Theology Books - Page 3

The Purpose Driven Church

Rick Warren

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 125 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Sudy Book 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I purchased these for my Graceful Ladies Bible Study group, at their request. We haven't begun, yet, but we are anxious to get started.

The Bible of Church Management 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent text for any phase of church management. I kept trying to find areas to disagree with and I found none!

Good book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I enjoyed this book better than the Purpose Driven Life. Good sound strategies or a seeker service style program.

completely satisfied 5 out of 5 stars.
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This was my first experiance with Amazon and I was completely satisfied .The book was just like new ,I don't think it had ever been read .It was sent fast and packaged good .I would buy again .
Thanks for a good first time experiance .

What can you say 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I have read this book many, many times. The only things about it that I don't like are all the references to growth it contains. The dustcover has so many references to growth it sickens me, but Warren probably didn't write that and the publishers know who will be reading.

The book is great at helping a church ask questions that need to be asked and helping a church to find a paradigm that would be pleasing to God. Regardless of what type of church you are in this book will be of some benefit to you. If you've got a problem with the paradigm of being purpose driven then you've got a problem with scripture.

The End of Reason: A Response to the New Atheists

Ravi K. Zacharias

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Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Disappointing and simplistic 2 out of 5 stars.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.

In _The End of Reason_, Ravi Zacharias ultimately fails to counter arguments put forth by the so-called "new atheists," particularly Sam Harris, who authored _The End of Reason_ and _Letter to a Christian Nation_. Zacharias offers two major arguments in favor of a theistic worldview, but neither one is ultimately persuasive.

Zazharias's first argument is that a life without God has no meaning. In Zacharias's view, the inevitable conclusion to this worldview is suicide. No meaning? No reason to live. Zacharias further excoriates those who, confronted with meaninglessness, instead seek meaning through empty hedonism.

Zacharias's conclusion seems simplistic. This seems overly simplistic, and entire schools of philosophy -- existentialism in particular -- confront the question of whether a person should suicide, given a lack of meaning in the universe. Moreover, I suggest that if a person concludes that there is no God to grant meaning to life, then perhaps that person can find that meaning elsewhere. Through family or through friends. Through work or through craftsmanship. Through intellectual debate, if nothing else.

Zacharias's second argument also largely fails. Zacharias argues that without a divine lawgiver, there can be no morality. In particular, Zacharias spends inordinate amount of ink claiming inconsistency in Harris's belief in moral standards and denial of God. If there is an absolute moral standard, Zacharias reasons, there must be a God. There are moral standards, therefore there is a God.

Again, Zacharias's ship of argument cracks open against the shoals of complication. For some reason, Zacharias chooses to ignore entire theories on the origin of morality, any numebr of which lack a divine origin. Social contract theory? Non-existent. Consequentialism? Not a chance. Deontology? Only in the context of a divine lawgiver. Evolutionary development of morality? Absent.

Again and again and again, Zacharias assays simplistic approaches to complicated philosophical issues. And again and again and again, Zacharias's approach is unsatisfactory and unpersuasive. I cannot recommend this book as a suitable rebuttal to the "New Atheists."

That said, Zacharias still merits a two-star, rather than one-star rating for one thing. Both of Harris's works are replete with an attitude just short of outright hatred toward the faithful and organized religion, and Zachrias rightfully takes Harris to task for this religious bigotry.

Editorial Review:

When Sam Harris wrote his book Letter to a Christian Nation, stating that Christians display “murderous intolerance,” Dr. Ravi Zacharias felt called to answer. The End of Reason is a clear and powerful response to the “utter bankruptcy” of Harris’s New Atheism as it explains the true nature of God, the foundation for evil in the world, and the basis of true morality.

Sunflower, The: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness

Simon Wiesenthal

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Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

While imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, Simon Wiesenthal was taken one day from his work detail to the bedside of a dying member of the SS. Haunted by the crimes in which he had participated, the soldier wanted to confess to--and obtain absolution from--a Jew.

This unusual encounter and the moral dilemma it posed raise fundamental questions about the limits and possibilities of forgiveness. Must we, can we forgive the repentant criminal? Can we forgive crimes committed against others? What do we owe the victims?

