3 comments about Forgiven.

1. I was blessed when I came across (the last one) "The FORGIVEN Devotional Journal: by Roy Lessin, Artwork by Thomas Blackshear II, in a local Bible store. It included 6 cards with the FORGIVEN Masterpiece on the cover (the full length of the figures) and a set of matching envelopes. If, in viewing this powerful masterpiece, you don't feel the sword of guilt, piercing you very heart and soul, re-affirming your beleif may be in order!!........The full length picture is so moving to me, I have a hard time mailing the cards to friends, but that's what they were made for. Every time I enter my journal and look at the figure of Christ supporting "me", I cry.



2. For committed Christians, we know we must live a disciplined lifestyle to honor God, to walk in His power, to be an effective witness and to prosper. This book goes straight to the heart to convict and bring the child of God to a mindful state of repentance. What else can there be when we know the end from the beginning and have only one direction to travel? The enemy steals an inch at a time. He can be so deceptive it's practically unnoticeable, but it becomes obvious when it has accumulated over time and we taste the destructive force of it. Sit and read this book in a quiet place and let the Holy Spirit minister to you in His still, small voice. Just get honest with yourself and make a decision to return and be seated in heavenly places. You want God's peace to rule in your heart, don't you? I highly recommend this work to any Christian with a desire to have God complete His work in him.



3. Thomas Blackshear's painting, which is the central focus of this book, is famous to most Christians. It's symbolism carries deep resonance to anyone who has embraced the message of Christ. Here, the complete painting and numerous detailed insets are complimented by Roy Lessin's tender and insightful reflections and excerpts from the Bible. Lessin has examined twelve symbolic elements of the painting as keys to understanding the individual path to repentance and forgiveness. As a devotional, this book offers great comfort to those struggling with their own human failings.

2 comments about Objects of Grace: Conversations on Creativity and Faith.

1. The book, Conversations, has been a fantastic insight into the minds of 21st century Christian artists and how they incorporate their fatih into their artwork and support each other in this creative field.



2. Objects of Grace reminds us all that art is an important part of the fabric of faith. The breadth of mediums and locales represented by the ten artists interviewed serves as an insightful glimpse at the range of concerns, processes, and mindsets of artists who are engaging not just the church, but the culture at large.

   James Romaine spent a good deal of time becoming familiar with each artist's work prior to the interview, particularly evident in questions addressing the artist's influences, pursuits, reviews, and published writings. When paired with full-color reproductions, the artists' articulated answers created an approachable text, making Objects of Grace a rare entry point for the person unacquainted with art world rhetoric. The interviews also uncovered a wealth of reading sources relating to the intersection of creativity and faith.

   Objects of Grace belongs in the library of artists and non-artists alike, regardless of faith.

1 comments about The Mind's Eye: Art and Theological Argument in the Middle Ages (Publications of the Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University).

1. This book contains a series of articles from experts in the academic field such as Hamburger, Kessler, Walker Bynum, Newman and many more. The book is an excellent resource for researchers who are interested in how looking, art and theology worked together in the middle ages.

1 comments about Son of Man, Volume II: Miracles of Jesus (Son of Man).

1. Susan Easton Black and Liz Lemon Swindle have teamed up again to produce a quality, moving account in art and text. A wonderful gift item for all Christians, especially nice when combined with the first volume.

4 comments about Sacred Calligraphy of the East.

1. What I like best about the book is the way in which it traces the historical development of calligraphy. The author's Japan bias matches my own (I got into calligraphy in Japan) and so I didn't particularly mind the heavy Japan slant. What I found frustrating was the lack of a pronunciation guide, especially for the Sanskrit. Given the diacritics in use, I would have liked to have known how to pronounce the dotted consonants, etc. It would be nice to learn more about Khmer and Thai calligraphy also, but I turn to other books...



2. Sacred Calligraphy of the East takes you through the scripts used in the sacred writings of religions and nations of East Asia. If the book would have just been a wide collection of calligraphic examples, this would have been a good enough reason to get the book. But the book is more than this: It actually teaches you to draw these characters. It's a wonderful book.



3. Two years ago, at a Zen retreat, I needed something to relax my mind. The priest who headed the retreat had, at his house, an assortment of books from which to choose. I didn't want something cerebral. I fingered his library and came upon John Steven's "Sacred Calligraphy of the East." It was perfect! It offered pictures from which I was able to relax and study the historical progress of Eastern calligraphic forms. Since then, I have bought the book for myself and I continually refer to it when in need. That may seem rather odd: I don't really know why the book relaxes me and gives me solice, but I am quite grateful to John Stevens for his contribution to the art and to my life.



