This book makes sense. Read it.

We read this book on the recommendation of our pastor, a one-time student of Dr. Brown's.

Whether you are strong in faith, new to the "language" of the Christian church, or just wanting to learn, The Bible Speaks to You "speaks to you" in a way that makes sense.

Highly recommended.

This book talks about theological aspects of the Bible. It helps explain the Bible to uninformed readers and it also adds a lot of depth to the seasoned Biblical reader.

The author, Robert McAfee Brown, states that his goal for this book is to bear witness to the extraordinary faith of Latin American Catholics who participate in the Liberation movement (20). He has been, no doubt, successful in his objective. This text is intriguing more for its intent (a "call to action" for first-world readers) rather than for its main content (an introductory description of Liberation Theology-primarily in Latin America). The reader of this book will find many entreaties to action on behalf of the oppressed peoples of the world, many of whom reside in our "backyard"-the poor urban areas of North American cities (94). Brown does a commendable job of keeping the topic interesting through the consistent intermingling of real-life anecdotes with theological and historical descriptions. Perhaps the most impressive characteristic of this book is the fact that it reads more like a story than a theological text.

In most non-fiction books, there are some areas that stand out more than others. This book is no exception. The introduction, for example, carries several stories of actual people who have suffered horrible atrocities in some areas of Central America. These real-life stories help the reader to understand the type of political, economic, and social oppression that a majority of Latin American people must deal with daily. Accordingly, it becomes more realistic for the reader to understand what a powerful "liberator" the Liberation movement has become for the lay Catholic in many parts of Latin America. The base church communities that have evolved to support the critical needs of the oppressed are much more than a reflection of a "professional" theological movement as we might, at first, guess. On the contrary, the roles are reversed. It is these base communities, providing for the needs of people, through which Liberation Theology-the subject-has evolved. So then, Liberation Theology as an academic field, is a mere reflection of how oppressed Christians respond-epistemologically and ecclesiologically-to the institutionalized oppression with which they must deal. Brown notes that "It is not enough to read books about poverty; commitment means encountering poor people" (56). Liberation Theology, therefore, can only be truly understood and practiced through and with the lives of oppressed peoples.

Again, the real value of this book comes in Brown's consistent appeals to his readers for action in support of oppressed people groups. In fact, he even lists steps that we might take to truly "practice" Liberation Theology even while in the midst of our comfortable, first-world environment (116-120). If the reader is interested, the author's Endnotes and Section on Discussion Questions are both helpful and useful for further research.

Brown does an excellent job of portraying lib. theology for the "first world" reader. The book is fascinating. Reading it has had a deep impact on my life.

Niebuhr was not only one of the great Protestant theologians of the last century: he was one of very few thinkers ever to have derived a sophisticated and illuminating approach to the worldly order from theological premises. This collection of his writings contains some truly essential expressions of his philosophy, in the form of shorter essays and addresses.

The volume's consistent theme is the Augustinian realism that Niebuhr expounded in the darkest years of modern history, when the western democracies faced the tyrannies of Nazi Germany and expansionist Communism. Against these messianiac creeds, Niebuhr posited the merits of democracy, *not* because of its supposed congruence with the characteristics of the Kingdom of God but because of its effect in tempering the destructiveness of man's urge for dominion.

He did so, moreover, when many Christians were susceptible to the romantic illusion that discipleship required them to oppose the militant defence of western values. No one has better exposed these pretensions than Niebuhr in his essay 'Why the Christian Church is not Pacifist', included in this volume. Those Christians' mistake was to fail to understand the nature of evil. To regard the Sermon on the Mount as a manual for political action without seeing it in the context of Jesus's expectation of the irruption of the Kingdom of God into human history is a misreading. The message of the Gospels is not non-violence, but the immanence of the Kingdom. Niebuhr argues that while conflict is not part of the Kingdom of God, it does not thereby dissipate if Christians act as though they are already living in the Kingdom.

This is a powerful corrective to much wishful thinking that passes for Christian social ethics. It ought to be read urgently by anyone who imagines that the sentimentality of today's anti-war movement, when the western democracies are fighting an enemy as destructive and nihilistic as any seen in the last century, is an expression of the Law of Love.

This volume, from the pen of an outstanding thinker, is probably as good an introduction to Latin American Liberation Theology as exists. It is important to note that the book is not a treatise on the global diversity of liberation theology. The author is concerned largely with the Latin American scene. To that end, I recommend the book enthusiastically. In fact, I recommend just about everything that Robert McAfee Brown has written!

