Thorough, articulate, and astute advice for Christian leaders.
In this Christian guidebook, debut author Klender offers 40 rules, or “keys,” to help fellow religious leaders guard against spiritual downfall.
Referring to an Old Testament king whose pride led to his ruin, the author uses the term “Uzziah Syndrome” to describe how some religious leaders start their ministries well but end them dishonorably, for various reasons. Klender puts forth “a biblical strategy for inoculating leaders against the spiritual malaise of the Uzziah Syndrome,” relying on biblical quotes and personal accounts of spiritual experiences, often drawing analogies from his own service as a U.S. Navy chaplain. Throughout, the author urges readers to take seriously the various threats that he believes Satan poses. He presents a wealth of advice in 40 chapters, including essays on avoiding selfish ambition and egoism, not allowing comfort to stunt spiritual growth, embracing a correct view of God, and forgiving oneself and others. One of his overarching principles is that one should maintain a keen awareness of one’s thoughts, words, attitudes, and actions, making course corrections when needed. He follows each chapter with meaningful review questions that invite both reflection and application, such as “Can you think of a time in your ministry where spiritual success or victory made you vulnerable to temptation?” and “Is there an offence that has been committed against you that you refuse to forgive? Explain.” Some readers may find 40 “keys” to guard against personal apostasy excessive. However, each one is unique, valuable, and well-developed. The author’s prose offers a pleasant balance of memorable stories, supporting quotations from the Bible, and a variety of other sources, as well as Klender’s own insights. His questions, in particular, truly evoke contemplation as they attempt to promote personal change. That said, there are occasionally distracting punctuation errors, and some readers may find that the occasional right-leaning political opinions feel out of place in the spiritually focused text.
Thorough, articulate, and astute advice for Christian leaders.Pub Date: Dec. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-973610-42-7
Page Count: 666
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2018
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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