3 comments about Goof-Proof Skits for Youth Ministry.

1. These are okay. The writing is not as well done as I had hoped.



2. This book is full of great skits that are easy to learn and use. I work with teens and they have really enjoyed incorporating this book into their public worships and church services



3. This book is great for those just starting a drama ministry for youth and teens in thye church.

No comments about Culture in Christian Perspective: A Door to Understanding and Enjoying the Arts (Critical Concern Book).

No comments about Symbols of Church Seasons and Days.

No comments about Dore's Life of Jesus CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art).

1 comments about Revelation: Representations of Christ in Photography.

1. Brilliant! The photos express a evolving understanding of "Christ" (and a few other connected topics) in our contemporary Western culture.

   In this book, Nissan Perez (the curator of Photography at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem) has collected photos reflecting the Western world's meaning of Christ. Occasionally, in the book, the sacred has been caricatured, even profaned, but, to the curators credit, the book doesn't seek to be "religiously correct" by editing out the profane, nor the secular; rather he reveals in a balanced way how today's society understands Christ and Christianity.

   The book's jacket cover (The Last Supper using `The Sopranos') is one of the many examples of how artists through the ages have utilized religious imagery to express Christ. The contemporary photos are powerful symbols of the postmodern understanding of both faith and Christ.

   Paul Tillich (German-American philosopher and theologian) once wrote "Man's ultimate concern must be expressed symbolically, because symbolic language alone is able to express the ultimate." The symbol is the ultimate language of faith.

   These photos capture the symbol of Christ, the image of Christ and more. They eloquently express the complexity found in the language of faith. The symbolic images of Christ that are captured in these photos: Last Supper, Crucifixion, Descent from the Cross. The photos are provocative, and press the interpretation of an orthodox Christ. Photos can, as this book deftly shows, point beyond themselves to something else, something transcending the mundanity of life.

   This book, like its many images, transcends words and captures the matrix of faith. This language of faith deserves to be seen. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Angel Oracle.

1. The art of Sulamith Wülfing (1901-1989) reveals a hidden mystical world that captures the beauty and spirituality of darkness and light, fairies and angels, and otherworldly spirits.
   
   The Angel Oracle is a 40 card deck that features the whimsical paintings of Sulamith Wulfing. While the deck is supposed to help individuals understand the nature of angels and how they help with human problems, the sayings on the back are merely inspirational or motivational quotes culled from other sources. Also the deck references God as a "he" which may be unworkable for those who view the Divine as a she or genderless. Also, the sayings often mention devils or evil, which doesn't jive for those leaning towards non-dualistic, non-Christian spiritual paths.
   
   Some quotes include:
   
   "When the angels appear, the devils vanish."
   
   "Life vibrates. It does not move."
   
   "We learn that God is, that He is in me, and that all things are shadows of Him."
   
   "On the spiritual life, all paths lead to the same place."
   
   "The Angels of Death are full of grace and love."
   
   "Belief in not truly belief while doubt can still touch it."
   
   The sayings on the Angel Oracle cards are pretty shallow, so this deck isn't really suited as an oracle in my opinion. Also, there is no booklet that accompanies this deck.
   
   If you love Wulfing's artwork--which is quite beautiful--you'll no doubt love this deck. Likewise if you connect with the concept of angels and spirit helpers. If you're looking for a good angel oracle, however, you're much better off with a deck like Doreen Virtue's Archangel Oracle Cards.
   
   (To see 6 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at http://JanetBoyer.com)



2. How difficult is it to snip a few contrite "spiritual" messages and place them on cards just to promote your angel art-work? Exactly. These cards may be uplifting for someone with no real connection to spirituality, but for those of us who do have that, these cards are sorely lacking in inspiration. Pass this deck up, it's simply not all it's made up to be.



3. This deck of cards consists of forty of Sulamith Wulfing's mystical/spiritual paintings. She has to be the greatest artist of this genre in the 20th Century. So it is wonderful to have a collection of her paintings in a handy format for carrying around. Many of the paintings have traditional images of angels with wings, but on sixteen of the cards the images are more generally spiritual than angelic. Yet the spiritual nature of her work allows almost all her paintings to be interpreted as angelic whether the spirits or beings have wings or not.

   On the back of each card is a short statement chosen by the editor as a meditation to use with the card. Some of these are obviously taken from other sources. E.g., a card called Prosperity has the saying: "I cried because I didn't have shoes, until I met a man who didn't have feet." Some seem out of place. A card called Realization states: "The only thing a computer cannot do -- compared to a human being -- is to look into the evening sky." The painting is of two angels holding red candles without a computer or a machine in sight. Most of the texts are OK, but not being chosen by the artist, they are separate from the paintings and don't add anything.

