5 comments about Washington's God: Religion, Liberty, and the Father of Our Country.

1. An outstanding book that shows clearly that the father of our country was a Christian and not the deist that revisionists would have us believe. For anyone interested in what made up the character of George Washington, this book is a must. Washington's own words and the words of those who knew him speak volumes.



2. The Novaks take on the tough question: Was George Washington a Christian or a Deist? With a thorough approach in an historical context, this work is a must read for anyone looking for this answer or who wants to explore an interesting side of our first President.



3. Was George Washington a deist or a Christian? It is an important question, as Washington was not only the first president but the most respected of all of America's founding fathers.
   
   In their book, "Washington's God," Michael and Jana Novak investigate Washington's public and private life to answer this question. The evidence is mixed:
   
   Toward the view that Washington was a deist: Washington rarely referred to Jesus Christ (although he did write a letter to the Delaware Indians and recommend the religion of Jesus Christ), but instead he preferred the term "Providence," or generic terms like "the Author of our Blessed Religion." Washington regularly refused to take communion at church. When asked point-blank if he believed in Jesus Christ, he would not answer the question. When he died, he did not ask for a minister, and simply said, "'Tis well."
   
   Toward the view that Washington was a Christian: Washington was a member of the Anglican church, which he attended regularly, including overseeing business of his local church. He agreed to be godfather to eight children, something the less religious Thomas Jefferson refused to do. He spoke of "Providence" in Christian terms, not deist terms. A deist believes God is like a watchmaker who makes the world and then is not involved; Washington instead spoke of divine Providence intervening and bringing together the events that led to his victory in the American Revolution. His reluctance to explicitly state his faith in Jesus Christ can be understood as typical for an Anglican who is more reserved about public expressions of faith. Nevertheless, there are reports of him privately praying during the war, and he insisted on having chaplains in the Continental Army. After his death, Martha Washington spoke of it as a Christian death.
   
   On balance, Novak concludes that while he was very private about his faith, George Washington was, indeed, a Christian. He notes that Washington believed in religious liberty and opposed a state church, but Washington supported an accomodationist view of church and state that allows for public expresssions of general faith in the public square, without an endorsement of any particular denomination.



4. Novak & daughter make repeated assumptions that are in no way indicated by the historical record, and at most, his and his fellow Christian Revisionist Historian's wishful thinking are the only basis for this tome. To conclude that a man that does not even USE the word Jesus, in one SINGLE instance in ANY of his known documents, or writings, is a Christian, is disingenuous, and has a political, rather than religious overtone. Save your money, would be my advice, and skip this as the pure propaganda that it most certainly is.



5. I chose this book because I had been reading some shorter biographies on George Washington and I became interested in the "truth" about his faith. This book hits on some interesting points but the writing style is very choppy (the author constantly goes back and forth in time) and the style of narrative just didn't draw this reader in. David McCullough's epic volume on John Adams - as long and detailed as it is - proves that an author can provide tremendous detail and still keep the reader wanting to turn the page to learn more. Still, for some strong evidence that George Washington was no passive deist, but actually had a compelling Christian faith, one can turn to Washington's God as a good source of information.

5 comments about Dharma Punx: A Memoir.

1. First off, I am an American ex punk-rock "thug" drug addict. The author is not. He gives real ex drug addict thugs a bad name. The book is aimed at middle class liberals filled with "white guilt."
   He is just another spoiled suburban white kid who thinks the world revolves around him. He doesn't need spirituality, he needs to do ten years in prison without any help from his daddy.
   Don't waste your money on this book. You'll just be enabling a spoiled brat.



2. I received this book as a gift and return trip reading from a funeral. I read it, re read it and now have ordered something like 5 copies to give to friends. It tells of faith, discipline, and truth. It does so genuinely. Noah Levine's writing style is approachable; and good tattoo stories can't be beat.



3. If you are looking for an in depth discussion on Buddhism this isn't the book for you. If you are looking for an interesting biography that describes recovery and hope then you've found the right book.
   
