No comments about The Jesuits: Cultures, Sciences, and the Arts, 1540-1773.

2 comments about The Image of God.

1. I love the way that Ric Ergenbright tells the story of God's creation and our relationship to Him using the gift of photojournalism. He expertly draws the correlations between God's artistry and the artistry of man, Heavenly Majesty and earthly glory in a vibrant, colorful, and evocative pictorial layout.
   "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished." - Isaiah 51:6



2. When I first looked at this book I sat and wept...I relooked at it for it's biblical truths and found it to be sound.After reviewing other books the author has done this is by far the best.The sweetness he has for his daughter and his image of man(women and children) made me touch the pages in an attempt hold them all close...it is a beautiful and awesome book and testimony!!!!!!!
   Mrs.D

5 comments about Beyond the Cosmos: What Recent Discoveries in Astronomy and Physics Reveal About the Nature of God.

1. I bought the 1996 version when it first came out and it really helped me understand a way how God can be everywhere, unseen, etc. Yesterday a coworker, whose cousin just died, was wondering about the finality of death, apart from faith. I thought about this book, because it only takes one or two more dimensions to be practically invisible to our eyes, if I recall correctly. The book gives a person a new perspective, a new paradigm to work with that can help increase your faith by seeing realistic possibilities of how it all works.
   
   Anyway, however God operates is up for speculation, and this guy certainly put some thought into it and came up with something plausible. I think this strengthened my faith. Unlike many, if not practically all, books regarding Christianity, etc., this book isn't full of dreams, visions, personal stories, prophecies of earth's doom, or testimonies that you may or may not be able to relate to. This book is an attempt to look factually at how God operates. I mean, it's not a far stretch to see how angels, souls, etc. may operate within similar dimensions too. If there's a better hypothesis on how God operates, let me know please.



2. This is a great thought inducing book. I do not agree with everything pitched, however, he does have some concepts that really are new to christian philosophy and that warrent further study. Chapt 2-3 are pretty tough to get thru if you are not a science geek, but it is worth the read.



3. Let's look at the Target Audience and why they will not
   buy this book.
   I am an unbeliever, or better yet an Apostate.
   When I read what this book was about, I laughed.
   It is obvious that what he is doing is highly speculative
   and forbidden within a Calvinist framework. 'The *secret* things
   belong to the Lord." As has been said, Superstring theory
   is not even a proven concept yet, like Evolution is. Even if it
   was, it would be dangerous for bible believing Christians to define the Trinity, the Incarnation, or other *anomilies* (contradictions) within the framework of Superstring Theory. What would be the connection? There is no way you can take the ancient *formulas* that attempt to make sense of the above doctrine of God and *make them fit* into a *naturalistic* explanation for God. If Superstrings can be proven, then they fall into the natural realm of the Universe. If you can *contain* God in a well defined dimension, then you have a naturalistic, and thus limited God. He would be no longer Omnipresent, Omnipotent and all those other things you like to ascribe to him.
   Though I appreciate the attempt to make sense out of God through science, this approach has obvious pitfalls. Perhaps someone can state the case better then I can, since I honestly do not understand superstring theory, but I do understand that if we can find other diminsions in our universe, they would have a naturalistic character to them, and then by definition, God would be *contained*.
   Bottom line, what he is saying is wishful saying and unscriptural. The bible doesn't even hint at fanciful scientific theories. The bible isn't a science textbook.
   In fact, the bible cannot answer simple questions like if God said, be fruitful and multiply to all the creatures he created on that first week that more then 90% of all species are already extinct. I guess they didn't obey him????



4. This is not one of Ross' most inspiring page turners. It's pretty much nitty-gritty hard science and practical extrapolation. None-the-less, it's good book and a good read.



5. Many Christian theologians, intimidated by liberalism, have retreated from the traditional view that God knows the future. They have adopted a small view of God, often known as "process theology." God does not know the future, because the future does not yet exist. God is discovering the future along with us.
   
   In this great book, Dr. Ross fully restores the orthodox doctrine of God's transcendence. He does so with the aid of modern physics. Dr. Ross' argument is irrebuttable. Time is just one of the created dimensions. The Creator can see all of time at a single glance, just as He can see the rest of the universe. Our past, present and future are all in the present tense to God. His name, "I AM," is more than just semantics!
   
   [Hmmm ... this review was hit by 22 negative votes within a few hours' time. And a positive review I did of another Hugh Ross book received 22 negative votes at the same time. Must just be a concidence!]

2 comments about Life Of Buddha.

1. I am not a Buddhist but I love this book. It's nothing less than a beautiful work of art.
   
   --Guy P. Harrison, author of 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God
   
   I also recommend:
   
   Buddhism: The Illustrated Guide



2. DGV continues to publish some of the most beautiful, affordably priced illustrated books around. The cover illustration here is not misleading--each of the 88 pages here is devoted to Satogawa, whose work relies on the dramatic and surprising use of color, as well as the concomitant sensations of motion and stillness, centeredness and disturbance. There's even something of a nod to Jacques Louis David in the depiction of King Bimbisaara's suicide. The colors and poses are at once traditional and postmodern, drawing as much on the thangka as the comic book. The text is terse and didn't receive much in the way of editing, but it really doesn't matter here. This is all about the illustration, and Satogawa's work doesn't disappoint.

