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Book Recommendations / Resources

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    #92
    PDN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    88show wrote: »
    heavenly man.
    forget who by but about a chinese man and his extra ordinary life.
    unbelievable what he endured but how he gave all thanks to God is amazing.

    Brother Yun is guy you're thinking of. I've met a few people in China who knew him and have verified much of his story.


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    #93
    Messy Missy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 106 ✭✭Messy Missy


    I'm currently reading "The Gifts of the Jews".

    This book is basically a journey through Jewish history and a very good description of the first monotheistic religion.

    As my beloved John Paul II said, they are our elder brothers in the faith.


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    #94
    Fanny Cradock
    Registered Users Posts: 10,245 ✭✭✭✭Fanny Cradock


    God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?

    The author, John Lennox, looks at the relationship between cosmological and biological science and Christianity. I thought the first half of the book - a general discussion on science and also a broader discussion on cosmology - was excellent. He really tackles and topples the notion that science and Christian faith are mutually exclusive and forever at each others throats. The second half of the the book was by far the weaker half for me. Here he deals with biology and attempts to put forward an argument for ID. To be fair, even though I would out of hand reject this notion, he didn't fail to make a case for it.


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    #95
    Puck
    Registered Users Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭Puck


    God's Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts.

    A brilliant little book on the big picture of the Bible, very clear and concise. I would recommend this for all those who want a good overview of the Bible. It's only little too, so you'll have it read in no time, took me about three days I think but I'm reading a few other books at the same time so you could probably get it all done in one sitting.


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    #96
    sorella
    Closed Accounts Posts: 923 ✭✭✭sorella


    Amen..

    A good thriller is a pleasure though....

    DerKomissar wrote: »
    There is only one good book.

    The Good Book


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    #97
    PDN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    I've just finished Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell. It's an excellent little book that majors on the themes of peace and social justice as a consequence of truly believing in Christ's death upon the Cross.


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    #98
    Phototoxin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,398 ✭✭✭Phototoxin


    There is only one good book.

    The Good Book

    Never heard of it unless you're speaking of the bible which is actually an anthology of books.
    Just read "Interview with an Exorcist" by Fr. Jose Antonio Fortea.

    It's written in a very practical Q&A format with 110 questions such as:-

    - Do demons experience time?
    - What do demons do with their time?
    - Why did God put the demons to the test? *
    - What does a demon think about?
    - Do demons know the future?
    - Should we be afaid of the devil?
    - Can a demon cause illness/ read our thoughts?
    - Can we be tempted beyond our strength to resist?
    -Why does God allow temptation?
    - Why is hell eternal?
    - How can we protect ourselves?
    etc, etc...

    Thats a BRILL book! A friend gave it to me yonks ago for christmas! The guy has literally studied demonology!! Mental!

    I've read The Quakers - a very short introduction which i am finding interesting.

    I have order the God of Surprises whcih a friend recommended... has anyone read it ?


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    #99
    kelly1
    Registered Users Posts: 5,026 ✭✭✭kelly1


    I just finished Left to Tell and it was excellent. She was brought up in a loving home and knew very little about the historical conflicts that plagued Rwanda (which seems to have started with Belgium's interference). It was only shortly before civil war broke out that she discovered that she was a Tutsi. She was shocked when former (Hutu) friends turned against her, having succumbed to government propaganda. A local pastor hid her and 7 other women in a tiny, crowded bathroom and while they wasted away from malnutrition and were infested with lice, the unrelenting brutal massacres of Tutsis continued outside the bathroom window.

    During her time in the bathroom she became very, very close to God through constant prayer. God gave her the strength to forgive those who chopped up her brothers, sister and parents. She came to understand that God loved the killers despite their evil atrocities. After the war ended, God worked many miracles in her life and she ended living a happy married life all courtesy of God's providence.

    A very sad story of how humans can became so evil but very inspiring in terms of how God can work powerful miracles for those who put their trust and faith in Him.

    A great read and highly recommended!

    God bless,
    Noel.


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    #100
    Phototoxin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,398 ✭✭✭Phototoxin


    God of surpises has arrived. I want to finish my other book.

    It cost me 48p on amazon but after postage was about €4.60! lol almost 10x the price!


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    #101
    Corksham
    Closed Accounts Posts: 190 ✭✭Corksham


    Thomas Merton - The Sign of Jonas

    An insightful account of life in a monsatery by the masterful Trappist himself.


