1 comments about Theologians Under Hitler: Gerhard Kittel, Paul Althaus and Emanuel Hirsch.

1. This is an in depth study of the work of three Protestant theologians who were supportive of the Nazi regime. The author contrasts them with Karl Barth, Rudolph Bultmann, Paul Tillich, and Dietrich Bonhoffer, all of whom opposed Hitler.

   The introductory chapter entitled "The Crisis" is particularly valuable. It places the thought of all of these German theologians in the intellectual stream of Luther, the Enlightenment, German idealism, theories of history, and especially existentialism (Kierkegaard) and dialectical theology with its stress on the infinite distance between God and humans. This latter teaching creates a problem in conceptualizing how God's actions intersect with human history.

   Ericksen highlights the irrational element in the prevailing intellectual cllimate of the time and documents the powerful influence of the concept of the German "Volk," especially in the theology of Hirsch.

   Although the author agrees that in hindsight and on the basis of their actions we can distinguish between these three theologians and their counterparts who opposed Nazism, he is not certain that their theology alone accounts for for their welcoming of the Third Reich. It is just too similar to the theology of those who opposed Hitler. Nor is the author certain that this kind of theology could prevent a recurrance of the phenomenon of theologians supporting a totalitarian or dictatorial regime in some future time of crisis.

   "The connecting link between the broader intellectual crisis of the twentieth century and the circumstances of modern theology is that both secular and religious intellectuals in this age must ultimately rely upon an existential leap of faith. This was the fate of Croce, Durkheim and Weber as well as Barth, Bultmann and Tillich. In terms of value judgments, the problem with existentialism is that it is morally neutral. A leap of faith towards Hitler is no less valid than a leap of faith away from him." (p. 24)

   All in all, Ericksen paints a thoughtful portrait of three brilliant and enigmatic theologians. He also gives us reason to question whether current theologians would do any better when faced with a similar crisis.

3 comments about The Autobiography of Saint Margaret Mary.

1. I hesitated to purchase this book after reading the long, detailed negative review by an earlier purchaser, but ultimately decided to buy it.
   
   I have not regretted this. Yes, the book includes mortifications
   that lay people would not practise, but it is also rich in detail of her visions.
   
   I have yet to come across the worst mortifications mentioned by the prior reader. That may be due to the way I read, but they havenn't jumped out at me.
   
   Each section of several paragraphs or more is briefly summarized in a sidebar, making the book easy to navigate by topics of interest.
   
   The famous vision of St MM's heart being carried into a furnace and then being replaced, aflame, within her, is well described.
   
   I have no problems recommending this book for anyone interested in the origins of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart.
   
   John Lough



2. Margaret Mary Alacoque was a French nun and mystic, whom allegedly received instructions from of Jesus in the 17th century. I have alawys been inspired by decotions to Jesus's love and mercy, and think it is amazing that so many similar messages have been received by people throughout the ages, telling the world to have faith and implore in God's mercy and love as represented by the image sacred heart; an image whose physical representation may slightly change over time in order to impress the curent audience more deeply, but the core of the message never changes. People dedicated to promoting devotion to the heart of Jesus, who encouraged people to implore God's love and mercry, include but are not limited to Gertrude of Helfa, Birgitta of Sweden, Teresa of Avila, Therese of Liseux, and Faustina.
   
   I have heard much about how the devotion to that Sacred Heart, was most clearly articulated by Margaret Mary, and was interested in reading her autobiography, in order to learn more about the messages that she received and to see how the compared to those received by Faustina and her message of Divine Mercy. Like the work of Faustina, Mary Margaret's book was written in order to help her with confession. The introduction say that she implored one of the sisters to destroy the book upon her death.
   
   However unlike Faustina's book, Mary Margaret's autobiography contains little very few details about the nature of the messages she recieved in regards to devotion to the sacred heart. She often says that she "received advice" and leaves it at that, not specifying what the advice might be. She has a few details about her early life, but little commentary about life in the convent and how she interacted with people.
   