Thirty-five years after the Holocaust, Wiesenthal asked leading intellectuals what they would have done in his place. Collected into one volume, their responses became a classic of Holocaust literature and a touchstone of interfaith dialogue. This revised edition of The Sunflower includes 46 responses (ten from the original volume) from prominent theologians, political leaders, writers, jurists, psychiatrists, human rights activists, Holocaust survivors, and victims of attempted genocides in Bosnia, Cambodia, China and Tibet. Their answers reflect the teachings of their diverse beliefs--Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, secular, and agnostic--and remind us that Wiesenthal's question is not limited to events of the past.

Often surprising and always thought-provoking, The Sunflower will challenge you to define your beliefs about justice, compassion, and human responsibility.

Orthodoxy

G. K. Chesterton

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Total reviews: 86 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Christianity Vol. 2 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

While Chesterton dedicates this book to his mother, he claims that George Slythe Street is the books inspiration and creator. That is, G.S. Street was one of many critics to present an opinion about Chesterton's Heretics, and happened to have presented the opinion to which Chesterton responded. When on the first page Chesterton states that it was incautious of Street to provoke an individual that is all too ready to write books, and in the final sentence of the first chapter claims that he would write Street another book if he needed clarification with regard to a topic only touched upon by Chesterton, it quickly becomes clear that Orthodoxy is yet another shining example of Chesterton's mirth applied to frequently solemn subject matter. Orthodoxy, as Chesterton appears to agree, is, however, the appropriate conclusion to the work he began with Heretics. If Heretics presented all that is wrong, Orthodoxy can rightly be seen as presenting the standard by which Chesterton deemed such philosophies heretical. To truly appreciate either of the aforementioned titles, both should be read as if they were a singular work.

In Orthodoxy, Chesterton does justify his position maintained throughout Heretics in a manner as uniform as he might have been able to conjure. Throughout the work Chesterton utilizes his own experiences and thoughts to illustrate and, perhaps, demonstrate his seemingly inevitable arrive at truth. At times it almost seems as if Chesterton slips into irrelevant stream of thought tangents but never fails to reconcile his intended point, illuminating the necessity of what might have otherwise seemed entirely unnecessary. In fact, Chesterton masterfully builds what he claimed is not a properly thorough defense of Christianity into what might be one of the most poignant apologetic works ever. He does so in a way that makes Orthodoxy read like a suspense novel in that the entire effort bears its timeless fruit in the last few pages, if not in the last sentence, after supplying almost innumerable pieces of information that appeared just unrelated enough to ensure that the final piece would act as a blazing beacon of a keystone. While Chesterton might have failed to present that tangible evidence, that scientific process by which the claims of Christianity can be undoubtedly proved, he clearly and boldly presented that proof which every Christian exists for; the proof that every Christian can verify, albeit not as gracefully. While Chesterton's The Everlasting Man might be the work that he is best known for, Heretics and, especially, Orthodoxy are magnificent demonstrations of Chesterton's ability to cast light on the eventual obvious reality and significance of everything.

Editorial Review:

"G. K. Chesterton routinely ignites more ideas per page than any Christian author of the twentieth century, with the possible exception of C. S. Lewis. Chesterton sometimes overstates, often maddens, and invariably provokes a new and better way of seeing things. In this book, he offers us new ways of seeing the greatest things of all: divine things of the gospel." -John G. Stackhouse, Jr.

The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives

Dallas Willard

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Excellent Challenge for Those Who Want a Deeper Spiritual Walk With God 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

"The Spirit of the Disciplines" focuses on the various disciplines that God uses to change people's lives. The book contains 11 chapters and 2 appendix for a total of around 265 pages.

Each of the 11 chapters addresses a particular theme. Chapter 9, addressing the specific disciplines, is my personal favorite. According to Willard in Chapter 9, the disciplines are separated into 2 groups:

1. Abstinence - This group consists of actions that helps us from becoming too involved in the world so we may better focus on God instead of the things of this world. The disciplines included here are: solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy, and sacrifice. Willard's comments on solitude and silence were particularly insightful (solitude can help us in resisting conformity to this world).
2. Engagement - This group consists of actions we can do to serve others in this world so as to not become so isolated that we render ourselves useless to be used by God for His glory. Disciplines included here are: study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession, and submission.

