Biblical Books - Page 2

Eighth Shepherd (A. D. Chronicles, Book 8)

Bodie Thoene, Brock Thoene

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Eighth Shepherd by the Thoene's 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Loved the book -- continuing the fictionalized (but historically accurate) story of Jesus' time on earth.

Review of Eighth Shephert 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is faithful to the Biblical message, but "fleshes out" the biblical narrative with fictional characters and events. It is very exciting, very inspiring, and very Biblical.

Editorial Review:

After Yeshua of Nazareth has raised his friend El'azar from the dead, news of Yeshua travels fast and the Sanhedrin begin their plot to kill him. Despite the danger, Yeshua and his followers begin the journey to Jerusalem for Passover. Meanwhile, Zachai the tax collector (Zacchaeus), the most hated man in Judea, longs to be a part of the Jewish society that he has been cut off from due to his profession. He falls into despair, believing God can't hear him and that he will always be alone. Simona, a leper who was healed by Yeshua but remains cut off from society to live in the sycamore grove, shows compassion to Zachai and tells him of Yeshua. Zachai begins his quest to find Yeshua in hopes that this man can heal his heart, just as he healed Simona's leprosy.

Unashamed: Rahab (The Lineage of Grace Series #2)

Francine Rivers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A real person 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

You can read the plot and story line in the comments and reviews, so I won't get into it. The most important addition I feel I can make here is to say that this book takes a "character" from the Bible and makes her real. Too often I forget that the people in the Bible lived, and that most were "ordinary" like us. I raise them up to lofty positions in my mind. This series has given a human aspect to the lives of women who simply loved God, and it can inspire us to make a difference in our own little world.

Good Characters 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I liked the characters in this book. I thought they were well formed and realistic. I was a little skeptical of the emotions displayed. People seemed to easily switch from one extreme to the other in short order, but considering that this entire story is recreated from a short story in the Bible and the rest is imagination, it was well done overall.

Editorial Review:

Book 2 in the Lineage of Grace series by best-selling author Francine Rivers. In her trademark style, Francine tells the compelling story of Rahab from the book of Joshua. Readers will gain a fresh understanding of God's work through the life of this unlikely woman in the lineage of Christ.

Unafraid: Mary (The Lineage of Grace Series #5)

Francine Rivers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

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

This book is a shameful end to an otherwise wonderful series of women in the lineage of Christ. It is poorly researched, and extremely disrespectful of the Mother of God. Think about it - Mary is the vessel through which God was made man and came to earth. Doesn't it make sense that the vessel would be as perfect as is humanly possibly? I was shocked and offended by this book. What a shame.

Creates a great picture 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a great speculation on what Mary's life might have been like. It sticks to scripture but helps us to see life as it may have been. Very enjoyable and encouraging.

Disgusting. 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I'm surprised this book has so many positive reviews!

This is a good book about Joseph, Mary's husband. The picture Francine Rivers paints of Mary the mother of Jesus is nothing short of bitter and dishonest-- not Scriptural at all (one of the greatest scenes of the Bible with Mary-- her visit to Elizabeth where Mary sings, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior..." is LEFT out!). It's a gross oversight that gives away Ms. Rivers' struggles with the person of Mary... it seems like she tries to make her Mary "less Catholic" by making her into a terrible person. I can understand that Ms. Rivers wants to make Mary 'more human' to her readers... but Ms. Rivers forgets that sin makes us LESS human, not moreso. Adam and Eve were more themselves in the Garden of Eden than after they were cast out.

Even though this is a work of fiction, I still think that, at best, it's a dishonest account of the mother of Jesus--an attempt to erase the picture the Catholic Church has painted instead of an honest openness about Mary's life as revealed in segments of Scripture and early Christian writings.

I was highly disappointed. It was a struggle to even finish the book.

Editorial Review:

Mary is one of the most revered women in history, but she was an ordinary woman striving to please God in the same way that women still do today. Readers are sure to gain a new appreciation of the familiar story through Francine's signature style. A study on the biblical text is included for personal or group study.

Two From Galilee: The Story Of Mary And Joseph

Marjorie Holmes

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Beautiful love story 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

While of course this is a work of fiction and should not be taken as Gospel, it challenges the reader to see a side of Mary and Joseph beyond the Christmas images so often portrayed in nativity scenes. I think it is refreshing to see such a human, down to earth potrayal of the boy and girl who would become the mother and foster father of Jesus Christ.

PURE FICTION 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This book is sweet, so long as you remember it is pure fiction. It is a poor representation of historical fiction, of which the title and subject matter give the impression of being. Historical facts about Judaism, about Israel, about the birth of Christ, etc., are poorly researched and presented as fact (for example, scholars agree that Jesus was probably born in May, not December, etc.). Enjoyable read, but not to be confused with factual events of history.

