5 comments about Disturbing the Peace: The Story of Father Roy Bourgeois and the Movement to Close the School of Americas.

1. This book inspires and educates while still being a page-turner. Roy Bourgeois is a purple heart Vietnam veteran who became a Maryknoll missionary priest. He has been in and out of Latin American countries and in and out of prison as he fights for social justice. In his struggle he discovers the now infamous School of the Americas - Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation at Fort Benning, GA. This school has trained the hemisphere's worst human rights violators. This book skillfully weaves Fr. Roy's story with that of the School of the Americas leaving the reader uplifted by the courage of a man and a movement and appalled by the secret teaching of torture and anti-democracratic use of force. Great read!



2. The one thing that stands out the most about this book for me is that this priest was only standing for truth, freedom and justice. Yet the one country that he fought for during the Vietnam War prosecuted him for these beliefs. So much suffering in the world today is simply based on greed. One country trying to profit by controlling the government and natural resources of a smaller, weaker country.That is really what it is all about and the truth is there as long as we do not turn a blind eye as we did on Father Roy Bourgeois. Too many people today simply do as they are told and believe what they hear. You should read this book because the greatest threat facing the world is not knowing or ignoring the truth and sadly the world will continue to suffer at the hands of a few powerful people if we do not open our eyes.



3. Disturbing the Peace is a compelling story of a cleric who has dedicated his life to waging what some might call a quixotic battle against the highest military and political forces of the United States. These same forces look away from the evil they have wrought in other lands, specifically Latin America, and in American-run jails in Iraq.
   These evils, thanks to the machinations of the School of the Americas, include torture, murder, rape, and pillage. The school, costing Americans millions of dollars to maintain at Ft. Benning, Ga., is at the center of Bourgeois' relentless crusade. Bourgeois, who as a young man of the Louisiana bayoulands had beauteous Cajun mademoiselles at his beck and call and almost married one, chose the priesthood after heroic service and a Purple Heart in Vietnam. Following discharge, Bourgeois was appalled at America's foreign policy, which fawned upon megalomaniacal foreign dictators and which gave rise to the founding of the School of the Americas.
   This is no Bush-bashing book. Presidents of recent years have all contributed to the shameful institution that teaches young foreign soldiers how to commit the most nefarious crimes, then sends them back home to put into practice what they have been taught on American soil by American teachers.
   Item: Dismembering a 55-year-old woman with a chainsaw.
   Item: Torturing a priest before throwing him out of a high-flying helicopter.
   Item: Killing an archbishop, priests, and nuns in cold blood.
   Bourgeois and his followers have served time in jail and have had their lives threatened over their never-ending crusade to close down this inhumane cancer of the American military. Irony aside, the subject of this insightful, provocative biography is a modern Thomas Paine in clerical garb, indefatigably fighting for justice everywhere and against tranny in his own country.



4. Maryknoll Father Roy Bourgeois is a further example of the US repression of our religious expression.
   
   When Bob Dole went to Nicaragua for a Nixon-style Kitchen debate with freely and fairly elected Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega prior to the 1984 US elections, Dole accused the Nicaraguan government of religious repression. President Ortega, accompanied by hisministers of foreign relations and of education and of culture, Fathers Ernesto Cardenal, his Jesuit brother, and Maryknoll Father Miguel D'Escoto, pulled out a photograph of Father Roy Bourgeois being arrested and dragged away by US military forces at Fort Benning Georgia. This spelled the end of Bob Dole's presidential aspirations and political carreer, to be replaced with an interesting advertising endorsement.
   
   On the other hand the Reverend Father Roy has never wavered from his carreer and his commitment to preaching and to living the Gospel of Peace and Justice in Jesus Christ, with orthodoxy through orthopraxis, to the final consequences, running ever bravely in the footsteps of Our Lord. He remains strong in opposing those assassins of his own Maryknoll brothers and sisters like Bill Woods, and as on the cover here, Maryknoll Sister Ita Ford, killers and generals trained and directed from the SOA in terrorism, torture and homicide, who did not flinch from killing even the greatest prophet, martyr and saint of the Americas, Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero.
   
   Father Roy finds his duty and obligation as Catholic, as priest, as true follower of Jesus Christ, to call to stop the killing and oppression, the torture and genocide. Father Roy never fails to stnad tall as a true prophet of Peace and of Jesus Christ. Let us learn by his holy example to do as well, for as long, in life-long commitment to peace, justice and the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullest daily, courageous expression.
   
   Read this book. Every Christian must read this book. All Americans must read this book. Each Catholic must embrace this book as lectio divina, as our own hagiography, as manual and rulebook of how to live as Catholics under this present military regime, courageously, integrally, standing up for peace and for Jesus Christ in our darkened and bloody day.
   
   Read this book before you judge him or stand with those who condemned Jesus Christ before the Sanhedrin. Father Roy is a great man, a great Catholic, an excellent priest, and a fine American, the kind we truly most need for our national moral and ethical recovery.
   
   Please read as well School of Assassins: The Case for Closing the School of the Americas and for Fundamentally Changing U.S. Foreign Policy, Ita Ford: Missionary Martyr, Witnesses to the Kingdom: The Martyrs of El Salvador and the Crucified Peoples, Rigoberta Menchu, Salvador Allende, General Noriega, ARENA in El Salvador, the contra, etc., etc., etc.



