History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Criticizing Art: Understanding the Contemporary

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A straight-forward introduction to art criticism

Criticizing Art: Understanding the Contemporary
Terry Barrett
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 076741165X

Book Description

Designed as a supplementary text, this book helps students of art and art history better understand contemporary art by engaging them in the study of criticism and the practice of critically considering contemporary forms of art.

Customer Reviews:

A straight-forward introduction to art criticism.......2001-03-06

A wonderful book. Boy, i was dragged through galleries and museums by my parents throughout the 60's and 70's, seeing things I thought interesting, some beautiful, some scary, some outright nonsensical. I never got to understand nothing, though I felt the impact of "the better stuff". Mr. Barrett does a wonderful job in being sincere and easy to understand as he, with impressively up-to-date examples, puts forth the meaning behind those formulae of formalism, modernism, post-modernism and the like. He carefully introduces techniques of criticism which are acknowledged as "best practices", but always underlines that other avenues will take us to excellence, too. I definitely appreciate what he covers under the "feminism" and "multiculturism" headlines, cos when we get to see it, we rarely have the nomenclatura to understand it properly. This is not just a book for someone who in earnest wants to make a living off "criticizing art", but for anyone young (in mind) enough to set out on the adventure to enjoy, understand and recommend contemporary art with some kind of vision for the betterment of mankind. The art, Mr. Barrett tells us, is all there - it's now up to us to make something with it.

Mathematical Discovery: On Understanding, Learning and Teaching Problem Solving Combined Edition

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Mathematical Discovery: On Understanding, Learning and Teaching Problem Solving Combined Edition
George Polya
Manufacturer: Wiley
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471089753

Book Description

Combining standard Volumes I and II into one soft cover edition, this helpful book explains how to solve mathematical problems in a clear, step-by-step progression. It shows how to think about a problem, how to look at special cases, and how to devise an effective strategy to attack and solve the problem. Covers arithemetic, algebra, geometry, and some elementary combinatorics. Includes an updated bibliography and newly expanded index.

Joseph's Bones: Understanding the Struggle Between God and Mankind in the Bible

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I love this book
An Un-Orthodox Perspective
Powerfully Argued
accessible and well argued
stimulating and compelling

Joseph's Bones: Understanding the Struggle Between God and Mankind in the Bible
Jerome M. Segal
Manufacturer: Riverhead Hardcover
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1594489394
Release Date: 2007-03-15

Book Description

It's almost impossible to think of the Bible as anything other than the expression of the religious traditions that view it as Holy Scripture. Yet given that vital parts of it were written as much as a thousand years before the emergence of rabbinic Judaism and the birth of Christianity, there is no obvious reason why this should be true. In his groundbreaking new book, Joseph's Bones: Understanding the Struggle Between God and Mankind in the Bible, philosopher Jerome Segal offers a fresh and vigorous reexamination of the oldest part of the Bible.

In Joseph's Bones, Segal asks you to imagine that you know nothing about Judaism or Christianity and one day pick up something called "The Hexateuch" (the first six books of the Bible). How would you understand the story it recounts? Who is God? And who are the Israelites? And perhaps most important, what is the relationship between God and humanity?

Segal maintains that if we approach the Bible without preconceptions, we will find something unexpected: a brilliant, sophisticated, and highly cohesive account of the human condition. He argues that the Bible reads like an existential novel about the struggle between God and mankind, and is far more sympathetic to mankind than to God.

Segal frames his analysis by considering the tale of Joseph's bones. In the closing words of Genesis, as Joseph lies dying in Egypt, Joseph has the "sons of Israel" swear that when God returns the Israelites to the Promised Land, they will take his bones with them. Some four hundred years later, as the Book of Joshua closes, the Israelites honor this commitment by returning and burying Joseph's bones in Canaan, as their ancestors had pledged.

Noting that throughout the early parts of the Bible God often seethes with anger at the Israelites, calling them "faithless" and "wicked," Segal uses the story of Joseph's faith in his people and their fidelity to him to illustrate how the Bible does not always share God's perspective on the Israelites or on mankind in general. Segal then provides a systematic reinterpretation of the Bible story and comes to see it as the people's book, written as a way to understand the human condition in a universe governed by a powerful and morally complex deity.

