An unassuming faith memoir and handbook for curious Christians.
From debut author Stone, a beginner’s guide to the basics of the Christian faith.
“You can either ride in God’s triumphant chariot, or get crushed under its wheels.” So said J. Vernon McGee, the Christian theologian, as quoted by Stone. Though McGee heavily influenced Stone—his work is quoted quite frequently here—this book takes a very different tone from all-or-nothing reductionism. Self-deprecating and disarmingly humorous, Stone, “a long-time victim of ‘hoof-in-mouth’ disease,” shares the results of his personal study of the Bible, digging into Scripture and frequently drawing homespun biblical applications from his own life in order to clarify some truths about faith. He insists he’s not breaking any new ground, just “stirring things up a bit,” but his book abounds with scriptural insights of a very approachable kind, born of personal Bible study. In the book’s first half, his central observation relates to God’s intent for mankind: to walk with Jesus Christ while living day-to-day faith. In the second half, the central tenet is trust: in the promise of resurrection, in the individual love of the Creator for all his creations, and even in the unknowable nature of God. “We must trust in God to fulfill his promises,” Stone writes, drawing on classic Christian authors like St. Augustine and C.S. Lewis to emphasize that Christians seeking salvation must work to save themselves while also trusting in their savior. Stone directly confronts the hard work involved with grappling Scripture: “God wants all believers to dig out these truths and apply them to their lives, but He never promised that it would be easy.” The sentiment is somewhat at odds with Jesus’ “Seek, and ye shall find; ask, and it shall be given thee,” but Stone’s larger point will resonate with faith-and–good-deeds Christians. Stone admits he didn’t set out to write a spiritual autobiography, but that’s more or less what his book is, and it’s the book’s greatest strength for both newcomers and lifelong Christians.
An unassuming faith memoir and handbook for curious Christians.Pub Date: July 29, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4908-8362-5
Page Count: 218
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2015
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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