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RETALIATION OF THE CURSED

A HISTORICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE ORIGINS OF WORSHIP, WORLD RELIGION, MYTHOLOGY, PAGANISM, ASTROLOGY AND ATHEISM, AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS LEADING TO MODERN HINDUISM

An often challenging and wide-ranging inquiry into organized religions.

A search for the common origins of various cultures’ faiths.

In this densely packed work, Martin initially offers a roughly chronological survey of organized religions through the ages, including those of the ancient Egyptians, the early Mesopotamians, and the Chinese, where the roots of faith run deep. In these and all other cases, Martin seeks to trace the common, key theological concepts that run through them all. For example, he quotes from ancient Egyptian Scripture and concludes that Egyptians of the time “understood that man has a sinful nature, but God has a forgiving nature,” just as in Christianity and other faiths. Likewise, he examines the nature of divine proscriptions in conjunction with observable history. “It is clear that crimes like murder were [seen as] intrinsically wrong and did not just become wrong once there was a law against it,” he writes, with an eye toward the commandments featured in the Old Testament. “The law came after the sin to illuminate the presence of the sin.” The analytical tenor of many of Martin’s theological sources is clearly reflected in his own text, and some of the analysis is heavily inferential, as when he notes that “Sumer had developed a culture of beer drinking and leisure, which kept the people occupied and dependent on the lifestyle.”

In part due to his research’s extremely wide ambit, Martin sometimes slips into error or excessive enthusiasm—although, to be fair, in a work with this much detail, such moments could hardly be avoided. Some of the pronouncements here do seem to be strangely ignorant of history, though, as when the author writes that “karma” is atheistic in origin or that “Polytheism…has always weakened nations, while monotheism, in contrast, has united nations.” In the latter case, many of the longest-lasting cultures in history have been largely polytheistic, and two of the most powerful Western nations to be ripped apart by civil war, America and England, are mostly monotheistic. In addition, Martin’s reliance on reference works such as Eerdmans’ Handbook to the World’s Religions seems to introduce a tone of literary criticism into his theological discussions, as when he writes, “In the Bible, God appears to create mankind purely because He is maximally good, and it is more fully good to share existence than to keep it all to oneself.” (The Book of Genesis does not state God’s motivation for Creation.) That said, the author’s historical insights are usually quite sharp, and he expertly marshals his sources to make his points. His thoughts on the symbology of the serpent and the egg in modern Hinduism, for example, are intriguing, and some of his summaries are thought-provoking, as when he notes that “the Christian practice of communion is one area that has historically shown how the priesthood became a priestcraft.” The breadth of his research does have the effect of blurring his stated focus on modern Hinduism, but it also results in a great deal of engaging content.

An often challenging and wide-ranging inquiry into organized religions.

Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-03-911366-4

Page Count: 198

Publisher: FriesenPress

Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2022

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ROSE BOOK OF BIBLE CHARTS, MAPS AND TIME LINES

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

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THE MYTH OF SISYPHUS

AND OTHER ESSAYS

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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