An interesting read overall, but falls short of its potential.
Examining Jesus’ moral influence on Western culture.
Famed biblical scholar Ehrman proposes as his thesis: “The impulse to help strangers in need is embedded in our Western moral conscience because of the teachings of Jesus.” He presents the moral teachings of Jesus as a universalization of his inherited Jewish ethics, and as a revolutionary change from previous Western practice. Ehrman begins by focusing on the concept of altruism, which he defines generally as “actions that benefit someone other than oneself.” Altruism, he notes, is an elusive concept, yet also a defining idea in Christian morality that has shaped Western culture, leading to everything from hospitals to philanthropy to the modern welfare state. Altruism, however, was not always considered an important virtue. Looking back to a variety of ancient philosophers, Ehrman uses concrete examples to show that ancient morality favored the powerful, favored family and community, and favored the individual’s quest for eudaimonia, the good life. Jewish morality, the author notes, stood apart from Greek and Roman morality in important ways, namely through its focus on God as a loving being who desires his believers to also love one another and perform acts of kindness and charity. Jesus, Ehrman argues, took this moral basis and expanded it. “Love,” he notes, “stands at the very center of Jesus’s ethical instruction.” Jesus taught a radical altruism, including love for strangers and outsiders. This focus, Ehrman stresses, shaped Christian thought (albeit imperfectly) and went on to change Western civilization. Ehrman’s explanation provides the lay reader with meaningful background about the ethics of the ancient world. However, his argument does not seem particularly groundbreaking. The reader is also left wanting further historical examination as to how Jesus’ teachings spread into culture in the first few centuries of Christianity.
An interesting read overall, but falls short of its potential.Pub Date: yesterday
ISBN: 9781668025031
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.
Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.
During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorkerstaff writer Grann (The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession, 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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