FREE/BARGAIN - Christian Interest - 2015

[GtrsRGr8]

I'm going to go "stream of consciousness" on you, for a few of paragraphs, to share with you some concerns that I have about posting this book. There is no extra charge for this. ha. But, if you're not interested, you know how to scroll down to the good stuff.

This book previously has been marked down several times recently. I've passed over this book, for posting purposes, the times when I've seen it.

Why? It's not because of ratings. They're very good (though not outstanding). That's to be expected, though, of a book like this, which is not written by a single author, but instead is made up of contributions by several authors. The quality is going to be inconsistent, it's a given. However, with the ratings of the entire book being so high, some of the chapters are bound to be excellent--of such a high quality that they can "cancel out" and even lift up the chapters that are not as high a quality.

The book is big. I usually consider that part of what makes a book a great value, when it is paired with a low price. So that is a plus.

The price after the markdown is okay, but not great, to this ultra-frugal ebook buyer. I wouldn't have passed over it because of that.

My concerns about the book come down to that of a characteristic shared by all of the authors of the chapters on the different religions--they are written by people who are members of the respective religions that they write about. As human beings, they are going to be biased. As much as they may try to be objective, it is inevitable that their bias will come in the chapters that they have written, to one degree or another. They will present a favorable view of their religion. Too, things that may be at least perceived as "dirt" on their religion may be "swept under the rug." And so on. However, perhaps some of the deficiency is mitigated by the person reading the book being aware of those facts.

However, a book written by a person who is not a member of the religion that he or she writes about may have its own problems. They may have an overly negative view of the religion (I think especially about Protestants writing about Catholics and Catholics writing about Protestants), instead of being a truly disinterested observer. Too, they will not have the unique perspective of observing the religion close up, as someone who is an adherent of that religion would. And so on.

Maybe by reading one or more of both of the above types of authors, a person could then extrapolate a balanced view?

Well, those are some of my thoughts. What is most important, however, is what you think. Your thoughts?

Now, here is the information about the book . . . .

Our Religions: The Seven World Religions Introduced by Preeminent Scholars from Each Tradition. By Arvind Sharma. Rated 4 1/2 stars, but from only 4 reviews at the present moment, at Amazon (at GoodReads, however, is it reated 3.70/5.00, from 63 reviews). Print list price unknown; digital list price $17.00; Kindle price now $3.79. HarperCollins Publishers, publisher. 564 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Our-Religions-...Each+Tradition.

Book Description
From Amazon.com:
An essential introduction to the world's living religions by experts from each tradition -- published in conjunction with the 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions.

From the Publisher:
Leading experts in the great living religions present their own faith traditions.

[Difflugia]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Now, here is the information about the book . . . .

Our Religions: The Seven World Religions Introduced by Preeminent Scholars from Each Tradition. By Arvind Sharma. Rated 4 1/2 stars, but from only 4 reviews at the present moment, at Amazon (at GoodReads, however, is it reated 3.70/5.00, from 63 reviews). Print list price unknown; digital list price $17.00; Kindle price now $3.79. HarperCollins Publishers, publisher. 564 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Our-Religions-...Each+Tradition.

Thanks. I bought it from Barnes & Noble.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Difflugia

Thanks. I bought it from Barnes & Noble.

Thanks to you, too--it's nice to know when someone has benefited from a post.

[GtrsRGr8]

"Spankin''" being the Deep Southern way of saying "spanking." ha. In the Deep South, we tend to drop the "g" sound in words ending with "-ing" (Although I am a Deep Southerner, I sure do love pickin' on us. ha).

Maybe to mark the occasion, Barbour Books and/or the author has/have marked the book down to 99 cents. That's a whoppin' 92%! Who knows when or if the ebook will be marked down that much again.

I usually do not like "devotionals" (especially the daily-reading type), for various reasons. This one looks to be much better one than the run of the mill.

Secrets of the Proverbs 31 Woman: Fresh Perspectives on Biblical Wisdom for Women. By Rae Simons. No ratings yet at Amazon or GoodReads (the book is brand new). Print list price $12.99; digital list price $12.99; Kindle price now $0.99. Barbour Books, publisher. 304 pages (however, with large typeface, it appears). http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Prover...sdom+for+Women.

I happen to be aware that at Christianbook the ebook (ePub, DRM Free) marked down to 79 cents.

