"The Divine Initiative is an invaluable resource and a major contribution to Lonergan studies... Stebbins has laid out [the] material...with a thoroughness and clarity that will be extraordinarily valuable to many people."

From: Robert Doran, Lonergan Research Institute, University of Toronto

"The care with which Michael Stebbins has exposed Lonergan's method and its results...makes Lonergan's sometimes cryptic remarks accessible to all those who have the stamina to explore these issues, and so leaves both philosophers and theologians without excuse for attending to so demanding a synthesis."

From: The Thomist, 60, 1996, pages 484 - 488

"In my judgement, this book is wonderfully accurate as an account of Lonergan. Stebbins analyzes and synthesizes with great skill. In his treatment of the operations of intellect (in chapter 1), right through to his concluding remarks about Lonergan on actual grace (in the latter half of chapter 8), he is extremely sensitive to details and distinctions that others often overlook or misunderstand. Moreover, he not only explains accurately, he clarifies. He understands the material so thoroughly that he is able to link Lonergan's claim in fresh ways, offer original examples, and thus teach the reader what Lonergan really is getting at. Given the challenging technical character of the material, this is a stellar achievement."

"I deem the book to include features of interest to systematic theologians in general, historians of theology, philosophers of religion, metaphysicians generally, persons interested specifically in Lonergan, and persons interested specifically in Aquinas. I commend it to them all."

From: Method: Journal of Lonergan Studies, Volume 14, Number 1, Spring 1996 Published by the Lonergan Institute at Boston College

Those of us who seek to be nourished by the Lenten liturgy are always on the watch for a fresh approach, a new and deeper look at these texts which are so familiar and "well-worn," yet capable of touching something deep with us that waits to be awakened to total receptivity and total gift.

Fr Francis Martin's book, THE FIRE IN THE CLOUD, is as striking as its title suggests. Reading it, praying it, is a personal journey into the desert. There the cloud shelters us, the fire burns us - and we are drawn beyond our familiar comprehensions to a landscape where new possibilities of self-gift are the horizon to which God's love beckons us through the texts set before us each day.

Fruit of the author's life-time dedication to the Scriptures, deep prayer, and spiritual direction, The Fire in the Cloud is a wonderful companion for Lent. The work is based on solid Scriptural scholarship, as well as liturgical history and theology, but is not concerned to draw us to these; rather, it draws us directly to Christ. It builds on the author's experience as student of the Scriptures, teacher, preacher, confessor and guide of souls. The power of Christ to transform our lives shines warmly from its pages. It's a simple and handy companion for Lenten observance and will do the reader more good than many other observances. It's solid nourishment for a time of fasting! You could hardly give a friend a better gift than this one, for it will bring all who use it rich fruit. Congratulations to Servant Publications for making it available!

The Fire in the Cloud is bound to be a classic Lenten meditation resource for it offers the very best of Fr. Francis Martin: profound spiritual insights & prayers and a deep understanding of the Scriptural text, written in everyday language. It helped me to see the wisdom in the Church's selection of daily readings and gave me a new sense of awe and appreciation for Jesus' great love for each one of us.

I'm sure it will help anyone in his journey in faith by providing a platform by which he can enter into the mysteries of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a "must have" for every Christian desirous of a deeper relationship with the Lord.

It's difficult to find a character in contemporary fiction who succeeds so well at living up to his principles with hardly a blink of his figurative eye. In "Forfeit" there is such a character. Confronted with a choice between selling out his integrity and facing hardship, journalist, James Tyrone invariably chooses the hardship and immediately applies his mental resources to overcome the threat. Francis has created a masterpiece of characterization, plot and style in yet another of his fabulous novels. You won't need coffee to stay awake with this one!

Journalists should be aware that they might stop writing after heaving read this incredible thriller by Dick Francis.

In this thriller, Dick Francis presents the story of an English journalist (Ty) who finds out about some corruption connected with a series of nonstarters in horse racing. Ty decides to uncover the cause for this series of nonstarters. Now the story becomes really interesting. Therefore, I do not want to spoil it. You have to read it yourself.

