5 comments about Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time.

1. Karen Armstrong's Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time directly addresses the central conflict of our times, "Some Muslim thinkers regard the jihad against Mecca as the climax of Muhammad's career and fail to note that he eventually abjured warfare and adopted a nonviolent policy. Western critics also persist in seeing the Prophet of Islam as a man of war, and fail to see that from the very first he was opposed to the jahili arrogance and egotism that not only fueled the aggression of his time but is much in evidence in some leaders, Western and Muslim alike, today."
   
   Karen goes out of her way to present a balanced and fair perspective on the life of Muhammad. She does this by basing her biography on the Prophet's response to al-Jahiliyah: commonly translated as "an Islamic concept of 'ignorance of divine guidance.'" Karen examinees more than Jahiliyah's theological significance, going into its practical impact on the culture of the Arabian peninsula. The dominant jahili spirit of the time was arrogant, quick to take a offense, warlike and vengeful. Islam, as practiced and taught by the Prophet, Karen makes clear, was a rejection of all of these traits - usually to the great consternation of his followers:
   
   "And the servants of Allah, Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant (jahilun) address them, they say, `Peace!' " (Sura The Criterion 25:63 - translation from The Qur'an: Text, Translation & Commentary.)
   
   The revelations that form the Qur'an came to Muhammad not always in dreams or trances, but were sometimes aggressive even terrifying experiences. Muhammad describes the nature of revelation as gently falling like rain" and, at other times, traumatically, where he feels his "soul ripped away."
   
   After revelation, even the Prophet needed to take time to understand what had been revealed. Karen writes, "[Allah] instructed Muhammad to listen to intently to each revelation as it emerged; he must be careful not to impose a meaning on a verse prematurely, before it's full significance had become entirely clear."
   
   "High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth! Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to thee is completed, but say, "O my Lord! advance me in knowledge." (Sura Ta-ha, 20:114)
   
   Karen, like others, notes that the Qur'an itself has been structured as high-level Arabic poetry, a concept central to the impact of the Qur'an on its Arabic audiences. This is a point entirely missed by Western audiences. You can get some sense of it by listening to a good chanter reciting the verses, but it's a shallow appreciation at best. Karen describes how listening to "the rich, allusive language and rhythms of the Qur'an helped [the Muslims] to slow down their mental processes and enter a different mode of consciousness."
   
   Karen portrays, through the biography, the Qur'an's shared vision of the "people of the book" - the Islamic concept of a shared heritage of monotheism between Muslim, Christian and Jew:
   
   "Say: `We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will [lahu muslimun].' " (Sura The Family Of 'Imran 3:84)
   
   In addition to the creed that there's "no God but God" these three great religions believe in a similar destiny and consequently all deserve both tolerance and freedom to practice their faith:
   
   "Those who believe (in the Qur'an), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness,- on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." (Sura The Table 5:69)
   
   "To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what Allah hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee. To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to Allah. It is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute[.]" (Sura The Table, 5:48)
   
   I have a couple of minor complaints. I wish that Karen had used the Qur'anic names for the characters that both the Holy Bible and the Holy Qur'an have in common. For example, Jibrl for Gabriel; Ibrahim for Abraham; Isa for Jesus; Musa for Moses, and so on. After all, Karen is telling the story of Muhammad and quotes extensively from the Qur'an. It just would have seemed more natural and less distracting to me.
   
   Another problem is that the book is edited sloppily in a couple of places: for example on page 43 (of my paper bound edition) a footnote starts out explaining that "Arabs customarily take an honorary title known as the kunya [...] Muhammad was known as"
   
   And the footnote ends right there. Whatever Muhammad was known as, was lost somewhere between Karen's word-processor and the printing press.
   
   Karen's biography of Muhammad reveals a very human prophet; a man who struggled with his faith, culture, peers and enemies. She strikes a balance between the "easy" teachings of Islam (tolerance, generosity, etc.) and the "hard" teachings, contrasting "jihad" to Augustine's "just war" is a comparison most Christian minds would prefer to avoid.
   
   Karen ends the book with some good advice, "If we are to avoid catastrophe, the Muslim and Western worlds must learn not merely to tolerate but to appreciate one another. A good place to start is with the figure of Muhammad [...]"
   
   All in all, this was an interesting read, only occasionally "preachy" and a good introduction for those who may want to pursue deeper studies in Islam or the Islamic culture that has so dramatically shaped the Middle East. I wish I'd read it before tackling In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad. It would have made that book a lot clearer.



