5 comments about Chögyam Trungpa: His Life and Vision.

1. I'm a student of Trungpa Rinpoche. Midal's biography is informative in certain respects and a decent read. Like many reviewers here though, I agree that it's too sanitized and lukewarm by half, and carries very little of the actual crazy wisdom that Trungpa radiated. If you really want a feel for the man, read John Perks "The Mahasiddha and His Idiot Servant", the only book I've ever read that really does the job, in spades.



2. As a student in the lineage of Trungpa Rinpoche, I have great respect for his brilliance. This hagiography, however, was alternately infruriating and embarassing. If there is an official North Korean biography of Kim Il Sung, I imagine it reads much like this book in tone. As other reviewers have noted, Midal violates the first lesson of writing in that he tells, he doesn't show. I agree with Midal's objection that it is silly to expect a biographer to savage his subject. That doesn't mean, however, that one must write a slavish piece of propoganda instead. There's no need to tidy up and oversell Trungpa Rinpoche.



3. I first read Fabrice Midal's book about a year ago. My impressions then, when I just beguin to read, were that I was before an easy reading biography about someone I knew very little about. I was curious, but I didn't have any great expectations beyond the fact that biographies, usually, just gives us informations, dates, anecdotic details, and all kind of outlaying knowledge about a certain major figure. It was a happy surprise when I discovered that the simplicity of the writting was filled with deep understanding and clear directions about where the author wanted to guide us. More than a description from an outside point of view of the world and the personality of Chogyam Trungpa, I could see a personal invitation to share his vision through the inspired and accurate style of the author. Midal doesn't fill up your head with second hand information or anecdotic details about the life and adventures of Chogyam Trungpa, but tryes to point out (and very often he fully does it) the possibility of making by ourselves the experience of Trungpa's vision and teachings, for real.



4. An excellent book. I had a hard time putting it down.Though not then a Buddhist or direct student of Trungpa's I was a student at Naropa from 1974 until 1979.Trungpa,through Naropa, has had a tremendous long term positive impact on my life. This book has gone a long ways in helping me to better understand the complexity and the power of the man and his vision, and why his work has had such an impact on me. Brian O'Connor - member of Naropa's first and third graduating class in 1977 and 1979.



5. This isn't really a biography of Trungpa Rinpoche and he deserves a good one. Whereas Chogyam Trungpa was a man who took risks, Midal's book stays within the safe bounds of cult worship. David Chadwick's biography of Suzuki Roshi (Crooked Cucumber) describes the difficulties that Shunryu Suzuki faced (and sometimes caused), bringing the man closer and making his life an example, an inspiration. Midal on the other hand keeps the messy and chaotic life and legacy of Chogyam Trungpa at arm's length. Not only is this a superficial examination but it doesn't inspire, which a biography of a great man should do.
   
   Perhaps it's too early for a real biography of CTR; there are still too many people whose careers are dependent on Shambhala International. But Trungpa Rinpoche would want and deserves the naked truth to be told--that a real analysis of his life, his successes and his mistakes be laid out and examined for us to learn from. Midal's tepid biography attempts to keep CTR in a hermetically sealed casket. I look forward to someday reading a biography by someone who will fearlessly engage with the fearlessly lived story of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

1 comments about Out of Islam: Free at Last.

1. Daniel Ali tells about his decades-long journey out of Islam, and into Christianity. He was born in a Kurdish Muslim family in Northern Iraq. He grew up under the repressive regime of Saddam Hussein (135) and fled to a refugee camp in Turkey (136). About the plan for his book, Daniel states: "I will explore and expose in depth the tenets of Islam that drove me from the religion." (27) And at the same time throughout the book he also explains the tenets of Christianity that attracted him. --The book demonstrates Daniel's courage, because a person who leaves islam "faces death at the hands of any Muslim who discovers him" and he "becomes an apostate worthy of death". (15) --After "over twenty years of intense research and study of both Christianity and Islam" Daniel became a Christian. (142) -- "Out Of Islam" is an interesting and informative read for both Muslims and Christians, and anyone who wants to understand the "why" and "how" of radical Islam.

No comments about Some Gave All: Four Stories of Missionary Martyrs (Heroes of the Faith).