5. I began James Hodge's and Linda Cooper's "Disturbing the Peace" (2005, 244-page paperback) with high expectations. This chronicle of Father Roy Boureois' movement to close the US Military's "School of the Americas" promised to be a riveting narrative, in the genre of Oscar Romero, for advocacy and activism. As a Liberation Theology enthusiast (and advocate for the poor) myself, I relished the opportunity to learn from a colleague's experience. With the book's conclusion, however, only one word describes my encounter with this text- disappointing.
   
   The padre's odyssey to re-form government policy and actions is sometimes astonishing, often pedantic, and always interesting. For him, there is redemption and recognition in rebellion against his demons.
   
   Father Boureois is a product of his era's two extremes influences: his US Navy participation in the Viet Nam War and his Roman Catholic Liberation Theology religious training. These opposing, and sometimes polarizing, positions brought him to activism for the poor and oppressed. His story is brilliantly captivating, convincing, and converting! Perhaps, there is redemption in rebellion.
   
   The book is written with seventeen short chapters, fifteen pages of relevant black and white photos, but with only a brief six-page bibliography. It is disappointing that the text contains no footnotes or endnotes (causing it to earn fewer stars). Hodge and Cooper should remember that undocumented history is nothing more than novel fiction. Without retraceable source referencing one does not confidently believe presented material. Father Boureois' story deserves better.
   
   "Disturbing the Peace", as a quick read novel, is cautiously recommended to everyone interested in late 20th century American activism, anti-war advocacy, modern central and south American life, and Liberation Theology.

5 comments about Saving Levi: Left to Die . . . Destined to Live (Focus on the Family).

1. This book shows true love and compassion in the world today! It was such a joy to read how God works through each of us. Levi is truly a blessing!



2. This book is a must read for anyone considering adoption. This true story will broaden your perspective. I could not put it down and read it in 3 days!



3. I loved reading this book, in fact my husband and i read it together and we both were struck by the simple powerful honesty of lisa's writing. How amazing to watch with her as a hundred different people give love not just to one special little man; but then also pass that love on to those of us who are inspired to do the same just by reading their wonderful story. I would sit beside her and listen to her tell the tale again and again and hope it never leaves me the same!



4. This an awesome book that clearly illustrates the power of God. I read it in one sitting, with a box of tissues. It's definitely a favorite! I would love to read more books by this author.



5. This is a wonderful heartwarming story about a strong little boy and a determined group of people who would not give up on him. Once you start reading the book I found it hard to put down. It was a very easy book to read. I really enjoyed looking at the pictures as it added so much to the story. I also enjoyed reading about the cultural differences that they encountered in their every day lives while living in China. Having adopted a child from China myself I know what a difficult and lenghtly process it can be at times but in the end it is so rewarding.

5 comments about Murder in the Vatican: The Revolutionary Life of John Paul and The CIA, Opus Dei and the 1978 Murders.

1. I happened to have been a young seminarian in the Vatican the night the Pope died. As we gathered in the cafeteria, having witnessed a vibrant driving fireball of a man the day before, the assumption was murder and our conversations focused on the two Opus Dei bishops `Murder in the Vatican' implicates in the crime. Both these bishops were made cardinals and promoted past 300 others who outranked them to two of the most powerful positions in the Church shortly after the death of John Paul I.
   
   The author proves that Opus Dei was involved in a conspiracy with factions in the CIA and British Intelligence which carried out the murders of John Paul and a dozen of his closest friends in the fall of 1978. T. Francis Elliott (New York Times) is on the mark, "A monumental work of twentieth century capitalism as it was jointly embraced by the Vatican and the United States and those caught up in it. Top-shelf Vatican-CIA intrigue."
   
   Yet, the legacy of this man is his life and not his death. Particularly enjoyable to me is the recounting of the author's conversations with John Paul when the latter was Bishop of Vittorio Veneto. In recording his many recollections of his struggles as an impoverished child, as a rebellious seminarian, and as an outspoken priest and bishop, Gregoire has preserved for the world an important part of history - something the present rulers in Rome would rather be forgotten. The reason why the Vatican has never commissioned a biography be written of the 33-day pope. The opening line of the `Preface' is clear. "For those of us who knew him, who remember him, I bring nothing new. But for those of us who have allowed the Church's misrepresentations of what he was all about, who have allowed Rome's falsehoods to distort his legacy, I bring a treasure trove of yesterday."
   
   So, yes, I remember him. He was all that you say he was and much more. My hope for a more just Church and a better world died with him.
   
   The first part of `Murder in the Vatican' is the only existing record of this good man's life. The second part is a fast paced action packed thriller of true crime.
   
   Howard Greene (Times) probably said it best, "Like `The Davinci Code', `Murder in the Vatican' will infuriate the devout and other believers in the supernatural. But, unlike Brown, Gregoire has the proof!"
   
   Avoid 2006 and earlier editions of this book, you will get only half the book.



2. The author proves that Opus Dei was involved in a conspiracy with factions in the CIA and British Intelligence which carried out the murders of John Paul and a dozen of his closest friends in the fall of 1978. T. Francis Elliott (New York Times) is on the mark, "A monumental work of twentieth century capitalism as it was jointly embraced by the Vatican and the United States and those caught up in it. Top-shelf Vatican-CIA intrigue."
   
   Avoid 2006 and earlier editions of this book, you will get only half the book.