2. Karen Armstrong, noted religious historian, writes here her second biography of the prophet Muhammad, this time with the explicit intention of combating the rampant Islamophobia of the West.
   
   I knew almost nothing of the prophet before reading this book, and so Armstrong's is a welcome (if not scintillating - she can be a bit dry) introduction. I appreciated the historical and cultural context she placed him in, the stories from his life, and her non-condescension towards the spiritual. That said, her bias seems clear by the end: This is a favorable portrayal. Muhammad eschews luxury ("not simply a waste of money, but ingratitude, a thankless squandering of Allah's precious bounty"), he champions religious tolerance, non-violence, and women's rights (the veil was only for his wives, to protect them from his enemies). Armstrong seeks to put his repeated marrying and his sometimes brutal actions (beheading several hundred Jews, for example) into an - again, sympathetic - cultural context. Of course, with books like The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion on the market, a sympathetic portrayal from a learned outsider is perhaps welcome. Yet I would have appreciated a more balanced-feeling book. And Armstrong gives no clues to the gap between the Muhammad she portrays and the perceptions of Islam by the West today (oppression of women, religious intolerance and violence among certain subpopulations). That said, as Laurie Goodstein writes, this may be a good way "to glimpse how the vast majority of the world's Muslims understand their prophet and their faith" [1].
   
   With those caveats: I would recommend this to a novice desiring to learn of the prophet; but of course, since I haven't read any others, perhaps I'm not the one to ask. (Once I tried Introducing Muhammad but drifted on to other books.)
   
   I located three professional reviews easily available on-line. One is positive: "Ms. Armstrong argues that he [Muhammad] prevailed by compassion, wisdom and steadfast submission to God. This is the power of his story and the reason that more parents around the world name their children Muhammad than any other name" [1]. The other two are negative, one on content (the book "is a thinly veiled hagiography" [2]) and the other on style ("Readers will find her style stilted" [3]).
   
   [1] Laurie Goodstein, "Seeing Muhammad as Both a Prophet and a Politician," New York Times, 20 Dec 2006. [Also published in the International Herald Tribune.]
   [2] Efraim Karsh, "The Perfect Surrender," The New York Sun, 25 Sep 2006.
   [3] Ilan Stavans, "The path of the prophet," Boston Globe, 29 Oct 2006.
   
   * I listened to the unabridged audiobook, narrated by the author. It was only six discs but took me a while, as this isn't exactly a page-turner (or track-turner, if you will).
   
   ** One aspect I found particularly interesting was that some stories paralleled stories from my own faith tradition, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For example, when one antagonist went to attach Muhammad and was instead converted, followed by another; this is evocative of a story about early Mormon apostle Wilford Woodruff. And when an army of Muslims is slaughtered but their bravery leads to the conversion of many of the attackers, the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis in the Book of Mormon comes to mind.



3. It would be too much to expect that the founder of any of the world's major religions could be understood from one book, even at the introductory level (not counting sacred scripture, direct exposure to which may be essential). Consider Christianity, consider Buddhism. In the U.S., especialy after 9/11, it may be especially difficult to understand the life of Muhammad. Even before 9/11, even from the early times of Islam, Christian sources were critical of Islam and Muhammad. It is difficult to get a balanced read from any single source: if such a source exists, how to know which it is?
   
   I had read the Qu'ran years ago but recently have read criticisms of Muhammad from conservative Christians. I had been impressed from my own reading of the Qu'ran and by my Muslim friends so was more than skeptical of the criticisms I read of both Islam and Muhammad. Not expecting to get to an answer easily but not wanting to spend too much time to get some perspective, I opted for this portrait which, by intent, set out to present Muhammad in a "balanced way". I had not read Karen Armstrong before. I knew she did not have a scholarly background in Islam ( excepting self-made), but that she seemed respected in the area of comparative religions, although not without critics. So I chose this book expecting it to have introductory value and to offset or put into perspective some criticisms of Muhammad I had heard from conservative Christians.
   
   This is an exceptionally well-written book and it does not seem to dodge some of those aspects of Muhammad's life that others were critical of. It does, as Armstrong intended, appear to attest well to his contributions. I expect it will serve me well as I learn more about Muhammad and the formative history of Islam, which I mean to do.
   
   Armstrong does bring alive the conditions under which Muhammad responded to challenges and made key decisions. The success of early Islam was far from a "done deal". On the other hand, it by no means seems that Islam was nearing any final form when Muhammad died [of course, think how far from any final form that was of Christianity or Buddhism when Jesus and the Buddha died].
   
