosmos becomes a sign of the infinitely beautiful and good hidden God. However Gregory is also careful to make sure we don't idolise God by substituting a false idea in him in his place. Like most mystics Gregory stresses constantly the ineffability and incomprehensibility of the divine, while stressing God is revealed to us in Christ.
   
   Gregory's influence resounds in Christian theology and mysticism, especially in the Orthodox tradition. His great importance as a mystical theologian is starting to be recognised by scholarship, and his work is worth reading and pondering upon.



5. This is a fine book on so many levels, as other reviewers have pointed out. So I will focus on one relatively narrow aspect of the book, and that's the nature of hermeneutics used by St. Gregory.
   
   In our time, almost all biblical interpreters use a sometimes painfully literal approach to the texts. This was often not the approach used by the New Testament writers in their Old Testament citations, and that alone leads to a lot of confusion in our readings of the New Testament.
   
   So it shouldn't be surprising that early church Fathers such as St. Gregory will sometimes use a less than literal approach to the text, as here in his treatment of Moses' life. And that's one of the treasures of this book, reading and hearing the story of Moses' life in a way that I had never heard before, in a manner that illuminated stories that had sometimes not made sense, and shed light on some obscurities of Moses' life.
   
   You don't have to agree with everything the dear saint says to treasure this book, and appreciate his humble insights. This book also (like a number in the "Classics of Western Spirituality" series) provides a helpful segue into the early Fathers for those like myself who grew up Protestant, and had little by way of introduction to the Fathers. This is a good way of learning about them, fun and easy to read, and even a bit of a page-turner. How could you go wrong with something like that?

5 comments about Finding God in the Questions: A Personal Journey.

1. Dr. Johnson met with a Men's group and I was inspired by his
   talk to purchase his book. The book is extremely helpful
   in my personal journey with Jesus. I wholeheartedly recommend
   this book and if you get a chance to see Dr. Johnson in person,
   don't miss him.



2. Dr. Timothy Johnson is best known as a medical expert for ABC news. What many people might not be aware of is that he is also a minister, having graduated from the seminary forty years ago. In "Finding God in the Questions," he attempts to dig deeper into his own beliefs and how he has come to them. He is also attempting to integrate the spiritual and secular aspects of his life in a more meaningful way. Perhaps as a means of doing that, he is donating all his profits from the sale of this book to organizations that serve the poor and disadvantaged.
   
   Section One deals with "Does God Exist?" Dr. Johnson relies heavily on scientific evidence to make his case for his belief in an omnipotent intelligent being. One often comes across those who believe that science and faith are incompatible. For those who believe, however, an examination of our physical world only serves to reinforce that belief. At times, his scientific inquiry can be somewhat intense for those without scientific backgrounds. To his credit, he does tell readers they can skip those few pages of his book without losing the point of his book.
   
   Section Two focuses on "What is God Like?" Dr. Johnson offers a brief history of how the Bible came to be and then turns his attention to what one can learn about God by studying Jesus. He encourages people to read the Bible with fresh eyes, to simply sit down and read the four Gospels straight through as if it was your first experience with them (for some, it may very well be.) He believes many people will be surprised by what they find there. For example, Jesus says nothing against homosexuality, but preaches heavily against divorce. He speaks strongly against the accumulation of material possessions, yet many Christians seem to make this their prime goal in life. Also, "Jesus clearly shows more sympathy to the outcast and to the sinful than he does to the righteous and formally religious." Johnson then goes on to discuss Jesus' parables and miracles. Lastly, he investigates the Resurrection, coming to the conclusion that it was indeed a physical resurrection.
   
   The last section is "What Difference Does it Make?" In this section, Johnson explores the way faith should manifest itself in our lives. He studies the Sermon on the Mount and the high standard it sets for our lives. He acknowledges that one must leave space for mystery, and that the questions will never be completely answered in this lifetime. Yet, he encourages readers to follow Jesus' example, not because it will bring us "comfort and ease and even financial reward. The truth is that Jesus himself never painted such a rosy picture. . . . The only gift he promised for sure is that if we attempted to follow his teachings, we would be closer to the heart of God than we would otherwise be."
   
   Overall, Johnson's inquiries will resonate with many. He brings his journalistic mind and medical knowledge as well as his theological background to investigate these questions. Time spent with "Finding God in the Questions" is put to good use.



3. FINDING GOD IN THE QUESTIONS: A PERSONAL JOURNEY - An accessible (i.e., plainly written) spiritual autobiography of ABC News medical editor, Dr. Timothy Johnson (an ordained minister prior to medical school). Dr. Johnson asks the big questions (e.g., who are we? Who was Jesus? Is God in control?), and humbly submits the answers he has arrived at after a lifetime of pondering. This 2004 book is a meditative and rewarding read.