3. The stories of Albino Luciani's childhood alone are worth the price of admission. Yet, it is the record of his ministry that is the meat of this book. What the author has to say is supported by scores of newspaper accounts that recorded his outspoken voice against the Vatican on humane issues. From the time, as a young priest, he had sought asylum in the Vatican for 500 Jews who had docked at Naples, to those times, as a bishop, he ordered hospitals within his jurisdiction to admit long term partners of homosexuals into intensive care units, to that time just a month before his election to the papacy when most cardinals condemned Louise Brown, the world's first artificially inseminated child, he sent a public letter to her parents, "I congratulate you on the birth of your little girl. I (the Church) have no right to condemn you for what you wanted and asked the doctors to carry out. Be assured, there is a high place for both you and your child in heaven."
   
   True followers of Christ are in for a treat beyond their wildest dreams. The hypocrites are in for a nightmare.
   
   Yet, this one beautiful life, this one beautiful book, is harshly interrupted by what Michael Malak, Playwright, describes as "A Conspiracy Buff's Delight."
   
   His last public proclamation the day before he died probably was enough by itself to draw fatal fire from both within his own ranks and from across the pond, "This morning, I flushed my toilet with a solid gold lever. At this moment, bishops and cardinals are using a bathroom on the second floor of the Papal Palace which trappings, I am told, would draw more than one hundred million dollars at auction . . . Believe me, one day, we who live in opulence, while so many are dying because they have nothing, will have to answer to Jesus why we have not carried out His order, `Love thy neighbor as thyself.' We, the clergy together with our congregations, who substitute gold and pomp and ceremony in place of Christ's instruction, who judge our masquerade of singing His praises to be more precious than human life, will have the most to explain . . . Let us heed the great words of Paul VI, `It is the inalienable right of man to own property. But it is the right of no man to accumulate wealth beyond the necessary while other men starve to death because they have nothing!'"



4. What we have here is summed up in Gregoire's conclusion, "The lack of importance the United States gave to the election of a pope after the death of pro-American Pius XII through the election of anti-Communist John Paul II became paramount in the thinking of subversive elements in America. The lingering evidence is too striking to be ignored.
   
   The failure of the United States to influence the election of a pro-American Pope in 1963 was a lesson not to be repeated. The adverse consequence of that failure was enormous. The price astronomical in terms of lost opportunity and the deployment of United States policies and billions spent in counteracting Paul's subversive operations inside and outside the Church.
   
   Paul VI disseminated his pro-Communist anti-American principles via encyclicals condemning capitalism and the basic tenets upon which the United States was founded. He condemned the imperialism of money in the Western world. He denounced private property claiming to give wealth and land to the poor was to give them God's province.
   
   His reign had moved the Italian Communist Party from single digit electoral progress to 34.4% and his support of the Historic Compromise - the union of the Communist Party and Aldo Moro's Christian Democratic Party - threatened to move Communist members into control of Parliament. Communism would quickly spread from Italy to Spain where it had already reached double digit progress and eventually to all of Europe.
   
   His Marxist principles took on horrendous roots where the poor were collectively dominant in Latin America, the stability of which was threatened. Covert operations by the United States had to be undertaken to counteract the spreading of Paul's doctrines. When they reached Central America, the United States had to intervene with billions in military arms and assistance to its ruthless dictators.
   
   Paul's death was wrapped with speculations and vague rumors. His deterioration had been so extremely unusual whispers concerning the `acceleration of his demise' circulated. Suspicions were well justified when his death was met with delight in the United States, specifically the headquarters of the CIA and the Pentagon which had labeled him the `Bolshevik Pontiff.'
   
   Nevertheless, his providential death gave the CIA the opportunity to force election of a pro-American Pope. The CIA joined factions inside and outside the Church sponsoring the Opus Dei anti-Communist candidate Polish Cardinal Wojtyla. When Luciani (John Paul I), a Marxist in every sense of the word, particularly in his driving ambition to rid the world of poverty, was elected, it struck a nerve of shattering proportions in Washington. As a cardinal, he had not only been a figure in the Italian Communist movement, he had vigorously supported the renegade archbishop of Central America Oscar Romero and his revolutionaries. When as a pope, he announced he would attend the upcoming Pueblo Conference in Mexico and changed its theme from Liberation Theology to Liberation of the Poor - he would feed them food rather than faith - the perils of potential multi-Cubas became imminent. The dangers to the security of the United States had become real. . . "
   
   Gregoire brilliantly puts together the historical record supported by over 400 press releases. For those who can't accept what the press has to say, he locks in his case with dozens of important historical photos like one with Licio Gelli, Grandmaster of the P2 killer organization - which had a presence in the Vatican the night John Paul died - standing next to former CIA Director George Bush as he took his presidential oath in 1989.
   
   No one is going to walk away from this book without the absolute conviction that the deaths of Aldo Moro, Paul VI, John Paul I and a dozen of their closest allies in their world war on poverty had greater roots than John Paul's alleged involvement in the Great Vatican Bank Scandal which as a matter of historical record began and ended under the reign of John Paul II.



5. Gregoire does a riveting job in proving it was John Paul's obsession to do away with poverty in the world that cost him his life. He didn't have to go to Africa or China to see it, as he was surrounded by it when he was growing up; the plight of two million bastards - born-out-of-wedlock children condemned by the Church - something which Gregoire brutally portrays - their frozen bodies being collected each morning by a cart. ". . . Only the creaking of the wheels and an occasional thud of a frozen tot broke the quiet of the dawn."
   