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    #102
    chozometroid
    Registered Users Posts: 626 ✭✭✭chozometroid


    Deceived by the New Age by Will Baron

    Baron gives an insightful look into the dangers of the New Age movement, and his firsthand experience of becoming a follower and then New Age priest. He encountered a false Jesus, but eventually found his way out of it, before it was too late. He is now a Christian.
    This book is good for those who wish to spot the infiltration of New Age ideas into the Christian church.


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    #103
    Corksham
    Closed Accounts Posts: 190 ✭✭Corksham


    The Fulfillment of All Desire - Ralph Martin

    Saw this recommended by Kelly1, picked it up for a tenner in veritas (good value as its quite a chunky book), really enjoyed it and place it in the highly recommeded category (to quote Ab Lincoln - people who like this sort of thing will find .........)


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    #104
    boringteetotal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 48 ✭boringteetotal


    "Red Moon Rising-The Story of 24-7 Prayer"
    by Peter Greig and Dave Roberts

    Brilliant book! A story of many lives in many cultures, the power of 24-7 prayer and living a 'whole-life' faith.


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    #105
    PDN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    Just finished Philip Jenkins latest book, The Lost History of Christianity. Jenkins is one of my favourite authors, and this is the best book I've read so far this year. He traces the growth and development of the Nestorian and Syriac Churches in the Middle East and their spreading further east to places like India and China in the first few centuries of Christianity.

    This covers some of the same subject matter as William Dalrymple's From the Holy Mountain (also an excellent read) but from a more historical and less anecdotal perspective. He explores how this version of Christianity survived for so long under Muslim domination and persecution, and also how it finally declined.


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    #106
    JimiTime
    Registered Users Posts: 7,418 ✭✭✭JimiTime


    boringteetotal wrote: »
    "Red Moon Rising-The Story of 24-7 Prayer"
    by Peter Greig and Dave Roberts

    Brilliant book! A story of many lives in many cultures, the power of 24-7 prayer and living a 'whole-life' faith.

    Just wondering, what is 24-7 prayer? Is it what it suggests? i.e. someone praying 24-7? Actually, surely it can't mean that. Thats impossible...isn't it? Heck, just explain it to me:)


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    #107
    PDN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    JimiTime wrote: »
    Just wondering, what is 24-7 prayer? Is it what it suggests? i.e. someone praying 24-7? Actually, surely it can't mean that. Thats impossible...isn't it? Heck, just explain it to me:)

    It's where a group of people cooperate together to ensure that continuous unbroken prayer continues 24/7.

    The early Moravian Church, in the Eighteenth Century, maintained a prayer meeting that ran 24/7 for over a hundred years. During this time they became a missionary sending force that sent missionaries all over the world.

    Some 24/7 prayer is carried out by a single Church. I have visited one in Kansas City that has been praying non-stop for eight and a half years. Our own church has a vision to do this, but at present we only hold a 72-hour prayer meeting every six weeks or so.

    In some places members of different churches cooperate together, rent a premises, and work out rotas to ensure unbroken prayer continues.

    The modern 24/7 prayer movement is based in Europe and the UK and is predominantly run by youth and young adults.

    Read the book if you want to know more. It really is an inspiring read!


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    #108
    boringteetotal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 48 ✭boringteetotal


    They have a website

    www.24-7prayer.com

    :)


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    #109
    prinz
    Registered Users Posts: 14,598 ✭✭✭✭prinz


    "Blue Like Jazz" - by Don Miller.

    Great simple interesting read.About life and people in general with a Christian emphasis.


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    #110
    5673
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11 ✭5673


    what's so amazing about grace by Philip Yancy

    just finished really well written


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    #111
    Corksham
    Closed Accounts Posts: 190 ✭✭Corksham


    Conjectures of a Guily Bystander - Thomas Merton.

    Partial continuation from The Sign of Jonas in terms of biographical content, coupled with Merton insighftul observations on politics, literature and the society of his time, written with his usual dexterity and wit.

    Story of a soul - Saint Therese of Lisieux

    Biography of one of the doctors of the church, a read I enjoyed immensely. Very easy to read and shows how "human" saints really are.

    The Optimist - Laurence Shorter

    A feel good novel about one mans search for the true optimists in todays world. Written by a comedian (it shows :) ) Shorter meets Martin Seligman, Desmond Tutu and many other luminaries in a soul searching funny journey which takes him around the world. Perfect holiday reading:)
    Not a Christian take on life but optimism is always good in my book, pardon the pun


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    #112
    5673
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11 ✭5673


    THere is a beautiful Moravian Church building on Kevin Street ... It has their logo represented over the door ... 'that the lamb that was slain may receive the reward of His suffering' [from memory ...something like that] ...the building is now offices ! I think the last church that used the building for services was Cornerstone Christian Church [now in Dun Laoghaire] ...Yes an awesome missionary movement


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    #113
    PDN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    5673 wrote: »
    I think the last church that used the building for services was Cornerstone Christian Church [now in Dun Laoghaire] ...Yes an awesome missionary movement
    Who? The Moravians or Cornerstone?