Book Description
The Usual One Given on an Ebook's Webpage at Amazon:
"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. . . Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. . .a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised" (KJV). This brand-new devotional, offering equal parts inspiration and encouragement, will uncover the "secrets" of the Proverbs 31 woman. Each reading, tied to a theme from Proverbs 31:10–31, is rooted in biblical truth and spiritual wisdom. You will be inspired to emulate the virtues extolled in this memorable passage of scripture, as you wrap your heart in this timeless message from God's Word.

Under "Editorial Reviews" on the Ebook's Webpage at Amazon:
This devotional, offering equal parts inspiration and encouragement, will uncover the "secrets" of the Proverbs 31 woman. Each reading, tied to a theme from Proverbs 31:10–31, is rooted in biblical truth and spiritual wisdom. Women of all ages will be inspired to emulate the virtues extolled in this memorable passage of scripture.

[Difflugia]

The HCSB Study Bible is $2.99.
Christianbook Amazon

[ATDrake]

Free from the specialty small press via KDP Select @ Amazon:

The Life and Words of GK Chesterton, another one of Wyatt North Publishing's mini-biographies of influential figures, this one focusing on the late classic literary author's faith-specific contributions to Christianity.

The turn of the last century produced many great thinkers as well as many great writers. Some have the distinction of being known as both. Fewer still have been adored by the masses for their public engagements and their amicable persona. Gilbert Keith Chesterton was all of those things; a true renaissance man of the modern era, whose impact on modern Christianity, and Christian apologetics, is unfortunately becoming increasingly forgotten.

Although C. S. Lewis may be a more well-known Christian apologist across the denominations, it was the works of G. K. Chesterton that helped Lewis to re-embrace his Christian faith.

Many are those that have found their way because G. K. Chesterton dared to believe in God and in miracles in an ever more secular and skeptical world.

His biographer and president of the American Chesterton Society, Dale Ahlquist, called him “the most unjustly neglected writer of our time” — a title that is not entirely undeserved.

[Difflugia]

A New New Testament: A Bible for the 21st Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts edited by Hal Taussig is $2.99.
B&N Amazon

This is the New Testament interspersed with apocryphal Christian works that the editors think belong alongside the traditional canon. It includes all of the books of the New Testament in the Open English Bible translation along with the following (I'm copying these from the table of contents):

• The Prayer of Thanksgiving
• The Gospel of Thomas
• The First Book of the Odes of Solomon
• The Thunder: Perfect Mind
• The Gospel of Mary
• The Gospel of Truth
• The Prayer of the Apostle Paul
• The Second Book of the Odes of Solomon
• The Acts of Paul and Thecla
• The Third Book of the Odes of Solomon
• The Fourth Book of the Odes of Solomon
• The Secret Revelation of John

Though you can find public domain translations of most (but not all) of these apocryphal books, a quick glance at the "Preface to the Translations" suggests that these are modern translations. The book also has an introduction to each book (traditional canon as well as apocryphal). I've no idea yet what sort of theological bent the introductions have, but I suspect (enough to gamble $2.99, anyway) that they will prove interesting.

[ATDrake]

Free from the specialty small press via KDP Select @ Amazon:

The Life and Prayers of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, another one of Wyatt North Publishing's mini-biographies of influential faith figures.

One part biography, one part prayer book, The Life and Prayers of Saint Ignatius of Loyola is an essential for any Christian.

From a life of self-indulgent vanity, the calling of God transformed the life of Inigo Lopez de Loyola beyond imagination. From the time of conversion, St Ignatius, Father of the Jesuits, sought only the will and glory of God.

Today his spirituality continues to influence both Christians and non-Christians around the world, the legacy of a humble man who epitomized the motto of his order throughout his life.

This holy, self-aggrandizing man turned his back on the self-indulgences of courtly life, seeking only God's approval and taking his word out onto the streets and to the sick and the poor. His ministry was his life and if all of life's activities represent the opportunity for prayer, as Ignatius fervently believed, then no life epitomized this more than that of Ignatius of Loyola.

Following in the steps of Saint Ignatius, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected Pope Francis I on March 13, 2013 and is the first Jesuit pope.

[GtrsRGr8]

Boundaries in Marriage. By Henry Cloud; John Townsend. Rated 4 1/2 stars, from 353 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $16.99; digital list(?) price $7.99; Kindle price now $0.99. Zondervan, publisher. 258 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Boundaries-Mar...es+in+Marriage.

