No comments about Icones Historiarum Veteris Testamenti.

No comments about Great Scenes from the Bible: 230 Magnificent 17th-Century Engravings (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

No comments about The Byzantine Wall Paintings of Crete (Art).

1 comments about God's Art.

1. God's Art is a stunning photographic tour of the beauty of the universe, from breathtaking sunsets, waves and coastal dunes to the magnificence of stars and galaxies. The stunning, full-color photography on every page is complemented by the thoughtful text, which reflects upon God and the marvelous wonder of His natural creations. A blend of perfectly captured scenic brilliance and spiritual contemplation, God's Art is truly a treasury for photography and spirituality shelves alike.

4 comments about The Cult of the Virgin: Offerings, Ornaments, and Festivals.

1. This book is interested only in proving how Marian devotion is a displacement/replacement for the worship of Isis, Ishtar, Innana and Cybele (it's not) and NOT a clear portrait of Mary per se.
   
   True, the pictures are lush, but are presented in a context that depicts the devoted as superstitious oafs from backwater kindergartens.
   
   I was personally shocked by the amount of adornment afforded the icons. They are STATUES not persons. The hyperactive reverence given the icons themselves is, in my opinion, idolatry. I understand the icon as a guide to prayer... but the lavish icons depicted here are nothing if not ridiculous.
   
   I would recommend Scott Hahn's "Hail Holy Queen" for a better contextual and dotrinal understanding of the person and role of Mary and Marian devotion.
   
   Three stars for pictoral content only.



2. Yes, the text is forgettable, but that isn't why you'd want this book anyway. Forget the Publishers' Weekly review, too; its pseudo-intellectualism merely reveals the critic's ignorance. Black Virgins antedate the 16th century slave trade by centuries, e. g., Notre Dame de Rocamadour. (Not that black Africans weren't enslaved before the 16th century, but the attempt to draw a connection is anachronistic.) The important thing is: the pictures are fabulous! For more enthralling Spanish Madonnas, see Art and Ritual in Golden-Age Spain.

   I'm wondering if readers from the Netherlands or Beligium can recommend any publications on their fabric-robed Madonnas (Antwerp, Maastricht, etc.)?




3. Normally I am not really much into reviewing, but seeing this absolutely gorgeous and hearthwarming work being used as cheap tourist promotion to lure people into a bed and breakfast establishment hurts me enough as to make an exception. This is the ultimate work for people who are devote to the virgin. Maria devotion is a spiritual matter, speaking right to the heart in stead of the mind. That is exactly what this book targets: the heart. Although the actual level of information on the Maria cult is general and concise, the frequent and beautiful illustrations speak right to the senses, generating a 'feeling' of the Maria cult instead of an intellectual 'understanding' of it. It is sensational in the truest sense of the word. Therefore I would recommend this book to anyone unfamiliar with the subject but wanting to experience some of its awe, or 'experienced' Maria devoters who can rejoice in the beauty of devotional expression to Maria elsewhere in the world. As a book of reference this work is less suitable in my opinion as the factual data is limited (a bibliography or suggestions for further reading is even missing for instance).



4. Marie-France Boyer is a very eclectic writer. She can tell you much about Marie-Antoinette exquisite taste in Versailles. She knows better than anybody else the cafés of Paris and "really rural" farm-houses in hidden villages. She writes these books in a cabin she decorated in her Ménilmontant garden (a "village" inside Paris). Her book about virgin cult is not the one I prefer. However you will always be pleased to find there the same attention to esthaetics and practical advice. Wether you think of going to Europe for a pilgrimage or just like the naive imagery around Mary you will want to buy this book. It is also a perfect gift for a catholic mother. If you come and visit us in Nantes, we will bring you to some pilgrimages sanctuaries such as Sainte-Anne d'Auray, Mont-Saint-Michel, Notre-Dame de Callot (a chapel on a tiny island in front of Carantec - Britanny). You will discover there (if they were not yet stolen this winter) ex-voto (gifts made by sailors and sailors wives to Mary after tempests).

No comments about Discover Islamic Art in the Mediterannean: In the Mediterranean (World Art).

No comments about Rings, Kings And Butterflies: Lessons on Christian Symbols for Children.

2 comments about Beloved Savior: Images from the Life of Christ.

1. The book was received in perfect condition and shipped in a timely manner. Two other sellers that I tried to purchase this book from previously ended up not having it in stock. I was not sure why they were listed as suppliers if they didn't have this book. Anyway, I'd give this supplier an excellent rating.



2. This awesome book begins with images of Christ as a newborn and carries you through His wonderful life. Simon Dewey often adds an inspirational message to his beautiful art, in addition to quoting scriptures and poems from various authors. I highly recommend this book for anyone's coffee table. Get one for yourself and all your friends!

No comments about Theatercraft, Creativity and the Art of Drama (Wheaton Literary Series).

No comments about Acting out faith: Christian theatre today.