Editorial Review:

Here from Majorie Holmes, one of the most beloved authors of our day, is the extraordinary bestselling novel that tells the story of Mary and Joseph as it has never been told before--the greatest love story of all.

Unshaken: Ruth (The Lineage of Grace Series #3)

Francine Rivers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Another ~wonderful love story~ with Old Testament Context 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I have heard the story of Ruth's dedication to her mother-in-law Naomi, but again, Francine Rivers brings life and cultural context to this poignant Old Testament story. Naomi thought her life over when her husband and her two only sons had died. Moreover, she was a foreigner in this land her husband had brought her to years prior.

How God works in wonderful ways! And ways that are above our human understanding! This story brings awareness that human decision making based on human reasoning is so far from the glory that God would have for us. It this tale, this is evident in Elimelech's decision to "provide for his family because God was providing in the Promised Land;" in Ruth's decision to stay with Naomi rather than to return to her own family's prosperity, in Boaz's decision to wait on God for his wife--if he were to ever marry, in Ruth's decision to take Boaz's wise hand in marriage rather than accept a younger more handsome man. Each case demonstrates how much greater our life is if lived for the Lord! God provided to those that remained faithful to Him.

What a wonderful love story! A nice parallel to the previous generation of Boaz's father Salmon accepting a foreign woman, the Canaanite Rahab from Jericho, as Boaz takes Ruth, a Moabite woman, for his own. Another step in the direction of the birth of the Savior, Jesus!

I recommend this book and the others in this series by Rivers. I especially recommend reading the book and then going back to the Old Testament story and comparing.

Editorial Review:

A beautiful retelling of the story of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz by award-winning author Francine Rivers. Readers will be encouraged by the truth that God will faithfully provide for His children even when all hope seems lost.

The Fifth Mountain: A Novel (P.S.)

Paulo Coelho

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 57 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Worth reading 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If you are on a spiritual journey of your own then this book is written for you. The themes of the book are deep and the book will repay re-reading.
You aren't wasting your time with this one.

Would have been better with less religion. 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Coelho has rewritten this story from Old Testament and its kind of religious story - there are lot of references to the Bible and Gods. Sadly I'm true atheist and I'm against any kind of religion, so I didn't enjoy this book as much I wanted.

I changed the theme of Elijah talking with the angels and God with Elijah talking with himself, with his "inner angels". This made this story a little bit more readable for me. Maybe this is the way you have take religion, but still I don't like this kind of symbolism or view of world.

But the main ideas in this book are still valid, whether you are religious person or not. They are quite well explained in other reviews, so I will not replay them hear. Most of them weren't nothing new for me, some were similar to the ideas in "The Alchemist".

One of the ideas that I haven't thought before to much was:
'If you have a past that dissatisfies you, then forget it now.'
I know that I would live better life, if I would forget some things in my past that are causing negative emotions like grief, anger, hatred. They are stopping me finding my own path.

Although I didn't like this book as much I did like "The Alchemist", it was still worth reading and gave me couple of things to think about.

Editorial Review:

From literary phenomenon Paulo Coelho, author of "The Alchemist", comes a magical tale--a powerful retelling of the biblical story of Elijah. Teaching without being didactic, inspirational without being sanctimonious, "The Fifth Mountain" is Paulo Coelho at his best National print ads. Regional postcard promo. Online promo. 5-city author tour .

The Book of God: The Bible as a Novel

Walter, Jr. Wangerin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 51 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Bible as a Single, Powerful Story. Here is the entire story of the Bible, narrated by master storyteller Walter Wangerin Jr. Reading like a great historical novel, The Book of God dramatizes the sweep of biblical events, making the men and women of this ancient book come alive in vivid detail and dialogue. From Abraham wandering in the desert to Jesus teaching the multitudes on a Judean hillside, The Book of God follows the biblical story in chronological order. Priests and kings, apostles and prophets, common folk and charismatic leaders--individual stories offer glimpses into an unfolding revelation that reaches across the centuries to touch us today. Wangerin recreates the high drama, low comedy, gentle humor, and awesome holiness of the Bible story. Imaginative yet meticulously researched, The Book of God offers a sweeping history that stretches across thousands of years and hundreds of lives, in cultures foreign and yet familiar in their common humanity. History and fact take on personality and warmth. Wangerin shows you human hands--Abraham raising the knife over his son Isaac on Mount Moriah, a priest offering incense in the temple at Jerusalem, Joseph the carpenter at work with his tools. He shows you human faces--Moses and Aaron face-to-face with the king of Egypt, Mary smiling like a white rose, and Jesus laughing with a Samaritan woman. Gardens, humble homes, olive groves, palaces, temples, and the hills of Judea shining in the afternoon sun--Wangerin makes the places where the events of the Bible took place come to life in the imagination. Wangerin helps you understand what it was like for each person to be caught up in the events of a particular time and place--a time and place where the eternal God somehow reached out and touched ordinary men and women. The book of God is no ordinary book. Written by a born storyteller, it is the magnum opus of one of the most respected and beloved authors of our time.

