Judaism Books - Page 3

Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey (Encountering Biblical Studies)

Bill T. Arnold, Bryan E. Beyer

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Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Reference -> Criticism & Interpretation -> Old Testament

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellent intro to the OT 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

If you're a pastor, seminary student, or a layperson who needs a good, informative, and easy to read introduction to the Old Testament then this book will be perfect for you. Many OT introductions/surveys that are out there are either 1) too technical and academic, or 2) liberal/modernist. This introduction is solidly evangelical, easy to understand, and academic enough for even the novice biblical scholar.

The strength of the book is that it does not only survey each of the books in the Old Testament section by section but by topics of significance in each book. For instance, when the authors talk about the book of Genesis they do not only discuss what each of the 50 chapters say but about what the author said about the nature of election, the Abrahamic promise, the covenant, etc. Pretty much everything is covered regarding each book (authorship, date, place of writing, etc.).

Another feature of the book that will attract more novice pastors and students of the Bible is the colourful pictures that are abundantly printed in the book. Though some may find this comical, I think it added to the charm of this book. Pictures, graphs, maps, etc. help readers understand the background of each of the OT books better.

Finally, one other thing I really liked about this book is that the authors discuss side-issues related to the OT. The chapters on the historical background of the OT (chap. 2) and the introduction to the Prophetic books (chap. 24) are well written, informative, and orthodox. Sure, the authors could have written more deeply on these chapters but the intended audience demanded that they do not go too deeply in these matters.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book for those who want a better understanding of the OT books. Though it is not that scholarly and deep, it is still good enough for what it intends and many students of the Bible will find rich information that will greatly help in their personal spiritual growth and ministry.

Editorial Review:

"I highly recommend this volume to all who read the Old Testament. . . .This is a five star recommendation." --Messenger

I And Thou

Martin Buber

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

I and Thou, Martin Buber's classic philosophical work, is among the 20th century's foundational documents of religious ethics. "The close association of the relation to God with the relation to one's fellow-men ... is my most essential concern," Buber explains in the Afterword. Before discussing that relationship, in the book's final chapter, Buber explains at length the range and ramifications of the ways people treat one another, and the ways they bear themselves in the natural world. "One should beware altogether of understanding the conversation with God ... as something that occurs merely apart from or above the everyday," Buber explains. "God's address to man penetrates the events in all our lives and all the events in the world around us, everything biographical and everything historical, and turns it into instruction, into demands for you and me." Throughout I and Thou, Buber argues for an ethic that does not use other people (or books, or trees, or God), and does not consider them objects of one's own personal experience. Instead, Buber writes, we must learn to consider everything around us as "You" speaking to "me," and requiring a response. Buber's dense arguments can be rough going at times, but Walter Kaufmann's definitive 1970 translation contains hundreds of helpful footnotes providing Buber's own explanations of the book's most difficult passages. --Michael Joseph Gross

My Grandfathers Blessings : Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging

Rachel Naomi Remen

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Self-Help -> Happiness
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian Living -> Faith

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 59 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

When doctor and author Rachel Naomi Remen (Kitchen Table Wisdom) was young, she was caught between two different views of life: that of her rabbi grandfather and that of her highly academic, research-oriented parents, who believed religion was the opiate of the masses. As Remen gravitated toward academics and serving the world as a medical doctor, her grandfather became an "island of mysticism in a vast sea of science." But over time, Remen discovered that two seemingly divergent paths could lead to the same destination, especially as she learned to blend her spiritual beliefs with her medical treatment.

Remen uses the heart-rending stories of her patients to teach readers how to follow in her example, that is, combining a life of service with a life of receiving and giving blessings (a combination that avoids common problems such as burnout, self-sacrifice, and navel gazing). Remen also includes personal stories of her grandfather, who showered the world with his mystical beliefs and wizened blessings. While this story-by-story structure is similar to the bestselling Kitchen Table Wisdom, it is still a tearful and satisfying formula. --Gail Hudson

Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith

Marvin R. Wilson

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Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Evangelism -> Missions & Missionary Work
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Please be careful with this book!! 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 11 people found this review helpful.

I found the book to be good until I got the part that mentions that gentiles are NOT obligated to follow the commandments of YHVH. In essence it is saying that He has two standards. Not true. Multiple times in the Torah YHVH mentions that there is one law for the homeborn and the stranger that sojourns with them. He has only one standard for all mankind who choses to follow Him. The "noachide laws" are a way that man has come up with to try and get around the fact that we are to follow YHVH's commandments. Of course a good study is in order to decide if what I say is true or not. Nazerene Israel is the faith of the apostles throughout the book of Acts. Shouldn't it be ours too?