He contends that the Bible does not view morality as dependent on God. Rather, it understands moral truths to be objective aspects of reality that limit even God's freedom of action, though God himself resists such a notion. Segal maintains that in the great saga of mankind's struggle with God, Abraham and Moses emerge as heroes, each seeking to protect mankind from God's unpredictable and often unwarranted wrath. The book's final section explores how this rethinking of the Hexateuch transforms the story of Jesus in the New Testament in ways neither Christians nor Jews have considered.

Both a radically new way of understanding the Biblical texts and a lively examination of it, Joseph's Bones is an anomaly of Biblical interpretation: brilliant, rigorously argued, and thoroughly original. It is at once persuasive scholarship and a captivating read.

Customer Reviews:

I love this book.......2007-10-10

This book is a great and enjoyable read. I was raised Christian and an enthusiastic one at that, then went secular, then eclectically spiritual. The Bible remains a huge influence in my life but not one I have looked into much in recent years. This book turned my understanding of what it may mean upside down in a most exciting way: the idea that the first six books of the Bible is the story of a relationship with a powerful God who needed to be taught morality by the people he was protecting. I am no Biblical scholar but Tikkun magazine (where I work) recently included a very positive review of the book by highly respected scholar Jack Miles, Distinguished Professor of English and Religious Studies at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of Christ: A Crisis in the Life of God. The review can be found at www.tikkun.org and put "Joseph's Bones" in the search function.

An Un-Orthodox Perspective.......2007-09-10

Joseph's Bones
Understanding The Struggle Between GOD And Mankind In The Bible
Jerome M. Segal

Loved Of The LORD

I just finished reading this book and I thought you might be interested in another direction I invested in.
Being a believer and follower of Jesus for thirty years, reading this work was somewhat a strain to do, as Jerome Segal suggests, to set aside my beliefs and read with an open mind. This was indeed a trek in unexplored space for me. Yet another review to add to my list
I found Jerome Segal to be an astute student and scholar of the bible. His extensive knowledge and understanding of Holy writ is obviously displayed in this in-depth critical analysis and perspective.
Segal sets aside conventional, theological and accepted views and uses Scripture (Those he chose.) alone to radically present his contentions.
His analysis thru the Torah and Joshua (Hexateuch ) portrays GOD as a immature neophyte, who is omnipotent, yet not omniscience nor magnanimous.
He seems to have Yahweh looking for a mentor and has Abraham and Moses as instruments in respectably shaping GOD's character and perspective on obedience, justice and punishment...
His writing displays his belief and love for GOD and he is scholarly neutral in his position on the deity of JESUS, while at the same time suggesting that JESUS was also a part of Yahweh's evolution.
He emphasizes the Israelites carrying two arks with them one being the bones of Joseph, which seems feasible, as the bones were with them till they buried them in Shechem, It was probably more a sarcophagus being of the rank he held in Egypt.
The Ark of the covenant being the visible image of GOD's Law and Judgment and the ark of Joseph's Bones reminding them of Joseph's Love and Forgiveness.
As hard as it was to read, (because of my beliefs) I found it never dry and it kept my interest as a mystery would. Dr. Segal did an exceptional job showing JESUS and Joseph being alike in so many ways.
Even though I have never found two people agree completely on what Scripture is saying and as different as this was, I have to say that, "All and all it was a good read for understanding how others see The Word Of GOD."
Dr. D. P. Gatten D.Min. [...]

Powerfully Argued.......2007-06-02

Segal, Jerome M. "Joseph's Bones: Understanding the Struggle Between God and Mankind in the Bible", Riverhead Books, 2007.

