Rescuing the Bible from fundamentalism : a bishop rethinks the meaning of Scripture

 by John Shelby Spong.  Spong, an Episcopalian bishop, is tired of the fundamentalist wing of the Church claiming the Bible as their own. He doesn't agree with their narrow interpretation, but his own, more liberal view is sure to provoke discussion and at times cause consternation. He discusses issues that have been raised elsewhere (Is the virginity of Mary based on a mistranslation of the Greek word in the Bible?) and brings forth new interpretations that have only been whispered about (Was Paul gay?). His appraisal of Paul's character is perhaps the most controversial of his positions, but his problems with the Bible and the harsh God it depicts, even in the New Testament, won't be well received in many circles. Spong is not writing to discredit the Bible, the book with which he says he has had a lifelong affair. Rather, he wants to bring it into the twentieth century by focusing on its eternal truths rather than the historical, philosophical, and scientific aberrations that have caused some to discount it entirely. Though he reaches a bit on the Paul issue, Spong offers interesting, well-thought-out ideas that should do what he intends--get people thinking about the Bible. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

Revelations : visions, prophecy, and politics in the book of Revelation

 by Elaine H. Pagels. The preeminent scholar of the early-Christian-period sacred writings found at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945 uses them as well as the Bible to illuminate the New Testament's last book, which almost wasn't added to the canon because, Pagels explains, it conflicted with the Pauline epistles. For it revived the argument over how Judaistic the Gentiles in the Jesus movement had to be, which Paul had answered conclusively in Galatians. The visionary tract squeaked into the NT only when fourth-century bishops saw that, if the aim of its wrath was shifted from Gentiles and their advocates to those who fit in the new category of heretics, it could help with consolidating the institutional church. But how Revelation made the cut is only one of Pagels' revelations about it. She also discloses the extent to which it extrapolates from the prophetic tradition of Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel; its status as one of many similarly visionary texts, typically also called Revelation and more Gnostic, found at Nag Hammadi; its primary purpose as anti-Roman propaganda intended to rally continuing Jewish resistance after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem; and its modern role in fostering hope in the face of seemingly ultimate cataclysm. A lot for so little a book to do, but, thanks to Pagels' sublimely fluent exposition, not too much. --Booklist (Check catalog)

Married for real : building a loving, powerful life together

 by Eddie George.  Eddie and Tamara George are living the American dream together. From humble backgrounds, they have each risen to national prominence. In "Married for Real," Eddie and Tamara draw on their personal stories to guide readers to a more successful marriage. --Summary (Check Catalog)

Let it go : forgive so you can be forgiven

 by T.D. Jakes.  “Forgiveness is a big idea and it works best when it is invested into people who have the courage to grasp the seven-foot-high idea of what’s best for their future rather than the four-foot-high idea of recompense for what has happened in their past,” Jakes writes in Let It Go. This book explores forgiveness as an idea and at the same time offers specific and clear actions for readers who seek to apply the idea in their daily lives. Offenses are a part of life, he says. But conflicts can be resolved and relationships do have a future, if we learn how to forgive. No matter how great or small the injustice, Jakes shows how the matter can be put behind you for the sake of a better tomorrow if you can Let It Go. --Summary (Check Catalog)

God's jury : the Inquisition and the making of the modern world

 by Cullen Murphy.  In 1998, the Vatican opened the Archivio della Congregazione per Dottrina della Fede, the Inquisition archive, thereby unveiling to the world the secrets of censorship and persecution that the Catholic Church had hidden since the Middle Ages. Journalist Murphy (The Word According to Eve) visits the archives several times and in his typically compelling style leads readers on a journey through the many inquisitions conducted by the Church over time, from the Spanish Inquisition to the Roman Inquisition of the 16th century. Murphy convincingly demonstrates that while the inquisitions most often are associated with the Church, they arise anytime an organization, state, or institution possesses and uses tools-such as censorship and torture-to stoke and manage suspicion, intolerance, and hatred of the other. Inquisitions require a system of law that can be administered with uniformity, the power to conduct interrogations and extract information, a bureaucracy with a large staff of individuals to administer it, a capacity to restrict the communications of others, and a source of power to ensure enforcement. Murphy powerfully shows that the impulse to inquisition can quietly take root in any system-civil or religious-that orders our lives. --Library Journal (Check Catalog)

