A well-crafted, thorough exploration of the Bible through an ancient lens.
A Christian author urges the faithful to recenter ancient Israelite cultural contexts in this nonfiction book.
“Have you ever wondered why there is sometimes a contrast between what is preached from the pulpit and what is written in the Bible?” Carrasquillo asks in his introduction, conveying his personal feelings of alienation and emptiness regarding a modern Christianity that shoehorns the faith into a “Western perspective.” These feelings of division from mainstream Christianity prompted the author to drop out of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, and spend decades engaging in independent research and biblical studies. Now an ordained minister who facilitates online Bible studies, Carrasquillo makes the case in this work that Christians should set aside their cultural mores and the theologies handed down from preachers who only have a rudimentary understanding of the Bible’s original languages. Basing his analysis on biblical Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, the author offers readers an in-depth exploration of the Bible that urges them to eschew the “tight grip on theology and Biblical interpretation” held by Christian scholars and to approach the Bible from the perspective of the ancient culture that produced its books. Take, for instance, the Genesis creation story, in which God (who’s identified by the Hebrew name Yahweh throughout the work) frequently refers to himself with plural pronouns (“let us make” humanity “in our image”). Christians for centuries have connected these pronouns to the concept of the Trinity, but the author emphasizes that the notion of the Trinity was alien to ancient Hebrews and is better understood within the context of a “divine council” that was commonly accepted among Near Eastern cultures. Carrasquillo, employing an accessible writing style that is never preachy, takes readers back to the historical and literary context of the Bible on topics that include heaven, Passover and the breaking of bread, Gospel parables, and speaking in tongues. With nearly 100 thematic chapters, this is a detailed work that challenges traditional biblical interpretations while emphasizing nuances, complexities, and alternative interpretations. The text includes more than 1,500 endnotes and a 48-page bibliography.
A well-crafted, thorough exploration of the Bible through an ancient lens.Pub Date: May 28, 2025
ISBN: 9798385038084
Page Count: 894
Publisher: WestBowPress
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
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
PERSPECTIVES
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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