A frank, if somewhat overlong, missionary memoir.
Willingham recounts his experiences as a missionary in the Philippines in this religious memoir.
In 2001, the author signed on for two years of missionary work for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints without giving it much thought, as he’d been raised in the faith. But by the time he was on his flight abroad, he’d begun to have doubts. He was assigned to promote the Book of Mormon in the Philippines, specifically in the remote valley of Ituy—home to the Igorots, also known as the Cagayanese, who practiced a traditional, pre-colonial way of life and believed in an ancient animist religion. “I was warned about the spirits, aswangs, and duwendes, taught chants to avoid bad luck, and witnessed loving burial practice,” he writes in his introduction, adding that “those traditions, beliefs, and myths became part of my reality.” The author felt as though he’d been banished to the end of the world, but in the faith and folklore of his conversion targets, the young missionary found the beginnings of his own spiritual journey. Willingham writes in clear and often visceral prose as he recounts his fish-out-of-water experiences in the valley, as in this passage, in which he accepts a duck embryo to eat: “Determined, I tipped back the egg and the embryo slid into my mouth. The feathers rubbed against my tongue, and the embryo caught in the back of my throat. I gagged and tried to both swallow it and spit it out at the same time.” In addition to his experiences among the Igorots and the other missionaries, Willingham offers a detailed history of the region, including the experiences of Catholic missionaries who attempted to convert the population there during Spanish colonization. However, the book would have benefited from a stronger edit, as it’s more than 450 pages long, and some of the detail can be tedious. That said, Willingham’s inner journey as a missionary is often compelling, and it may be of interest to others of all faiths on missions in faraway parts of the world.
A frank, if somewhat overlong, missionary memoir.Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 9798479006852
Page Count: 471
Publisher: Willinghammer, LLC
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
A remarkably thorough and thoughtful case for the reconciliation between science and faith.
A duo of French mathematicians makes the scientific case for God in this nonfiction book.
Since its 2021 French-language publication in Paris, this work by Bolloré and Bonnassies has sold more than 400,000 copies. Now translated into English for the first time by West and Jones, the book offers a new introduction featuring endorsements from a range of scientists and religious leaders, including Nobel Prize-winning astronomers and Roman Catholic cardinals. This appeal to authority, both religious and scientific, distinguishes this volume from a genre of Christian apologetics that tends to reject, rather than embrace, scientific consensus. Central to the book’s argument is that contemporary scientific advancements have undone past emphases on materialist interpretations of the universe (and their parallel doubts of spirituality). According to the authors’ reasoned arguments, what now forms people’s present understanding of the universe—including quantum mechanics, relativity, and the Big Bang—puts “the question of the existence of a creator God back on the table,” given the underlying implications. Einstein’s theory of relativity, for instance, presupposes that if a cause exists behind the origin of the universe, then it must be atemporal, non-spatial, and immaterial. While the book’s contentions related to Christianity specifically, such as its belief in the “indisputable truths contained in the Bible,” may not be as convincing as its broader argument on how the idea of a creator God fits into contemporary scientific understanding, the volume nevertheless offers a refreshingly nuanced approach to the topic. From the work’s outset, the authors (academically trained in math and engineering) reject fundamentalist interpretations of creationism (such as claims that Earth is only 6,000 years old) as “fanciful beliefs” while challenging the philosophical underpinnings of a purely materialist understanding of the universe that may not fit into recent scientific paradigm shifts. Featuring over 500 pages and more than 600 research notes, this book strikes a balance between its academic foundations and an accessible writing style, complemented by dozens of photographs from various sources, diagrams, and charts.
A remarkably thorough and thoughtful case for the reconciliation between science and faith.Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9789998782402
Page Count: 562
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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