4. Honestly I bought the book out of pure intuition. I didn't know what to expect except for a very interesting index. It was a wonderful surprise. Leading a meditation workshop based on western calligraphy technique, I had a keen personal interest on reading this book. Extraordinary in its coverage of background, theory, examples and exercises, it sure is an excellent addition to any artist or person interested in finding a creative and trascendental outlet for his creativity. Although a little technical knowledge goes a long way here, it is also easy for beginners to start. Recommended whole-heartedly.

3 comments about On the Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art.

1. Read this book with care! I recently took a class on religion in contemporary art. In the class, we used Elkins' book as duscussion fodder, and the general consensus was that the author's already rigidly formed ideas about the ideal placement of spirituality in contemporary art informed every story and it's explanation. Note the use of the word "spirituality" rather than "religion" in the above statement. Like most modern authors, Elkins confuses the definition of the two. This is a book about SPIRITUALITY in art, not religious influence or flavor. On the whole, the five stories contained within its pages are interesting illustrations of varying artists' methods and meanings, but in the last half of the book (where Elkins deconstructs each story from a decidedly skewed point of view) I found the explanations trite and tedious, and somewhat forced into the broader spectrum of art history. In short, read the book if you will, but read with care.



2. This book has an interesting title and an interesting cover, but that's basically where it ends. I am returning this book and I do not recommend that you buy it. The fact that Walmart also sells it should have been a give away.



3. James Elkins (Professor of Art History and Theory at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago), presents On The Strange Place Of Religion In Contemporary Art, an in-depth exploration of the complex dilemma of the modern artist concerning to what extent his art should reflect his faith. Even as art historians separate art from spirituality, the long history of art has been intertwined since long, long before the Renaissance. On The Strange Place Of Religion In Contemporary Art explores the dichotomy through the stories of five individuals, and turns over key terms and ideas scholars express when analyzing religious themes and motifs found in the art world. Highly recommended reading especially for art critics and art history students, seeking to better understand both their knowledge base and their descriptive vocabulary of the great works they view.

5 comments about Searching for Mary Magdalene: A Journey Through Art and Literature.

1. Lahr's book is a real treat. Not only are there dozens of full page reproductions of some of the most famous art works containing images of Mary Magdalene, the text itself is well written and, for the most part, historically correct. Then there are the occasional gems - an 11th century mosaic portraying Mary and the angel more like aliens. Moreover, Lahr offers large selections of text from just about every major document dealing with Mary Magdalene, from the 1st century through the 20th century.
   
   One criticism of this extremely valuable book is that a lot of the artistic analysis seems to be based on Lahr's own impressions, rather than giving us the painter's perspective. While Lahr's opinion is obviously of interest, I'd also like to know what the artists' intentions were.
   
   Another shortcoming is that there are many paintings of Magdalene that are not covered (I'm thinking, for example, of Rosetti's 1877 stunning portrait of the curly haired woman, or Da Vinci's sketches, or his very sexual Mary with breasts exposed). Instead, she has many paintings that do not include Mary, but focus instead on Jesus or the disciples. While this makes for a well rounded book, the title suggests that we'll focus on Mary.
   
   Another problem is that Lahr sometimes gives us a painting with no explanation, and often it's difficult to understand what's going on and to distinguish Mary Magdalene from the other characters. This problem happens, for example, in Ruben's "Resurrection of Lazarus."
   
   None of these minor criticisms should stop any serious student of Mary Magdalene from buying this book. It is a one-of-a-kind and very well done.



2. Mary Magdalene rules! I had no idea she is told in so many different stories-not only in the canonical gospels, the apocrypha, but also in poetry, stories, and songs. You don't need to look to the traditional bible to find her-she is everywhere. And these writers and poets knew this; all these years, all these centuries, they all knew. Her story is told everywhere. The church tried to suppress her and keep her hidden-in your dreams, jerks! The Magdalene was never quiet, nor will she ever keep quiet. Long may the Magdalene reign!



3. In accepting Jane Lahr's invitation to time travel through centuries of artists and writers whose attention to Mary Magdalene illuminates profound truths, this is a transforming read, a moment in which to reflect on beauty and truth and really what it is that we do need to know in life. Exquisitely rendered by Lahr's finely tuned sensibility and scholarship, this book is a blessing and a great gift.



4. A beautifully illustrated work of original scholarship, Searching For Mary Magdalene: A Journey Through Art And Literature by author and editor Jane Lahr is an in-depth and comprehensive detailing of the modern and historical history of the enigmatic Mary Magdalene as reflected through the literature and art of the last two millennia. Introducing readers to a collective survey study drawn from historical writers, philosophers, artists, and scholars, Searching For Mary Magdalene accessibly presents a concise and intricate descriptive analysis of Magdalene based upon the many known resources. Searching For Mary Magdalene is very highly recommended to non-specialist general readers with an interest in a life and history of Mary Magdalene.



