General Books

The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

Timothy Keller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Every Elder Brother Needs to Read this Book! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Newsweek called Tim Keller the "C.S. Lewis for the twenty-first century." That is a bold statement! After reading this book, I have to agree with Newsweek. A true understanding of the Parable of the Two Lost Sons is a good understanding of the Gospel. If you see yourself as the elder brother, you are in trouble! Churches are full of elder brothers (whitewashed tombs, unmarked graves, brood of vipers). In one word -- REPELLENT! I heard a Tim Keller lecture where he categorized people as either moralists (all truth and no grace) or relativists (all grace and no truth). He used the imagery of the three crosses. Both moralism and relativism are thieves! Jesus hangs on the cross in the center of the two thieves. Jesus is Grace and Truth. One more thing about the elder brother -- he should have gone looking for his lost brother...

Editorial Review:

Newsweek called renowned minister Timothy Keller “a C. S. Lewis for the twenty-first century” in a feature on his first book, The Reason for God. In that book, he offered a rational explanation of why we should believe in God. Now, in The Prodigal God, he uses one of the best-known Christian parables to reveal an unexpected message of hope and salvation.

Taking his trademark intellectual approach to understanding Christianity, Keller uncovers the essential message of Jesus, locked inside his most familiar parable. Within that parable Jesus reveals God's prodigal grace toward both the irreligious and the moralistic. This book will challenge both the devout and skeptics to see Christianity in a whole new way.

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

A. J. Jacobs

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Total reviews: 396 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From the bestselling author of The Know-It-All comes a fascinating and timely exploration of religion and the Bible.

Raised in a secular family but increasingly interested in the relevance of faith in our modern world, A.J. Jacobs decides to dive in headfirst and attempt to obey the Bible as literally as possible for one full year. He vows to follow the Ten Commandments. To be fruitful and multiply. To love his neighbor. But also to obey the hundreds of less publicized rules: to avoid wearing clothes made of mixed fibers; to play a ten-string harp; to stone adulterers.

The resulting spiritual journey is at once funny and profound, reverent and irreverent, personal and universal and will make you see history's most influential book with new eyes.

Jacobs's quest transforms his life even more radically than the year spent reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica for The Know-It-All. His beard grows so unruly that he is regularly mistaken for a member of ZZ Top. He immerses himself in prayer, tends sheep in the Israeli desert, battles idolatry, and tells the absolute truth in all situations - much to his wife's chagrin.

Throughout the book, Jacobs also embeds himself in a cross-section of communities that take the Bible literally. He tours a Kentucky-based creationist museum and sings hymns with Pennsylvania Amish. He dances with Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn and does Scripture study with Jehovah's Witnesses. He discovers ancient biblical wisdom of startling relevance. And he wrestles with seemingly archaic rules that baffle the twenty-first-century brain.Jacobs's extraordinary undertaking yields unexpected epiphanies and challenges. A book that will charm readers both secular and religious, The Year of Living Biblically is part Cliff Notes to the Bible, part memoir, and part look into worlds unimaginable. Thou shalt not be able to put it down.

Mother Angelica's Private and Pithy Lessons from the Scriptures

Raymond Arroyo

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Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Word is made fresh by the irrepressible Mother Angelica as she personally escorts you through the Scriptures, unearthing lessons for daily living--the perfect companion to the New York Times bestselling Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality.

The founder of the world's largest religious media empire shares her beloved wit and down-to-earth spirituality in MOTHER ANGELICA'S PRIVATE AND PITHY LESSONS FROM THE SCRIPTURES. Editor Raymond Arroyo draws on hundreds of never-before-released private lessons to present the renowned nun's definitive take on the Good Book. Angelica provides readers with guided meditations, probing personal questions, and reveals an often-overlooked practical spirituality. She doesn't just explain the stories, she relates them to our daily lives, helping even those who've never opened the Bible experience its power and life-altering lessons. The apostles Paul ("the little shrimp"), Peter ("that great bungler") and all the characters of the Scriptures are suddenly human again, complete with their foibles and triumphs. Here is the Greatest Story, newly told as only Mother Angelica can. The Bible and you will never be the same.

A portion of the royalties from this book goes to support the work of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine

Wayne Grudem

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 135 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Outstanding and Unsurpassed 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The title of my Review says it all, and since there are already over 130 Reviews, I will make this short. This is simply the best comprehensive modern systematic theology in one volume on the market I have seen in 40 years of ministry. Why? It covers charismatic, evangelical, historical, liturgical and every other angle theologically, is reader friendly, loaded with footnotes and references from every Christian persuasion, and yet not avoiding thorny and difficult topics usually only tackled by very independent writers. No wonder it has sold over a quarter of a million copies in such a short time.

Thank God 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This a fantastic book!,Imagine a book on Theology for everyman to enjoy,From the scholar to the layperson,everyone can enjoy understanding who God is.And this gentleman seems to write from a perspective of really loving God and people too,without any desire to impress anyone with his knowledge as Mr Grudem could easily do,This is a masterpiece and I cannot overemphasize how enjoyable and solid this hefty volume is,We need more men like this to break down these wonderful truths for us and yet they are still as meaty and can be as deep as you need to go with them,I thank my God for using Mr Grudem to bring this to us,all Glory to Him!!

