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THE MYTHS OF CHRISTIANITY

Name: THE MYTHS OF CHRISTIANITY
Author: John D. Richie
ISBN: 1-59800-837-4

by John D. Richie ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 2006

Any message to be gleaned is buried beneath the slapdash presentation.

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A muddled examination of the Bible and Christian doctrine.

Many Christian leaders do not know â€œthe real Truth,” says Richie, who is here to set the record straight. He aims to summarize the basic teachings of the Bible; help Christians prepare themselves for the Lord’s return and the final judgment; and dispel false teachings that he believes pervade society. He begins with a consideration of eschatology–the doctrine of last things, or the end of the world–and argues that Christians will not escape the ultimate judgment. He also examines hell, the mission and work of Jesus and the doctrine of original sin, and he describes the City of God, which he claims to have envisioned in a dream. Richie insists that true believers will not be led into sin, and warns that well-meaning but gullible believers may be led astray by pastors who claim to be Christians, but who, in fact, lead lives marred by sin. Mainstream theologians would find that Richie often departs from the teachings of classical Christianity; his claim that â€œto limit the Godhead to just three is inconsistent with other evidence contained in the Bible,” for example, is a major revision of the doctrine of the Trinity. A certain pantheism creeps into the author’s arguments, as well, such as when he claims that should the universe be destroyed, God would be destroyed, too, since â€œGod is the universe!” Throughout the book, the prose is garbled–â€œThis is a book about myths within Christianity, yet it is not filled with all the myths now existing”–and the text is riddled with typos and grammatical errors–â€œrecent years have brought revisions to Gods Word.” Worse, the book lacks a coherent structure, and often devolves into rambling, bully-pulpit proselytizing.

Any message to be gleaned is buried beneath the slapdash presentation.

Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2006

ISBN: 1-59800-837-4

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

PHILOSOPHY & RELIGION

ROSE BOOK OF BIBLE CHARTS, MAPS AND TIME LINES

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ROSE BOOK OF BIBLE CHARTS, MAPS AND TIME LINES

by Timothy Paul Jones ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2005

Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.

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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 â€œHow 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

Categories:

PHILOSOPHY & RELIGION

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THE MYTH OF SISYPHUS

AND OTHER ESSAYS

by Albert Camus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 26, 1955

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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.