This book is in two halves, only one of which I was really interested in and enjoyed. I have enjoyed some of Horsley's other books but this one, while having good material was too bogged down in the first section on Roman religious practice, mainly of interest to the academic I suspect. I was also disappointed to discover that much of the material has been published before elsewhere.

Nevertheless there is some great material here that should be of value to those interested in the origins of Christianity and the work being done by the Jesus Seminar. Of particular interest to me was the point that Paul was not setting up a religion and cannot be called a Christian by today's definition.

Professor Horsley's anthology of essays (primarily by other authors), and his introductions, do much to appropriately redefine Saint Paul's writings within social and political contexts. Explicitly rejecting the notion that Paul is to be read exclusively as religious literature intended for a religious community, Horsley (et al.) painstakingly demonstrates that the preaching of the crucified Christ was a direct challenge to the Roman Empire. Similarly, the building of Christian communities around the proclamation of the resurrection were intentional rejections of secular values and order.

Living in an age when religion has too often been high-jacked by fundamentalists of all denominations and faith groups, to serve only petty theological agendas, Horsley's collection stands for us as a useful reminder that faith can be something more.

This is a useful anthology on an important subject in Pauline studies. Although the fourteen essays presented here have been published elsewhere, it is very helpful to have them collected in one place. Further, Richard Horsley's introductory material offers a significant synthesis of the material. In short, the collection depicts St Paul as developing an explicitly anti-imperial movement, in opposition to the all-pervasive emperor cult of Rome. Three aspects of this movement are focussed on: Theology (Parts 1 and 3), Patronage (Part 2) and church as an alternative society (Part 4). I would recommend this book to undergraduate students of the Bible, and indeed to anyone who doesn't see what politics has to do with the New Testament. I would also recommend Neil Elliott's 'Liberating Paul', some of which is reproduced in this volume.

The book focuses on a man whos life plays as much a part of the world in which we live as does the ant I stepped on while walking to class. The book is 900+ pages that could have been condensed into 250. The author is very long winded and at many times extremely boring. The story is about as clear as a VCR user's manual. I would only recomend this book to the insonmiac and to those who hold an incrediblely overwhelming knowledge of Germany during WWII, and would like to know about each and every prisoner in German concentration camps.

I am dumbfounded at the negative review--"The book focuses on a man whos (sic) life plays as much a part of the world in which we live as does the ant I stepped on while walking to class." Paul Schneider as Bonhoeffer said must never be forgotten. This book is an admirable attempt to rescue him from his undeserved obscurity--he should be on the calander of all Christian Confessions. It is true the book is ungainly and should be reprinted in a smaller size perhaps like Bethke's biography of Bonhoeffer. What was it the negative review said--"I would only recomend (sic) this book to the insonmiac and to those who hold an incrediblely overwhelming knowledge of Germany during WWII, and would like to know about each and every prisoner in German concentration camps." Well exactly! we need to thoroughly understand Germany in the 1930's and the saints God raised up to combat its murderous idolatry ("incredibly overwhelmingly"--is that how you say "thorough" these days? We also seem to require the school at which the unfortunate ant was crushed to make this reviewer take an intensive course in expository writing) Paul Schneider died in obedience to his risen Lord--he died in and with Christ. He was not an ant--though I agree that seen through the lenses of the culture of death he may seem one. More glory to him. Remember Paul Schneider.

The Buchenwald Apostle is a highly-readable, well-researched, important work. Pastor Paul Schneider, a husband and ultimately a father of 6 children, put his life on the line to oppose Hitler's Third Reich. Schneider was a true hero supported by a faithful wife. Both were faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Foster wrote this book in chronological fashion and included not only the story of Schneider's life, but the history of the period. It is a relatively long book due to the presentation of many letters and Schneider's sermons. However, I found that these gave a greater insight into the man and the time. This is a 5-star book!

Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him." Surely American Christians indoctrinated by secular philosophy are predisposed to accept the ideas in this book. But is Keener right? The idea of "mutual submission," for example, is nothing more than a exegetical myth.