5 comments about Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (Authentic Original Classic).

1. I could scarcely imagine why this book turned up first on my page of recommendations from amazon. I checked the reasoning, using the convenient little clicker, and found that Bunyan was expected to appeal to me because I had reviewed "Gosta Berling's Saga." That, my friends, is firm evidence that computers are still short on intuition.
   
   Fascinated, however, I read the eight reviews of this fairly obscure title, and found that they were all written by sincere believers in the strict Calvinist theology preached by John Bunyan in his lifetime, according to which we are all "sinners in the hands of an angry God" whose judgment passes our apprehension. According the Calvin and Bunyan, our 'works' and even our eagerness to be 'saved' is of no fundamnetal importance; as one reviewer writes, "we do not choose God; God chooses us." That's not a system of belief I find appealing, though I ought to be consoled by the idea that God might 'choose' me whether I like it or not.
   
   Bunyan was a cogent writer, though his style takes acclimatization. This biography is a major document of English history, as sure a way to get a feel for bookish English Puritanism as the masques of Henry Purcell are for the other side, the party of the theater-loving Cavaliers. As such, it belongs on the shelf with other profound self-exposures - Augustine's, Cellini's, Rousseau's - but don't expect the man to be any more attractive than his fanatical faith. He was truly "an angry sinner in hands he thought were God's."



2. This is the autobiography of John Bunyon and his life. It is about his life before and after Christ and the grace of God upon his life. John wrote this classic while in prison. He went to prison for preaching the gospel.



3. I've been looking forward to reading this book for years ever since I read Bunyan's classis Pilgrim's Progress, I've wanted to read Grace Abounding to learn more about his incredible man of faith. I also recently read The Hidden Smile of God by John Piper who introduces the reader to three incredible men of God including Bunyan. So actually reading the journey of Bunyan himself in his own words was thrilled...but difficult at the same time. Bunyan struggled greatly with the concept of grace; he wrestled with understanding how God's grace could be sufficient to save a sinner as great as he. Grace Abounding is a peering into the soul of Bunyan as he goes through this deep personal battle wanting to believe that God was able to cleanse him of all unrighteousness, but constantly confronted with the holiness of the divine.
   
   Just over half way through the book, Bunyan surrenders to the will of God in his life. He finally and fully grasp that the grace of God was truly sufficient. Then his heart is set aflame to share this grace with others and he becomes one of the great preachers and writers of all time, even though he goes on to spend a dozen years confined to prison for preaching contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Personally, it was interesting to see the cultural battle Bunyan faced at the time looking back from my vantage 500 years later to see that America is the beneficiary of his great struggles with the prevailing church of the day. As Bunyan sat in prison, he wrote about the great journey from a metal worker to a pastor of the gospel of Christ - in allegory form for the Pilgrim's Progress and in autobiographical form in Grace Abounding.
   
   I can understand why many believe this book is a classic - the thoughts and insights that Bunyan has into the Word of God were profound and significant. It was amazing to read how Scripture flowed through his mind irrigating every thought so that his life bore much fruit. I wouldn't recommend the book to a younger reader, it is a difficult read, but well worth the effort.



4. Grace Abounding....is an excellent autobiography of John Bunyan and his spiritual struggle to obtain assurance of his salvation in light if his belief that he had committed the unpardonable sin. Recommended to anyone who may be facing the same struggle with this question. Each paragraph of the text is numbered and, thus, it is easy to put the book down at any point and pick it back up later without losing train of thought. Since the book was written over 300 years ago, it is interesting to have insight into the thoughts of a Christian who lived during that time and to compare with current Christian thinking.