1 comments about Canticle of the Sun: A Hymn of Saint Francis of Assisi.

1. I own several versions of this beautiful canticle by St. Francis, and this is my favorite so far. In format (large, vibrantly colorful, and thin) it looks like a children's book, and I'm sure children will love it. But it exhilarates this middle-ager, too! A biologist, not an artist, I often found myself wondering, "How did she do that?"--how did Ms Franch create such subtly evocative illustrations using the crude giant pixels of mosaic? Well, she did, and this interpretation of the Canticle is truly a verbal and visual hymn, to be savored reverently and often.

1 comments about The Gualenghi d'Este Hours: Art and Devotion in Renaissance Ferrara (Getty Museum Monographs on Illuminated Manuscripts).

1. This is a wonderful book that blends the visual and historical elements of illuminated manuscripts in a highly accessible way. The realm of scholarship involving Renaissance illuminated manuscripts is one typically reserved for those few who have the extensive academic background often assumed necessary to appreciate this form. Barstow's book opens wide the door to a much broader audience of interested lay people and invites them in. He is a wonderful host in addition to being an exceptional art historian. He offers a combintation of qualities often lacking from such scholarship, but Barstow is not a typical scholar. This book will be a treasure to anyone with the interest and the foresight to purchase it.

2 comments about The Sherborne Missal.

1. A wonderful collection or art and writing. A great addition to my research library. Such a unique style, too.



2. This book is a great value for the money, for those who enjoy beautiful illuminations and medieval art. The Sherborne Missal, though not well-known is a wonderful example of late medieval British art. There are many color illustrations included, as well as a description of the missal and its history, and this book is a great value for the price that I am glad I bought.

No comments about William Blake Illustrations of the Book of Job: Illustrations of the Book of Job (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts).

5 comments about In the Midst of Chaos, Peace.

1. "In The Midst Of Chaos, Peace," is a reminder of the gentle, yet strong spirit of an ever-present God, who still lives and breathes beneath a world in turmoil and values gone haywire! It is a beautiful blending of three enormous talents that fit together well, to create a masterpiece of lyric and "visual music," that will stir the soul at every reading! One wonders how any human could create such beauty with paper, and sissors, and endless patience and faith. And Sr. Wendy's words fit perfectly, making this an unforgettable book for all ages!



2. Dan Paulos creates silhouettes of peace. Discreetly, they whisper a message of pure giving, secret gardens of joy, and radiant blessings. Indeed, where art becomes an exercise in prayer, only there is truly sacred art. The humble papercutting artist of Albuquerque and friend of the late Sister Mary Jean Dorcy gives beauty an old-new name, that of selflessness, source of peace.



3. CHAOS exists only in the title of this book. It is childlike in it simplicity and deeply devout. May it bring peace.



4. The silhouette has always held an enigmatic place in the history of art. This collection of papercuts beautifully displays that mystery, and Sister Wendy Beckett's unique commentary adds the necessary strength of the Gospel.



5. This work pleasures the eye, warms the heart and elevates the soul. It is a successful blend of three talents that will never fail to delight and inspire.

2 comments about Art of Tantra (World of Art).

1. Just a warning to those of you who may be looking for an introduction into the actual practice of Tantra...

   This book is part of the "World of Art" series. It is very academic in nature, and can be quite dry. I must say that it would probably be a great asset for someone studying art history or history of religion. It is just NOT by any means a "how-to" manual, or an easy read. As the previous reviewer stated, it does not concentrate on the sexual/spiritual aspects of tantra.




2. It seems the term "tantric" has become a codeword for "kinky" in the titles and content of too many how-to books available to the Western reader. Perhaps this is because they focus almost exclusively on the titillating sexual rites and positions suggested by Tantric practioners. By contrast, Rawson invites the reader to explore instead the subtle meanings, artistic values and philosophical underpinnings of the Tantric religion. Moreover, Rawson details the Tantric fascination with death and mortality and its implications for our understanding of God. This approach results in a more profound understanding of the beauty and richness of the art and practices of Tantra, and gives us the proper perspective on--and perhaps a key to accessing--the transcendent ecstasy sought by Tantric practioners.

   I first read this book as an undergraduate, at a time when I was eager to throw off some of the Joycean "nets" of our western culture. Rawson showed me exactly where I should look for further inspiration. I have since found few books regarding Tantra that succeed so well in providing a balanced and complete view of Tantric culture, in such a succinct and finely illustrated volume. And do not misunderstand: this is not a dry, academic accounting of some cultural curiosity. On the contrary, Rawson communicates the vibrancy and vitality of the beliefs he describes. I found myself enthralled with this work, and Tantra in general, because Tantra places such a high--and exciting--value on passion, sexual ecstasy, and transcendent experiences. An understanding of Tantra might be an ideal balm for the disillusioned Westerner looking to find something more than those answers available in the judeo-christian canon. Whether that be the case or no, this volume is an perfect place to start for anyone interested in the art, practices, philosophy and beliefs of Tantra. And it is assuredly a better place to start than any book whose jacket promises some form of jump-start for your sex life--even if that is what you are seeking, after all.