4 comments about Lo mejor de ti (Become a Better You): Siete pasos hacia la grandeza interior.

1. I have not read the book yet, planning to return it. It was the Spanish version, bought as a Christmas gift. It is NOT in giftable condition. The bottom edge of the book arrived all tattered (as if the machine in the print shop had torn it up) I can't believe Amazon would send me a NEW book that was in such bad condition.



2. La forma que describe cada uno de los 7 pasos, es excelente. La forma como plantea cada una de las situaciones reales y los ejemplos que se deben seguir en cada uno de los aspectos de la vida, es muy bueno.



3. Joel change my way to think about LOVE, GOOD and LIVE... I can see a better future of my life and I learn how to keep GOOD in my heart... Great JOB JOEL THANKS!



4. I signed up fot the Amazon Prime Free Trial and this book came with the two covers damaged. It was pretty bad, because I wanted the book for my husband. That is why I did not renewed the suscription.
   On the other hand, the book it self is great and I recommend it to everyone who belive in God and all the blessings that He wants to give to us.
   Ana Villalobos

5 comments about Chosen by God.

1. I am a big fan of R.C. Sproul, listen to his radio show every day, and have several of his books. When I turned to this offering from Bro. Sproul on the sticky problems of predestination and election, I was stunned - there's a lot of eloquent language here, but no explanations.
   
   If you're a Calvinist, this book just covers the basics of Calvinist doctrine and cites the verses to back it up. If you're not a Calvinist, there's nothing here for you. The verses which contradict Calvinism are not addressed and not mentioned. The book goes in circles for many pages and finally ends up not giving you any satisfactory answers on the subject. I know Bro. Sproul is capable of much deeper explanation than this, perhaps he just wanted to keep it simple, but in doing so, he failed to really address the question - are we chosen by God or do we choose God? Despite the title, the answer to that question isn't in Bro. Sproul's book.



2. This is an essential reading for any interested in deepens its knowledge in Theology. It explains with an easy to understand language the concept of God sovereignty and how his sovereignty can be seen in all creation and human life. The man free will is also discussed in the light of God sovereignty and how they interrelated to each other. This book is a must to any one who wants to understand the predestination theology.



3. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3M2OP7V1GSTQ0 I don't know why he includes the point about limited atonement at the end when it could go between unconditional election and irresistatble grace but it works. It is still a great book. It covers all five points of calvinism. It competes with Tulip. Tulip,: The Five Points of Calvinism in the Light of Scripture It is a great introduction to the reformed faith. Even Arminians agree that it is informative.
   



4. This is very good introduction to the doctrine of predestination. All of the major points are covered. There is excellent discussion of the relevant texts. Since the book is more of a primer, those seeking a deeper look into Calvinism would enjoy a more thorough book. This book is great for those open to the idea of Calvinism and those who desire an introduction. It probably will not convince the die-hard Arminian. If you want a more detailed discussion and a longer read, Boettner's Reformed Doctrine of Predestination is one of the most thorough treatments on the subject.



5. I have just completed my reading of reading R.C. Sproul's Chosen By God. Before I get into specifics, I would like to say up front that I absolutely loved this book.
   
   From the front cover, it's not difficult to decipher what this book is about. It's about predestination. Although the tagline may be a bit cheesy, "Know God's perfect plan for His glory and His children"; I think it might carry with it some slightly arrogant connotations, however, you won't find any of those inside.
   
   From the first chapter, Sproul documents, in brief, his own struggle with the biblical doctrine of predestination. In the beginning of the book, Sproul speaks mostly experientially. His own intellectual battle with previously learned doctrines that he was discovering didn't have nearly as much foundation as he thought. I was concerned in the beginning, he was speaking so much out of his own experiences, there was very little specific reference to scripture. He mostly just talked about ideas and his struggles with them, but didn't really qualify any of those ideas. I feared the worst. However, from the first chapter filled mostly with experiences, he beautifully builds eight more chapters saturated with scripture.
   
   In another book from Sproul, What Is Reformed Theology (recently reviewed), I had major issues with Sproul's omission of specific scriptural references for the sake of easy reading. This is in no way the case here.
   
   I'm generally a critical thinker. It's hard for me to ignore logic (that's probably a weakness some times). For me, this book fit like a perfect puzzle piece into how I generally receive and interpret information. Sproul builds, very clearly from scripture, a series of powerful and logical arguments. He argues extremely effectively for the reformed view of predestination, but at the same time speaks with a humble attitude that isn't likely to immediately turn subscribers of other theologies off.
   
   The book is written to be very easily read; just over 200 short pages. It is clearly not written explicitly for the seminary student. While I'm certain most Christians would benefit from reading this literature, Sproul almost certainly had the average reader in mind. He does an excellent job of making the point that predestination is not a theology only for the theologically elite (not a term I'm crazy about) but something that any serious bible believing Christian has to deal with, and how we deal with it bears heavily on how we interact with God and others.
   
   This book makes me want to make up a rating system for my book reviews so that I can give it really high marks. I am recommending this book to anyone who feels they'd like to try some solid food. I give this book 150 points. Also available in store at places like Borders and Barnes & Noble.

5 comments about Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community.

1. Six years ago, my priest used this book with a group of seniors at Gordon College to help us learn more about listening to God in the context of testing our call to ordained ministry. This book is simply incredible. God used it powerfully in my life!



2. I read this book about 10 years ago as I began to wrestle with questions of vocation. I felt called to ministry, possibly ordained ministry. I had far more questions than answers and didn't know where to begin.

   Recommended by my pastor, this book gave me a vocabulary and suggested a process for listening to who God calls me to be. It also offered important advice on the benefits of listening in the context of community.

   The book is accessible but rich. I found that individual chapters bear rereading at various times in my life. I attribute this to the prayerfulness of the authors, who used many of the discernment ideas they describe in the book to write the book itself.