   ". . . Each time their tiny frozen bodies would pass by in the cart, every priest, nun and brainwashed Christian thought it to be right. The only hint of compassion now and then, 'They are better off dead.' Everyone thought there was something holy about it. After all, it was written in their Holy Bible, these were the worst of children - BASTARDS. . . That is, everyone except Piccolo, the little boy Albino Luciani. He thought it was wrong. He didn't care whether or not it was written in a book. In fact, he knew it was wrong. And he knew it was wrong because his revolutionary socialist atheist anticlerical father had told him it was wrong. . . "
   
   It was this which drove him for twenty years as a bishop to be a rampaging locomotive running about the Vatican, the courts and Parliament of Italy demanding basic human rights for out-of-wedlock children, women, homosexuals, the remarried and the poor; things that must have infuriated right wing elements inside and outside the Church. Particularly, when he made it the central theme of his acceptance speech as recorded in `Murder in the Vatican':
   
   Associated Press, September 29, 1978, Vatican City, Just thirty-three days into his pontificate, Pope John Paul died last evening... Vibrant and on the job to the end, he was sixty-five... the only Pope in history whose death was unwitnessed... On hearing the news, Cardinal Benelli of Florence called for an autopsy... Born of a social revolutionary atheist father who had placed him in a seminary at the age of eleven with the commission to bring change to the Church... What would have been John Paul's papacy is perhaps best defined by the central message of his acceptance speech in the Sistine Chapel, August 27, 1978, "... We must rise up the courage within us and set aside the prejudices that have been built into us by our Christian forefathers and together we will muster the strength to lift those restraints that have been unfairly placed upon the everyday lives of so many innocent people by doctrine... for God-given human life is infinitely more precious than is man-made doctrine..."

5 comments about The Costly Call: Modern-Day Stories of Muslims Who Found Jesus.

1. This book, along with Costly Call Book 2, is a heart-wrenching view into the lives of modern-day saints for the Christain faith. These two books have opened my eyes and turned my heart toward believers in difficult situations, boldly and whole-heartedly defending Christ and His redemptive work to all of humanity. Whether you are a Christian or not, these stories will grip your heart, keep your attention, and will hopefully move you into action to fight for justice in our hurting world.



2. On the positive side, this book shows the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of these courageous individuals. From all reports that I have seen, the author is giving us an accurate picture of the persecution and rejection suffered by Muslims who profess Christianity.
   
   On the other hand, the book has some very serious theological flaws. The first major flaw: That all Muslins and non-Christians are going to hell. The second: That the Creator God (the God worshiped by Christians and Jews) and Allah are not the same God.
   
   To quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 841: "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."
   
   Jesus Christ gives us our understanding of the last judgement (Matthew 25:31-46): In the end, all the nations will be gathered before Christ and the angels. The people will be divided into two groups: On his right, Christ will place those who fed the hungry, received the stranger, took care of the sick, etc. To these he will say, "Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you since the creation of the world." On his left will stand those who refused, and they will be sent to eternal punishment.
   
   This gathering of all peoples from all centuries will include many individuals who lived before the time of Christ, many who have never heard the Christian Gospel, and many who have never heard the Gospel presented in an acceptable way. Through no fault of their own, these people do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church. As Catholic Christians, we believe that this group includes many who have responded to God's love and his call in their lives.



3. This book is about 18 testimonies of muslims around the world that found Jesus as their Lord and Savior. This book was so intriguing I read it in less than 3 nights, I could barely put it down. It was very deep, not a light read at all, consequently I had to read it at night because I would get teary eyed or be so overwhelmed with the faith displayed in these pages it would blow me away.
   
   The book really encouraged me to live out my faith in Jesus even more stronger, because most of the people in this book faced death and/or family disownment and all for the Love of Jesus Christ. This encouraged me so much. I read it almost a month ago and still cannot stop thinking about how much of a sacrifice these ex-muslims made because of Jesus sacrifice for us. They figured, Jesus has done so much for me, by dying on the cross, and raising in 3 days, I might as well be willing to die for Jesus, since he was there to die for me.
   
   Very good book, in fact I just ordered the second costly call book because I was so impressed with this book. Truly, I tell you, I cannot say enough good things about this book. It is a tool that will enable the believer to strengthen their faith in Christ and get a glimpse of what muslims go through if they begin a relationship with Jesus. It's a costly call, but the eternal rewards are well worth the cost we face here on earth.



4. These accounts of MMBs turning to the one true living GOD should be shared with all!



5. This is a great book of stories of former Muslims who now follow Jesus - and some who have not yet chosen to follow. Each chapter is a different story. This is a great challenge to pray and also an encouragement of how God is working. Great also to give as a gift - graduations, etc.

5 comments about Out of My Life and Thought (The Albert Schweitzer Library).