   At the end of the introductory essay in Fantastic Art, Sulamith wrote the following personal statement: "My drawings are a visual representation of my deepest feelings: pleasure, fear, sorrow, happiness, humor. And, to people attuned to my compositions, they may well be mirrors of their own experiences. It is because of this that I have left the explanation of the drawings completely to the viewer, so that they are not bound by my interpretation of what each picture should be. For me it is not a matter of creating illustrations to fit nursery rhyme themes. My ideas come to me from many sources, and in such harmony with my personal experiences that I can turn them into these fairy compositions. My Angels are my consolers, leaders, companions, guards."

   These cards can do the same for you that Sulamith's Angels did for her. You will love these paintings.




4. Since I'm bored and theres just one review (at this time) that sucks, I'm writing something. When I opened the box I was disappointed because I wanted a little book to explain things! Instead there was a card and printed on it is: "Place the cards in front of you, with the image up. Relax. Concentrate on your personal angel and allow your Higher Self to choose a card for you. Your angel is sending you a message. Let it touch your heart and ponder it throughout the day." The cards have beautiful paintings (I usually find art boring) and on the back of each one is a smaller black and white version with words under them. For example: Belief is not truly belief while doubt can still touch it. But do the cards work?! Hmm..when I was looking through them for the first time (So far I've only had them for 2 days) I was feeling VERY lonely (being lonely is about the only thing that makes me sad). Anyways, after looking for a few seconds I accidently dropped one of the cards somehow and on it said: "Solitude is bearable only with God." A coincidence?? Some say nothing is a coincidence when angels are around...whatever it was made me very happy. Decide for yourself. I certainly think they're worth $10. I just wish the cards were a little bigger (they're just a little bigger than "poker size" playing cards, but I'm probably just used to bigger tarot cards!



5. This is a great book! I feel if you believe in angels then this is for you! It will lift your spirits!

No comments about The Holy Land I Love.

No comments about 120 Great Paintings of the Life of Jesus Platinum CD-ROM and Book (Platinum CD Rom & Book).

No comments about Sounding the Depths: Theology Through the Arts.

2 comments about Summit Of Treasures: Buddhist Cave Of Dazu, China.

1. Although the best-known cave-temples in China are located at Longmen and along the Silk Road (Dunhuang, etc.), the impressive cave reliefs in Sichuan are less visited and have been comparatively neglected. The beauty of the Song-dynasty sculptures at Dazu is matched equally by their interest as a fascinating amalgam of many different strands of Buddhist belief: Esoteric, Pure Land, Chan (Zen), and more.
   
   Angela Falco Howard's book, with its excellent color photographs and thoughtful text, gives us Dazu in all its beauty, together with her own significant contributions to the scholarship about the site. Tourists and casual visitors will appreciate her clear identification and explanation of every major and minor personage and scene on the reliefs; students and scholars will spend many happy hours delving into the bibliography, notes, and intricacies of her interpretations.
   
   The major criticism I have of this book, is that it presupposes that the reader already understands some quite obscure details of medieval Buddhist philosophy and sects (Huayan/Kegon, etc.) It's all very well to inform us that "the Bodhisattva to the right of Vairocana is Samantabhadra," but if you don't know who Samantabhadra is, you'll probably still be left scratching your head. A glossary is not provided, but would certainly have been welcome.
   
   Readers who are not very familiar with Mahayana Buddhist deities may want to read an intro like "Buddhism," by Louis Frederic, before tackling Howard's book. Regardless, "Summit of Treasures" belongs in the backpack of anybody visiting Dazu, and in the library of any enthusiast of Chinese cave-temple art.
   
   Postscript: I think it is appropriate here to add a plug for the publisher, Weatherhill, who with this book has produced, once again, a great book about Asian art. I'm not affiliated with them at all, but over the years I can't help but noticing how many of their volumes are finding their way into my library. Weatherhill seems to combine the best authors with superb editing (it is almost impossible to find a typo in their books) and to-die-for production, with durable books and copious full-color photography. I'm almost to the point where I'll buy anything with the Weatherhill Mark on it, and I can't really say that about any other publisher, except maybe for Yale. This paragraph is my thank-you to them, for the quality of their books and for all the knowledge and enjoyment that they give us - scholars, tourists, and everybody in-between.



2. Dazu is a really great place. It is as stunning as Yungang caves in Shanxi and much more impressive than the famous Mogao caves in the Gansu province. And this makes probably just about every book on the place worthwhile. BUT half of the photographs in this book are so bad it is unbelievable. True, those caves tend to be dark and there is little room for you to step back when taking a picture etc... but one would assume that somebody who wants to publish a book about the place could do better than take average tourist-quality (and sometimes worse) pictures. Unfortunately, this seems to be the only book on the topic out there. So there is really no choice for you if you are interested in Dazu. The accompanying text is very detailed and seems very good but, let's face it, most of us don't get books of this type primarily because of the text - it is the photographs that really matter. In sum, think twice before you get this book.