Hoskins' book is engaging and enjoyable for the history buff, although if your looking for a lot of politically correct pablum this book isn't for you because it deals with some subjects that aren't always understood. "In the Beginning..." is written in an easy to follow manner and covers ancient religions and characters, tying them in with the international trade cartel (ITC). Hoskins focuses on the teachings of Hinduism and how they influenced religious and international trade policies down to the present day. Overall it's an excellent and uncommon historical account.

For those who seek a greater understanding of global governance and the machinations of the International Trade Cartel, this book is a Must Read!

In it Hoskins displays a brilliant comparison to the Russia under Soviet rule and the feudal Russia of old - the names and faces were changed, but it remained the same with the near totality of the populace remaining mere serfs.

From the very start, Hoskins captivates your attention, with this opening passage:

"In the Holy Land during the Wars of the Crusades, crusaders defended a seaport being besieged by Muslims. The seige had lasted almost a year. The fighting had been violent, many had died.

Suddenly, trumpets sounded. Instantly the fighting stopped. A camel train appeared, one camel plodding along in front of the next - a long line stretching back into the distance. The Arab armies parted; the gates to the city opened, the drawbridges dropped. One after another, camel after camel - an endless chain of camels plodded into the city. Two thousand of them.

It was a smaller camel train, all that was left of 20,000 animals that had arrived at a terminal city inland and been divided into smaller trains and sent on to their final destinations. On the back of each animal rested a cargo so precious that it could have made a man rich for life - if he could but seize it. But few tried. Those who tried and failed were punished with a painful death.

Once in the city the camel drivers directed their charges through twisting, narrow streets down to the harbor. There their cargoes were off-loaded by sweating stevedores who re-loaded them on waiting Christian ships . . . As soon as the last ship had departed, the Saracen ships re-established their blockade, the camels departed, the gates closed, the drawbridge raised, and arrows began to fly and large rocks again were catapulted against enemies as the fighting recommenced."

For those interested in catching a glimpse of what John Wesley wanted his Methodists to believe, this is a good place to start. Most of these 50 sermons were included in his Works (an official collection of his writings put together by Wesley himself), and they were intended to help guide those in his movement in understanding the basic theological ideas that he considered important. This anthology adds to the official selections a few selected by Outler from among Wesley's uncompiled sermons. These also give us an interesting look into Wesley's heart and mind.

One of the greatest strengths of this book is that each sermon is preceded by an excellent introduction. This sets the sermon in context and provides a clearer point from which to begin trying to understand what Wesley is saying. This is an excellent collection compiled by superb editors.

John Wesley was the founder of Methodism, and this is a "best of" collection of fifty of his sermons, organized chronologically so that you can follow the development of his thought from 1730 to 1790. The sermons are long and dense but carefully crafted, and the theology is powerful and nuanced. Many of the sermons deal masterfully with what I think is one of the toughest but most important juggling acts in Christian theology: maintaining both (a) that our salvation comes entirely through the overflowing grace of God and is in no way merited or achieved and (b) that it is vitally important that we do good, partake of the sacraments, read scripture, pray, and all that good stuff. Other sermon topics include religious bigotry, religious zeal, the use of money, the repentance of believers, and the omnipresence of God. If you're interested in Christian theology and won't be too put off by Wesley's dry, dense writing style, I highly recommend this book.

Passing on the Faith is a must have for ministry. The new model of children, youth and family ministry emphasizing the partnership between the home and the congregation has completely changed the way I "do" ministry. The Biblical model presented by the authors brings out the best of the Christian tradition and is solidly backed up by modern youth and family research. Passing on the Faith makes you think and gives you the tools to act to make a difference.

In Passing On The Faith, Merton Stromen and Richard Hardel collaborate to address how, together, parents and the church can increase the likelihood that children will be committed to Jesus Christ and a life of service when they graduate from high school. The authors propose a new paradigm of intentional partnership between congregation and family in which the primary responsibility for faith development is assumed by parents. Passing On The Faith is a highly recommended addition to parish library collections and will prove of inestimable value for parents and parishioners seeking to instill lasting Christian values, behaviors, and allegiances in the children of the congregation.

