Reviews (31)

Forgiveness
Confession is good for the soul.
Scott Hahn Does it Again!
Scott Hahn has a great knack for presenting in easy-to-understand layman's terms complex Catholic issues and he once again does a great job here with the sacrament of reconciliation.This is great for anyone who wants to know how to make a good confession and how to overcome the fear that comes with confessing your sins through a priest.All you need to know about this wonderful sacrament.Recommended.

Mr. Hahn, once again, shows us the beauty of our faith!
There should be no surprises that Mr. Hahn, once again, shows us the beauty of our faith.He captures the depth of understanding of all that Catholicism is and helps us on our journey as few others are able to do.Excellent reading.Cheryl Dickow, author, "Reclaiming Your Christian Self in a Secular World: A Woman's Worth." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Catholicism    2. Christianity - Ritual & Practice    3. Christianity - Theology - Soteriology    4. Penance    5. Religion    6. Religion - Church Music    7. Religion / Catholicism    8. Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church   

Reviews (10)

What the Early Church really believed
Excellent little compendium of original sources regarding the earliest forms of Christian worship and belief about the Eucharist. And what those records show is that the worship of the early Christians was liturgical and ritualistic, sacrificial in concept and practice, and presided over by a hierarchy of properly appointed clergy. At the center of this worship was a Eucharist that was believed to actually be, and venerated as, the Body and Blood of Christ. It was up to future theologians to specifically define the belief as the "Real Presence" or "transubstantiation", and work out the philosophical particulars, but the belief in the elements' (bread and wine) mystical transformation was definitely there from the beginning. Mr. Aquilina lets the documents speak for themselves. He provides a brief background on the ancient writer and a summary of the pertinent points, but then quotes the original documents, often at length. This is a good book for those people who have no conception of any Christian history, thought or development in the almost 2000 years between the writing of the New Testament and the founding of their garish suburban megachurch. This is for Christians who really want to know where we came from.

The Early Worship of Christians WAS Catholic
This is one of the first books I read on Catholicism. I wanted to understand what the Mass was, and how it was developed. Of course the easy answer was that: it is Biblical. This book digs real deep into not just the Bible, but heavily into the early Christian writings of the Early Church Fathers (ECF's) as well as early Christian documents such as the Didache and the Didascalia. It goes over some very interesting tidbits as well as the heavy stuff. Some items which I have flagged on the side of my book include:
Good Introduction to Patristic and Scriptural Background of the Mass
Very readable.Can be used for either devotional or light scholarly reading.Good sources. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Catholicism    2. Christianity - History - Catholic    3. Christianity - Ritual & Practice    4. Early church, ca. 30-600    5. History    6. Lord's Supper    7. Mass    8. Religion    9. Religion - Classic Works    10. Christian liturgy, prayerbooks & hymnals    11. Early Church   

Editorial Review

As a Carmelite monk, the 16th-century Spanish mystic St. John of the Cross was well trained in the systematic theology of St. Thomas Aquinas. In Read more

Reviews (28)

A Classic but Difficult for the Lay Reader!Great for Scholars and Academics Though!
There is no doubting the credentials of the author of this work; a bona fide mystical saint but the way this book is written in a very difficult to understand translation into English (on purpose!)suggests to me that this is more for the scholar or academician than for the lay believer.
The "classic" of understanding spiritual union.
St. John of the Cross wrote the Dark Night of the Soul in the mid-sixteenth century.It has as much validity as a sort of "road map" to entering the spiritual union now, as it did then.His approach is a testimony to the timeless journey of one's soul to it's Creator, God.Fr. Thomas Green, S.J., uses it as a basis for his Spiritual direction and his books on the subject.

