A passionate call for Christian readers to come together as children of God.
A brief book of meditations on Christian empowerment.
Hogan’s nonfiction debut takes its title from the Gospel of Luke: “Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents, and scorpion, and all the powers of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you”—a metaphorical verse that’s sparked countless interpretations over the centuries. Hogan’s own interpretation is that it’s a message of strength through unity, which is one of the primary themes of her book. God wants the church to “walk in victory, not defeat.” Hogan writes: “He is calling us to be warriors, not wimps.” In Hogan’s view, this victory will be achieved by banding together and casting aside the disorder and division that she sees plaguing Christian churches of various denominations. God, she writes, gave his followers Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, teachers, and saints “for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith.” The author begins many chapters with quick glimpses of challenges that parents face, and she uses them as starting points to remind readers of their filial duties to God and his ministers, whose authority should be accepted, she asserts, regardless of their skin color, political views, gender, or past lifestyles. The main point, Hogan stresses, is that “Jesus Christ has only one church,” and it’s time for all Christians worldwide to join in one faith and put aside petty divisions. To make this and other points, the author employs a clear, personal prose style, and it’s emphatic, personal tone as it makes a far-reaching call for Christian obedience and unity will doubtless strike a chord with readers who may also be frustrated by the politics and small-mindedness of their own particular congregations. That said, there are occasional, distracting typographical errors (such as “Able” instead of “Abel”) and claims that some readers may argue with, such as that “God doesn’t choose sides.” However, the depiction of a God who loves all the faithful, despite their shortcomings, is no less appealing for being traditional.
A passionate call for Christian readers to come together as children of God.Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4582-1364-8
Page Count: 116
Publisher: AbbottPress
Review Posted Online: July 2, 2019
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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