I suggest that one who reads this book afterward also reads the following:

"Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism"
edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem

"Women and the Word of God: A Response to Biblical Feminism"
by Susan T. Foh

"The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective"
by Martha Peace

"Me? Obey Him?: The Obedient Wife and God's Way of Happiness and Blessing in the Home"
by Elizabeth Rice Handford

"The Surrendered Wife : A Practical Guide to Finding Intimacy, Passion, and Peace with Your Man"
by Laura Doyle

This book is probably the best evangelical treatment of all of the biblical passages that relate to this issue. Keener looks at issues involving the original language and the cultural setting without making the book inaccessable to average readers. If this is a new issue for you the book may not answer all of your questions, but it is a great starting place

I highly recommend this to laity and seminary students alike. Too many women have been hurt in Paul's name. Women rediscover the depth and brillance of Paul's writing and men gain a deeper understanding of the issues Paul was addressing. For a detailed and honest look at Paul's views on women and the culture he lived in this is the tour de force!

not really a biography. it's also a little dry.

i also find his assertion or speculation that Paul was a widower reaching.

From a Pauline scholar of Murphy-O'Connor caliber, it is no surprise to find an exhaustive appraisal of the details associated with the chronology of Paul's career. Once the hard stuff is out of the way, however, Murphy-O'Connor gives his readers a fascinating glimpse into the life of Paul. Of great interest is the educational opportunities afforded to a diaspora Jew in Tarsus, the breakdown between Paul and the Antiochian church, the strategy employed by Paul in his missionary work, the precise nature of the "Judaizers" who plagued Paul in Galatia and elsewhere, and the troubled relationship of Paul to the Corinthian church. Paul emerges as passionate, occasionally biased, but always intensely involved and fascinating. References and bibiographic material abound. The bit on 2 Thessalonians is unique and well-argued. Murphy-O'Connor tries to round out Paul's career as much as possible with what can be known of Thessalonika, Ephesus, Antioch Pisidia, Philippi, and the associates involved in Paul's ministries in Asia Minor, so it offers a picture of Paul's relationships beyond the overshadowing portrait of the Corinthian correspondence. It is a book that you will go back to over the years, even if you don't agree with all of it. Enjoy.

Anyone looking for an excellent synopsis of Paul, his travels, and spiritual growth would do well to read this book. We follow Paul as he develops his thoughts and philosophy, and as he travels throughout the Judaic world of the time. In addition, you are also given great insight into the lives of the people he meets and the travelling conditions of the times.

All in all, a fascinating insight into the mind and spirit of the man who brought Christian thought into the world.

I reviewed the manuscript for the first edition of Davies's book for Routledge & Kegan Paul and recommended it fairly enthusiastically. The book was limited, but what it did it did relatively well. It was brief but clear, well-written, did not introduce too much of the usual mythology in discussing 'wave-particle duality' (I liked the discussion of the two-slit experiment), and went on to present the introductory ideas and mathematics of quantum mechanics in an attractive way. I used it in the spring of 1998 to prepare several lectures for my junior-level modern physics class, and recommended that my students read sections of it.

I can not recommend this new edition. At $42.95 the cost is probably about four times that of the original edition. For a book of this size and limitation, a bargain at $10, $40 is ridiculously overpriced. At $42.95 there are too many attractive alternatives.

I have used this textbook at a for upper-division undergraduate quantum mechanics for 2 years.

This book covers the basics and discusses more physics than mathematical tricks. At approximately 100 pages, it still provides excellent discussions on scattering, perturbation theory and symmetry. I would hope that such a text as this one marks the beginning of a shift in physics textbooks - from the overly verbose with reams of algebra and calculus to the essentials - to one which concentraits on physics.

This is the best QM I have. I would recommend it to any undergraduate student studying this subject. The book is very small and pleasant to read. It's great to use as a complement to a more comercial book like Gasiorowicz's one which I also recommend. It's the most compact book on the subject and the author looses no time with numerical examples. A must have.

I ordered what I thought was the book, but received an audio CD instead. I can't take the CDs to class.

This is a superb book for use in a lively second-year Spanish college classroom. It is not meant for independent use; it's not a teach-yourself Spanish book. It's an instructor's dream as it is loaded with realistic activities that students can actually perform in class and that are interesting. The chapters are quite thought provoking and the grammar activities are well designed and paced throughout the text. I highly recommend this text.

It's a textbook, but it's a good one if you want to learn Spanish. A reviewer shouldn't give a book one star because he ended up with the audio version instead of the actual book.

Have you ever had to endure a long car trip with people thatyou really didn't care to be around? That would sum up the distastethat I had for the characters in this story. Molly T. is somewhat of a bionic Gloria Steinam on steroids ... Her partners in crime include a wishy-washy ex-policeman, a submissive sibling sister and a former drifter from the streets of D.C. Together, they manage to wreak havoc, kill and blow up things throughout the story.

