by Vincent C. Grote ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 2, 2013
A casual, humorous boost for day-to-day spirituality.
A relaxed, affirming daily devotional for today’s Christian readers.
Grote, a youth pastor and men’s ministry leader, started writing down his thoughts on various Bible verses to share with his family members, and he’s now assembled that collection here as a yearlong devotional for a wider audience. Each week, he introduces a short verse from the Bible, and then, for each day of that week, he expands on his interpretation and its applications to modern-day life. Grote’s main objective in each day is to stress an image of a personable, caring God. “Your Daddy God loves you and wants you to enjoy the here and now,” he writes, often mixing in slang and unusual spellings to assert his vision of a less formal relationship with God. The relaxed style helps distance himself from more traditional or judgmental religious writings. “I have no idea what smoting is,” he says of the punishments from the Old Testament, “but I don’t want any part of it.” Grote uses each verse to compel readers to put their faith in God to solve any problems they may face. He uses examples from his own life, ranging from real estate to serious family problems, always emphasizing that “Super-crazy, extreme abundance in every area of your life—that is what your Daddy God wants for you.” There are some brief historical contexts for the verses, paying particular attention to different translations of the Bible, i.e., “I shall not want” versus “I lack nothing” and “I have all that I need.” But these insights are mostly stray observations that Grote loosely links together. The days lack a specific topic or theme, and the use of only one verse for every week leads to repetition and a limited amount of Scripture. In his introduction, Grote encourages the reader “not to disregard something because it goes against what you have been taught or due to my very grammatically incorrect writing style,” yet readers looking for a focused, in-depth study of the Bible may still want to look elsewhere.
A casual, humorous boost for day-to-day spirituality.Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2013
ISBN: 978-1490809922
Page Count: 292
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Albert Camus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 26, 1955
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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by Timothy Paul Jones ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2005
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
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