5. A lot of us are familiar with John Bunyan as the author of The Pilgrim's Progress, whose influence in Christendom is second to the Bible. Bunyan was a preacher, a prolific writer and a shining saint for God. However when we read this book we find out that he was an atheist and infidel in his youth, enjoying sin and rebellious towards God. Inwardly he suffered from tormented nightmares of demons and judgment, but outwardly he went on pretty much as any other sinner, taking delight in sin and being the ringleader of mischief. Several times he nearly lost his life, and even though there were several close calls, still he did not turn to God. After his marriage, he participated in religious activities, went through the motions of attending church and generally lived as he pleased, each time successfully shrugging off pangs of guilt. One day, after church, while playing a sport, a voice seemed to call out to him from heaven to his soul, which said, "Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to heaven, or have thy sins and go to hell?" Bunyan was convinced it was the Lord Jesus looking down on him in displeasure. What follows details his sinking into despair, his desparate attempts at working his way into God's good graces, and his struggles with temptation and doubt. In a strange sort of way, it is comforting to read about Bunyan's struggles and identify with them because you can see how he turned out so greatly used by God. He rationalized, made excuses and tried every way to justify himself. Bunyan did not try to gloss over his motivations but gave an honest account of his struggles from avowed sinner, to religious hypocrite before he was finally converted. He describes in great detail his doubts and despair, his yearning to be converted to Jesus Christ, and then being assured of his salvation by reading the Bible and praying. Reading this book will help you realize how God's grace can abound and save even the most wretched of sinners and gives us abounding hope.

2 comments about Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla: A Woman's Life, 1922-1962 (Saints and Holy People).

1. Before reading this book, I had the impression (without even realizing it) that all saints were people who lived secluded lives hundreds of years ago and spent 90% of their time in prayer. This book illustrates the life a "normal" woman who lived a devout life in the modern world. She was an intelligent woman who was a highly educated doctor, and also a wife and a mother. Her life shows how devotion to God does not have to mean the exclusion of all else.
   
   Read it near tissues though. If you have children, you will almost certainly cry when you read how she refused to sacrifice the life of her child to save her own.



2. All across global society, there are many controversial issues that predominate the social and political spectrum, none more polemical than the matter of abortion. Those who are Pro-Life versus those who are Pro-Choice lock heads to the point where divisiveness is a constant. Herein is where the uniqueness of Dr. Molla lies. Blessed Gianna, now Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, is a unique yet admirable figure among the vast array of Catholic Saints, having been canonized in 2004 by Pope John Paul II. She was a medical doctor who specialized in pediatrics, but she saw her vocation as a doctor as the Divine gift that it was: "In one way or another, everyone in the world works in the service of humanity. The physician works directly with the human person. The object of our science and work is the human person who is before us, who tells us about him or herself, who asks for help, and who expects from us the fullness of his or her existence. Physicians have opportunities that a priest does not have, for our mission does not end when medicine is no longer of help. There still remains the soul that must be brought to God. Jesus says, 'Whoever visits the sick is helping me.' This is a priestly mission! Just as the priest can touch Jesus, so we doctors touch Jesus in the bodies of our patients: in the poor, the young, the old, children.... May Jesus reveal himself through us; may he find many physicians who willingly offer themselves to him."--page 46. Through her work with Catholic Action, as well as her rich, rewarding faith, Dr. Molla was a woman endowed with much, but there was something else that she had a yearning for--a family. Originally dissuaded from becoming a religious missionary, as her brothers and sister had become-for her calling laid elsewhere-she needed clarity in order to see her vocation clearly in respects to love. Hence, while at Lourdes, she prayed to the Blessed Virgin for insight, and it came when her relationship with Pietro Molla (later her husband) deepened into a true Catholic-Christian marriage. And with the manifestation of that love, came a succession of children. In her time as a doctor, Dr. Molla was frequently asked to perform abortions, and her response would be a consistently resounding, "It is a sin against God. Life is sacred."--page 58. It was a religious and professional truth bravely lived out as a member of the Association of Catholic Physicians and then in the International Medical Association of Our Lady of Lourds. As her work schedule grew so too did her family, and upon her fourth pregnancy-her third one being difficult-she promised that her family work would come first, that she would leave her medical career behind, for however long necessary. But it was her fourth pregnancy whereby she would ununexpectedly become a martyr. Having developed a fibroma on the lateral right wall of her uterus and later septic peritonitis, she had one of three choices: an abortion, a complete hysterectomy or save the baby's life. The first two choices would have assured her her life. The abortion choice would also have guaranteed future pregnancies. However, Gianna Molla, as a doctor, chose the very last option, her will uncompromising to save her baby, knowing full well, however, that it would ultimately cost her her life. But as true as that was and as genuine as her painful suffering was, her faith was unyielding: "Oh, if Jesus were not here to console us at times like this....!"--page 110. Gianna Beretta Molla died quietly in her home on April 28, 1962, slowly living out her Passion, responding fully to her vocation with quiet, saintly courage.