   Any impressions of Muhammad I have at this point are tentative but having read this book I feel better equipped to consider the impact of Muhammad on how women were treated in Islam, of the expectations on Muslims to care for one another, of how Muslims should treat others (Armstrong emphasizes the pluralism of early Islam), of how the fight for survival was mingled in to the efforts to reveal the sacred. Armstrong presents a complex and dynamic Muhammad, who changed and developed, leading his people while at the same time experience the revelations of the Qu'ran]. There is a lot to take in here and, for me, re-reading the Qu'ran seems on inevitable step.
   
   It does seem most remarkable, as Armstrong makes quite clear, that Muhammad so strongly discouraged that he himself be regarded as divine. Armstrong writes, echoing Abu Bakr, who was close to Muhammad about a warning from Muhammad: "He was a mere mortal, no different from anybody else." Armstrong quotes Abu Bakr: "O people, if anyone worships Muhammad, Muhammad is dead. If anyone worships God, God is alive, immortal." [ Ibn Ishaaq, Sirat Rasul Allah, 1012 in Guillaume, Life of Muhammad]. How different Christianity would have been with such an understanding: the nearest Christian teaching have been as that of Arius and rejected by 4th century Christian orthodoxy.
   
   There is plenty of information about historical events, revelations from the Qu'ran as they occurred, historical context that helped give me at the least a side of the picture of Muhammad's life. Is Armstrong's depiction too sympathetic? I can't decide yet. It will undoubtedly take time. There seems to be a struggle to control how we view Muhammad and early Islam: it would be surprising if I were otherwise but makes it difficult to expose biases and factor them out to the extent they can be.
   
   As for the current situation, I plan to read Carl Ernst's Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks) soon. I recently read Alaa Al Aswany's Chicago: A Novel, an outstanding novel about Egyptian Muslims adjusting to life in the post 9/11 U.S. It provided me at least some sense of how Muhammad and Islam guide the day to day life of U.S. Muslims, fictional characters but perhaps seeming all too real.



4. This book does a number of things for the reader. It shows the Prophet as a man who was concerned about his people and wanted to bring peace to his region. It shows that the Prophet was just another normal man who had disagreements (with his companions Abu Bakr and Umer), made mistakes (the satanic verses) and yet tried his best to make sure that the best of the society was achieved.
   Some of the details of the times, like having multiple wives or authorizing raids on caravans, are hard for our generation to understand yet they were part and parcel of the era in which he lived.
   
   I dont think this book is about glorifying the religion of Islam per se but rather is a reflection on the moral make up of the man who brought the religion to the world.



5. this biography was a good introduction for people who want to know more about islam and or about its founder muhammad. it was a very interesting read, filled with excerpts from the koran and from early muhammad biographers. it is not an in depth study of islam, but rather a stepping stone to a little bit better understanding. i would recommend reading this book with an open mind as well, as the issues covered in it may seem controversial to our present time. it really made me think about islam in a completely different light, a better light. easy to read as well.

5 comments about After Long Silence.

1. From today's perspective, it is difficult to comprehend just why a couple who survived the Holocaust would hide their Jewish identify from their daughters for years, insisting that they are Polish Catholic refugees in the USA. This memoir, however, explains how their fear of a repeat pogrom drives them to deny their heritage, keep secret their loss of religious identify, and assuage their horrific memories and guilt at surviving.Fremont and her sister's quest to discover the truth causes their parents much pain, but the author is clear that the family's pain had dominated their lives since birth.



2. I have given this book as a gift to at least five friends. I couldn't put it down!



3. Imagine as a young adult, passionately involved in your career, you start pulling away the pieces of the facade your parents had created to protect you and your sister fom the truth about your own family. Like pulling a thread and unravelling your entire wardrobe to show your nakedness, Helen Fremont knew whe was dealing with sensitive, even explosive issues, but he could not stop pulling that thread.
   What she has done with this remarkable memoir is show her family's roots and branches in ways she never knew existed before she and her sister began discussing the "What if's?" It is a moving story packed with complicated relationships and the true history of her parents' lives and the terrors they went through during the Holocaust era in Europe. You finish the book wondering how such a powerful story could be supressed, and cheering for Helen Fremont for unearthing it. As with so many memoirs, you are also left wondering, "where are they now?" and hoping for a sequel.



4. I really enjoyed reading about the holocaust from the perspective of the second generation. The content was often not pleasant (what holocaust story is?)but the effect on the next generation and the family relationships made for a different story line that I appreciated. I definitely recommend this book!