   The bibliography is a list of classics on Christian discernment and spirituality that have stood the test of time. Many of the books listed in the bibliography have become important parts of my journey as well.

   I am glad I read the book and recommend it to others beginning or continuing their own discernment process.




3. Too many people see 'vocation' as a narrow thing, something that is designed only to ask 'should I become a priest?' or 'should I enter the ministry?' In fact, there are many ways of being God's servant and following God's call in the world, and the ordained ministries are but one narrow band of this. 'Listening Hearts' is designed to take a community approach to seeing what God's call is in the world.
   
   The word 'vocation' comes from the Latin vocare -- to call -- and thus has a wide range of meanings, biblical and spiritual, as well as outside accumulations onto the concept. The authors here derive inspiration from the Quaker practice of silence and reflection (a clearness process) as well as other spiritual processes, many of which are elaborated in more detail in works referenced in the bibliography, a great resource for those interested in issues of vocation.
   
   A call is different from a job -- a career can be a vocation, in the sense that it encompasses more than 'just a job'; teaching is a career and a vocation, for example. To be a teacher involves more than just being paid to be in a classroom; indeed, one can be a teacher without being employed as one in a school. The same holds true for God's call in ministry -- just as a career (again derivative of more ancient meanings, literally meaning a path one follows, like the career of the earth around the sun) can be narrowly defined or more broadly held, so too can a vocation to ministry be understood in terms of many aspects of living one's life. C.S. Lewis famously discouraged a friend from becoming a priest, fearing that it would cease to be a valid vocation and slip into the 'just a job' kind of situation.
   
   Communities, under the ideas presented here, are less susceptible to the kinds of self-deception that some are likely to experience in seeing themselves in certain roles. Are we hearing God's call, or our own desires and petitions? Similarly, ministry is not conducted in a vacuum: ministers act for and with others, and require the support of community for their actions to have efficacy and validity.
   
   There is a flaw in this, that is not covered in this book, but one hopes might be addressed at some point in discernment processes: the definitnion of community is never made clear. What happens when there are competing communities? What happens when the local church is at odds with the regional or national (or international) church? What happens when a discernment group at a local parish supports a particular candidate in a certain vocation, but the distant powers-that-be do not?
   
   Another issue that is not addressed in this text, which I feel (given the experience that I and many other have had in discernment processes) needs to be addressed is this: what happens when one is not dealing with a community of integrity? What happens when the rector or a particularly powerful congregation member blocks the discernment process from even beginning? What about institutional issues -- how does the 'listening hearts' process work for a Roman Catholic woman, given that their institution will not recognise a call to priesthood, however much the listening hearts group might see that call clearly? What happens when a hierarch in a local church decides for whatever reason he doesn't like someone, and so doesn't permit a listening hearts group to be formed? It is somewhat irresponsible (but unfortunately has happened, in this reviewer's experience) that the institution will on the one hand say that discernment cannot be done alone, without community, but then will refuse to be the community in which discernment should be done.
   
   The authors here quote an anonymously authored document on servant leadership, which said: to ignore or resist a call may fracture us further, widening the split between what we subscribe to inwardly and what we do outwardly. The authors undoubtedly meant this to mean for individuals that they should not ignore a call from God. They remain mute about what it means for a community to ignore the call, or be left in ignorance about a call. In that regard, this book has a serious flaw.
   
   These flaws aside, in any situation where the community does come together in honesty and love to address issues of vocation, this will be a useful and helpful guide, and I have recommended it to many, and indeed used it myself with the group I formed after I left my church, and found many wonderful revelations about myself, about the world, about the nature of vocation, and about God. I truly wish this might have been done in my own 'native' Episcopal community.



4. This book was recommended by my spiritual advisor. I was struggling with my call as a deacon. This book helped me look at the whole picture, not just a call in ministry, but a call in one's life. It clarified for me many things and I was able to see clearly the path to which I have been guided. It was also very helpful in how to help others discern their call.



5. The popular question, "Does God speak to us or tell us what we should do?" comes to mind when I think of the book, "Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community," Morehouse Publishing, 1991. We do live in an era of doubt, and Christianity or belief in God is lacking. Even among believers one wonders if one is following the will of God. In this book the reader finds ways to discover what God is saying for one's life.
   
   I came across this title as part of a one-day conference held by the Episcopal Church on discerning a call within community. The book was recommended reading by the San Francisco Bay Area organization (ECUSA). I read it gladly, and with interest. I want to know if I am doing what I should, and if I am meeting the needs of both my community and my Church--most certainly the will of God. For me, this is not an arrogant request, but a genuine one.
   
   The book is easy to read, informative, intelligent and direct. Its premise goes like this: "A call may come as a gradual dawning of God's purpose for our lives." Some may be surprised that lay people will want to respond to a call, usually thought reserved only for ordained clergy. I think call comes to the laity, too. We are under baptismal vows. If you are a Christian, or interested in knowing about God's will for you in work, service, prayer, even marriage, this is a worthwhile book. It is a book about ministry.
   
   Here is the rationale for ministry:
   
   "Doing good things--volunteer work, for instance--may not be ministry if God is not the motivating force--even if the person doing them is a Christian. On the other hand, if God is the motivating force, even those who do not consciously bear the name of Christ may participate in God's work. God used Cyrus, king of Persia, to release Israel from captivity, saying, "...I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me" (Isa. 45:4). One task of the Christian, then, is to recognize, affirm, and celebrate Christ's reconciling action in others, including non-Christians. A true minister is "anybody who is the channel to others of God's love, and is willing to share something of the cost of that love; and whose eyes are open to perceive God's presence everywhere and in everybody." In The Rule of St. Benedict, this same thought for monks goes: "...the work of the monk is to accept and participate in the divine saving activity in our life." The quote (Terrence G. Kardong, OSB) from another book demonstrates that this request of God and us is for all Christians the same. It is a general request that "Listening Hearts" addresses.
   