   I'm not in a 12 step program and I consider myself damn lucky that I've never needed one. The book provided an interesting view into addiction and recovery while being reader friendly. The witting is honest enough that I have shared it with my child in hope that he'll avoid some of the mistakes that Noah made.
   
   In his book Noah explains that Buddhism is the path that worked for him but that it's not the only path that leads to happiness. He discusses Hinduism, Sufism and even Christianity (to a lesser extent).
   
   His experience with Matthew serves as a great lesson to all of us how we can find ourselves mislead by people that may try too hard.
   
   The biggest plus to me though was encountering somebody besides myself that follows Buddhist teachings but doesn't think everybody has to walk around smiling all of the time. Noah shows that it's possible to be Buddhist and a normal guy in today's world.



4. I have to say that I think this is THE WORST BOOK I'VE EVER READ. The guy comes off as a total jerk. He is the son of a famous spiritual author, and towards the end of the book he even says that Ram Dass was "like an uncle" to him...which makes it hard to think of him as anything other than an ungrateful brat while reading about him living on the "hard streets" of Santa Cruz (give me a break). The first half of the book is mainly stories of him joining any trend that he thought looked cool and rebellious (from punker to greaser to pretentious straight edger, etc.) while starting and then kicking what sounds like a rather banal drug habit/phase. The second half is him patting himself on the back regarding his "spiritual growth", which seems to have mostly taken shape through several trips to Asia (wish I had the cash for one of those!) to visit famous ashrams, shrines and resorts, as well as mediation retreats with his dad's famous new age friends (again, wish I had the cash, free time and connections- those retreats aren't cheap!). Meanwhile, I was almost embarrassed for him because of his descriptions of how poorly he treats his friends and the main female/romantic interest in the book. Those stories are all in the post-recovery part of the book, and he seems to be oblivious as to how big of a jerk he was being even then. In the most un-Buddhist way imaginable, he confuses symbols with reality by assuming that asking for forgiveness and "working the steps" is any replacement for actually changing your self centered behavior. Meanwhile, tossing around phrases like "inner and outer spiritual rebellion" and "meditate and destroy" comes off as childlike and pathetic. I mean come on..."true spiritual rebellion"...? IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE THAT DOES NOT THINK THIS SOUNDS STUPID? Not only does it sound stupid...it, and the rest of what little "philosophy" you can get from this book, is really about as far away from the concepts of Buddhism as you can possibly get.



5. In this book Noah Levine tells us his journey from being a drug-addicted, alcoholic, violent punk to being a Buddhist punk. He does not stop enjoying punk music, and he even talks about continuing to slam in a pit. He does talk about the positive aspects of punk music. It is a very readable book.

5 comments about Lost Boy No More: A True Story Of Survival And Salvation.

1. It is one thing to read about the atrocities in the Sudan in the daily newspaper. It is quite another to hear first-hand the stories of real people who witnessed and experienced unspeakable crimes against humanity. I was shaken to the core by this book. It is one that everyone should read, especially those of us who will never travel to the Sudan in person. It challenges us to pray, to write to our government for assistance for these people, and to give from our own wealth to help in whatever way is possible.



2. Lost Boy No More will touch your heart and set your soul on fire! I cried as I read this emotional journey and the tribulations these boys went through. My heart cried out to them. Powerful and insightful, this is a must-read. For more of my reviews, visit my website at www.robinmillerbooks.com



3. So begins the story of the Lost Boys, children, some much younger than Abraham, who fled from the horror of those who butchered their families into the desert. They fled without adequate food, water and clothes. They fled, pursued by soldiers who found pleasure in torture. Yet, despite the hardships, many not only survive, but found their faith sustained them.
   
   Read entire review at AUTHOR'S CHOICE REVIEWS http://come.to/bookreviews



4. I couldn't read this book. I skimmed it, but I couldn't read it. It was disjointed and disappointing. I don't think it adequately portrayed the situation. Also, I don't mind reading religious material, but I like to know it's religious material before I buy it.