4. I was given this book by a believer and read it, basically, on a dare.
   
   There were several passages that made me laugh out loud, but I'll give you only the most ridiculous. At one point Johnson says, "[t]he distance between planets in our solar system is about 30 million miles, just the right distance for stable orbits."
   
   This is apparently an argument that someone positioned the planets, ignoring I guess the uncountable number of other stars where that might not be the case. And one could say that it also misses the possibility that our system ejected other planets while it was forming and--hey, if you're going to go to the trouble of designing a star system for life why bother with the other (uninhabitable) planets at all? And you DEFINITELY wouldn't want to fill it with dangerous asteroids and comets.
   
   But nevermind all of that for a moment and just consider the basis for his claim. It's incorrect. The planets (not counting Pluto, just to be pedantic) average 395 million miles apart. That's an average--some are much closer to each other and some are much farther away. This can be determined in seconds with a google search and a calculator, so it certainly makes one wonder how much effort Mr. Johnson put into checking his facts. And it also makes me doubt that Mr. Johnson did all of the calculus necessary to determine that such a configuration is "just right for stable orbits."
   
   If you find this book to be at all convincing, then I sincerely feel very sorry for you.



5. If you are a serious student of the debate over the existence or non-existence of God, you don't want to waste your money on this book. Dr. Tim seems like a very nice man but he is no philosopher. The best part of this book is the bibliography - and I really do not believe that Dr. Tim read all of those books. If he did he obviously lost consciousness every now and then. He states a main argument every so often but then like all true believers he dismisses it with a wave of his crucifix or bible. This book is a freshman endeavor at its best. Get yourself a copy of the Impossibility of God if you want to get some serious research on this subject.
   I made the big mistake in my career in philosophy in trying to learn philosophy at a college of Catholic priests - it was a total waste of time - as is this book.
   If you would like to read something that reaffirms your want-to-believe notions then Dr. Tim is your man.
   It is nevertheless complimentary to Dr. Tim that he even gave such matters the little serious thought. Greater religious leaders than him did considerably less.

3 comments about Let Justice Roll Down.

1. This is the true and moving story of John Perkins, a black from Mississippi who experienced oppression by whites, including the murder of his brother. He overcame bitterness through the good news of Jesus Christ. Beaten almost to death for his efforts to empower the black community in the 60's, Perkins fought back with love and power from God, building a successful ministry of community spiritual and economic development that brought blacks and whites together. Perkins must be a man who truly believes that God became a man and dwelt among us. For that model of sacrificial love and service has been the benchmark and inspiration for his life and ministry. A refreshing break from the usual religious hype, this book will show skeptics an authentic, practical, and compelling Christianity they may have never seen before. And it will challenge Christian readers to apply, in utterly down-to-earth ways, the implications of their faith. No literary masterpiece, it simply tells what happened. Perkins is clearly not interested in self-promotion; he doesn't shirk from sharing his own blemishes and failures. This simplicity and humility of narrative serve to underscore the reality of God's presence in the events recounted, with the result that the reader is emboldened to take a bigger view of what God can do in his or her own life to bring about healing and reconciliation in his or her community. Of interest to anyone with such aspirations, this book should never be allowed to go out of print



2. I read this as a sophomore in high school. Definitely a must for any teen christian looking to learn more about life as a christian



3. Let Justice Roll Down is a powerful testimony to what can happen if one person has the courage to combine evangelism with social activism. John Perkins is one of our living heroes of the civil rights era who walked into the wilderness of racism and ignorance to minister to the poor and speak on the issues of racial reconciliation.
   
   Growing up in a family of sharecroppers and bootleggers in Mississippi, John learned hard lessons about economic disparity and exploitation at an early age. Although these experiences were leading him toward black separatism, a total anti-white position, God stepped in and showed him the beauty of Christianity through his wife and children and his pastor at Bethlehem Church of Christ Holiness in California. It was here that a transformation of John's heart and soul occurred and he said YES to Jesus Christ.
   
   John was led back to Mississippi to share the gospel and help black people find equality through voter registration, leadership training, church activities, Bible classes and housing co-ops. He became a lightening rod of discontent to a white community who resented his efforts to close the divide between the races. In 1970 John participated in a peaceful demonstration calling for desegregation of all public facilities, including schools, which ended with an arrest on trumped up charges. John was beaten severely for hours before bail was raised to release him. Yet it was though this experience that he saw for the first time how racism was a sickness that some people (black and white) used to feel important--as if to confirm they mattered.
   
   The legal road of Perkins v. State of Mississippi was long and laborious. Through it all John prayed more than ever for God's strength not only for the ability to get through the legal ordeal but to do so as a man who could stand for righteousness without bitterness or vindictiveness.
   