Dios dame fuerza
I based my purchase of this book on the review here on these web pages by psychologist Craig Chalquist, based on his comment (in effect) that life well-lived necessarily has highs and lows in it, one must accept, even embrace both dark and light phases, as a tree needs both sunlight and dark night to fulfill its potential.It was with that understanding well in hand I began reading St. John of the Cross.Other reviewers have said it's difficult to read, perhaps because of the tranlator's stated goal of being as true to the 16th-century Spanish as possible, not rewriting it to make it more accessible and losing the literary voice of the original which, apparently, is the more important value of this work.I don't have a problem with the language, and it's not a big book, just over 200 pages, but I haven't quite finished reading it and I'm not sure if I will (oh, I probably will) because something about it makes my skin crawl.
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Subjects:  1. Catholic Church    2. Christianity - Theology - Catholic    3. Mysticism    4. Religion    5. Religion - Classic Works    6. Christian life & practice    7. Religion & Beliefs    8. Religion / General   

Reviews (6)

Cranial Hernias and Fun
Wow! What an exciting and confusing book. This challenged almost every spiritual doctrine I've ever heard beyond salvation. While struggling through each chapter, I found myself anxious to read the next one. After all was said & done, I liked it a lot.

Everything from a "home run" to an absolute "strikeout" in this one!
This review will be a little schitsophrinic. When I buy a book I usually assume that the author wouldn't be writing it and the publishing house wouldn't be publishing it unless the author knew a great deal about the subject matter. Well, in The Sacred Way you can't make that assumption. Evan's chapters are mixed with subjects that he obviously knows a great deal about (stations of the cross), those he knows a little about (silence & solitude) and those he knows almost nothing about (fasting). One moment I find myself saying, "Wow, Tony, you did such a great job. I am blessed." The next moment, "What in the world were you thinking; writing about something of which you obviously know so little." So I gave it a 3. When you average a "0" and a "5" you get 2.5. I was always taught to round the number up, so that comes to a "3". God bless. Mike

A great primer for spiritual practice
This book was originally published under the title "Soul Shaper," and was intended as a training manual for youth ministers. But the book has just as much, if not more, to offer busy adults looking for ways to practice Christian spirituality. Each chapter offers a highly-readable, yet remarkably detailed survey of the techniques, theology, and history of a particular form of prayer, meditation, or devotion. Jones manages to present his instructions in a casual "how-to" format without cheapening the spiritual topics he discusses or reducing the book to a silly "mysticism for dummies" manual. That's no small accomplishment.
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Subjects:  1. Christian Life    2. Christianity - Christian Life - General    3. Christianity - History - General    4. Christianity - Ritual & Practice    5. Faith    6. Religion    7. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    8. Spirituality - General    9. Worship    10. Christian Interest    11. Christian life & practice    12. Religion / Christian Life   

Reviews (112)

Theclassic magical textbookand lifelong manual
You can work with this book for at least a year. It contains a full curriculum for developing and refining you own magical skills. The daily exercises and projects will keep you so busy that you should plan to let this be the only book you work with for a while at least. A must have for the Western magician.

OUTSTANDING informative FACINATING Modern Magick by Don Kraig
I have fallen in love with every word of Modern Magick. The easy flowing style of the writing makes one feel as if it is all quite possible to achieve, and indeed if you obey Kraigs instructions, it really does follow suit. This single volume has sent me on a wild and joyous quest to acomplish what I have long been reading about and wondering on... After the anguish, bliss, and surprise of the very very very real white magick, one has only to read this outstanding book to chug along, on the train bound for nowhere and everywhere, all heads up, arms akimbo, dream journal in hand, and your eyes on the golden dawn.a glorious gift to our world.

silent wizard
i totally support this edition of modern magick and after having read some of the other reviews i felt compelled to provide you with some feedback. firstly before one can design their own spells, rituals or whatever it is you want to achieve being a magician you must learn from the masters before your time.
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Subjects:  1. Body, Mind & Spirit    2. Christianity - Ritual & Practice    3. Inspiration & Personal Growth    4. Magic    5. Magick Studies    6. New Age    7. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    8. Body, Mind & Spirit / Magick Studies    9. Magic & alchemy    10. Mind, Body, Spirit    11. Wicca   

Reviews (26)

