MacDonald/Pinto assert that Hadrian forged a new and innovative architectural system which integrated buildings with nature and human use. Hadrian's goal was to create an arrangement of buildings which were functional and yet challenged the intellect to contemplate the unseen world. They also make a very strong case for the pervasive influence which this complex villa has had on archtecture from ancient times to the present. This book makes one realize that Roman architecture is indeed relevant to the present.

This book provides a biblical and balanced approach to an otherwise misunderstood and controversial topic: the healing power of the human mind. Dr. Backus is aware of the misunderstandings, especially among Christians, that cloud the issue so he renders due cautions and clarifications during his exposition. Although he believes that miracles and instant healings through prayer do happen today, he distinguishes between a supernatural healing (a miracle) which is entirely an act of God and the natural process of healing which involves our cooperating with God to create a healthy inner life based upon truth, especially and ultimately God's truth revealed in the Bible. He disagrees with those Christians who think that God always wills the healing of our bodies here on earth and think that healing always happens if the person praying has 'enough faith' (pg. 110). These same Christians usually 'see God's promise to preserve the health of his people, as recorded in Exodus and Deuteronomy, as a pledge to perform miracles routinely' and 'think that by 'claiming' these promises they can unleash miracle-power as if by magic from heaven' (pg. 51). Instead, Dr. Backus believes that 'the Exodus and Deuteronomy promises assume that God's people will live in a relaxed state of trust - a state of inner peace and rest and obedience' (pgs. 51 - 52).

Dr. Backus also distinguishes between spiritually unhealthy false religions (including New Age and Mind Science cults) and the scientific (and Biblical!) fact that 'your health and your healing can be made better or worse by what you do with your mind' (pg. 63). Regarding 'positive thinking,' he asserts: 'If you must choose between a positive thought and a true thought, always choose what is true.' He adds: 'Sometimes truth has a negative effect - angering us, causing grief, frightening us. But the whole truth transforms those negatives into positives, because God turns evil into good. When you tell yourself the whole truth you don't deny pain or illness, you defeat it' (pg. 129). He gives examples of 'illicit positive thinking' that deny reality and also gives examples of confronting negative reality with positive culmination (the 'whole' biblical truth) that brings hope and can contribute to one's physical healing. Dr. Backus clearly points out that 'most diseases do not result from a single causal factor' and that 'even so-called 'terminal' illnesses are not, in themselves, sufficient to cause death. Nutrition, exercise, and rest make a significant difference, as does a sense of belonging to a group of other people' (pg. 53). Also, renewing our minds with Christian truth as taught in the Bible promotes healing; hence, the title of the book: The Healing Power of a CHRISTIAN Mind.

Although many of the health principles expounded in this book are natural and supported by scripture, Dr. Backus also promotes prayer and the possibility of supernatural healing from God. I highly recommend this book. It is practical, easy to read, and lifts one's spirit with the biblical hope that grounds the Christian gospel.

Theophane's writings of full of piercing insights into the human condition and the path to union with God. Theophane is a guide along the Bhakti path, pointing out it's pitfalls and the essentials needed for success. I have read this book over and over again and each new reading I glean many new insigts.

This is one of the best, most practical books ever written on the subject of time management and rating the priorities in your life. If you are too busy to read a book -- this book is a "must read" for you.

This is a great book. In fact, it's so great that I wanted to comment on it (my first review!). Each chapter give good solid examples on how to improve your life and how look at situations differently. Written from a Christian perspective, the tips given can be easily used in everyday situations. And her example of 'taking a day to fast from criticism' was great!

I was an "on-the-fence Christian." I wanted to identify with the institutional church but was turned off by all hyperbole. Someone recommended this book and loaned me a copy. I couldn't put it down! I couldn't believe that a Christian minister was answering all the doubts that I have had about the institutional church. I had to read it a second time to see if I was reading it correctly. I was! It really makes sense and I am rethinking my relationship with the church. Thanks Pastor for being so courageous!

I read this book as a mere curiosity in how could Willian Moreira offer this polemic phenomena called suffering an antidote alleviate us, but I had the surprise of my life. He is not offering an antidote to stopping, but in HOW TO SUFFER HAPPILY.
As he says when God took his daughter on a tragic accident the only consolation to stop his suffering would be to our Creator to send his daughter back, but it would be against His unchangeable law, than the only solution is to understand it and know soon we all will be gone to meet again as spirits. This Comprehension of the "why and why life is like this" is a consolation in our grieving bitterness and then begin suffering happily.
He teaches us to look down and see haw many millions are in our level or even bellow our own, like the young beggar living in the sidewalk or the small child working to survive on the streets of a third world country. Those in worse situation than our, the only hope they have is their faith in God and Jesus in a future life, according to the moral behavior. I gave the book to a friend in stress and she read it in few hours and she understood that does not matter how big is your suffering, what really matter is how to manage this and learn to live with that, become it just one more war to win for yourself.