1. "Since my first years at the university I had grown increasingly to doubt the idea that mankind is steadily moving toward improvement. My impression was that the fire of its ideas was burning out without anyone noticing or worrying about it. ... What was just and equitable seemed to be pursued with only lukewarm zeal. I noticed a number of symptoms of intellectual and spiritual fatigue in this generation that is so proud of its achievements."
   Albert Schweitzer was a man of action -- humanitarian, theologian, historian, musician, musical technologist, medical doctor, author, philosopher, missionary, professor, environmentalist, prisoner of war, recipient of the Nobel Prize. He writes an interesting autobiography, which is not surprising when one considers the breadth of his interests and of his achievements in science, the humanities and the arts. In his later years he was perhaps the most widely admired and respected person in the Western world.
   Jimmy Carter offers a foreword in this volume; it is economical, a mere six sentences. Schweitzer's philosophical work may be well studied, but does not particularly distinguish itself in this volume (with some notable exceptions). His theological work (i.e., Christology) is generally questionable -- bound to Enlightenment fallacies of a "historical Jesus." I was happy to be concurrently reading the thoughts of a far better theologian, CS Lewis, on the idea of "discovering" a "historical" Jesus. While some of Schweitzer's ideas are [rightly] not highly regarded, his "life and thought" makes for unusually interesting biography. His "reverence for life" precept certainly has great value, but seems to be a less profoundly unique idea than he held it to be. Perhaps my view here is merely ignorant of the world in which Schweitzer lived.
   He considered this book to be his best, or at least his preferred, writing, but if you are going to read only one book considering theological and historical exegetics, this is probably the wrong book. On the other hand, Schweitzer makes many observations cleanly and powerfully: "Our world rots in deceit. Our very attempt to manipulate truth itself brings us to ... [a truth] based on a skepticism that has become belief... It is superficial and inflexible." Kant had observed the intellectual paralysis of such "a skepticism that has become belief," but Schweitzer goes further, recognizing it as an even deeper spiritual paralysis.
   While Schweitzer's Christology is, at the least, arguable, his firm commitment to Christ's commandment of love is a strong example of the Christian life led in the light of its Teacher's example. The author is [rightly] given to referring to Christianity as "the religion of love." In this aspect, Schweitzer at once offers the non-Christian a true image of Christianity and offers the Christian an important, if gentle, reminder. "[God] announces Himself in us as the will to love. The First Cause of Being, as He manifests Himself in nature, is to us always impersonal. To the First Cause of Being that is revealed to us in the will to love, however, we relate as to an ethical personality." And quoting Paul: "Love never faileth: but where there be knowledge it shall be done away."



2. There is no better short book available on the mind and thoughts of Albert Schweitzer than this book. His theology on Jesus and Paul, his thoughts on Bach and organ building, his philosophy on Reverence for Life are all laid out here.

   George Marshall (see my review of Marshall's excellent biography: Schweitzer) once asked Dr. Schweitzer what professors would best provide him an education on Schweitzer's thoughts. He replied that Marshall should not go to professors but "read my books! No one can express the ideas of a man as well as he has expressed them himself.... read my books".

   Bob Frost of "Biography Magazine" once wrote, "Albert Schweitzer is not exactly forgotten today, but his name won't crop up in daily conversation. Fifty years ago, though, people talked about Schweitzer all the time. An American magazine selected him, ahead of Albert Einstein, as the "world's greatest living nonpolitical person." He was the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, won the Nobel Peace Prize, and appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Fueled by idealism and burning spiritual passion, this medical missionary led one of the most intense lives of the 20th century."

   Be apprized that "Out of my Life and Thoughts" is not an easy read. Dr. Schweitzer's theology and philosophy, though dense, is not incomprehensible. And due to the translation from French to English, you many find yourself reading a passage multiple times to get the gist his thoughts.

   That said, for students of this great mind, this is a must read. Strongly recommended. 4.5 stars.




3. This is an elegant though brief memoir written by the great man himself. One should not expect too much detail, however, as the text only gives us glimpses into the man's life and the singular events that shaped who he was and what he became and, more importantly, what he accomplished. Schweitzer focuses mainly on the development of his theological and philosophical thought, beginning with his early endeavours leading to his famous work, `The Quest for the Historical Jesus'. From this point, he continues on towards the shaping of his magnum opus, `Philosophy of Civilization'. It is in this section of the text that he discusses two worldviews of life-affirmation and life-denial and pessimism. This work evolves into his philosophical perspective of Reverence for Life.

   The biography ends in the year 1931, well before the advent of the Second World War. Schweitzer was only fifty-six years of age when he penned this work, well before receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, living and working for another forty-four years. Curiously, when his publisher requested that he write an autobiography, he was hesitant, as he was more or less still in his prime. However, as he wrote to his publisher fourteen years later on his seventieth birthday, memory fades with age, and he believed that writing about himself at that stage of his life, he could put down those important memories that remained fresh in his mind.

   Schweitzer is certainly an inspiration - a man of immense strength, physically, emotionally and spiritually, with an almost endless capacity for work. The man worked in the most difficult of circumstances. Practicing medicine in intense tropical heat, day after day, disease run rampant; constant worry over funds to purchase much needed medical supplies. Moreover, the terrible events of two world wars - the odds he worked against to maintain the Lambarene Hospital, to my mind, is simply unimaginable. But the man persisted, rising every morning to meet disease, suffering, violence, death and loneliness.

   This is an inspiring little book, charming and entertaining.




4. This book is not an easy read, but it is an interesting and worthwhile read. The chapter on why Dr. Schweitzer chose to be a medical missionary to Africa is especially interesting and meaningful. His thoughts on "Reverence For Life" are interesting and worthwhile reading, most provacative. His wide array of talent, abiltiy and interests are amazing and especially interesting, almost beyond belief and comprehension. His experiences as prisoner of war are revealing and somewhat shocking. At times the book gets tedious, especially in his philosophical thought,but don't let that stop you for slow you down. This book is well worth the read.
   
   Do men like Albert Schweitzer exist anymore? Could or would our culture let them exist?