   You can see that I like this book, and I like the fact that a group of people put it together, a team effort of its own which reflects the kind of book this is for people who may be living in a community or team setting. It is as if a whole group thought these were good things, and a way to hear what God is saying.
   
   One needs confirmation in the subject area of discernment and acts of discernment, so there is a need for a book like "Listening Hearts." The book suggests this confirmation by community, and offers a guide to the book's use by groups. The appendix titles: "Guidelines for Discernment Groups;" "Types of Questions to Raise When Serving in Discernment Groups;" "Suggestions for Recognizing and Encouraging Ministries;" "Informal History of the Project and the Research Methods Used" by Suzanne Farnham. Authors of the book: Suzanne G. Farnham, Joseph P. Gill, R. Taylor McLean, Susan M. Ward. This edition is, "With Newly Formulated Guidelines for Discernment," and the "Newly Revised Edition."
   
   Some chapters are shorter than others. "Supporting the Ministries of Others" is a shorter chapter, but a necessary one for a book like this. I say a book like this, because it talks of living in community: "Without support, ministry may become lost. Without support, we may become lost." It isn't the length of chapter that is important, nor the pithy nature of the text, but the direct and practical way theological matters are explained. There is a common sense to this book.
   
   To emphasize the quest for God as subject for man and woman, the introduction quotes Soren Kierkegaard (1835): "What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what I am to know...The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wishes me to do...What good would it do me to be able to explain the meaning of Christianity if it had no deeper significance for me and for my life?" "Listening Hearts" is an aid in this journey of finding deeper significance in life. Not too long, written in a readable manner for the general reader, the book is good for group discussion and for individual reading.
   
   I don't think the writers considered this book the end or maybe even the beginning of a book on the subject of discernment. But among those available, this is an excellent one to have on hand, to read. The intent is to help with a living a question of what God may want for us, as living the good and bad in our lives is a living in the tensions of life with God. "Thus we gain hearts to listen and respond to God's call."
   
   --Peter Menkin, Easter 2007

5 comments about Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther.

1. This book was recommended to me by a Lutheran minister. I am not Lutheran, but when the school my children attend became a Lutheran school I thought that I should learn more about Luther. This book then is quite a scholarly work and goes into a lot of doctrine such as that of 'indulgences'. The great thing about this book is that you learn as much Catholic doctrine as you do Luthern because these doctrines must be explained before any critique is made. In some places the book is very easy to read (especially the parts detailing Luthers childhood and relationship with his family) and in others it is difficult (the doctirnal sections), but if you persist you will emerge much richer for the effort.



2. This book is written with intense, muscular prose, and oversees the life of a mighty thinker going through rough times for decades. Like the 16th century woodcuts that are depicted in illustrations throughout the work, the words seem to have a power that is more like an engraving or sculpture than passive tableau. The prose and mastery of complex theological, interpersonal, and historical issues gave me a reading experience I had not had since reading Allan Bullock's book on Hitler years ago.
   One feels profoundly immersed in the realities of Luther's struggles, yet at the same time, feels the imponderable weight of God's Providence. How did he wrestle with so many deep issues yet have time to marry, have six children, have meetings with friends and students, survive debilitating ailments, rebound from intense persecutions, and maintain a vibrant -- though sometimes coarse -- perspective? As I read the volume, I marched with Bainton through the intense and densely troubled waters of theological and liturgical disputes.
   Although I already in part knew the outcome;yet, at the same time, I was breathless: what would happen next? It was like watching those serial shows on TV years ago...what would happen to Flash Gordon in the next episode? So, I asked myself: how will Martin L. fare in the debate with Eck? How will he hold up before the Holy Roman Emperor? Will he survive the attacks on his life? What attitudes will he take towards other dissenting "Protestants?" It is a tribute to Prof. Bainton's narrative genius that I was brought into the "reality" of the times. In real life, we wonder: what will happen next -- especially with controversial actions that stir our deepest feelings.
   This book is more than a biography. As I said above, it's also a woodcut and a memorable personal experience where we get to participate in Prof. Bainton's great exposition of the life of the irascible but beloved Doktor Luther.



3. This edition of an otherwise wonderful book is terrible! The margins between the lines are so tight and the print so small and dense that one practically needs a magnifying glass to read it! We bought this as a Christmas gift for my husband's grandfather and were unable to give it to him because of its physical unreadability.



4. Good information on an important historical figure, but the reader has to tolerate far too much of the inane. For example, "...radio, television, and not even the internet were during John Calvin's time." Good to know.



5. This book was a great research source and a pretty easy read. I recommend this to anyone starting to study Martin Luther or the Reformation.

5 comments about Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don't Deserve (Plus).

1. This may turn people off because it talks about Christianity, but to me the author who is a Christian couldn't have illustrated it more perfectly than with talking about Christ. Christ provided the ultimate role model for forgiving others. When he died on that cross some 2,000 years ago he not only paid the penalty for our sins, but illustrated forgiveness on the cross while he was up there by asking God to forgive the ones who wanted him up there. I honestly don't feel that any of us could begin to start to learn about forgiveness without looking to Jesus Christ. I know I couldn't I tried for what seemed like an eternity to forgive those who hurt me as far back as 30 years ago, but it was a struggle to as I still wanted to see them suffer, and go to hell for what they did to me, and this was still after I accepted Christ. Let's face it if you've been able to forgive someone, and not think, or speak ill of them afterwards without Christ I want to meet you because somewhere through the stoic secular rhetoric I was told I missed something. Forgiveness is something that is not really held in high regard in the world as people are told to just let go, and move on, but how many people must we meet before we find the ones who meet up to our standards, and we know in our knower that they won't hurt us. I know some out there feel that "Well our families are all we need", but are we strong in ourselves that to prove we don't need Christ to forgive, and can overlook small and big disappointments our families can and will put us through. I'm a recovering unforgiver, and I've been unforgiving for over 30 years. Since reading this book I've forgiven 7 people who have hurt me, and others I'm chiseling around the edges. It's not an easy road to forgive others because you still wonder "Why Did It Have To Happen To Me?". There are things that are so small that need to be forgiven, and we don't think of them because they don't cause us financial, emotional, or physical, but left unchecked they can and will. I just can't think of forgiveness without looking to the cross because we all killed the Saviour, and not just Romans, or the Jewish. I mean the Germans, Irish, English, Arabians, Eskimos, etc. We all did it, and through it all he forgave us, and left a way open to come to him. For those who were offended I apologize, and I pray that you can learn to forgive.