This little book (generously type-set to make 167 pages) is set for the most part on the Hebridean island of "Erinsay" (not to be confused with the real island of Eriskay). Its hero is Jamie Stuart, a greedy, selfish yuppie at the outset of the book, who travels to Erinsay, miraculously goes back in time, and has a complete change of heart when he falls in love with a woman in the past. The protagonist's transformation is not believable, and the reader has too hard a time forgiving him for his earlier despicable behavior. Ultimately, when he commits his final selfless act, the reader is left feeling grateful but, unfortunately, not really saddened. Also, as a lover of the Hebrides myself (the reason I read the book in the first place) I was disappointed by how the author belittles the people who live there by characterizing them as quaint, superstitious souls--a stereotype that is sadly lacking in truth.

The author of my Sunday School texts surprised me with this rich tale. He captures the dialogue of the Hebrides so well I begin visualizing the people. The book begins slowly; then, by two-thirds of the way through, I couldn't put it down. Call it a romance if you want to, but I found it far more expansive in that we're led to ponder awhile after we close the cover for the last time.

Robert McAfee Brown, one of our greatest theologians, has written his first novel. The book starts in an unrealistic mode, but gets better as Jamie, the main character, travels to the country of Erinsay, and finally to the previous century. This is a story of love, sacrifice, and redemption, not unusual themes for Rev. Brown. The beautiful song the title is taken from is printed on the endcovers of the lovely little book. I recommend it to all who like romance.

The vast majority of the book has no relation to the title. There are great passages, but they are largely buried under dozens of pages of yammering prelude, silly bickering, and attempts at drunken humor. James Morrow's Blameless in Abaddon covers the same theme with much greater depth and breadth.

While interred in Auschwitz, Elie Wiesel witnessed a trial. While such things are not unusual, this trial was. It was unusual because of the defendant: God. God was tried for violating the covenant by turning his back in silence on the Jewish people in their greatest hour of need. God was tried in absentia, without anyone present being willing to take on the role of God's defense attorney. God was declared guilty, after which the "court" prayed. Contradiction? Perhaps. But this incident, which served as the inspiration for *The Trial of God*, is part of the long Jewish tradition of arguing with God. While Job is God's most famous interlocuter, we cannot forget the dispute the founder of the Jewish people, Abraham, had with God over the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The trial of God is really a trial of faith; this is why the "court" prayed. They are torn between their devotion to God and their complete disappointment in God's silence. This struggle of faith is the story of *The Trial of God*, in which it is the least faithful of all, Satan, that comes to God's defense. Wiesel is fond of retelling a story about two Holocaust survivors, one a rabbi, who meet after liberation. The survivor asks the rabbi how, after all that has happened, he can continue to believe in God. The rabbi retorts by asking how, after all that has happened, can the other *not* believe in God. Wiesel has often echoed this paradox in his own sentiments. This is the paradox which *the Trial of God* presents us; it is a story of doubting trust and trusting doubt which, as Wiesel suggests, might be reconcilable only in protest. Perhaps *The Trial of God* is Wiesel's act of faith; perhaps it is an act of condemnation. I suspect that for Wiesel it is both. Anyone who pays careful attention to this work will be highly rewarded by it, not because of the answers it gives (for it gives none), but (in good Wieselian style) for the questions it raises.

The trial of god by Elie Wiesel is a stunning play about mans relationship to God and trying to understand him. The book deals a lot with the subject of faith and the trials of the Jewish people. It is a play worth reading more than once.

This book is a collection of four lectures delivered at Northwestern Univeristy in 1977. It takes four different approaches to the Holocaust: The Holocaust as literay inspirartion, as history, as living memory, and as a problem in moral choice. Elie Wiesel's lecture, like his novels, is very poetic and gripping--however, he doesn't really say very much, instead, he asks a great many "why" questions--which is perhaps all anyone can do. The lectures of Lucy Dawidowicz and Dorothy Rabinowitz are interesting in that they reveal the depth and breadth of the historical and personal record of the Holocaust as well as the extreme importance to the Jews of recording and remembering. Robert McAfee Brown confronts the difficult issue of potential Christian complicity in the Holocaust and the great question of theodicy--how can we believe in God after the Holocaust? He also provides some good analysis of Elie Wiesel's novels, which he sees as a pilgramage.

I have found this book a challenging read. It was not the difficulty of the reading, but the moral challenges it brings. I felt the book presented far too many moral issues that are at hand. The book dealt with war, the penalty, gun control, abortion, and many other ideas. I have been forced re-examine many of my personal beliefs due to reading this book. The book is filled with philosophy as well as facts of actual events.

Sorry, the reader from Sioux Falls had it right; this volume is a perverse reading of the Bible. Brown's reading of the Exodus as a tale of strictly political liberation chops the story off partway through - as though Sinai never happened. In fact the Hebrews were "liberated" _in order to receive and keep God's Laws_ - laws which absolutely preclude the Marxist-socialist nonsense the Third World "liberation theologians" are spouting (with Brown's help).