5. Albert Schweitzer had a high intellect and sought to improve the lives of many people through hard work, and dedication while sacrificing position and individual wealth. The man could have been a university professor of theology and philosophy, a Pastor of a prestigious church or a wealthy doctor. He became an accomplished organist as a musical artist, playing concerts to large audiences, and an expert in organ building; He wrote a book that became a standard in how quality instruments are to be built. Albert Schweitzer was a man of much intelligence and accomplished skills. After forging a bright future for himself he had an epiphany to be Christ like was to serve his fellow man. So he studied to become a medical doctor, so he could practice medicine where one was remote from what constituted modern society in the early twentieth century to practice medicine in Africa.
   This is an interesting read. The autobiography ends in 1932, so 25 years of his life is missing. I disagree with how this man perceived God and Jesus. He interpreted the Bible as if it were purely man made; that the Christian faith evolved through time. He determines theology based on the idea Jesus was a confused individual that expected one thing and events made Him adjust his thoughts. His view makes Jesus out to be quite pathetic. The author also believed Paul's thoughts were more informed and formed by events and his surrounding culture. Albert Schweitzer did not believe God's word was inspired through the Holy Spirit but by individual interpretation and culture.
   
   This book is an interesting read. How this man worked as a doctor - a physician in Africa yet still pursued practicing playing the Organ and intellectual pursuits. He even did this when he became a prisoner of war in the Great War. Where he eventually served as camp doctor to his fellow prisoners? I found this book a relatively easy read.

5 comments about The Life of Faustina Kowalska: The Authorized Biography.

1. Sister Sophia Michalenko has given us a most spiritually rewarding "biography" of Sister "Saint" Faustina in this volume. It is the perfect companion book to Sister Faustina's own "Diary" . . . this places her diary entries in an order and context which allows us to see the spiritual insights of this mystic and "holy soul" in a more complete perspective.
   
   While it reads like a simple biography and story retelling the life of this young nun, it at the same time draws so heavily and appropriately on the Saint's own writings that we begin to "share" in her very spirituality . . . we get to walk together with Sister Faustina's soul on this pilgrim journey toward God and toward God's infinite loving "Divine Mercy". In fact, we learn and discover that "Divine Mercy" is not only the destination and goal of our lives, but at the same time is also the road we must walk and travel to arrive there. And why walk it alone when Saint Faustina can walk alongside you . . . with conversation and encouragement and prayerful guidance? This book can bring that companionship alive for you . . .
   
   i advise you to get this volume along with a copy of Sister Faustina's own diary, "Divine Mercy In My Soul". As you page through her diary and perhaps skip about from chapter to chapter as interest leads you, also read Sister Michalenko's biography of Faustina from beginning to end . . . then the Diary will take on a much deeper significance and impact on you . . . it will become a spiritual treasury . . . and a book of prayer . . . and a friend.



2. This is a great beginners version into the Divine Mercy realm. It combines a biographical description of St. Faustina along with excerpts from her diary. You will be blessed by this book. I have bought 5 to give away.



3. This is a excellent overview of the lengthy diary that Faustina wrote and easy to read.



4. This book gives a good overview of Ste. Faustina's life. It puts her visions of Jesus into the context of her life which is sometimes obscured by reading her diary. Highly recommended .



5. Thanks for the rapid delivery of this fine book. Very interesting and inspiring story.

5 comments about Tying Rocks to Clouds.

1. This book took the author a long time to finish and just the project itself is an inspiration. The resulting product is a wonderful heart warming book. I got this book from the library and in the end had to buy it. You should too.



2. I used this book for a study session with 10 other people (common everyday Christians). Most felt that the language was a little bit above their understanding, and many had to really "work" at trying to understand what was being said. Over all I thought that the book gave a very good overview of perspectives that most Christians don't want to engage. Elliott was interesting, and I think that the average person would get lost in most of the interviews because of the language barriers if they weren't familiar with many terms and different religions and or spiritual sources used in this book. It was a little long and I am not sure if anything was resolved, but, we never though we would find the answer in this book. I just hope Mr. Elliott grew from and through it.



3. What started as the personal journey of one man to answer some of the mysteries of life turns out to be a discovery of universal truths that are common to all. The spiritual growth of mankind is at critical point as current events (9/11/01) unfold and the more we all understand how similar our journeys are if we are able to make the connection of rocks to clouds. A truly enriching book for people of all backgrounds and interests.



4. This is an excellent book, not only for people who are looking for answers, but for people who believe they have them. It offers insight into the minds of some of the great thinkers of our time, but more importantly, it offers a glimpse of the importance of seeking : to find things for which we didn't even know we were seeking.