Dick Francis is able to convince me with this thriller because the plot seems pretty realistic. It is not a book where one would think: "It could not happen anyway". Mr Francis does not present the story idealized.

In conclusion I have to say that you ought to read this book even if you do not like horses or horse racing!

Basically, I completely second the evaluation by the reviewer from Sydney, Australia. So, if you want my reaction to it, read that one. I'm writing mainly to thank the Aussie, because that review led me to buy the book, and have the almost painful pleasure of reading it myself.

Father Francis MacNutt, has shared with us 30 years of experience on the healing ministry. I found this book, very helpful in giving me knowledge on a subject that is very difficult to talk with friends and even priests. It gives me courage enough to go on, and continue to discern on the healing ministry.

Real world, down-to-earth, in a realm too often seen as fantasy or historical, is how MacNutt approaches the healing work of a loving God. Scripturally supported throughout, this is an explanation of Christian healing, a straight-forward 'how-to' erasing much of the mystery many Christians and skeptics have surrounding the healing Jesus called His disciples to offer the broken. It powerfully affirms the healing work of Jesus, alive and occurring daily, even now. He provides practical answers, numerous experiences of his and others' and, at the same time, demonstrates the humility of walk in admitting those things to which he still cannot offer clear and simple answers, things beyond his understanding. This is a handbook for healing ministers, a book of testimony to instill faith in the unhealed that they can be healed, and a treasure for the Christian Church.

This was my first McNutt book. Excellent!! One to read over and over again. Uplifting and down to earth. Wonderfully written!

Through examples of our use, abuse and mystical ties to groundwater, Mr. Chapelle gently eases the layman into a greater appreciation of this vital resource. He doesn't spew politically correct nonsense---one of his chapters deals with a woman who, despite all evidence to the contrary, is convinced her well is poisoned by a toxic dump. Cautionary tales, groundwater mystery stories, even a little history; this book's got it all. It should whet the wistle of any future hydrology or geology student, while at the same time educating the casual reader.

The Hidden Sea is wonderful, low-tech introduction to ground water. I used it as part of an informal discussion class made up of a variety of students ranging from undergrads to PhD's. Everyone was able to understand and enjoy the book. For the novices it was a good introduction to typical field problems. For the experienced student it provided a unique historical review to put their studies into perspective. If you use it as a class text, try to have at least one discussion period on it. It will be an eye opener.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's "bite-sized" chapters and smooth flow made it hard to put down. It's narrative style made it easy reading, but it brought out some useful scientific concepts. It took a lot of ideas and looked at them from a new perspective. After thinking about it, I found myself thinking, "Hey, I knew that, but never thought about it from that angle." This would be a good supplementary text for any aquatic studies course. There are even some math problems you can develop if you like quantitative stuff.

"One must live in a state of permanent dissatisfaction with the Church." Wow! (a quote Rohr uses in the book by Italian Monsignor, Richard Guardini, early 20th century) "And one cannot separate Christ from His cross. And one cannot separate Christ from His bloody painful Church." Rohr teaches (to me at least) that we should live Christlike behavior instead of our pompous duality, always joining hands to be against some other "thing/persons/religion/denominations/etc. He set fire to my weakened human condition that I seem to whine about all time to myself. We must suffer to get to the light at the end of the tunnel, but we "must" go through the darkness of the tunnel to get to the light. I loved the book.

I have recently begun exploring Christianity after many years away from the church. Christianity is laden with language that is misunderstood and dog tired. I've been really seeking what all of that language and symbolism is pointing toward. And does any of it dovetail with my own spiritual experience. There were points reading this book where I was truly elated because aspects of the deep heart of Christianity just glowed at me with the lustre of something true.

Rohr's exploration of victimhood and scapegoating seemed so deeply appropriate in the post September 11th world. The notion of transferring our pain, vanquishing it and making ourselves mighty as we assign it to someone else. The challenge is, of course, to be aware of and hold your pain, allowing it to transform you. I'm no Richard Rohr so suffice it that my paraphrase is profoundly anemic.

