5 comments about The Fields of Bannockburn: A Novel of Christian Scotland from Its Origins to Independence.

1. I want to go to Scotland! The Fields of Bannockburn was totally engrossing. I was caught up in the book, by its history and its geography. I just had to know where all these places were! I'd read for a while, and then a placename would send me to the Scotland sections of Nicholson's Guide to Great Britain. The storyteller, Hamish, as the vehicle for the history of Scotland, was very believable as were the other characters. I had no trouble relating to Mary's quandry between her fiance back home in the States and Gareth in Scotland; it could have been me. Were I still teaching Language Arts in junior high school, I would and could recommend this book to that grade level. It would be a great adjunct to history, reading, and creative writing. What discussions one could have! What dreams of travel it could inspire: it would make one want to see the historic sites. My travel plans definitely will be guided by this book. Give it a try-you might want to go to Scotland, too.



2. Being of Scottish descent, I was thrilled to find a novel which provided the meat of historical fact in such a palatable format. Anyone who saw Braveheart and wants to know more about the endless struggle for Scottish independence from England will be rewarded with total understanding by reading this book. Don't be put off by its length... it is very easy reading. Crow makes the characters come alive, and you find yourself engrossed and involved in their lives as history unfolds before you. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in exploring their ancestry and the heritage of faithful Scots.



3. This is the first book of it's size I've managed to read through in over 20 years. Having recently visited some of the places in the book, such as Iona, I was captivated by the book.
   It's well written, easy reading, accurate in most of it's facts, absolutely inspiring.
   My only negative comment is about a pro-catholic bias of some characters such as Columcile, who was portayed as catholic while he was not, and the glowing account of Queen Margaret who in fact did enormous harm to the Celtic church.
   Still worth reading!



4. I found out more about Scotland's history in this book than I ever have in history classes. It was captivating and I was deeply engrossed in the history as I read. The only reason I don't give this a 5 star rating is because I could have done without the modern day portions of the book.



5. The history is very imformative and gives insight to Scottish struggles for independence. The love story helps to break up the history - and it is continued in another book, The Banks of Boyne. High schoolers and up will love it.

1 comments about What Is The Church Of The Nazarene?.

1. This small brochure was written by a Nazarene leader and is very succinct. I am a new Nazarene Church member and have heard many terms used but without any understanding. It covered them all; The Manual, District Assembly, District and General Superintendent, Phineas Bresee, John Wesley etc. It was a good brief history as well.

No comments about Welcome to the Church of the Nazarene: An Introduction to Membership.

No comments about Here We Stand: Where Nazarenes Fit in the Religious Marketplace.

1 comments about What Is a Nazarene?: Understanding Our Place in the Religious Community.

1. This book is a great introduction to what the Church of the Nazarene is all about. It gives a brief historical overview and treatment of the denomination's beliefs. Most of the book, however, is taken up by a comparison of the Church of the Nazarene with other Christian denominations and presents a solid introduction to each without passing judgement. This is a great book for those looking for a quick introduction as well as for long-time members looking for a reminder of what the Nazarenes are all about.

4 comments about A Wesleyan-Holiness Theology.

1. As a layperson interested in learning more about Wesleyan-Holiness Theology, this book far exceeded my expectations. It is written in plain english, well-organized and filled with deep insights. For me, this was one of those "you'll never be the same after you read it" books. A wonderful book that I return to time and again for spiritual growth and inspiration. Great bibliography too - this book introduced me to other significant resources (like Wiley).



2. This book came out after Grace, Faith & Holiness. It is an easier read- Grider writes a little better. But his theology comes out on the side of the turn of the 20th century Revivalist theology in the Holiness movement. While Dunning understands and expounds the relational foundation of Christ's work, Grider is more apt to label and categorize things according to experience and his categories. Dr. Gride is a great churchman, good teacher and good writer, and this would be a great book except it sets itself up as the Holiness theology at the end of the 20th century, when some of its thought comes from the end of the 19th.



3. If you're a committed Arminian/Wesleyan/Holiness type, this is a great shelf reference or a good bedside read. It is readable (not easy in a theology text) and very practical. Grider's treatment of issues is purely from the Wesleyan/Holiness end of the theological spectrum. If you're a Presbyterian or Baptist, get an R.C. Sproul volume instead.
   
   I like the fact that the nuts and bolts are treated in reasonable simplicity while including detail, without getting too bogged down in the arcana typical in an academic work. You can read this book. The footnotes are quite good (again, this is not an academic text for MDiv/DMin students) and surprising in their content and variety.
   
   This was one of the best gifts I have received as a preacher. I recommend it to any Arminian as a great reference, laity training tool, or as a desk reference for pastors/preachers of other Christian traditions.