If you want to know the ins and outs of what a priest does this is the book for you. I myself am not a priest, but am new to the Episcopalian faith. This book was extremely helpful in what a priest does, but doesn't explain why. A basic step-by-stepper.

You'd think after the years of aspiration and discernment, the three years of seminary and subsequent service in the transitional diaconate, that ordination to the priesthood would not leave one fumbling to conduct the ceremonies of the Church. Fortunately, wise souls who have gone before us knew better and this outstanding reference was the result. The beauty of our liturgical heritage is preserved when the celebrant is aware fully of his or her duties in each ceremony. "A Priest's Handbook" gives each fledgling priest a vital grounding in the essential elements of presiding over and celebrating the rituals of the Church. More importantly, the handbook reaffirms the gravity and solemnity of the celebrant's role and the necessity of leading a given service effectively. This handbook is an excellent reference for Lay Eucharistic Ministers as well, but no deacon or priest should be without it and should approach no ceremony until thoroughly familiar with its contents.

Intelligent marriage of the Arthurian legends and the story or journey of present day man/woman. The process in life of recovery from loss,or betrayal "sacred wound" to a fuller life is presented in a modern frame. We have all been there! Rohr makes us realize that we are not alone in this experience and with courage and persistence we can go on to fuller lives.

Very thought provoking. My book has highlight marks throughout. Very inspirational and a book I am very glad to have read.

This is an amazing book. I felt sanctified every time I read in it. Everyone should read it. After all, the author is a martyr! It is a book written by a martyr about his spiritual father. Peace, love and joy flow into your heart with every word of this book.

There is no better book you could read to give you a heart-sense of Orthodox Christian sanctity. And the book is NOT out of print; Amazon's information is outdated. It was reprinted in 1999, so go ahead and order it!

It's not about sex. It's about power according to this author. He backs up his claim with historical evidence: the Church's mistreatment of women, and Jews, for example. Included are chilling quotes from the Malleus Malificarum used as a training book in seminaries for two centuries. The Malleus, used to train priests, sounds like the ravings of a madman, and it no doubt was...

Sipe offers the first quantatative and qualatative look at the cancer on the American Latin Rite Catholic Church. He offers convincing evidence that 50% of the Latin Rite Priests and Bishops are sexually active, despite the Church's teaching that any and all sexual activity outside of marriage is mortally sinful. Anyone who has been affected by a sexually active priest or bishop needs to read this book to learn that they are not alone. Sipe's careful research is not an attack on celibacy: instead he reinforces the correct theological opinion that celibacy is a divine gift; not a command that must be followed at all times and in all circumstances. Unfortunately, the blurbs on the dust jacket of this book would lead one to conclude that this is a "Maria Monk" exposing lurid secret details of the priesthood for the prurient. Instead it is patient and kind to those seeking an understanding as to why a bishop would publicly defend his homoerotic liason with an embezzeling priest, as a "consensual arrangement between adults!" (Santa Rosa, 8/99) One would hope that either or both of his books would be mandatory reading for those enrolled in Latin Rite seminaries, as well as their mentors. This book deserves as much seminary attention as that presently given to penitentials. Sipe notes the failure of the Rite of Reconcilliation (Confession) for troubled priests and their victims. Perhaps this is because the Confessional as practiced today is inherently Manichean: it separates the sinful acts from the human creature's entire being. Many current 12th Step programs remedy this defect of ordinary practice, by requiring complete inventories, assets as well as liabilities. These programs also stress the necessity of being honest with oneself, and every anecdote related by Sipe can be condensed into the simple question: was the person able to be honest with themself? As Polonius, the worst hypocrite in Shakespeare, advised his son ["Do as I say, not as I've done!}: "To Thine Own Self Be True, and You Canst Not Be False to Any One." The successful celebates, who are true saints, are the ones that have chosen celibacy and integrated it into their whole being. Like rare perfect blue white diamonds, the true celebates remind us that human perfection is possible. But we must also remember that there is no sin in being less than perfect. Sin is turning away from God, and making self-deceit worthy of worship. True stupidity is deliberate ignorance, and Sipe's book counsels that the "Truth will make us free."

