Selah's Bed: A Novel

Average customer rating:

Entertaining!

What an awful book!

The Greats Are Always Overlooked

A character driven novel

Beautifully Written

Selah's Bed: A Novel
Jenoyne Adams
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0671787845

Book Description

With this sensual, heartrending second novel, bestselling author Jenoyne Adams further establishes herself as a stunning talent. Probing and engaging, Selah's Bed explores how a woman can use sex to gain acceptance, escape her past, and even endanger her soul.

Selah Wells looks for salvation through sex and in her photography of nude black men. She feels most alive under the touch of new hands. But she's married to a minister, and, as the adage goes, secrets done in the dark will come to the light. Interweaving scenes from Selah's adult life, including the loss of her only child, and moments from her childhood -- spent in a lively housing project -- Adams deftly depicts Selah's journey. As her grandmother's health deteriorates and her husband immerses himself in the work of God, Selah's latest lover, Peter, tries to get her to confront her fear and anger. Unable to relinquish regrets that have fueled her behavior all these years, Selah resists. But when she is pushed to the emotional brink by an unexpected turn of events, she must finally face her past and begin to make peace with God, her husband, her lost child, and herself.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining!.......2007-08-08

Selah's Bed was good. Didn't take long for me to breeze through it because it kept me entertained. Jenoyne Adams is a talented storyteller and I hope that she's working on another novel.

This is a good book. Go for it if you're thinking about purchasing. I read my copy twice.

What an awful book!.......2006-12-02

Selah Wells loves her husband, yet she constantly cheats on him. Of course, she comes from an unstable family (absent father, promiscuous mother) and Adams keeps on hammering her melodramatic background, to make sure one understands that it explains her current flaws. True, Selah is quite dumb, but the author shouldn't treat the reader as if he's stupid too--repeating the same facts over and over.
The whole book looks like it could be the basis for one of those awful made-for-TV movies; the other characters are not much better (or more interesting) than Selah and, throughout the novel, Jenoyne Adams proves she has as much subtlety as a wrecking ball--and about as much talent .

The Greats Are Always Overlooked.......2006-07-31

This book was enchanting in a layered, I'm a woman and this is what it takes to be me kind of way. Maybe I was super-sensitive around the time I read it, but the ending or nearing the end, it moved me to tears. I could thoroughly relate to the character and how she had given so much and had taken so much and was therefore misunderstood--overlooked--I've been there too. No one saw the character's sacrifice as "true" sacrifice and her actions were propelled by two events both in her childhood. The spirituality theme was woven well throughout the storyline and its still strange to me how people believe spirituality should cancel out sexuality. I thought it would be interesting to see how the husband who "initially" was so sexual then struggled to even desire his own wife and left her with unfulfilled needs--and it was. Ironic at best. I read Jenoyne's first novel Ressurecting Mingus and loved it for completely different reasons. Both books are highly recommended in the event that you want to read something besides--well, you know.

A character driven novel.......2006-06-12

I gave this book 5 stars because it is a complex character driven novel. The author knows the main character inside and out. Her ability to show the subtlties of the ghetto-life of a pre-teen black girl in the hood is brilliant. I found myself laughing in places that were so truthful and specific. It brought back memories of watching my own sister grow up.

The story flashes back and forth between modern times and the main character Selah's childhood. It was interesting to read between the lines of her feelings for Mama Gene and her guilt for cheating on her husband. And in the end you start to understand more why she cheated on her husband. I really liked how it all tied it together in the end because it was interesting to see how both stories, the past and the present collided and merged in the end that made me accelerate the reading.

The writing is very very honest about childhood sexuality, the loss of innocence and virginity and how often God and sex collide.

If you're looking for a character-driven story and interested in exploring why we do the things we do, I highly recommend this story. This book would be great for book clubs because there's a lot to discuss in the book, a lot of issues, real issues that we deal with as adults and sadly as children too.

Jeff Rivera (Author of FOREVER MY LADY on Amazon.com)

Beautifully Written.......2004-09-23

I enjoyed this book. Even though I didn't have the exact experiences as the main character, I could relate in that when not putting to rest past, painful experiences, how they can haunt you and drive in you an unsavorable way until you deal with it. Bottled up emotions will only fester and spill out and can cause you to take actions that, in your right mind, you know will hurt you or have adverse effects. The writers ability to show these in the main character through beautifully written prose is phenomenal.

