Book Description
Robert Wuthnow shows how music and art are revitalizing churches and religious life across the nation in this first-ever consideration of the relationship between religion and the arts. All in Sync draws on more than four hundred in-depth interviews with church members, clergy, and directors of leading arts organizations and a new national survey to document a strong positive relationship between participation in the arts and interest in spiritual growth. Wuthnow argues that contemporary spirituality is increasingly encouraged by the arts because of its emphasis on transcendent experience and personal reflection. This kind of spirituality, contrary to what many observers have imagined, is compatible with active involvement in churches and serious devotion to Christian practices.
The absorbing narrative relates the story of a woman who overcame a severe personal crisis and went on to head a spiritual direction center where participants use the arts to gain clarity about their own spiritual journeys. Readers visit contemporary worship services in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston and listen to leaders and participants explain how music and art have contributed to the success of these services. All in Sync also illustrates how music and art are integral parts of some Episcopal, African American, and Orthodox worship services, and how people of faith are using their artistic talents to serve others.
Besides examining the role of the arts in personal spirituality and in congregational life, Wuthnow discusses how clergy and lay leaders are rethinking the role of the imagination, especially in connection with traditional theological virtues. He also shows how churches and arts organizations sometimes find themselves at odds over controversial moral questions and competing claims about spirituality. Accessible, relevant, and innovative, this book is essential for anyone searching for a better understanding of the dynamic relationships among religion, spirituality, and American culture.
Customer Reviews:
Arts and graces .......2005-10-04
This book by Robert Wuthnow, professor of social sciences and Director of the Centre for the Study of Religion at Princeton University, draws upon extensive research, including interviews with more than 400 people involved in a diverse number of worship settings across the country. In this study, Wuthnow documented a strong connection between interest in the arts and interest in spiritual growth.
Americans are fundamentally a religious, spiritual people. 'Spirituality is deeply significant to most Americans. Despite the materialism that surrounds us, the quest to know God and to experience the sacred has not diminished,' according to Wuthnow. However, this quest does not always happen within the confines of the institutional church - increasingly, people are looking for other ways of making connections with God.
Music and art are part of this quest, but often overlooked, save in the most formal of ways. There is an undercurrent of Protestant/Puritan mistrust of images, many kinds of artwork, and many types of music. One would think in this media-saturated culture that people would not lack for images, sounds, and words to experience, but this is part of the problem, according to Wuthnow. 'Although mass media make it easy for Americans to explore the arts, the results of such explorations are often disappointing. Media-fed spirituality suffers from superficiality, while momentary inspiration fails to illumine the dark night of the soul.'
Wuthnow explores the overall religious identity of the United States, looking at statistical studies and trends since the post-World War II period. He shows growth in different ways (more people identifying themselves as conservative and as liberal religiously, more interest in spirituality vs. historic religious institutions, etc.) but also asks questions regarding the basis of these trends. Wuthnow shows that the arts play a great deal of importance in spirituality trends, including music, television, film, theatre, museum and formal 'arts' shows, and publishing. Wuthnow argues in this book 'that the vitality of America's churches may depend significantly on the public's growing interest in artistic activities.' Wuthnow admits that some may find this argument a stretch, but in his subsequent chapters, he does give interesting argument for support.
Wuthnow's text deals with issues in art, spirituality, imagination, liturgy and worship, problems of conflict between the arts and the churches, and the awakening of the artistic soul in every person. We live in a consumer society, and this approach is often found with regard to understanding the arts, too. 'Because it is easier to be consumers of art than to create it, it is all the more important to emphasise that art is a strong form of personal discipline.' As Wuthnow states, it is not that Americans are averse to work (indeed, quite the opposite), but that the arts have always been relegated to that arena of life that is a hobby, a value-added-extra not actually required, save for those very few who are professional artists.
Wuthnow gives advice to congregational leaders to be sensitive to the various issues in art, particularly the way in which people have become accustomed to different ways of seeing and knowing, and the values of democracy and individuality that the arts tend to support. The arts are important in ways that need to be carefully considered, and Wuthnow's book is a very good way of exploring these issues.
Book Description
The revolutionary Haggadah is written in gender-inclusive contemporary language and has sold over 900,000 copies since its introduction.
Customer Reviews:
A Passover Haggadah.......2007-05-11
The art work in this Haggadah is enough to justify its purchase. The Hebrew is translated thoroughly and I assume faithfully (but how would I know). I have always found it very satisfactory for my seders that include adults and children of diverse faiths and non-faiths. If I were to improve it, I would place some of the songs that are at the back of the book at the portion of the service where it is appropriate to sing them (Dayenu, for instance).