Book Description
Only when you and your mate know and respect each other's needs, choices, and freedom can you give yourselves freely and lovingly to one another. Boundaries in Marriage gives you the tools you need. Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, counselors and authors of the award-winning bestseller Boundaries, show you how to apply the principles of boundaries to your marriage. This book helps you understand the friction points or serious hurts and betrayals in your marriage -- and move beyond them to the mutual care, respect, affirmation, and intimacy you both long for.

[GtrsRGr8]

This ebook is not (specially) marked down at Amazon (it's $10.49 there), and may not be marked down at other ebook retailers, either.

Philo Judeas of Alexander (c. 25 B.C. - c. A.D. 50) was a contemporary of both Jesus and Paul. Philo's works are important in study of the New Testament. See the Publisher's Description below for more information.

This is the most recent (2013) edition (and the first ebook edition), not the 1993 edition. This edition contains a lengthy, substantial Introduction by David M. Scholer, of Fuller Seminary.

The Works of Philo. By Philo; C.D. Yonge (translator). Rated 5 stars, from 9 reviews at the present moment. Retail price $14.95; Christianbook price now $5.56. Hendrickson Publishers, publisher. 924 pages. DRM Free ePub. http://www.christianbook.com/the-wor...31?event=ESRCG.

Publisher's Description
While it would not be correct to say that Philo's works have been lost--scholars have always known and used Philo--they have essentially been misplaced as far as the average student of the Bible is concerned. Now the translation of the eminent classicist C. D. Yonge is available in an affordable, easy-to-read edition, with a new foreword and newly translated passages, and containing supposed fragments of Philo's writings from ancient authors such as John of Damascus. The title and arrangement of the writings have been standardized according to scholarly conventions.

A contemporary of Paul and Jesus, Philo Judaeus, of Alexandria, Egypt, is unquestionably among the most important writers for historians and students of Hellenistic Judaism and early Christianity. Although Philo does not explicitly mention Jesus, or Paul, or any of the followers of Jesus, Philo lived in their world. It is from Philo, for example, that we learn about how, like the Gospel of John, Jews (and Greeks) in the Greco-Roman world spoke of the creative force of God as God's Logos. Philo, too, employs interpretive strategies that parallel those of the author of Hebrews. Most scholars would agree that Philo and the author of Hebrews are drawing from the same, or at least similar, traditions of Hellenistic Judaism. With these kind of connections to the world of Judaism and early Christianity, Philo cannot be ignored.

[Difflugia]

The NIV Study Bible is on sale for $6.99.
Christianbook B&N Amazon

The MacArthur Bible Commentary is $6.99. This commentary is the notes from The MacArthur Study Bible without the Bible. It seems to no longer be available for the Kindle.
Christianbook B&N

[GtrsRGr8]

It's hard for a book to get a 5-star rating over an appreciable number of reviews. For one thing, there are almost always enough curmudgeonly types with some nit-picking or wrongheaded complaints about a book to knock down the rating from the perfect 5. Well, this book has a 5-star rating, with more than enough reviews (71) for that score to be valid. It's gotta be a good one, don't you think?

Set-Apart Motherhood: Reflecting Joy and Beauty in Family Life. By Leslie Ludy. Rated 5 stars, from 71 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $13.99; digital list price $13.99; Kindle price now $1.99. NavPress, publisher. 160 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Set-Apart-Moth...qid=1430015043. You'll save 40 cents more, making the price $1.59, by buying the ePub at Christianbook.

Book Description
Being a mother is tough, and sometimes life can be hectic and disorganized. The truth is, moms don’t have to accept the chaos or resign themselves to the attitude of “this is just the way it is.” By God’s grace, every mother can purpose not to settle for anything less than His pattern for motherhood, and His pattern is victorious, triumphant, and glorious.

Now, women who first met Leslie Ludy in When God Writes Your Love Story and Authentic Beauty can continue journeying with her through the realities of motherhood. Leslie will encourage, inspire, and equip moms to be successful in raising their kids, managing their homes, and keeping Christ at the center of their mothering. Written from the perspective of a mom who is currently “in the trenches” with several young children at home, Leslie will help guide readers to become mothers who are set apart for God’s purposes.

[GtrsRGr8]

DELETED. Amazon will not allow the purchase of the ebook to go through.