2. Written by the author of 'Mere Morality' and 'How Can It Be All Right When Everything Is All Wrong?' he instructs us in the ways to go about righting a wrong by forgiveness, through encouragement. Forgiving starts with yourself. When you get hurt badly by the actions of others, if you'll reflect on what caused the hurt, it's possible you brought it on yourself. After the upset settles down and you can think clearly again, you need to first forgive yourself for being so gullible. A nasty person doesn't get hurt by the mean actions of others; he revels in the chaos and turmoil he inadverently caused. He's proud of what he did, as he is a monster. You can forgive yourself through the courage of love (for yourself). After all, as Christians we were told to love our enemies; sometimes, we are our own worst enemies. No one else cares about what you're going through or how much you hurt, so you must put #1 first in order to forgive.
   
   The rule is we cannot forgive ourselves unless we look at the failures in our past in a completely honest assessment. We all hurt ourselves. We need to consider the unfair harm we did to others. The memory of a moment when you lied to the person who trusted you; the times you turned away from somebody who called out to you for help. We hurt people by our bungling as much as we do by our vices. The more decent we are, the more acutely we feel the pain and hurt by those we'd let into our lives in a special way.
   
   Are some people unforgivable? There are monsters who perpetuate such evils (to them, it was fun -- a kick!) that ordinary people think are impossible. When you are betrayed, you feel the pain that all the betrayals of human history bring into this world. Some people who cause great harm, physically or psychologically, for which there was no rhyme or reason, are unforgivable! These monsters disqualify themselves forever from forgiveness by a human being. Psychially, there are inhuman. Others who, even inadvertently were the impetus (cause) of the abuse can be forgiven. Even those who refuse to accept responsibility and run from the consequences. You need the contrast in your life. How can you truly appreciate joy until you're first experienced some sorrow?
   
   Forgiving is a slow process. The victim of the abuse first must love himself again and realize that the world keeps on moving; only those involved know of the damage caused by one (or two) unfeeling individuals. Eventually, the one you cared for can be forgiven. He may not benefit from this process, but you will.
   
   Only then can you get on with your life. So, it's taken a different direction and you feel lost at first -- it can be done. Someday, the person who hurt you will be hurt as badly or more by someone else. What goes around comes around. It's the cycle of life. The earth keep revolving on its axis, and others face death without pain. When you hurt, you know you are still alive. Quality of life is important, but so is continuity. Don't ever give up, as life (even when in great pain) is worth living.
   
   Forgiving is love's revolution against life's unfairness. Anger is the executive power of human decency. You are not a failure at forgiving because you still harbor anger after a painful wrong was done to you. It is unrealistic to expect a single act of forgiveness to rid us of all angry feelings. I could never love my enemies. They are simply not worth thinking about.



3. I bought this book because of its title at a time when I was struggling with the issue; and subsequently led a retreat with it for a spiritual seeking group. I refer to its wise and intelligent guidance again and again. I have recommended it to others more times than I can count. It is a logical and compassionate process book for an area that touches everyone. Forgiveness seems to be part of the human condition and this text meets my needs. I have an on going account on this book because after fruitful conversations with others, I usually send them a copy. It does not have a time value as the contents wear well through the years.



4. I have bought multiple copies of this book over the years, giving it to friends in pain and reading and re-reading it myself. Deals with letting go of anger/hatred/pain through forgiveness and becoming free to once again experience joy in your life.



5. By the way, I almost never give a book the top rating but did for this one! This is the most psychologically and spirituality sound and practical book on forgiveness that I have ever encounterd. I *studied* this book, because I received heart-healing before finishing the book but found it had more riches each time I returned to it. Lewis Smedes served as the hand of God to heal my heart by showing me the goals and what I could do to reach them in an area where I had been struggling with deep, painful hurt for a long time, and had had other good spiritual help but still was not healed. God bless him!

5 comments about The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (Dover Value Editions).

1. Weber is the definitive introductory text in Modernization theory. Although somewhat western-centric, this book is essential reading for any college student, as it gave rise to many theories in every branch of social science, and still has more influence on theoretical thought than most social scientists would like to admit.



2. 
   
   
   In my youth I used to believe that Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism was the very last word in understanding, sociologically, the driving force behind capitalism in its prime. His premise, at least his expressed narrowly- defined one, that out of the mishmash of feudalism a `new' man and a `new' woman were being created who could subordinate their temporal desires enough to begin the tedious process of primitive capitalist accumulation that got the whole mode started, hit home hard to my young mind. Of course, that was not my conscious take on it at the time, although parts of it certainly were. What interested me the most wa that Weber was using some examples that were close to home, the Massachusetts Bay Colony experiment, and, being from Boston and steeped in Purtian history, that is why I was glad to get a copy of the work.
   
   Strangely, in recently re-reading the work I found that I was drawn by those same examples. Additionally, I was drawn by the huge set of footnotes at the end that I did not remember going through in my youth but offer some very interesting insights into how Weber put his argument together and the sources that he had available at the time and that he used. The re-reading poses this question, though. How does the work itself hold up?
   