5. I'm sorry but I couldn't finish it... so I did not get to the part of the author being lesbian (!) It was... funny, predictable, I read books like that before written by Jewish Americans, they all seem to use the same myths over and over and base whole book around them. You read one, you have a feeling like you read them all. Boring...

No comments about John Calvin and His Passion for the Majesty of God.

5 comments about The Empty Mirror: Experiences in a Japanese Zen Monastery.

1. You can't fault Jan-san for his honesty.It may even help some people who over-stretch themselves with warped fantasies about the perfect Zendo. Nevertheless, it isn't a helpful account. The experiences which seem to endear many readers to this book are common place, the hops over the wall, night life etc. - obtained without reference to Zen. Given the lethargic atmosphere inside the temple, it is hardly surprising than Jan-san sought stimulation - outside it. Jan-san honestly reports a luck-lustre attitude. If you want apathy - well, life is short.
   This 'mirror' - is empty, empty of all the benefits one might find, practicing Zen in earnest.



2. too many - this is one of the first and is the BEST. period.



3. In the summer of 1958 Janwillem van de Wetering showed up at the door of a Zen monastery in Kyoto Japan, knowing pretty much no one, not speaking the language, and without a really good idea what he was doing there. This book describes, with a certain amount of humor and what seems to be quite a bit of honesty, the months that followed (interlaced with Zen stories that he heard during those months, including some that I hadn't heard anywhere else before; I like Zen stories).
   
   There aren't many dates in the book (or I wasn't paying enough of that kind of attention to notice them), but I think he stayed at the monastery for more than six months and less than two years. His descriptions of the time are interesting, funny, warm, vivid, and all sorts of good words like that (and also rather dark, mordant and/or grouchy in tone, often frustrated, impatient, dissatisfied). He did not find the answers to life's problems, his knees hurt alot, he misunderstood the head monk and Zen master frequently, and he (like the other residents of the monastery) cheated and broke the rules with impressive frequency.
   
   The writing is spare and specific; this is the story of what one particular set of months in one particular monastery were like. Any broad conclusions about The Meaning Of Zen Training or anything else are left pretty much entirely to the reader.
   
   The author left feeling that the whole thing had perhaps been a failure; but the master said "now you are a little awake; so awake that you will never fall asleep again". Which altogether is more satisfying, I think, than perky converts describing how happy and fulfilled their new meme complex has made them.
   
   One tiny annoyance that struck me as out of keeping with the tone of the rest of the book: on a crowded train ride during a brief trip away from the monastery to renew his Dutch passport, he concentrates so hard on the feeling of a woman who is pressed up against him that he convinces himself that he is mentally influencing her to rub herself against him, trembling. She got off at the next station (can hardly blame her!), and he concludes that the idea that "someone who has trained his will can influence others, without saying anything, without doing anything observable, had now been proved", but that that's not really the point of Zen and he probably shouldn't do it anymore. He doesn't seem to consider the possibility that he's just proven that he can fool himself, which seems to me much more likely, and something that should have occurred to anyone actually paying attention.
   
   But that's just a nit (I like nits), and perhaps adds as much to the book as it takes away from it. I very much enjoyed reading it (and it didn't take long; it's 146 pages, with little or no bogging down). He has at least two other books about his experiences in other vaguely Zen-related places; I intend to someday maybe read those also.



4. I had to read this for class. Not great literature, one may even say that it is bad. It is more of a diary about Zen buddism. I would bet that there are better books out there about Zen that are better.



5. 
   "The empty mirror," he said. "If you could really understand that, there would be nothing left here for you to look for."
   
   
   
   A Dutch student spends a year in a Zen Buddhist monastery in Kyoto in the late 1950's. He shows up at this monastery not really knowing why he wants to be there; he just vaguely knows he wants to do Zen.
   
   The storytelling is lean and direct; no tangents or wordiness with this narrative. This makes for some very engaging and quick reading.
   
   Van de Wetering is one of those rare people who can produce a compelling first book with such seeming effortlessness; his style engages you from the first paragraph and doesn't let go until the last sentence.
   
   This is a spiritual odyssey without the spirit; the seeker seeking for what he knows not. In his pursuit of this unknown, "Jan-san" is brutally honest about his limitations and cultural alienation; his inept struggling with his koan penetration seems to be the core problem he has.
   
   Yet, his humor underpins much of this struggle: with himself, his fellow monks, and his sense of "What the hell am I doing this for?"
   
   Quite the entertaining read - highly recommend.
   
   Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

5 comments about An American Requiem: God, My Father, and the War That Came Between Us.

1. This is a rare, beautifully written personal memoir of a most unusual family in the Vietnam war. The author was a prominent anti-war priest: his father was Lieutenant General Joseph Carroll, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. In this book we see Jim Carroll right of passage to manhood. It takes place during the same years of Vietnam. And his families like many others were placed in conflict by it; it split two generations apart like no other war. Father and son were being at odds with one another. And the author uses this book to support his position that he took in protesting the war.
   
   Though his famous father, Ex-FBI Agent and Lt. Gen. Carroll in command of the DIA is the subject of some of his consternation. The book is not about him. It is about Jim Carroll and his relationship with his father who seemed to never be able to fill a void he made in himself by not becoming a Priest himself. And it seems to me this is the large reason for the conflict between them...Jim felt his father expected to be redeemed by his works as a Priest. Though his father never says this.
   
   So when you pick up this book to read, remember it is about Jim Carroll's life and his struggle with his faith and his father. And it does show the spirit of those times. Worth the read.



3. An American Requiem
   
   An American Requiem is a tribute to Lieutenant General Joseph F. Carroll, who, according to the Arlington Cemetery website, "was a US Air Force officer who was involved in national security affairs for 30 years. Headed Defense Intelligence Agency from creation in 1961 until he ret in 1969." He was the father of the author, James Carroll. The book is a biography of the father's adult life but it is also an autobiography of part of the life of the son.
   
   In recounting the difficulties they experienced as a result of their taking opposite sides during the Vietnam War the book also becomes a memorial to the terrible confusions brought about by that still disputed conflict. Through the account of the pain of the father and of the son it also becomes a valuable account of the pain felt by many Americans who fought, protested or just tried to understand.
   
   The final account in the book may also be a memorial to all who try to deal with the new Imperial role of the US.



4. James Carroll's memoir, An American Requiem, displays many examples of scenes and narrative structures that are simply ineffective. As I was reading the book, I often felt as though I was skimming through a history textbook. Instead of focusing solely on his lifelong memories, Carroll often would jump into a long, detailed history lesson in which he would drop names in order to try and appear knowledgeable. While one can see why these can be necessary in some areas, it seems as though Carroll doesn't focus enough on himself. One of many examples of this can be found on page 37, where Carroll proceeds to give a detailed overview of various events that took place in the 1950's.
   Another area in which I feel Carroll could improve is character development. I felt as though we were always being told of characters that affected his life, yet not shown how. In comparing this book to J.R. Moehringer's, The Tender Bar, it is quite easy to see how many characters in this book are underdeveloped. For example, when writing of Patrick Hughes, Carroll simply states why he and Patrick were friends, but refrains from really showing us how he was so different from the rest of the Paulists (p. 101).
   Finally, Carroll has a definite ethos problem throughout the entire book. By oversimplifying his father, while also ignoring his side of the story, it appears as though Carroll always thinks he is right, and that his father is wrong. The final paragraph of the book proves this when Carroll states that his father is "fallible," yet forbears from looking towards himself with criticism (279). By the end of the book, I was completely turned off to the story because of Carroll's inability to look at his father's point of view instead of always assuming his own as the correct one.



5. I forgot that I had ordered it on August 30 and tried to cancel, but you shipped it so quickly that it couldn't be canceled. Thank Heaven! It is truly a wonderful book (topical and timely and all of that). I am way over the age of 13.

3 comments about The Silk Road Journey With Xuanzang.

1. I picked up Wriggins' book mainly out of interest of the Silk Road itself. The book recounts the journeys of a Chinese Buddhist monk named Xuanzang in the 600's that travels a fantastic distance from China to the deepest corners of India in search of answers to his metaphysical questions.
   
   I would have preferred a little more engaging of an account (such as perhaps Undaunted Courage by Ambrose), as Wriggins tends to describe each location and circumstance only briefly and then moves on with the narrative. On occasion, a few of the accounts are descriptive and moving, but on the whole, it reads more like a lecture in a history course.
   
   This is a detailed book that will help readers interested particularly in the impact Xuanzang made on Imperial China and the world of Chinese Buddhism because of his travels and experiences. For an engaging travel narrative or for a more vivid picture of the Silk Road itself, you'll need to look elsewhere.



2. A criticism of the book (that is relevant to most general readership books today), is that the title does not exactly reflect the content.
   