Other chapters (such as 11) address issues such as: can a Christian be financially and spiritually successful at the same time?

Willard will definitely challenge you to think and pay attention as you read, so be forewarned - this is not a light read!

Read, enjoy, and be challenged and encouraged! Highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

How to Live as Jesus Lived

Dallas Willard, one of today's most brilliant Christian thinkers and author of The Divine Conspiracy (Christianity Today's 1999 Book of the Year), presents a way of living that enables ordinary men and women to enjoy the fruit of the Christian life. He reveals how the key to self-transformation resides in the practice of the spiritual disciplines, and how their practice affirms human life to the fullest. The Spirit of the Disciplines is for everyone who strives to be a disciple of Jesus in thought and action as well as intention.

The Everlasting Man

G. K. Chesterton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 61 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good book ruined by an incompetent publisher 1 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This may have been a fine work in its original form, but this edition (Wilder Publications, 2008) is so shoddy, it isn't worth the effort to try to read it. Based on my own experience with OCR software, I would guess that this publisher scanned an old copy, translated it to text, then reformatted it, and printed it. There is no evidence that anyone proofread it prior to printing. It it doubtful that it was even run through a spell-check program. Periods are missing at the ends of sentences; words are left out; "d", "h", and "b" are confused; apostrophies are inserted randomly (probably fly-spots on the original), "and" repeatedly appears as "an", "modern" almost always appears as "modem", etc. ad infinitum.
I read through about a fourth of the book before giving up in exasperation.

Editorial Review:

A history of humanity, Christ, and Christianity, this 1925 polemic famously converted C. S. Lewis from atheism. Chesterton's view of Christianity — as a rare blend of philosophy and mythology, satisfying to both intellect and spirit — applies to his brilliant book, which appeals to readers' heads as well as their hearts.

Picture Bible

Iva Hoth

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 69 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Spanish language child's Bible 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My Godson and his mother are really pleased with this Bible. It provides a good teaching tool, that is easier to follow than the King James version of the Bible. It is colorfully illustrated, and very easy to read.

Excellent Bible beginner for Children 5 out of 5 stars.
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My parents purchased a Picture Bible for me in the early 1980's when I was a child. It truly made the bible stories come alive to me from a child's perspective. As a child it is sometimes difficult to visualize all the details within the a story of the bible but, the picture bible presents the stories in a pictorial comic-book layout that really brings it to life makeing it fun to read. I just purchased this picture bible for my daughther. It appears to be a reprint of the one I read years ago as a child. I would highly recommend it.

It's a comic book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I buy these bibles by the case as an evangeliziing tool - to give to people as gifts. Last week I heard a teenage girl light up in her group of friends expressing joy that this bible was a comic book - this made the others wish they too had listened and engaged in thoughtful discussion about the meaning of life. Of all the comic book like bible books, I like this one the best because it is very detailed and sticks to the words of the bible. It's good for all ages - helps people read the bible who otherwise would not, and learn the life lessons through biblical stories.

Editorial Review:

This full-color action Bible can be understood and enjoyed by people of all ages.

Theology Of The Body For Beginners

Christopher West

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Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Tragic Quasi-Theology of the Body 1 out of 5 stars.
15 of 40 people found this review helpful.

As an academic theologian, I was intrigued when this book was not only being passed around among my friends and students but was recommended as one of the finest explications on the body, gender, and sexual intimacy as seen through the writings of John Paul II. It is not. And I say this not as a critic of those with conservative Christian beliefs (I am one), I say this because what West teaches in this volume is so sadly misdirected. In fact, I shared an outline of this book with a number of colleagues who gasped just as I did. "Surely," one said, "this guy doesn't have a degree in theology." And that was it. To the trained reader, this book falls apart not long after one begins to read it. West needs a theological mentor.