5. The author, William Elliot is someone you might know, the boy living next door, who went away to the University, whose parents died when he was young, someone who was raised by loving parents, that is, until they died when he was a teen. He keeps alive the values and love his parents showed him but he is searching for something. He is looking for meaning - meaning to their death and his loss. He was a psychology major at the University of Wisconsin when he conceived of interviewing the "wise and spiritual" people who are alive today. His method was deceptively simple ... he sought answers to 25 - 30 questions that might unlock the secrets to his dilemma. Questions such as, "What is the meaning or purpose of life?" "Do you believe in G-d or Ulitmate Reality?" "Why is there suffering, evil in the world? and What is its cause?" "What is important to you?" "What are the three most important problems in life?" He was dissuaded from pursuing this endeavor, to write a book about his conversation with the "wise and spiritual" people whom he interviewed. He overcame challenges and obstacles to interview the people on his list, all the while holding firmly to his goal. He met and interviewed: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Ram Dass, Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Schuller, Jean Houston, Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Rabbi Harold Kushner, psychologist Albert Ellis, psychologist B.F. Skinner, Pir Vilayat Khan, Frances Vaughn, Stephen Levine and even Mother Theresa. He interviewed a total of 21 high-profile persons deemed 'wise and spiritual' by modern standards. The author does not interpret the answers for us, instead he writes out the answers given to him by each person interviewed. In some cases, he writes an introduction prior to the interview, letting the reader know how he managed to get an appointment or interview with the "important" person or else he describes some interesting event or circumstance concerning the interview. He seldom makes a judgement about the person or what they said ... his writing style is matter-of-fact and straight forward. This style of writing makes the book a valuable and worthwile reading experience. It is as if, you, yourself, decided what questions to ask and took the time to write out the answers, sometimes, in utter amazement, that you snagged the interview with his or her eminence ... The author also made a trek to Nepal to meditate and visit one of the most spiritual climates and areas of the world. We learn of his experiences and interactions with people he met there. This book is recommended for anyone who has any interest in spirituality or has read any book by the persons whom the author interviewed. It can be said the author found the truth which he was seeking ... Erika Borsos (erikab93)

5 comments about A Grief Observed.

1. Originally published under a pseudonym, this short book is a thoroughly reasoned but heart-felt analyzation of grief from the private writing journal of intellectual author and academia giant, C.S. Lewis. The object of his grief is the love of his life, his rare intellectual equal and friend whom he met later in life and fell deeply in love with, making her his wife.
   
   Born Atheist, C.S. Lewis became a committed Christian, but spent part of his journalized pages in honest reflection of his anger at God and acknowledgement of fragile faith while in the throes of traumatic, life-altering grief. He boldly wonders and writes the thoughts and words most familiarly held at some point in the minds of others bereaved over their most beloved and cherished.
   
   From page 23: "Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief. Apparently the faith - I thought it faith - which enables me to pray for the other dead has seemed strong only because I have never really cared, not desperately, whether they existed or not. Yet I thought I did."
   
   After other thoughts about risks and beliefs, this is said, "And you will never discover how serious it was until the stakes are raised horribly high, until you find that you are playing not for counters or for sixpences but for every penny you have in the world. Nothing will shake a man - or at any rate a man like me - out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only under torture does he discover himself."
   
   On page 25, C.S. sees the human side of grieving when others try to console him with spiritual avenues of comfort: "Talk to me about the truth of religion and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand."
   
   The social leprosy of bereavement is also mentioned on a couple of pages, including this: "Perhaps the bereaved ought to be isolated in special settlements like lepers."
   
   At the end, C.S. Lewis seems to reconcile himself to a conclusion about grieving: "For, as I have discovered, passionate grief does not link us with the dead but cuts us off from them," as he tries to go about cherishing his beloved's every memory with gladness, a smile and a laugh. Not for long, however, is this a workable plan as he writes the next day's journal entry more in line with the natural phases of grief: "An admirable programme. Unfortunately it can't be carried out. tonight al the hells of young grief have opened again; the mad words, the bitter resentment, the fluttering in the stomach, the nightmare unreality, the wallowed-in tears. For in grief nothing `stays put.' One keeps on emerging from a phase, but it always recurs. Round and round. Everything repeats. Am I going in circles, or dare I hope I am on a spiral?"
   
   As do we all of bereavement ask ourselves when finding that as much as we try clawing our way up the spiral, we suddenly lose our grasp, totally at the mercy of our humanness and that quality that never dies - love.



2. This small book is a blessing to those who have experienced a deep and pressing grief. It shows a bit of the journey C.S. Lewis made through his grief experience. It was a brief, beautiful read.



3. Although Lewis was, of course, a renowned and devout Christian, this book will speak to anyone who's lost someone with whom they shared real love. All of the questions, angers, and doubts that fill the mind during the numbing time following great loss are shared in the first person, generously, by Lewis. This is, I think, a beautiful, powerful, and deeply healing work.



4. I am new to the genius of CS Lewis. I read the Narnia series as a kid, but have not read books for years, until recently. This book was deep, and full of the genius Lewis is known for. He expresses the pain of losing his wife, and the questions that those who mourn often work through, but are too guilty to express publically. The work is awesome, and may help some who are going through similar feelings of greif. Skip the aknowlegement at the beginning by Madeline Engle, I am not familiar with her writing, but have heard the name. I am surprised she was chosen to write the aknowlegement, but it is an amusing contrast to Lewis' intellect and spiritual understanding. The aknowlegement exudes an attitude of confidence in spiritual issues, yet reveals a cluelessness and spiritual blindess found largely in todays new age books. It does not belong in a CS Lewis book.



5. This book obviously already has plenty of praising views, but I read this book and found it so great that I can't live with myself if I don't write a review. Coming from a kid who grieved a traumatic death, this book *IS* the book to buy if you're grieving, want to understand death, or want to find a book to help out a confused friend (no matter what age) who's grieving. It's worth the price.

5 comments about Journals of Jim Elliot, The.

1. "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

   And so was Jim Elliot, martyr at the hands of South American Indians who later gave their lives to Christ. In this, his autobiography via his journals, we see the life this young man led and the preordained road that led him to gain what he could not lose.