   This work is primarily about Xuanzang (Hsuan-tsang) the man -- what we know about his character from the extant sources, what his motivations were in leaving China, the content of his itinerary, important people he met, his hardships, triumphs, and the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural legacy he left behind. The book is next about Buddhism: it explores Xuanzang's exploration through the various scriptures of the different schools of Buddhist thought, his impressions on the "best" ideas of each, and then comments on the regional forms of Buddhism practiced and the various Buddhist monuments and sites of pilgrimage he visits along his journey.
   
   The sequence of events in Xuanzang's sojourn is of course narrated according to his progress along the Silk Road, but this is not a book about the Silk Road proper or its history; however, within its central, biographical framework, the book offers a brief discussion of the historical geography and regional political history of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
   
   Aurel Stein described Xuanzang as a "Buddhist Pausanias" for the depth, accuracy and quality of his geographical narrative. The primary motivation of this work seems to have been to make an argument for Xuanzang as a scholar and translator (and to show the impact this had on Chinese Buddhism and philosophy), not just as a geographer or a politico-cultural historian, as he is usually remembered. However the book spends only a short time discussing this toward the end, as an epilogue.
   
   Following on the previous review, the author's voice is indeed rarely extant in the text until this epilogue, as she prefers to narrate the substance of Xuanzang's experiences rather than discuss her own. In this sense I would call the writing skillful, engaging, and easy to read, not dry and dull.
   
   The intended audience seems to be those that know something about Buddhism, but are not familiar with Xuanzang or his immense importance to Chinese thought. The work serves as a charming introduction to the man, but it assumes a general knowledge of Silk Road and Buddhist history. The book does a good job of providing brief, but interesting details to the informed reader, but also will not overwhelm a general reader who is unfamiliar with the more important Buddhist sutra or the differences between Buddhist schools.
   
   Copious footnotes to the text, and endnotes that discuss the plates, are accompanied by a topical, selected bibliography that invites the reader to expand into the specialist material. The text does not suffer from undue editorial or grammatical flaws, which is nice to see.
   
   A very tight and thorough manuscript; four stars given for a fine introduction to the history of Xuanzang.



3. This is the revised edition of the Author's previous "Xuanzang: a Buddhist Pilgrim on the Silk Road" of 1996. The book received excellent reviews but a few flaws were picked up. Wriggins has corrected most of these drawbacks in this 2004 edition that has slightly changed name: "The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang" pointing the index more on the travel route than on the character. This change of title was probably an editorial choice since the Silk Road is presently an appealing subject.
   
   Fortunately, this book is really about Xuanzang, the 7th century Buddhist monk, that traveled for 16 years and 10,000 miles from China to India and back to quench his spiritual search for the perfect form of Buddhism (he himself later on founded a rationalist chinese sect that lasted a few years), to acquire and bring back the original buddhist texts to undertake a meticulous and truthful translation of what was to become the principal Chinese religion for years to come.
   
   Xuanzang's journey and adventures are retold and condensed from his original "The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions" that he wrote for the Emperor Taizong and his biography written by his disciple Hui-li and integrated by the Author's travels and studies, that however are never mentioned as such.
   Xuanzang's journey started from Chang-an (Xian) and through the Silk Road carried him to Tashkent, Samarkand, Balk to the Southern deviation to India. Here he stayed for many years visiting Buddha's sacred sites and practically all the Buddhist monasteries then existing. He also traveled down to Southern India, without however reaching Sri Lanka and after 13 years he started back loaded with manuscripts, artifacts and also a white elephant, gift of King Harasha. On the way he met kings and scholars, he entertained courts and monks, he saw all the important monuments and historical and religious sites of medieval India ed he thoroughly explored the various buddhist schools and sects until he gained spiritual and mental satisfaction of his curiosity.
   Describing Xuanzang's progress the book takes the leisure of inserting images (beautiful photographs and art reproductions), maps, legends and connections to other cultural contexts so that every page is a new discovery. Much of the pleasure I experienced reading this book was due to the beautiful figures appropriately inserted in the text and the precise and explicative notes. More than 80 pages are composed of notes, legends of figures, glossary and bibliography.
   
   Another word must be spent for Xuanzang's legacy that is magistrally explained. His adventurous journey gave way to a series of popular tales and legends that were successively written down during the sixteenth century in the "Journey to the West", translated into English by Waverly and known as "Monkey" and one of the best known Chinese novels of all times. The precise description he made of all his sightseeing has represented the scientific basis for archeological exploration in Central Asia and Northern India. His translations of Buddhist texts are still utilized today. He is a part of the collective memory of one nation and in this era of globalization of the whole world.
   