Turning Back The Darkness: The Biblical Pattern Of Reformation by Richard D. Phillips (Associate Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia) is a critical examination of God's principles, and pivotal turning points in the era of the Christian Church. Turning Back The Darkness does not specifically focus upon the crucial historical juncture of sixteenth-century Europe; rather, it reaches all the way into Old Testament and New Testaments, and ranges from the wisdom of Solomon to Christ's letter to the churches. Turning Back The Darkness is a very highly recommended and insightful religious analysis of interest to Christian scholarship and the non-specialist general reader alike.

Turning Back The Darkness: The Biblical Pattern Of Reformation by Richard D. Phillips (Associate Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia) is a critical examination of God's principles, and pivotal turning points in the era of the Christian Church. Turning Back The Darkness does not specifically focus upon the crucial historical juncture of sixteenth-century Europe; rather, it reaches all the way into Old Testament and New Testaments, and ranges from the wisdom of Solomon to Christ's letter to the churches. Turning Back The Darkness is a very highly recommended and insightful religious analysis of interest to Christian scholarship and the non-specialist general reader alike.

The Wisdom of John Paul II describes the Pope's innermost thoughts on subjects such as abortion, education, war, religion, and love. The book is well-written and interesting as well because it's made of quotes from speeches made by the Holy Father. The Pope's views on certain issues have often been controversial, but certainly there's a lot of wisdom in his words.

Nick Bakalar and Richard Balkin have scoured numerous encyclicals, speeches, and letters to assemble this wonderful treasury of Pope John Paul II's thoughts on many questions facing today's society. The result is a wealth of wisdom and insight from the most seen man in the world. This isn't a book of answers to life's vital questions; rather, it offers the Pope's and the Church's view on such issues and asks us to question our attitudes and feelings. The topics are far-ranging, both contemporary and timeless. Matters of love, family, death, women, work, and youth are addressed as well as subjects such as human rights and progress and the modern world. Bakalar and Balkin's greatest strength in composing this book is the wide spectrum they've selected from. These issues are universal, and you will find something that speaks to you. You'll probably discover much more.

"The Wisdom of John Paul II" is not only a great addition to your inspirational or religious library; it's also a great addition to any library. I suggest giving this book as a gift, especially if you're looking for something meaningful that can be read over and over (instead of being used as a dust-collector). Non-Catholics and even non-religious will find the Pope's words inspiring, and his message of universal love can be understood and appreciated by all. He does not viciously attack groups in conflict with Church teachings but graciously approaches controversy as does a leader of the faith. Wherever he acts as an apologetic, he does so with the patience and firmness that has guided the Church through more than two decades.

This book, in part, acts as an intimate autobiography as it his diary of his times and how he has confronted the Church and society he has been entrusted. What makes this papal journal stand out from the rest though is that it is more than a portrait of the Pope or a collection of his quotes. His words represent one man's thoughts, but it also gives us a strong picture of his vision for the Catholic Church of the new millennium. Every issue is one that immediately concerns contemporary society, and that makes this book such an enjoyable and necessary read.

Richard Wurmbrand spent 15 years in prison for his faith. While this time might have caused some to lose faith or embittered others, this horrible experience only deepened his love for God, for others, and even for his persecutors. These essays were written while he was in prison. He delivered many of these mini-sermons via morse code to fellow inmates. Without pen or paper, Wurmbrand memorized these essays as acrostic poems, and upon his release he wrote down all the poems. Gradually he turned the poems back into essays and published several books. He will inspire you and stir you to a deeper faith in God.