5. A beautifully illustrated work of original scholarship, Searching For Mary Magdalene: A Journey Through Art And Literature by author and editor Jane Lahr is an in-depth and comprehensive detailing of the modern and historical history of the enigmatic Mary Magdalene as reflected through the literature and art of the last two millennia. Introducing readers to a collective survey study drawn from historical writers, philosophers, artists, and scholars, Searching For Mary Magdalene accessibly presents a concise and intricate descriptive analysis of Magdalene based upon the many known resources. Searching For Mary Magdalene is very highly recommended to non-specialist general readers with an interest in a life and history of Mary Magdalene.

5 comments about The World of Chick?.

1. I am a fan of JTC's comics and was amazed at the encyclopedic extent to which this book goes into his work. The referencing system is complex and takes getting used to, but it permits a great deal of rich data to be catalogued and accounted for concisely. Indispensible for the JTC fan.



2. This *book* is much better than the internet sites that cover some of the same material. Robert Fowler's "The World of Chick?" is a work of devotion and love for a uniquely American genre that deserves to be catalogued by scholars of Americana.
   
   For those who collect Chick Tracts and ancillary Chick art works this reference is indispensable.



3. It is necessary that all serious collectors of Chick Tracts buy this book. Everything you need to know (and much more) concerning the history and printing of Mr. Chick's tracts is here. Read the editorial review and the other customer reviews for more information on this book.
   
   That said, it is even more necessary (a matter of life and death) for collectors (and anyone else who reads a Chick Tract) to realize and act on the FACT that Mr. Chick's "views" are absolute truths and that there is no salvation possible for anyone who does not accept Jesus Christ as his (or her) personal savior. There is no other name by which you may be saved but that of Jesus Christ through faith (NOT through good works).
   
   It is love alone which compels so-called fundamentalists like Mr. Chick to speak as he does; love for sinners and lost souls. One reviewer refers to Mr. Fowler's dedication and love in preparing this book. I thank God for Mr. Chick's dedication and love in preparing his tracts so that souls may be saved.
   
   Laugh at me, be angry with me, call me a bigot and much worse. Good people,I write this review not for myself but for you.



4. I actually bought this thinking it would be a collection of chick tracts, but it is not such, since that would violate copyrights. However, what it is, is an extensive catalouge of Chick tracts, and publications. The author manages to construct an encyclopedia of the world view according to Chick. Some may see this as unimportant, but in this day and age, with Christian fundamentalism and all religious fundamentalism growing, it can give an interesting look into a segment of our society.



5. In reading the reviews of "The World of Chick?" most reviewers don't seem to understand that Chick DOES represent a fairly mainline belief structure in the U.S.

   Jack Chick is just reflecting standard theology (fundamentalist theology) in his tracts, and by and large, Christian fundamentalists in the U.S. buy all this stuff without flinching. In fact, the whole "Bible Belt" generally believe the following examples -- all of them straight from Chick's tracts: A) Religions that don't accept salvation through grace alone are not "Christian" / save (thus, Mormoms and Catholics are going to hell), B) Salvation -- even at the last minute -- is enough to get into heaven, and C) God doesn't judge on the basis of skin color at all -- but instead, on the basis of one's own belief in a righteous god and a saving Christ on the cross.

   I should know, I was raised as one of these fundamentalists. And you know, they're not bad people. Just people who are firmly convinced that they've found the secrets of the universe in the Bible, and that the world needs to learn these secrets as well in order to be saved from a certain doom. (Which, of course, is exactly what Jack Chick's tracts so effectively communicate!)

3 comments about Michelangelo & the Creation of the Sistine Chapel.

1. This book is the unveiling of Michelangelo's unappreciated genius. The glory of the cleaned and restored Sisten Chapel bursts forth in the high quality pictures throughout the book. Because it was written by an artist, there are lovely little bits and pieces one does not normally find (such as a page of faces . . .). I was so smitten with this book that I read it cover to cover in one evening. It is well written, clear, concise, and understandable without being condescending. This collection of picutres of the restored Sistine Chapel is wonderful. It surpassed all my expectations.



2. This book is the unveiling of Michelangelo's unappreciated genius. The glory of the cleaned and restored Sisten Chapel bursts forth in the high quality pictures throughout the book. Because it was written by an artist, there are lovely little bits and pieces one does not normally find (such as a page of faces . . .). I was so smitten with this book that I read it cover to cover in one evening. It is well written, clear, concise, and understandable without being condescending. This collection of picutres of the restored Sistine Chapel is wonderful. It surpassed all my expectations.