   Mr. Perkins writes this treasure as if he were speaking to you in your living room. I truly enjoyed reading this book as I became acquainted with one of America's profound evangelists who realized that man's solution to racism was spiritual. The mysterious truth that black or white, we all need to be born again.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Powerful message--a great read.

5 comments about Vanya. (New Leaf Library).

1. This is a book about God's faithfulness to His own in spite of suffering, persecution and death. It is about one man's relationship with the Living God, to whom he had abandonded himself totally. It's a book about what is truly important and worth clinging to when there is absolutely no other hope. I read the story of Ivan Moisyev years ago with tears, awe and humility and the memory of Ivan's story of faith, suffering and, ultimately, martyrdom for the cause of Christ still haunts me. It left behind on my soul the burning questions, "If I were faced with such terrible persecution how would I respond? Would I remain faithful to Christ to the point of death? Could I really love and forgive those who might so terribly persecute me?". All these years later I'm left with the challenge to be willing to surrender everything, including my life to God in Christ.[...]



2. This true story is testimony to the fact that miracles still occur. I was very inspired to exercise my own faith in the face of great opposition. Vanya's faith was such that he almost seemed naive to the problems of being so open as he was in a Soviet system.
   
   What a testimony!
   
   -doug



3. Vanya was a young man drafted into the Soviet Army in 1970. He had been a believer for only two years, but during that time he had internalized the Scriptures, even though he didn't even own a Bible. His first priority upon arriving in the Ukraine for Basic Training was to find a private place to pray each morning. Thus before he had been in the Army for a week he was already in trouble for his religion.
   This book chronicles, using the God's-eye view approach to telling the story, the relentless persecution that followed, culminating in his heroic death by torture for refusing to recant. Fearless before the might of the Evil Empire, Vanya was the stone upon which many stumbled and were broken, but only became more hardened to all efforts to conform him to the Soviet Ideal. Though plagued by doubts, Vanya found his faith miraculously strengthed in his darkest hours, and left behind a trail of new believers and demoralized interrogators wherever he was taken.
   
   His death accomplished what his life couldn't: the Soviet Army admitted defeat and never again applied its utmost force to a believer in hopes of turning him from the faith.



4. I loved this book; the adventure, the trials and triumphs, and the amazing ending. A fascinating story from beginning to end. It is another favorite in my personal library. A treasure!



5. Great book, must read for anyone that loves missionary type stories. Power of God is displayed in this young man's life. Fantastic.

5 comments about He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: A Memoir of Finding Faith, Hope, and Happily Ever After.

1. This memoir is about Trish's journey through many different spiritual practices and relationships, while searching for happiness, and ultimately a husband. Her candid sense of humor comes through in her casual, yet gripping style of writing. I appreciated her ability to communicate that not all (in fact probably most) Christians do not fall into the stereotypes that are thrown at them, whether it be that they are Republicans, Bible-thumpers, etc. Her style/experience with faith is one that draws people in wanting to experience it for themselves. I'm not a fast reader, but finished this book in two days because I couldn't put it down.



2. When I first read the book jacket on He Loves Me, He Loves Me NOT (HLMHLMN), I thought I was in for some light-hearted chick lit or a God on a Harley type ride. Trish Ryan's desperate hubby hunt turned faith quest ended up far more meaningful than finding Prince Charming.
   
   Spirituality/Religion can be a heavy topic and can put many a reader on the defense, but Trish reveals her journey with such candor and humor, I, for one, walked away appreciating her process.
   
   In her twenties, Trish threw around the common disclaimer that she was "spiritual, but not religious." She embraced everything from A Course in Miracles, astrology, tarot cards, feng shui, crystals, chakras, Native American spirituality--you name it, she tried it. If she hadn't already made her choice, you better bet, Trish would be first in line to buy Oprah's Book Club pick, Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth Awakening To Your Life's Purpose. With painful self-dissection and heartache, all that changed...
   
   Even if you're not exploring enlightenment, you can glean clarity from Trish's memoir. I appreciate her willingness to allow us a glimpse into her spiritual and psychological trenches--she admits her insecurities and speaks openly about the dreaded "D-word," depression. Don't be detered--HLMHLMN is by no means a downer. Think Sex in The City meets Women of Faith ~ Trish's relentless self-effacing humor inspires quick page turning.
   
   I doubt we'll find many people, especially women, who won't find themselves relating to Trish, at least on some level. She reminds me of our tendency to project our ideals onto our latest man crush--the biggest trap we can set for ourselves. Instead of seeing others--specifically, prospective mates--for what they truly are, we throw our notions of perfection at them in hopes they'll stick, so we'll finally find our elusive soul mate glazed in shiny flawlessness. Then, "Life Happens," and inevitably things heat up and that glaze begins to melt, slowly dripping off to reveal the faulty individual underneath...and we're left with our disappointment wondering "What happened? Why did THEY change? I appreciate Trish's comitment to digging deep in HLMHLMN to determine that the hole she thought she could fill with a man truly could not be satiated by someone of this world.
   
