5 comments about The Isle of Avalon Sacred Mysteries of Arthur and Glastonbury.

1. Nicholas Mann captures the spirit of Avalon through the combined lenses of history, archeology, mythology and comparative spirituality rarely found in comparable texts. A must-own for anyone interested in Glastonbury, the Arthurian Mythos, spiritual history in sacred Britain, sacred geomety and geomancy. Mann brings a critical yet intuitively insightful perspective to all of the above. Well worth reading more than once!!



2. I have not yet finished this book, as it does take awhile to read. It is very informative and has a lot of intersting facts about this Avalon and Glastonbury; however, it can be difficult to read.



3. Avalon is probably the most thorough study of Glastonbury, from the very beginning of its history to modern times. Mann covers a bit of everything, from the strange theories to geology and everything in between. An easy and interesting read. He does go off his path a bit in the appendix where he tries to get philosophical. His understanding of Christian history & theology seems a bit limited, which is surprising considering the rest of the book. He claims that the "duality of good and evil" did not arise in Western thought until later times. Perhaps he should read Genesis.
   
   Christianity has a very spiritual side that rivals the mystics of the pagans. Often the pagan mysticism is presented as being simple and can include anything. It has become almost the new New Ageism. I tend to think some turn to paganism because they don't know of the spiritual side of Christianity and don't like that Christianity doesn't promise to be an easy, blissful religion in the sense that most people understand. But if a religion makes you feel happy all the time and hides the realities of the world, is the religion real? Or is just ultimately smoke and mirrors? As Christians reclaim their spiritual legacy, pagans need to actually learn what their and our religions are, before pretending they know based on what other people tell them.



4. I read this book in preparation for a trip to England and a visit to Glastonbury. This is a well written and thoughtful book that gives the reader a very comprehensive history of the Glastonbury area. It's a nice balance of traditional science and alternative archaeology, and I felt that my experience when I visited was enhanced from having read this book first. I highly recommend that anyone planning a visit here read this book! Or, if you are interested in ancient British cultures and/or the Arthur legends or the book The Mists of Avalon, this will certainly interest you.



5. I found this book a delight to read! The way it brings the landscape of Glastonbury to life is amazing. A must have for anyone studying the Glastonbury sites or who has an interest in Avalon

3 comments about The Best-Ever Christian Baby Name Book: Thousands of Names and Their Meanings.

1. The Best-Ever Christian Baby Name Book: Thousand of Names and Their Meanings is a guide especially for Christian parents, offering thousands of names to choose from, their alternate spellings, and innate meaning. The Best-Ever Christian Baby Name Book deliberately avoids names with a non-Christian connotation (such as names connected to other pantheons or faith traditions) except in those cases when such names are also Biblical names. Thumbnail biographies of famous Christians or humanitarians for whom children can be named dot the entries, and an introductory section guides Christian parents in how to choose a child's name. "Several years ago a friend of mine mentioned that she had always dreamed of having a son named Nick... but when she married a man with the last name of Knack, she knew she had to forever abandon that dream." Highly recommended for expecting Christian parents.



2. The Best-Ever Christian Baby Name Book: Thousands of Names and Their MeaningsjA great resource for finding the meaning of names with Christian meanings. The meaning of names are important to the person being named and this helpful book is a good source of information.



3. The items arrived on time and in great condition. They were exactly what we expected!

5 comments about Breaking Generational Curses.

1. I ordered 2 books. One was in excellet condition (as advertised) and the other was in good condition (as advertised). I enjoyed paying half price for the books. It was immaterial to me whether they were brand new or not; they were for my use. The content of the book was just what I was looking for.



2. It is amazing to me how many Christians are leaving the teaching of the Bible and embracing a practice found in every pagan society of breaking curses. Don't you know that we are in Christ and that His Spirit lives in us? How can we be under curse? As it says in Galatians 3:13
   Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"--
   Question: Where in the New Testament does it mention breaking generational curses?



