Christians tired of church politics and proponents of interfaith practices will draw inspiration from this well-intentioned...
A bold take on Christianity, religious pluralism and the search for God.
McSwain (The Giving Myths, 2007) examines Christian faith with an unofficial Buddhist perspective. He sees the search for God as a death of the ego and a letting go of attachment. He is refreshingly against Christianity as the only path to God and opposed to the interdenominational politics and pettiness and backstabbing rampant in many churches. Rather, he looks to Jesus, as well as numerous other religious figures, for guidance along a path that he believes is not so much searching for God but clearing away illusions to realize that God is already found. His take is vaguely related to the biblical figure of Enoch, who appears only briefly in the Bible and this book—a fact that makes the title somewhat confusing. The book is a little unfocused, jumping from story to story and thought to thought. McSwain liberally sprinkles his prose with quotes and utilizes large block quotes from a wide array of spiritual and popular thinkers. While these quotes add context and support to the original content, they quickly become frustrating roadblocks to the flow of the text and cause the author to seem overeager to validate his argument. This is perhaps not without reason, as his argument stems from a brief, unprompted revelation that he experienced one day while sitting on the couch. It can be hard to understand how such a small, spontaneous moment could give birth to a systematic theology and its attendant practices, but McSwain grounds the ensuing book in a variety of religious traditions and a truly goodhearted intention to help people be closer to God. Given all the quotes and McSwain’s doctorate in ministry, he could better cite his sources, especially in regard to which translation of the Bible he is quoting. Overall, though, McSwain has no ulterior motives or self-aggrandizing sentiments, just an earnest wish to express his views and to share his ideas and experiences with others.
Christians tired of church politics and proponents of interfaith practices will draw inspiration from this well-intentioned text.Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1573125567
Page Count: 238
Publisher: Smyth & Helwys
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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