   Of course today my class struggle perspective derived from a Marxist world view notes that Weber is clearly a political opponent. Not so much for his argument, which actually has a certain merit, but for his tenacious desire to use a quasi-Marxism materialist approach to sociology without drawing those requisite class struggle conclusions. I might add that the class struggle was fully raging in Germany at the time of the publication of this work as the Social Democratic Party was becoming the voice of the German working class. Weber, thus, really needed to keep his blinders on. Moreover, as a work of scholarship, which I will grant it certainly is, it is an early effort in the very long struggle to divorce sociological observations from any practical use. A militant today in order to benefit from reading this work has to do the equivalent of suspending disbelieve in the plot of a novel to realize that it is important to know what made capitalism tick in the old days and why we have to move on. Here, nevertheless is my very condensed take on the work today.
   
   In some place in 16th and 17th century Europe, the scope of Weber's study, individuals and small communities were breaking from the established churches, Roman Catholic and mainstream Protestant and creating, in some cases 'hit or miss', a culture that we today describe as secular but in the nature of those times had a religious connotation. That breakout, not without opposition and oppression by the constituted authorities, formed the nucleus of an ethic that made accumulation of wealth through hard work and thrift the norm-in short that private accumulation mentioned above. This, dear reader, was a historically progressive series of actions. In the year 2007 those traits have long since failed to be progressive. What is necessary, as Marx, Lenin, Trotsky and even someone like Che Guevara recognized is in the interest of social solidarity we need to create `the new socialist man and woman' out of the muck and mire of capitalism. Hell, we need our own version of the Protestant ethic-and if current worldwide economic conditions are any judge- we need it pronto. Read this one at your leisure.



3. A decisive intellectual victory over the numbing utilitarianism of the day -- as important now as it was a hundred years ago. In his masterpiece, Max Weber traces the development of the worldly Protestant ascetic spirit from its predecessor (medieval otherworldly asceticism) to its modern religious peak (Puritan social ethics) and beyond, to the current utilitarian economic thought (with no religious elements whatsoever).
   
   Weber also reveals the development of the spirit of capitalism as a tautologous paradigm of thought that has a long time ago abandoned its original religious motives, leaving behind only a system -- a ghost of a ghost -- that everyone must reproduce in order to survive. This is the "iron cage of [capitalistic] modernity" which we inhabit, and as Weber says, it will not be gone before "the last load of coal has been burned"... A chilling remark in retrospect, as we have now found out that the ever-growing global economy -- a growth for the sake of growth in both communist countries (especially China) and Western democracies -- is cooking up the Globe.
   
   I suggest you waste your money on this.



4. this book was somewhat difficult to get through because of the footnotes (i have trouble with footnotes), once you get that point though, it's a fantastic book. it discusses why the capitalist system we have now, and the morality we have now is the way it is. we have all heard of the protestant ethic yes? it is that you must work hard, without pleasuring yourself too much, for the sake of pleasing god. working as hard as you can allows a person to 'most effectively' utilize the gifts god has given them, but they cannot take pleasure in the fruits if this because too much pleasure would result in the breaking of some sin, greed or sloth or what have you, pretty much all of them can be connected i'm sure. but if you can't have fun with what you're working so hard to create, why work so hard? because you are pleasing god, setting yourself up for the next life if you will. well this is wonderful for a historical reference, but we're very much secularized in society today so why does any of this matter? well, weber contends that a man named calvin (yes calvinism) took the protestant ethic and tied it to capitalism. calvin took the protestant ethic, which was good because it got things done with little complaint from the workers, and connected it to the economic system by turning god into money. we can imagine the problems with this, if nothing else, there would be trouble behind the fact that what motivated people before was spiritual, and now we expect the same results because of different motivations. that's like using a car to float down a river instead of a boat. ya cars go forward wonderfully, on the medium they were designed for.
   
   so now we all ascetically put ourselves into our work towards the end of making more money. i'm not a history buff so i don't know if this is true or was just used as an example of how religion effected capitalism, but i don't really care as i can see the connections between the protesant ethic and our capitalist morality.
   
   weber calls where we are now the iron cage, kind of pessimistic, but he believes that now we're here, we're stuck here. we can't get out of the mental state we are in now, which i don't necessarily agree with, but can see how someone could. if you leave the economic system today, chances are you'll end up on the street. i think this is my favourite quote, it's right at the end of the book and sums up the final point quite well.
   
   "No one knows who will live in this cage in the future, or whether at the end of this tremendous development entirely new prophets will arise, or there will be a great rebirth of old ideas and ideals, or, if neither, mechanized petrification, embellished with a sort of convulsive self- importance. For the last stage of this cultural development, it might well be truly said: Specialists without spirit, sensualists without heart; this nullity imagines that it has attained a level of civilization never achieved before "
   
   an eye opener to say the least, but a really good read.



5. While I cannot claim to be able to read this classic work in the original German, I share many of the other reviewers' frustrations with regard to Talcott Parson's English translation of it. First is all the passages from other authors which are left in the original French, Latin etc. and which the average anglophone reader today will be hard-pressed to decipher. Second is the shortage of explanatory notes pertaining to the various minutiae upon which Weber dwells. Contemporary readers can't be expected to know anything about Pietism, for example, so a few footnotes would have been helpful. Finally, there's the dated quality of Parsons' language which seems more redolent of the 19th century than the mid-20th. Every time he uses the word "to-day" complete with its archaic hyphen, it's hard not to be reminded of how musty this translation is and how the far the "to-day" he's writing about is removed from the "today" we live in.
   
