An accessible, if not particularly deep, exploration of Christian living.
A Christian author offers simple, pragmatic advice to the faithful in this nonfiction work.
Presented as a collection of letters written to unnamed “friends and loved ones,” Lang’s book offers practical advice on how to live out the basic teachings of Christianity, distilled down to Jesus’ maxims to love God and one’s neighbor. The author deliberately eschews complex doctrinal questions, asserting that it is “better for you to begin acting like a Christian as soon as you can rather than wait until you are intellectually satisfied with theological answers to your questions.” Writing on the importance of humility, the author highlights the virtue’s connection to kindness and an “unassuming spirit, which is easy for others to befriend.” A letter about envy notes that Christian duties of “unselfish love and unambitious intentions” are not compatible with materialistic cravings. Other topics addressed among the book’s 42 letters include self-control, forgiveness, gratitude, and service. While Lang’s approach to Christianity here is broadly Protestant and evangelical in its emphasis on a personal relationship with Jesus and the primacy of Scripture, it is also ecumenical. Thus, while Catholic or Orthodox doctrines or liturgical approaches may not be highlighted, the author is careful not to exclude them from his practical advice. (A chapter on worship, for example, emphasizes that “Worship takes many forms,” and includes participation in sacraments alongside singing, prayer, and preaching.) This is an accessible book whose target audience is those seeking ways to pragmatically apply Christianity to everyday life. Readers looking for in-depth theological discussions will be disappointed, though the author, who holds a doctorate in child and family development, is careful to back up his advice with an ample assortment of Bible verses. The book unfortunately avoids guidance on how Christians should approach contemporary political discourse and important social issues; still, Lang’s empathetic approach is certainly welcome.
An accessible, if not particularly deep, exploration of Christian living.Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9780988504455
Page Count: 184
Publisher: Greco Corporation
Review Posted Online: March 31, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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BOOK REVIEW
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
The Stoics did much better with the much shorter Enchiridion.
A follow-on to the author’s garbled but popular 48 Laws of Power, promising that readers will learn how to win friends and influence people, to say nothing of outfoxing all those “toxic types” out in the world.
Greene (Mastery, 2012, etc.) begins with a big sell, averring that his book “is designed to immerse you in all aspects of human behavior and illuminate its root causes.” To gauge by this fat compendium, human behavior is mostly rotten, a presumption that fits with the author’s neo-Machiavellian program of self-validation and eventual strategic supremacy. The author works to formula: First, state a “law,” such as “confront your dark side” or “know your limits,” the latter of which seems pale compared to the Delphic oracle’s “nothing in excess.” Next, elaborate on that law with what might seem to be as plain as day: “Losing contact with reality, we make irrational decisions. That is why our success often does not last.” One imagines there might be other reasons for the evanescence of glory, but there you go. Finally, spin out a long tutelary yarn, seemingly the longer the better, to shore up the truism—in this case, the cometary rise and fall of one-time Disney CEO Michael Eisner, with the warning, “his fate could easily be yours, albeit most likely on a smaller scale,” which ranks right up there with the fortuneteller’s “I sense that someone you know has died" in orders of probability. It’s enough to inspire a new law: Beware of those who spend too much time telling you what you already know, even when it’s dressed up in fresh-sounding terms. “Continually mix the visceral with the analytic” is the language of a consultant’s report, more important-sounding than “go with your gut but use your head, too.”
The Stoics did much better with the much shorter Enchiridion.Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-42814-5
Page Count: 580
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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