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Spiritual environmentalist Thom Hartman ventures into the genre of parables with this story about a jaded, unemployed newspaper reporter named Paul Abler. The same day that he's fired for being "too driven" as a reporter, Abler has a spontaneous debate with a street corner religious zealot. Moments later Paul risks his life to rescue a 5-year-old girl who is about to be hit by a Mack truck in a crosswalk. These two chance encounters set off a chain of mystical events that change his life.
Like in any great parable, we see an ordinary skeptic wandering in a land of spiritual teachers disguised as misfits and vagrants. More so, we have a straightforward storyteller, able to keep the dialog moving at a clip while giving a strong sense of scene and action. As Paul heads toward the frightened girl in the crosswalk, Hartmann writes, "Three steps out, the voice inside his head was now shouting, you're gonna die, but he didn't stop. Just five more steps and he could shove the little girl--now frozen in horror staring at the truck, whose brakes were screeching--hard enough to knock her out of the way.... If he succeeded he would then, himself, be in front of the truck that he knew would take his life. But even if he wanted to turn back he'd already gone too fast and too far." Even if readers wanted to turn back from this fast-moving parable they will find themselves, like Paul, mysteriously committed to a magnetic journey through underground tunnels, distant lands, back in time, and into the greatest spiritual secret of the century. --Gail Hudson
Customer Reviews:
Amazing Insights.......2007-02-06
Thom Hartmann is an author with authenic insights & some of the realizations in this book are quite extraordinary. I highly recommend it.
Thoughtful introspection for open-minded folk.......2005-05-17
It's always refreshing to see a positive and action-minded message set forth by a renowned nationally syndicated talk show host and author of many many books.
It's a beautiful book on finding your path in life - does involve some non-denominational christianity and in fact teaches us to understand the messages that come along in our lives - as well as how to bring about some meaning in our otherwise workcentric universe.
I enjoyed it and found it to be a different type of book than what I'm used to seeing. Very refreshing.
Nice book, but..............2003-10-19
We've seen it a lot, with different titles and the same message, to which I absolutely agree by the way.
However Thom, your other books were written much better than that.
Maybe you're trying to include a broader audience...!?
Bravo anyway!
The Greatest Spiritual Secret of the Century.......2003-01-11
Thom Hartmann is a psychotherapist and internationally known speaker. He's written numerous books and short stories. The Greatest Spiritual Secret of the Century is his first novel, and in it he takes both his characters and the reader on a transforming journey.
Paul Abler is an ordinary person, living an ordinary life filled job stress, past-due rent, and a girlfriend who jilts him. Then one day, he throws himself in front of an oncoming car, in a successful attempt to save a little girl who had darted in front of it. He himself is saved from serious injury by an extraordinary man named Noah.
Noah, who is a shape shifter and time traveler, takes Paul on a journey where he receives his first lessons in the School of Wisdom.
Paul later is approached by a street person named Jim, who takes him beneath the city streets, where he meets a group of homeless people led by Joshua. But like Noah, his new acquaintances are more than they first appear to be. Paul continues to have fantastic adventures and experiences, all the while increasing his knowledge of how things truly are. When he learns the greatest spiritual secret, he knows that he can never revert to being the person he had been.
A modern-day parable, The Greatest Spiritual Secret of the Century, is written in "the story-telling tradition of Og Mandino and Richard Bach. . .Paul's voyage is a journey that all of us would like to take, and provides answers each of us had hoped to find."
Amazing the accuracy of the research for this book.......2002-06-25
This book is a great, fast-moving story with a deep, spiritual theme. Even more amazing for me was the depth of the research the author put into it. The scenes describing ancient Sumeria and Uruk and the gods of that time and the nature of the temples (from the statuary to the costumes to the traditions) are impeccably accurate. On digging through the book carefully, I find that all of the words attributed to the female deity he meets in space are the (few) actual words put in a female "voice of God" in the Bible (mostly Song of Songs, but other places, too), and all the words of Joshua are verbatim from the Gospel of Thomas. It's an amazing dip into the esoteric history of the Jewish/Christian tradition...and its predecessors...as well as a fun read. Just the info on mysticism is worth the price of the book. Enjoy!
Customer Reviews:
Mediocre Romance.......2007-06-12
I was very disappointed in this novel as I am a romance fan and have read Krentz before and enjoyed her. The characters were one dimensional and the plot line was a little silly. As a big Nora Roberts fan - I can suspend the logical (as in incorporating witchcraft and the supernatural) but the plot lines in Roberts flow better. Overall - I would not recommend you bother with this - although the sex scenes were worth the read.