Book Description

CAN PURE DETERMINATION DEFEAT A MASTER MAGICIAN?
Sakura is awake, but she remembers almost nothing–certainly not Syaoran, who has sacrificed everything to help her. Accompanied by the happy-go-lucky Fai, the intense Kurogane, and the strikingly odd creature Mokona Modoki, Sakura and Syaoran make their way into a new universe where a traveling magician has suddenly become frighteningly powerful and is terrorizing an entire town. Only a few independent-minded stragglers remain to battle for control of their own lives. Fai, the lone magician in the group, traded his magical powers to the dimension witch, xxxHOLiC’s Yûko, before the journey started. Without a weapon with which to fight, can the extraordinary group of friends defeat a master magician who can control the Earth’s elements?

Customer Reviews:

Magic, magic everywhere.......2007-06-13

The gang's journey continues as they press on to their second dimension together in this entry of Tsubasa.

This time, their surroundings are a bit more sinister as they end up in a land oppressed and terrorized by an evil ruler with a suspicious source of magic. Normally this would be a job for Fai, but since the magician can't use his magic per his payment to Yuko the companions are going to have to use their wits to find a way to foil the magician-ruler without magic of their own.

The highlight of the volume is probably a very fun sequence in which Kurogane and Fai run diversion for Syaoran as they battle a magical creature while trying to avoid a less-than-refreshing dip in a magical acid lake as their odd couple rapport continues being set up as one of the series' major sources of comic relief. We also get an interesting tidbit with the suggestion that Fai's marking was not the source of his power, but rather kept it in check - begging the question of what would happen if he did use his magic.

Volume three maintains the precedence of the previous two as a straightforward action-adventure with something a little deeper beneath the surface.

Tsubasa..my favorite manga!.......2007-02-17

I've read different stories of manga, and obviously the best out of all is the Tsubasa Series! I've fallen in love with Syaoran and Sakura's sad young love story! Fai and Kurogane's chemistry is hilarious! Mokona..the manju white bun, is an adorable character! But the fact that it holds so much power tells me that there's more to appearances! I haven't received my fourth volume yet, and I can't wait to get it!! I DESPISE the "To be continued..." parts! I DO!! This is the kind of story that leaves me craving for more!

Cute, funny and sweet!.......2005-01-15

I was so happy when I saw that Clamp had continued the romance of Li and Sakura! Evene though it's not Cardcaptors exactly, it still has many of the characters, and ones from other mangas like Chi from Chobits! This series is so fun, and it'll make you tear up, or laugh, and cheer the characters on! Totally a series to get!

Extra Great.......2004-12-21

Rateing- MUST HAVE

I just wanted to say I was a hudge fan of CCS (Card Captor Sakura).

You follow the group of heros were the last book left off. But this time they are sent to a new world after regaining another feather. She remebers nothing at all.

As soon as they enter the new world they are in the middle of a big comotion- just getting worse with them. A girl pops up declaring a revolt (well sort of). She is out to get her revenge on the king and his son. Her mother was an expert in magic. However, the king sought through with that and murdered her. She lets the weird group of heros stay with her over night while thety repair her house.

Introducing new and unique magical items that help them out in tight spots. (But I won't say where or which part, or what anyhow)

I also wanted to not only remark that this volume is a lot darker, but it's got some tear jerkers now and then. Also you'll get to see another remarkable power of Sakura's memories (the feathers).

Even if you never liked CCS this series is a MUST have if you love manga as much as I do.

Sincerly,
Ichigo Defender

Tsubasa ReserVoir CHRoNiCLE Vol. 3 (Tsubasa ReserVoir CHRoNiCLE) (in Japanese)

Average customer rating:

Tsubasa
An epic begins
Give this a chance - it only gets better!
Very good
Everything OK!

Tsubasa ReserVoir CHRoNiCLE Vol. 3 (Tsubasa ReserVoir CHRoNiCLE) (in Japanese)
CLAMP
Manufacturer: Kodansha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: 4063633225

Customer Reviews:

Tsubasa.......2007-06-15

I've been reading "Tsubasa" for a while now, and while I'm not crazy about it like some, I still enjoy it pretty well.

The art is beautiful- some of CLAMP's finest. It's flowing and soft, and there are plenty of money-shots to gawk at. The characters' facial expressions have great subtlety of emotion, better than any other manga I've read.

The plot is all right. It's a bit hard to judge it, because it's so segmented. There are certain arcs that are interesting, but overall it's sort of repetetive and dragging. It starts to pick up around volume 13, but some people might not want to wait that long.