A Passover Seder.......2007-04-11
We were so pleased to be able to purchase A Passover Haggadah by Herbert Bronstein on amazon.com. The original haggadahs we owned were bought over 25 years ago and had, quite literally, fallen apart. Our family has used these haggadahs at every Passover seder since that time and we would have been distraught if we could not continue the tradition.
Luckily, my wife found these on your website and our family was delighted we could continue our seders with our beloved haggadahs.
For an enjoyable Telling.......2001-03-12
Gender neutral language. Based in Right-to-Left format. Lots of English leader-and-group responsive readings. Contains Hebrew sections with English translations, and also transliterations for the primary blessings. The Four Questions are not transliterated, but are in English and Hebrew. The Four Children are children, not SONS. Dayenu is in Hebrew and English, no transliteration. There is a full Grace After Meals in Hebrew and Hallel is in Hebrew and English. Contains 25 pages of music.
Our family's haggadah.......2000-05-05
Our extended family has tried out other haggadot, but we always come back to this one. The gender-sensitive language is done very well -- it doesn't stick out at all. The book is a work of art!
Recipe for a wonderful Seder.......2000-03-24
This book is great. The language is poetic and powerful. It is even gender-inclusive and socially conscious without seeming new-agey. The illustrations are beautiful and dreamy. This haggadah is very versatile and provides a lot of choices for planning your Seder.
Customer Reviews:
The True Meaning of LIfe.......2006-04-23
If one is searching for the true meaning of life, you can find it between the few pages of this "picture book." It is not the successes and the failures that we encounter daily, but what is important is how we get to them and what we do with them. THE JOURNEY.
Feudel vassel Alberic learns it is alright to fail.......1998-02-07
The story was originally written in 1965 but has been reissued in 1992 accompanied by some wonderful paintings by Leonard Baskin that are, indeed, reminiscent of Barry Moser (both of whom, interestingly enough, founded their own private presses). In this day and age, children are basically taught that success is everything and the only thing. This book tells a remarkably different tale: it is alright to fail, as Alberic learns repeatedly. Alberic does not wallow in his failure, he picks up and moves on to new chapters of his life. Ultimately, he learns he is a success by being thought wise, yet he remains uncomfortable in the trappings of success. Why, because he has learned that life is lived best by continual striving, that it is a process, a journey
wherein "the freedom and the joy [is felt by] not knowing where each new step would take him."
An altogether wonderful lesson for children and wonderful paintings.
Average customer rating:
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Ten Times Better
Richard Michelson , and
Leonard Baskin
Manufacturer: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Arithmetic
| Math
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Math
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Baskin, Leonard
| ( B )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
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Nonfiction
| General
| Animals
| Children's Books
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General
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
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General
| Mathematics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
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How Much, How Many, How Far, How Heavy, How Long, How Tall Is 1000?
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Chimp Math: Learning about Time from a Baby Chimpanzee
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Dealing with Addition
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Bananas!
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Tiger Math: Learning to Graph from a Baby Tiger
ASIN: 076145070X |
Customer Reviews:
Reviews:.......2000-10-20
Ten Times Better, by Michelson.
New York Public Library "Children's Books, 2000 - 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing."
"...an imaginative numbers book that picks up where most others leave off. Michelson's jocular verse injects plenty of laughs into the calculations, while Baskin's jaunty, detailed watercolors deploy a sophisticated palette of muted autumnal hues." --Publishers Weekly, 7/31/00
Starred Review! "Paintings full of freshness and spirit, poems whimsical and sly, and yes, even a bit of mathematics all make this book irresistible...The wordplay is completely engaging, and artist Baskin triumps again with evocative and often startling animal images in a muted palette." --Kirkus Reviews 8/15/00
"The versus read aloud well, and the varied and off-center layouts (including a pull-out for the final page) are pleasing also from a distance, making this a good choice for story times...Additional facts, questions, and answers about each animal at the end (with an index) should be fun for individual readers. Baskin's vibrant, eerie, and humorous watercolors are a great enhancement to the intricately playful verses." -School Library Journal 10/00
"...a clever concept for a counting book, and the rhyming text adds to the fun. Baskin's watercolor illustrations, lovely as always to look at... In a lavish gesture, the last page is a gatefold filled with 100 humble bumblebees. The temptation to count is irresistible." --Booklist, 10/1/00
Average customer rating:
- Animals That Ought to Be: Poems About Imaginary Pets
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Animals That Ought to Be: Poems About Imaginary Pets
Richard Michelson
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Classics by Age
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Poetry
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Baskin, Leonard
| ( B )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| General
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
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A Book of Flies Real or Otherwise
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Ten Times Better
ASIN: 0689806353 |
Amazon.com
Baskin and Michelson, who collaborated very effectively on the earlier Did You Say Ghosts?, have created a dozen creepy--but helpful--creatures, including the Nightmare Scarer, which eats bad dreams; and the Channel Changer, which gives a new meaning to the term "belly button." (Ages 5 to 8)
Book Description
In these imaginative poems you'll find animals that nobody has ever hear of-but that certainly ought to exist.