   For all the above reasons I would be reluctant to assign this book to an undergraduate class. Surely there's someone out there willing to take a shot at a new, fresher rendering of this book for the 21st century and fix some of the shortcomings of this rather flawed translation.

5 comments about A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/calvinist, ... anabaptist/anglican, metho (Emergentys).

1. Instead of criticizing and bashing those believers and sects of the Christain Faith who see and beleive things differently than he does, Brian McLaren takes a new and novel approach.
   
   Instead of concentrating on and ferreting out things, views and perspectives that divide, sometimes little and insignifican things, he chooses instead to concentrate on things, views, perspectives, beliefs and actions that unite.
   
   He seeks out and finds common ground of Christians of different persuasions...an impressive piece of work, as most of his books are.
   
   Fresh, novel approach...a good addition to Christian thought and literature. An especially good book for those who are beginning to doubt and question the faith as a whole because of the actions of a fanatic few.



2. Its hard to pin this guy down. he doesn't seem to want to take a stand on much that is not PC. That does make him controversial.
   
   His point about the Bible being narrative theology was well done, though I've thought about the Hebrew taking of the promise land in quite the terms he described. He seems to be open to evolution as an idea, which may bother some, but he doesn't really dwell on this. At one points he mentions that the substitutionary atonement was not in the original creeds and seems to infer that perhaps shouldn't be among our fundamentals (though he doesn't say this directly). Many others, including myself, see this as one of the very foundations of Christian belief and how one can practice the presence of God (which he calls us to) without experiencing this truth atonement puzzles me. I also am not sure what he has against the Patriarchs in the Bible bt he apologises for the fact that patriarchy is there.
   
   His presentation of the Anabaptists was great. So was his presentation of Pentecostals and contemplatives, two groups that aren't often associated. He does sight the reformed faith as being a creed which led to slavery in the new world or at least justified it. As far as I know, it was the Northern part of America which tended to be of the reformed faith and the south (especially the rich slave owning ones) tended to adhere mostly to the Anglican Church. (I am neither)
   
   I would disagree with one of his presuppositions, namely, that we need to change our message because we live in a dynamic context. I disagree. There is nothing new under the sun. The problems of sin, immorality, evil, depression that faced my parent's (and McLaren's) generation are the same today. Our reaction to them maybe different and our culture may be different, but our problems are the same and we need the eternal gospel preached to us, though perhaps in a different form, we need the same message.



3. I absolutely loved Brian McLaren's "A New Kind of Christian", a book that opened up a whole new world for me of possibilities of staying within the Christian faith, something on which I had almost given up. Rob Bell's "Velvet Elvis", in a different way, did the same. So I approached this next book by McLaren feeling exceptionally positive towards him and his writing.
   
   I wasn't disappointed. However this book is very different than "A New Kind of Christian". Once you get past the amusingly-titled but a little wordy Chapter 0 McLaren goes on a tour through different denominations and styles within Christianity, highlighting the good points about them (as well as looking at the bad), showing what we can all learn from this part of the church, and taking those good parts in order to build them into a new 'generous' orthodoxy. It's a great idea and it's also good to read a book which is very positive about so many denominations.
   
   Of course there are the negatives, and Brian says that he is from a particular part of the church and so perhaps he gives them a harder time (the conservative evangelical/fundamentalist wing). As this coincides very much with how I feel about that branch of Christianity that's no problem for me but I suppose readers from that tradition might find it uncomfortable reading at times. We're left in no doubt that McLaren is not a big fan of televangelists but he is a strong supporter of the green movement, that he is learning more to value the Roman catholic and Anglican ideas about liturgy and the mystical side of the church.
   
   What works very well is that each of the different elements in the book (missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetical, biblical etc) get their own chapter where he delves into that tradition/idea and often gives the history of the movement which was fascinating for me with many of these. He seems able to see the bigger picture with many of these denominations and, as usual in his style, he is positive about many things within them. It was good to read an upbeat book although there were also parts where, with Brian, I almost despaired. The chapter arrangement meant that I read this book over a couple of weeks, dipping into a chapter here and there, and it gave me time to mull over what he was saying and to think about the overall point.
   
   I salute Brian McLaren for this excellent look at a generous orthodoxy (or at least working towards creating one), a church for our 21st century which learns from the mistakes of the past but also doesn't throw out the baby with the bathwater but picks up those good aspects of the traditions and incorporates them into our postmodern world. This was an excellent read, a book I am sure I will return to many times, and of course the author's humble writing style is, as always, appealing.



4. The forward/intro didn't seem interesting.
   
   Chap 1. "The Seven Jesuses I have known" was my favorite part of the book. First I like how he shared his positive experiences with different communities & approaches to Christianity. He discusses theological focuses such as the cross/salvation (conservative Protestant), Holy Spirit/experience (Pentecostal), resurrection/sacraments (Catholic), incarnation/immanence (Eastern Orthodox), living the gospel (ana-baptist), missional (Evangelical), and God of justice & peace (liberal Protestant). That's my "off the top of my head" summary anyway...
   
   It sincerely sounds like he has been committed to believing and living each of these different approaches at different points in his life, and for the last 10 years has been trying to make sense of it all, and "emerge" with a belief system that respects all of them, and perhaps unifies them. In the second half of the book, he discusses the positives he sees in different Christian groups.
   
   Generous means inclusive/unifying these differing Christian ways, while Orthodoxy implies the doctrinal/belief systems of the modern world are adjusted in this post-modern world, with a more simple trust in Jesus as Lord (for both individuals and communities). This generous orthodoxy incorporates doctrines & practices from different denominations, tradition, Scripture, etc. It isnt something he really defines, although he says it wouldnt be pluralistic. I guess the point is that is isnt something set in stone, for which people need to conform. The vision is that post modern people can bring their thoughts, beliefs, and experiences to the Christian table without being shunned.
   
