A bright examination of modern Christianity.
A thought-provoking look at the modern definition of God.
Who is God? What is God? People have asked these questions for millennia, and they may continue to be asked until the end of time. Is the God we know today the wrathful God of the Old Testament or the gentler version seen in the New Testament? In this debut, Bernecker argues that the idea of the Almighty God in nearly every sect of modern Christianity is incorrect. The current definition of God, he writes, is seen in the context of human fallibility; God conducts himself according to human standards of decency, justice and morality. Today’s followers, the author states, mistakenly believe that God and his place in their lives are defined by humanity and by human choices. In fact, he asserts, it’s the other way around; followers should look to God’s “sovereignty, His great love for each of us, and the eminent trustworthiness of his eternal purpose, which includes each of us in infinite detail.” Only by realizing the true reach and power of God’s love, he writes, can followers truly let him into their hearts and realize his true place in their lives. This book isn’t for light readers of theology; the author’s arguments dive quite deep into the Scriptures, which may be intimidating for some. However, his arguments are well-researched and well-articulated; he backs up his ideas not only with examples from the Bible, but also with similar assertions from great writers and thinkers of the past, including quotations from C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther, Saint Augustine, pastor A.W. Tozer and theologian James Boice. By including the world outside of the Bible, Bernecker adds credibility to his ideas. Readers interested in the evolution of theology, and Christianity especially, will thoroughly enjoy the author’s assertions about the modern God—and may be inspired to make some of their own.
A bright examination of modern Christianity.Pub Date: July 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-1482068382
Page Count: 236
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2013
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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