   I must admit, I was left wanting her to explore just a bit more:
   
   **WHY she had such a deep sense of insecurity in the first place ~ From her account, she comes from a strong Catholic in-tact loving family--anything BUT dysfunctional compared to today's standards--so where does this deep internal abyss originate? Without God, does that unfillable hole reside in us all?
   
   **Like Trish, in my twenties, I fell into the trap of thinking my boyfriend could complete me . On page 26 of HLMHLMN she admits: "Dating Josh marked an evolution for me: it was my first experience with lying about who I was and what I wanted, of guessing what a guy wanted and then pretending to be eactly that." That was me. I didn't know myself or what I wanted and I thought finding a guy would fill that void--in was unconscious, unintentional. After reading HLMHLMN, I found myself wanting Trish to explore her own individual passions and purpose apart from her quest for landing a man. Hmmm, maybe visiting her website will provide those answers. You can also visit Trish's Forty Days of Faith website.
   Just a sidenote: As a young twenty-something "yankee," living very much like Trish--very defensive to condescending "Christianese." I had a number of Born Agains hit me with well-intended phrases like "Don't you want to be washed in the blood of the lamb?" and "My heart is burdened for your salvation" ~ Huh? That, quite frankly, felt far from loving--only sanctimonious--and turned me OFF from Christianity. It's no wonder Christianity gets a bad rap these days. Conversely, I think Trish does a superb job of articulating the Christian tenets in a nonthreatening conversational tone--very much like a discussion you may have with a nonjudgmental loving girlfriend. Admittedly, I've lived in the southern Bible Belt for nearly fifteen years now and embrace the Christian perspective, so maybe I'm immune at this point, but I'd be interested to hear how you recieve Trish's message.
   
   What are your impressions? Let's start a conversation..Feel free to visit my website at www.WordsToMouth.com and leave a comment or call and leave a voice mail.
   
   Bottom line: HLMHLMN obviously evokes much introspection. I recommend it and would love to hear your thoughts on the book and the points I've raised in this post.



3. I loved this book more than I have ever loved a book. This book came upon me at exactly the right time.



4. I heard Trish recently at the Printers Row Book Fair in Chicago. I was impressed with her humor and sincerity. I bought her book for a friend about Trish's age (30-ish). However, I started reading it myself and couldn't put it down. As a 60-ish woman, I enjoyed her authenticity as she describes her jagged journey to finding spiritual meaning in her life and, along the way, finding the "right" husband. I like her spunk! She does not give up.



5. If you're looking for a faith-oriented version of "Eat Pray Love"; keep looking. This book has serious credibility issues. For instance - She's a Lawyer who makes Law Review but she can't find a job in Boston? She can live for a year on the proceeds of a sale of a ring? Yah. Forgive me for being skeptical but if you're focused and ambitious enough to make Law Review, you should be able to find a job post-bad-divorce.
   
   Secondly, I have a real problem with naming some names in her journey - particularly the Christian ones (presumably so we can all tune in to Joyce Meyer and go to the Vineyard Church) but not her "new Age" ones - choosing a Pseudonym instead of a person whom she followed and using a euphanism instead of the teaching guides - though she does list off the popular books she read in her "New Age" studies as she talks about burning and/or destroying them.
   
   Lastly, I swear, throughout the whole book I kept conjuring up a Loony Tunes Foghorn Leghorn cartoon character - the skinny chicken who's always chasing after him screaming "a MAN!" and blinking her 'lil old eyes. Even as she's putting herself back together (and for the second time int he book being two faced - telling the guy she's with she wants no commitment then being all devistated that she doesn't get a ring - even after a disasterous marriage), all she can think about is "Bring me a Husband!" Really?
   
   Now, of course, life is perfect. She's been married a year. Yeah. Tell us about how he's your perfect match in Christ for all time and your soul mate in 20 years. And leave out the obvious slams of other (better) authors and "New Age" teachings that are, well, 5000 years old.
   
   It is good for a laugh or two.

5 comments about Open Secrets: A Memoir of Faith and Discovery.

1. Richard Lischer had a plan -- graduate from seminary, have a few significant pastorates, teach at a seminary, end up as president and 'big wheel' of the denomination. As the lyric says, life is what happens when you are making other plans. In the book 'Open Secrets', Lischer recounts many of the awakenings he experienced as pastor of a small-town, isolated community church, far from the seminary where he'd studied, and far from the city and 'powers' he'd dreamt of.

