A thorough, well-organized guide to biblical study.
A comprehensive introduction to the Bible that treats it as an instruction manual for morality.
Debut author Cole asserts that relying upon Scripture for moral guidance has become unfashionable, thus leaving younger people rudderless in a world of temptation. However, he believes that the path to salvation is charted in the Bible, when properly understood. The author grants that Scripture can be complex— it communicates different messages to different people, sometimes employs hyperbole, and often engages in cryptic symbolism— but that doesn’t mean that its principal points can’t be understood. Cole offers a comprehensive guide to the Bible that takes novices on an impressively thorough tour. He begins with the account of Jewish history provided in the Hebrew Scriptures, followed by a chronicle of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ; he then discusses the future as prophesized, and the nature of moral obligations and God’s promises. Cole uses the King James Version of the Bible, and only slightly revises the text to make it more accessible to modern readers. His book concludes with a series of appendices, some of which discuss relevant contemporary issues, such as the conflict between divine creation and evolution and the biblical stance on astrology. The crux of Cole’s reading is that the Bible isn’t merely one book among many, but the revealed word of God, given to humanity to assist people in their earthly lives. His mastery of the material is extraordinary, especially as he’s neither a professional historian nor theologian, and he dexterously links the ancient message of the Bible to modern life. For example, there’s an engaging discussion of the doctrine of election (the idea of being “chosen by God for His purpose”) and an account of 20th-century Zionism. The prose is habitually clear and highly readable by even the least knowledgeable beginner. However, some moments are overly strident, leaving no room for philosophical discussion (“Don’t be deluded into thinking Satan is not real or lacks great power”). Still, for religious readers in need of assistance interpreting the Bible, this is a sound one-volume introduction.
A thorough, well-organized guide to biblical study.Pub Date: March 24, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-692-42236-6
Page Count: 441
Publisher: DANCO
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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