Powerfully Argued

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

Some of you may know that I am working on a new "queer" interpretation (for publication) on the story of Joseph and much of what I have found in my research has not really shed a lot of light on the subject. I was surprised when I found this new book by Jerome M. Segal. Although it may not shed light on the aspect I have been working on, I certainly have a lot of food for thought after having read this remarkable book.
Segal's interpretation is very, very different from the traditional way the relationship between G-d and the Israelites has been regarded. While G-d is all powerful, Segal finds that He is neither omniscient nor benevolent. We must remember that the G-d in Biblical times was a new idea and the concept of a supreme being was being formulated and humanity had not yet come to any definite way to regard Him. Segal sees G-d as not being benevolent and He appears to be somewhat immature and insecure. Writing about understanding the Bible from this point of view does not have to rely on whether the Bible is true or not or even if G-d exists. For those who are believers in G-d, this book may be hard to digest and therefore must be read with mind and eyes opened. But the book does maintan that there is the possibility that G-d was simply the evolution into a being that could indeed be worshipped.
Segal's arguments are not apart from the Bible but rather tied directly to it. What we learn is that G-d as pictured by the Bible is not the wonderful portrait we have always assumed.
This, by sheer nature of the subject, is controversial. Presently a radical interpretation of the Hebrew Bible is sure to find some who will not only disagree but who will not even consider what is written. If read carefully, "Joseph's Bones" gives a great many insights Segal bases his ideas on a very close ad detailed reading of the text and omitting theological and metaphysical assumptions that have become part of mainstream thought. Segal focuses only on the story and eschews secondary studies. His assumptions are primarily based upon interest and not validity. He uses quotations from the Old Testament and thereby maps out the arguments that follow. His thesis is not completely proven and the feeling that he did not set out to do is fairly obvious. Instead, he provides us with ideas and themes to consider--historical events and the relationship between humans and G-d that appear in the Hebrew test. Suspecting that research of this kind to be scholarly to the point that the layman cannot decipher is not the case at all. The book is extremely readable and accessible.
Segal's insight is almost beyond extraordinary. Dealing with the struggle of how man relates to G-d and vice versa is no easy task.
I believe that most of us know that the textual Bible brings about unlimited analysis. The Bible can be viewed from many different perspectives and each offers its own interpretation.
So exactly what is the point that Segal is trying to make? To me it is the issue of the two arks--one which contained the original Ten Commandments which were shattered by Moses and represents the concept of Divinity and the other which carried Joseph's bones that is an ethical system.
Segal's research comes from the Hebrew Bible from Genesis through Joshua when the people of Israel bring Joseph's remains home. By reconstructing the story of Joseph as an ethical idea, based upon the forgiveness of his brothers somewhat puts the importance of Joseph in Egypt to rest. The return of Joseph's bones to the land from whence he came redeems him from slavery just as the other Israelites had been redeemed by G-d.
Segal looks at the Torah as binding on man and G-d. The stories of Joseph form the transition between the patriarchs and slavery in Egypt. In Genesis through Joshua what s revealed is a powerful story and Segal gives it a new and original look. Like I said, it may not be complete or the answer to the mysteries of our relationship with G-d but it indeed gives us a new way to look at the issue.

accessible and well argued.......2007-05-11

Joseph's Bones offers a radically different interpretation from traditional views of the relationship between God and the Israelites (and more generally humanity). Dr. Segal presents the case that, at least initially, while God is powerful, he is not omniscient, nor particularly benevolent, and indeed, may be somewhat insecure and emotionally immature. Thus, the book is concerned with understanding the content of the Bible, rather than whether the Bible itself is true or whether God exists. Nevertheless, the issues the book raises may be troublesome for people who truly believe in God (though perhaps not impossible to accept, because, by its end, the book also raises the possibility that God may have evolved into a being that could be worthy of worship). Indeed, this book may be more difficult for true believers to dismiss than are books that outright deny the existence of God, because its arguments are so tightly bound to the Bible and therefore show that the Bible itself paints a not very pretty picture of God.
The author's case is not airtight. For example, at a few points in the text assumptions or interpretations are chosen because of their interest value rather than their validity (which is impossible to prove). That said, most of the assumptions are amply buttressed by evidence and quotations from the Bible, and the arguments that flow from them are clearly laid out. Moreover, I don't believe it was the author's intention to absolutely prove his thesis, which, in fact, may be an impossibility, just as proving any particular interpretation of the Bible may be. Instead, the author has put forth an interesting and logically plausible interpretation of the historical events, and the relationship between God and humans, that are described in the Bible. In that he has succeeded admirably.
Finally, while one might expect an extended logical argument on the interpretation of events in the Bible to result a dry scholarly work, Joseph's Bones is not. Instead, the text flows nicely, and the arguments and backing evidence are presented in a very accessible fashion. In sum, the book makes for an enjoyable and stimulating read.

stimulating and compelling.......2007-04-27

Joseph's Bones will be controversial. Most people will not be persuaded by its radical interpretation of the Hebrew Bible. However, if you can read it with an open mind, you will find it full of insights. Segal bases his interpretation on a close reading of the text, minus the metaphysical and theological assumptions that we take for granted as the legacy of mainstream Judaism and Christianity. He does not clutter his argument with secondary scholarship or jargon, but focuses tightly on the story, which he deeply appreciates and admires. His interpretation unfolds with some of the suspense of a detective novel, but the stakes are much higher.