   This is a personal diary of hers, and where she mostly recorded her feelings about things but she often did not define what the things were, excpet in vague notions - "a conversation" here, "an act" there. It is vauge, but that is not fault of the author, as she was writing only for herself. However, the concequence is that the book provides very little information of substance from which a reader could draw inspiration or creat a role model. Faustina's diary was personal too, but she included much specific information about her dialogues with Jesus, and devotional practices recommended to her.
   
   Margaret Mary's writing style is not as easy to read nor as accessible, as if it were a conversation, as are the styles that characterize the work of Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena, or even John of the Cross seemed more clear. As a reader I also felt very much an intruder by reading the book.
   
   She does go on at leangth about different forms of mortification which she performed that were probably not uncommon during her life time, but I found incredibly disturbing as a modern reader. I appreciate the fact that people, particuarly those in religious orders and who were likely to become saints, felt unworthy of Jesus' suffering and crucifixion, so that they often looked for ways to humiliate themselves and cause themselves pain so that they could share in his sufferings. She talks about eating vomit of a sister and doing something with feces from some one else who had dyssentary. I don't know if the images are so striking because they are the few occasions in the book where she elaborates details to events, or if it is because the nature of the acts. I would not want this book in a house with children, who are likely to read deatials of saints for role models or inspiration.
   
   The book has very few instructions about devotional practices to the Sacred Heart. If you are looking for more details about the messages given to Margaret Mary from Jesus and how to please God through life, I think that Fr. Colombiere, one of Margaret Mary's spiritual directors, published a book that contains such information. It is interesting to note that Faustina's spiritual director died on the aniversary of Columbiere's death. I feel terrible leaving a negative commenary on a book by a saint, but the book was not at all what I anticipated, and I don't want other people to buy it as I did, thinking that it contained a certain type of guidance that it lacks. When I finished the book, the only images that remained were not apects of Margaret Mary's life that I felt I could imitate or a new source of prayers for a bedrock of devotion (the book didcontain prayers, but they are prayers found in most Catholic prayer books), but instead images of mortification practices she adopted.



3. I always give five stars to religious books. But this one really deserved it. Bravo!

No comments about The Elusive Mr. Wesley.

No comments about Cyril of Alexandria (The Early Church Fathers).

5 comments about In the Pit with Piper: Roddy Gets Rowdy.

1. In the Pit With Piper: Roddy Gets Rowdy does not disappoint. Raither it educates the reader with Piper not holding back. Remember, Piper is not under contract when he wrote this book so he did not pen this book out of fear of upsetting a promoter. Piper lays the wrestling business all out for the reader and the reader sees an unwritten message about the wrestling industry: "all that glitters isn't gold."
   What Piper does best in this book is he freely admits he's not perfect. He admits he did some stupid things during his time on the road. However, Piper does has a redeeming quality about his views of life on the road. In the end it was all about supporting his family and finally getting home to his family.
   Piper also shows how so many wrestlers were responsible for the boom of the WWF in the 1980s but only a select few were justly appreciated. Case in point read Piper's take on the aftermath of treatment he and Hogan received before and after Wrestlemania. Also, Piper lets the reader in on how shady promoters can be. A few saying Piper uses to illustrate this point: "if you can walk you can wrestle," and "if you're going to die die in the ring its good for business." Piper's stories about his less than friendly relationship with Mr. T is worth a look. You can't but help but understand Piper's reasons for refusing to take a dive to a movie star, they're not in his business and don't know anything about how to improve wrestling.
   Piper's book does bring up a hard fact, wrestling has changed for the worse. Piper lets the reader know how wrestling has declined and the best thing Piper does is hold out hope that improvments will come in time. In the end pick up Piper's book and be prepared to never look at the wrestling industry the same when you finish. Piper not only relates the rigors of his life in wrestling, he teaches you the two contrasting views of the wrestling business and himself. Wrestling: money comes first and to Hell with you and your family. Piper: his wife and kids come first. Piper has the better view!