3. An excellent study that gives insight into many problems of unknown origin that you may be experiencing in your life. You begin to realize that some problems are handed down through the generations but you can break the cycle by utilizing God's grace.



4. Received item as described, fast delivery, will purchase from vendor again
   Thank you
   M Haynes



5. There were a few markings on the book but on the whole the product was in excellent condition. I am enjoying the contents of the books

1 comments about Saints of California: A Guide to Places and Their Patrons.

1. Saints of California is a remarkably readable compendium of saints whose names appear all over California, including cities, mountains, rivers, etc. Ever wonder who was Santa Barbara? Santa Ynez? San Luis Obispo? You'll find them here, along with an illustration of the saint, drawn from photos of art, statuary and other historic art works. Published by the Getty Museum in L.A. (the city's name is much longer than "The Angels" implied by the common useage--you can look it up!), this elegant and classy little book is well suited for anyone's bookshelf, as well as an ideal gift.

2 comments about Genealogies of Religion: Discipline and Reasons of Power in Christianity and Islam.

1. A fascinating book, in which the author argues that "religion" as a historical and political category was created in Europe, an interesting book.



2. Talal Asad is one of the remarkable minds of our times. This work is one of the most insightful works on how to understand religion in the modern world...

1 comments about Fifty Major Cities of the Bible (Routledge Key Guides).

1. This was a bit boring. Too much information about the "digs" and not enough about the historical and Biblical significance of each city. It could have been much more interesting.

5 comments about Christmas Memories: Gifts, Activities, Fads, and Fancies, 1920s-1960s.

1. I thought this was probably the best of Susan Waggoner's festive season books. It's a Wonderful Christmas: The Best of the Holidays 1940-1965 looked back to the 1940s to 1960s and Under the Tree: The Toys and Treats that Made Christmas Special, 1930-1970 focused on toys from 1930 to 1970. All three books follow the same format with the words backed up plenty of Christmas photos, illustrations and graphics.
   
   I was rather disappointed with the feel of the two previous books because I thought they looked rather scrappy and didn't display the pictures and page graphics to the best advantage but I'm happy to say that this latest edition really captures the feel of the season from page one. It starts with the 1920s and runs up to the 1960s with a mixture of reminiscences from personalities and unknown folk, details of everyday life at Christmas time over the decades, quotes from books and period magazines but I think it's the illustrations that come across best. These are taken from period ads (lots of them) catalogs, Christmas cards, photos and more (perhaps the catalog pages could have been bigger to see the prices, though). Fortunately the design of the pages pulls all this material together to make the book a pleasure to browse through.
   
   Well worth getting if you want to relive those nostalgic Yuletide memories or maybe, if you are young enough, you just want to find out why your parents are always raving about Christmas in those simpler times.
   
   ***SEE SOME INSIDE PAGES by clicking 'customer images' under the cover.



2. Lovely book to read as we approach Christmas. A time so near and yet so far. Share with your children and grand children and live again the thrill of those childhood Christmas times. Love it.



3. This is a beautiful book. I bought it as a gift for my mother, and wanted to keep it for myself. The jacket is beautiful, the inside pages are wonderful, and overall it is full of Christmas memories from the past, many of which you will want to bring back. There is even a page comparing prices Christmas items past and what those items would cost now adjusted for inflation. I ordered more after seeing it, as I would be proud to give this as a gift, and grateful to receive it.



4. This is a delightful book. I have packed it away with our Christmas things and will enjoy it year after year during the holidays. It brought back many wonderful memories.



5. I have 2 books by this ame author & I thoroughly enjoy the both of them very much. I recommend this book to anyone who grew up anywhere between the 1920's & 1960's or for anyone who wants to find out about Christmas during these times.

2 comments about Name Book, The: Over 10,000 Names--Their Meanings, Origins, and Spiritual Significance.