5. The story of the Lost Boys from Southern Sudan is beyond what most humans could conceive as possible in today's world. When he was a young boy, Abraham Nhial's peaceful village was attacked mercilessly by Islamic soldiers who destroyed children and adults violently. He and thousands of other young boys fled their homes and headed into the jungle of Sudan in hopes of survival.
   
   Only the highlights of the Lost Boys' story is told in this book. The author mixes Abraham's story of survival with chapters on the conflict between Islamic forces and the Christians in Southern Sudan. The book also includes a chapter on the history of Sudan.
   
   Abraham is a member of the Dinka tribe that lived peacefully and traditionally in Southern Sudan before the northern Islamic militants attacked the South killing any in their path. Abraham and the lost boys journeyed miles through the jungle to Ethiopia where they found temporary refuge before having to flee to Kenya. They faced constant terror and suffering. The young boys had seen and experienced what no person should ever have to.
   
   What is so amazing about the story is that in the midst of terror, Abraham experiences and learns faith in Jesus Christ. He attributes his survival and subsequent guidance to the Lord.
   
   I wish that the book showed us more of Abraham's life, but it does convey the big picture of his life and the situation in Sudan. Both narratives are compelling and interesting.
   
   Shakespeare On Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare's Plays

No comments about Gandhi: The Traditional Roots of Charisma (Modernity of Tradition Series: PT. 2).

5 comments about Touchdown Alexander: My Story of Faith, Football, and Pursuing the Dream.

1. I am not a Seattle Seahawks fan. I am not a big NFL fan. I am not an Alabama fan. But I am a huge Shaun Alexander fan. Records are special because only person has accomplished it. That is what makes many athletes special, but a year after Alexander broke the record L.T. broke his record. So the TD record is not so special for Shaun, but in his book he talked about his life. His life is pretty speical. Never been drunk, never smoked, and he waited until he was married to have sex. WOW! I wish I could have given my wife my virginity for her wedding gift. Shaun Alexander is a great role model. Not because he played for Alabama.Not because he had the TD record. Not because he played in the Super Bowl, but because he is a child of the most high King. God Almight. The great I am. Not too many people let alone athletes can truly say they live their life everyday to give God Glory. I'm not putting Shaun on a pedestal, I'm putting the God that lives in him on a pedestal. I want to be like Jesus, and I enjoyed reading about a professional athlete who wants the same.
   
   www.williespears.com



2. We seem to be constantly bombarded by the media reporting assaults, rapes, even shootings by athletes. To be able to read a book about the wonderful God-filled life of one of the most honored football players was a most pleasant delight. Shaun Alexander, through his high school, college, and professional career has not only been an inspiration to his family, friends and fans, but also his teammates and even his on-the-field opponents. On the personal side, my son is the chaplain for the Auckland, New Zealand, rugby team. He holds Bible classes weekly, which half the team attends. I have supplied him with several copies of Alexander's book, as these professional rugby players are always curious to hear about U.S. football players. What a great example to let them read about the exemplary life of Shaun Alexander.



3. This is a great gift for any Seahawks fan. My husband got it for Christmas and it was highly appreciated. It's also a good book for those interested in Sports + Faith, a commonly debated issue lately.



4. This is a great book for a teenager to read. It tells about the attitudes and actions a young person should exhibit if they want to live a pure, fulfilling life.



5. An entertaining, easy to read account of a young man who put God first from an early age. He truly is a blessed man and gives encouragement and insight into what really matters, even with all that this world has given him.
   
   Good idea for Father's day ladies!!!

No comments about Real Women, Real Saints: Friends for Your Spiritual Journey.

5 comments about Foxe's Book of Martyrs: A History of the Lifes, Sufferings, and Triumphant Deaths of the Early Christian and the Protestant Martyrs (Hendrickson Christian Classics).