Another false point that I found in this book is that they believe Yahshua died on a Friday instead of Wednesday. This is an interesting study for those who are serious about being seekers of the truth. The only sign Yahshua said He would give was 3 days and 3 nights. A Friday death and Sunday resurrection is 3 days by reckoning but only 2 nights, not 3. In this study you will find that He was killed on a Wednesday and rose right at the end of Sabbath (Saturday), see Mt 28:1, the seventh day not the first as is typically taught.

I figure that if this book can't get Yahshua's name, death and resurrection, and the importance of one law and one standard for all correctly then there really is no point in anyone reading this book. It was written and caters to mainstream christianity and its dogma. The truth is out there. Seekers of the truth will find it. Yahshua meant this in Mt 7:14. Few will "FIND" it.

Be blessed seekers.

A Short History of the Jewish People: From Legendary Times to Modern Statehood

Raymond P. Scheindlin

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Subjects -> History -> World -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Judaism -> History of Religion

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Jewish history is often told not as a narrative of real people with human problems and interests but as an idealized national myth," writes Raymond Scheinlin, in the introduction to his excellent A Short History of the Jewish People. Scheinlin is an observant Jew, but his book is not a history of the Jewish religion. It is a history of Jewish tribes around the world and the ways "they have interacted with the nations and cultures among whom they have lived, adapting to their environment while retaining a variety of continuities." The book's brevity precludes exhaustiveness, but its focus on particular Jewish communities and its disciplined analysis of their political successes and foibles give readers a firm grasp on the movements in Jewish history that have shaped the Middle East, Europe, and America. Amply illustrated with maps and photographs, the fluid prose of Scheinlin's History make this book a useful starting point for anyone seeking a secular history of Judaism that is neither skeptical nor hostile to religion. --Michael Joseph Gross

JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh: Pocket Edition

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Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Judaism -> Sacred Writings -> Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) -> Study

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Beautiful little book 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is a lovely book... beuatifully put together, a pleasure to hold and read, and with a limpid English translation. I had never seen a Jewish version of the scriptures before and this is a revelation.
Also, coming from Europe and buying this while on vacation in the US, I found the price amazingly low

JPS Tanakh 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

All I suggest is this: If you have a difficult time reading very small text, DO NOT BUY THIS.
Also, I was a bit put off by the bar-code printed in the inner cover.
Other than that, this is a fine translation, the book is well made.

Editorial Review:

Now, for the first time, a pocket version of The JPS Hebrew-English TANAKH is available, with the exact same text and number of pages as our standard edition. The type, though small, is clearly readable, and the letters, Hebrew vowels, and cantillation marks are crisp and clear. The sturdy, coated paperback cover embossed in black with gold lettering is made to endure heavy, constant use.

Fitting easily into a backpack, handbag, or briefcase, the new pocket JPS Hebrew-English TANAKH will appeal to students and others who need a lightweight, compact version of this essential JPS text.

World Religions: Western Traditions

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Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Now in a second edition, this highly successful text offers a comprehensive and engaging introduction to Western religious traditions. It provides in-depth coverage of Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam. It also includes a chapter on the ancient world, which covers the religions of Greece and Rome, the ancient near East, and pre-Christian Europe. A chapter on "new horizons" examines past and current African religious traditions, Native traditions in the Americas, the Baha'i faith, and "New Age" religions. The concluding chapter on "traditions in contact" looks at such issues as bearing witness, missionary movements, and the role of religion in a pluralistic society.
World Religions: Western Traditions, 2/e combines a historically descriptive perspective with timelines, key terms, maps, text boxes, study questions, and annotated suggestions for further reading. This new edition includes a more lucid introduction; a second color and more maps; new study questions; and a new annotated bibliography. Ideal for undergraduate courses in Western religions, World Religions: Western Traditions, 2/e can also be used with its companion volume, World Religions: Eastern Traditions, 2/e in a general course on world religions.

The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life

Bruce H. Wilkinson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 554 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Even well-versed Biblical scholars might be perplexed if asked about Jabez, a little-known man listed in 1 Chronicles, chapter 4. Yet his simple petition is the cornerstone of The Prayer of Jabez and has become a call to live a more "blessed life" for countless readers.

The prayer is a simple one: "And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.' So God granted him what he requested."

