A clear introduction to a way of finding faith in cosmic concord during times of strife.
Wisdom for the ages.
The philosopher Boethius (c. 480-524) was the intellectual of his generation. He wrote works on logic, music, and theology, but his enduring fame lies with The Consolation of Philosophy—a document of personal reflection, written while under house arrest, and juxtaposing prose and poetry to argue for the higher good in life: Do not trust in worldly wealth and fame. Embrace adversity as a source of strength. Recognize that your true home lies with your spirit in the heavens, not with your body in a building. These lessons form the heart of the selections translated in this volume. Avoiding the complexities of the poetry (and its sublimity), this book offers a guide to the ill treated. It has as much import today as it did 1,500 years ago, when its author was unjustly imprisoned (and later executed) on trumped-up treason charges. Evil people, Boethius argues, only seem powerful. They draw not from their strength but from their weakness. “For all they can do is evil, which they would have been unable to do at all if they had been able to continue doing good things. And this so-called power they have only shows that they have no power.” While not an explicitly Christian work, the Consolation was absorbed into later medieval and modern views of a God whose omniscience did not prevent humans from exercising free will (often badly). Readers wishing for greater consolation will miss the powerful poems of the original—where the changing of the seasons, the workings of the heavens, and the stories of mythic heroes all give voice to the harmony of creation itself.
A clear introduction to a way of finding faith in cosmic concord during times of strife.Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9780691259161
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Princeton Univ.
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
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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