1. This is a good naming book. It skips past the fluff about how to choose a name and dives right into a well organized list and corresponding index. Some unusual names are included, but most are simple and traditional. The origin, meaning, and spiritual connotation is given for each name and a Bible verse is included as a part of each entry. A book icon is used to indicate any name that actually appears in the Bible.
   
   The problem with this book is that it isn't special at all and it doesn't offer anything above and beyond other naming books. The book attempts to provide insight into the spiritual significance of a given name, but fails completely. The spiritual significance, in this case, is derived from the connotation of the name's literal meaning. That means that there is not a concrete reason why a particular name comes to have a spiritual significance. It is simply how the author felt about the name. The Bible verses are always positive and sometimes beautiful, but they seem to have been chosen randomly. You can take any name in this book and replace its corresponding Bible verse with a verse found elsewhere in the book.
   
   I would recommend this book if you are looking for a more traditional name and would like to know what it means and where it originated. Just don't expect any insight deeper than that.



2. I bought this for my Dad. He's 91 and wants to know the origins of names. He's having lots of fun looking up names and the book in informative in this way.

5 comments about The Name Book: Over 10,000 Names, Their Meanings, Origins, and Spritual Significance.

1. Very good information on origin and biblical meaning. Very thorough and amount of names is extensive.



2. A great resource to find the meanings of names as well as their spiritual connotations. I have found it helpful in dream interpretation as well.



3. I liked the structure of the name information as well as the accompanying scripture for each name. I just wish more names were included and I hope they expand the list!



4. Lots of names, yet I was hoping for a little more information on each name.



5. Fantastic book! Anything you're looking for can be found in it: both the straight meaning, a spiritual meaning, and a bible quote to go along with it. Also tells you the origin of the name, and much more! Great for brainstorming names for babies, etc... Perfect as a bathroom reader, a gift for a student or parent-to-be or scholar, or just for one's own pleasure. I am very particular about the name books i get, because i want them to be full of information and have a wide array of names. i am very very pleased with this one, and selected it out of many many options.

5 comments about Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament.

1. in order to properly understand the Jesus of the new testament, instead of making a Jesus of our own liking, it is necessary to understand Jesus as he himself indicated. Jesus himself, according to the new testament, made constant reference and allusion to the hebrew scriptures, ( old testament ), as he sought to explain himself, his actions, his teachings and his significance. Understanding the old testament is therefore of paramount importance for understanding what Jesus was and is about. This means far more than knowing some of the messianic proof texts or knowing about Noahs ark or the temple and sacrificial system of the ancient hebrews. Understanding the old testament involves knowing the overall aim and purpose of it, and how it all is held together by connected themes that form a unified whole. Christopher Wright's book, Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament, is an absolute Godsend towards getting the drift of the old testament and how it carries forward to the Jesus of the new testament. This book is a little bit technical at times, it is not a devotional work, but reading this book will educate a person to accurately understand what the old testament is about and how it flows into the person of Jesus, thereby expositing the true meaning and intent of Jesus according to the background that Jesus himself referred to. Thanks Chris Wright for this fabulous book. Also, for serious bible study of the best sort, see his excellent magnum opus, The Mission Of God. It is truly outstanding!! For some other great little books on Jesus that are sane and sober, see: Jesus and His World by Peter Walker, The Original Jesus by N.T. Wright, and for a bit of a larger work see Jesus and The Gospels by Craig Blomberg.



2. This book by Christopher Wright is excellent. I came away with a much greater appreciation of how Jesus is seen throughout the Old Testament, and a sense of how the whole history of God's people was leading up to the coming of the Redeemer.