Worth It
I am ashamed to say it took me a couple months to get through this book.I have read lots of C.S. Lewis' other work, but for some reason the first few essays were a chore to get through.I was lost and confused, and no matter how slow I read it or how many times I read it, I just got more and more frustrated.I think I was kind of intimidated by it.
How could you NOT give it 5 stars?
C.S. Lewis has a tremendous capability to analyze facts of spiritual matters. After reading The Weight of Glory I was able to understand more fully what glory means; why I'm not a pacifist either; and why I shouldn't care much about being inside the inner rings of my life.
"Occam's Razor" for the frivolities of life
A human life is a complex web of experiences, impulses of the will, impositions of culture, education, and family, etc.In "The Weight of Glory" Lewis effectively looks right through all of that haze to what it means to be human...a human created in the image of God.
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Subjects:  1. Christianity - Ritual & Practice    2. General    3. Religion    4. Religion - Classic Works    5. Sermons - Christian    6. Theology    7. Christian Interest    8. Religion / Christian Life    9. Religion / General    10. Religion: general   

Reviews (3)

Liturgy: the study of Christian worship,doctrine and life
Study Liturgy? A fine Compilation of Essays on The Liturgy
The Liturgy has endured for around 2000 years as the primary means of worship for most Christians. We even have an early Eucharist Liturgy in the Didache, the 2nd century early Church manual. Due to the importance of the liturgy, every scholar and church leader needs to engage its development. This book will help in this task (at least for the scholar or priest/pastor. It's a bit academic to keep the interest of the average person in the pew). The Reasons Why We Do What We Do
The Study of Liturgy provides an easily readible and comprehensive history of the development of Liturgy. This study shows how such things as seasonal colors, vestments,Church calenders,and specific prayers came to be part ofliturgical worship. What makes this book so useful is it's quality writing.Here, both students of Liturgy and interested laypersons can findfacenating answers to their questions concerning liturgical function andritual. How does the wearing of vestments impact worship? Why do theparticipants do what they do and when? What is Lent? What's up with all thebowing and hand gestures? Liturgical worship can be an awesome and majesticexpierence. This wonderful book will demystify this type of worship forliturgical church goers and those of more reformed traditions alike.Theauthors have produced a quality work that can be read by non-technicalpersons and thoroughly enjoyed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Economic History    4. General    5. Institutions & Organizations    6. Liturgics    7. Philosophy    8. Religion    9. Worship    10. Religion & Theology | Symbol, Ritual & Practice    11. Religion / Ritual & Practices   

Reviews (12)

authentic, unorthdox soof-ism, o hoo ishk!
simply excellent as amalgamated text/image gestalt.
A book I wanted to like but . . .
I am generally a fan of Coleman Barks work; this book, however, was a disappointment. The jacket cover says of Michael Green "is working to create a new kind of sacred art for our time."This is an accurate description - he is still "working" with some successes and some failures.The net result is that pursuing the volume's art, one is encouraged to explore further. Sublime !
I have read quite a number of books on Sufism. This is the best and most beautiful introduction among all. Read more

Subjects:  1. English    2. Islam    3. Islam - Sufism    4. Prayer    5. Prayer-books and devotions    6. Prayerbooks - General    7. Religion    8. Religion - World Religions    9. Spirituality - General    10. Sufism    11. Mysticism    12. Religion / Prayerbooks / General   

Reviews (33)

Insightful and educational
This book was excellent, despite it's slightly cheesy title.Winner is smart, witty, and incredibly honest about her spiritual journey.I learned so much about Judaism, and definitely thought about my own Christian faith.This book is refreshing and thought-provoking in its honesty and intellectualism.