The Book That Disappeared.......2007-02-17
This was a book that should not have been. It disappeared, only to return in another place. The two people who were interested in a new buyer-a person who should not have been alive. The ending was worth waiting for.
A good read!.......2004-05-02
I am a huge fan of JAK and have been reading my way through all of her books. Midnight Jewels is the story of a used book seller, Mercy Pennington, who stumbles upon a rare book in a flea market. The plot unfolds as she attempts to sell the book and discovers the dangerous situation surrounding it. The hero, Croft Falconer, competes with the villian to purchase the book and the story developes from there. This is not my most favorite JAK book but it is a good read, fast paced with nice character development.
my very least favorite Jayne Ann Krentz romance.......2003-01-20
I was sadly disappointed in this book. The dialogue is very stiff and unwieldy to me and the hero doesn't make much sense. I thought the plot was a stretch most of the time. There seemed to be little of her ususal humor evident.
I am glad this was not the first of hers I read.
Not my favorite.......2001-11-08
AFter reading all the 5* reviews, had to put my comments in. I've read most of JAK (& Amanda Quick & Jayne Castle), and re-read them. Including this one. The plot is good, I like all the stuff about books and old books, but the hero is just too obnoxious. I know they're all a little too macho, but this guy is rude and lacks some of the endearing qualities of her other heros. He does get better as the book goes on, but not soon enough for me. I would have dumped him way back. I actually prefer her newer work, where the heroes are a little less rude and the heroines more willing to stand up for themselves.
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MIDNIGHT JEWELS
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HBV1H8 |
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Midnight Jewels
Manufacturer: Popular Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I8WQRO |
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Midnight Jewels
Tzvi White
Manufacturer: C I S Communications, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1560621877 |
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Midnight Jewels
Jayne Ann Krentz
Manufacturer: Warner Books, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000NSFEV4 |
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- An excellent start to a new series
- It's up to an esteemed physicist to investigate and to ultimately confront the demons
- Could have been better
- Entertaining like a video game - feels one-dimensional
- Not Ringo's best work
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Into The Looking Glass
John Ringo
Manufacturer: Baen
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 1416521054 |
Book Description
Baen now launches an exciting new science fiction adventure series by the New York Times best-selling author: When a 60-kiloton explosion destroyed the University of Central Florida, and much of the surrounding countryside, the authorities first thought that terrorists had somehow obtained a nuclear weapon. But there was no radiation detected, and, when physicist Dr. William Weaver and Navy SEAL Command Master Chief Robert Miller were sent to investigate, they found that in the center of the destruction, where the University¿s physics department used to be, was an interdimensional gateway to . . . somewhere. An experiment in subatomic physics had produced a very unexpected effect. Furthermore, other gateways were appearing all over the world¿and one of them immediately began disgorging demonic visitors intent on annihilating all life on Earth and replacing it with their own. Other, apparently less hostile, aliens emerged from other gateways, and informed Weaver and Miller that the demonic invaders¿the name for them that humans could most easily pronounce was the ¿Dreen¿¿were a deadly blight across the galaxy, occupying planet after planet after wiping out all native life; and now it would be Earth¿s turn, unless Weaver and Miller could find a way to close the gateways. If they failed, the less belligerent aliens would face the regrettable necessity of annihilating the entire Earth to save their own worlds. . . .
Customer Reviews:
An excellent start to a new series.......2007-09-26
John Ringo has been a bit of a guilty pleasure for me in the last few years. I think he does military sci-fi plot better than just about anyone writing today. He moves action along with just the right mix of talk and splatter to keep readers interested and wanting more. If he has an Achilles heel (and thus the guilt) it is his rote assumption that all who do not share his political views are mindless drones or useless boobs. It makes his characters into caricatures at times and truly represents a weakness inherent within the otherwise fascinating and engaging worlds that he creates. That being said, "Into the Looking Glass" is a thrill ride from start to finish combining interesting plot and plenty of action. The ruminations on muons, quarks and bosons can sometimes get a bit dense, and a brief trip into the mind of a fuzzy alien god in the center of the book is just plain impossible to understand, but this is an enjoyable ride and an excellent start to what should be a great series.
It's up to an esteemed physicist to investigate and to ultimately confront the demons .......2007-09-03
John Ringo's INTO THE LOOKING GLASS tells of a huge explosion which destroys the University of Central Florida and which leaves doorways into another world in its aftermath. It's up to an esteemed physicist to investigate and to ultimately confront the demons these gateways will discharge from other worlds.