Editorial Review:

This introductory textbook has several distinctive features: a strong emphasis on the scriptural basis for each doctrine; clear writing, with technical terms kept to a minimum; and a contemporary approach.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible

James Strong

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Unlimited Possibilities 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Strong's Concordance provides a way to study words Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic -- the languages of the the Bible -- without knowing these languages. It was designed for people who need this kind of help.

It has other uses also. Sometimes I have a verse of scripture in mind, but I cannot remember all of it or the precise meaning. I want to recall the exact words. If I can think of a single word that is unusual, a word likely to be found in only a few specific passages, I can use the word to find the verse by looking in the concordance.

Then while I'm looking, I may want to find similar passages about the subject. All the passages are easy to find using the Strong's Concordance.

There are programs on the Internet, such as the one at Blue Letter Bible dot org, with the same capacity for locating verses; sometimes though the book is better. There are quiet study times away from the computer, and there are times when the computer screen is otherwise busy.

I have friends who never go online. The Strong's Concordance is perfect for them. A concordance is a lovely gift.

Editorial Review:

This re-typeset handi-size edition includes Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary for help in finding original words and the original meanings. It is easy to find a specific Bible verse or to research all the verses in the Bible on a specific word or topic. The Words of Christ are in bold type.

The Bondage Breaker® Audiobook

Neil T. Anderson

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Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Spiritual warfare 101 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is quite simply the best book I have read on spiritual conflicts and warfare. I was blessed immensely by it. Neil Anderson uses scripture, personal stories, and the warmth and understanding of a counselor to expose the darkness and lies of satan. After reading this I am much more aware of the enemy's schemes and am able to effectively combat the lies with the truth of God's word. The book itself is not a cure-all problem solver - it is a truth exposer and a pointer in the right direction. I highly recommend this and "Victory Over the Darkness" especially to Christians stuggling with depression, anxiety, fear, lust, or anger. I also highly recommend this book to any Christian seeking to understand spiritual warfare. I give Neil Anderson's books the highest possible recommendation.

Editorial Review:

Over a million people have discovered the liberating truths of Neil T. Anderson’s The Bondage Breaker. Now on 3 CDs and with a new cover, this dynamic audio presentation by the author sheds light on God’s power over sin and reveals what it means to be set free as a child of God.

For 20 years the biblical guidance of The Bondage Breaker has helped people discover how to break negative thought patterns, break out of the bondage of sinful behavior, and experience freedom when they:

• fight the temptation to do it their way
• trade deception for grace
• confront the power of Satan
• actively affirm their identity in Christ

This life–changing resource helps anyone facing a struggle understand Jesus’ promise to win the spiritual battles that confront them.

Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts You've Never Been Told

Joe Kovacs

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Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Shocked by the Bible sets the record straight with well-researched, controversial, myth-breaking assertions about what the Bible really does-and doesn't-say.

Myths and misconceptions about the Bible's content abound, and churchgoing Christians are often as confused as everyone else. Fed up with this lack of public knowledge, author Joe Kovacs has compiled some of the most crucial information for correcting people's faulty education on what the Bible really says. If readers have ever wondered about God, the Bible, or the meaning of life, and are just not satisfied with the answers they've received-or if they want to learn what the Bible really says on troubling questions-Shocked by the Bible is an essential resource for helping both Christians and non-Christians alike.

Kovacs says, "If people actually knew what is in their Bible-the nonstop sex and violence, the hilarious comedy, and the astounding facts their pastors never told them-they'd rush to crack it open and get the surprise of their lives."

Among the little-known facts Kovacs explores are:

• Jesus said NO ONE has gone to heaven except Himself
• The Bible never says Jesus died on a Friday or rose from the grave Sunday morning
• "Christmas" is not mentioned in the Bible
• "Easter" has vanished from the Bible
• God wanted to kill Moses
• "God the Father" is never mentioned in the Old Testament
• There weren't just two of every kind of animal aboard Noah's Ark
• The worst case of hemorrhoids in history is recorded in the Bible
• Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were not Jews
• Jesus made personal appearances on Earth in the Old Testament
• The Bible tells you not to eat your dog or cat for dinner
• God ordered many of His own people to get divorced
• Elijah did not cheat death by riding a chariot to heaven
• And many more

The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible

Scot McKnight

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good Book, but Missing Something 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Blue Parakeet is a book about a book, namely the Bible. ScotMcKnight challenges Christians to read the Bible as a story, not as a set of laws or morsels of blessings. McKnight feels that only by reading the Bible as a story can we grasp the truth that God is trying to impart to humanity. McKnight uses the metaphor of a blue parakeet in his backyard to illustrate his point. A blue parakeet once inhabited his backyard, causing the other birds to be at once terrified and curious. He says the Bible does the same thing; it is something that is often times what we don't want to hear, but we are captivated by it at the same time.