4. Sound theology presented in a scholarly, yet easy to understand writing method.

3 comments about Nazarene Jewish Christianity: From the End of the New Testament Period Until Its Disappearance in the Fourth Century.

1. I know of no other book that traces as faithfully and as well documented as this book by Ray Pritz. He quotes the early church fathers, tracing Jewish believers who believed in Jesus until the third century. The Gentile Church did not know how to handle them because they remained Jewish. The Jewish Community did not know what to do with them because they believed that Jesus was their Messiah. They were caught in between, much as the Messianic Jewish synagogues of today.



2. Ray Pritz has done the whole religious world a great service in uncovering this needy topic. I know of no other work [despite hard effort to find] that so adequately covers the obscure topic of The Earliest Followers of Jesus, who were primarily from Jesus' own Jewish religion.
   
   The loss of the history of these earliest Christians is a tragedy to Christianity of all time, and, I would argue, a great loss to the Jewish community as well. These resilient early followers of The Way were the most pressured, most persecuted, hated, and reviled of all believers, squeezed in the vise between the unbelieving Jews and the Hellenistic gentile fledgling Church. What they believed, how they lived, and their scant obscure legacy are treasures worth un-earthing for our modern time.
   
   Its hard to fault this book: I loved the painstaking, granular sifting of evidence via several academic disciplines: a forensic quest rivaling the most detailed of investigative journalism. What did I not like?? ... The brevity. I was left wanting more.
   
   This book belongs in the library of every serious school and student of Christian Church history.



3. What if Jews had accepted Jesus? In fact they did, and this is their story.
   
   I borrowed this book from my parents, read it, and re-read it. It is written in the voice of a quiet academic; the reader is offered a treasure of research from which to assemble a perspective unguided other than by the heart to do the work in the first place. The story that emerged for me, was that of the Jewish believers' fate to hold on to their faith for hundreds of years, only to ultimately evaporate in the desert.
   
   Maybe it will revive.
   
   Having disciplined myself to buy only books worth re-reading, I added this one to my wish list.

No comments about Articles of Faith: What Nazarenes Believe and Why.

2 comments about A Century of Holiness Theology: The Doctrine of Entire Sanctification in the Church of the Nazarene: 1905 to 2004.

1. An interesting book by Mark Quanstrom for Nazarenes interested in the shifts in holiness theology in the 20th century. He argues that there are two competing theories of holiness today-generally represented by Richard Taylor and Mildred Wynkoop. The book is only what it claims to be--the hundred-year story of the doctrine of holiness among Nazarenes... if you are not a Nazarene you'll be disappointed at how significant matters relating to changes in holiness doctrine that happened outside of the Church of the Nazarene are ignored or treated lightly. If you are a Nazarene buy it, if not wait until someone emerges about 2015 to write about the entire movement and not merely one denomination. (Maybe Donald Dayton?) --Keith Drury, Associate Professor of Religion, Indiana Wesleyan University </I>



2. I have often wondered how Nazarene's deal with the "Pentecostal" language (and almost theology) in their churches. The two movements (Wesleyan-Holiness & Pentecostal) are so closely related that the early Pentecostals actually used Nazarene theology books and other Wesleyan texts for their Bible training (see Donald Dayton's THE THEOLOGICAL ROOTS OF PENTECOSTALISM). However, the Nazarenes and other Wesleyan-Holiness groups quickly distanced themselves from the early Pentecostals and even becoming some of the Pentecostals biggest persecutors.
   
   This excellent work by Mark Quanstrom is a well researched and theological look at the changing of the teaching of the doctrine of entire sanctification. Quanstrom shows how the early Nazarenes taught and practiced the doctrine versus modern Nazarenes. Sadly, with time many Nazarenes have dropped much of their distinctive doctrines such as entire sanctification and Spirit-Baptism language for more evangelical terms. Further, many have moved away from their historical roots based strongly on Wesley and Arminian teachings toward more Calvinistic and progressive sanctification views.
   
   A well thought out, well researched, well written overview of Nazarene theology over the past 100 years.

1 comments about Discovering Missions.

1. We expected to learn much from Gailey and Culbertson's Discovering Missions. My wife and I were not disappointed. We immediately ordered a 2nd copy for our pastor and her church library.
   Future challenges and opportunities for building Christian missions worldwide provided by globalization in our increasingly flattened world, with actions vital to successful cross-cultural communications -- related language and linguistics, theological, psychological, sociological, ethno-musicological, personal commitment and other choices and changes -- are proffered in a clear, candid, caring and fittingly passionate textbook style.
   We noted with interest the relevance of cross-cultural communications and other lessons learned in the mission field to the influx of foreign born persons into the U.S., with concomitant outreach opportunities for local churches to maintain and improve membership numbers here, rather than abandoning the present, changing, neighborhoods by closing or moving. We will be ordering more gift copies.