   "The Journals of Jim Elliot" had a profound effect on me as a young man as I happened to be at a similar stage in life as Elliot during most of the pages. What I found on those pages - the lifeblood of a man fully sold out to God - changed my life.

   A long book, "tJoJE" calls anyone who wants to know how to live a committed Christian life throughout the slow unfolding of Elliot's life. As an encouragement to young men, it is peerless. Its only detraction is due to the very nature of the autobiographical style as derived from journal entries. While you see God's hand moving in Elliot's life, sometimes the nature of the entries is lost, slow-moving, or repetitive. Such is the style of the book.

   However, what I found most helpful in reading this book is the stark contrast between Christian practice of fifty-plus years ago and today. Elliot was distinctly a man of his time, but he was not alone in his complete surrender to God. He was surrounded by many people who were like him. How he lived, thought, and died seems foreign to today's Christians. In fact, he shares more with a Christian of two hundred years ago in David Brainerd than anyone you typically find in a pew today. His example is so profound that it is hard not to feel that something has changed in the last couple decades. Somewhere there are men like Jim Elliot today; I hope I can find them and learn from their examples, as well.

   Anyone who stays with "The Journals of Jim Elliot" will find a great reward in its pages. It has always been one of my favorite Christian books. If you want a book that offers something different, it is a soul-stirring story made more compelling by its truthful historicity.




2. I'm a native missionary kid from India, and I would love to read this book. I searched and tried every possible way to get it in India, but couldn't. To buy online, the shipping charges are unaffordable for me. Do you know of any store that ships to India? I would deeply appreciate your help. Jim Elliot's life has been a challenge and example to me



3. This is a very impressive book. It is the honest writings of a hero to many. In the book, you see that he was just like the rest of us and that he had a great passion for God. I certainly hope that more will read this book to get a glimpse of what a life turned on to God can do.
   
   This book in many places is very good for personal devotions. There are also many sections that are great expositions of scripture. This book is biographical, devotional, and expository.



4. I bought this book not for the theology, but for the practical struggles revealed in the day to day life of a man of God as he sought to live by faith and find that very special Will of God for his life beyond salvation,separation and surrender.
   
   I would recommend this book for any saved person that wants to be encouraged to live daily in the will of God, for the Lord Jesus Christ, in a world that from a religious and secular stand point knows nothing of or very little about a real meaningful relationship with our risen Savior.
   
   The journals of Jim Elliot demonstrate, that inspite of the real daily struggles we all face, it is possible to live by faith in His written word and not just on mere feelings that can change from day to day.



5. When I was a student at Moody Bible Institute in the late 1960s hardly a missionary conference would go by without someone quoting Jim Elliot, a missionary who had been martyred by the Auca Indians. The quote was always the same: "He is no fool who give up that which he can never keep to gain that which he can never lose." This is a powerful quote and one worth repeating. He was saying to those that believe - everything on this earth is temporary and will pass away; what is done in the name of Christ will stand forever.
   
   What a surprise to learn that as a college student Elliot began keeping a journal and did so until his death. This in itself is mind boggling. The fact that the journals are now available is even more mind boggling. His wife, Elizabeth has taken all of his journals and with the exception of a total of two to three pages of total content has presented them to us as a legacy.
   
   There are hundreds who would say that Jim's story as told by Elizabeth in her book, "Through Gates of Splendor", was responsible for them dedicating themselves to Christian work of various kinds - especially missions. This book more fully reveals the man, who along with his flaws reveals an incredible heart. A heart that wanted to know God and who wanted to fulfill God's plan for him.
   
   From every-day life as a college student to the trials of being a missionary in a remote jungle - it's all here for you to read, reflect - and perhaps find some inspiration and guidance.
   
   Armchair Interviews agrees.

5 comments about The Confessions of St. Augustine.

1. The Confessions offer a deep look into St. Augustine's mind as he battles through questions about time and memory. It is, quite personally, an account of a once atheist who, through tragedy and an insatiable desire for truth, becomes spiritually connected to God. Augustine presents age old questions about existence and purpose, and provides his own unique and intelligent viewpoint. Augustine's confessions are uplifting to read through, and his gentle and eloquent praises to God are remarkably written. I gave this book five stars, in light of its uniqueness and the personal betterment I felt when I read it.



2. The Augustine part is fine and the translator did a wonderful job, but why were the parts edited out? Saint Augustine was just like us in his struggles to not only come to Christianity but also to live the Christian life after his conversion. He writes about his screw-ups, failures, and triumphs in such a humble, heart rendering manner I wish I had articulated it that way first. All Christians should have this book in their library to be read and re-read often. PAX, bb



3. When I studied religion at university, my lecturer told us that if we were to read any book, it had to be confessions. It really is a great book and well structured. It is very dense as the best religious texts are, so it will take a long time to properly read and absorb. A must have for your collection.



4. For those of you who thought that St. Augustine was going to be so deeply intellectual that it couldn't possibly apply to you, you should try this small book. It's not difficult reading, but the ideas aren't little ones. I was amazed at the parallels in culture to our 'modern' age, and at how little has changed in nearly 2000 years. He writes pretty bluntly about his youthful vices, which made me examine my own. I bought ten copies for friends and for graduation gifts this year.



5. For whatever reason, the editor here has seen fit to leave out sections of Augustine's Confessions. What is most annoying is that this book is not clearly marked "abridged". Honest dealing requires this book to be clearly identified for what it is - an abridged, incomplete version of Confessions.