Seventh Day (A. D. Chronicles, Book 7)

Bodie Thoene, Brock Thoene

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Books are getting shorter 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I love all the Zion books, and waited with great excitement for the seventh installment of the AD Chronicles. I even bought the hardback as I didn't want to wait for the paperback edition. The book is written well; and even though I knew what was going to happen, I was still on the edge of my seat waiting to see just how the story was going to be handled. I wasn't disappointed with the story. However, I fear that this series may be falling into the same category as other good series as the books become shorter and the substance stretched thinner to allow for more sequels. This could be what publishers do but I hate to see it happen with this series. I will be much more patient in future and and wait for the paperback to come out

Great Realistic Fiction 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I love this authors series. This one follows the life of Christ with very interesting characters. They weave truthful facts and stories into a well developed story line. I am always anticipating the next one in the series - can't wait! Very well written.

Editorial Review:

As Yeshua continues his ministry and is challenged by the religious leaders, his beloved friend El'azar falls ill in Bethany and when Yeshua finally arrives, it is too late...or is it?

The Handmaid and the Carpenter: A Novel

Elizabeth Berg

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This wonderful novel transports us to Nazareth in biblical times, where we meet Mary and Joseph–and understand them as never before: young, in love, and suddenly faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Aided by a great and abiding love, they endure challenges to their relationship as well as threats to their lives as they come to terms with the mysterious circumstances surrounding the birth of their child, Jesus. For Mary, the pregnancy is a divine miracle and a privilege. For Joseph, it is an ongoing test of his faith–in his wife as well as in his God. Exquisitely written and imbued with emotional truth and richness of detail, The Handmaid and the Carpenter explores lives touched profoundly by miracles large and small.


Praise for The Handmaid and the Carpenter

“The oldest story ever told becomes fresh, even modern. [Grade:] A.”
–Entertainment Weekly

“Poetic, reflective, and intricate . . . There is a crystalline humanity, a logical vulnerability in [Elizabeth] Berg’s imaginative interpretation [that] brings novel resplendence to a familiar story.”
–Booklist

“Sweetly lyrical and yet movingly realistic.”
–New York Daily News

“[Berg] movingly takes the story of the least ordinary couple in history, and by respectfully evoking the rhythms and rituals of
daily life, makes them more human, yet no less transcendent.”
–Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Imaginative and compelling.”
–Star Ledger

The Gospel According to Jesus Christ

Jose Saramago

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 76 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Imaginative and Provocative 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderful work of fiction that is creatively devised and unique. It is certainly, as has previously been forewarned by others, not for the devout reader who will take offense when faced with a work of fiction that does not accurately depict Jesus and those closest to him as is told by the canonical Gospels and orthodox scholarship. Saramago takes the Gospels and distills them into a remnant not unlike a skeleton upon which he casts his own flesh of fiction. What is perhaps the most impressive aspect of this work is that one has to constantly remind her/himself that this is indeed a fictional tale and not a fifth Gospel. Saramago's use of traditional parables and events in the life of Jesus Christ helps to create and atmosphere that the reader can become confused in. It is very well done.

The one note of criticism I will make is one that has been made several times in reviews prior. Saramago does not use punctuation aside from periods and is apparently allergic to the `tab' key that would permit him to start a new paragraph every so often. It is a text that is very compact with little to distinguish dialogue (capital letters denote a new speaker) and can be very frustrating if you are a slow reader. If you are one who reads at a faster pace, the dialogue may come naturally as the story is read. I only mention this because it was at first frustrating to me, but I quickly adapted to the style and found no problem finishing it.

There are twists that are revealed along the lines of "Last Temptation of Christ," but with a new take. I suggest that it be read by anyone who likes creative and innovative fiction with a taste for the provocative or controversial - but please remember that this is fiction!

Editorial Review:

This is a skeptic’s journey into the meaning of God and of human existence. At once an ironic rendering of the life of Christ and a beautiful novel, Saramago’s tale has sparked intense discussion about the meaning of Christianity and the Church as an institution. Translated by Giovanni Pontiero.