The Self-Absorbed Christian
This book has gotten a great deal of good press, and to be sure, Winner is a talented prose writer. But her journey to Orthodox Judaism and from there to Christianity simply isn't enlightening -- her faith journey seems all about what makes her feel special. It's ego-driven. She does not mention the ethics of either religion, and for such an educated woman, the intellectual content of the book isminimal. It all seems to be about her comfort.She treats sincere Orthodox Jewish friends, people who literally treat her like family, as if they are disposable. Her reasons for leaving Orthodox Judaism are flimsy (a few people didn't like her as much as she wanted) and her attachment to Christianity comes off as capricious and even silly. Christ is like a giant Candyman in the sky. After the first third or so of the book, I wanted to say: please, grow up. There's a whole world of people out there. And I speak as a liberal Christian.
Spoke to me
This book was a Christmas gift from my boyfriend, who grew up Jewish, to me (from a Christian background). Since we have recently joined a congregation where we both can worship, this book really struck a chord with me.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Christian Life    6. Christian converts from Judais    7. Christian converts from Judaism    8. Christianity - General    9. Converts to Christianity    10. General    11. Judaism And Christianity    12. Messianic Judaism    13. Religious    14. United States    15. Winner, Lauren F    16. Biography & Autobiography / General    17. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (1)

Masterful Essays in Symbolic Anthropology
The role of culture in human societies is explored through a combination of empirical research and the nimble mind and imaginative powers of the late Victor Turner. This collection will prove especially useful to students of comparative religion, social/cultural anthropology, literature, performance, and the visual arts. Turner's essays are far from dry. They thrill with their ability to combine close observations of the "exotic" beliefs of non-Western peoples and cutting edge insights into more familiar cultural dimensions of everyday life in western Europe and the United States.
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Subjects:  1. Addresses, essays, lectures    2. Ethnic & Tribal    3. General    4. Metaphor    5. Rites and ceremonies    6. Sociology    7. Symbolism    8. Anthropology   

Editorial Review

What did Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley and Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia have in common? A love for the Read more

Reviews (9)

VERY INSPIRATIONAL!
This book is an excellent read.I did not want to put down.It explained alot of what I felt was a bit unexplained in the bible. I have not finished the book yet but i Highly recommend it.

Decent Buy
I got this book a while back.It's a very nice book if you have a bad attention span, and you need what your reading to be simple.If your looking for the in depth historical version, then this probably won't be the book for you, but if you're looking for a real good Light reading, then this might be a good purchase.

A must read
The Kebra Negast is a must read for anyone on the path of black consciousness and understanding the truth of our place in the Bible.Reading the Kebra Negast really helped me understand Rastafari, I hate that I completed the book I wanted more.I wished women played a larger role and that the interpretation of doing God's will was a bit less damning like in all religions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African Religions And Mythologies    2. Comparative Religion    3. Conduct of life    4. Criticism, interpretation, etc    5. Ethnic & Tribal    6. General    7. Kebra nagast    8. Rastafari movement    9. Religion    10. Religion - World Religions    11. Spiritual life    12. Africa    13. Rastafarianism    14. RELIGION-WORLD RELIGIONS    15. Jamaica    16. Marley, Bob   

Reviews (7)

Very thorough
This book on the religion is extremely and very thoroughly written. The amount of detail that is in this book is a very good introduction for any neophyte who has recently been initiated into the religion and I would recommend it to anyone that is interested in learning about the Lukumi or who needs to be educated on certain topics. However, any book written on the religion always leaves out information that is supposed to be kept secret and I am glad not ALL of the information was revealed. Nevertheless, it is a great read and interesting information has been written.

The Osha
I found it very informative, it explains way too much on my religion but, in part it is good, like that people get a better and total impression of what it is all about and that we do not worship the devil, but orishas whom were once on earth.The writer did a good job in the translation of the original book.
The Osha
Alafia! Aboru Aboye Abosise! May Ifa bless all those who are called by the African Orisa. I pay homage to all Babalawos,Awos Iyaloshas and Babaloshas who have paved the way for us to travel our journey / destiny which is the crooked road which leads us to Ifa.Read more

Subjects:  1. Comparative Religion    2. Ethnic & Tribal    3. General    4. Religion    5. Religion - World Religions    6. Rites and ceremonies    7. United States    8. Yoruba (African people)    9. Yoruba Americans    10. Ethnic or tribal religions    11. Religion: general   

Editorial Review

At first glance, Read more

Reviews (34)

A wonderful book!!!