5 comments about A Passion for Souls.

1. This book helped me learn so much more about Moody and the time in which he lived. It inspired me in how God can use anyone who loves Him and follows His leading. Moody was not a religious man---he traded religion for a personal relationship with his Father/God. I recommend this book to everyone.



2. I was so impressed by this well written account of D.L. Moody's life. Lyle Dorsett penetrates deep into what made Moody tick and how God used this man in such an awesome way. A Passion for Souls, inspires me to hit the streets with the Gospel harder than ever. D.L. Moody was truly a man on fire for God and he had such a passion to reach the lost at any cost. I admire the fact that the author does not hold back many of Moody's shortcomings as well. I learned from this biography that God can use anyone in his wonderful work when they heed his call, and I pray that many will read this story of such a man and do the same by God's Grace. Get this book if you want a new fire kindled within you to reach the lost.



3. I felt like I really got to know who D.L. Moody was and what he set his heart on. His life was amazingly full and he sought God's will in everything he did. Of course, he was human and had his faults, which Dorsett shows us, but God used even his failings for His own glory. Truly a reflective, inspiring biography!



4. Moody had it all wrong! He inherited only an institutional understanding of the Church, and saw salvation solely as an "indiviual" matter despite Matt 18:20. Now, no human oraganization can save. But Moody never witnessed nor understood the Church as a Divine-human Community, Moody couldn't see how someone was redeemed 'in' the Body of Christ. To him it was a personal matter. Moody logically did not call the new disciple to see his commitment to Christ as an equal commitment to his brethren in the 'ekklesia'. The new convert was only taught that his primary concern was to "win the lost" and maintain his own private holiness. Salvation is not instant Philippians 2:12[in this verse the word is 'salvation' NOT santification] and 3:12 reveal this. As for reviewer Eric Dahlbeck is conscerned he doesn't want you to know about Romans 2:6-13, (JAMES 2:17), Titus 3:8, Acts 10:35, 2 Corinth 5:10, 1 Peter 4:7-11. And I invite him to e-mail me. Just because someone speaks with enthusiasm, doesn't mean they speak the truth. Sorry folks.



5. A a student of the scriptures, and being passionate about the Christian faith, this book will inspire you to grow in your faith. This book is about the inspiring DL Moody, and his life. You will read of his trials/tribulations, victories, and other moments of the life of this great evangelist.

5 comments about David's Secret Demons: Messiah, Murderer, Traitor, King (Bible in Its World).

1. A sea of works imagining themselves as "biographies" of King David have made an appearance of late, mostly the works of non-scholars who ranging from mediocre to execrable. As a group, these tend to fit into the take a character from the Bible and put them on the couch approach, a fate suffered first by Moses and now by Israel's second king. From that morass comes this fine book, by thoughtful and able biblical scholar Baruch Halpern, one which should be read by any interested in the field.
   
   Halpern neither seeks to bury David nor to praise him. Instead, he takes a textual approach, examining Samuel carefully and often in comparison with the royal accounts of other contemporaneous Levantine kingdoms. Thus, instead of taking the rather sophomoric and ultimately useless method of holding a 3,000 year old character up to ridicule and condemnation based on modern ethical notions, Halpern examines King David within his own literary idiom. Some may find this a less than thrilling read, but it accomplishes a useful goal. Thus, we can understand what parts of David's record count as his successes and where, following the style particular to his time, the text is covering for his failures.
   
   Of course it is not David's military or foreign accomplishments that render him for many a subject of such great interest, but instead his personal and political life which, as so often proves true among royals, proved so intertwined as to be a single rope. To the end of untangling this knotty subject, Halpern again reads the text closely and makes many logical assumptions leading to interesting, if often disquieting theories. Readers inclined to take Samuel as gospel, pardon the pun, will find their blood pressure rising at many suggestions offered, but then again, even the most cursory reading of Samuel demonstrates that David can hardly be seen as a paragon of virtue. However, unlike Mckenzie's "biography," which portrayed Saul's successor as a sociopath with a gift for music, sort of a cross between Ted Bundy and Marc Cohn, Halpern renders an image of David for what he likely was, a late bronze/early iron age leader using the acceptable means of his day to consolidate power and strengthen his kingdom.
   