   I read this book right after Schafer's "The Golden Peaches of Samarkand" and it helped me to immagine the Tang times in a wider context. As noted by other reviewers the Author takes for granted a knowledge of Buddhist thought during that period. If you get confused, a good help if you don't have other texts available is "The Religions of the Silk Road" by Foltz that gives a summary excursion of religious thought of those times.
   This book posesses a rare quality and that is the capacity of stimulating curiosity for further reading on the subject. When finished reading we have a complete knowledge of Xuanzang as a man, and we can't but admire his integrity, intelligence and culture but at the same time the small excerpta of his original writing inserted in the book are not enough to really satisfy our curiosity, so further reading is ahead!
   
   P.S. If you like books that narrate old travelers journeys without having to read the whole ancient texts read "The Adventures of Ibn Battuta" by Dunn, that in many ways remembers "The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang".

1 comments about The Life and Revelations of Anne Catherine Emmerich (2-Volume Set).

1. This is a tremendous book if one believes in the authenticity and sanctity of Catherine Emmerick as I do. Each of the saints and holy people to whom God, who is present with His People until the end of time, gives messages to for all mankind, to each one is given a different glimpse or facet into the greatness and the love of God. This set of two volumes is the most complete that I have found available to the average person concerning Catherine Emmerick. She has been given glimpses of the supernatural unlike that given to any other person, details into the lives of Our Lord and other holy persons. Catherine recognizes relics of holy persons without being informed of whom is the saint and confirms the great glory of those who have served the Lord. She practices charitable works in her visions and God rewards her because her charity is her desire not the deeds actually accomplished. What makes me believe in her most is her holy life in which she always sought truth, which has been investigated into by the Church and found worthy of belief. She was given visions into the struggle within Christ's Church today: A holy Church wherein God is present and also side-by-side, a false church built purely on human foundations, no saints are taking part in it. She gives details unimaginable in the 1800s of what all God's people are going through now, of Satan trying to destroy His Church; of the victory of God's people and how it is accomplished. Not all these things will be fully understood now, but seeing all is foretold is God's Plan to encourage and give hope to His people. I do not read this book from beginning to end, that would be difficult, but I take it up and read parts at random where there is tremendous richness in her words. I recommend this book if one desires to know more about Catherine Emmerick, especially if one has read the Dolores Passions of Our Lord or the Life of Our Blessed Mother as seen by Catherine and wants to know more of this tremendous persons favored by God with words for you.

5 comments about A Testament to Freedom: Essential Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The.

1. Mr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer makes my list of most interesting people of the 20th century and he is certainly one of the most influencial of Christian writers. His faith, dedication to freedom, and vision for humanity is as profound as it is earnest. Raised as a Lutheran, I had always heard of Bonhoeffer, but never explored his literature.
   I have a German background, my mum was a German teacher, and when someone sent me Bonhoeffer's poem "Wer bin Ich?" (in english "Who Am I?") I was overcome with emotion and conviction.
   This poem is only one powerful part of Bonhoeffer's extensive writings. This poem, reaffirming Bohoeffer's faith and trust in God, was written by Bonhoeffer when he was prisoner in a Nazi camp for conspiring against Hitler.
   Bonhoeffer knew that the Nazi control of Germany and the holocaust of the Jews/Minorities was wrong. While many stood aside and did nothing, Bonhoeffer was hung by the Nazis for his dedication to freedom and righteousness. He once wrote:
   "We have been silent witnesses of evil deeds. We have been drenched by many storms. Experience has made us suspicious of others and kept us from being truthful and open. Are we still of any use?"
   The threat of death did not phase Bonhoeffer, he saw his actions as a responsibility: "Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility."
   He also wrote, sounding very much like the Apostle Paul: "To endure the cross is not tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ."
   This is a wonderful collection of Bonhoeffer's writings in an easy to read translation.



2. There have been thousands of latter day martyrs, but we have few chances to read their actual writings. This book would be a prize just on that merit, but he was also a preeminent scholar.



3. Of all the theology books I have read, A Testament to Freedom is the most powerful, most compelling book I have ever read. It is a wonderful collection of sermons and writings throughout his life. Each chapter is brief, but powerful. His sermon titled "On Forgiveness" is especially well-written. If you want a collection of well-written, powerful prose that speaks to spirituality at its best, get this book. Highly recommended.



4. The great gift of this reader is not just that it provides a diverse sampling of Bonhoeffer's works and sermons, but that the editor's provide an historical context in which to read and therefore, understand the progression of his thoughts.
   