Could have been better.......2007-09-02
While this book has managed to keep me mildly engaged in the story, it is a definite disappointment. The characterizations are two dimensional and the author just fails to do anywhere near as much with the premise as he could have. Let's face it: Ringo starts with a fascinating concept, with wormholes opening up to random worlds all over the place. That's an idea with a lot of potential, much of which he ends up wasting. The result is readable and entertaining enough to follow through to the end -- but far short of what it could be. Which is why I give it 2 stars; it's an average story where the author should have been able to give us something outstanding.
Then there's the politics that have been referenced in so many other reviews. Although I lean to the progressive side, I've certainly enjoyed books by politically conservative authors such as Poul Andersen, Robert Heinlein, and Larry Niven. Unfortunately, Ringo fails to work his politics into the story with anywhere near their success -- so, instead of enhancing the story, Ringo's politics just distracts. If you're liberal, it's just annoying. If you're conservative, you might still be disappointed that the author didn't do a better job of effectively working in his political views.
Summary: I bought this as a close out item for $5. If I'd paid more, I would be seriously disappointed.
Entertaining like a video game - feels one-dimensional.......2007-08-28
While John Ringo is at times capable of brilliant characterization, strong back history and vivid descriptions, he doesn't give us this in "Into the Looking Glass." The story feels rushed, the characters are undeveloped and generic and the whole concept - which had the potential to be super cool - ended up leaving me saying "meh." Basically when the physics lab at the University of Central Florida - Orlando - explodes in what appears to be a nuclear fireball (but isn't) a strange "hole" is left, which appears to be a rip in the fabric of space. Other holes start appearing, first nearby, then spreading out across the country, then across the world. When a hostile alien race comes through and begins to attack, the military must hold them off while the scientists try to find a way to shut down the holes.
As I said - a cool concept. It's just too bad it wasn't developed as fully as it could have been. This could have been spaced out over several books, allowing for fuller development of the characters, fuller development of the story and back history of the various aliens encountered, etc. Unfortunately, that was not the case. This is, unfortunately, the worst Ringo book I've read. Entertaining enough, in a fluffy way, but not one I'll be likely to re-read any time soon.
Not Ringo's best work.......2007-06-28
Maybe he was tired, or in a hurry. The basic idea is interesting, but there are too many inconsistencies.
The first major head-shaker is when Tuffy shows up. For a brief, obviously-for-the-purpose-of-foreshadowing-only, appearance: If any real physicist found an intelligent alien at the site of a huge mysterious explosion, would they; a)spend the next 100 pages learning to communicate and finding out all they could from it, or, b) utter a cliched expletive and go off to stupidly help send a soldier into the cause of the explosion?
For Ringo's answer see page 48 and chapter 3.
Next, we discover on page 84 that our hero, a hot-shot multi-degreed physicist AND a martial artist, has no clue how to use a gun.
This may be barely believable, until we get to page 178 and discover our gun-naive hero has "over a hundred hours" in a prototype combat suit (thought I'd wandered back into "A hymn Before Battle" here) and then, to clinch the goof, page 187 where we find Our Hero expertly, and one-handedly, shooting aliens with a Bushmaster. He mows down more on page 322. Dang, where'd he learn to shoot like that?
The answer is, he didn't. First Ringo needed him to be gun-naive for the cute scene in the farmhouse where he nonchalantly shoots aliens while carrying on a cell-phone conversation. But later, he has to know how to shoot, so he does. Characters, to be consistently believable, have to do and know things for plausible reasons, not just because the plot requires some action.
Tuffy finally shows up again at page 270, where we find the government allowing this alien, which it knows nothing about, in the middle of a war with aliens, to live a nice quiet life with its little friend and her aunt in a nice suburb. Aaargh! What alternate universe U.S. government is Ringo imagining here?
For those who enjoy the mass slaughter of bad-guy BEMs, Ringo is your man. For those who want to see some engaging characters and intriguing plots, this book isn't going to be for you.
I know Ringo can do better; the 'Hymn Before Battle' series proves that. I do wish he would stop turning his series over to other writers, though. So far all have been a step down and I've stopped buying them, David Weber being the notable exception.
