Religious Books > J Religious Books

Advantages: Good for study and for general reading
Disadvantages: -

This text is the primary text for a course I teach on Modern & Contemporary Judaism, at a university primarily set up for military personnel to get their education via distance education. It is ideally suited for a course in Judaism, as it is divided into three broad sections (history, belief, and practice) which are each in turn subdivided into short chapters easily digested by students, linking together well both within the sections and across ...
...the history section, and Cohn-Sherbok begins in ancient Mesopotamia, drawing on archaeological evidence and chronicles of other ancient peoples as well as biblical sources for his development of the people who came to be called the Jews. Cohn-Sherbok presents both the popular and/or biblical accounts of the history as well as areas of divergence and controversy where archaeological and other data may conflict or be missing. This is true at different ... Read review

Advantages: Good survey
Disadvantages: Could use a bit more development in some areas

Graham Twelftree looks in this text at a sometimes problematic aspect of scripture – the miracles of Jesus. In our modern, scientific, rational world (or, at least this is the view of the world most seem to want to ascribe to the present day), there are distinct problems with the miraculous – did they really happen the way they are recorded? Were they intended as metaphoric stories? Do miracles still happen today? If not, why not? If so, how do we ...
...they sometimes happen and other times don't? Twelftree's book looks at the miracles of Jesus from several standpoints, primarily concentrating on the historical and the theological. Twelftree draws attention to the high percentage of space given to miracles in the canonical gospels, and contrasts this with some modern reporting and scholarship that discounts the reality of miracles altogether, or at least relegates the miracle stories to legendary/mythological ... Read review

Advantages: detailed research easily explained
Disadvantages: controversial and to many, heretical

...change is the picture of Jesus the Man and the meanings behind his actions. Whilst a reading of the New Testament seems to give you all the information that you need to know about the movements, actions and decisions of the key players in the new religious movement, we must remember that we are viewing their political and social structures through two thousand years of interference. With a greater understanding of the world of New Testament, its ...
...Cana for example is clearly Jesus own wedding, the water into wine incident is an act of serving wine to non-Jews at the ceremony, and a clear act of defiance against what he sees as out dated traditions. The book, promoting a whole new view of Jesus' life will obviously outrage some, particularly those who see their faith as immutable and unchanging. Those who have a broader mind and see that understanding of our faiths are essential and should ... Read review

Advantages: Intriguing ideas about a familiar but largely unknown figure
Disadvantages: -

Who is Judas? This would be an interesting question to ask of a Bible study group, a congregation, a class, or even people on the street in an opinion survey. Many answers are likely to arise, but one answer likely to appear frequently would be 'the man who betrayed Jesus'. But what do we really know of this person? Was there even such a person? And was Judas the ultimate betrayer, or the ultimate penitent? Author Kim Paffenroth gives a wonderful ...
...constructed) the image of Judas over time. From the very beginnings in the earliest biblical texts of Paul (which, somewhat ironically, never mention the name of Judas, and are even vague about there being one particular person who served in this 'betrayer' role) to images in modern culture ('Jesus Christ Superstar', 'The Greatest Story Ever Told', and even the rock band 'Judas Priest'), Paffenroth gives an interesting and intriguing overview of ... Read review

Advantages: Helps you set your life goals and follow it!
Disadvantages: It may bore you if you aren't focused

...psychologycal ideas and philosophic content. The ancestor of the bestseller - "The Secret" You attract what you think and more emotions you put into, quicker the result will appear. A great weapon for the pesimistic ones and those who've lost their beliefs. This book rearrange you on the right path. It's in onorable place in my library :) Abraham and Esther had made awesome works. Each and every component that makes up your life experience is drawn ...
...the thoughts you think and the story you tell about your life. Your money and fnancial assets; your body's state of wellness, clarity, fexibility, size, and shape; your work environment, how you are treated, work satisfaction, and rewards-indeed, the very happiness of your life experience in general- is all happening because of the story that you tell. If you will let your dominant intention be to revise and improve the content of the story you ... Read review