The Openness of God: A Biblical Challenge to the Traditional Understanding of God

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Neo-Arminianism: Freewill Theism for a New Generation
Excellent Primer on Open Theism
A worthy defense of a fascinating position
God is not to blame!!!!
Understandable Defense

The Openness of God: A Biblical Challenge to the Traditional Understanding of God
Richard Rice , and John Sanders
Manufacturer: InterVarsity Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0830818529

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Voted one of Christianity Today's 1995 Books of the Year! The Openness of God presents a careful and full-orbed argument that the God known through Christ desires "responsive relationship" with his creatures. While it rejects process theology, the book asserts that such classical doctrines as God's immutability, impassibility and foreknowledge demand reconsideration.The authors insist that our understanding of God will be more consistently biblical and more true to the actual devotional lives of Christians if we profess that "God, in grace, grants humans significant freedom" and enters into relationship with a genuine "give-and-take dynamic." The Openness of God is remarkable in its comprehensiveness, drawing from the disciplines of biblical, historical, systematic and philosophical theology. Evangelical and other orthodox Christian philosophers have promoted the "relational" or "personalist" perspective on God in recent decades. Now here is the first major attempt to bring the discussion into the evangelical theological arena.

Customer Reviews:

Neo-Arminianism: Freewill Theism for a New Generation.......2007-02-03

In the first chapter, 'Biblical Support for a New Perspective', Seventh Day Adventist Richard Rice opens the title with quite a different view of the God revealed in Scripture than many are accustomed to. Rather than equating sovereignty with total divine determinism (omnicausality) and control over the world, making that the focal point of their theology (eg, Calvinism), open theists believe that the biblical declaration of "God is love" ought to be the centre of our theology. (1 John iv, 8, 16) Rice uses the motif 'God is Jesus' to build upon a very lively conception of the Person of God, who happens to be quite unlike the immobile deity conventional theology has traditionally taught us of. When we see Jesus, we see the Father; we see God. The Word became flesh. What, then, are we to do with the 'traditional' concept of immutability? Jesus was tempted in the desert, wept with the people at Lazarus' death, and suffered in the garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. What, then, of this notion of impassibility?

John E Sanders, in chapter two, 'Historical Considerations', surveys the progress of how various foreign elements, doctrines, and concepts found their way into the church over the centuries. Sanders argues that numerous Greek philosphies and ideals have come to be associated Christianity which simply do not fit the biblical portrait of God as revealed to us in the Old and New Testaments. Footnotes are extensive in this chapter.

Chapter three, 'Systematic Theology', to me, must be taken as the focal point of the book. In his short, yet poignant, twenty-five page essay, Clark H. Pinnock presents the open view of God systematically. I would recommend this title to any student of theology, (or any layperson for that matter,) if only for Pinnock's essay alone. After having read this chapter twice, it has become clear to me that OVT (open view theism) offers the student of theology with an extremely compelling and coherent view of God and his relationship to the world that simply cannot be easily dismissed by the intellectually honest reader. Is God atemporal (ie, timeless)? How then can he interact with his creatures and experience sequential time? Does God sovereignly control (determine) all things that come to pass? How then could he, at the same time, hate sin and punish men with an eternal scorn for doing what they could not otherwise perform?

'A Philosophical Perspective' brings forth William Hasker's essay addressing various philosophical implications of the open view in the fourth chapter. He goes on to note the various flaws in Platonic and Hellenistic thinking that has plagued Christianity from the early church onward. His treatments of simple foreknowledge and middle knowledge, though brief, present classical Arminians with more than enough dilemmas to think upon.

David Basinger closes out the book with chapter five, which takes a look at some of the 'Practical Implications' of the open view. In it, he discourages the 'open door, closed door' routine which is quite common among contemporary Christians to practise in our time. He also cautions against the typical custom of looking at defeat (eg, being turned down for a job application, breaking a limb, having a car stolen) as simply being 'God's will'.