The sacred art of forgiveness : forgiving ourselves and others through God's grace

 by Marcia Ford.  Forgiveness-a simple concept that is complex and difficult to live out-is basic to most all spiritual paths. Ford (Memoir of a Misfit) helps iron out the complexities by sharing personal and historical stories of real people who forgive, giving scriptural encouragement for forgiveness and providing questions and practice exercises at the end of each chapter. What's more, she does all this with an inviting, witty tone reminiscent of a chat with a friend over coffee. Her stated purpose is to provide a book on forgiveness that stresses the spiritual connection we foster with God when we forgive. In doing so, she puts the Divine in the forefront. We forgive because God shows us how: "God wrote the book on the sacred act of forgiveness." Although our call is always to forgive, Ford recognizes the thorniness of forgiving someone who is persistently abusive. "Anyone who tries to make you believe that forgiveness always requires reunion is someone who neither understands forgiveness nor has your best interests at heart," she explains. This primer belongs in the hands of anyone who needs to give or receive forgiveness. --Publishers Weekly (Check Catalog)

The better end : surviving (and dying) on your own terms in today's modern medical world

 by Dan Morhaim.  As a practicing physician, Morhaim (health medicine & policy, Johns Hopkins Univ.; delegate, Maryland General Assembly) has watched the detrimental effects that end-of-life procedures have on dying patients, their families, and the medical personnel who care for them. He has made it his personal mission to urge patients to prepare advance directives-legal documents that convey decisions about end-of-life care ahead of time-to improve the comfort and quality of a dying patient's care. Using real-life examples and minimal medical jargon, he describes in detail how many common emergency procedures, like CPR, are implemented and comments on the pros and cons of each. A resource list provides links to general resources on palliative care, hospice, organ donations, and alternative funerals. Also included is a state-by-state list of advance directive resources. Verdict Morhaim's book should take some of the mystery out the critical care and end-of-life process. Though a bit pricey, this slim volume can be read in a few hours. A good introduction not bogged down with detail, this book will prepare readers to discuss this very important topic. --Library journal (Check Catalog)

A brief history of thought : a philosophical guide to living

 by Luc Ferry. No dry academic, Ferry restores to philosophy a compelling urgency. That urgency, manifest in the probings of the ancient Stoics and still animating the strivings of postmodern phenomenologists, springs from the need to surmount the fear of death and to find meaning in life. As he traces the evolution of philosophy, from Crates' demonstration of harmony in the cosmos by making love to his wife in public, to Husserl's discovery of transcendence in a six-sided matchbox, Ferry highlights philosophers' commitment to formulating a theory of the world, identifying means of knowing truth within that theoretical world, and finding ways to live wisely. Insistent that those performing this three-fold task cannot be guided by divine grace, Ferry joins Nietzsche in rejecting salvation of the immortal soul in heaven. Yet he glimpses philosophic salvation in this world in the wisdom that post-Nietzschean humanists develop through love. In rejecting faith, albeit with surprising wistfulness, Ferry parts company even with believers, including Augustine, Kant, and Pascal, from whom he has learned much. But in a conclusion that warns against both dogmatism and skepticism, readers will sense Ferry's abiding solidarity with all who seek horizons large enough to encompass human perplexities and corresponding human hopes! --Booklist (Check Catalog)

Smart trust : creating prosperity, energy and joy in a low-trust world

 by Stephen Covey. Smart Trust is without doubt one of the most powerful and seminal books of our age" (Warren Bennis). After illustrating the global relevance of trust with his book The Speed of Trust by selling more than one million copies in twenty-two languages, Stephen M. R. Covey again illuminates the hidden power of trust to change lives and impact organizations in Smart Trust . In a compelling and readable style, he and long-time business partner Greg Link share enlightening principles and anecdotes of people and organizations that are not only achieving unprecedented prosperity from high-trust relationships and cultures but--even more inspiring--also attaining elevated levels of energy and joy. The sustainable success these leaders and enterprises are exhibiting is paradoxically being produced in what has proved to be the lowest trust climate in years, if not decades. --Publisher (Check Catalog)

The mighty weakness of John Knox

 by Douglas Bond. The book is a profile of the great Scottish reformer John Knox. It focuses on the extraordinary power with which he ministered and the extraordinary things he accomplished despite being physically ill and weak, making the point that he found his strength in the Lord. We hope it will introduce readers to one of the most fascinating figures of the Reformation, filling a large void in popular-level books on Knox. We also hope it will challenge readers to draw near to God for the strength they need in their walk with God. --Summary (Check Catalog)