Tag Archives: Christianity

And Then There Were Nuns

Posted on February 13, 2014 by smellincoffee

And Then There Were Nuns: Adventures in a Cloistered Life© 2013 Jane Christmas292 pages When Jane Christmas’ boyfriend proposed to her, she gave him the most obvious reply: she said she wanted to join a nunnery.  It wasn’t that he … Continue reading →

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Zealot

Posted on October 29, 2013 by smellincoffee

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth© 2013 Raza Aslan337 pages Reza Aslan’s Zealot searches for the historical Jesus and finds him as a religious revolutionary, one who anticipated the imminent demise of the Roman Empire. No gentle … Continue reading →

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The Origin of Satan

Posted on October 26, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Origin of Satan: How Christianity Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics© 1996 Elaine Pagels240 pages Although Christianity sprang from Judaism, the two religions have sharply different conceptions of Satan. Christians view him as the prince of evil, the enemy of … Continue reading →

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Misquoting Jesus

Posted on October 18, 2013 by smellincoffee

Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why© 2005 Bart Ehrman256 pages Contrary to popular belief, the King James Bible did not fall out of the sky, a gift from a loving deity to his people below. … Continue reading →

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The New Faithful

Posted on October 5, 2013 by smellincoffee

The New Faithful: Why Young Adults are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy© 2002 Colleen Caroll320 pages  Every action produces its reaction, and to Colleen Carroll decades of religious liberalism have born their fruit in the form of young people flocking back to … Continue reading →

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Sundays in America

Posted on March 30, 2013 by smellincoffee

Sundays in America: A Yearlong Road Trip in Search of Christian Faith© 2008 Suzanne Strempek Shea311 pages The outpouring of devotion that followed Pope John Paul II’s death stirred Suzanne Shea: why hadn’t she felt like that in a long, … Continue reading →

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Mudhouse Sabbath

Posted on September 22, 2012 by smellincoffee

Mudhouse Sabbath: An Invitation to a Life of Spiritual Discipline © 2008 Laura Winner162 pages Increasingly, Christian religious scholars are examining Jesus in the context of his Jewish roots. While the works I’m familiar with have done this primarily to understand his … Continue reading →

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The Misunderstood Jew

Posted on January 19, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Misunderstood Jew: the Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus© 2007 Amy-Jill Levine250 pages  Amy-Jill Levine is a Jew for Jesus. No, not that kind of Jew — she’s happily Orthodox, thank you very much. But she grew … Continue reading →

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The Rapture Exposed

Posted on October 31, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Rapture Exposed: the Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation© 2004 Barbara R. Rossing224 pages “When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men … Continue reading →

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The Reformation

Posted on October 2, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Reformation: A history of European civilization from Wyclif to Calvin: 1300-1564© 1957 Will Durant1025 pages Although titled as a work of religious history, The Reformation is almost more a continuation of The Age of Faith in covering the final two … Continue reading →

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