Altogether, a breezy introduction to the fractures in contemporary American Christianity.
Journalist Shiflett tries to explain the demise of mainline Protestantism.
Noting that evangelical churches are booming while membership in Presbyterian, Methodist and Episcopalian churches is on the decline, the author wants to know two things. Why have the mainline churches felt free to overthrow centuries of church teaching in favor of a liberal gospel that talks more about inclusion than about sin and redemption? And why have traditionalists failed to stem the mainline march to the left? Central to his investigation is the recent fracas over the Episcopal Church’s ordination of a noncelibate, openly gay bishop. Gene Robinson’s election to the episcopacy has caused major fissures in his church, Shiflett recounts, adding that the other mainline denominations are sure to have battles and possibly schisms over homosexuality in the next few years. The author interviews several “progressive” Episcopal priests, as well as disgruntled mainliners who have left Protestantism for Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy. He also reviews the work of “celebrity heretic” John Shelby Spong, a retired Episcopal bishop who has made a name publishing books that deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ and a theistic conception of God. Shiflett, who describes himself as an “itinerant Presbyterian,” seems relatively free of bias, though the progressives do come in for a bit more of his caustic wit than the conservatives. He describes the liberals’ flabby God as “the Wee Deity,” mocks the church bulletins that describe Palm Sunday parades merely as “fun,” and accuses progressives of valuing tolerance above all else. Liberal Christian readers may feel they’ve been caricatured, whereas traditionalists are more likely to recognize themselves in these pages. The author dips only scantily into scholarship; his argument would have benefited had he further availed himself of the many germane texts that sociologists of American religion have produced in recent years.
Altogether, a breezy introduction to the fractures in contemporary American Christianity.Pub Date: June 6, 2005
ISBN: 1-59523-007-6
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Sentinel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2005
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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