Since you can only guess that this southern boy doesn't quite agree with Miss Molly's cause, I found that the story line was repetitive and the characters were so annoying that, like intolerable company on a long ride in the car, I couldn't wait for the trip to be over!

I give this book the BIG thumbs down. There ARE better things out there to read!

I found this book to be an intriguing and insightful tale of the plight of he average american woman's struggle. It clearly shows that we have come so far in the evolution of our sex. It is only hateful to men if they refuse to read between the lines. Sanders unravels a cleverly woven tale of the internal as well as the external struggles for women to be free not only from the constraints of society but from the ties that they bind themselves with. It is comendable as to how the author being a man is able to capture the former as well as the genuine essence of woman. This book is to be read and praised by every generation to come.

I had difficulty putting this book down because of the suspense. The plot was very well developed.

In "Being and Nothingness," Jean-Paul Sartre's postmodern classic, Sartre correctly proposes that in order to truly examine oneself at his or her foundation, one must be outside the self as it is examined. Unfortunately, Sartre rightly contends, this being-for-itself on its own is impossible, and there is always and unavoidably a prejudice when it comes to self-examination. In "Postmodernity," Paul Lakeland desires to examine what he calls a "fragmented age" from within its own confines. Though a valiant attempt, Sartre's allegation is proven true: Lakeland produces a flawed, though not entirely wasted, critique of the postmodern age.

The title of Lakeland's book suggests that he will attempt two different, though related, objectives. First is the identification of postmodernity. Second is the discovery of a Christian identity in postmodernity, this "fragmented age." He begins the book with a very interesting, though inadequate, look at popular culture in contemporary times. He postulates that contemporary attitudes toward technology, design, and ways of life have contributed toward a "breakdown of givens: time, space, and order" (2). His arguments are fascinating, from the hotel with its spacious lobbies sans clocks (4), to the computer in a globally connected age (5). They suggest that his original assertion concerning the collapsing of givens is correct. However, he has not fully developed these examples, nor does he give himself the chance to do so. Assuming that the reader will agree with his arguments, he moves on.

The next two segments, it would seem to me, are invaluable toward the development of his overall argument. Postmodern "sensibilities," and the philosophical thought that reflects the times are at the crux of any possible analysis to be made on postmodernity itself. Unfortunately Lakeland makes broad, sweeping statements with only rudimentary evidence to support them. He states, "the emotional range is narrow, between mild depression at one end and a whimsical insouciance at the other," (8-9) and while he may have accurately depicted the postmodern sentimental scale, he does little to provide examples of such a generalization. Here begins Lakeland's tireless objective of categorization. He attempts to simplify the complexities of postmodern identity by assigning tendencies to categories. For example, the first distinction he makes is between those in the postmodern culture who are given the task of subjective value-giving, but loathe the responsibility and instead allow themselves to succumb to the will of the many (10), and those in postmodern culture who recognize their predicament, enjoy it to some extent, but ultimately wish to return to an earlier time (11). Lakeland also identifies a third group as amorphous and unidentifiable (11). Here lies the problem with his categorization. When he attempts to identify the unidentifiable, he falls into the Sartrian dilemma; without an objective place from which to view the postmodern world, the author cannot hope to evaluate accurately and without prejudice.

In dealing with thought in postmodernity, he seems to accurately depict the landscape as a post-enlightenment reaction to Kant's critique of reason and placement of emphasis on the subject. To deal with the topic in such cursory fashion, however, is in many ways a crime unto itself. In order to briefly summarize the entirety of postmodern thought, Lakeland resorts to more categorizations, and oftentimes they appear to be flawed or woefully incomplete ones at that. He places Martin Heidegger, for instance, within the umbrella group of a "postmodernism of nostalgia" (17). This is unfair - Heidegger's project may have been to remind man of his being as Da-sein but it is in a new way, not by way of nostalgia. This iniquitous classification of Heidegger is but one instance of a larger problem of unmerited categorization within the realm of postmodern thought.