Overall, this is an excellent book providing the student of theology with a very good case for OVT. Whether or not you are completely sold on the open view, this title ought not be overlooked or passed off as the beginning of a theological fad. Freewill theists are not Socinians (they believe in the deity of Christ); they are not heretics; but they do make a good number of Calvinist scholars very nervous. Why? Because neo-Arminianism makes for an extremely coherent and compelling case. This is an unwelcome challenge for the neo-Calvinists (eg, the various scholars and Calvinian seminaries with special political interests in maintaining theological determinism as their doctrinal confession). The last thing they want to deal with is a more consistent version of Arminianism. OVT cannot be easily dismissed, and it simply will not go away anytime soon.

Excellent Primer on Open Theism.......2006-01-06

"Open Theism" first came to my attention a few years ago, at the beginning of my brief mission work in Brazil. At that time, reading about it in Christianity Today, I thought it sounded ridiculous. How things have changed.

Open theism proposes, among other things, that God does not have perfect knowledge of our future. As strange as this might sound to people trained in classic views of God, it makes a lot of what the Bible says about God much clearer.

This book, "The Openness of God," is an excellent place to start studying open theism. The only section I felt uncertain about was the portion entitled "A Philosophical Perspective" by William Hasker. Most of my misgivings can possibly be attributed to lack of personal aptitude for philosophy as a field, but I also did not like the way he kept telling the reader what "a majority of philosophers" think about this or that (as though that alone added weight to what he was saying).

All in all, this is a wonderful book and a great introduction to open theism.

A worthy defense of a fascinating position.......2005-09-28

As a college student in his late 30s who is majoring in philosophy, I can testify to the accuracy of this book's historical section. As the authors ably point out, much of the modern Christian conception of God comes not from the Bible but from the writings of Plato and Aristotle. And the God of Greek philosophy is far more remote and inhuman than the one portrayed in both the Old and New Testaments. This has created a tension in the field of theology proper which has left many perplexed and confused.

The Openness of God offers a remedy to this ages-old mixture of divine revelation and pagan thinking. It challenges us to accept God as the Bible portrays Him, emotions, ambivalence and all. Readers will discover a deity who is just as powerful as the one described in classical theism, but who is also far easier for humans to relate to.

This book and ones like it have been unfairly and maliciously attacked by narrow-minded critics, who call it everything from anti-Calvinist to an apologetic for Mormonism. Nonsense. What the open minded seeker will find in these pages is a cogent yet humble case for a view of the Creator which is both refreshingly new and yet millenia old. Very highly recommended for everyone interested in theology, philosophy or apologetics.

God is not to blame!!!!.......2005-09-01

This book clearly outlines the Biblical argument for the principal of the one and only Sovereign God is perfectly reflected in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is God, and this book points out the love God has for His creation and that He is not always responsible for the hardships that take place in the daily lives of people.

A must read for anyone interested in how a loving sovereign God can let evil happen...since He is in control!!!

A must read!!!!

Understandable Defense.......2005-08-14

I'll start of by saying: I'm not an open theist. I wasn't before I read the book, and I'm not now that I'm done reading it.

But, that's not to say that I didn't find the book persuasive. The authors do a very good job explaining their take on the Greek philosophical source of the notion of the timelessness of God. And they do a very good job laying out comparisons between open theism and some of the other views of "God and time". These comparisons, in my opinion, are what made this a good book. While I disagree with their conclusion that "open theism is better that other views", I do agree that, mostly, they lay out the practical implications of the various views fairly for the most part. Ultimately, though, my evaluation is that some forms of "traditional theism" are still better than open theism.

But, this book did convince me of something important. I'm willing to make divine openness a "to each his own" issue in Christianity. Each of us finds a different model of God to be most useful in our relationship with Him. So, as long as we seek to build our view of God on Scripture, I am willing to be tolerant of people who I disagree with. This book convinced me that open theists do try to build their view of God on Scripture. So, though I'm not one of them, I see little reason to bicker with them.

If you want a book that will lay out open theism in terms that a layman can more or less understand, this is the book for you.

