A well-researched and poignantly written exploration of how babies connect humanity to God.
An interdisciplinary scholar reflects on the ways in which childhood innocence connects humanity to the divine.
Rather than viewing infants through the lens of adult responsibilities and obligations, Dixon, a retired professor who taught in the University of Toronto’s Department of Psychiatry and Centre for the Study of Religion, takes a counterintuitive stance that it’s babies who “have important things to (re-) teach us” about love, grace, forgiveness, tolerance, and human dignity. “Babies demonstrate for us—transparently and guilelessly—not optimism but robust, enduring hope,” he asserts. The volume explores this idea by drawing on theories and psychology of human development, which Dixon combines with Christian religious themes. He eschews debates surrounding reproductive health and family planning and instead turns to the fundamentals of his faith, such as the original Christmas story’s angelic proclamations that world peace has come in the form of a newborn baby. This core message, the author laments, is often lost, as shown by Christianity’s history of religious violence, intolerance, and fundamentalism. Indeed, he asserts that, despite Jesus’ own admonition for his followers to “become like children” (which Dixon convincingly interprets as “absolute dependence,” replete with doubts), far too many Christians embrace their religion with an absolutist certainty that they “can know everything there is to know about the mind of God.” Thus, he avers, perhaps the greatest lessons babies can teach, particularly to the devout, is the power of having a childlike perspective without the trappings of self-righteous certitude and its accompanying intolerance. Dixon’s academic bona fides—he holds a doctorate in modern history, a master’s degree in the study of religion, and is a doctor of medicine—are reflected in this volume’s abundance of cross-disciplinary references from sources as varied as Sigmund Freud and St. Augustine, but he writes in an accessible style that emotively captures what he calls the “grace-filled glimpses of divine revelation” that babies offer. And although the author writes from a Christian perspective that leans heavily on the faith’s spiritual vocabulary, he also critiques orthodox doctrines while embracing an inclusive approach to religion that welcomes readers of all backgrounds.
A well-researched and poignantly written exploration of how babies connect humanity to God.Pub Date: June 15, 2026
ISBN: 9781038354433
Page Count: 180
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 10, 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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