An engaging primer on the fundamentals of Christianity.
Heitz urges a return to the basics of faith in this nonfiction book.
As a former Roman Catholic and an altar boy, the author recalls his desire to follow the nuanced rules of his denomination, which at the time deemed attending Protestant church services or missing Sunday Mass as sins. While maintaining his belief in a Christian God, Heitz found this emphasis on complex religious statutes more of a barrier that separated him from God than a path that led to a meaningful spiritual relationship with his creator. After exploring other denominations, he found that many had their own sets of rules that “leave people confused and often lead us away from the original teaching of Jesus.” In this concise handbook to a more simplified, authentic approach to faith, the author offers five guiding principles that break away from hierarchies and regulations to refocus on Christianity’s core values. Tellingly, the first principle (“Simplify for God”) urges Christians to follow Jesus’s example in keeping “things simple enough for anyone to understand.” Other principles remind the faithful to remain thankful to God, to trust in and listen to God, and to “Act for God” by loving their neighbors. At just under 100 pages, this is an intentionally easy and accessible book, with straightforward text offset by inspirational Bible verses and full-color images. Designed for individual reading or small group discussion, the guide offers sample prayers and reflective questions that call on readers to think of ways to put their faith into action. Heitz balances his theological commentary with practical tips on how to deepen one’s faith, such as having morning “coffee with the Holy Spirit” or keeping a prayer book beside daily medications as a way to habitualize an active prayer life. While critical of Catholicism, the book is otherwise ecumenical, calling on Christians to shed their denominational rivalries for a more unified, simplified faith.
An engaging primer on the fundamentals of Christianity.Pub Date: Dec. 16, 2023
ISBN: 9781950943289
Page Count: 110
Publisher: 102nd Place
Review Posted Online: March 11, 2024
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
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.
All right, all right, all right: The affable, laconic actor delivers a combination of memoir and self-help book.
“This is an approach book,” writes McConaughey, adding that it contains “philosophies that can be objectively understood, and if you choose, subjectively adopted, by either changing your reality, or changing how you see it. This is a playbook, based on adventures in my life.” Some of those philosophies come in the form of apothegms: “When you can design your own weather, blow in the breeze”; “Simplify, focus, conserve to liberate.” Others come in the form of sometimes rambling stories that never take the shortest route from point A to point B, as when he recounts a dream-spurred, challenging visit to the Malian musician Ali Farka Touré, who offered a significant lesson in how disagreement can be expressed politely and without rancor. Fans of McConaughey will enjoy his memories—which line up squarely with other accounts in Melissa Maerz’s recent oral history, Alright, Alright, Alright—of his debut in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, to which he contributed not just that signature phrase, but also a kind of too-cool-for-school hipness that dissolves a bit upon realizing that he’s an older guy on the prowl for teenage girls. McConaughey’s prep to settle into the role of Wooderson involved inhabiting the mind of a dude who digs cars, rock ’n’ roll, and “chicks,” and he ran with it, reminding readers that the film originally had only three scripted scenes for his character. The lesson: “Do one thing well, then another. Once, then once more.” It’s clear that the author is a thoughtful man, even an intellectual of sorts, though without the earnestness of Ethan Hawke or James Franco. Though some of the sentiments are greeting card–ish, this book is entertaining and full of good lessons.
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-13913-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
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