1. This the the most pure, most sincere book on Christians ever (next to the Bible, of course). Its pages are blood-soaked testimonies to men and women who did nothing much else, than give their lives for the cause of Christ.
   
   *there is a publication solely devoted to John Calvin, titled, 'God the Creator, God the Redeemer' which is also a Bridge-Logos book. Calvinists are not targeted by the New Foxe's Book of Martyrs, which is true to the original.



2. This is such a moving about how and why we should be able to suffer for our faith in our God. If this book does not inspire you to be a christian on your faith in God alone well I just don't know how you could call yourself a christian and hold your head up. This book has inspired me by the faith of others gone on before me to be able to withstand anyone or anything for who and what I believe in. To read in the Bible what some christian went through and it doesn't really go into full detail (the Bible) and then to have the Spirit to lead you to this book well it made me feel ashame of the way I have acted about people making fun of me because I am a disciple of Christ. I am a student in the word of God. I would highly recommend this book to weak christians or those being persecuted because of your faith in our Saviour.



3. I bought two versions of this book, the other being in the original English of Foxe. I would recommend this version over the other since it is a lot easier to read, follow and understand. I wish it were hardcover, but it is a good choice otherwise.



4. Foxe's Book of Martyrs was often read from as a family after reading the Bible. It reminds us that living the Christian life always costs something. I also remind my own children that there have been more Christian Martyrs in the past century than any other century. Christians around the world are dying for Christ everyday.
   
   I gave this version of the book as graduation presents with gift cards inside. The book is hardcover and is in readable English, unlike some older translations. I highly recommend this copy for gifts.



5. The whole truth that will be visited upon us again. Foxe's Book Of Martyrs: An Edition for the People (Ambassador Classics)

4 comments about The Golden String: An Autobiography.

1. After Oxford Bede Griffiths started life as an atheist who felt the need for 'something more.' He first found it in nature and the English poets Wordsworth and Coleridge. He pursued this further with the study of philosophy, went through Descarte, Kant and into Coleridge's synthesis with Platonic concepts. Griffith believed he was also a communist, or certainly a socialist, in the pre-World War II days.

   Richer experiences with nature led him to a belief that what he found in nature was what he also had heard preached from church pulpits in his childhood. This led him first to the Anglican Church, then to the Catholic church because he wanted to become a Benedictine monk.

   Once taking his final vows he remained content in a monastery in England. Eventually he was invited to help out at a Benedictine monastery in India. There he began to learn Sanskrit and study Hindu and Buddhist scriptural classics. He left that monastery after a few years at an invitation to join an even stricter Cistertian monastery in another part of India.

   He became strongly influenced by the spirituality of the principle religious philosophy of India, Vedanta. He combined Vedantic spiritual practices with Christian monastic practices and eventually established a Christian ashram with overtones of Indian Hinduism. There he and his monks' practices include meditating twice a day, praying the eight Benedictine monastic hours, and reading the scriptures of the three principle religious traditions -- Judeo-Christian bible, Hindu-Buddhist scriptures and Moslem Koran -- at each of the eight canonical hours. This ashram/monastery has become famous for its broad ecumenical practices.

   The Golden String is one of the great spiritual biographies of the world.




