A pedestrian juxtaposition of Christianity and Islam.
Debut author John offers fellow Christians a succinct comparison of the Quran and the Bible on key doctrinal points—particularly those relating to the life and divinity of Jesus.
The author says that he seeks to provide a handbook so that “if an Imam asked a Christian Pastor to bring evidence of the Gospel’s authority,” he’d be able to do so. Notably, John does not go so far as to view the difference between the two faiths as one between good and evil, as some evangelical Christians do; indeed, he embraces Muslims as fellow “believers.” His main focus is to refute the Islamic rejection of the divinity of Christ. He asserts that whatever similarities that the Bible and Quran may share in their writing styles or their belief in the supremacy of God, the two are ultimately incompatible. To John, who says that he believes in the inerrancy of the Bible, the fundamental disagreement on the purpose, meaning, and very nature of Jesus is a chasm that will forever separate Christians and Muslims. Overall, this book may be useful to Protestants who seek a basic introduction to the similarities and differences between the two faiths. Readers looking for a scholarly comparison, however, will find that there are no footnotes; John only cites the two holy books, so that one can directly compare parallel passages on a range of topics. He also rejects the compatibility of Christianity with Catholicism—the world’s largest Christian denomination—by critiquing the Catholic practice of praying to the Virgin Mary. The author’s understanding of mainstream Christian doctrine isn’t always clear at times. He seems ambivalent toward the term “Trinity,” for example, and, in a chapter on the Quran’s alleged acceptance of violence, he doesn’t note the longstanding Christian concept of “just war.” Other readers may grow tired of the book’s repetitive style, as it offers passage after passage from the Bible and Quran with very little critical analysis, beyond surface-level comparisons and platitudes.
A pedestrian juxtaposition of Christianity and Islam.Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-973607-67-0
Page Count: 244
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2018
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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