Each poem in this collection is paired with a striking painting by renowned artist, Leonard Baskin, and will inspire young readers to invent their own animals that ought to be.
Customer Reviews:
Animals That Ought to Be: Poems About Imaginary Pets.......2005-07-22
Purchased at the request of our 6 yr. old grandson. It was read to him in Kindergarden...and he loved it. It is the book he asks for most often...and enjoys each and every poem...he has mesmorized several of the poems..and his 3 yr. old brother is an avid listener. Definately a best buy.
Average customer rating:
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A Passover Haggadah: The New Union Haggadah
Manufacturer: Central Conference of American Rabbis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Haggadah
| Judaism
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Religion & Spirituality
| Hebrew
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Hebrew Books
| Hebrew
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: B000NHTIXK |
Customer Reviews:
Ian Myles Slater on: Ancient Handbook of Ancient Myth.......2005-01-04
This is one of several translations of an ancient (date disputed) compilation of summaries of stories of the gods and heroes of Greece (but not Rome), based, where it can be checked, on excellent sources. If the name of the author is correct, he cannot be the "Apollodorus the Grammarian" to whom the work used to be attributed, but given the lack of fraudulent internal claims, the bare name seems to me better than "Pseudo-Apollodorus". Given the huge amount of classical literature that has been lost, and the primary sources to which this compiler seems to have had access (whoever and whenever he was), it is even more regrettable that a portion of "The Library" survives only in an abridged form. (Fortunately, part of the re-summarized material is Homeric; unfortunately, some of it is not.)
This translation features extensive commentary giving detailed comparisons to other classical versions of the divine and heroic stories, combined with surveys of modern literary uses of the stories. The latter is now dated, of course, and Sir James Frazer (of "The Golden Bough") gave even more information from ancient sources in his commentary (with translation facing a Greek text) of 1921 (two volumes in the Loeb Classical Library). But Michael Simpson is clear, and, on the whole, well organized. Some readers seem to have found the language too American for their taste. It should be remembered that the author, whoever he was, used a kind of "international literary Greek," which probably seemed fairly up-to-date to his well-educated readers. Whether academic American English is a good substitute is certainly arguable.
The index is not nearly as comprehensive as that in Keith Aldrich's rival version of 1975 (now out of print), but it usually helpful, and Aldrich does not discuss other ancient versions in any detail, or refer to modern literary versions. A recent translation by Robin Hard also has a better index (several, in fact), and is fairly good on ancient variants, but likewise avoids treatment of modern versions of the old stories. Simpson's commentary appears as endnotes to sections of the main text, which makes for frequent interruptions, but I have used this edition for a quarter century with considerable enjoyment, and frequent enlightenment about other ancient works.
Simpson's translation lacks the textual notes and apparatus of Robin Hard's 1997 translation, and Hard's introduction and commentary show both a later stage of classical studies and a more sophisticated view of the structure of "The Library". The two translations meet different needs, and it is good to have both available. If Aldrich was reprinted to join Frazer's more expensive translation (with Greek text), one might have to make a hard decision about how many versions can be afforded, and how much shelf space they deserve. As it is, the serious student and the lover of ancient literature may want to have both Simpson and Hard at hand, or in a convenient library; Frazer's edition can be consulted on-line at the Perseus site (but is rather difficult to read as presented there).
The Leonard Baskin illustrations are, in my opinion, an attractive feature; Aldrich's translation was also illustrated. However, a good selection of ancient art portraying (or possibly portraying) some of the stories or characters would also be welcome. But an edition "Illustrated from Ancient Monuments" would introduce another set of problems; for which, see Timothy Gantz, "Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources."
Average customer rating:
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Did You Say Ghosts?
Richard Michelson
Manufacturer: MacMillan Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
Picture Books
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Baskin, Leonard
| ( B )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0027669157 |
Book Description
A deliciously scary cumulative tale, with the series of possible monsters that follow each scared of something else. Kids will enjoy the humor as well as the shiver these all-star spooks bring.