[GtrsRGr8]

The book is not very big (144 pages), so the value, based on price-per-page, is not as great as one might surmise from the price alone. However, there is a lot of "meat" in those pages--the author writes very succinctly (seemingly a rarity these days). One of my favorite features of the book is the numerous, simple charts, maps, and other graphics; they are almost worth the price of the book themselves, in my opinion. For a much more extensive preview than Amazon offers, I recommend Google Play's preview of the ebook.

This ebook has not been marked down at Amazon (except for a few cents here and there) since May 2013.

Discovering Jesus?: Why Four Gospels to Portray One Person? By T.D. Alexander. Rated 4 1/2 stars, but from only 7 reviews, at Amazon; rated 3.82, from 11 ratings, at GoodReads. Print list price $12.99; digital $9.99; Kindle price now $2.99. Crossway Books, publisher. 144 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Je...qid=1430096073. If you want, or are willing to accept, the ePub, you can get the ebook at Christianbook for $2.39, saving you 60 cents. Amazon and Christianbook are the only two places that I checked--the ebook may be, and probably is, available and marked down elsewhere.

Book Description
If asked how Matthew’s Gospel differs from Luke’s, or what aspects of Jesus’ personhood and ministry the Gospel of Mark focuses on compared to those of John, how would you answer? In Discovering Jesus, T. D. Alexander sets out to help readers understand how each Gospel account is uniquely written and why all four are important for having a rich picture of the person of Jesus Christ.

Alexander guides readers to see how the Gospels display Jesus as the Son of David who establishes the kingdom of God, the Son of God who suffers to ransom others, the Savior of the world who seeks the lost, and the Lamb of God who brings eternal life through a new exodus. Each chapter ends with discussion questions for individual or group study.

[ATDrake]

Free from the small-press specialty publisher via KDP Select @ Amazon:

The Life and Prayers of Saint Paul, another one in Wyatt North Publishing's series of mini-biographies of influential faith figures.

There are a great many men and women who have forever influenced and changed the course of Christian history, but one might ask whether any have made such a profound impact as Saint Paul the Apostle.

It is through the ardent work of Paul that we know the path to Salvation, one which leads us and binds us to God through the love of Christ.

When Jesus revealed himself directly to Paul and called Paul into his service that set Paul apart from other disciples who had come into the faith since the crucifixion.

Paul was not merely chosen to be a disciple, he had been appointed by Jesus himself.

Free again from the author via KDP Select @ Amazon: (linkage for the lot)

A Way Through the Sea & Promise Breaker by Robert Elmer, 1st-in-series tween/YA adventure novels in his Young Underground series involving the Resistance during the occupation of Denmark during WWII, originally out from Bethany House in 1994, and his Promise of Zion series set in Jerusalem in the post-WWII 1940s, originally out from Bethany House in 2000, respectively.

For eleven-year-old Peter Andersen and his twin sister Elise, living in the city of Helsingor, Denmark during World War 2 means German soldiers in the streets, German patrol boats in the harbor, and German fighter planes in the sky. Everyone is nervous, especially their Jewish friend Henrik and his parents. Of course, before the invasion, no one in Denmark cared whether a person was Jewish. But now the Nazis are secretly rounding up all of the Jews who live in Denmark and sending them to prison camps in Germany. Suddenly, Henrik and his family must escape! Sweden offers the only place of refuge, but with soldiers lurking the streets and Nazi boats patrolling the sea, only a miracle can get the Jews to safety!

&

A search for a homeland in a world darkened by war…

Dov Zalinski has nothing left in the ruins of World War 2—only the promise his mother made when she left him at a Warsaw orphanage: “I’ll come back for you, and together we’ll go to Jerusalem.” Seven hard years later, she still hasn’t returned.

On the hope that she and the rest of his family have somehow survived the terrible Nazi death camps and went on ahead of him, the thirteen-year-old sets out alone for the Promised Land. Dov is determined to be with his family again… even if it means risking his life to do it.

Emily Parkinson has it all as the spoiled only child of a British major stationed in 1947 Jerusalem. Her cozy, perfect world has cushioned her from the always-present danger that haunts the people of Palestine—until now. Tensions between Arab and Jew are growing fast as ships of illegal Jewish immigrants try to break through the British barricade. Now, not even Emily’s father will be able to protect her from what she is about to face.