The book is dense and I'm sure I didn't really "get it" all because truthfully I have no idea how any of the contents relate to the title of the book or the chapter titles for that matter. None of that detracts from the truly profound insights he shares.

Rohr strikes me as someone who has a certain clarity and a desire to convey it, share it, spread it about. I had a moment of suspicion at one point, thinking he was telling me "it's like this". But it passed. While I wouldn't say the book is chock full of humility it leaves plenty of room for a reader to think it through. I really appreciated all of the biblical references and looked them all up. He uses the New Jerusalem Bible. Mine is the New American Standard Bible. It was interesting how far apart some of the translations were.

It amazes me that a person who writes as much as Father Rohr can be as fresh and insightful as he is in each new book. Hope Against Darkness is nothing short of brilliant. As I understand him, Rohr argues that the spiritual searcher of today is caught between the modern and the post-modern worldviews. Both are no longer acceptable, but both contain strengths we ought to retain as best we can. The anxiety that arises from this ambiguous state of homelessness is the dis-ease he treats in this book, and his remedy is a richly creative appeal to Franciscan spirituality. Simply wonderful! A book to read, re-read, and give to others.

Coming from a Fundamental Baptist background, I was extremely skeptical about this book and the ideas in it. I must admit though when I reasoned with my spirit and not my mind, I could truly understand the Biblical relevance of healing and miracles for today! After applying the principles taught in this book, my husband's legs have grown to be even, his spine was straightened, my arms are now the same length, my spine has straightened, and my husband has administered healing to others as well. Excellent, excellent book.

Even if you don't agree with everything in the book, as I did not, you will see the love of Jesus in the authors and the fruit of their absolutely child-like faith.

Hallelujah!

In 1996, I was invited to teach in a Spiritual Warfare Bible College in Goiania, Brazil. During that year I was given one of Charles and Frances Hunter's books entitled, "How to Heal the Sick". That little book made such an impact in my life as I began to pray for the sick everywhere and they were getting healed. I recall studying and applying the principles described in the book, and teaching and encouraging my students to do the same. Some of the students got healed during the classes after experiencing God's power, then they themselves began to pray for people outside the classroom: in their homes, in churches, in hospitals, and on the streets. People were getting healed on a daily basis! They were being healed from all kinds of sicknesses and diseases as well as delivered from Satan's bondage.

This Bood is absolutely Faith building. I haven`t finished it yet, but already I`m believing God has already Healed me of Breast cancer. I am praising God for His Mercy, Grace and His Awesome Love. Where would we be without Jesus. Lost, on our way to Hell. As well as sick and diseased.This book builds Faith. Faith in Jesus, His awesome power to heal and forgive. I recomment everyone to read this book. Not only for healing, but for Faith in an Almighty God who forgives as well as heals. This book is a Faith Builder.Thank-you,Holy Spirit for your Awesome Power. This book will build your Faith in an Awesome God, who Heals the body and the soul.

This book is a translation and explication of selected essays by Dogen, the 13th-century Zen master who founded the Soto school of Zen in Japan and is regarded as one the world's great religious teachers. Francis Dojun Cook is a retired professor of Buddhism and a serious Zen practitioner (he was a student of Maezumi Roshi, founder of the Zen Center of Los Angeles), and his primary aim in this book is "to help the reader gain a better understanding of what it means to practice Zen, particularly in the Soto form established by Dogen Zenji."

The first half of the book is Cook's introduction to the Dogen texts, highlighting and clarifying some important themes. The second half is Cook's translations of the "Fukan zazengi" ("General Recommendations for Doing Zazen") and nine chapters from the "Shobogenzo"--texts chosen because they focus on various aspects of practice. At the end of the book is a lineage chart including many of the Zen masters mentioned in the Dogen essays.