   There are particular beliefs he does speak against, including determinism, pre-destination, inerrancy & infallibility of Scripture, pluralism, authority of hierarchy/papacy, prosperity, "left-behind", and more I cant recall right now; while promoting political activism, environmental activism, mission work, living apart from society (Mennonites, Omish, etc), bible as narrative, small group gatherings, openness to evolution & modern science... In general, I think his beliefs follow the trend of the post-modern Christian populace, so it is fitting to have it written in a book as somewhat of an Orthodoxy.



5. I can't say that I agree with every single thing Brian McLaren says in this book. How could almost anyone who was raised in the church? A lot of what is said in this book really resonates with me, though. I may not have been a little bit irked by some small details, but I think the overall message of this book is one that all Christians should embrace. We DON'T have every aspect of theology figured out and we're still in a process for getting it figured out that we will never complete. That CHRIST should be the center of our belief system and all CHRISTians should strive to follow Christ. As Christians we need to look beyond the walls of our sanctuaries and look out into the world and look for opportunities to bless the WORLD (after all, in the Lord's eyes, we are all equally wretched human beings). And we need to STOP picking and fighting among ourselves over trivial doctrines and EMBRACE what we have in common and LEARN what we can from other traditions. I think that is really what McLaren is trying to tell us with this book.
   
   I have some general comments about the book. Brian McLaren is a wizard at the keyboard. The writing style here is superb and it is also very readable. In a world where time is getting harder and harder to find, this is important. It is also quite informative in aspect to Church History, which I have never had a good grasp on. It serves as a great overview for someone new to the subject and now that I have a small (but existent!) foundation, I am interested in reading up on the topic more thoroughly. Also, Brian gives tons of suggestions for further reading (with 148 total footnotes) so you definitely don't have to stop here. Lots of books to be read.
   
   A lot of people have dismissed this book as being Un-Biblical. To that I ask, "Are you serious?" Brian cites scripture throughout the book and doesn't say much of anything like "Here's the part where I flush my Bible down the toilet." Anyone who finds this book Un-Biblical simply confuses me, and I've yet to find someone to convince me of that statement. They just convince me that they didn't really READ the book.
   
   A lot of people seem to think that this is some attempt to pull the floor out from under the religious right. This is another argument that simply perplexes me. Almost every single time McLaren uses the words "liberal" or "conservative" they have absolutely NOTHING to do with politics. Usually Brian is talking about two different approaches to interpreting the Bible and how each of them have their own set of problem and we need to look to an alternative that sheds those
   
   Another reviewer accused Mclaren of doubting the existence of Hell. I'm not sure what book they were reading. McLaren just leaves the judgment aspect to God because who are depraved humans to exhibit divine judgment on each other.
   
   I hope not to sound like a complete jerk, but I just SO confused by the negative reviews for this book. I just don't understand. For anyone who found this book to be un-Biblical, or heresy or liberal propaganda, I'd encourage you to re-read it. I think the problem is that people tend to take minor passages from this book that may be slightly provocative (which are really tongue-in-cheek and clever, not meant to be taken too seriously) and they BLOW them out of proportion to the point where they miss out on McLaren's main point. This book is meant to be read with an open mind, so if you're ready for a challenging, thought provoking, book by all means open up your mind and read it. Thanks to this book, I have thought more about what my own version of orthodoxy looks like more than I ever have. I think that if he reads this review, McLaren will rejoice that at least one of his readers has gotten what he hoped out of this book.

5 comments about Healing for Damaged Emotions (Personal Growth Bookshelf).

1. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It pointed out to me that I've been looking at myself through different mirrors, and I haven't been seeing myself the way God sees me. Instead of placing more guilt on ourselves, David Seamand identifies the lies and misperceptions that we've been taught over the years and encourages us to break free from the bondage of those misperceptions. This is a book that every Christian should read.



2. I have read this book twice and given it to many friends and the responses are always the same. We need to understand the priciples is this book and apply them in our lives. None of us are exempt at some time or other in our lives from the issues discussed.



3. As a pastor and spiritual director, I've been using this book as a regular give-away to believers when it becomes obvious that they are stuck - some old wound is yet hindering them from normal spiritual growth in Christ. Having ministered among Native People for several years, as well as those dealing with addictions (even as Christians), I found the truths and principles Dr. Seamands expounds on very beneficial in truly helping people heal from their past emotional wounds, and the memories of them, and then be able to progress in spiritual development. I believe our churches have many folks sitting in the pews, Sunday after Sunday, with serious pain from their past adversely affecting their present ability to relate freely to Christ, or to others in relationships. Until we understand this, and how Christ can work through us as "ministers" by his healing grace to nullify the effects of debilitating memories, we will continue to see believers spiritually 'stuck', stagnated in their growth.
   Dr. Seamand's book HEALING OF MEMORIES (now titled, REDEEMING THE PAST: RECOVERING FROM MEMORIES THAT CAUSE OUR PAIN), builds on HEALING DAMAGED EMOTIONS by going, in detail, into the process of ministering healing to those with painful, debilitating memories. Every pastor who counsels should understand how to help believers in this way!



4. Great book to help you understand why you are the way you are.
   Really helped me a lot.



5. My husband and I bought this book when we heard it mentioned in a sermon. We have been very blessed by the insight that is helping us to look at ourselves and the way we communicate with each other. It helps you to realize what you've been carrying that has nothing to do with present-day relationships. It also challenges you to look at yourself the way God does. It is teaching us to re-assess our worth through God's eyes. Excellent book!

5 comments about Families Where Grace Is in Place.

1. Terrific book on Christian family relationships and living. I highly recommend this book to any family who desires to truly love and build up one another in Christ.



2. I liked the insight this book shared, but left wondering what I was supp
   osed to do with this new outlook, ideas on how to approach situations differently. I got tired of reading about all the personal success the author reported in raising his kids. I don't need a book for that.
   