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- Witty, thoughtful insights
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Into the Looking-Glass Wood: Essays on Books, Reading, and the World
Alberto Manguel
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0156012650 |
Book Description
Alberto Manguel has enchanted hundreds of thousands of readers with his bestselling books, including The Dictionary of Imaginary Places. Now he has assembled a personal collection of his own essays that will enchant anyone interested in reading, writing, or the world. Through personal stories and literary reflections, in a style rich in humor and gentle scholarship, Manguel leads his readers to reflect on the links that bind the physical world to our language that describes it. The span of his attention in these twenty-three essays is enthralling: from "Who Am I?," in which he recounts the first adventures of childhood reading, to "Borges in Love," a memoir of the great blind writer's passions; from his first encounters with the evils of prejudice to a meditation on the death of Che Guevara; from a tour of his library to evocations of such of his favorite writers as Cortázar and Chesterton. A voyage deep into the subversive heart of words, Into the Looking-Glass Wood is fired by the author's humanity, insatiable curiosity, and steadfast belief in the essential power, mystery, and delight of the written word.
Customer Reviews:
Witty, thoughtful insights.......2000-08-22
Manguel is best-known for his previous book of essays A HISTORY OF READING. Now, some people like that book and some people don't, and I suspect the lines of polarization will fall the same way on this book. Like A HISTORY, it's a collection of essays, but there is no unified theme to the pieces (other than the fact that Carroll's ALICE stories are used as epigrams for each section). Almost all literature-oriented, of course. I'm not generous with mediocre work, but this is not mediocre; merely rendered with a light touch. If you enjoy entertaining but thoughtful essays, you'll like this. However, if entertainment doesn't belong in the essay for you, you may be looking at the wrong book.
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- The beatiful words and worlds of Alberto Manguel
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Into the Looking Glass Wood: Essays on Words and the World
Alberto Manguel
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Literary Theory
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ASIN: 0747543429 |
Book Description
By the award-winning author of A History of Reading
"For me, words on a page give the world coherence--Words tell us what we, as a society, believe the world to be--I believe there is an ethic of reading--a commitment that is both political and private in the act of turning the pages. And I believe that sometimes, beyond the author's intentions and beyond the reader's hopes, a book can make us better and wiser."
Through personal stories and literary reflections, in a style rich in humour and gentle erudition, Manguel leads us, the readers, to reflect upon the pleasures and responsibilities of reading, and the links that exist between the world we live in, and the words we live amongst. Into the Looking-Glass Wood is a voyage into the subversive heart of words - a voyage fired by the author's humanity and extraordinary breadth of vision.
Customer Reviews:
The beatiful words and worlds of Alberto Manguel.......2000-06-07
Like all of Manguel's works, "Into the Looking Glass Wood" is an intelligent and fascinating journey through history, personal stories and literary reflection. In it, he explores the connections and consequences between the world and the words we use to describe it. As a self-confessed bibliophile, Manguel's intricate knowledge of books, words, symbolism, and emotion shines through and his friendly style makes the book utterly engrossing. "Into the Looking Glass Wood" is a wonderful book, an exploration into the art of writing and more broadly the art of being human. I cannot recommend it strongly enough to anyone with an interest in literature, history, language, or semiotics. Thank you, Alberto.
Book Description
These timeless and heartwarming stories are designed to help children recognize and understand feelings and attitudes experienced in the growing processes of life. Lynn uses animals to symbolize children's experiences, allowing them to view their own concerns in a non-threatening manner. This book will provide hours of enjoyable reading as it helps the little ones (and maybe the big ones, too), to see and value the experiences in their own lives.
Customer Reviews:
Delightful.......1999-10-05
Ms.Wendelbo has captured the essence of feelings and experiences that are shared across the generations in this delightful collection of children's stories. Charlene, the hippo learns to love the body she has. Pretty Pride, the toy rocking horse, finds a place to be loved. And Wally Wolf traverses the challenges of anger and kindness. Twenty-five stories with illustrations provide healing voices for children. Loneliness, knowing who you are, handling negative feelings, and dealing with impulse control issues are stories that children who have experienced losses and transitions in their lives will find soothing. I encourage, parents, grandparents, play therapists, teachers or anyone in loving relationship to children to give this book an honored place in your heart.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by The Register Guard on April 3, 2002. The length of the article is 910 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: At-risk girls to get own facility.(Crime)(Looking Glass: The social service agency is converting a coed center into an all-female one.)