Ch. 1 is mainly about how Dogen understands practice. Ch. 2 is about faith as the basis of Dogen's Zen. (Cook defines Buddhist faith as "a very deep certitude in the veracity of a certain doctrine, accepted and used as a touchstone for conduct in the faith that practice will verify its truth.") Ch. 3 is about arousing the thought of enlightenment (bodhichitta)--that is, arousing the determination to work ceaselessly to liberate all other beings from suffering and delusion, even while not being completely liberated oneself. Ch. 4 is about Zen as a means of dealing with karma and its consequences, not by "transcending" conditioned existence but by radically affirming and fully experiencing it. Ch. 5 is about the role of the scriptures in Dogen's Zen. (I liked Cook's observation that the verse attributed to Bodhidharma cautions only against "dependence" on words and letters, not against making use of them.) And Ch. 6 is about the continuous practice needed to live each moment fully, with wisdom and compassion.

My own practice can actually get derailed by questions like "Where do I get the motivation to practice, if not from the just the sort of self-centered attachments and aversions that I'm hoping to let go of through Zen practice?" and "How do I practice without making it an exercise in trying to get something I lack, thus denying the inherent buddha-nature I'm hoping to realize?" This book deals with such issues in a way that I found very helpful. (As usual, I found Dogen's interpreter more helpful than Dogen himself. Maybe someday I'll be able to get more inspiration from Dogen directly?) I also appreciated Cook's argument that Dogen's faith-based Zen is much more akin to a religion of "other-power" (tariki) like Pure Land Buddhism than to a religion of "self-power" (jiriki), which is how Zen sometimes gets characterized.

One tiny complaint: Cook slips into some of the caricatures of Christianity that I find tiresome in Zen literature. I wish Zennies would just stick with talking about Zen and not try to talk about how Zen compares with traditions they don't know nearly as much about.

Another Dogen commentary I highly recommend: "Flowers Fall: A Commentary on Zen Master Dogen's Genjokoan" by Hakuun Yasutani Roshi.

Professor Dojun Cook is one rare bird. Not only is he a translator of great learning, he is also a dyed-in-the-wool Zen practitioner.

His years of study and practice with Taizan Maezumi Roshi at the Zen Center of Los Angeles enable him to bring these texts to beautiful clarity.

Reading Dogen Zenji can be a challenging exercise. Translating him is infinitely more so. Dr. Cook has shown himself equal to the task. This book is a great boon to thoughtful Buddhists everywhere.

HOW TO RAISE AN OX : Zen Practice as Taught in Zen Master Dogen's Shobogenzo - Including Ten Newly Translated Essays by Francis Dojun Cook. Foreword by Taizan Maezumi Roshi. 216 pp. Los Angeles, California : Center Publications, 1978 and Reprinted.

It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of Dogen (1200-1253). As one of the most powerful and brilliant minds Asia has produced - and it has produced many - his many-levelled and multi-faceted works should be viewed, not so much as a purely local and Japanese phenomenon, but as a supreme contribution to world literature. For all of us, he is, as Taizan Maezumi Roshi says, an inexhaustible spring of wisdom.

Dogen's works are profound. They express the point-of-view of an enlightened Master. Such works, especially when written in a sinograph-based language such as Japanese or Chinese, present almost insuperable problems of interpretation, and there are very few scholars who are equal to the task of translating them.

Dr Francis Cook comes to this task well-prepared. His work is highly respected in scholarly circles, he has held faculty posts at Dartmouth College and the University of California at Riverside, where he was an associate professor in the Religious Studies program, and he has a number of impressive publications to his credit.

In addition, he has a masterful command of the Japanese language, a command enhanced by two years spent as a Fulbright Fellow at Kyoto University. He has also devotedly practiced Zen meditation for many years. This last is extremely important as enabling Dr Cook to rise above the intellectualizing and speculation which limits so much contemporary Zen scholarship.

As he himself explains, the translator must be able to "approach the text in the light of his own Zen practice.... because unless the translator has some insight, however small, into what Dogen Zenji is saying, he will miss much in the text and the translation will suffer" (page 89). This is a simple point, but it is often overlooked, not only by translators, but also by a certain type of reader.