Where do I FIT IN to the SELF AWARE universe
I devoured this book in a couple of days, excellent.Very easy reading and Berg has amazingly simplified Kabbalah.
The Power of Kabbalah
Kabbalah is a well of healing wisdom that runs unfathomably deep, capable of filling innumerable volumes of medical journals if all of its secrets were unraveled and translated to written word.( from the book" A Book of Healing" by Kabbalist Rav Berg). Check the website: Www. Kabbalah.com
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Subjects:  1. Cabala    2. Judaism    3. Judaism - Kabbalah & Mysticism    4. Mysticism    5. Religion    6. Religion - Judaism    7. Spiritual life    8. Spirituality - General    9. Magic & alchemy    10. Mind, Body, Spirit    11. Wicca   

Reviews (4)

Elegant!
Seeking God is an elegant, insightful, and extremely valuable treatment of the spirituality inherent in St. Benedict's Rule. The further into the book I read, the better I realized it was. Again and again I was impressed withthe wisdom and psychological astuteness of the Rule as deWaal explained it.Benedict's way of moderation, humility, and balance, as interpreted bydeWaal, seems one of the wisest and healthiest examples of Christianthinking that I have encountered. It is an excellent antidote to theregrettable tendency of some to want to separate body from soul and thematerial world from the spiritual world; Benedictine spirituality insteadbalances and integrates them!

Seeking God at Home
"Seeking God" helped bring "The Rule of St. Benedict" into focus for me, enabling me to see clearly the wisdom of Benedict's vision for our day. For two other books that explore Benedictine wisdom for parents, look for "The Family Cloister: Benedictine Wisdom for the Home" and "The Christian Family Toolbox: 52 Benedictine Activities for the Home", both by David Robinson (New York: Crossroad,2000 and 2001). Benedict still speaks relevantly and prophetically in our day!

Excellent in terms of spirituality and guidance.
The author was recommended to me both by my spiritual director and by a monastic.I see why.It is written simply and directly.It does not drip religiousity nor is it so esoteric that one becomes stalled in frustration. Instead, de Waal relates the Rule of St. Benedict to life in the worldtoday.She does not compromise the Rule nor interpose her own"doctrine"- she draws from a great knowledge of writers of theBenedictine tradition from the past to the present, couples that with herexperience as a wife and mother, presenting a straight forward discussionof the Rule, how it is of help to the Christian of today, and how it may beapplied in the life of the individual who is seeking a rule for his or herown life.Her tradition is Anglican but one does not sense anintrusiveness- rather a calm, rational, feet on the floor contemplativeguide which opens the door to further spiritual growth. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Benedict,    2. Christian Life    3. Christianity - Ritual & Practice    4. Institutions & Organizations    5. Monasticism    6. Monasticism and religious orde    7. Regula    8. Religion    9. Religion - Worship - Liturgy    10. Religious    11. Rules    12. Saint, Abbot of Monte Cassino    13. Specific Religious Congregations And Orders    14. Benedict   

Reviews (3)

Fascinating
It's difficult to describe the contents of this book in few words, but here's my best shot.
Intelligent and enjoyable
This book combines an enjoyable read with heavyweight scholarship. About a third of it is historical, starting with Cranmer's first Book of Common Prayer and the background to it.But the focus is mainly on the Prayer Books now being used in the many Anglican churches all over the world.There's a section that has articles on each of these books, full of fascinating information about how Anglicanism developed in particular countries.There is also a section of articles that compare the contents of the same Prayer Books, service by service, showing how "inculturation" is happening and how different churches "do" each of the liturgies.The historical articles tell not only how the text of the Book of Common Prayer developed, but also how it was used in real life.Sprinkled through the volume are panels with excerpts from the versions being discussed, and there are illustrations, charts, and a very full glossary.The subtitle is "A Worldwide Survey," and the list of authors bears this out.They come from all over the world.
Jon Meacham of Newsweek Mag. says:
"This a brilliant, accessible, and Virgilian guide to that most influential of texts: The Book of Common Prayer.Anyone who cares about language, about sacramental life, and about Anglicanism will find Hefling and Shattuck's volume indispensable, for it takes readers to the roots of the faith, shedding new light on old words, bringing our past into vivid focus, and reminding us that what unites us is far greater than what divides us."
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Subjects:  1. Anglican Communion    2. Book of common prayer    3. Book of common prayer (1979)    4. Christianity - Anglicanism    5. Christianity - Ritual & Practice    6. Church of England.    7. Episcopal Church .    8. History    9. Liturgy    10. Prayerbooks - Christian    11. Religion    12. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    13. Texts    14. Bibles | Prayer Books | Book of Common Prayer    15. Christian liturgy, prayerbooks & hymnals    16. Christian worship    17. Religion / Prayerbooks / Christian   