3. In his preface, Christopher Wright reveals that his conviction that "the deeper you go into understanding the Old Testament, the closer you come to the heart of Jesus" underlies the theme of Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament. He states that he writes this book for people wishing to "deepen their knowledge of Jesus and the scriptures that meant so much to him." Wright uses the Old Testament to shine a light on the life and identity of Jesus. He uncovers how Jesus' knowledge of the Old Testament would have influenced him. Similarly, he looks at how the Old Testament scriptures influenced the Jews of Jesus' day and their reactions to Jesus' ministry. Through this, readers can develop a keener insight into who Jesus is and what Jesus accomplished on the cross when he said, "It is finished." (Jn 19:30 ESV)
   
   Wright begins his book with the beginning of the gospel story about Jesus. He uncovers what is behind the genealogy of Jesus that begins Matthew's and Luke's gospel.
   
   A major component of the identity of Israel that Wright discusses is its mission and ministry to be a blessing to all nations.
   
   As Wright shares the story of Israel that is behind the genealogy, he emphasizes the promises of God to Abraham and to David. Seeing in his genealogy Abraham and David, Jewish readers of Matthew's and Luke's gospels would immediately associate Jesus with the promises made to these significant men in Israel's history.
   
   Wright indicates that two characteristics of the Jews during Jesus' time were an increased devotion to the torah and an "upsurge in apocalyptic, messianic hope." (Wright 26) Jesus' hearers would have had significant knowledge of Old Testament scripture and would have been applying it to their times in hope of seeing signs of God's messiah.
   
   In Wright's book, we see that the cross and resurrection are the answers to the problems of obedience to the law and to the prophesied deliverance and restoration of Israel. He writes, "The New Testament affirms that the Gospel of the cross and resurrection of Christ is God's complete answer to the totality of evil and all its effects within his creation." (Wright 30) Wright shows that the work of Christ is a universal work that offers deliverance and redemption to not just Jews but to Gentiles also.
   
   Wright sums up the theme of the Old Testament and New Testament culminating in Christ, "Taken together both testaments record the work of God's saving work for humanity." (Wright 34) Wright asserts that God's redemptive history includes the following four principles: election, redemption, covenant and inheritance. Wright concludes that God, not man, fulfills this saving work in Jesus, Israel's Messiah and the world's Savior.
   
   In addition to looking at the Old Testament in relation to Jesus' death and resurrection, Wright also examines in depth how it shapes his identity, mission and values. He asserts through his book that it is impossible to fully know Jesus apart from knowing the essential parts of the Old Testament. He writes that Jesus completes the story that the Old Testament begins, "It declares the promise which he fulfilled...provides the pictures and models which shaped his identity...programs a mission which he accepted and passed on...teaches a moral orientation to God and the world which he endorsed, sharpened and laid the foundation for obedient discipleship." (Wright 252)
   
   Wright contends that Israel, as the recipient of God's promise, was to be a conduit of that promise to all nations. He calls Israel the intended priesthood of God in the midst of the nations bringing them to the saving knowledge of God.
   
   Although Israel was a recipient of God's promise and election, the people could only walk in the promise and election by grace and faith. Wright writes, "The promise comes as the initiative of God's grace and always depends on God's grace. But that grace has to be accepted and responded to by faith and obedience." (Wright 68)
   
   In his discussion of the necessity of faithful obedience, Wright continues, "No doctrine of election, no covenant theology, no personal testimony of redemption, can relieve us of the imperative necessity of faith proving itself in active obedience." (Wright 70) He elaborates that the initiative of God's grace or promise demands a response of obedient faith now from Jews as much as Gentiles. Wright continues to emphasize God's requirement of faithful obedience in regard to his covenant promises to Israel. Despite Israel's disobedience, the covenant continued, because it was grounded in God's grace and purpose for humanity. According to Wright, God's covenant promises reveal his intense desire to bless people.
   