The present book falls fairly equally into two parts. The first 99 pages give us Dr Cook's introductory material in seven chapters: Introduction; The Importance of Faith; Arousing the Thought of Enlightenment; The Problem of Karma; The Scriptures; Giving Life to Our Lives; Concerning the Translation.

99 pages of 'introduction' may seem a lot, but Dr Cook has such a clear mind, and such an enviably clear and simple prose style, that anyone who is at all serious about trying to understand Dogen will find these pages extremely interesting. Here is an example, picked out at random, of Dr Cook's style:

"Dogen Zenji himself was not an ordinary man.... He addresses the reader from a level of spiritual insight that is greatly superior to ours, and the reader's challenge is to try to comprehend Dogen's vision of reality from the vantage point of his remarkable achievement. He is very difficult to follow because he sees a reality we do not even vaguely imagine" (page 88).

The remaining half of the book is taken up with Dr Cook's translations of ten chapters on practice from the Shobogenzo:

FUKANZAZENGI "General Recommendations for Doing Zazen;" KEISEI SANSHOKU "The Sounds of the Valley Streams, the Forms of the Mountains;" HOTSU MUJO SHIN "Arousing the Supreme Thought;" SHUKKE "Home Departure;" RAIHAI TOKUZUI "Paying Homage and Acquiring the Essence;" SHUNJU "Spring and Fall;" SHINJIN INGA "Deep Faith in Cause and Effect;" NYORAI ZENSHIN "The Tathagata's Whole Body;" GYOJI "Continuous Practice;" KAJO "Everyday Life."

Each of these chapters has been given brief but helpful Notes, and the book is rounded out with four Genealogy Charts of Chinese Zen Masters to enable the reader to locate in time the various individuals mentioned in the essays.

Here are a few lines from Cook's reading of the FUKANZAZENGI:

"... you must suspend your attempts to understand by means of scrutinizing words, reverse the activity of the mind which seeks externally, and illuminate your own true nature" (page 96).

What we are seeking, in other words, is not 'out there,' and one can only go astray by seeking it 'out there.' Here is the source of the West's fundamental error, an error which has generated the massive confusion around us, a confusion which is not going to go away until we start taking Dogen seriously.

Though it will probably be a long time before the West has humility enough to acknowledge that Zen Master Dogen belongs right up there along with such luminaries as Plato and Augustine, it's heartening to see that many Dogen translations have now begun to appear. These translations range all the way from the sincere and highly competent, through to the probably equally sincere but somewhat less competent.

Since very few, even among Japanese, understand Medieval Japanese, I'm not in a position to say whether Dr Cook's translation is 'excellent,' though it reads very well and I strongly suspect that it is. He's certainly put in the leg work to qualify as a highly competent translator, and anyone who may be looking for a good edition of Dogen could do worse than select his.

I think this book was excellent.The way Francis Ray sets the book up is just beautiful.If you want to read a good love story that you can relate to just pick up this book you won't be sorry.

I have finally been blessed with receiving a copy of Francis Ray's out of print book, "Fallen Angel." I first read Ms. Ray's book, "The Bargain" and later Ms. Ray's books about the Taggart/Falcon saga, when I discovered she had also written "Fallen Angel." As an avid fan of Francis Ray's, it became a must to read.

Now, for the review of "Fallen Angel." I devoured this book in less than a day's time span. Reading it was a breeze. Brad Jamison was tall, dark, handsome, and Michelle Grant considered Brad her 'fallen angel.' Michelle fell under Brad's wings years earlier and although their meeting was brief at that time, the memory had a lasting effect for Michelle, who was in dire need of an angel at that time. To Michelle, it seemed as if Brad had truly fallen angelically from the sky and come to her aid.