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The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: April 3, 2002
Publisher: The Register Guard
Page: D1
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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This digital document is an article from The Bookwatch, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2007. The length of the article is 520 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Baen Books.(fantasy books)(Book review)
Author: Gale Reference Team
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The Bookwatch (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Library Bookwatch, published by Thomson Gale on August 1, 2005. The length of the article is 465 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Baen Books.(The Enchanter Completed)(Mad Maudlin)(A Plague of Demons and Other Stories)(Into The Looking Glass)(Mission to Minerva)(The Way to Glory)(Book Review)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication:
Library Bookwatch (Newsletter)
Date: August 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA
Article Type: Book Review
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El Factor Espejo/the Looking Glass Factor
Judith M. Goldberger
Manufacturer: Altea S a Ediciones
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 8437220866 |
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
The Bible Unearthed is a balanced, thoughtful, bold reconsideration of the historical period that produced the Hebrew Bible. The headline news in this book is easy to pick out: there is no evidence for the existence of Abraham, or any of the Patriarchs; ditto for Moses and the Exodus; and the same goes for the whole period of Judges and the united monarchy of David and Solomon. In fact, the authors argue that it is impossible to say much of anything about ancient Israel until the seventh century B.C., around the time of the reign of King Josiah. In that period, "the narrative of the Bible was uniquely suited to further the religious reform and territorial ambitions of Judah." Yet the authors deny that their arguments should be construed as compromising the Bible's power. Only in the 18th century--"when the Hebrew Bible began to be dissected and studied in isolation from its powerful function in community life"--did readers begin to view the Bible as a source of empirically verifiable history. For most of its life, the Bible has been what Finkelstein and Silberman reveal it once more to be: an eloquent expression of "the deeply rooted sense of shared origins, experiences, and destiny that every human community needs in order to survive," written in such a way as to encompass "the men, women, and children, the rich, the poor, and the destitute of an entire community." --Michael Joseph Gross
Book Description
In this iconoclastic and provocative work, leading scholars Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman draw on recent archaeological research to present a dramatically revised portrait of ancient Israel and its neighbors. They argue that crucial evidence (or a telling lack of evidence) at digs in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon suggests that many of the most famous stories in the Bible -- the wanderings of the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, Joshua's conquest of Canaan, and David and Solomon's vast empire -- reflect the world of the later authors rather than actual historical facts.
Challenging the fundamentalist readings of the scriptures and marshaling the latest archaeological evidence to support its new vision of ancient Israel, The Bible Unearthed offers a fascinating and controversial perspective on when and why the Bible was written and why it possesses such great spiritual and emotional power today.
Customer Reviews:
Archaeology and Biblical Criticism.......2007-10-08
The Bible Unearthed attempts to provide a historical and archaeological context for the stories contained in the Hebrew Bible (especially the books comprising the Deuteronomistic history). This book is divided into three parts. The first part discusses the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) up to David and Solomon; the second part discusses the kingdom of Israel (the northern kingdom) from inception to Assyrian destruction while the third part deals with Judah (the southern kingdom) from King Rehoboam through the return from Babylonian exile.
The authors attempt to relate both the content and the style of writing in the Hebrew Bible with the various political and social issues surrounding early Israel (particularly focusing on Josiah's reign as king of Judah in 639 BCE). Various scriptural passages are compared with archaeological evidence and the authors give their opinions on likely historical scenarios. While these opinions regarding realistic scenarios do not always coincide with the scriptural version of events, the authors do try to provide a historical backdrop for the scriptural accounts and try to grasp the underlying message of the scriptures without holding them to exact historical accuracy.
I enjoyed the archaeological perspective that this book provides. I also enjoyed reading about the proceedings of Israel's neighboring countries throughout the time period discussed in the book, especially with respect to the various empires (mainly the Egyptian, Assyrian and Babylonian empires). I would recommend this book to those interested in an archaeological perspective on biblical criticism. I would also recommend Richard Friedman's Who Wrote the Bible? (which the authors cite) for those who are interested in more of a textual analysis of the Hebrew Bible (Friedman's book deals mainly with the compilation of the Torah although some of the Deuteronomistic history is covered as well).
If bible is a God's work, then God is a liar.......2007-07-09
I read this book, translated to the portuguese, here in Brazil.This book shows you some trues, with large amounts of proofs.Bible hadn't nothing writen by Moses or Abraham.This was a believe by a french catholic priest, in XVIII Century, but this book shows you the proofs.Well, if God wrote the bible, then God likes to lie too much.
I'm a catholic, but this book is for everyone, from atheists to biblical fundamentalists.
