A nuanced, reflective assessment of the basic theological underpinnings of Christianity.
Eicher explores the fundamental questions of his faith in this nonfiction book.
While admittedly “not a theologian,” the author has spent a lifetime learning about Christianity and living in devoutly religious communities. Eicher was raised Amish, and his uncle and other family members co-founded and have long worked for the nonprofit publishing company Pathway, which has provided publications on homeschool curricula, cooking, and religion to Amish communities for more than 50 years. This book begins with a brief outline of the author’s personal faith journey, including his early exploration of non-Amish Christian scholars such as C.S. Lewis. Though not a member of any specific Christian denomination today, Eicher retains many of the Anabaptist beliefs of his upbringing. Thematically eclectic, this book explores the essential teachings of Christianity, highlighting along the way areas in which the author believes mainline theologians have gotten off track. Modern Christians, per the book, too often present a “cleaner” New Testament God who is typically held in contrast to the Old Testament God of war, whose stories are often reduced to watered-down Sunday school tales. Early Christians are not spared criticism; Eicher doesn’t particularly value the ideas of those second-century Christian thinkers who minimized the faith’s connection to its Jewish roots and were preoccupied with “building the power of bishops in the church.” Relying heavily on a traditional Anabaptist cosmology, most of the book is based on a conservative reading of Scripture, particularly the epistles of Paul, with occasional references to Protestant theologians (such as Martin Luther) who echo the author’s core belief that “Faith must stand alone.” A skilled writer, Eicher is the author of more than three dozen Amish-themed romance novels, and he brings his talents as a storyteller to this nonfiction book, where he retells Old Testament stories in accessible narratives. Even readers who may not agree with the author’s doctrinal stances may be attracted to his thoughtful, learned approach to Scripture, which avoids the cliches and platitudes that come standard in the genre of Christian nonfiction.
A nuanced, reflective assessment of the basic theological underpinnings of Christianity.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2023
ISBN: 9798892178518
Page Count: 280
Publisher: ISBN Services
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2023
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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