The characters are a mixed bag. Syaoran and Sakura's personalities have been watered down a lot. Syaoran is determined and of course wants to help Sakura, just like in CCS, but here, he's lost that bit of arrogance he had. It makes his character one-dimensional. Sakura is still sweet, but she's lost her optimism and her take-charge attitude. She doesn't fight anymore and is always having to be rescued by Syaoran. Mostly, she sulks about being a burden to the rest of the team. She does help out where she can, but she's there pretty much to be cute. The romance between Sakura and Syaoran suffers too. The build-up in CCS was sweet. I liked the gradual change from rivals to friends, and then to something more. That's gone in "Tsubasa". The relationship consists of a bunch of too-sweet childhood memories and rescuing on Syaoran's part, and a lot of thankfulness and admiration on Sakura's. The characters that really interest me are Kurogane, the hot-tempered samurai, and Fai, the mild-mannered magician. These two have a lot more personality and depth.

Let's face it- "Tsubasa" is based on a gimmick. The whole point is to see the different CLAMP characters make their appearances, and if you really like CLAMP, it'll be enough to hold your attention. I enjoy it despite its flaws. But if you're want a good story and character development, you might want to look elsewhere. Still, the art alone almost justifies the purchase. Don't get me wrong, the plot and the characters are ok, but they're nothing special. If you want a better manga by CLAMP, try "xxxHolic".

An epic begins.......2007-06-12

First of all, let's deal with the elephants in the room. Is this massive crossover including star turns and cameos from most of CLAMP's most famous works a love letter to their favorite characters or a cynical bid to milk their cash cows? The answer is probably somewhere in between. Do you need to read all of CLAMP's works beforehand? Of course not - but the more inside references that you're aware of the more you'll probably like Tsubasa, and certainly you should probably have read Cardcaptor Sakura beforehand and should probably follow the companion series xxxHOLIC alongside it.

With that out of the way, on to the story itself. The lives of alternate universe teenage versions of beloved Cardcaptor characters Sakura and Syaoran are turned upside down when Sakura is suddenly stricken with a mysterious condition - her memories have been turned into feathers and scattered to different dimensions. The girl will die if the feathers are not retrieved, so they are sent to xxxHOLIC's Yuko (in this dimension) for aid, as she is the only one with the power to consistantly jump dimensions. Even with paying the price of that most precious to them - their shared memories with eachother - it's still not enough to allow Yuko to grant them multiple jumps. Therefore, she suggests combining payment with two other travellers who also desire dimensional jumps and who couldn't be more different from eachother: Hot-tempered, macho ninja Kurogane, who was exiled for willfully ignoring the order of his princess (the alternate universe Tomoyo from Cardcaptor) to refrain from using deadly force to protect her and has given his precious sword as payment; and fey, coolheaded magician Fai, who we first see leaving a massacre for which he may or may not be responsible and has given use of his magic in payment. While Kurogane is adamant that he wants nothing to do with the others and Fai airily claims he'll be happy to help the kids out as long as it doesn't put him in danger, it's quickly obvious that the children's plight has gained the sympathy of both men although they have their own problems. So with an unconscious Sakura and two adult guardians, Syaoran begins his journey - knowing full well that even if Sakura recovers her memories of him can never be returned...

So far, the story is off to a good start. It's fun seeing the Cardcaptor characters (as well as some others) again; and the inclusion of Kurogane and Fai give the story just enough new elements. I'm eager to see what direction it will take.

Give this a chance - it only gets better!.......2007-04-07

I almost missed out on this one. After having just finished the Cardcaptor Sakura manga series, I opened this at the bookstore and thought 'Meh.'
However.
Sometimes you have to give something a second chance. This is one of those times. I was completely turned off by the sketchy style drawings and the fact that it was some kind of crossover type story. I mean, this was really hokey, right? A needless plug for other Clamp series that we can all see coming a mile away.

Couldn't be more wrong. Once you start reading this story, by the 3rd volume, you know you're on to something big. By 12 or 13, you can't believe that you could have missed out on it because of a snap judgment.
This is just one of those things that takes some adjusting to. I adore Clamp. I loved the art style in X 1999 and Rayearth. I was a little put off at first by the art in this story because it appears to be simpler and the story is a little bumpy at first. But believe me, it gets better, so please try it once more if you threw it away in disgust.

I am now up to volume 18 (Japanese release) and I can only say I'm amazed at Clamp's ability to pull something like this off. Most artist/writers who try crossovers end up failing because it's usually campy and stupid. In this case, it becomes vital to the storyline and if you've read some of Clamp's other series, it's like having a reunion with an old friend. For example, (spoiler alert) you get to see some of the cast from x 1999, both in peace time situations, and also in the Armageddon setting that the manga x 1999 never got around to. Since that manga is unfinished, it was great to get something more on those characters and it really has huge emotional impact. By the time you run across this world, you care about the current manga characters and just get a kick out of seeing Kamui interact with Kurogane. Awesome! Even better is when Kurogane faces off against Fuma. You don't need to know any more, do you?
Give this a shot, you won't regret it!

