A thoughtful exploration for religious readers.
Hasselbach offers daily reflections on Advent and Christmas in this nonfiction work.
Christians “have become so accustomed to the status quo,” asserts the author in this book’s introduction, noting that many often forget that the intent of Advent is not only to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but also to anticipate his promised return to bring “life, light, and restoration of all we love and have ever loved.” In this devotional, Hasselbach offers readers meditations for every day of the week from the First Sunday of Advent through the Twelfth Day of Christmas and Epiphany. Each devotional is no more than a handful of pages in length, and they all follow a similar organizational structure, which begins with a passage from the Bible and a short reflection. The entries are geared toward practical application of each daily Scripture reading, and they often blend Christian commentary with autobiographical vignettes, relevant historical events, retellings of biblical stories, and other engaging, accessible anecdotes. Similarly, each chapter ends with a prayer and suggested activity for the day, such as reaching out to forgive someone, or journaling about one’s worries. The concise chapters encourage thoughtful consideration of each day’s message and include blank pages for personal notetaking. The book’s approach is ecumenical in tone and never explicitly endorses a specific denomination. However, its organizational structure, which includes specific feast days, such as the Feast of Stephen and Feast of the Holy Innocents, will be most familiar to readers from liturgical backgrounds. References to saints, such as Teresa of Avila, and descriptions of Mary as “the mother of God” may similarly appeal to readers from Catholic or Lutheran traditions. Still, the book welcomes Christian readers of all persuasions to think deeply about its timeframe, noting that the two seasons “are times to reflect on the quality of our lives as we wait for Jesus’ return.”
A thoughtful exploration for religious readers.Pub Date: Dec. 12, 2024
ISBN: 9798218530952
Page Count: 213
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2025
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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