2. I have been a fan of wrestling for a while now (from the days when it was cool to now, when you see a bunch of 'roided up mutants with the speed and mobility of continental drift). I bought this book because it was the only one in the local bookstore that was written by a wrestler of the previous era of wrestling.
   
   I had mixed feelings at the end of the book. On one hand it was certainly a book from the heart and there was not much (if any)ghost writing. No ghost writer could write this choppily! Far from making the book worse, the piecemeal style of Piper makes this book all the more enjoyable as you don't expect to see Shakespeare but something straight from the heart. Some stories were outright disturbing, but I liked Piper's honesty and straight-shooting style even when telling such stories. He didn't try to hide behind a facade of morality or fake regret. He seemed to call 'em as he saw 'em in the book.
   
   The story about Theodore Roosevelt Reid was especially touching and it exemplified the fickle world of wrestling. Piper told it beautifully.
   
   But there were too many things about the book that I didn't like. First, and most glaring, the self-aggrandization. Sure, Piper was a great wrestler and he could actually make squibs like Hogan look good, but to attribute to himself the sudden popularity of wrestling in the 80's and 90's is going a bit too far. He makes it sound like it was him who turned the world of wrestling around. Much as I love the guy I can't help but call bullcrap here. But to be fair to him, he does admit that he, like all other wrestlers, has a huge ego.
   
   Besides, to claim that the world of wrestling changed because of his interviews is a bit much!
   
   Another thing about this book I didn't like was the fact that a huge chunk of it was devoted to his time before the WWF and the WCW. This may have been intentional, to show the world that there was more to wrestling than WWE, but for many of us outside the US, (I am in Singapore), our first exposure to wrestling and guys like Piper was through the WWF and I personally wish that he had given greater exposure to his feuds in the WWF and WCW, because those were feuds we can relate to. He does mention occasional feuds with Adrian Adonis and especially Ric Flair, and then the Hart brothers but he could have given these more detailed coverage than a feud in a promotion no one has heard about.
   
   Of course one can't please everyone, but I wish he had.
   
   Another issue about Piper's writing which I didn't like was he tends to come off as someone who believes that the world of wrestling is immune to criticism, no matter what these guys get up to (including what might be called attempted murder). His reactions to fans who claim wrestling is fake sounds rather disturbing (including at one point saying, he'll choke your guts out before you get the words out of your mouth). While appearing to be a tough, no-nonsense streetfighter at other times, when he starts to pontificate about how tough wrestlers have it and all, he comes across as just being thin skinned and whiney.
   
   Piper was one guy who didn't need a championship belt to get over with fans. In the WWF he only won the Intercontinental title once but that did not diminish his immense appeal one bit but his writing is something that has not quite lived up to his reputation as a wrestler and speaker.



3. Informative read but also very one sided and littered with self promotion , which isnt that surprising all things considered.
   Piper is very old school in his handling of the story and his storys are told with a strong sense of " my era was about real men being real men goddamnit"
   His ego was in no way kept in check and at times hesimply got carried away with his telling of a story .
   Still i think if he'd been able to write this book back at the height of his career it might of come out a little less jaded .
   Still i was glad to see he didnt get on his soap box and rant on about the tragic death of Owen Hart , which i thought he would considering how hes addressed the subject in past .



4. A wrestler you loved to hate and a man you couldn't not love and respect. I had the opportunity to meet Roddy and have him sign my book.
   
   A great read and an insight to the mind and life of those who choose to wrestle. The many men who met an early demise due to this activity. I highly recommend for anyone who grew up watching professional wrestling.



5. Roddy Piper is one of the most colorful people alive. This book is a great look at his life. The book is a fascinating read about an interesting man.
   
   This book doesn't tell much about his childhood nor about his private life, but it does give a good look at his public life. As an admitted Piper fan, I absolutely loved this book.
   
   I had the pleasure of interviewing Roddy after the book was published. His regret was that too much was left out due to circumstances beyond his control. My only hope is that Roddy comes out with another book and tells more of his story.

4 comments about Letters of Francis A. Schaeffer: Spiritual Reality in the Personal Christian Life.