Very interesting book about recent archaeological findings in Israel.......2007-05-16
A very interesting book about recent archaeological discoveries in Israel and how they contrast with the stories laid out in the Hebrew Bible. To put it mildly, the latest findings shows much of what is in the Bible to be pure myth. To wit: 1) there is no archaeological evidence for the existence of Abraham or the patriarchs. What's more, much of the description of the land laid out on Genesis (e.g., domesticated camels, trade in exotic goods) corresponds to much later periods in time, 2) the exodus never happened. There is zero archaeological record of the Hebrews living in Egypt at the time, 2) there was no invasion of Canaan. The Hebrews were probably natives of that zone, dedicated to a pastoral existence, who slowly started settling down in villages, 3) David and Solomon might have existed, but in any case they were leaders of small tribal communes, and in no way the powerful kings the Hebrew Bible describes, 4) Much of the Bible was probably written during the kingdom of Josiah (seventh century b.c.), as an ideological project whose goal of cementing monotheism was seen as instrumental in creating a national identity that would serve the king in the attempt of resisting foreign occupiers. There is much more, and authors Finkelstein and Silberman write in a very elegant way. This is also, I think, a very courageous book, since the debunking of the Bible myths would upset not only religious people (not just Jews, but Christians and Muslims as well, who have used extensively the myths of the ancient Hebrews in their religious texts) but secular Zionists as well, who know that the mythological past of the Jews still comprises much of the heart of the national identity of the Israelis. A small criticism: I feel the authors put too much emphasis on Josiah, and a particular passage in the book of Kings, describing the "finding" of an ancient text in the temple. In doing so, they reject the possibility that parts of the Bible were written before that time, which I think it's more probable.
A Guide for the Perplexed.......2007-05-14
Traditional scholarly and homiletical approaches to the Hebrew scriptures have often seemed contradictory, or at best somewhat schizophrenic. Many Christians, especially preachers, use the material addressed by Finkelstein and Silberman as a combination of history and didactic pronouncements from the divine throne. Many, if not most, scholars approach the same material from a more literary standpoint. They attempt to discern the various layers of writing and editing that produced the Pentateuch, the books of the kings, the chronicles, and certain other texts. Thus we are introduced to the notion that various writers contributed various strands to the narratives that are central to the Hebrew Bible.
The usefulness of the first approach has largely been normative: Christian preachers, especially evangelicals and pentecostals, declare that these stories reveal God's expectations of a righteous people. The usefulness of the second approach is that it opens the door to honesty in evaluating the documents. The genius of Finkelstein and Silberman's work is that they show how both approaches combined in the original production of these valued scriptures. F and S understand that the Bible is always used as a political and pastoral document. Preachers/pastors routinely use it in this way. It can provide unity to the faith community and comfort to those perplexed and afflicted by life. As recent American history has shown, it is maddeningly easy to fall into the same kind of apostasy decried by the original writers of the Hebrew Bible--using God's purported word to serve less-than-noble ends. F and S want us to appreciate the political and pastoral genius of, as they contend, the seventh-century BCE Judahite community that produced the scriptures for the same ends for which they are often used today. Their insistence on evaluating every claim against the plumb line of archaeology is a necessary corrective against the distortion of the documents in any age.
I see no greater relevance than in assessing the current situation in the very lands F and S discuss. Israel's claims to primacy in the Holy Land are not borne out by the Biblical record, but neither are the Palestinians'. Further, Christian claims that the Hebrew Bible contains the inerrant word of God cannot be sustained by the archaeological evidence, by reference to the history of empires contemporary with the periods discussed in the scriptures, or by simple common sense. Instead, the Hebrew scriptures should be read for what they are: Brilliant literature, produced by a particular community at a particular time in history, with particular goals in mind. Millennia later, we still use them that way.
Ideological archaeology.......2007-04-25
To quote from an extensive review in the Denver Jounal:
"This book must be used with caution because it pretends to describe what we now really know about archaeology and how it contradicts various biblical claims; however, it does so in a biased and non-objective manner. Contrary opinions in interpreting the new evidence are not discussed, much less given a fair hearing. The book is ideologically driven and should be treated that way by any one who reads it."
Books:
- The Hunting Wind: An Alex McKnight Mystery (Alex McKnight Novels)
- The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet's Re-Discovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India
- The Last Ten Percent
- The Love of a Good Woman : Stories
- The Mango Season
- The Mike Hammer Collection Volume 1
- The Mosquito Coast
- The Pool of Two Moons: Witches of Eileanen Book 2 (Witches of Eileanan)
- The Price of Pleasure
- The Skull of the World: Witches of Eileanan #5 (Witches of Eileanan)
Books Index
Books Home
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