A devoted Christian offers the fruits of faith and daily practice in a book intended to serve as a constant reminder of the...
A devotional by pastor and businessman Monge, author of another devotional and a spiritual autobiography.
Monge (Dancing with God, 2012, etc.) suffers from crippling clinical depression. As an expression of his faith, which has given him the strength to live, he has penned a devotional based on the Gospel of Mark, his favorite biblical book. Monge’s work follows a familiar pattern established in the 15th century by Thomas à Kempis, who wrote The Imitation of Christ, the most famous Christian book of inspirational commentary. Like Kempis’ book, the author’s devotional presents short chapters that summarize an abbreviated reading from the Bible followed by an opportunity for reflection and prayer. The author instructs his readers to consider each chapter after reading relevant sections of the Bible. Written in a simple, straightforward way, Monge’s book often details incidents from his own life to illuminate the chapters’ messages. The author has been studying Mark since 1965, and he brings a wealth of biblical scholarship to his enterprise. The other Gospels, the author contends, were all based on Mark, which served as a “primary source, plus there was another group of sayings called the Quelle, which in German means ‘source.’” Monge often offers historical or linguistic asides that contribute to his discussion. The author’s struggle with the demons of depression provides the emotional center for this devotional work, and he styles himself as a perseverant believer. He contemplated suicide, but his faith, despite the turmoil of his personal life, has brought him through. He writes that Jesus sat beside him “in Hell” and helped him through those dark times. Neither maudlin nor self-indulgent, the chapters reveal the author as a humble, devoted Christian practitioner who exhorts readers to realize their faith. “It is daily contact with God…,” Monge writes, “which causes the gradual transformation into a faith that is real.”
A devoted Christian offers the fruits of faith and daily practice in a book intended to serve as a constant reminder of the presence of Jesus in everyday life.Pub Date: May 6, 2013
ISBN: 978-1482321494
Page Count: 306
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2013
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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