1. 
   Normally I don't enjoy books of letters. For instance, I've read a book with letters from D. Martyn Lloyd Jones. Though I greatly respect that man and his ministry, and the letters certainly didn't diminish my respect for him, the letters made for banal reading. But this book is quite different. The letters are compelling and rich with content, not just run-of-the-mill correspondence. Schaeffer answers people in thoughtful, penetrating, and sometimes quite controversial ways. The overall theme is "Spiritual Reality".
   
   Part One is "The Reawakening of Spiritual Reality'. These letters deal mainly with the controversies of Presbyterianism in the 1950's and Schaeffer's growing disenchantment with much of the "separated movement". Schaeffer's own personal crises is also brought up in some of these letters.
   
   Part Two is "Spiritual Reality in Daily Living". Here we find letters to people, mainly former L'Abri students, who are struggling with sin, psychological problems, spiritual growth, health issues, the meaning of life, etc.
   
   Part Three is "Spiritual Reality in Marriage, Family, and Sexual Realations". Here, as the title implies, the letters focus on marriage, relationships, family, and sex.
   
   I'm impressed with these letters and throughout them you will find great "take home" tidbits (although some of them may seem quite familiar to you if you've read more than a couple of Schaeffer's books). Some of the letters are dated to the times they were written in, but that is to be fully expected in a book of letters. I've also learned a lot from his method of corresponding, and I feel I'm better equipped to respond to different situations myself. For these and many other reasons, I highly suggest that you check out this book! I don't necessarily agree with every single thing Schaeffer said, but then again, if I did that would be scary! I found the letters helpful, challenging, and found I could agree with the vast majority of what he says.
   
   I do have one complaint. The book is filled with Schaeffer's apologies for not writing in a timely manner. It gets tedious after a while. I realize they are a genuine part of his correspondence and removing them would make the letters choppy and incomplete. But, still, they slow down the reader. Understandably, Schaeffer was a very busy man. Sometimes I wonder how he was able to manage this extensive correspondence! He lived from 1912 to 1984. He wrote over 20 books. He directed films. He ran L'Abri, a very busy ministry in Switzerland. He toured Europe and America. He had cancer. He had children with health concerns. But thank God he wrote these letters (both for the sake of those to whom they were addressed and for the sake of the people who read them now). And thank you, Lane T. Dennis, for editing such a great book!



2. As a young man trying to find his place in the world, I have found Francis Schaeffer to be an indispensable help. His work helped move me from a vague quasi-theism, to a thinking Christianity. Several years later it helped me understand a Biblical christianity in the face of the vague watered down version. And now, as I wrestle with my own fundamentalisms, his experiences are again informing my thinking.
   
   I didn't know that Schaeffer was involved in bitter separation disputes among fundamentalist Presbyterians in 1930s and 40s. The first third of these letters are related to his realizations as he rejected the spirit of these disputes. As someone who identifies with much of the doctrinal integrity in fundamentalism, yet sees the unloving spirit in which these convictions are sometimes lived out, I found Schaeffer's perspective incredibly valuable. The dates span 3 decades, so we get the chance to see him grow in his understanding of certain issues.
   
   The middle third deals with "Spirituality in Daily Living" and the last third, "Spiritual Reality in Marriage, Family, and Sexual Relations."
   
   These letters are a chance to know Schaeffer as a real person, and see how he addresses specific issues in light of Scriptural truth. After reading these, and understanding more of his historical context in american christianity, I have even more respect for his work, more trust in his fidelity to scripture, and better insight into how to speak the truth in love. I highly recommend this work.
   
   The following are quotes that I especially connected with.
   
