A fine gag gift for Southerners or Christians with a sense of humor.
The Passion of the Christ meets The Dukes of Hazzard in this interpretation of the Gospel of John written in a slangy, Southern dialect.
Not much is sacred in this sacred text, which stumbles down the line separating good-natured yuks and what some straitlaced Yanks might consider blasphemy. The Hillbilly Bible introduces John the Baptist and Jesus, and then chronicles the Savior’s ministry, miracles, Last Supper, arrest, crucifixion, resurrection and appearance before his disciples. However, it’s not your mother’s King James Bible. Jesus is accused of being a snake-oil salesman. Judas Iscariot is referred to as a booger. And anything that Jesus says that might come across as mysterious is quickly dumbed down and explained away in blunt Southern laymen’s terms. Still, Rey keeps to the message that those who believe in Jesus will attain everlasting life. A self-proclaimed “writer, humorist and rock star wannabe” from Memphis, Rey did his homework for this project, reading four versions of the Book of John before channeling it into Good Ol’ Boy argot. The Book of John is kind of the redheaded stepchild of the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with its content differing from that of the first three–referred to as the synoptic Gospels. Unlike the others, the Book of John recounts Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It is more explicit in its explanation of the Trinity: God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It also has a more evangelical tone–a good pick for Rey, who encourages readers to spread the good news like peanut butter.
A fine gag gift for Southerners or Christians with a sense of humor.Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-6151-7925-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
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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