   I think Wright lacks clarity in his discussion of obedience in the context of the new covenant in Jesus. Israel's repeated failures are indicative of Christians' similar inability to live up to the standards of the law. Obedience for the Christian, Jew or Gentile, is to a new call, as Christians are the recipients of a new covenant that comes through faith by grace. The difference that Wright does not explicitly note is that Jesus has fulfilled not only Israel's role as servant but has fulfilled the requirement for obedience for the recipients of the promise. Jesus answered, `The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:28-29 NIV)
   
   It seems that Wright does not distinguish between the requirements of faithful obedience to the law under the prior covenants to Israel and faithfulness under the new covenant. What Jesus requires is not works or behavior but belief and faith for salvation. Although Wright points to the prophets' promises of a new heart and the law written on hearts, he seems to be advocating the idea that the new covenant through Jesus merely makes it easier for followers to obey the law rather than rest in Christ's work on the cross finally acknowledging that all of our righteous works are but "filthy rags." (Is 64:6 NIV)
   
   Wright looks at how the Old Testament would have revealed to Jesus his role as savior of the world. Wright points out three roles that Jesus would have seen, "sovereignty, servant hood and sacrifice. All three are built into the calling of Jesus. All three are given depth and meaning by the Old Testament characters whose identities are merged in Jesus." (Wright 110)
   
   Wright profoundly relates the conflict between man's earthly vision and God's eternal, spiritual vision. He writes,"We have imagined that the best way to save the world was to run the world. With the tragically ironic result that Christian mission in the name of the Servant has been indelibly associated in the minds of many with power--military, cultural economic and political. It is an image that is hard to live down. "(Wright 178)
   
   He contrasts this with God's prescribed mission of service and sacrifice for the world. The way of Jesus, the way of sacrifice and service, is what we can learn from the Old Testament. Wright concludes that Jesus' message is the message at the heart of the Old Testament. It is the message of the Jubilee year of the Lord and of restored relationships to God, the sovereign king over all--what Wright calls an "Old Testament concept" now at hand. (Wright 243)
   
   Shakespeare On Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare's Plays



4. An intriguing passage in the New Testament (NT) states, "Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures." (Luke 24:27). Christopher Wright's book titled `Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament' gives a reasonable answer to what Jesus may have told these disciples from Emmaus. Many NT Christians believe they can fully know Jesus without knowing the Old Testament (OT). On page two, Wright states "The Old Testament tells the story which Jesus completes." Even the NT needs to be read in light of the OT. Wright draws out the identity, mission and values of Jesus. Jesus completes the OT promises in surprising ways. Wright deals with the popular idea that Christians can know Jesus without knowing the OT.
   This book sheds light on how Jesus used and completed the OT message in relation to His identity, mission and values. The author fleshes out 5 comprehensive themes each close to 50 pages in length. The NT book of Matthew chapters one to four are the primary text Wright uses to expound his five main points. The reader will gain a clear understanding of Jesus' life mission and destiny as the book is read through. The comprehensive vision of God's redemptive plan and purpose is the main theme throughout the book.
   I highly recommend this book as a strong introduction to understanding Jesus in light of the OT. It goes well beyond the typical work that merely shows the OT types and how Christ was hidden all along waiting to be discovered in the OT. The hermeneutical principles used by the author focus on the biblical text in its original context and then the theological principles are extracted from the text. The author avoids a textual criticism approach. One will not see a discussion on looking for source material nor speculation on JEDP theory. He also goes beyond messianic proof texting and leaves out typology about the Temple and Tabernacle. The author's primary purpose in writing this text is for everyday Christians and he avoids an overly scholarly approach to the material. Wright's text serves as a contrast to R.T Frances' book on Jesus and the Old Testament which covers more criticism and has a lot of footnotes. Despite Wright's lack of explicit scholarly focus, the book still remains a scholarly and thought-provoking work. A strong explanation of typology is made in the chapter on Jesus' identity. A weakness of typology is when the reader of the OT fails to find much reality in the events and persons of the OT in themselves. This jump start to Christ away from the historical context is a Platonic view of the OT. The OT becomes a collection of shadows. Typology is defined by Wright as a way to understand Christ and events surrounding him in the NT by analogy and correspondence. Historic realities are seen as patterns or models. Typology should not be the sole way of understanding the OT.
   A weakness of the book is that it meanders and the author many times seems to cover too much material in each chapter. This leaves the reader without clear handles on main points and it confuses essential material from peripheral material. One constructive criticism is for the author to edit out some of the redundancy in the book. A few more graphs and summary indicators would help as well. It is easy to get lost in the amazing breath of the material. Some chapters can be shortened. Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament is an excellent perspective on Jesus and how His life reflected theological concepts of the OT. The book is covenantal in nature and is mission orientated. The author achieved his goal to get me to see Jesus in the Old Testament and the NT. I will definitely be able to answer ways in which Jesus may have instructed the Emmaus disciples. When others make statements such as, "The Old Testament is not relevant for Christians today" or "We need to just read the gospels and the NT letters to learn all there is to know about Jesus.", I can now quickly add more perspective to these statements. I will also read the OT and ask the question, "How may this passage have been used by Jesus and how was it lived out in His life?" His redemptive purpose is our mission and it started in the Old Testament.
   