   For increasingly the realization has welled up in my own soul that although this principle [of separation] is of tremendous importance, nevertheless there are other principles in the Word of God which must be kept with equal fidelity if God's full blessing is to be upon us.... (35)
   
   But we could have remembered that, wrong though they are, they are for the most part brothers in Christ. (39)
   
   Doctrinal rightness and rightness of ecclesiastical position are important, but only as a starting-point to go on into a living relationship - and not as ends in themselves. (46)
   
   "Our own strength, zeal and enthusiasm ends, usually like Peter's sword attack, in betraying the One we love" - this has become my own experience. (68)
   
   Thus, the solution is not to intellectually and coldly just shout out the right doctrines and try to shout down the false liberal doctrines. It is to go back to a cure of the basic error. It is to say "yes" to the right doctrines, and, without compromise, "no" to the wrong doctrines of both Romanism and liberalism - and then to commit our lives to the practical moment by moment headship of Christ and communion of the Holy Spirit. (71)
   
   If we would only allow the Agent of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to lead each individual instead of living in the areas of rules which are man-made and quite apart from the absolutes laid down in scripture. (76-7)
   
   Thus, we cannot start with our human reasoning autonomously and have it come out right. But with the open Bible before us, we do not have to park our reason outside the door. Emotion in Christianity can be right or it can be wrong. We should have emotion as a result of knowing how much God loves us and knowing we belong to him. But the emotion can never be the basis of our faith. The basis of our faith is the content of the Bible; the emotion should be a natural result. (124)
   
   Worldliness is seeing anything in life from a materialistic perspective - that is, from a perspective which makes the material world the final reality, and in which man's finite wisdom (rather than Scripture) is everything. In other words, worldliness is removing any area of life or culture from under the judgment of Scripture. (169)
   
   I strongly feel that one of the great curses of much evangelical Christianity is people feeling they have a right to tell other people what the will of the Lord is for them;" (197)
   
   If we try to have a spirituality higher than the Bible sets forth, it will always turn out to be lower. (197)
   
   The basic problem in all these things is the same: We must exhibit simultaneously the holiness of God and the love of God. Anything else than this simultaneous exhibition presents a caricature of our God to the world rather than showing him forth. We are in a day when evangelicals tend to let down the absolutes in the Word of God in doctrine and in life, and we must be careful not to contribute to this. On the other hand, we are in a day when other evangelicals are becoming more and more heartless, and we must be careful not to contribute to this as well. The problem is in being those who insist upon the absolutes of God and yet show forth beauty to the world, which is strangling for the need of both absolutes and beauty. These things are beyond us in our own strength, but not in His strength as we allow Him to bring forth His fruits through us in this sinful and ugly world and generation. (202)



3. These letters reveal the compassion and gentlenss of Schaeffer. Normally a heavy thinker (often beyond my comprehension) I found this book to be impressively personal. Through these letters Schaeffer passes to us ideas and beliefs that are thoroughly practical and useful for daily living.
   
   Many times, when I would be suffering with some question on life, love, or faith, I'd open his book, read a letter and find the words I desperately longed for. There's a good chance the reader can save the $125 a counselor would charge to give similar help.
   
   Most reassuring is that the book stays on message. The Christian Gospel is obviously the bedrock that all of the man's thinking stands on. Christ is the reference point for all of Schaeffer's responses.
   
   It's a winner.



4. Francis Schaeffer does not produce much among the "light reading" category. This book is refreshingly different than his others in that you catch a glimpse of the man behind the mind. It's subject matter focuses on specific advice/counseling for people that have written questions ranging from organized religion to intimacy in marriage and friendship. The "letters" have been compiled over 30 years ('53-'83) from individuals that had written to Schaeffer. They are categorized into three sections: 1) The Reawakening of Spiritual Reality, 2) Spiritual Reality in Daily Living, 3) Spiritual Reality in Marriage, Family and Sexual Relations. His answers are biblical, humble...always personal. In a day when radio and even church counseling resembles a fast food chain...(hasty & premature answers), this book provides an ear that truly listens to those seeking guidance.

2 comments about Against All Odds: "Lord, I've Ruined My Life. I'm Yours, If You Still Want Me." (International Adventures) (International Adventure).

1. Have you ever wondered why God says Yes, No or Wait? Have you ever wondered what it takes to become truly blessed by God? Have you ever seen a Christian that God continually blesses? Have you ever wondered why God is making you take the tough roads? Have you ever wondered if this is God, Satan or just yourself getting these ideas?