Enriched by noted artist, Leonard Baskin's gallery of frightful imaginings, this is not a bedtime book, for the skeletons, witches, and other spooky creatures conjured up will lull no child to sleep! Instead, this is a humorous and spine-chilling repetitive story for older children.
Book Description
Well-known Caterpillar historian, Bob LaVoie, has improved and enhanced this classic book to include some of the earliest known photographs of the pre-merger Best Thirty in its working environment. These rare photographs from the Caterpillar Inc. Corporate Archives will excite every Caterpillar enthusiast. See the early and late series Caterpillar Thirty at work on road construction, land clearing, logging and farming. Also included are detailed factory and studio photos that will prove indispensable to the collector and restorer.
Customer Reviews:
From the Back Cover:.......2005-11-06
Well known Caterpillar historian, Bob LaVoie, has improved and enhanced this classic book to include some of the earliest known photographs of the pre-merger Best Thirty in its working environment. These rare photographs from the Caterpillar Inc. Corporate Archives will excite every Caterpillar enthusiast. See the early and late series Caterpillar Thirty at work on road construction, land clearing, logging and farming. Also included are detailed factory and studio photos that will prove indispensable to the collector and restorer.
Book Description
Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! Delivering belly laughs, hee-haws, and downright slackjaw amazement, this hilarious guide to the homeland of George W. and Willie Nelson is the essential how-to for surviving in the Lone Star State. From strange Texas laws and the history of Dr. Pepper to "Texas Talk" (in which a "turd floater" is a heavy downpour) and final-meal requests by death row inmates, Kinky Friedman, "the oldest living Jew in Texas who doesn't own any real estate," provides an insider's guide that will be loved by native Texans and the rest of us poor devils alike.
Even if you don't know the difference between an Aggie and an armadillo -- or what's really in the back on Willie Nelson's tour bus -- you can pass for a Texan with the Kinkster's expert coaching. So grab your hairspray and the keys to the Cadillac and get reading!
Customer Reviews:
Hilarious, especially for Texans.......2006-12-13
I disagree with the reviewer who stated that Texans would not find this book amusing. I am a Texan and I find This book to be absolutely fantastic, hilarious, and honest. Kinky is not disrespecting people from the lonestar state, just having a laugh. He is proud of Texas and this book shows that in addition to making fun of things we make fun of all the time! Texans, you need this book- you'll understand it perfectly. Non-Texans, you need it as well, I promise that you will laugh.
Funnier than s**t !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-08-25
Kinky profiles his stereotypical, neighborly Texans, fellow Kerrverts, etc. in yet another of his hilarious classics.
Gov. Friedman knows his State and is not afraid or embarrassed to admit it.
Another Great Book By the Kinkster!.......2005-07-20
Even though I'm not from Texas I found this book to be both funny and informative. Once again Kinky has penned yet another satirical classic that everyone should enjoy. Not a "who-done-it" but a hilarious look into The Lonestar State and what makes it great!
James Joyce was never as much fun..........2003-11-01
James Joyce writes about Dublin like Friedman writes about Texas.I suspect the Dubliners could no more understand Kinky than could Texans understand James nor do I expect either would want to.This book is a collection of stuff that, though not too deep, is very enjoyable.
How's this for some simple philosophy that can be applied to anywhere..
"It's no disgrace to come from Texas;it's just a disgrace to have to go back there."
Or think about this...
"Somewhere in the universe there is a planet inhabited principally by sentient armadillos who occasionally carve up dead humans and sell them as baskets by the roadside."
Enjoy!
A Hoot Without Much Couth.......2002-12-30
Kinky is at his irreverent best here in a scrap book style book that generally talks about Texas, but wanders onto other topics without any particular reason. If you can't laugh at this book you can't laugh at all.
Books:
- All the Mighty World: The Photographs of Roger Fenton, 1852-1860 (Metropolitan Museum of Art Series)
- American Visions: The Epic History of Art in America
- Art History: A Critical Introduction to Its Methods
- Art Matters: How the Culture Wars Changed America
- Art Nature Dialogues: Interviews With Environmental Artists
- Art Nouveau Animal Designs and Patterns: 60 Plates in Full Color (Dover Pictorial Archive)
- ART OF POCAHONTAS, THE
- Arte Povera: In Collection
- Arts and Learning: An Integrated Approach to Teaching and Learning in Multicultural and Multilingual Settings (2nd Edition)
- Auguste Rodin: Images of Desire, Erotic Watercolors and Cut-outs
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