   It is an accesable grouping of his writings. I bought a lot of books to prepare to a conference and found this to be the most helpful review of his work.
   
   It contains, sermons, poetry and correpondence along with all his major and quite a few important minor works with introductions that fit it into the context of history and his personal and theological development.



5. A TESTAMENT TO FREEDOM is quite the volume. It is an invaluable resource to people wanting to get a lifelong perspective on Bonhoeffer without purchasing the entire Dietrich Bonhoeffer Werke. There are sections of biography, on his early writings, on his work as a pastor, some sermons, some major sections of Ethics and Discipleship, his best-known works, poetry and some of his letters and papers from prison. I use this resource often, most frequently when looking for quotes or quick reference. I'd highly recommend it to those who wish to know more about this 20th century theologian, pastor and martyr.

5 comments about The Living Buddha: An Interpretive Biography (Soka Gakkai History of Buddhism).

1. This book, "The Living Buddha, An Interpretive Biography" give the reader an glimpse into the life and times of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. (Also known as Siddhartha Gautama). Unlike many other books of its kind, "The Living Buddha" touches mostly on the personality of the Buddha himself, to help us understand his personal motivations and experiences.

   Shakyamuni, the "Enlightened One," was a common mortal who achieved enlightenment as to the fundamental nature of life and the universe itself.

   "The Living Buddha" is a lucidly written biography by Daisaku Ikeda, president of Soka Gakkai International, the world's largest Buddhist organization and a United Nations NGO.

   Through his book, we see that the world and society Shakyamuni lived in is not so different than ours now - that he was faced with the same type of problems we all face. The account of how he conquered these problems is what makes for an inspiring narrative.




2. Reading this book evokes the spirit of Shakyamuni as an enlightened person living in a troubled society who offers wisdom to humanity on how to overcome life's sufferings. The stories of his relationships with his followers and the guidance he imparts to inspire them to live noble lives transcends any specific time or age. A wonderful book to pick up whenever you want to feel close to the Buddha within you.



3. This book is excellent ! The first in a series of three on the origin and history of Buddhism, it offers valuable insights from a unique perspective on the first man to reveal the Dharma and turn the Wheel of the Excellent Law. Dr. Ikedas' 'interpretive biography', approach is interesting and honest in it's effort to aknowledge the difficulties of putting such a work together at such a great chronological remove, and I feel he has dealt with these difficulties in a very useful way. I would reccomend this book to anyone seeking to acquire a knowledge of general Buddhist history, and even more so to those seeking to use this knowledge as the Buddha himself intended; to improve their lives, and the world itself.



4. Ikeda's biography of Shakyamuni Buddha made him very real. The reader is taken into the life and times of Shakyamuni, providing a rich history that kept me turning the pages for more. I have read this book twice and each time I enjoy it more than the last. Most important, Ikeda uses language and concepts that Buddhists and non Buddhists alike can readily understand.



5. As a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism, and member of SGI-USA, I have found this book to be utterly enlightening, absolutely comprehensible, and totally fulfilling in way that makes Daisaku Ikeda's writings all the more valuable to me. His interpretation of the life of the original Buddha, Shakyamuni, has answered many lingering questions I've had on the fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy and I encourage anyone with an interest in Buddhism to read this book!!!

4 comments about Miracle at Tenwek: The Life of Dr. Ernie Steury.

1. The story of Ernie and Sue Steury and the further development of Tenwek medical facility in Kenya Africa is nothing short of a look into God's hand and heart. As young Ernie Steury, gives up a Naval career, not quite knowing why and then becomes a medical missionary in Africa, God works miracle after miracle. If you are discouraged, are weary, and need to be reminded to "draw near to Jesus" this book is for you.
   My heart crys out "Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord let the earth hear His voice, Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let the people rejoice. O, come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory great things he has done."
   
   Buy this book, read and reread....



2. Simply stated, this is the best story of missionary medicine I have ever read. Having spent two years in missionary medicine,in Africa, my wife and I enjoyed immensely reading the story of Ernie Steury. We had experienced a small amount of what is told in this book, and the story recalled our experiences.



3. As I read this book and recognized names of people I have met, I cried as I saw how God used ordinary people who were willing to give of their time and finances. For me, this was like a walk through WGM's "Hall of Fame". God is able if we are willing to step out of ourselves to do God's work - one mission trip and a time. Reach out to your neighbor, wherever you see a need.



4. Dr. Steury's ability to provide surgical and other medical treatment over a 50 year period with limited equipment is surpassed only by his humbleness and commitment.