An admirably erudite but bewildering work of biblical interpretation.
A scholarly study examines the true conditions for Christian salvation.
The book of Revelation in general and the teaching regarding the tribulation in particular have always been divisive issues of contention among Christian theologians. Debut author Richards avers that the Bible, despite its simplicity and lack of contradiction, has been torturously misinterpreted on this score. More specifically, the author takes aim at “easy escape theology,” which holds that all Christians will be spared the tribulation by the return of Jesus and whisked away to their eternal home in heaven. But Richards argues that a close reading of Scripture yields a different doctrine, partially based on a prophecy reported in the book of Isaiah, which references the birthing of Jesus’ seed. The metaphor of birth is unfurled by the author as follows: Zion, understood as the church in its perfection, becomes the bride of Christ that produces this seed, “a man-child company which is a first-fruit unto God and unto the Lamb of God.” Zion is not to be confused with Jerusalem, which is inferior because of its disobedience. Jesus will not return until this has been achieved, and then man can find salvation on Earth, his true home, now remade in the image of God. The model for understanding all this is furnished by the Bible in five different sections, including the discussion in the book of Exodus regarding the Tabernacle of Moses. Richards’ exposition ambitiously bucks conventional analysis, articulating a biblical interpretation in the process. The author also fearlessly tackles the elements of Scripture most traditionally resistant to a secure elucidation. But the prose is prohibitively dense and entangled, making Richards’ microscopic exegesis exceedingly difficult to follow. Further, while the book can be repetitive, it also becomes unfocused, wending away from the chief thesis to discuss the theoretical infirmities of atheism and the limits of Darwinism, for example. Richards’ writing can also hit strident tones and sometimes approaches a hectoring of the reader: “Make the connection!”
An admirably erudite but bewildering work of biblical interpretation.Pub Date: Aug. 31, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5049-7219-2
Page Count: 202
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: July 5, 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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