An elegant and sincere examination of the promise and power of grace.
A debut guide meditates on the role of grace in modern Christian life.
Jesus calls his followers to a special life, giving them a distinctive part in fulfilling God’s purpose, explains Astudillo in his clear, accessible book. That road can often be one of hardship and sacrifice, requiring raw perseverance in the face of trials. According to the author, this is where the concept of grace comes in. Carefully and knowledgeably drawing on Scripture, Astudillo paints a picture of the function grace can play in Christian life, noting its restorative capacities. It’s through grace, writes the author, that Christians experience happiness even in the midst of difficulties: “This special grace not only frees us and fills our lives with joy but it also empowers us.” This compact manual is a call for Astudillo’s fellow Christians to reflect on the nature of God’s grace and the role that it plays in their lives. Throughout, he peppers his readers with questions designed to challenge their complacency about the tremendous reward grace can be. (Each of the book’s chapters ends with a “Pause and Reflect” section comprised of such questions.) “What more can I do to experience God’s grace in all its forms?” readers are asked. “Is there anything I can do to be ready to receive God’s grace?” The author deftly explores dozens of Gospel stories in order to underscore the fact that God’s grace is not automatic or predictable. It can often come when least expected and in surprising forms. Astudillo notes one of the most dramatic instances in the Bible: In the Gospel of Luke, when Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, prays for release from his mission, he isn’t freed—but he is comforted. In plainspoken, often passionate prose, the author warns his readers that grace is not a passive gift: It’s intended to be used for God’s glory, to further the cause of going forth and making disciples of all nations. Astudillo’s fellow Christians should find this fluid guide illuminating on an aspect of their faith they may have been overlooking.
An elegant and sincere examination of the promise and power of grace.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-973612-18-6
Page Count: 124
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 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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