In an era where many Christians shy away from anything that smacks of "name it and claim it," author Bruce Wilkinson alleviates misgivings by putting the prayer into perspective. Wilkinson, founder and president of Walk thru the Bible Ministries and a popular speaker for Promise Keepers, writes in a persuasive, conversational style that will woo even the most cynical reader. He has used the Jabez prayer for more than 30 years, and testifies enthusiastically to the changes it has wrought in his own life. Wilkinson challenges readers to recite the Jabez prayer every morning and keep a record of the changes that occur. The power, he emphasizes, is not in the prayer itself, but "rather, the power is in what you believe will happen as a result of the prayer, and the action you take." Wilkinson makes a convincing case. --Cindy Crosby

Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money

Rabbi Daniel Lapin

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Personal Finance -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Praise for THOU SHALL PROSPER

"Rabbi Daniel Lapin's wisdom has helped untold numbers of people, including me, grow in our business, family, and spiritual lives. In Thou Shall Prosper, Rabbi Lapin has done it again. This book tells it like it is in a helpful, honest, hopeful, informative way. He offers valid, useful information based on ancient wisdom and modern experience."
-Zig Ziglar, author and motivational teacher

"Is it practical to apply spiritual lessons to the hardheaded world of business? In this potentially life-changing book, Rabbi Daniel Lapin proves that it's impractical not to use those lessons-and to bring ancient, timeless wisdom to contemporary problems. This unique approach provides an organized, supremely useful view of the world, combining common sense and unexpected, even startling insight. No matter how successful or sophisticated you may be, this remarkable work will enrich your understanding of the important, exciting process of building wealth."
-Michael Medved, nationally syndicated radio host and author of Hollywood vs. America

"Rabbi Daniel Lapin is a light unto the nations. A risk-taking rabbi of immense wisdom, his books have already influenced countless Jews and non-Jews with the eternal truths of the Hebrew Bible. Now, in this highly insightful and controversial new book, Rabbi Lapin unearths the golden nuggets of Jewish business genius. By emphasizing the unique talents of the Jewish way of life, Rabbi Lapin demonstrates how Judaism's spiritual regimen can be translated into tangible material rewards, with the bottom line being directly affected. A thoroughly engaging, enriching, and thought-provoking book."
-Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, author of Kosher Sex and Judaism for Everyone

"Rabbi Lapin is an unorthodox Orthodox rabbi. He understands the Biblical nature of economic freedom as well as he understands the Bible: uniquely well. Prosperity must have a purpose and Rabbi Lapin explores the wellsprings of the Judeo-Christian heritage to elucidate those purposes. In so doing, he also illuminates the road to greater prosperity for all. I really enjoyed this book and I heartily recommend it to people of all faiths."
-The Honorable Jack Kemp

Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews

Poopa Dweck, Michael J. Cohen

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Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Regional & International -> Middle Eastern

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

When the Aleppian Jewish community migrated from the ancient city of Aleppo in historic Syria and settled in New York and Latin American cities in the early 20th century, it brought its rich cuisine and vibrant culture. Most Syrian recipes and traditions, however, were not written down and existed only in the minds of older generations. Poopa Dweck, a first generation Syrian–Jewish American, has devoted much of her life to preserving and celebrating her community's centuries–old legacy.

Dweck relates the history and culture of her community through its extraordinary cuisine, offering more than 180 exciting ethnic recipes with tantalizing photos and describing the unique customs that the Aleppian Jewish community observes during holidays and lifecycle events. Among the irresistible recipes are:

•Bazargan–Tangy Tamarind Bulgur Salad

•Shurbat Addes–Hearty Red Lentil Soup with Garlic and Coriander

•Kibbeh–Stuffed Syrian Meatballs with Ground Rice

•Samak b'Batata–Baked Middle Eastern Whole Fish with Potatoes

•Sambousak–Buttery Cheese–Filled Sesame Pastries

•Eras bi'Ajweh–Date–Filled Crescents

•Chai Na'na–Refreshing Mint Tea

Like mainstream Middle Eastern cuisines, Aleppian Jewish dishes are alive with flavor and healthful ingredients–featuring whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and olive oil–but with their own distinct cultural influences. In Aromas of Aleppo, cooks will discover the best of Poopa Dweck's recipes, which gracefully combine Mediterranean and Levantine influences, and range from small delights (or maza) to daily meals and regal holiday feasts–such as the twelve–course Passover seder.