A nuanced, reflective assessment of the basic theological underpinnings of Christianity.
Eicher explores the fundamental questions of his faith in this nonfiction book.
While admittedly “not a theologian,” the author has spent a lifetime learning about Christianity and living in devoutly religious communities. Eicher was raised Amish, and his uncle and other family members co-founded and have long worked for the nonprofit publishing company Pathway, which has provided publications on homeschool curricula, cooking, and religion to Amish communities for more than 50 years. This book begins with a brief outline of the author’s personal faith journey, including his early exploration of non-Amish Christian scholars such as C.S. Lewis. Though not a member of any specific Christian denomination today, Eicher retains many of the Anabaptist beliefs of his upbringing. Thematically eclectic, this book explores the essential teachings of Christianity, highlighting along the way areas in which the author believes mainline theologians have gotten off track. Modern Christians, per the book, too often present a “cleaner” New Testament God who is typically held in contrast to the Old Testament God of war, whose stories are often reduced to watered-down Sunday school tales. Early Christians are not spared criticism; Eicher doesn’t particularly value the ideas of those second-century Christian thinkers who minimized the faith’s connection to its Jewish roots and were preoccupied with “building the power of bishops in the church.” Relying heavily on a traditional Anabaptist cosmology, most of the book is based on a conservative reading of Scripture, particularly the epistles of Paul, with occasional references to Protestant theologians (such as Martin Luther) who echo the author’s core belief that “Faith must stand alone.” A skilled writer, Eicher is the author of more than three dozen Amish-themed romance novels, and he brings his talents as a storyteller to this nonfiction book, where he retells Old Testament stories in accessible narratives. Even readers who may not agree with the author’s doctrinal stances may be attracted to his thoughtful, learned approach to Scripture, which avoids the cliches and platitudes that come standard in the genre of Christian nonfiction.
A nuanced, reflective assessment of the basic theological underpinnings of Christianity.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2023
ISBN: 9798892178518
Page Count: 280
Publisher: ISBN Services
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An incisive, urgently relevant analysis of—and call to action on—America’s foundational ideal.
An examination of how the U.S. can revitalize its commitment to freedom.
In this ambitious study, Snyder, author of On Tyranny, The Road to Unfreedom, and other books, explores how American freedom might be reconceived not simply in negative terms—as freedom from coercion, especially by the state—but positive ones: the freedom to develop our human potential within sustaining communal structures. The author blends extensive personal reflections on his own evolving understanding of liberty with definitions of the concept by a range of philosophers, historians, politicians, and social activists. Americans, he explains, often wrongly assume that freedom simply means the removal of some barrier: “An individual is free, we think, when the government is out of the way. Negative freedom is our common sense.” In his careful and impassioned description of the profound implications of this conceptual limitation, Snyder provides a compelling account of the circumstances necessary for the realization of positive freedom, along with a set of detailed recommendations for specific sociopolitical reforms and policy initiatives. “We have to see freedom as positive, as beginning from virtues, as shared among people, and as built into institutions,” he writes. The author argues that it’s absurd to think of government as the enemy of freedom; instead, we ought to reimagine how a strong government might focus on creating the appropriate conditions for human flourishing and genuine liberty. Another essential and overlooked element of freedom is the fostering of a culture of solidarity, in which an awareness of and concern for the disadvantaged becomes a guiding virtue. Particularly striking and persuasive are the sections devoted to eviscerating the false promises of libertarianism, exposing the brutal injustices of the nation’s penitentiaries, and documenting the wide-ranging pathologies that flow from a tax system favoring the ultrawealthy.
An incisive, urgently relevant analysis of—and call to action on—America’s foundational ideal.Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9780593728727
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: June 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
A sweet final word from an actor who leaves a legacy of compassion and kindness.
The late actor offers a gentle guide for living with more purpose, love, and joy.
Mixing poetry, prescriptive challenges, and elements of memoir, Heche (1969-2022) delivers a narrative that is more encouraging workbook than life story. The author wants to share what she has discovered over the course of a life filled with abuse, advocacy, and uncanny turning points. Her greatest discovery? Love. “Open yourself up to love and transform kindness from a feeling you extend to those around you to actions that you perform for them,” she writes. “Only by caring can we open ourselves up to the universe, and only by opening up to the universe can we fully experience all the wonders that it holds, the greatest of which is love.” Throughout the occasionally overwrought text, Heche is heavy on the concept of care. She wants us to experience joy as she does, and she provides a road map for how to get there. Instead of slinking away from Hollywood and the ridicule that she endured there, Heche found the good and hung on, with Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford starring as particularly shining knights in her story. Some readers may dismiss this material as vapid Hollywood stuff, but Heche’s perspective is an empathetic blend of Buddhism (minimize suffering), dialectical behavioral therapy (tolerating distress), Christianity (do unto others), and pre-Socratic philosophy (sufficient reason). “You’re not out to change the whole world, but to increase the levels of love and kindness in the world, drop by drop,” she writes. “Over time, these actions wear away the coldness, hate, and indifference around us as surely as water slowly wearing away stone.” Readers grieving her loss will take solace knowing that she lived her love-filled life on her own terms. Heche’s business and podcast partner, Heather Duffy, writes the epilogue, closing the book on a life well lived.
A sweet final word from an actor who leaves a legacy of compassion and kindness.Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781627783316
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Viva Editions
Review Posted Online: Feb. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
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