   Readers may have an easier time accepting some of Halpern's conclusions then others. That David's enemies seem to time and again suffer violent deaths even as the text over and over again insists that he is blameless makes it easy to believe that the Book of Samuel "doth deny too much." His assertion that the relationship between David and Jonathan is a fiction to strengthen David's claim to the throne, while also logical, lacks the same strength of argument. Another presentation of a scholarly theory currently of high currency, that David's whole Tribe of Judah are of late constitution and not part of the original Tribal confederacy presented in the Bible, will upset many, but even those rejecting this argument should at least be able to admit that it is interesting. Rather than taking the churlish approach of simply throwing up ones hands and rejecting these ideas because "the bible doesn't say so" readers should try and attempt to look at the evidence and undermine the argument on its own terms.
   
   No matter ones personal religious stripe, Professor Halpern has produced a thoughtful and scholarly work, one worthy of deep consideration and analysis. Those interested in the subject who let them selves be put off by its often thick prose and occasional digressions will regret their failure to explore "David's Secret Demons."



2. This is quite possibly the most thorough, critical investigation of the figure of David ever done, and comes to the same conclusion regarding the extent of David's territory that I had arrived at based on what I've read of the archaeological material- roughly, that David ruled "from Dan to Beersheba," and no more than that. Typical reconstructions that give David and Solomon control up to the Euphrates, or even to the southern border of Hamath, base their borders on later 7th century Judean traditions and not on the relatively early material preserved in the books of Samuel. Halpern uses linguistic, epigraphic, and other elements to separate early material from late, and shows that the earliest material does not give David territory touching Damascus, let alone the Euphrates.
   
   Unfortunately, this otherwise excellent study is marred by a few dubious assumptions- first and foremost is Halpern's separation of 1 Samuel into A and B sources. Unlike the Penateuchal sources sources JEPD, which are pretty much universally agreed upon, the division of 1 Samuel into "A" and "B" sources is only one of several explanations that have been offered to explain the doublets and contradictions, and he makes no attempt to explain why he believes this model is better than, say, McCarter's model of a continuous base narrative supplemented by several independent stories which contain some duplicates of the larger narrative. Another dubious assumption- and this really harms the book- is the starting assumption that every piece of early material in the David-Saul narrative, including the main redactive framework, is an apologia dating from Solomon's reign (except the A source, which he dates a bit later). While some of the stories certainly originally stem from propaganda seeking to exonerate David, and the Court History is concievably from Solomon's reign, the Saul-David cycles clearly contain an amount of folklore in the narrative; for the deed of slaying Goliath, originally attributed to David's subordinate Elhanan, to be transferred by storytellers to David himself, would take some time, and would probably not have been completed during Solomon's reign. Perhaps a little later, c. 900 BC, is a better candidate for the Saul-David cycles.



3. Some see David as a mythological figure. Certainly the image projected of him and the shadow this character casts over subsequent Israelite and biblical history is one of mythic proportions. Partly the constructs around David have become so strangely skewed that one asks the question, as the literature both in the biblical texts and later developments can lead one to asking the question, 'can any one man have been or done all this?'
   
   Halpern addresses this question in this book By looking at the latest archaeological evidence, Halpern concludes that the character our David is based upon was most likely a real character. But, how much similarity is there between the real David and the David of later biblical writers? How much is legend? Will the real David please stand up?
   
   Halpern takes the reader on a journey through various questions, and part of the different questions can be discerned from the title of the book: David's Secret Demons: Messiah, Murderer, Traitor, King. One issue with which to contend is the diversity of voices in the biblical text itself. The portrayal of early Israelite history in the Bible is not a uniform, seamless construction. The Chronicles relay different information than the historical cycles that runs through the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. Even when they relay the same information, they do so with differing interpretations behind motives and outcomes.
   