No, North America doesn't, strictly speaking, have a _monopoly_ on Christianity. But there _is_ a reason why North America is prosperous and the non-Christian Third World (especially the parts of it that have come under Marxism's atheist/anti-individualist influence) is so economically backward. And yes, that reason _is_ Christianity - which, like it or not, is the proper foundation for a free and prosperous _capitalist_ commonwealth.

Prosperity is a consequence of justice - not of "social justice" but of biblical justice. We can't get rich by stealing from each other. But apparently Brown hasn't ever thought to ask _why_ the West is rich and almost everybody else isn't.

"Liberation theology" gets off to a good _start_, but its follow-through is really bad. Oppose Empire? Resist "oppression"? Absolutely. But replace it with Marxist socialism? Hardly. If Brown and his pals really wanted to help the Third World, they'd drop socialism like the hot potato it is and start working to end the barriers to peaceful commerce - the trade barriers which represent the influence of Empire and which are the true reasons for global poverty.

All the sympathetic whining in the world won't put Brown and the "liberation theologians" on the side of the good. "Ye shall know them by their fruits" - not by their sonorous expressions of class solidarity.

Get these wolves in sheep's clothing out of the church.

This book was challenging, convicting and exciting. Brown writes humorously and concisely. At times he writes a bit too epigramatically or too much in pseudo-journalese. Brown closes humbly: he admits he's as guilty of greed and complacency as we are.

My favorite aspect of this book is that it is not just a book *about* liberation theology. This a *devotional* based on liberation theology (in fact, this was my devotional on and off for half a year). Happily, Brown includes whole passages of scripture for study. True, the third world (better, "two-thirds world") interpretations are jarring. For example, the OT reality behind Jesus quoting (and most Bibles mistranslating!) Isaiah's "day of the Lord's favor" almost knocked me out of my seat (see Luke 4).

Two other virtues of this book are 1) that Brown examines other parallel passages in each chapter (to provide a larger biblical basis), and 2) the pointed questions and scenarios Brown poses at the end of each chapter. This book is good for private or group study or just straight reading. Also, Brown offers a good list for further reading.

Some of the other reviews of this book are revealing. Why do we USAmericans get so upset about our capitalism and our money? Because our hearts (and our emotions) are where our treasure is, and vice versa? Why do we have so many problems with these "radical, militant, Marxist" liberation theologians? Because they point out how the God of the Bible has problems with greed, rugged individualism and national elitism? Why do we see Brown and "his ilk" twisting Scripture and eisegeting Marxism into the Bible? Because we don't like to hear Scripture echoed from the nouths of those for and by whom it was written: the poor and oppressed? If the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (I Tim 6:10) and if you cannot serve both God and money (Matt 6:24), why do we cling so firmly to money? What would the big loss be anyway in losing our economic clout -- if we truly hope for *heavenly* riches? The more you live and share with "the least of these" (Matt 25:31ff), I've found, the less radical Brown, et al. sound. Raving neo-McCarthyists deal the Bible a grave blow by capitulating social justice and economic parity into the hands of Marxists. Marx subverted God's Word to his ends (he was raised a Jew, remember), not the other way around.

I am looking for more contemporary books of this nature (it was published in 1984), but will probably "just settle for" reading Gutierrez, Romero, Arrupe, et al. -- precisely what Brown would hope for his readers to do, I think. (PS, I recommend Haugen's _Good News About Injustice_ and Are's _Israeli Peace, Palestinian Justice_. I also recommend watching _Romero_ and _The Mission_ for some liberation visuals!)

I really liked this book and it opened my eyes to a fresh interpretation of the Bible... I started thinking of all the things that never seem to get mentioned when I go to church... I looked at Communion in a completely different light... I saw the Good Samaritan story for what it is... When I listen to a televangelist going on and on about Faith in Christ it seems like they're just trying to convince themselves... I accept Christ... Now lets move on to what he told us to do... Robert McAfee Brown shows how the Christianity of the rich is like watered down milk toast... Every time I turn to some Christian radio program it's always about the evils of homosexuality, alcohol or adultery... It's like a broken record with these guys... I've studied every religion of the world and I never really considered converting to Christianity till I read Unexpected News... I don't see this book as Marxist propaganda... I see it as the only antidote to the Capitalist-Communist conundrum... Jesus spoke truth to power... He stood up to the religious leaders of the time and I'm sure he would have stood up to the Communists as well... The status quo church of today wants you to believe but they don't want you to actually walk in the footsteps of Christ because we would have too many people like Gandhi and Martin Luther King running around changing things... I've heard so-called Christians tell me, "Oh you don't have to do anything like that... Christ did it all for you... You just have to believe." I feel like saying, "I already believe... I just want to know what to do!" This book challenges you to actually do something...