Beautiful places, challenging thoughts, critical reviews
This is a very personal and a very honest autobiographical book, covering primarily the author’s childhood and youth. Growing up in a very conservative Christian environment, which causes him much emotional anguish, Yancey develops into an intelligent and gifted writer. His many successful books and fame as an inspiring Christian apologist prove he has largely overcome the wounds and fallacies of his upbringing.
Continue reading “A sad, sad story”
Gewissenhaft und mit Würde erfüllt Butler Stevens seine Pflichten in voller Unterordnung seines Dienstherrn. Dabei wägt er sorgfältig die Erfordernisse und Folgen jeder Handlung ab – in skurrilem Detail.
Ausserdem führt er ständig Selbstgespräche über längst vergangene Ereignisse, die für ihn offensichtlich von grosser Bedeutung sind. Er sinniert über das Verhalten und die Einstellungen seines früheren Herrn, Lord Darlington – “Die Demokratie gehört einer vergangenen Zeit an” – und seinen daraus resultierenden schlechten Ruf als möglicher Nazi-Sympathisant. Kein Vergleich zu den relativ sorglosen Meinungen und Gewohnheiten seines neuen Chefs, des Amerikaners Mr. Farraday.
Continue reading “Ein ordentlich trauriges Leben”
Tom Dwyer – the ex-professional footballer, whom we got to know during his teacher training in The Little Village School series and is now newly qualified – turns out to be an immensely likeable, too-good-to-be-true addition to the tiny, old-fashioned school at the top of the Dales.
Continue reading “Great fireside entertainment”
The theme of this book is both original and thought-provoking: a clandestine evangelistic mission to a despotically ruled city – reminiscent of present-day North Korea. Neither talking about the past nor emotional behaviour, neither pets nor religion, is permitted.
Gax is living in the house in which his grandparents grew up in Elabi. He was thoroughly briefed before sneaking in. Yet he is overwhelmed by the rigid class structure, civil organization and social customs he encounters. To say nothing of the intolerable heat. He is alarmed to discover everything he says aloud is processed and acted upon by his automated servant. He personifies ‘her’ with the name Yulra.
Continue reading “Intriguing but not entirely convincing”
Wie weit reicht Gottes Gute Nachricht? Ist die Sorge um die Umwelt Teil des christlichen Auftrags?
Laut Dave Bookless lautet die Antwort eindeutig: Ja. Das Buch »Und mitten drin leben wir« spricht von Gott, von der Ökologie und von Deiner Verantwortung.
Continue reading “Gottes Welt mit neuen Augen sehen”
I’m sure readers of the Bible sometimes wonder what happened next. Was that prophecy fulfilled? Did that tax collector or that prostitute manage to start a new, upright life? What became of the healed cripple?
Continue reading “What happened next?”
Had trouble putting it down! Rev. Mitton takes us on an exciting adventure, as a burnt-out Vicar meets the not-so-angelic Dorchadas and his worldly and otherworldly friends!
Continue reading “Time travel to tackle trauma”
If ever a book could trigger a real, grassroots social revolution to set the world to rights, this is it. Pope Francis dares to see the world as it is. He then proposes to choose a path that is consistent with the message of the biblical Prophets and the Gospel. And finally he offers a way to act, with a view to turning on its head the indifferent, materialistic attitude to life that many of us in the West have hitherto nurtured. He dares to dream of a better future.
Continue reading “A book to change the future!”
Philip de Braose dares not use his real name. He has too many enemies. In any case, as far as he is concerned, Philip de Braose is dead. That was public knowledge.
An agonizing betrayal in his youth had left him with no aim in life. Unless the desire to kill and be killed as a mercenary, hired by whichever of the various regional factions of France paid the most, can be called an aim. In that, he fails. A wandering monk, Hywel, is attracted by a magnificent warhorse. Next to it, in a ditch, he discovers the severely wounded and unconscious Philip. He carries him to the nearby abbey to be nurtured back to reasonable health.
Continue reading “A life-long quest for peace of heart”
One cannot repudiate Canon Andrew White’s frequent experiences of divine intervention, guidance and help in scenes of horrendous tragedy in the war zones of Baghdad and the religious tensions in other parts of the Middle East. His trust in the God who has revealed himself in Jesus and through the words of the Bible is unshakable. He shows tremendous courage, motivated by love, as he serves the innocent victims of war, whatever their religion or faction. And he steps in boldly to mediate in unimaginably stressful conflict situations.
Continue reading “Almost incredible!”