If you're looking for a more deeply theological/philosophical book on the issue, I wouldn't recommend this one. Mostly because I understood it too well for people who love "God and time" theology to find it satisfying.

The Educated Mind: How Cognitive Tools Shape Our Understanding

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A thoughtful and erudite essay on education and development
Insight into the "kinds" of understandings.

The Educated Mind: How Cognitive Tools Shape Our Understanding
Kieran Egan
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0226190366

Amazon.com

Imagine the consequences if such polar opposites as Plato and Rousseau opened a school together--the results would be nothing less than schizophrenic. Yet, according to Kieran Egan, author of The Educated Mind, this is exactly the model upon which most of Western education is based. Historically, schools in the West have been chartered to perform three fundamentally contradictory tasks: to socialize children, to encourage conformity, and, at the same time, to develop individual promise. Instead of trying to pound different-shaped pegs into a one-size-fits-all hole, Egan suggests that educators take a new tack: shape learning to the way the human mind develops and understands.

Egan begins by defining five types of understanding: Somatic, Mythic, Romantic, Philosophic, and Ironic. Each kind develops at different points in a child's life and brings with it new abilities to process and integrate information. Throughout each phase, Egan is particularly concerned with the role of imagination in learning--a crucial role, in his opinion. The Educated Mind is not a textbook about methodology. Rather, it is a meditation on the way the mind grows and learns, and on how teachers--and students--might profit from these developmental stages by shaping lesson plans to fit the mind instead of the other way around.

Book Description

The Educated Mind offers a bold and revitalizing new vision for today's uncertain educational system. Kieran Egan reconceives education, taking into account how we learn. He proposes the use of particular "intellectual tools"—such as language or literacy—that shape how we make sense of the world. These mediating tools generate successive kinds of understanding: somatic, mythic, romantic, philosophical, and ironic. Egan's account concludes with practical proposals for how teaching and curriculum can be changed to reflect the way children learn.

"A carefully argued and readable book. . . . Egan proposes a radical change of approach for the whole process of education. . . . There is much in this book to interest and excite those who discuss, research or deliver education."—Ann Fullick, New Scientist

"A compelling vision for today's uncertain educational system."—Library Journal

"Almost anyone involved at any level or in any part of the education system will find this a fascinating book to read."—Dr. Richard Fox, British Journal of Educational Psychology

"A fascinating and provocative study of cultural and linguistic history, and of how various kinds of understanding that can be distinguished in that history are recapitulated in the developing minds of children."—Jonty Driver, New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

A thoughtful and erudite essay on education and development.......2005-04-16

In my view, this is one of the more important books written in the last couple of decades. In essence, it is a companion volume to Merlin Donald's Origin of the Modern Mind, which is another important book. Donald proposes an evolutionary theory of the origins of mind, starting with the primate mind and ending with the modern human mind. He proposes a series of stages---episodic, mimetic, mythological, theoretical---where the content and functions of mind gradually become free of the physical constraints of time and space. This evolutionary trend is partly biological, but is also partly cultural, with culture gaining increasing importance as evolution progresses to our current state. Kieran Egan builds on this framework by proposing a recapitulation theory of education and cognitive development. Essentially, he proposes that each human progresses through a series of stages---somatic, mythic, romantic, philosophic, ironic---that more or less recapitulate the progress of the species. Egan's theory can be seen as an elaboration of the work of Lev Vygotsky, the brilliant Soviet psychologist who began to create a socio-cultural theory of cognitive development, before his career was tragically cut short by TB. Although Egan's theory contradicts much of what I learned in graduate school, I think he is closer to the mark than anyone else when it comes to an educationally-usefull theory of cognitive development. Our nation's schools would be far better off if his ideas were taken seriously by the educational establishment. Egan is a sorely needed antidote to the intellectually impoverished "theories" that govern our schools today, especially in regards to what might be called the "tyranny of testing".

Insight into the "kinds" of understandings........1999-01-22

Egan's book challenges us to rethink our educational process in relation to his idea of multiple kinds of understandings.Education in the future must be seen as a sequence of these understandings in order for students to devlop specific intellectual tools. Through his studies you will explore cultual and linguistic history to learn more about our human brain. He provides theory, insight and concrete advice for educators today.

Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning (Icon Editions)

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Great Book!!!!
Excellent but not perfect
Clear cut and Simple
Understanding Architecture and Urbanism

Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning (Icon Editions)
Leland M. Roth
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064301583

Book Description

This clearly written, fully illustrated survey of Western architecture defines and explains structure, function, history, and meaning. Architecture is examined as a cultural phenomenon as well as an artistic and technological achievement. The book is divided into two parts: Part One, "The Elements of Architecture," deals with the basic properties of architecture in chapters that explain function, structural principles, and elements of design, including examples in the text and illustrations from all periods and styles. Part Two, "The History and Meaning of Architecture," is a chronological survey of Western architectural development from prehistoric times to the present. The approach is selective in terms of buildings and architects included; the examples are chosen for their importance and significance and are fully explained. Each chronological chapter begins with a concise, historical outline giving the social and cultural background.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book!!!!.......2006-11-05

Excellent text of architectural history, with good information and explanations of each style in cronological order and lots of sections on examples and masters of each epoch. Lots of pictures of plans and sections! I only wish I had had it for the assignments I had to do last semester! I do wish it had more color fotos instead of black and white. Like all architecture books, it's a little too expensive, but reasonable for the comparatives I found localy. Excellent book, Highly recommended for architecture students and enthusiasts alike.

Excellent but not perfect.......2005-09-04

I'm a college instructor for beginning level Architecture Appreciation, and the Leland Roth book is an excellent choice to use for such a class. It is concise, informative and for the students, easy to read. Also, for their purposes, because the book is mostly black and white, it is rather cost efficient in an age of over-priced rip-off textbooks. The only problem with the book is that it can really stand to be updated. There is no chapter about Decontructivism or anything that followed, and the book ends with Mario Botta in 1993, which these days is antiquity already. Roth must know that his book is a gold standard for such a class. Knowing this, it is imperative that he revise it soon. it's too good of a product to stop 12 years ago.

Clear cut and Simple.......2002-09-13

Understanding Architecture is a great book. I found it to be useful to start down the road of being an Architect. This book gives you a clear understanding of the value of architecture in the world. If you have any interest at all in architecture or the built environment you will love this book. I have recommended it to numerous friends.

Understanding Architecture and Urbanism.......2000-06-19

This is a very well written approach to the understanding of Architecture and Urbanism. In the first half of the book, Roth analyzes the basic concepts or "elements" that conform today's Architecture. The second half of this clear and readable text is dedicated to the investigation of the history and significance of Architecture. These enjoyable and didactic thirteen chapters are an excellent starting point for a journey into past and present Architecture

Millstones & Stumbling Blocks: Understanding Education in Post-Christian America

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Loving God with all our mind.
A Real eye opener
Argument for non-public education
Confronting the Church on K-12 Christian Education
fresh and challenging perspective for Christians regarding education

Millstones & Stumbling Blocks: Understanding Education in Post-Christian America
Bradley E. Heath
Manufacturer: Fenestra Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1587365561

Book Description

Much of the timber of public schooling and evangelicalism is as dry as kindling; Millstones & Stumbling Blocks is an open flame.

Don't read this book if you insist on believing that . . .

Christian children should be educated in public schools

American evangelicalism is on the right track

there are political remedies for our cultural illnesses

Do read this book if . . .

you'll consider that the above points may not be true

you are unhappy with the educational status quo

you accept the responsibility to read, think, and act

"There is no greater failing among Christians than our lack of obedience in the education of our children. Brad Heath understands the stakes and eloquently points the way."

-Bruce Shortt Attorney, and author of The Harsh Truth about Public Schools

Customer Reviews:

Loving God with all our mind........2007-04-19

This little book offers a big, big challenge: to evaluate our understanding of this portion of the greatest commandment - not only loving Him with all of our heart and soul, but with our mind as well (as we are commanded!) - & to apply it to our reading, our education &, most importantly, to the education of our children. Is that happening? Read on!

A Real eye opener.......2007-04-05

This book makes you think about what we should be thinking about, and not wishing for. The problems in the government schools have been ignored by Christians for far to long. This is not a book that targets people, but the system. I can't be reformed, because it was set up to get rid of Christianity in our society. Christian beliefs go directly against an "open anything goes" society.

