The authors show commendable effort in tackling such an ambitious project. Unfortunately their scholarship is often spotty. One example of many: they base their discussion of Jehovah's Witnesses on superficial, secondary, non-scholarly sources. They state that Jehovah's Witnesses "reject the use of tobacco and alcohol, and will not accept blood transfusions." (P. 158) This is more-or-less correct regarding blood transfusions, but the authors of this book are obviously not aware of the fact that the scholarly literature concerning Jehovah's Witnesses documents widespread alcoholism among the Witness leadership. Similarly, on page 456 and elsewhere, the authors make sweeping statements concerning John Calvin, statements that they fail to document, and which, in fact, constitute gross oversimplifications. On the other hand, the authors, with more attention to research and more mature reflection, are no doubt capable of writing a much better book some time in the future. They need to go back to the library !

This book was enjoyable to read. Books looking at messianic beliefs through history seem to be a burgeoning market. A better one covering the same material is Norman Cohn's The Pursuit of the Millenium. As well, there are books that cover a very specific part of the picuture, such as Michael Barkun's Religion and the Rascist Right, examining British-Isrealism and Christian Identity. Part of the charm of Messianic Revolution is its looseness in defining radical religious politics. It often seems the authors include an idea or group simply because it interests them and then they shoe horn it gently into the narrative. This may not make for a authoritative book but it does keep the story and subject interesting and should lead the reader to read more on this subject.

Any brief review carrying a theme through many centuries will cover certain aspects in an overly simplified or superficial manner. But the test is if in the end the information provided grants us insight that would otherwise have been lacking. "Messianic Revolution" by Katz and Popkin stands up well to this test. Although at certain points early on the book seems to drag, by the second half all the pieces tie together well. The reader gains an understanding of where many messianic concepts current today had their origin. Such understanding can on the one hand break down prejudice caused by ignorance, on the other hand it can give the reader healthy caution in reviewing his own religious concepts. It is important to note the use and constant potential abuse of prophetic interpretations.

If we understand historically where we came from and how we arrived at this point at the turn of the millennium, we can have our eyes that much wider open as to what will or will not occur in the next.

This volume is strictly aimed towards lay persons serving as elders in various Christian denominations. With the exception of a brief biblical history of the diaconate, it is of little if any use to Deacons or postulates to the diaconate in the Episcopal, Roman Catholic, or Lutheran traditions.

Very helpful...WELL worth the price....Amazon.com has the lowest prices on all the books I have searched for but this book was the best bargain!

Though film synopses are not especially artistic or exciting, Fr Blake's thesis of how Catholic concepts of community, sacrament, and symbol influenced six major directors is well presented. The underlying ideas were quite thought provoking, even if their relation to some film sequences bordered on the contrived. Impeccable scholarship in a readable work - and a good present for an intellectual film buff.

Richard Madson¡¯s book delves into China¡¯s Catholic society on the assumption that Catholicism, being something imported from the West, would provide a better angle for Western readers to understand the Chinese society and seem to have more promise of contributing to an emerging civil society in China.

But the case turned out to be contrary. The Catholic societies Madson examined in rural China are quite different from what readers in the United States would expect and most of them even resume a quasi-ethnical identity. Due to the interference and repression of the Communist government as well as the internal conflicts of Vatican, Catholic churches in China are marked with Counter Reformation nature, internal conflict and fractionism.

While the author concluded that China¡¯s Catholics can hardly play a role in constructing a civil society, it nevertheless asserts that by learning from Catholic societies in Taiwan and Hong Kong and appealing to China¡¯s emerging middle class, it might exert some, although limited influence, on the changing society.

The book, focused on the rural Catholic societies in North China, provides detailed, first-hand revelation about underground Catholic societies in China¡¯s villages, which former researchers in this field have little access to. But its focus on the northern part of China, backward in economic development and commercialization and in the powerful control of the central government, might cast a biased view of the whole picture.

This book has wonderful information and beatiful images but no where in the book does it say what each plate is depicting! Very annoying.

Combining the traditionally conservative issue of religion with the traditionally liberal issue of protecting the environment is a difficult task. Land does it well in this book and provides an introduction for those interested in protecting the environment from a Christian standpoint. However, this book is not for those who are not already interested in ecotheology. The information and insight is helpful and thought provoking, but it is not entertaining. Some background in environmental issues is also a prerequiste. If you enjoyed Richard Austin's series on ecotheology, this text is a good follow up.

I think this is a great book

In "Hitting a Moving Target : Preaching to the Changing Needs of Your Church" Richard Ezell seeks to help pastors and other Christian public speakers better relate to their congregations. Ezell uses the analogy of an arrow hitting a target to illustrate what Christian public speakers need to do to communicate effectively. Ezell urges that pastors research the area they live in according to factors such as geography, socio-economic status, age, etc. in order to understand their community. Then, the pastor is to find the same information for his particular church through the use of surveys. The pastor is to compare the two groups and structure his sermons to meet the "felt needs" of his parishoners. Ezell rehashes many of the popular church growth writings that are in print. However, Ezell does offer something that not many others do-- he understands people that are in transitional jobs that keep them from developing roots in churches because they move often. Unless this is the case for your congregation, I would not reccomend this book. If this describes your congregation, the book is probably worth the money.

Leather tramp is a slang expression for people who like to hike; this was an interesting book about just such a person and the journal he kept while on the trail. I was looking for an account of hiking and seeking God and this is what I got with Leather Tramp Journal: A 12-Mile Mountain Retreat. The way the book fashioned historical events and actions mixed in with the natural surroundings of the Adirondack Mountains, brought an interesting perspective to the reader.

Throughout this book the reader is brought onto the trail with the author and we see what a hiker's day is like as he ponders some of life's most important questions. I looked forward in each chapter to see what the hiker was going to eat for the evening meal and what the "Points to Ponder" were for the day. The "Points to Ponder" provide an action list to be focused on once the hiker returns to civilization.

The book helps the reader to reflect on life as well as view nature through the eyes of an experienced "Leather Tramp". It also allows the reader to see the Appalachian area and possibly plant a desire to hike in the same footsteps as the author. Although not the book I thought it was going to be, the story unfolded into an interesting tale.

For anyone awaiting a thorough, detailed systematization of Richard McCormick's thought, this books looks like a long-awaited boon. It is an interesting attempt at an ambitious project, complete with snippets from interviews with McCormick himself, and it coveres a few of the major categories relevant to moral theology. However, I found it more basic and general than I had hoped--possibly because a systematization of McCormick's thought is indeed as difficult as it seems.... In any case, I was hoping for more specifics than were covered in this volume. With any luck it will be a first attempt of many, to find the commonalities in McCormick's enormous body of writings.