A nimble, thoughtful introduction to various philosophies regarding faith and God.
Shields offers a quick guide to various theological systems in this debut work.
No matter what tradition we were raised in, we all find ourselves asking the big questions at some point in life: Does God exist? Is there a grand design to the universe? Why are we here? What happens after we die? “Over millennia, spiritual leaders and philosophers have devoted their lives to developing worldviews that could help us achieve enlightened and happier lives,” writes the author in her introduction. “While religious worldviews are most frequently inculcated in childhood, other secular or spiritual viewpoints can be developed as we mature and question ‘the meaning of life.’” With this book, Shields offers a brief introduction to a number of divergent belief systems, exploring the ways in which they seek to address those big questions. She helps readers to familiarize themselves with the differences between literal and non-literal interpretations of the Christian God, the non-anthropomorphic God of pantheism, and the completely non-theological teachings of secular Buddhism. The author also details the peaceful abyss of existential mysticism and the eternal reason of stoicism. Along the way, Shields stops to explore deceptively complex concepts such as hope, love, wonder, and mystery. By the end, readers may discover that their beliefs aren’t quite as tidy and certain as they initially thought. The author’s precise, sometimes academic prose cuts right to the heart of her topics, as here, where she discusses faith: “Three components are fundamental to religious faith: (a) a psychological state, (b) a cognitive comprehension of the ‘truth,’ accepted without evidence, and (c) a practical commitment to one’s religion…Believers find support for their faith by placing emphasis on one of the components, without neglecting the others.” The chapters are short, and the pages fly by despite the heady material. Readers looking for a survey of various theologies—and who don’t mind some dense reading—could do much worse than Shields’ primer.
A nimble, thoughtful introduction to various philosophies regarding faith and God.Pub Date: June 14, 2023
ISBN: 9798394343605
Page Count: 188
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
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