Brad is a tough businessman, who had some difficult childhood experiences despite having wealthy parents. On the other hand, Michelle had worked herself from a teenager into a mature, sophisticated adult and a shrewed real estate agent, who also views herself as her brother's Nick's protector. Nick was an athlete with a promising future and career, until a freak motorcycle accident changed his life. Now Michelle feels obligated to Nick, a paraplegic, who had previously stood by and been there for Michelle. However, Michelle's, Brad's and Nick's futures are now intertwined when Michelle and Brad fall in love. Michelle, who wants to do something that would benefit Nick's life and career, could also have a devastating effect on Brad's life and on Michelle's and Brad's lives together. Ms. Ray has combined the story to where the readers will wonder if Michelle will make the right decision and if so, will it be a timely decision?

"Fallen Angel" is about love, trust, and commitment. It is a beautiful love story.

For an authors' first book, this book was excellent! The story line was great right along with all the characters. "Fallen Angel" is really a great product of a good authors' excellent work! To all of Ms. Ray's fans, I think Daniel Falcon has some competition as every women's dream man and he comes by the name of Brad Jamison! Much love to Ms. Ray, and keep up all your good work!

Alistair MacLean - one of the premier adventure storywriters - is at his best when writing first-person narratives that put his protagonists in perilous situations, and then push them to the limits of physical, emotional, and psychological endurance. His early novels are exciting, full of cliff-hanging situations, and rife with clever "detection" in the classical sense: MacLean plays by the classical detective rules, placing all of the clues in front of the reader, and - at his most cunning - daring the reader to figure out who the criminal mastermind is.

But the detection - and the undertones of "espionage" - are superficial elements used to keep the narrative moving briskly along between action set pieces that pit the protagonist against impossible odds and, very often, against the severest imaginable environmental extremes. By these standards, "The Golden Rendezvous" is one of his better books.

It is an excellent blend of mystery, suspense, clever bluffs and double bluffs, self-deprecating wit, action, and our protagonist's determined efforts to overcome painful injuries and antagonistic environmental extremes.

A luxury cruise ship is hijacked at sea by a master criminal whose intention is not a simple ransoming of the wealthy hostages on board. Exactly what his goal is forms part of the mystery that is left for our hero - the injured First Officer of the ship, John Carter - to ferret out. And to undermine.

"The Golden Rendezvous" finds MacLean at near-top form. The book does not have quite the verve of "The Satan Bug", "The Dark Crusader", or "When Eight Bells Toll", but it comes close. Which - at the high level that MacLean delivers excitement and page-turning suspense - makes for outstanding adventure story reading.

Alistair Macean is my favourite thriller writer.Golden Rendouvous is a bonafide classic.Just reading this book reveals what a great plotter Maclean was and he always knew how to combine action suspense and he didn't need to write 500, or 10000 pages, unlike the new writers of today.He had a sense of humour as well and i always thought his characters were colourful.Also,though Maclean did his research thorougly, his books were never bogged down in details, unlike many authors today.Golden Rendevous is a must read!go and read it and make your day!

Alistair MacLean was one of the best adventure writers of all time. He does it all on the strength of plot; style and characterization are nearly non-existent, but they aren't the reason you read MacLean books. I dare say that virtually every major adventure plot is covered in one of his novels, and his influence is such that subsequent authors have paid homage to scenes of his. (For example, there's a scene in Clive Cussler's "The Mediterranean Caper" that's a virtual reprise of a scene from "The Secret Ways.")

"The Golden Rendezvous" is a classic ocean hijacking story, where the hero is the ship's First Officer (John Carter). The ship is a converted ocean liner, full of guests, some mysterious, and carrying some secret cargo. During the cruise, the ship gets hijacked by some violent but devious criminals. Some of the ship's officers are killed, and others, including Carter, are wounded. Still, Carter attempts to stop the hijackers. . . .

This is one of the best MacLean novels, written in the 1960s along with a stellar run that includes "The Satan Bug," "Where Eagles Dare," "Puppet on a Chain," and "The Guns of Navarone." Most of those were turned into movies, and in the 1970s, Hollywood adapted "The Golden Rendezvous" into a so-so Richard Harris movie titled "Nuclear Terror."