   Mark J. Armstrong



5. Dr. Wright has gleaned a large amount of material from the Gospel of Matthew. In fact, Wright has identified the first seventeen versus as the key to understanding the authentic Jesus Christ. Even though using the book of Matthew as the framework for the study of Jesus is not uncommon, Wright may have done so with a more thorough and interconnected analysis. It is remarkable that Wright presents as much theology and salvation-history as he does with a two hundred and fifty-two page book!
   
   Christopher J.H. Wright's, Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament is the vehicle that transports the reader to a deeper understanding of God's ultimate plan for the redemption of mankind. The final destination is the understanding that:
   
   1. Without considering the Old Testament we cannot fully comprehend the historical Jesus.
   2. The Promises of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants are fulfilled with Jesus Christ.
   3. Salvation-history is completed through Jesus.
   4. The Old and New Testament is bound together through Jesus Christ.
   
   The author claims that if God's final work of redemption is accomplished through Jesus Christ's Crucifixion then the Gospel must include the exodus model of liberation, the sacrificial model for atonement, and the restoration model brought about because of God's grace. Christopher Wright notes that the New Testament does indeed include these elements. Throughout the book Wright does a competent job of unpacking each of these models, he explains how each model has implications that are related to the events presented in the New Testament which are associated with Jesus Christ. Wright points out how influential the Book of Leviticus was to Jesus. In many ways, the nineteenth chapter of Leviticus can be viewed as the ethical standard for the New Testament.
   
   An interesting theme that is brought out in this book is how Israel was chosen and ordained by God to be a missionary nation for all other nations of the world.God purposely placed Israel in the center of the Ancient Near East surrounded by multiple ancient Near Eastern world powers. By doing so, Israel was forced to depend on and trust the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to survive. Israel's missionary purpose seems to be an area that is less well known to the "average" Christian.
   
   A book such as Wrights' has considerable utility in bringing a greater knowledge of Old Testament theology, and the interconnectedness that Jesus has with the salvation-history of Israel to the reader. Wright points out several lesser known facts about Jesus, for example, Wright addresses that Jesus had Gentile ancestors and explains why this is significant. Many Christians may not know this about Jesus' genealogy.
   
   After reading Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament, the reader will not only gain an awareness of the salvation-history, which reaches fulfillment in the Crucifixion of Jesus, but also gain a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Christopher J.H. Wright accomplishes his goal of explaining why we should "face "up to the distinctive claims of the Hebrew text to gain a valid understanding of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. This book is ideal for a wide spectrum of readers, from scholar to the person that seeks a deeper understanding of Jesus.
   
   Dr. Christopher J.H. Wright, in his book Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament, has produced an effective book that draws the Old and New Testament together. He has done an excellent job pointing out that Jesus is the lynch pin of this necessary merging. Further, this book is a rapid vehicle in presenting the story of salvation-history, and for reaching the final destination - Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament.