The Da Vinci Codebreaker: An Easy-to-Use Fact Checker for Truth Seekers Review

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(More customer reviews)There have been roughly 14 books that spun off the writing of Dan Brown's novel, 'The Da Vinci Code.' Some are commentary, some are scathing commentary, and some discuss the facts and fictions of the book and movie. This book does the latter.
This is not a commentary on Gnostic or Christian thought, although the authors are a pastor, a doctor of theology and an art historian. The book serves as a reference discussing the proposed facts by Dan Brown, who has caused confusion in some when saying in his novel that the facts within his book, The Da Vinci Code, are accurate and well researched.
The book is laid out in an encyclopedic format, discussing topics alphabetically that may weigh or have been discussed in Brown's book and movie. The authors' theology is that of conservative evangelicals. For those who are not of this theological persuasion: this book shows little in the way of slant, so don't be turned off by this. The main area where non-evangelicals might disagree is in the discussion of the Canon, but otherwise, this book is neutral in its defining of terms and ideas from the movie.
Since Brown's work centers around art to a large extent, having an art historian as co-author lends credence to this work discussing Brown's proposed facts. Several glaring mistakes by Brown are described in detail in this book.
This book does a superb job as a research tool to discern fact from fiction in 'The Da Vinci Code,' which is the stated purpose of the writing. In fact, I gave this book 5 stars because it fulfills its stated task so well. So, if you are interested in finding out where Brown was right and where he was wrong, this would be one of the first and easiest places to go.

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The Da Vinci Codebreaker provides answers to the questions readers most often ask about the popular novel. Included are more than 500 terms, people, locations, events, and definitions, including explanations that are historically and theologically correct—all arranged in an easy-to-use dictionary style. Thorough research and a reader-friendly format make this the must-have book for Christians who want the facts and seekers who want more information about the claims of the blockbuster novel and movie.

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The Social World of Luke-Acts: Models for Interpretation Review

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(More customer reviews)I first became aware of THE SOCIAL WORLD OF LUKE ACTS when I was studying scripture, but purchased it when I conducted a Bible Study based on Luke's Gospel knowing it would be an important addition to my collection of books. Since that time I've referred to it on many occasions because while it's written for a serious student or scholar, many of the articles put a human face on scripture study which by nature easily finds a way into pastoral ministry.
This volume is a collection of articles by scholars such as Jerome Neyrey, Bruce Malina, Douglas Oakman and Richard Rohrbaugh, to name a few, names well known in New Testament studies. The articles themselves focus primarily on the social science aspects of Luke and Acts. The articles illustrate different aspects of the social world of the author of Luke Acts which help us understand the role the Gospel played in that context and helps us place it in our day and age. Some of the articles I have found most helpful are Oakman's article on the country side in Luke Acts, Neyrey's article on meals in Luke's Gospel and his writings about the ancient world's understanding of personality. The articles fill a void in the basic historical-critical methods still very much in the forefront of scripture study but can often become somewhat dry and devoid of humanity. Though the articles focus on issues that arise in Luke-Acts, many of the articles can help in understanding the whole of the New Testament.
While the book could be used by anyone interested in a more in depth look at Luke and Acts, it's not a book that easily leads to spirituality or prayer as some books on scripture do. It is a well written book but one that is meant for more serious study and scholarly work and would be ideal for anyone conducting scripture study and adult education classes. It would also be helpful for preachers who are looking for something different fro a Sunday morning or churches involved in social justice ministries.

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"This enormously useful volume presents a 'world' of information and theoretical perspectives that have become indispensable for contextual exegesis of Luke-Acts. The authors of this fascinating and well-planned book are seasoned and trustworthy guides into the world inhabited by Luke and his first readers. These provocative articles provide the commentary reader of Luke-Acts with mighty tools for creating first-century scenarios that reveal significantly new dimensions of Luke's cutting edges."—S. Scott Bartchy, associate professor of Early Christian History, U.C.L.A."This is clearly the best collection of articles available from the New Testament scholars employing methods of interpretation from cultural anthropology. The writers introduce a wide range of innovative models to unravel the culture of the Biblical world. They offer the first comprehensive analysis of a single New Testament text from the perspective of the social sciences. This highly readable volume will be essential for anyone eager to experience the flood of insights coming from recent social study of the New Testament."—David Rhoads, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

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Tertullian: Apology and De Spectaculis. Minucius Felix: Octavius (Loeb Classical Library No. 250) (English and Latin Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Latin text of the Apologeticum is the rather elderly 1851 Oehler text; the text of De Spectaculis is that from the serviceable 1890 Vienna edition (CSEL 20). The translation by T.R.Glover is very readable. There are a small number of critical notes at the foot of the Latin, although not a critical apparatus by any means, and a useful preface. Glover draws attention to the difficult problem of the dual Latin text and possible two editions of the Apologeticum. A modern bibliography is on the fly-leaf.
The Apologeticum is Tertullian's most important work, and this is a sterling translation of it. While the edition is now somewhat aged (from the 20's, I would guess), it still is one of the best introductions to Tertullian.
De Spectaculis is a rare work by Tertullian, preserved only in a single manuscript, and this edition makes it readily available.
The volume is completed with a Latin text and pleasant English translation of the Octavius of Minucius Felix. This last work deserves to be better known than it is. Preserved by the slenderest of threads, the little book describes three friends walking along the beach at Ostia, and then holding a Ciceronian debate about the truth or falsehood of the Christians.
Note that, as with all the older editions, a portion of the Latin of the Octavius which is obscene is left untranslated.

