Though certainly a mixed bag, this lively book remains a worthy source of traditional teachings of the Christian Scriptures.
A debut author delivers a walk through the Bible, set against an aquatic backdrop.
Carlson uses as a springboard the Old Testament verse “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,” and thus begins an unusual and meandering retelling of the Bible. Water plays a central, though not overwhelming, role in the author’s work, and he sees it as not only a life-giving resource throughout Scripture, but also as a potent symbol. Carlson points to “the powerful image of H2O—God’s never failing King of Chemistry and reigning biblical monarch of metaphors.” The author’s approach to the Bible is quite traditional in its theology, but highly unconventional in language and approach. One moment he is displaying poetic skill in his writing (“The psalmist’s thirst is quenched from no broken man-made container but from unlimited and unrestrained springs of eternal waters”), but at other times, he is making bad jokes about sacred topics (“Not daunted by Sarai’s geriatrics, He delivers on his promise, and she just plain delivers”). Carlson cannot go a full page without making a joke or a pun, and yet he can also treat his subject matter with the utmost respect. It is a maddening combination for readers. Likewise, he switches gears with little warning (such as turning from the warrior David to the nativity of Jesus). Yet even as readers will likely find Carlson’s approach to be jerky, unpredictable, and sometimes surprisingly irreverent, there is nevertheless a theologically sound inner core that holds up this otherwise erratic creation. As the author refers again and again to God as “the Singular, Eternal, Preexisting, and Uncreated Being,” it is clear that his respect for God transcends his often casual rhetoric. The water motif, ranging from descriptions of thirst and cleansing to settings of rivers and seas, lends added credibility to the author’s work.
Though certainly a mixed bag, this lively book remains a worthy source of traditional teachings of the Christian Scriptures.Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-973600-59-6
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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