   Lischer begins this autobiographical tale with a brief overview of his life prior to his arrival at New Cana -- only child, good but standard education, 'typical' rebellions in school and seminary -- a fairly conventional upbringing, with only a few points of deviation from the norm. He did have visions of something better, however, and was shocked at his appointment to the church in New Cana, a town so remote that it was difficult to find on a map, and even once he was there, it was still difficult to find.

   There was a symbol of foreboding from the first day, in that the cross atop the church was broken. This was a broken community, and had been for generations, in many ways. It was stable, secure in its structure and in its dysfunction, and Lischer's arrival was greeted with what was probably the traditional lack of fanfare. There was one 'ruling family' of the congregation, and insiders were clearly differentiated from the outsiders. Lischer and family were definitely outsiders.

   The conflicts in the town were fairly typical of the human condition -- there were family troubles ranging from abuse and neglect to simple emotional wear-and-tear. Overshadowing the town was the almost constant depression that accompanies an agricultural-based community; working the land is hard in the best of times, so people grew accustomed to a hard life.

   Lischer ultimately finds value in the community, but one wonders upon reading this memoir if that value was realised largely (or only) in hindsight. The struggle through the conflicts, both internal and external, are very apparent at each turn. Nothing came easily in Lischer's ministry. Ultimately, however, the community was accepting, and Lischer was similarly accepting. One man, Leonard, who loudly proclaimed, 'I didn't vote for you' at the first meeting of congregation and pastor, was in fact the last one to give thanks and blessing as the Lischers departed for new ministries three years later.

   The people recounted in Lischer's tale are genuine. We only get the interior reflections of Lischer, but one can sense, among this uncomplicated community, the motivations and simple ways of true living among the parishioners. When Lischer tried for an innovation in the liturgy by permitting guitar music, one member of congregation reacted badly. Worried, Lischer wondered how the trouble might be resolved, others in the congregation assured Lischer not to worry, saying that the trouble-maker had always been trouble anyway.

   As a portrait of small-town life, this is a unique and interesting perspective. While the world of the 60s is no longer with us, in many ways the community of New Cana (as many small agricultural towns were) was largely passed over by many of the cultural developments of the 60s (and 70s, and 80s); thus there is a timeless character to this narrative.

   Fascinating to read, practical and spiritual at the same time, the reader will be enriched by Lischer's experiences.




2. Rev. Richard Lischer gives us a delightful inside look into the life of an ordinary country pastor like so many in all the American Protestant denominations. The reader travels through the joys and pains, successes and failures of a young fresh-from-seminary man's first pastorate. This book is an entertaining, very humorous, and informative journey. I highly recommend it, especially to those who may be curious as to what your pastor's life is REALLY like.



3. With one glance of the cover, a reader could easily misjudge OPEN SECRETS. The cover shows a painting of a quaint Midwestern town complete with churches and the homes of good folk. We can imagine that it will be a story of a minister and congregation and contain all kinds of heartwarming tales, and the author, Richard Lischer could easily have taken the reader on such a journey. Instead he does something different and in the end far more meaningful. He shares not only his experiences, but looks at the experiences in a critical manner that engages the reader.
   
   OPEN SECRETS is the story of Richard Lischer's first three years of ministry. The time period is the late 60's/early 70's. Like many of his generation, he is filled with new ideas and is ready for a great assignment so he can change the world. Just as teachers quickly learn that if they are to be successful they have to be learners as well, people in ministry have to learn a similar lesson that the priest/minister may be the leader but training and education do not always mean expertise. Lischer learns this lesson when he is assigned to a small parish in New Cana, Illinois. The parish is neither ready nor reluctant to his ideas. The congregation simply "is" and in some ways this is infuriating for the young minister. He has to adapt to their ways while still being true to his calling. He does some bold things in the parish which are at times exactly what the congregation needs and at other times is more an example of his being headstrong. We see that the assignment was challenging for him, but we do not see it in a nostalgic way or in a way that belittles the congregation he served.
   
   For me, the most important contribution OPEN SECRETS makes is the way that Lischer is able to see his experiences for what they were, and how he grew not only in his ministry but in an appreciation for the people he served. It is a story that will be appreciated by anyone who takes an active role in a faith community but it will probably speak to people who are in ministry in a powerful way and anyone who strives to serve God in a heartfelt and honest way.



4. This book may be one of a kind. It's a memoir of a young parish minister accepting his first call to a Lutheran church in rural Illinois, and although there's a reference to the classic "Diary of a Country Priest" at the outset, any comparison with Bernanos' dying, saint-like character ends there on page one. Lischer, schooled in what seems to have been the excessively conservative Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church, finds his 1960s liberal sensibilities set on a collision course with the deeply rooted religious and cultural traditions of his farming congregants. If there's anything classic about this, it's his role as a fish out of water.
   