This book alternately thrilled and bored me. It never really hits its stride. The introductory chapter blew me away. McKnight asked controversial and thought-provoking questions, but never really got around to addressing them. A lot of the chapters are filled with theories and categorizing, which makes you feel like you're slogging through a textbook. But just when you are ready to give up on the book, McKnight injects life into the discussion, making you take a closer look at your own personal interpretation of the Bible, and whether it is right or wrong to even have an individual interpretation of the Bible.

If you are a student of the Bible, then you will probably like this book. But if you aren't a big fan of scholarly works of the Bible, stay away.

Editorial Review:

The Blue Parakeet is author Scot McKnight’s deeply reasoned, compelling statement of how to read the Bible in a new evangelical generation. In re-examining the Bible, McKnight provides an exciting “Third Way” that appeals to the millions in today’s church who long to be authentic Christians, but don’t consider themselves theologically conservative or liberal.

The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth

Thomas Jefferson

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Total reviews: 45 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Jesus said... 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have long believed that the way Jesus said to live was more important than his immortality (or mine). I knew our "Founders" didn't base our constitution on "Judea-Christian values", as is frequently proposed by some
political/religious leaders, but on principles of the Enlightenment which they believed would bring a new kind of government, free of religious oppression, first to America, and then to the world.

The only books on the subject are very large, very scholarly, very informative, but... how nice to have this little book on my coffee table where curious minds can explore the thinking of one of America's most forward looking leaders, and read just the words of Jesus, without the mythology attached to his death by future theologians.

The preface, the introduction and chapter about Jefferson's contemporaries is a history lesson every
American should review. No-one who has visited my home has found it in any way offensive, but all
find it enlightening !

Editorial Review:

Thomas Jefferson believed that the pure-principled teachings of Jesus should have been separated from the dogma and abuse of organized religion of the day. This led him to recast, by cutting and pasting from the gospels, a new narrative of the life and teachings of Jesus, where, according to Jefferson, "there will be found remaining the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man."

Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally

Marcus J. Borg

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Total reviews: 74 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Reading the Bible with Love AND Honesty 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Marcus Borg is a my nominee for the best theologian of the 21st century. His writing is clear, compelling and full of integrity. What's more, his many books are truly accessible to a popular audience -- unlike so many other works by ponderous academic writers.

"Reading the Bible Again for the First Time" is Borg's masterpiece, in my opinion -- even better than his more famous books on Jesus. It's both concise and convincing, kind and yet deeply challenging. The average person could read it from cover to cover in about three hours. (Read more slowly if you want to enjoy each wonderful chapter.)

Borg's basic argument is this: A modern literalist reading of the Bible is not just intellectually dishonest, but it actually prevents us from experiencing the many wonders and rich treasure trove of meaning contained in Scripture. That's why his subtitle is "Taking the Bible Seriously, But Not Literally."

Borg, himself a believer in the Anglican tradition, recounts his own spiritual journey from naive (childhood) literalism through doubt and disbelief and ultimately to a more mature understanding of the Bible. Key points include the following:

-- Some parts of the Bible are clearly based on historical events (e.g., who was king of Israel during what period of time).
-- Others provide spiritual insight and meaning through the use of metaphor (e.g., the Tower of Babel).
-- Forcing metaphor into historical reporting, or visa versa, is an enormous mistake that leads to all sorts of problems. It's not only dishonest, it's also completely unnecessary.
-- We should read the major sections of the Bible in the true context in which they were written (e.g., the prophets of the Hebrew Bible had profound messages for humanity but they were focused on Jewish society at the time).
-- We must also be honest about when and how the Bible was written, edited, revised and published. If God is truth, he certainly doesn't want us to lie about the origins of Scripture.

The fact that something in the Bible may not be "historically true" in the sense of a newspaper report does not mean that it isn't "spiritually true" in a much more profound sense. To use a secular analogy, the great soliloquy in Hamlet was never actually spoken by a prince of Denmark. Yet it contains great truth and wisdom for all of us today.

If you are a spiritual searcher, or you are annoyed by people who pick bits out of the Bible to use as weapons, I strongly urge you to read this amazing book. You won't regret it!

Editorial Review:

Growing numbers of Christians both inside and outside the organized church are unwilling to abandon the modern world of science and critical thinking in order to believe, and are searching for an enlightened, modern way to understand their faith and the Bible. Leading biblical expert Marcus Borg offers them a bold new understanding of scripture that respects both tradition and reality. Covering all the essential texts of the Old and New Testaments, Borg demonstrates how such stories as Adam and Eve, the Sacrifice of Isaac, the Gospel miracles and even the Resurrection are not historical reports as much as vital teaching stories about our relationship with God and Jesus. Moving away from the narrow literalism that drives so many away from the profound richness of the Bible, this groundbreaking book blends the best of biblical scholarship with a profound concern for authentic Christian faith and how it can be lived today.