   David is an intriguing figure. While being held up as the exemplary King of Israel to whom all others must be compared, he is at the same time shown to have some devastatingly human failings. The number of people that David kills, for instance, Halpern contends would earn any modern politician the label of serial killer. David's loyalty to Saul and to Israel is, through much of David's early career, never complete and never without question: consider this - suppose, during the height of the Cold War, a popular American general decided to reside the USSR because he had a difficulty with the President, and even helped them in a few military operations against American interests. When that President was gone, he returned to the United States. Is it likely the Americans would welcome him back, much less make him the new President? And yet, this is close to the scenario presented in the biblical texts - David goes to reside with the Philistines. The biblical writers work hard to justify his actions, but some seem to stretch beyond reason looking for this justification. Of course, we know from the later writer of Ruth that David has some non-Israelite ancestry. Could it be more than just from that line of the lineage? Could David have actually been part Philistine, sufficient to have a reasonable expectation of their help? And why, if David does become the leader of the Kingdom of Israel at the height of its power, does he never finish off the Philistines, long considered the mortal enemy of Israel?
   
   These are but a few of the very intriguing questions Halpern addresses. In one of the final sections, Halpern reconstructs a life of David based on various assumptions and readings which make various assertions plausible and understandable. Like any reconstruction of modern history taken from biblical and legendary texts and sources, there are numerous points of contention. Yet this is a construction and set of conclusions worthy of study and debate.
   
   Another point of interest is the succession - David's reign was never a peaceful one, and with so many sons running around waiting for a chance to reign, it is no wonder there would be strife. Was the succession of Solomon, however, David's own design, or has history been revised to legitimise Solomon? Certainly in modern convention we have a difficult time understanding the nuanced behaviours of the characters involved in the story. One question that can be asked - was Solomon in fact David's own son?
   
   Professor Baruch Halpern teaches ancient history, classics, religious studies and Jewish studies at Pennsylvania State University. He has also been the co-director of the Megiddo Expedition since 1994 (Megiddo is the Hebrew word for what in English is usually called Armageddon, an actual place in Israel). He has written extensively in the area of the Bible and history, with particular emphasis on the monarchy of ancient Israel.
   
   This is a very interesting book, bound to give interesting questions and fuel conversations for Jewish and Christian people of every background. Even if you disagree with it on multiple levels, it raises significant issues worthy of consideration.



4. This is a mystery story. True, it is nonfiction, but it is a mystery, nonetheless, the mystery of David. Halpern does a good job of solving this mystery and showing us what the real David was probably like, but it is a rough journey to see the solution.

   Halpern has done his research and definitely knows his stuff. Unfortunately, he is not very good at presenting his material; this book has all the detail and tedium of a courtroom trial (although he does give warnings about the most technical chapters). The overall organization is not well-thought out; he revisits the same information over and over again.

   I think that this is almost a good book. Halpern does get his point across and shows that David was not as heroic as he is often thought of. He brings out the reality behind the myth. If he only could lay out the details better, this book would go from almost good to either good or great.




5. Every so often, a scholar emerges in a particular field to reinvigorate it with a flash of brilliance. Baruch Halpern is one such scholar. Recently in the field of Biblical Studies, open warfare has erupted over whether the biblical record of Israel's past is anything more than a well-written romance, whether the Bible contains material useful to the modern historian. Halpern turns the historian's lense on the biblical portrait of David, and provides positive answers to these questions in a tour de force that is witty, learned, and hugely entertaining. Halpern shows that the main narratives about David, in Samuel and the first chapters of Kings, preserve a nearly contemporary effort to vindicate the king from the calumnies hurled by his erstwhile enemies and their supporters (since most of the enemies "wake up dead"). Two principles of historical reconstruction distinguish Halpern's work. The first is the idea that the voices of David's opponents can still be heard if the historian engages in imaginative reconstruction. The second, the product of Halpern's immense erudition and familiarity with other Near Eastern historical literature, is that royal scribes in Israel and the Near East are not free to give false testimony about their lieges' accomplishments. The scribes may try to lead the reader to the grandest possible interpretation of even minimal accomplishments, by tolerating or even promoting ambiguity, but they can't spin their reconstruction out of whole cloth. The logic of these principles leads Halpern to reconsider the extent of David's "empire," which the text would have us think was extremely vast. It also leads to a portrait of the king that shines with a duller veneer than the one David's (and Solomon's) apologists apply. What is finally so interesting in this book is that it allows the reader to enter the biblical text in the company of an agile, imaginative historian. The reader can laugh with Halpern (the comparison of the shepherd boy armed with sling to the Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court almost killed me), can admire the sophistication of the biblical writers, and can appreciate anew the complexities in the account of David. The sheer pleasure of reading Halpern's book may delay the recognition that this is history writing at its best, but make no mistake. The biblical writers asserted repeatedly that "God was with David." This reviewer was led to conclude that Clio the Muse is with Halpern. This is a remarkable book that leaves others recently written about David looking rather pallid by comparison.

