A thought-provoking, if occasionally overcomplicated, personal take on theology.
A Christian manifesto that offers one man’s interpretation of the Bible.
In his nonfiction work, real estate developer Dudley, who’s 70, tells readers that his aim is to convey what he’s learned from studying the Old and New Testaments for his entire adult life. That said, he reserves for himself no special sanctity or insight: “If I could tally my lifelong actions with complete and accurate data,” he confesses early on, “I’m afraid the bottom line would show that what I really wanted all along was total self-indulgence without any negative consequences.” He begins his book with a brief overview of his own life before widening the focus to encompass the broader human story from a Christian viewpoint, starting with the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. This allows him to introduce his idea of duality as a major theme, embodied in the seeds of two Adams—one being the kingdom of God and the other, the kingdom of man. Throughout, Dudley employs a vivid and highly readable prose style, which will be a great help to readers when some aspects of his theology become more complicated: “Our God-given role in this ministry is to respond to God’s outreach by putting our faith in his Son’s atoning sacrifice, receiving his implanted word, and then following God’s Son to return God’s love.” Sometimes, though, no amount of clarity can undo these tangles, as in lines such as “God is a Spirit, his nature is love, and his Spirit is the life in our Father’s heart as well as the life in his Son’s heart, so these three are one.” Such moments notwithstanding, the bulk of Dudley’s book will likely make for invigorating reading for fellow devout Christians.
A thought-provoking, if occasionally overcomplicated, personal take on theology.Pub Date: Nov. 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73519-001-3
Page Count: 282
Publisher: Consecrated Press LLC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A frank and funny but uneven essay collection about neurodiversity.
An experimental, illustrated essay collection that questions neurotypical definitions of what is normal.
From a young age, writer and comedian Myers has been different. In addition to coping with obsessive compulsive disorder and panic attacks, she struggled to read basic social cues. During a round of seven minutes in heaven—a game in which two players spend seven minutes in a closet and are expected to kiss—Myers misread the romantic advances of her best friend and longtime crush, Marley. In Paris, she accidentally invited a sex worker to join her friends for “board games and beer,” thinking he was simply a random stranger who happened to be hitting on her. In community college, a stranger’s request for a pen spiraled her into a panic attack but resulted in a tentative friendship. When the author moved to Australia, she began taking notes on her colleagues in an effort to know them better. As the author says to her co-worker, Tabitha, “there are unspoken social contracts within a workplace that—by some miracle—everyone else already understands, and I don’t….When things Go Without Saying, they Never Get Said, and sometimes people need you to Say Those Things So They Understand What The Hell Is Going On.” At its best, Myers’ prose is vulnerable and humorous, capturing characterization in small but consequential life moments, and her illustrations beautifully complement the text. Unfortunately, the author’s tendency toward unnecessary capitalization and experimental forms is often unsuccessful, breaking the book’s otherwise steady rhythm.
A frank and funny but uneven essay collection about neurodiversity.Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9780063381308
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025
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
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