The second section of Lakeland's short work is titled "Religion," and it looks at postmodern attitudes toward the philosophy of religion itself. Again, Lakeland begins with four groupings within this section - the groupings seem fair at the outset but still fall short of their intended goal of bringing the reader to some understanding of the distinctions and similarities of the individual thinkers. He makes two strong points in this section; first, that a decentering within the world has taken place and irrevocably this decentering affects all people, Christians and non-Christians alike, and second, that there has not yet been a completely successful non-anthropomorphic view of God in the postmodern world, when one is sorely needed (at least in his view). The decentering, or self-alienation, of humanity in the world is a very common theme in postmodern deconstructionalism, and Lakeland does an excellent job summarizing this characteristic. The anthropocentricism which Lakeland uncovers as a problem in the human dialogue about God does present a problem - but it is an unsolvable one, humanity must analogically apply human characteristics to anything in order to communicate about it, even God.. Though Lakeland wishes to speak in non-anthropomorphic terms, he does not present a clear way to completely do away with the language of humanizing God.

When this discussion enters the final section of the book - an attempt at a postmodern Christian apologetics - Lakeland asks the question, "is there a place any longer in postmodern Christianity for God, Christ, and the church?" (85). However, from a Christian standpoint, this is the wrong question. To ask if there is a place for God in postmodern thought is to, in some way, do what Lakeland protests against - to make God a thing in the world, as opposed to a transcendent creator. Finally, Lakeland introduces a Christology of Otherness at the end of "Postmodernity" that fascinates the reader, though he does not develop it far enough for it to leave a lasting impression. In all fairness to Lakeland, his project is extremely ambitious. As a survey of postmodernity, particularly Christian postmodern thought, it serves as a partially adequate introduction, though ultimately an unsuccessful attempt at objective analysis of this postmodern era. Sartre may be hard-pressed not to say, "I told you so."

Just as Christians were beginning to get used to modernity, along came postmodernity and confused them once again with its new and unusual challenges to theology and evangelism and its seemingly great opportunities for the same. Lakeland begins his work by describing postmodern philosophy, especially as it relates to culture. He describes three typical strands of postmodernism: Ultramoderns completely embrace the project of deconstruction and are more the outgrowth of than the rejection of modernity. Conservative postmoderns embrace some of the changes postmodernism brings but still believe in the basic rightness of the modern project. Countermoderns embrace some tenets of postmodernism but only as a way to return to a premodern sensibility. Lakeland then outlines these three positions as they apply to religion in the postmodern age. He ends with a chapter on apologetics in the postmodern age, especially as apologetics relates to the problem of pluralism.

I believe Lakeland has correctly classified the three streams of thought in postmodern philosophy and insofar as his book engages in descriptive analysis of these three groups, it excels. Lakeland goes wrong when he enters the normative realm and attempts to lay out a role for the church and Christianity in the postmodern world. It becomes apparent that Lakeland has no real solutions to offer other than radical pluralism under the guise of avoiding the totalizing tendency of metanarratives. His plan for apologetics entails nothing less than the total compromise of the uniqueness of the Christian faith. What use is apologetics if you have no faith to defend? Thus Lakeland demonstrates the self-destructive tendencies of postmodernism when it becomes nothing more than a code word for relativism.

Nonetheless, this slim volume (120 pgs.) does provide a good introduction to postmodern philosophy, culture, and theology. It is also well written and easy to read.

This book is part of a series to mediate to the theological thinker the work of other segments of the academic community. A great undertaking. Lakeland, chair of the Religious Studies Department of Fairfield University, authors this key volume on the important but amorphous topic of postmodernity. He discusses its salient characteristics in terms of a breakdown of the coordinates of time, space, and order. He describes a range of postmodern thinkers from the radical postmodernist children of the coming age who cannot get enough of it, to the late moderns critical of but still committed to the project of modernity, to the countermoderns who really hanker for the good old premodern days. He looks at how various representatives of each of these positions approach three key problems: the disappearance of the subject, ethical relativism, and the character of otherness. In chapter two he looks at how a similar range of postmodern thinkers approach the three related religious problems of, respectively, the reconceptualization of God, the Christian community in a pluralistic age, and the relation of Christianity and Christ to other religious traditions. Then Lakeland points out the agenda for Christian theology in the postmodern world. The intrachurch self understanding of the Christian community will continue to be the work of systematic theology. But if a true interfaith dialogue with and within the postmodern world is to take place, it will devolve upon a Christian apologetics located somewhere between a philosophy of religion and a fundamental philosophical theology to do the job. And that will be the difficult job of seeking ways to present Christianity in categories amenable to the age, but not unfaithful to the tradition, to enter the discussion with one's faith behind rather than in front, as the context out of which one speaks rather than the condition of dialogue within which one speaks. In his final chapter Lakeland suggests, given what he has already shown postmodernity to be capable of comprehending, how the three issues of God, church, and Christ might be approached by such an apologetics. The book gives an excellent overall view of postmodernity specifically in terms of interest to the Christian theologian, and it is well and wittily written. Since it is meant principally for other scholars and draws on and critiques the work of some two dozen thinkers, usually using the vocabulary unique to each, it will probably be more or less accessible to general readers depending on their familiarity with the authors cited.