No comments about Between Two Fathers.

No comments about Heavenly Man, The: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun.

5 comments about Virgin Time: In Search of the Contemplative Life.

1. From the other reviews, this is clearly a book you either love or hate; as someone who loved it, I also found it (as the other fans of it did) a very moving and coherent tale. Hampl takes us with her as she seeks for a way to understand what it means to seek; she (like many of us) yearns for some sort of spirituality, but rests in a deeply uneasy relationship with her childhood Catholicism. The book follows her on a series of trips-- to Italy with jaded English tourists, then with Franciscan pilgrims, to Lourdes, back into her childhood memories, and finally to a retreat in California. I think readers who find the travelogue parts and the retreat section disconnected are not seeing this as a spiritual journey (in fact, most of them admit they aren't interested in it!-- then why read this book?) but it is-- and one that moves Hampl, not into certainty, but into peace and acceptance with her own doubt. The book charts her finding her way to accept and forgive those who travel with her, and especially to forgive herself for the dance she does between wanting this contemplative life and not wanting to give up the world-- adoring her sweets and coffee, her human companionship, her writing, her shyness, all the weaknesses that make her human and that she finally realizes do not have to be left behind, but instead embraced with compassion. The lessons she lives out are not solely Catholic or Christian but remind me of Pema Chodron's teachings on living with uncertainty. I found it honest, moving, and, in the end, deeply joyful.



2. This book is carefully and elegantly constructed, with the quiet pacing of a richly written travelogue. Her writing is so clear, descriptive and nuanced that the countryside, her fellow travellers and her own inner life are vividly realized. I enjoyed her candidness about the difficulty of constructing an authentic spiritual experience and the magic of actually experiencing one. It has what the best spiritual autobiographies have: hopeful doubt, caution, journey and joy. It is her stark candidness and the quality of her writing that set it apart as an excellent read.



3. I have tried twice to read this book and couldn't get through it either time. I was determined the second time I read it to try harder, thinking there had to be some redeeming value, but if there is I just didn't have the patience to perservere. There are too many engaging books to be read.



4. Although I do not consider myself to be religious and have seldom set foot in a Catholic Church, I found this book captivating. It is refreshingly honest and simple to read and the characters are charming and sometimes quirky. The narrator has spent her life trying to break free of her childhood Catholic roots only to find herself drawn back into them in middle age. She begins her pilgrimmage in Italy with a group of agnostic British couples and moves on to a group of Friars and Nuns, who are delightfully humorous and not at all what one would expect them to be. Throughout her trips in Italy we learn bits and pieces of her childhood along with the story of St. Francis and St. Clare. The places she stays and sees are described beautifully and I felt as though I were on the trip with her. The book is fun and charming to read and I highly recommend it.



5. Virgin Time is a book that half way in I was nearly ready to toss - the walking trip thru Umbria seemed to have little relationship to her childhood memories of a Catholic upbringing and education. Only at her return to Assisi with a Franciscan study group did the structure of the book begin to appear. Only in the last chapters of the book did the need for the first half of the book become apparent.

   As for the internal spiritual journey, Patricia Hampl has a perspective that is useful and uncommon - the problem is not God but is prayer. Her resolution comes on retreat in Northern California - a resolution that has several insightful observations on prayer.

   There are individuals for whom Virgin Time should be "required reading" - others will find that it is an interesting one-time read from which they will learn little other than how personal a spiritual path must be - different questions as primary - different aspects of the answer missing.

   The best way to learn if this book is for you is to read it.