An exhaustive compilation of immense theological value, especially as a prologue to future study.
A debut book compares the teachings of Jesus and Muhammad.
The often inflammatory arguments between ideological partisans of Christianity and Islam are rarely conducted by way of sober textual analysis. The complex doctrines of the two religions—as well as the prohibitive nature of the foreign languages in which their primary sources were written—make such comparisons less than accessible. St Michael aims to dismantle that barrier to understanding by supplying an impressively comprehensive catalog of the utterances of Jesus and Muhammad, grouped thematically and presented, as the subtitle of the book notes, helpfully side by side. The work begins with some introductory commentary: a glossary of key terms within both religious traditions as well as concise histories and timelines of Jesus’ and Muhammad’s lives. Some of the themes chosen are doctrinal—topics like forgiveness and repentance are covered—while others are more directly related to what the author calls “daily living,” like finances, diet, and marriage. One section is titled “Distractions” and seems almost like a catchall, including subjects like Satan and disagreement. St Michael clearly wants the texts to speak for themselves, and so with the exception of a brief editorial comment here and there, the quotations are presented without any accompanying interpretations: “This book is not meant to present information for judgement of the faithful of either religion, but rather to elucidate the foundations of the faiths.” Even the histories provided are minimal, and much of the work is presented in an efficient, bullet-style format. For readers of either faith, such a lucid and unbiased record of the points of commonality and disagreement between Jesus and Muhammad is sure to be educational. And the entire book is scrupulously sourced, adding to the general air of transparency and scholarly rigor. But additional commentary would actually have been quite useful—the quotes are furnished without any discussion of the context within which they appear, and so their meanings often remain obscure. For this reason, the offering is better understood as an encyclopedic preliminary to more in-depth study, because any serious comparison between Jesus and Muhammad would require an exegetical framework.
An exhaustive compilation of immense theological value, especially as a prologue to future study.Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9996146-0-0
Page Count: 536
Publisher: Rising Myrrh Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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