Highly readable though not as thorough as other, more in-depth texts.
A skeptical investigation of ethics portrayed in the Old Testament.
Looking to the Old Testament for ethical guidance is, as debut author Burchell argues, a dicey proposition. As related to famines, plagues, war, genocide, incest and hosts of seemingly innocent victims, the God of the Old Testament (referred to in this text as Yahweh) frequently displayed vengeful, unpredictable behavior. As the author says, “We find the word righteous over four hundred times in the books of the Old Testament, but rarely do we find the righteous triumphant.” What exactly did Noah do to curry favor with the Lord and avoid the great flood? Why was it acceptable for Joshua to kill off a long list of innocent victims on his campaign through Canaan? With the Old Testament often lacking in detail (or far too engaged in it), opportunities for interpretation are frequent. Attempting to focus solely on the ethics that can be gleaned from the Old Testament, the book succeeds in condensing a daunting biblical investigation into a digestible read. Readers new to such criticism will find an easy starting point here, since Burchell walks through the Old Testament in chronological order. Though somewhat flippant at times, his conclusions—such as how there’s something “distinctly unmerciful” about the mercy of the Old Testament—aren’t unfounded. And though the book lacks a framework of ethics beyond generally understood concepts of good and bad (i.e., murder is bad) that might allow for a deeper level of criticism, Burchell nevertheless makes an easily understood argument for just how puzzling Scripture can be, particularly with regards to right and wrong.
Highly readable though not as thorough as other, more in-depth texts.Pub Date: June 20, 2013
ISBN: 978-1482738490
Page Count: 284
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2014
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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