"It takes wisdom to have a good family, and it takes understanding to make it strong." Proverbs 24:3.

William Coleman has been married for more than thirty years and is the father of three children. In his book, IF I COULD RAISE MY KIDS AGAIN, Coleman shares his insights and lessons he's learned over the years. I find that I learn best from other parents who openly share their experiences. Coleman's vulnerability and frankness combined with Biblical teaching and his collection of personal stories, made his book an enjoyable read and an effective teacher.

The 22 short chapters cover a variety of parenting related topics. The chapters are: The Grand Tour; Stand on the Chairs and Shout; Aim for Respect Before Love; Let Them Pull the Cat's Tail; Spend More Time Together; Find a Church Life; Learning From Our Children; Give Them More Choices; I'd Smile More; The Relative Connection; Soothe the Savage; Pitch a Tent; Build Self-Confidence; Ride the Screaming Plunger; Set Unusual Goals; The Battle for the Supper Hour; Get Control of the Television; Share and Pray; The Almighty Dollar; Let Them Argue More; We'd Play More Games; and Graduation Time.

When my wife and I were expecting our first child, I knew that I had no idea what I was doing. I went out and bought a few books on parenting with the desire to begin building a strong parenting foundation that I could build on over the years. IF I COULD RAISE MY KIDS AGAIN is one book that I will regularly go back to.

This book invites the reader to explore the basic and foundational issues in modern religious education. A concise, clearly-written overview of the major viewpoints in Protestant and Catholic religious education. An indispensable book for all those who wish to know what modern religious educators are saying. *An Invitation to Religious Education* is one of the most widely read and respected books in Christian education today.

The past twenty years have seen a resurgence of interest in the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. This resurgence has produced a volume of work sufficient to warrant the headline "The New Quest for the Historical Jesus." Writers from John Dominic Crossan to Paula Fredriksen have attempted to recover the historical person who lies behind the witness of Paul and the canonical gospels. While these efforts have produced some helpful insights and intriguing theories, they cannot be satisfying to the person who views Jesus not so much as an historical figure but as the Christ of Faith. For such folks, including myself, the appeal of Jesus is not so much the question of his existence (or non-existence, or status as a literary creation or a composite character) but his claim on my life. My own faith, and decision to serve as a Christian pastor, flows from strong personal experiences of the reality of Jesus Christ and the visceral sense that he is my Lord. Most of the time, when such statements are made, the immediate assumption is that the speaker must now check at the door both common sense and intellectual consistency. William Placher, who possesses both, along with a vital faith in Jesus Christ, demonstrates what the theologians of old understood: faith and reason not only exist together but go hand-in-hand in developing a mature servant of Christ. Placher demonstrates this connection in his own ministry. He is a university-trained theologian who has taught for many years at the well-respected Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He is a leader in the Presbyterian Church. His previous work demonstrates a solid grasp of the theological enterprise. In Jesus the Savior, Placher demonstrates how his faith and his theological savvy work together. Though he acknowledges its reality, he is not sidetracked by speculation about the historical Jesus. Instead, Placher begins with language. The name "Jesus" comes from a Hebrew word that means "God will save." He then examines the Biblical witness to Jesus' saving activity under four headings: Incarnation, Ministry, the Cross, and Resurrection. These, of course, parallel the church's traditional confession: Christ was born, Christ went about doing good, Christ died, Christ rose again. The movement of Placher's argument is bi-directional. He connects the traditions about Jesus with their roots in the theology and practice of ancient Judaism (and sometimes other parts of the ancient world). He then explores the relevance of the Biblical witness to believers in all times and in all places. Along the way, he visits an issue which causes division among most denominations, that of homosexuality. He also visits the issue of prisons, which claims an ever-greater percentage of American citizens and American wealth. If Placher's book could be improved, that improvement would consist of addressing other pressing social issues, such as terrorism and war.

Jesus the Savior will satisfy all but the most ardent debunkers of the claims of Christianity. While Placher is definitely an apologist for his (and my) faith, he develops a tone which is at once pastoral and intellectually respectful. This is a genuinely impressive accomplishment. I plan to develop several series of sermons from his book in the hope of deepening and broadening the faith of my people. The greatest hope Christianity proclaims, especially in these dangerous days, is that Jesus Christ is alive and available to us now. I thank Dr. Placher for finding a fresh way to proclaim that ancient message.