In a word (a fuller exploration is impossible), West thinks our society has become "Gnostic" and so flees from this heresy into the arms of a materialism ('monism') with an application to sex that we haven't seen since the 1960s. A colleague linked it to ancient near east pagan fertility religions. West exploits our understanding of marriage and misconstrues the place of sexual intimacy within it. For West, sex is no longer a gift from God, it is a "participation" in divine life -- on a parallel to how one participates with God in sacramental worship (e.g. the eucharist). Therefore to have sex (within marriage) is to gain some access to divine reality that one does not gain elsewhere. And with this surprising announcement, West thinks that the church will not only protect the sanctity of sex but recharge marital sex with all the exciting goodness God planned for it. There is a lot more, but this is the gist of it.

The book ends -- really, it is a major part of the book -- with an angry screed against any form of contraception. The ethical and medical arguments are considered, but the theological conclusions are utterly irresponsible. To use contraception is to reap the most severe criticisms. It is to deny any relationship with God, to void one's marriage, and to sin in the most profound sense. Of course, Natural Planning is the only option offered.

There are a lot of solid orthodox books of sexuality, the intimacy of persons, marriage, and the relationship of sexual life to marriage. One will find solid Catholic works on the relationship of marriage to sacramental life. But this is not one of them.

I couldn't help thinking that the outrageous, pop-theology style of West is one of the things that make people want to read him. Surely Christian theology, even bright laity like West, can do better than this. At least we should stop recommending him to our friends.

Editorial Review:

According to Pope John Paul II, if we live according to the true meaning of our sexuality, we "fulfill the very meaning of [our] being and existence." The human body is a "theology" because it is meant to be a sign of God's own life and love in the world. With clarity and precision, Christopher West unpacks John Paul II's Theology of the Body, translating it into a language everyone can understand.

Theology of the Body for Beginners explores the profound interconnections between sex and the deepest questions of human existence, including:

What is the meaning of life?
Why did God create us male and female?
How do we attain true happiness on earth?
What kind of joys await us in heaven?
Why is there evil in the world and how do we overcome it?
How can we experience the love we long for in the depth of our hearts?

Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions

Peter Kreeft, Ronald K. Tacelli

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 75 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Buy. This. Book. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

If I could force every one of my students to read one book (absurd start to a sentence, I know) it would be this one. While many do not appreciate Kreeft's matter of fact (and at times sarcastic) tone, it is more conversational and so more accessible. It is interesting to me that none of the critiques of the book actually respond to the substance but resort to name-calling (one called it "garbage"...really?). Kreeft is the single best Christian apologist living in the United States today and this is the single best refutation of the atheist-uberskeptical-materialist culture in which we live...a refutation which I have never once heard anyone answer or challenge. Dawkins, Hitchens, et al need to read this before they embarrass themselves and expose their own ignorance by writing more books "refuting" Christianity.

Bottom line, if you want to know why Christians believe what they believe , this book is a great start.

Editorial Review:

Sensible and concise, witty and wise, the authors offer compelling arguments for and defenses of every aspect of Christian belief, including faith and reason, God's nature, creation and evolution, providence and free will, miracles, the problem of evil, the Bible's historical reality, Christianity and other religions, and objective truths.

Total Forgiveness: Achieving God's Greatest Challenge

R.T. Kendall

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Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Total Forgiveness 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book should be read by all Christians. It will give each a new insight into a relationship with God.

Beautiful and moving 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a beautiful book. Kendall does a splendid job in bringing forth the power of forgiveness and reminding us that it is always God's will.

I love the author's writing style so it did not take me long to read. I would recommmend this for every Christian because we all have times in our lives when we feel like holding a grudge or we are tempted to lash back at others who have brought pain and hurt into our lives.

Kendall points out in such a moving way that there is freedom and wholeness in forgiving others.

I also enjoyed the practical dimensions to this book as it made it more applicable. One of the best books I have read on this subject for sure.

Editorial Review:

The act of Total Forgiveness may be the hardest thing we are ever called to do...'Total forgiveness is as spectacular as any miracle. We are talking about a feat greater than climbing Mount Everest. It means the highest watermark in anyone's spiritual pilgrimage. And yet it is within reach of any of us.' This book, possibly R T Kendall's most important work to date, explains what God calls for as 'total forgiveness'. No sin or action is unforgivable, says R T, and we are called to keep no record of wrongs, to refuse to punish those who have hurt us, to show mercy and to avoid any form of bitterness. A radical message for a divided world.