   Are you ready to discover how to truly become blessed? After reading this book will you really practice the things you have discovered or will you just put the book on the shelf and let the dust gather?

   This book not only takes you through the displined hard times of a missionary's life, but it uncovers the questions you've been seeking.

   Continue to seek God and read this book. By re-experiencing John's Stiers Life, you will discover and remember what it takes to become continually blessed by God.

   You don't always have to stay on the tough roads of life. God does have a better plan but you will need to read this book if you want to disover how to relax and know that your on course.

   Sorry I can't give the answer to you. Buy the book.

   Summarized, You will travel back into the well detailed exciting life of YWAM Missionary John Stier. He will start you off with how he was raised and the many stuggles he had to go through leading up to meeting his lovely Hawaiian Wife. Against all odds they were called into a country to raise up other missionaries. The stuggles were not only real, but you will begin to see God revealed in a pattern sort of way, teaching John Stier to figure out the ultimate questions you may have been asking yourself. When I started off reading this book I became depressed hearing all the struggles John had gone through. But closer to the end I started seeing this pattern that God had taken John on. This was closely related to my own life. Then the answer came and it all made sense. You hear these sermons you read these books. But are you really ready for God to bless you? Are you really ready to discipline yourself when you find out the answers to your questions? I guess will see.




2. This book shows how God can work through you, if you just let Him and put your faith on Him. Probably the best book I've ever read. Jim Stier went through alot of difficulties, but God was always there. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

4 comments about The Book and the Sword: A Life of Learning in the Shadow of Destruction.

1. Prior to reading this book, I was curious about Rabbi Weiss Halivni. What kind of man, I wondered, would stand up against the left wing of the Conservative movement, at the potential cost of his own career? In reading this book, I have been richly rewarded with an understanding of him. Rabbi Weiss Halivni is searchingly honest, even brave in his degree of self-revelation, as he describes his life in a backward village in Hungary in the lead-up to the Second World War, the troubled psychological dynamics of his family, most of whom were subsequently murdered by the Nazis, his experiences in the death camps, and the course of his career in the United States as a scholar at the Jewish Theological Seminary and then Columbia. He explains the origins and process of his style of Talmudic analysis; an unusual blend of the traditional and the critical analytic methods, coming in part from his grandfather, but also a product of modern scholarship. He laments that he's been unsuccessful in fostering it in his students (they find it too difficult I think).
   
   But it is his self-analysis if his own character, his simultanously anxiety-ridden and courageous life, that makes this such worthwhile reading. I think that he is just not afraid to be different, and he values honesty more than most; his stance on preserving halachah in the face of tremendous pressure from liberal "progressives" at the JTS is one outcome of these traits.
   
   [...]



2. As another reviewer wrote, this is not just a Holocaust memoir. Halivni writes about his Holocuast experiences, but many others have done the same at greater length. What I got out of this book was:

   1. His discussion of pre-Holocuast shtetl life: its scholarship, its isolation, its sheer backwardness in many areas (for example, when one relative told the author's grandfather that the boy was "turning modern" because he ate with a fork instead of with his hands, and read secular newspapers). Unless you eat with your hands and avoid newspapers, you will find it much harder after reading this book to believe that Jews should be bound by every custom of their ancestors.

   2. His attempt to describe his own ideological position: more respectful of traditional halakhah than modern Conservatives, more critical of traditional interpretations than some Orthodox commentators. You can find plenty of books by commentators to Halivni's right, and plenty by commentators to his left, but I would be surprised if you could find any by people who think exactly what he thinks (assuming there are any). As a result, his book is unique or nearly so - and for this reason alone, his book is worth reading and will probably challenge you whatever your views.

   Another reviewer said that Halivni is not among the "first rank" of scholars. (I am not enough of a scholar to intelligently agree or disagree). But even if this were the case, I would recommend this book. I've learned quite a bit from people who weren't in the "first rank" of scholars - many of whom, I suspect, are not of Halivni's rank.