Very good.......2007-03-19

For all manga fans this book is a must according to my daughter. She loves the story and the quality of the drawings. She is very happy with this purchase!

Everything OK!.......2007-03-19

My daughter already knew the book that why she wanted to have it. She loves the story and the quality of the drawing. Buy it you will be satisfied!

Average customer rating:

Tsubasa 3 : RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE
CLAMP
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVCTUE

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

I Love Isis...
Much better third book
Girls In Action
Just reread the series!

Warriors of Isis
Jean Stewart
Manufacturer: Rising Tide Press (AZ)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1883061032

Book Description

The third lusty tale is one of high adventure and passionate romance among the Freeland Warriors. Arinna Sojourner, the evil product of genetic engineering, vows to destroy the fledgling colony of Isis with her incredible psychic powers. Whit, Kali and other warriors battle to save their world, in this novel bursting with life, love, heroines and villians.

Customer Reviews:

I Love Isis..........2005-07-25

Whit and Kali are at it again in this third installment of the Isis series. I'm not usually a big fan of science fiction books (movies and TV yes, books no), but this one has captured my attention and I have thoroughly enjoyed these stories.

This book has everything - lovers, friends, enemies, athletes, brainiacs, warriors, peacemakers, good, evil, futuristic advancements, and so much more. Whit is scared of Kali's plans to defeat the evil Arianna with her psychic powers. This is especially true when Arianna "flexes her muscle" at a community celebration and shakes up the women of Isis. While everyone is focused on Kali's training routine, no one seems to notice Danu's own training activities. At one point, everyone is in danger and only a few have the skills to win the battle with evil.

Very well written. This book is light on physical loving, but is heavy on feelings and other expressions of love. It's impossible not to fall in love with the characters. I can't wait to read the final two books in the series -- they're on my shelf and calling my name. Do yourself a favor and meet the inhabitants of Isis.

Much better third book.......2001-10-29

The action picks up again in the third volume of the Isis series. The storylines revealed in Return to Isis are resolved and a lot of action is packed in this book. It's much stronger than the second book and reflects the first book more clearly. Kali emerges as the dominant force in confronting the evil Arinna, but Whit's personality becomes more complex and better developed. Some of the supporting characters are also better developed and play integral parts in the story. There is also some foreshadowing for the fourth book, so it will be interesting to see if that book continues as a strong development in the series or not. If you are a science fiction fan, you would find any of these books satisfying. They'll also appeal to you if you're into women's history, Celtic traditions or the beliefs of Wicca. It's interesting that several women's books have included the science of parthanogenesis, where women's eggs can be combined to create a child without sperm, since recent scientists say this will be completely possible with a variation of cloning. Talk about literature reflecting life.

Girls In Action.......2001-08-15

Well, to tell you the truth...After I started reading the book I couldn't put it down. The book has very vivid places as well as the many characters that feature the book. Explicit information concerning not only the women that have helped our country grow but also the many places where Whit and Kali take on in the many adventures that follow when they try to find the "key" on how to take on Arinna Sojourner, to avoid the distruction and complete inahilation of the human race but mostly Freeland...

Just reread the series!.......2001-02-28

It was a good as I remembered. The women are compelling and their struggle to hold on to what is theirs is highlighted by some really good writing. I had to get them out because I heard a rumor that a 4th book is finally going to be published. I'd forgotten how much I wanted to read more about Isis, so this was really good news.

Average customer rating:

Warriors of Isis

Manufacturer: Rising Tide Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I2Z83E

Book Description

n/a

Customer Reviews:

A CRYING SHAME -- A PUBLIC SCANDAL.......2006-07-08

Scholarship of this magnitude deserves to be, and should have been, published by one of our major university presses -- Oxford University Press, Yale University Press, Harvard University Press -- the list is long. That is was not so published is a public scandal. After numerous, unconscionable rejections by major publishers JESUS AND THE SHAMANIC TRADITION OF SAME-SEX LOVE finally found the light of day through Suspect Thoughts, a "press for connoisseurs of transgressive, intelligent literature." What it transgresses is the massive, unconscious -- or semi-conscious -- conspiracy of silence about the recent discoveries of the origins and errors of Christianity. That conspiracy prevail because the churches are unable to cope the truth. "You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free" said Jesus. The truth is making men free, but it is scaring the churches to death. What scares them is the truth about the connections between sex and religion that recent scholarship have uncovered, and they cling to untenable dogma like drowning men clutching at straws. The sound of revolution are in the street, and the churches cannot shut it out. The revolutions brought on by the 18th century Enlightenment pale by comparison with the revolution now underway. One of our more level headed leaders of that revolution is Will Roscoe, and what he tells us leaves the establishment frighten out of its wits. The pews stand empty. The churches are going out of business. The very fabric of Western civilization, as my book BE DONE ON EARTH demonstrates, is decadent and under stress. And the establishment cannot save itself by sticking its collective head, ostrich like, under the sands of media babble. Another Bastille Day is dawning. Right on Roscoe!