2. This book is a very truthful look at one man's struggle to find the meaning of life. It is a fascinating look at a very complicated and sensitive individual. He describes his spiritual journey from agnostic to Roman Catholic monk in candid detail. He details his early agnsoticim, his epiphany during his final year at Oxford, his friendship with C.S. Lewis, his Waldenesque experiment. his pantheistic pagan nature worship along with the poets who he was inlfuenced by and finally his discovery of the orthodox Christian tradition, rebellion against rationality and journey to India. Griffiths reveals himself to be an unusually ecumenical man, finding wisdom in the Gita, Dhammapada and Dao de King as well as the gospels. he makes no attempt to gloss over the inconsistencies in the gospels, but intimates how they echoed the things that he had come to believe independently of the Bible. The main fault of the book was that his eventual conversion to orthodoxy seemed to be somewhat improbable -- we are still left wondering how it is that such a man was eventually able to reconcile the butchery and savagery in so much of the Bible as well as much of the moral corruption with the mystical god that he claims to have known. he also identified the Catholic church with the "mystical body of Christ" (Hooker) but fails to reconcile this with the church's history as one of the most brutal and repressive institutions in western history. He mentions that the 12th century was the height of human intellect and creativity, that Giotto and the medeival thinkers and artists were far superior to those of the renaissance (which he absurdly regards as the "beginning of the decline" of human acheivement) without giving a very good notion as to why he thinks this. The problem of his conversion was really still a mystery after I had finished the book -- it just didn't seem to fit somehow. Readers may do well to keep in mind that this book was written while he was in his late 40's and that he still had not assimilated the wisdom that he was to learn in his 40+ years in India -- this book, therefore, is a rather immature work, but is essential readers for all interested in modern religion, mysticism or comparative religion. I personally found this book of more value than Augustine's "Confessions". I think you will too.



3. There is a formative sense to his writings, a recollection in faith and God
   that is delicately wrought and said with a sense of the imminence of God in
   his life as a young man, and the beauty of poetry. I like that he comes to
   the subject of generations and of the various human forces of mankind in
   twentieth century history with a willingness of being open to some
   imaginative life that seems touched with the Holy Spirit. I wonder about
   this man of Christ, and his life that is lived in a way that is really
   outside my experience and observation (saintly); here is Dom Bede's genuineness in faith
   and his own religious devotion. When reading the work, I sought: I want some of that richness that is
   tenderly present. I understand this to be his first book. One reason to read the work for me I found is to look for it to open me, and there I found a kind of widening of the vista where there
   is a wind that blows that says this is a strong current in our lives. Here in this book, an autobiography of a man of God, there is a larger sense of the Christian faith ecumenical, a to
   be of our future, yet with the promise of Christ that says we are this
   unique group, Christian. The book is about the modern world. So it comes to me that way, and as I go through
   it I sought some taste of the wisdom that is inherent in what is a
   life that is gifted with the Grace of God. Certainly there is the inter-religious, and some notes to understanding an inner dialogue including the dialogue of prayer. Someone needs to want to read this kind of work to enjoy it in that light. The slim volume is good for reflection and meditation. One reflection it offered me was newly awakened: to think of charity. This "Golden String" is a holy kind of history. For me I continue seeing it as a kind of religious record and writing. The book was recommended by a monk to me. He said it was like reading something by Thomas Merton.
   
   --Peter Menkin, Mill Valley, CA USA



4. 
   by Heinrich Hora, Connels Point 2221, Australia (see more)
   
