An accessible and learned approach to Christianity.
A Christian’s call for a renewed emphasis on understanding the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Like many disillusioned Christians, Daigneau had a midlife crisis of faith in which he found that he was spiritually “exhausted” with “the Christian façade” as various churches were beset by various scandals. Although he served on the governing board of a church that was free of such scandal, he still “found ego…and the need for personal control” among his peers, “the likes of which I had never seen in any secular board room.” It was only after making a sincere effort to reprioritize, truly understand, and actually live out the Gospel, or the “Good News,” that he was able to restore his faith. The book’s approachable writing style blends experiences from the author’s personal life, such as his involvement with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes while he was a quarterback at Northwestern University, with astute analysis of Christian philosophy and the Bible, including the New Testament’s original Greek. In addition to drawing life lessons from the stories of biblical figures such as Job and Paul, the author also challenges Christians to reevaluate clichés that dominate, and limit, dialogue. On the topic of salvation, for instance, he notes that many Christians reduce Jesus to “an eternal life insurance salesman” whose policies will be collected upon entry into heaven. This book is designed for personal reflection as well as group study, and the author concludes each chapter with a “Deliberations” section that assigns additional research and asks probing questions. Daigneau should be particularly commended for his respectful, nuanced engagement with the work of high-profile atheist critics of religion, such as Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris. Rather than dismissing their arguments outright, he carefully considers and even occasionally agrees with their perspectives, and he provides an admirable model for constructive disagreement. The book’s array of references to Christian philosophers and theologians, however, is mostly limited to evangelical and Protestant perspectives, so Catholic and Orthodox readers may find themselves shut out of a book that prioritizes the Bible as its “Primary Source.”
An accessible and learned approach to Christianity.Pub Date: July 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-63769-344-5
Page Count: 268
Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
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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