RITUAL NOTIONS OF ONE FLESH, ONE SPIRIT.......2006-05-23

A great read for anyone willing to court the notion of a shamanic healing ritual that involves passing spirit from one person to another through nudity and touch to become one flesh before separating into two bodies. This is NOT a gay tantric sex manual. It is a study of Jesus in history, religion, and literature in the light of shamanistic healing. It explores the implications of historical scripture version suppression...as in the suppressed version of the Gospel of St. Mark. It suggests a hierarchy of mystical baptisms...implying what Catholic and Protestant Churches have to offer are ...if not lacking... at the very least, fundamental. Seek ye the Truth and the Truth shall set you free.

Earliest Baptisms and Their Possible Effects.......2005-11-09

In "Jesus and the Shamanic Tradition of Same-Sex Love", Will Roscoe suggests that baptism is a Christian adaptation of some shamanic rituals in which a spirit passes from one person to another. There are cults in which the two individuals, one with a spirit, are nude and touch, with or without sex, to become one flesh with one spirit, before separating into two bodies with two spirits.

An alleged attack on a "Secret Gospel of Mark" made by Clement of Alexandria (ca. 200 CE) reveals that at least that source was saying that some Christian practices involved one nude man with another. Roscoe gathers parallels and arrives at the scene in Gethsemene in Mark 14:51-52 where a young man ran away naked from Jesus's camp. The suggestion is that Jesus and the young man were engaging in a spiritual transfer of this shamanic type.

For me one interesting thing was that this interpretation suddenly makes the story of Judas more plausible. Before, I wondered why merely identifying Jesus to the gang from the chief priests made Judas such a hated figure. Judas is not shown testifying against Jesus, and the Temple authorities could have seized Him any time. I think the key is that the arresting gang had to have witnessed something happening at Gethsemene itself. The shamanic ritual could have been it. Jesus would be taken in for some sodomy- or pedophilia-related charge, in addition to those for overturning the tables at the Temple and harrassing the authorities. Adding these unreported charges to the list before sending Jesus to Pontius Pilate might have made some difference in the decision to execute Jesus. Any of this would make a big change in how we view all of Holy Week, God, and same-sex relationships. Now I can guess why Judas is considered such a rat and why no one cared to tell the truth about it.

The author's premise is inevitably thin, given the lack of direct evidence. Still, the implications are worth considering.

Good work, not quite for the uninitiated or unsophisticated.......2005-09-24

This work is clearly not for amateurs or those unsophisticated in trends of Biblical interpretation dating back to...oh, 1920!

i think it is necessary to at least read the prologue before jumping to hasty conclusions about what Roscoe's agenda is.

Strange, but he seems to address all of the issues raised by a previous reviewer. That reviewer seemed to fall into every possible misunderstanding of the text which Roscoe, himself, discusses and places into context in his prologue.

As someone with a background in Greek cultural history and religion and the development of Christian teachings over time (they were very diverse for about several hundred years and only the strongest in the political sense survived), I really enjoyed having this book and have given it away twice.

I enjoyed this book and gave a copy to a priest friend of mine who does a lot of public speaking on issues of masculinity and spiritual initiation. This book is very useful for understanding the context and issues of interpretation surrounding this interesting passage in the traditional Gospels as well as "Secret Mark."

This text would have gotten five stars from me if not for the confusing and overlapping letters in the typesetting of terms from ancient languages. Better to keep them un-italicized in the next edition for clarity.

Morton Smith Wannabe.......2005-05-12

Roscoe's dependence on "Clement of Alexandria and a Secret Gospel of Mark" by Morton Smith as the only source for same-sex ceremony in early Christianity is worrisome; could he not find other documents that witnessed the same thing, instead of depending on customs of Greek philosophy to fill in the gaps of his theory? Roscoe does as much, without knowing it, to prove the validity of the Mormon temple ceremony as he does his own point--and both proof are conjecture based of circumstantial evidence.

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