3. Halivni's book will not satisfy those looking for a Holocaust memoir. He is not a professional Holocaust survivor or bad novelist like Elie Wiesel. Rather he is a scholar. He started out as a child prodigy in Talmud, but never had a chance to attend a real yeshiva. After the war he turned down such opportunities to get a doctorate in philosophy and develop academic textual criticism of the Talmud at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He was a very big fish at JTS, but the water turned rancid when they abandoned Jewish law in favor of feminist correctness. He then went to Columbia University, but now every major university offers doctorates in Talmud.

   He makes a heartbreaking admission to us at one point. He says he cannot transmit the highest level of his methodology to his students. I would like to be charitable to so long-suffering a man, but doesn't it mean he has failed? What use is a method that exists only in his own head?

   Although he never says so, I'm afraid Halivni realized at some point he was not an adult prodigy. If he went to Lakewood with Rav Kotler or Yeshiva University with Rav Soloveitchik he would never have been among the first rank of scholars. He admits to the sin of envy, and that shortcoming drove him to isolation and failure. That, not Auschwitz, is the true tragedy of his life.




4. This small book covers an enormous range of subjects. Chasidic life in a shtetyl, the Holocaust, conflict within the Jewish institutions of higher learning in post war America, the personal psychological impact of being a Holocaust survivor, and the various modes of Talmudic scholarship - Halivin's great accomplishment is to bring meaning to this wide spectrum of topics in few words. This is a book by a serious thinker who is not afraid to risk revealing his innermost feelings and conflicts. A courageous work

3 comments about Deliverance from Error: Five Key Texts Including His Spiritual Autobiography, al-Munqidh min al-Dalal.

1. This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. The translation is amazing and every word is a gem. You will be amazed by how many questions this book will answer. I highly recommend this book even if you are not very spiritual.
   Quick tip: If you find yourself struggling to undestand some of the words in this book, I highly recommend looking that up in [..] or Wikipedia.



2. This is a letter written to a questioner by Imam Al-Ghazzali. The translation is a bit difficult to follow - especially after having read this in Arabic. Unfortunately, many of the arabic words are difficult to translate into english without thorough explanation. Though the translator does note these difficulties and explains the different plausible meanings of the words, it is hard to follow the references that are in the back of the chapter. It would have been much easier to place the comments and explanations in footnotes. Other than that, the translation seems very accurate. I enjoyed reading the letter. The translation of faysal at-tafriqah has recently been re-done by Dr. Sherman Jackson, and it is superior to the one contained in this book.
   
   Still a wonderful addition to your library.



3. Can you feel any logical sensation with the so called mysticism.Ghazzali was the best practician of the logic upon mysticism.Ghazzali was not only a master of the recent affairs throughout the islamic world but also his sctriptures were extremely donated along the western humanities and the philosophy of renaissance.Ghazzali was the eclectic face of the last thousand years in the eastern half the western world(that is Islam,yeah you're right!)

2 comments about The Nine Day Queen of England: Lady Jane Grey.

1. I love historical biographies and have read numerous, especially on the Tudor's and English royalty. My favorite author of this genre is Carolly Erickson, who always has a deep respect and appreciation for her subjects, yet will show them truthfully and unbiased. The Nine Day Queen of England, Lady Jane Grey by Faith Cook is a great read for someone of christian faith who wants to know about an innocent girl that in the face of death, held to her beliefs even when letting them go would have saved her life. Faith Cook is a strong christian and focuses on Lady Jane Grey as a christian martyr. Cook's opinions of the events of the time and of other courtisans is evident in the book and is biased by her faith. I, having no affinity towards either religion and just looking for a faithful account of a girl in a very interesting situation in an influential time in history, started to become annoyed with this bias by the end. I wish I would have noticed that this was published by the Evangelical Press before I bought it.



2. Nine Day Queen of England is a wonderful book, convincing and truthful. Faith Cook tells the true story of Jane Grey as no other book I've read has! This book is truly amazing. I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in Lady Jane Grey, or in English Monarchy!
   This is certainly a truthful account of one of England's most tragic and brave monarchs.