   This may sound like grounds for some modestly Lutheran hilarity along the lines of Garrison Keillor, but Lischer has other things in mind. In chapter after chapter, he reveals how he discovers the bonds of community that have held his church families together for generations, and in his three years there, while he never really finds himself at home with them, they help him learn a great deal about what the parish ministry really means - a kind of mutual support that he had not been prepared for in his years at the seminary.
   
   Lischer has a wonderful gift as a writer. He takes his time to find the right words, the right metaphor to bring his subject to life, and like a well-crafted sermon, they illuminate the everyday world, if only briefly, with an other-worldly light. When he and his family leave at the end of his tenure, there is a sadness of parting - and nostalgia for a time gone by - that accompanies the reader long after the last page has been turned.



5. There was little doubt that this book would be enjoyable. The book accounts the ministry of Richard to a small community of New Cana. It was a small town on the Mississippi River. He recounts his experiences there in this small community. It was a cultural crossover for him. He finished his PH.D program and accepted the call to this congregation. During his time with the congregation, the people loved him, rebelled against him, and in their own way made him feel welcome. Personally, I loved his stories, because in his stories, I was the main character.
   
   These are great lines "The Poet-Preacher John Donne said `I date my life from my ministry.' There is more to life than ministry, but I knew as soon as we pulled out of the driveway that I had needed Cana more than Cana ever needed me. I do make sense of my life from that ministry."

5 comments about Saint Augustine: A Life (Penguin Lives Biographies).

1. On the positive side, it contains none of O'Donnell's tendency to cast petty motives on Augustine's life. It is a nice short read, and it contains many interesting facts in a short space. I liked the discussions about the symbolism in the Confessions very much. The information about Augustine's sexual life was also interesting.
   
   Still, it is not very good. As another person here has pointed out below, it would be better if Wills had not injected his own ecclesiastical politics into the book (he is not very generous in his treatment of the Papacy, and he omits important facts about Augustine's attitude towards the Apostolic See). The treatment on nature and grace was disappointing, as was his treatment of Augustine's position on the sacramental efficacy. Wills rightly pointed out that we cannot approach Augustinianism as if it was some consistent system, but on the other hand it would not have been bad if Wills had attempted to outline Augustine's theological development in more detail. I would not recommend this as an introductory volume to Augustine.



2. Wills' essay on Augustine was written for a series of new introductions for use by students and the public. But unlike Peter Brown's superb biography, now stronger than ever after its revised 2000 edition, Wills does a very poor job introducing big chunks of Augustine's life and background. If you don't know about Donatism and Pelagianism, or have never heard of Julian of Eclanum, Wills won't help you. His selection of themes and angles is almost eccentric and he skates over way too much. This is an essay for the specialist who knows the background and wants another pungent point of view. It is not a beginner's survey. If Augustine interests you, try Henry Chadwick's short, superb "Augustine" from Oxford, or dive into the warm, deep waters of Peter Brown's book.



3. Any biography on Augustine will always linger in the shadow of the great Peter Brown's work, which is a classic treatment of the philosopher/bishop without rival in the English speaking world. Therefore, anyone desiring a complete portrait of St Augustine must first behold the masterpiece found in the pages of Brown's Augustine of Hippo. This being done, Wills book can be fully appreciated. Some notable aspects of this compact but wholesome biography are (1) his ability to bring into focus some of the more obscure details of Augustine's early life, as they are found spilled out on the pages of the Confessions. (2) Wills cleverly renders "confessions" into "the testimony," thereby greatly enhancing the meaning of the entire text of Augustine's Confessions. (3) The author also does a fine job discussing the various individuals who impacted his life: in particular, his overview of Augustine's relationship with his concubine, who Wills craftily names Una, is fantastic, just as it is with his son Adeodatus and others who were close to him. (4) The authors' brief but profound discourses on the key revolutions in Augustine's intellectual and spiritual odyssey, and on his literary and ecclesiastical exploits, will also be welcomed by the reader for all their insight and terseness.(5) Wills also makes some rather innovative--but stunning--assertions such as the down-playing of the role of St Monica and St Ambrose on Augustine's conversion. (6) Possibly the best aspect of Wills work, is the revelation of the optimistic, pastoral and compassionate side of Augustine--a characteristic that most scholars don't care to spend too much time cultivating. Overall it would be safe to say that this is not a good introductory work, however it will be very stimulating to anyone who has previously read Brown's classic or a lot of Augustine's writings first-hand.



4. With so much to say about Saint Augustine, it is difficult to include all of the facts in one book. It is impossible to include all of the facts in 144 pages. What makes this book disappointing is that this book has little to say about this magnificent man.
   