    (Just kidding. Paul Perry, Pastor of Cornerstone, is a friend of mine so I couldn't resist that one! :) )


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    #114
    5673
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11 ✭5673


    :pac::D haha!


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    #115
    Phototoxin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,398 ✭✭✭Phototoxin


    Right please bear with me before 'akbaring' and detonating my post.

    I recently read the end of faith ; religion, terror and the future of reason by sam harris. While he makes many good arguments they are generally all the same thing you've heard before (and still not totally convincing tbh!) but I vehimently disagree with him on the topic of pacificism where he says its cowardly. And also that 1 serial killer with a knife in a city of pacificsts could potentially kill them all. To me this is horribly wrong and a serious misjudgement of pacificsm. Pacifism doens't mean lying down and taking it like a prision be-atch. The could still be police in a pacifist society to deal with the knife wielding guy as mentioned. (and hopefully medical science and rehabilitation advanced enough to help him) so I would not reccomend this book. (and yes I reccomend anti-religous books to religous people as they make you think!!)

    I'm reading a book on quakerism at the moment called 'A Light that is Shining: An Introduction to the Quakers' by harvey gilman... I got it free and really really really like it so far. Very good if you're interested in that.


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    #116
    solarant
    Closed Accounts Posts: 35 ✭solarant


    This is a has to be read book for any inquisitive christian.

    http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&ei=NJD7SfbcMIqgMqKxlcQE&resnum=1&q=jesus+interrupted&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=OJD7SabqFZGqMpPHwM8E&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#




    BrianCalgary wrote: »
    I have just finished reading a wondeful book called "The Five Love Languages". It was a real eye opener that has enhanced our 20 year marriage. Didn't think it could get any better.

    Post your reviews and titles here.

    Just a warning, it is for Christian based books ONLY. If you wish to post a book by Anton Levay or Shirley McLaine, the post will be punted.

    Back to the Love Languages. The author tells us that there are five love languages; quality time, touch, words of affirmation, gifts and acts of service. You may be a person who requires lots of touching, so you tell your wife you love her by touching her lots, meanwhile she need words of affirmation and you never tell her ho wwonderful she is.

    The book helps you determine your love language and that of your spouse and even your kids, this way you can express that love in terms that the receiver of your love can understand.


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    #117
    PDN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    I've got myself a Kindle from Amazon. It means I can download my books and carry a library of up to 1500 books with me when I travel. You've got to love technology!

    First book I downloaded and read was Jim and Casper Go to Church by Jim Henderson and Matt Casper.

    Basically it's where a Christian pastor hires an atheist to go to Church with him. Together they visit a variety of American megachurches to develop 'the gift of seeing ourselves as others see us'. Fascinating stuff.


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    #118
    robindch
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,399 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    PDN wrote: »
    First book I downloaded and read was Jim and Casper Go to Church by Jim Henderson and Matt Casper. Basically it's where a Christian pastor hires an atheist to go to Church with him. Together they visit a variety of American megachurches to develop 'the gift of seeing ourselves as others see us'.
    For half a second, I misread Jim Henderson as Jim Henson and assumed that he'd come back to life and departed with Casper the Ghost and some of his own divine creations for a megachurch tour. The possibilities are endless...

    It would be interesting to hear, in another thread perhaps, if Henderson and Casper did finally manage to find christians who saw themselves as others do and what they all made of it.


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    #119
    kelly1
    Registered Users Posts: 5,026 ✭✭✭kelly1


    I just read Alister's criticism of the God Delusion courtesy of my local library and it was quite good I thought. He gives heaps of examples of how Mr. Dawkins is just so bigoted, narrow-minded, biased and just out of his depth when deals with areas outside his own field of study e.g. philosophy, theology, anthropology and sociology. He's very uncritical of his own theories and selective when it comes to quoting the works of other whom he likes to use to support his crusade. He's also quite fond of the old straw man. God bless him.


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    #120
    toiletduck
    Registered Users Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭toiletduck


    I've found the plethora of rebuttals to the God Delusion with puntastic names hilarious. They're like a guaranteed cash cow.


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    #121
    thebouldwhacker
    Registered Users Posts: 3,565 ✭✭✭thebouldwhacker


    toiletduck wrote: »
    They're like a guaranteed cash cow.

    like a lot of things these days...:D


    'You gotta pay to pray' (zig & zag)


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