Bureaucracies don't survive thinking societies, and the Elite don't like sharing power. Individuals are a threat to that kind of power. Weaken the family and their beliefs, and you can be in complete control. Turn families against each other, and you don't have solidarity among the masses.

This book is a must read for anyone sitting on the fence while thinking about homeschooling.

Argument for non-public education.......2006-07-06

This book was very helpful in understanding the worldview of the public school system and how it is detrimental to the education of our children.

Confronting the Church on K-12 Christian Education.......2006-03-07

Unlike other books advocating Christian education, Millstones confronts the practical and theological errors of the evangelical church in abdicating the education of children to the government schools. Families persuaded of the necessity of Christian education will find useful points of dialogue for helping others understand and commit to Christian schools or home education. Heath's analysis of the cultural and moral consequences of rejecting Christian education and embracing public schooling is among the best yet written. If the trumpet gives an uncertain sound who will prepare for battle? Heath sounds a clarion call for the evangelical church to commit to Christian education as part of their walk of faith and obedience.

fresh and challenging perspective for Christians regarding education.......2006-03-06

Brad Heath challenges Christians to rethink their educational choices, but he does it with such beautiful and pithy prose that Millstones is a delight to read even as it opens gashes in your psyche.
Among the opening salvoes in the first chapter:
"Modern public schooling is the wall-mounted trophy head of a formerly lionhearted education. Its truncated and lifeless hulk provides a tamed likeness of the once vibrant and powerful creature whose pursuit exhilarated the hearts and minds of countless students. To be the prey of such learning was to be mauled by beauty, truth, and goodness; to stalk it to its lair was an expedition fraught with danger and delight. Sadly, the taxidermists of modernity have done their work well. Public schooling is a hollow shell, a stuffed charade, a glass-eyed cadaver of the once substantive education preceding it. Public schooling is a poor imitation of true education--an inert imposture that is rigid, posed, and dead" (p. 15).
Heath continues to make his case with plenty of stories and examples that make the book a pleasure to read. And he makes a case that should be convincing to Heath's intended audience of Bible believing Christians.
The last third of the book adds a secondary but critically related theme that faults modern evangelical Christianity for either abandoning education to the secular world or creating "Christian schools" that merely mimic government schools, adding a veneer of Christianity with a "Bible" class rather than providing an integrated, holistic Christian education rooted in both Scripture and history.
Heath traces the root of the problem to much more troubling issues--modern-day relativism within the church, at least partially attributable to nineteenth-century "exaltation of the unlearned and ordinary man" resulting from the revivalism of the Second Great Awakening. Heath claims that American Protestants abandoned distinctively Christian education when they agreed to de-Christianize education to create common schools acceptable to their various denominations.
Ultimately, Millstones is about the role of Christians in the cultural war since it's the culture that is stealing our children from the church. Heath says, "Despite our [evangelical Christians'] powerful influence, evangelicals are losing the culture war because we fight with the weapons and tactics of our enemies. We will walk the soles off our shoes electing another born-again President, while letting our children be steeped in secularism at the local public school" p. 80.
Heath does offer some suggestions for redeeming the situation, but some of the issues he raises should stimulate intense dialogue and self-examination within Christian circles even if there are no quick or easy fixes on hand.
I especially appreciate the size of this book. Heath manages to make his case in about 120 pages of text. Even though the book might be a relatively quick read, I expect it will reverberate in your thoughts for years. I expect it will also influence many Christians to change their ideas and their actions in regard to education, and maybe also in regard to their own churches.

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Towards an Understanding of Africology
Victor O. Okafor
Manufacturer: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Introduction to Black Studies

ASIN: 0757529607

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Understanding Children's Literature
Peter Hunt
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0415195462

Book Description

Featuring a stellar teamn of contributors, this book offers a unique introduction to the essential concepts necessary for the study of childrens literature. Incorporating thirteen essays from the highly acclaimed International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature, the chapters guide the reader through the most relevant areas of criticism and theory and summarise their contexts and application. Bibliographies provide useful details of further information sources and a glossary explains the literary terms encountered in the book. This work is an indispensable guide for readers involved in literature, education or library science, or anyone interested in children's literature.

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This book provides an introduction to some of the critical theories useful in the study of children's literature. The 14 chapters examine the context and relevance to this area of concepts such as feminism, literacy studies and others.

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