   At times, Wills focuses more on the writing of Saint Augustine than in his life. Obviously, there are not first hand interviews of this saint available. Instead, Willis interprets the writings on Saint Augustine. The product is so concise and scattered that it is often hard to makes sense of it. This is a tremendous injustice to Saint Augustine. The greatest shame is the fact that Wills focuses so much time on Saint Augustine's views on intercourse and celebacy rather than his defense of the Christian faith.
   
   There are so many better books to learn about Saint Augustine such as "Confessions" and "City of God". While the authors attempts to draw points from these books, the point are too scattered to interpret.



5. It's hard to love St. Augustine. Even as one of the most influential religious thinkers in the history of Christianity--the image of heaven as a holy city, the City of God, was his idea--and as the author of his Confessions, arguably the first confessional biography (and a model for many of the literary memoirs we've lately been swamped with), he presents a cold and prickly figure. It's not so much that he doesn't give us the goods about his early, sinful life--he does, sometimes in great detail--but the guy who ranks his theft of a cartload of pears among his greatest mistakes is unlikely to impress our jaded sensibilities. What we want in a biography of Augustine, is an interpreter--not of his works, but of his life: we want to know the drama of this man's life, and to feel afresh his importance today.
   That's just the issue here. Throughout the Confessions, which Garry Wills, in his new short biography of St. Augustine (one of a series of excellent short lives published by Penguin Putnam) more accurately translates as Testimony, we find ourselves in the presence of a man who has a lot to say, but speaks in a voice that sounds alien to most late-twentieth-century ears. The child of a pagan father and a Christian mother who would later be venerated as St. Monica, Augustine grew up on the fringe of the Roman Empire, in Africa. Torn between his mother's strict Christian discipline (legend has it that she allowed her child only two small cups of water a day, in order to mortify the `sinful' flesh--a story that Wills, perhaps wisely, omits) and the lure of the old pagan order which still held sway in much of government and civic life, it's small wonder that Augustine went where the money was. For the first part of his life, the part he would later describe as gravely sinful, he followed the career path many young Romans aspired to--to great effect: at the time of his conversion to Christianity, he held an advisary position in the court of the Emperor.
   Along the way, however, he picked up an interest in philosophy, particularly the fashionable (and most unchristian) Manicheanism, which holds that the universe is a battleground between equally-matched and eternally-opposed forces of good and evil. It was his misgivings about the truth of his beliefs--no doubt also the influence of his mother, whom he brought along on his travels to Italy--that prompted his conversion, famously described in the Confessions. Sitting under a fig tree in his garden one day, reading the letters of St. Paul with a friend while wrestling with his doubts, Augustine heard what sounded like a child's voice from a nearby house, repeating the refrain of a nursery rhyme or game: Tolle, lege; tolle, lege--'Pick up and read, pick up and read.' He opened the book he had laid aside, read the first sentence on which his eyes fell--"Be clothed in Jesus Christ"--and a saint was born.
   That's the famous story, the part of his Confessions most often read and retold today. But Augustine's long life (he would live another thirty years, eventually becoming the Bishop of Hippo in northern Africa, and writing his monumental book The City of God), would be spent amid the spiritual and political controversies of the Church in the fourth century A.D. Unlike our recent spate of memoirs--and of much less interest to contemporary readers--Augustine's biography here is a political one, less concerned with his personal spiritual transformation that with the religious politics of Roman Africa in the years just before Rome's fall. This is where, and largely why, Wills' biography loses its interest and pales beside the testimony of the saint.
   It does not help that Wills repeatedly fails to enliven Augustine's story, keeping the flesh-and-blood man behind a scrim of political reportage and undoubtedly learned commentary on Augustine's theology, and a critical reading of his many written works. The composition of The City of God, for instance, is clouded over in background detail:
   "Augustine spent fifteen years writing the twenty-two books of The City of God, that `great and trying labor'.... They were years of increasing desire for some measure of temporal peace. Augustine's hopes for enlightened leadership, first lodged in Marcellinus, then cruelly disappointed, were partly revived when another Christian official, Boniface, came to Africa in 417 as commander (count) of the Roman military force. Augustine sent him a long statement of the Donatist policy he had created for Marcellinus. Since Boniface had important frontier duties, keeping the Saharan tribes from Christian Africa, Augustine wrote for him in 418 a little treatise on military morality--war should be waged only when it is necessary to peace, and then with the minimum necessary violence; truth should be observed even toward the enemy; mercy to the vanquished precludes use of the death penalty."
   