3. This book was illustrated after the Sistine Chapel was cleaned and Michelangelo's vibrant colors were brought back for us to enjoy. The author gives a short history of Michelangelo's life, places him in the context of the rennaisance that he was such a major part of. She shows some of his other works, but this is all unimportant. What is the grabbing point of this book are the photographs of the Sistine Chapel after the cleanning. The colors that glow from the paintings Michelangelo did are so beautiful and unexpected from what we have seen of the Chapel before the cleaning. Michelangelo's genuis shows through at last and this book gives you the chance to enjoy every bit of it. The photography is excellent and for such a small price the whole beauty of the ceiling is yours to enjoy over and over. I highly recommend this jewel of a book.

5 comments about Temple and Cosmos: Beyond This Ignorant Present (The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol 12 : Ancient History).

1. I have loved this book for years. Hugh Nibley was not only a brilliant man, a great scholar, and a dedicated teacher; he also had the gift of being able to cut past all the endless intellectual distractions to focus on what is important. When I first read this book, frankly, I was blown away. There was so much richness about the temple that I did not know. However, more than all that are the essays and talks on what the implications of all this are for the way should live our life here with regard to what comes hereafter.
   
   A temple is the House of the Lord and God uses it to teach, enrich, and endow the lives of his children. Brother Nibley is right that the temple is a scale model of the universe. It shows not only our place and purpose, but sets us on the correct path through teaching, covenants, and ordinances. Temples make eternity understandable and unite all ages of time in one eternal present with our Father. In this book we not only see what was restored with the Church through revelation, the author also shows us echoes (not sources) of the true teachings in ancient and pagan temples and ceremonies.
   
   There are a wide range of essays on various aspects of the theme of the temple and the cosmos (the everything). In one of them, Brother Nibley even talks about science fiction and the gospel! It is full of interesting illustrations.
   
   Hugh Nibley enriched my own appreciation of the temple through the essays and talks collected in this wonderful book. If you are interested in what he had to say on this important gospel topic, I recommend it to you. The author makes so many great points of so many details that are easy to miss that you will never be able to look at the temple the same way again. And opening your vision to seeing the world anew is what a great teacher does.



2. This book is amazing. Nibley's grasp of the subject matter is truly astounding. While it is true that Nibley is a mormon apologist, this work is not skewed like many of his other works. This is his best effort. Whether you are mormon or not this book brings up a lot of intersting similarities with almost every ancient religion and their temple type. Zoroastrian fire temples being the most notable exception. a pure joy to read.

   Nibley does not go into depth concerning mormon temple ceremonies but many of the things he discuss will still be easily understood by the non-mormon reader. In addition, a large portion of the book is devoted to the actual structure of the temple as a microcosm of the universe. Also of note is his discusion of sacred vestments through the ages.




3. Often the scholarly become so involved in proving their thesis that they lose sight of where they are going. In other words they can't see the forest for the trees! Such is the case with Nibley's Temple and Cosmos. Although very informative and well documented, in his zeal to justify the existence of Mormon temples by showing many amazing similarities to temples and temple rituals of the past, he fails to notice that nearly all of his examples are from pagan cultures. Nibley proves well that the origin of Mormon temples is paganism. While the Mormon Church claims its origins stem from ancient Hebrew culture, any real evidence supporting such a claim is conspicuously absent from Nibley's book. ...Go figure!



4. I'm no scholar, but I foind this book to be very readable and extremely stimulating. Nibley's thought is astounding. While a couple of his statements on science are now a tad dated, the thought itself is as sound as ever. The coverage of the essays in this volume is astounding--you name it. Nibley's thought is very helpful to all who wish to supplement faith with intellect



5. Nibley's work on Temples, ancient and modern, are incredible. Many of the articles in this book were previously unpublished works. Others are from firesides and addresses at BYU and other places. All are generally aimed towards the LDS audience.

   Scholars have, in the last 10 years, expanded on many of Nibley's proposed ideas. Scholars, LDS and non-LDS, have found similar conclusions as Nibley has proposed and have expanded on them (as one example on Nibley's "One Eternal Round" see Mircea Eliade "The Myth of the Eternal Return" (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1954) for more on "parallelism" see John M. Lundquist's "The Temple: Meetingplace of Heaven and Earth" and it's respective bibliography). Many students of temples of the ancient world would find few qualms with the conclusions expressed by Hugh Nibley as they relate to the temple.

   This book is mostly directed toward the LDS audience. Despite this it may be informative to the beginning non-LDS student of the temple (especially as seen by the LDS mind). Other books may be suggested but many of the conlcusions would be the same.