Reviews (1)

A Good Introduction
This is a well-written introduction to the history of the development of the Orthodox liturgy. It is easy to read and uncluttered by jargon. The author provides snapshots of the liturgy at various stages of its development, with particular emphasis on how the practicalities of worship at the great church in Constantinople influenced this development.Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Ritual & Practice    2. Doctrines    3. Eastern Christian Churches    4. Institutions & Organizations    5. Liturgy    6. Lord's Supper    7. Lord's Supper (Liturgy)    8. Orthodox Eastern Church    9. Religion    10. Religion - Church Music    11. Worship    12. Christian liturgy, prayerbooks & hymnals    13. Orthodox Churches   

Reviews (5)

An Astonishing Intellectual Achievement
As the centuries long battle between religion and science unfolded in the 19th century, science became the clear winner in terms of intellectual prestige. But that fight, while leaving science victorious in the realm of the intellect also left lingering prejudices within science towards religion. As science moved forward offering us ever deeper knowledge of the cosmos, life, and ourselves, science also began to ignore its former nemesis. Despite the awesome significance of religion in human life and history, the social sciences have relatively little to offer on the role of religion in human evolution and the reasons for or mechanisms whereby religions tradition are transmitted from one generation to the next.
Not for sissies.
One of the most remarkable things of this book, is that it was written at all. Roy Rappaport (a former boss and good friend of mine) was dying of lung cancer while he writing this book and I think that is reflected in the tone.Although he had begun writing before his diagnosis I think the subject became more personal because of it. "El jefe" (my name for him) was a very religious man, but he didn't proclaim it loudly; it was shown in small ways. disasterous
Being an Anthropology major and have read many anthropological books.This is by far the worst book I have ever had to read.Rappaport rambles on and on in a meaningless train of thought, then three paragraphs laterchanges his mind on what he was thinking. After reading this book fromfront to back cover, I will never pick up a Rappaport book again.I wouldhave learned more by watching Sesame Street than this book ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Anthropology - General    3. Archaeology / Anthropology    4. Christianity - Ritual & Practice    5. General    6. Religion    7. Ritual    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Sociology of Religion    11. Religious rites & ceremonies    12. Social & cultural anthropology    13. Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural   

Reviews (21)

True Kabala
Cosmology is enlightening, this is one of the books you definitely need to get started in the Kabalistic view on the Creation. It is sometimes a bit technical, it gives you the information but you'll need other books by the same author and author Shlomo Weiss to further understand and appreciate what is being presented, if you really want to read Shlomo Weiss it would be helpful to read A Brief History of Time by S. Hawking (no mathematics in any of these books don't worry). The wholeKabalistic Theory is just out of this world literally, if you start down this path your life will change.

Very informative book
This book is extremly profound and Kaplan does a wonderful job as usual.He has selected the most authoritative version of the Sefer Yetzirah.This is an invaluable book and I very much enjoyed this book and will read it over and over.

Uncreative
It is a shame that even though it was advertised, the hebrew text is missing ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cabala    2. Early works to 1800    3. Judaism - General    4. Judaism - Sacred Writings    5. Meditation    6. Mysticism    7. New Age    8. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    9. Religion    10. Sefer Yezirah    11. Sefer Yeòzirah    12. Jewish studies    13. Judaism    14. Other prose: classical, early & medieval   

Reviews (8)

Fascinating and Compelling
I have not posted a rev