A short but often engaging overview and interpretation of scriptural prophecies.
A spiritual guidebook centering on the biblical genealogy of Jesus Christ.
Peters’ short, telegraphic nonfiction debut differs from most books about Jesus by concentrating less on his deeds and sayings while he was on Earth performing his ministry and more on the long-prophesied path that he took to get there. Using a variety of Bible study guides, Peters takes readers back to the beginning of the book of Genesis and traces the threads of Old Testament prophecies; Peters and his cited authorities say that these prophecies look forward to the later arrival of Jesus—“the ultimate saving sacrifice for all humanity.” All the traditional metaphorical readings are present in these pages, including one addressing the famous Old Testament story of Abraham and Isaac, in which God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his son is said to prefigure Jesus’ New Testament story. The author periodically digresses to deliver what he calls “a bit of sermonizing,” branching out from scriptural analyses to tackle broader questions, such as, “Are you doing evil in the sight of the Lord?” Peters’ target audience of fellow Christians will find much food for thought in these pages. However, some may have problems with some of Peters’ apologetics, as when he says that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke offer different versions of Jesus’ genealogy because “Matthew was writing for a Jewish audience and Luke was writing for a Gentile audience.” Also, when the author invokes “the incredible willingness of God to forgive those who do evil in His sight,” it’s hard to imagine a reading of the Old Testament that would fully support such a claim. Still, Peters says that he hopes that his book will cement the faith of his readers, and his friendly narrative style is likely to help make that happen.
A short but often engaging overview and interpretation of scriptural prophecies.Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5168-4515-6
Page Count: 116
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2017
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
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
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