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The African Q. Septimus Florens Tertullianus (ca. 150–222 CE), the great Christian writer, was born a soldier's son at Carthage, educated in Greek and Roman literature, philosophy, and medicine, studied law and became a pleader, remaining a clever and often tortuous arguer. At Rome he became a learned and militant Christian. After a visit to churches in Greece (and Asia Minor?) he returned to Carthage and in his writings there founded a Christian Latin language and literature, toiling to fuse enthusiasm with reason; to unite the demands of the Bible with the practice of the Church; and to continue to vindicate the Church's possession of the true doctrine in the face of unbelievers, Jews, Gnostics, and others. In some of his many works he defended Christianity, in others he attacked heretical people and beliefs; in others he dealt with morals. In this volume we present Apologeticus and De Spectaculis.

Of Minucius, an early Christian writer of unknown date, we have only Octavius, a vigorous and readable debate between an unbeliever and a Christian friend of Minucius, Octavius Ianuarius, a lawyer sitting on the seashore at Ostia. Minucius himself acts as presiding judge. Octavius wins the argument. The whole work presents a picture of social and religious conditions in Rome, apparently about the end of the second century.

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Philosophical Fragments/Johannes Climacus : Kierkegaard's Writings, Vol 7 Review

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(More customer reviews)If one were to read only two or three of Kierkegaard's works, this is unquestionably one of the ones to read. In this work and in its successor, Kierkegaard, employing the pseudonym of Johannes Climacus, seeks to explain the nature of Christianity in such as way as to bring out its demands on the individual, and to emphasize its incompatibility with the theology based on the work of Hegel that was becoming progressively more influential in Denmark (and in the rest of the world as well). In PHILOSOPHICAL FRAGMENTS, Kierkegaard explains through his pseudonym, he wants to present the problem of Christianity "algebraically" (i.e., logically), while in the ironically titled CONCLUDING UNSCIENTIFIC POSTSCRIPT TO THE PHILOSOPHICAL FRAGMENTS (ironic because the earlier book is quite short, while the POSTSCRIPT is four times longer) intends to "clothe the problem in historical dress." What Kierkegaard purports to do in this brief book is present the logic of Christianity.
The title is badly translated in all English editions, being a Biblical reference, to the story of the rich man Dives and Lazarus. Just as the poor man Lazarus had to be content with the crumbs from the rich man's table, so Johannes Climacus, who passionately denies that he has any contributions whatsoever to make to the grand Hegelian System, claims to be content with mere philosophical crumbs. For some reason, no publisher or translator has been willing to employ the more accurate if less palatable PHILOSOPHICAL CRUMBS.
Johannes Climacus presents the heart of the conflict between Hegel and Christianity in the first chapter. In Hegelian thought, Jesus in essence is viewed as the non-unique Son of God, and sees him as important for his teachings and the example for others for a transition to all people potentially becoming children of God. The emphasis is on the teachings, and the "truth" of Jesus can be construed as that which he taught. Kierkegaard thinks this is profoundly mistaken, and tries to get at the problem by a thought project that opens the book. Kierkegaard contrasts two kinds of teacher. One is the kind of teacher found in Socrates, where he is able to assist others in learning things because they already had the capacity to learn them. In the case of the Socratic teacher, the individual instructor is not essential to learning the truth. But Kierkegaard asks us to consider a second kind of teacher, one who not merely teaches us the truth, but provides the conditions for making such learning possible. This second kind of teacher is essential to someone learning the Truth, and it is this kind of teacher that Kierkegaard sees as representing Christ. The problem, as Kierkegaard understands it, is that we are separated from God by sin, and therefore we are in a position of needing to be restored to a relationship with God before coming to know God. Jesus is therefore not an accidental teacher of truths of a divine nature, but himself the essential foundation for anyone wanting to come to know God. In other words, for Kierkegaard, Christianity is an event and not a set of teachings: the incarnation of God in Christ as opposed to the things he wanted to teach us.
The remainder of the book explicates this essential distinction between the Christ of Christianity and the Jesus of Hegel. In particular, he deals with the question of the "disciple at second hand" versus the "contemporary disciple." This is essential to consider because while Hegel is thought to take history seriously, his Jesus becomes nonhistorical, while Kierkegaard is intent on emphasizing his historicity.
This is essential Kierkegaard, and along with the CONCLUDING UNSCIENTIFIC POSTSCRIPT and THE SICKNESS UNTO DEATH, my own favorites among his writings. One cannot understand Kierkegaard's thought without reading this book, and along with its sequel represents the heart of what he was trying to achieve in what he called his "Authorship."

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