   This autobiography covers nearly all important thinking including atheism, the centre of religions, Chistianity and Catholicism as well about the main statements of philosophers, but also showing the author's steps from early search about the beauty of nature, culture, civilisation and experience with socialism and dictatorships. Though no final answer can be given, the synthesis of science and believe is discussed in a purified way free from esoteric or dubious speculations. Bede Griffiths has deeply bridged the world of East and West "together seeking to recover the wisdom which has been lost and to advance into the new age" by devoting his life to his worldwide known centre of an Indian ashram under the roof of his Benedictine order. The way he was led to this topic was transparent and a honest search distancing himself from modern fashion and degeneracy, exchanging his critical views with other inspired followers, down to earth life including craftsmanship and not missing a chance that he nearly got married. He underlined the new hope: "It is a movement towards a science and a technology which will cease to exploit nature and will learn to live in harmony with nature. It is a movement also towards a more human way of life...an attempt to reconstruct science and technology on a new basis."
   "To discover God is not to discover an idea but to discover oneself " is the question. "We have progressed from rejection of the Church at the Reformation, to the rejection of Christ at the French Revolution to the rejection of God at the Russian Revolution". Being born 1906 into a middle class English family he lost Anglican tradition and became an atheist when moving to own judgment and listening to the various texts like Fielding and Jane Austin, or Measure for Measure and King Lear. His discovery of the beauty of nature was the revelation which never lost him. Studying at Oxford "I had ceased to practice any form of Christianity, and regarded Christianity as a religion of the past". "Oxford had been commercialised...a sense of beauty which had been lost...beyond the reach of modern man" or an "inconsistency of the Industrial Revolution" what led him and few fellows to search for alternatives while carefully studying and discussing Plato, Aristotele, Spinoza or Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. St. Thomas Aquinas's and St. Augustine's works were compared with Buddha and Mark Aurelius along with Christ's sermon on the Mount. Moving then to a village taught to "distinguish between civilisation and culture", the first being "connected with continual extension of material luxury". "Our civilisation was not merely an offence against beauty and truth, against that rational order of life upon which human culture is based".
   Years later in the ashram I was mentioning the stainless steel plates in his kitchen as technological progress, but he did not accept this and preferred to take his meal from banana leaf. What showed him that "the source of evil was to be found in the human mind rising up against God and seeking to build up its civilisation without reference to God, the supreme arbiter of destiny and...human happiness". "Remember the Creator" are the steps how he found his happy way to finally become a Benedictine priest. "In the Roman Empire...the significance of manual labour had been lost through the introduction of slavery, just as it has been lost in the modern world through industrialism". His solution: "the monastic life restored it to its proper place in human life" by combining labour and continuous praying.
   It is really an adventure to follow Bede's way and read why "to sacrify is literally to make a thing sacred...to make it over to God" and "then we realize that the whole universe is a sacrament". It should be added that Bede could formulate with the blessing of the wide consciousness of the Vatican that all religions have a centre of divine origin..(dedicated to the celebrations of Prof.Dr.jur. Georg Romatka, Munich)

2 comments about Timeless in Time: Sri Ramana Maharshi (The Library of Perennial Philosophy).

1. Sri Ramana Maharshi's Timeless In Time blends the autobiographical statements of Sri Ramana Maharshi with his teachings and biographical background details by A.R. Natarajan, gathered from direct sources, pairing all this with over a hundred photos and a glossary of Hindu terms to provide an outstanding survey of one of the greatest Hindu sages of our times. Maharshi was known for his simple approach in leading people to spiritual realization and for his peaceful presence: Timeless In Time celebrates his life and teachings and makes for a solid introduction for newcomers.



2. Ramana's biography is a must read for any serious student of Advaita (Non-dualism). There are many biographies of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, the famous twentieth century saint. Among these this book is the best, I think, for the following reasons:
   1. It is neither too short nor too long. The editors took the Indian edition of 'Timeless in Time' and deleted some non-essential items, particularly those pertaining to his devotees. It retains all the key facts pertaining to the life of Maharshi.
   2. It has many pictures, both color and black and white, some of which are published for the first time.
   3. It also contains his key teachings and sayings. All of Ramana's quotes are in red color (as opposed to black color for the rest of the text). This facilitates clear identification of Ramana's quotes.
   4. The paper and print quality of the book are excellent. The publishers, World Wisdom, deserve praise for this work. Each page exhibits the devotion and dedication of the World Wisdom staff involved in this publication. There is a printed design in each page, which is very beautiful. It deserves to be called a 'collector's edition'.
   
   For anyone new to Ramana, I would recommend this book both as an interesting study of his life and also as an introduction to his teachings. Another 'must-read' book to follow up on this is "The Collected Works of Sri Ramana Maharshi".

1 comments about William Carey: Father of Missions (Heroes of the Faith).

1. It will not be an overstatement to call William Carey the father of modern missionary works.
   This cobbler-turned-evangelist showed the slave-raiders of his era that there was a lot to do in foreign lands than to wedge slave-hunts. He truly loved humanity, and persevered in order to expand his apostolic works. He is a true hero.
   This is another fine book from Wellman!