While Dr. Jasephson's compilation of information on Soviet nuclear research and developement is encyclopedic, the book is not easy to follow. It repeatedly jumps back to various points, the Russian revolution, early post WW II era and follows another area of the soviet nuclear program. Early in the book an unfamiliar unit of exposure, the "ber" is used but not defined. It is not a unit used at all in this country. In later chapters a definite anti-nuclear bias gets in the way of providing information. While Dr. Josephson is entitled to his view point, it would be more effectively communicated if he had a better understanding of the field.

An example, in discussing the Chernobyl disaster he says, "For days after the explosion, people continued to drink and consume the local water, juice, sausages and cucumbers, all of which had been irradiated." Having something irradiated is not the same as having it contaminated with radioactive material [fallout]. Although some are concerned about food irradiation which may be done to prevent spoilage, extend shelf life, and prevent food poisoning it is not at all the same as having food contaminated by radioactive material. Because he gives so little details in such tidbits it is impossible to tell if he means contaminated or irradiated.

Dr. Josephson gives many such alarming tid bits, in the last two chapters and epilog, without explaining the nature or level of whatever problem he is discussing. In the example the level of contamination, if that is meant, microcuries per gram or kilogram and applicable, acceptable levels would have defined the problem or if irradiation was meant, the dose food stuffs received would have been helpful. But such details are almost always missing and in some cases as in the example, incorrectly given or there is confusion in what he presents.

It has been my impression that Soviet nuclear research and development had many problems but this book did not illuminate them as I expected.

A very disappointing book.

I found Mr. Josephson's book to be highly entertaining and an extremely good read. Lots and lots and lots of information - maybe, sometimes too much. However, I noticed a number of errors, which, although slight, did jump out at me.

Mr. Josephson seems to like inserting a slight dusting of Russian terms in his book which are tangential to the subject at hand and, in several instances, are mistranslated. Two instances that immediately come to mind are his translating of "bakon" as pork fat, when, in fact, it IS bacon. "Sala" is what Mr. Josephson was probably referring to. A second is his translation of the word "spetzodezhda" as a hermetically sealed suit used in the maintenance of a reactor. "Spetzodezhda" is merely work clothing - of any form.

I also found the author's use of both imperial and metric measurements to be somewhat confusing and that required me to switch gears too frequently - sometimes in the same paragraph.

Two other errors that I'm surprised were not spotted in the proofreading are the placing of words starting with "dn" after words starting with "do" in the index and his comment on page 288 that the Latvians at the Ignalina reactor were unhappy about the number of Russians working at the reactor. Ignalina is in Lithuania. Perhaps the Latvians working there were distressed about the high number of Russians at the plant- but I assume that the native Lithuanians were even more distressed.

This is a fascinating and frightening account of a huge story. It covers (often in excessive detail) the development of nuclear power under a totalitarian regime with little thought for the human cost. An excellent book overall.

The story he tells must be told. Uncounted innocent citizens of the region are still suffering from the careless application of nuclear power, and even today the development and construction of new reactors continues. The world must be made aware of the cost of continuing to ignore the deteriorating situation in the former Soviet bloc.

On the down side, Josephson's style is rambling, with excessive detail which does not add to the overall message. Even with a reasonable knowledge of the geography of the former Soviet Union and some of the people involved, I found it quite hard to follow.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is specifically interested in Soviet history or the history of Nuclear power. Others may find it tough going.

ENOUGH already. Yes, there were some interesting books, especially the earlier ones. But now that Auster has become a wealthy boy who can publish whenever he wants to, the public is getting loaded down with dreck. Enough already. You don't have to publish every single word you write.

I've missed out on the Paul Auster hype, and I'm not done with the book yet, but I like this one.

I've never read Paul Auster before, but my wife made me read this slim little volume and thought it was enchanting. Perfect size for a stocking-stuffer for that literary-type person in your family.