An attempt to uphold the superiority of the Koran, but the reader may not find God in the process.
Fragmented defense of the Koran as the fulfillment of Jewish and Christian scripture, and as a prophetic authority on matters of science and nature.
Utilizing numerous and often lengthy passages from the Koran, the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament, as well as quotations from many modern authorities, Gad purports to help the reader search for God. Gad begins with a brief critique of Darwin’s theories and seems to refute evolution in favor of creationism. However, he then immediately launches into an exploration of Abraham’s descendents, drawing the conclusion that Ishmael, not Isaac, is the legitimate first son of Abraham. By contrasting the Koran with Hebrew and Christian scriptures, he also concludes that Muhammad, not Jesus, is the proper subject of various prophecies. Gad critiques Christian theology and declares that the Christian view of the Triune God is either incorrect or heretical. In a sudden shift halfway through the book, the author begins to extract scientific truths from Koranic scripture. Following selections from the Koran with expositions of various modern scientific findings, Gad intimates that the Koran foretold a number of natural truths which no one could have understood fully in Muhammad’s time. For instance, the Koran states that the earth was made like an egg, and Gad explains that this describes both the shape and layers of the earth. Overall, Gad’s approach is difficult to follow. He moves at a quick pace from one topic to another, rarely ties ideas together and seldom explains his own conclusions. His quotations from various scriptures are sometimes strung along for pages, leaving the reader with little clue as to where he is heading. Finally, God is only tangential to the text-scripture is primary, and even if one considers an exposition on the Koran as a search for God, it is quite an impersonal search in this context.
An attempt to uphold the superiority of the Koran, but the reader may not find God in the process.Pub Date: Dec. 9, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-595-33644-9
Page Count: 174
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
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
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.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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