   Like the approach but it ought to be fleshed out more with some less personal scenarios. Parenting is truly so personal.



3. This book has made an impact on my life and also my friends who have families. It has taught me to love with eyes of grace and not legalism or control.My family has benefited a great deal and I thank God and the author.



4. As a mother of two very young children, this book was recommended to me as I began my research on grace based discipline. I was excited to find it addresses not only the parent-child relationship but the husband-wife relationship as well. I learned so much from this book. I couldn't put it down. I definitely think that it should be read more than once, as it has some heavier parts and it can't all be truly digested in one read. Highly recommended!



5. This is a wonderful book to read and apply to your own life or give to others without having to worry that you will look pushy. It does have the "don't" section and the "do" section like a lot of other books of this type, but I found this book to have the most ideas and suggestions that stayed with me. Very inspirational without being holier-than-thou.

5 comments about The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst For the Divine.

1. In all of my years growing up as a "conservative evangelical"... I heard of A.W. Tozer quite often, but I have just now stopped to read my first Tozer book. After reading Tozer's "The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine", I can't help but wonder if all those preachers and teachers were speaking of another A.W. Tozer. I keep thinking, "How did they miss this?"
   
   Tozer writes of spiritual things, not of the religious outward works of the flesh. His concern is that we all might tune in our spiritual receptors and begin letting the Lord take us deeper into him. I resonated with this book in many things the Lord is presently teaching me.
   
   Tozer writes, "We have almost forgotten that God is a person and, as such, can be cultivated as any person can. It is inherent in personality to be able to know other personalities, but full knowledge of one personality by another cannot be achieved in one encounter."
   
   He goes on to say,"God is a person, and in the deep of His mighty nature He thinks, wills, enjoys, feels, loves, desires and suffers as any other person may... He communicates with us through the avenues of our minds, our wills, and our emotions."
   
   Yet, we must know that it is through the inner man (i.e. our spirit) that Christ's life governs the soul life and the body. Watchman Nee has written an excellent work regarding this matter. I encourage you to read "The Spiritual Man" and "The Release of the Spirit."
   
   Tozer has done a great thing to point out the flaws of the "smug and content" churches in America. Christ's 'forgiveness of sins' seems to be the resting place of most Christians... never moving on in purusit of Christ in all things. These people settle for programs, passions, ministries, and movements... they never grow up into Christ.
   
   Tozer writes, "Why do some persons "find" God in a way that others do not?" He answers, "The difference lies not with God but with us."
   
   If I could sum up this book in one phrase... it would be: SPIRITUAL RECEPTIVITY. Tozer beckons us to press on to Christ in God as person, not as a floating spirit hovering on the ceiling during worship and prayer time. Those who follow the urge to press on further into Christ and do something about that urge instead of ignoring it... will know the depths and the riches of the Living God.
   
   We must move on past our doctrinal knowledge of God and enter into Christ, the Person. Tozer writes, "the highest love of God is not intellectual, it is spiritual. God is Spirit and only the spirit of a man can know Him really."
   
   There are many who will label this kind of book as "Christian mysticism" or "the deeper Christian life". I am uncomfortable with using both of these phrases regularly... and lean toward not using them at all. The confusion comes by a failure to distinguish between what is "normal" and what is "common".
   
   What I mean is... it may not be common for man to speak of experience with Christ in the way of a Tozer, Sparks, Nee, Merton, or Madame Guyon. Nevertheless, it is not abnormal and should not be considered "deeper" or "mystical". These are not words used of the first disciples and I see them being completely unnecessary, and even distracting, when speaking of the normal Christian life Christ has lived, died, and been resurrected to freely give to all.
   
   The apostle Paul spoke of the life of Christ in the same way as the so-called "mystical" Christian writers. We should not think that Paul was speaking of life that only a few can experience. Coming into the life that is described by Paul and many of the Christian "mystics"... is nothing deserving of any name or title other than the normal worship of Christ, the Person of God.
   
   We should understand this "deeper" part of our journey with Christ as being a normal progression of the working out of salvation and us being made complete in Christ (Phil. 2:12; Col. 2:2-3). These unnecessary words and phrases do not put the emphasis on the person of Christ, but on the person who worships him. I see no need for the distractive adjectives and the luring language of super Christians.
   
   I also recommend reading:
   The Spiritual Man (3 volume set)
   The Centrality of Jesus Christ (Works of T. Austin-Sparks) Volume One
   The Release of the Spirit
   Christ the Center (Harper's Ministers Paperback Library)
   Christ the Sum of All Spiritual Things
   The Normal Christian Life (Hendrickson Christian Classics)
   Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ (Library of Spiritual Classics, Volume 2)



2. A must for those who wish to know their creator better. Something you'll read over and over again.



3. A wonderful book that will present to you the relationship a very Godly man had with his Lord. It will challenge you and inspire you if you let it.



4. I will read this book over and over again. If you desire to know God intimately, there is no book I've seen apart from the Bible that will help you as much in your relationship with God as this book.



5. This is a review of "The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine" by Tozer.
   
   Based on all the positive reviews I was expecting to read a kind of second C.S. Lewis. This turns out not to be the case. The book by Tozer is brief (which is a plus in my view, since it is much more difficult to write a well thought through short book, than to dump ones incoherent thoughts in many pages) and has many good fragments. My main objection to this book is the style in which Tozer writes: perhaps it is my not being a native English speaker and not being brought up with the bible and not being used to a typical 'religious writing style', but I found the style of the whole book and his choice of words/phrases rather difficult. It makes no easy reading. Much use of "thou", quotes in older English and bible passages. All together I found this rather distracting from the content. Bottom line: it was not what I expected and hoped for.
   
   My advise: manage your expectations, and first read a few sample pages before you decide to buy this book.