   And so on, and so on--making a short book feel long and dry. It's hard to remember, while we read this, that one of the most splendid conceptions of divine grace ever committed to paper is taking shape in the background--the scratching of Augustine's quill is drowned out by the noise from the street outside.
   Not that we lose sight of much that Augustine wrote: hardly any of the saint's extant sermons or treatises are left unmentioned here, but few are actually summarized to the point of intelligibility, or quoted at length enough to allow us to get a flavor of the man's thoughts. In fact, so much discussion is spent here on the meanings of texts not quoted, or on the interpretation of single words and phrases, that Augustine, the man whose Confessions have unjustly earned him a rather scandalous reputation, gets lost in a fog of worldly detail. Often it's difficult to tell just where our hero is, what he's doing in his daily life, and why it matters in the larger scheme of things. The tone of the book is dry enough to make Augustine's common-law marriage--at the age of sixteen, making him a father a year later--and his eventual spurning of the woman he called his `concubine,' first for the prospect of a socially advantageous marriage, then for God, all seem rather dull. Where, we want to ask, is the drama of the sinful life that Augustine himself conveys in his Confessions?
   And this is the saint we want--and perhaps the saint we need. There's no shame in admitting that when we read his biography, we want to know not the brilliant prose stylist and theologian, not the provincial magistrate and church politician, but the man who sinned, suffered, doubted and finally found his faith--a faith that would change the world for centuries to come--in the voice of a child overheard in a garden. If Wills' book can be said to have failed this task, it is because he has given us the words of Augustine, but not his voice.

5 comments about Heaven Without Her: A Desperate Daughter's Search for the Heart of Her Mother's Faith.

1. I came very close to tossing this book away. With so many books coming my way these days, I need to move assess them quickly, determining which are worth a closer look and which are not. I cannot read them all. In this case, I saw the cover, I saw the title, I skimmed the back and thought "not likely." But then I noticed that the author had included a little note inside. There she drew my attention to a couple of the endorsements that she felt would be meaningful to me--namely, Nancy Pearcey and Mark Buchanan, both authors whose works I am fond of. As I looked further I saw that it is also endorsed by Ray Comfort. Based on all of this I decided I would read it. And I'm glad I did.
   
   Heaven Without Her is a memoir. It is the life story of Kitty Foth-Regner, who, until the year 2000, was living exactly the life she wanted for herself as an ardent feminist. She owned her own business, and a rather successful one at that, had a live-in boyfriend whom she loved, and owned a house with a beautiful garden. It was all she had ever wanted. But when she learned that her mother had a terminal illness and as she watched her mother succumb to death, her heart was stirred with questions of eternity. Was there something to her mother's Christian faith, or was that faith really nothing more than wistful delusions?
   
   Kitty set out to determine what was true. Her searching took her through most of the world's major religions (and a few more). She saw quickly how each of them failed to offer good answers and true comfort. All but one, that is. As she explored Christianity through the guidance of sound pastors and theologians, she found a faith that offered answers to the toughest questions. She found a God who loved her as He had loved her mother before.
   
   In this book, Foth-Regner documents hear search. In a fun and narrative style, she describes how the Bible answered all of her questions and how her heart was first convicted, then convinced, and finally renewed. The unthinkable happened--she became a Christian, and this despite so many years of feminism and agnosticism. Her old passions and desires fell away and were replaced with new ones; holy ones.
   
   Heaven Without Her is a valuable read and I think an important one. i consider it an important apologetic work. Sure it presents truths that have been written in other books over and over again, but rarely have they been written in so readable a style. The innovation here is not so much the content as the style and its readily accessible format. This is an ideal book to give to a person who may have questions about the Christian faith. For that person who seems to be seeking or searching, this is a book that can provide answers and can show how God has worked in the life of another of His children. Despite my initial apprehension, having read the book I now highly recommend it.



2. Kitty Foth-Regner has shown the same miracles I know are possible. While she began as a skeptical atheist, as I also once was, she has truly told the story of her being born again. I rejoice in reading of someone else finding their way to God and Jesus. Although I was a believer before opening this book, it has only added to my faith. She did quite a lot of research to back up why the Bible is the word of God. If you need to be pursuaded still, that God is real, the Bible is His Word, and miracles happen, please read it. I can only hope that it gives each reader the "extra" push (if they need it) to become a believer in Christianity.



3. This book would be great for a person who is struggling with growing from the faith of their parents to their own personal faith. I enjoyed it very much and felt I gained perspective and understanding for those who struggle in this way.



4. This book is an excellent tool for witnessing. The author has presented the gospel in its entirety and dashed nearly every misconception of how to get to Heaven. It is easy to read so there may be a good chance that your beloved unbeliever would actually finish it.



5. The author has a gift for getting close to your heart. When I saw Mark Buchanan's review in the front of the book, I knew I wanted to read it. Started it Sat. morning and finished it that day. Could not put the book down. It is a tearjerker, but in a good way. Kitty, thanks for letting us get to know your mom, your dad, you, Dave, and Thumper. This is a touching, warm book and I thank you for writing it and the comfort it gave me. I lost both of my parents in less than 2 years. God bless you much.