March 2023 MBR The Christian Studies Shelf

The Christian Studies Shelf

Peace in the Midst of the Storm
Kaleb Thompson
Resource Publications
c/o Wipf and Stock Publishers
https://wipfandstock.com
9781666733990, $28.00 Hardcover/$11.00 Paperback/$6.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Peace-Midst-Storm-Kaleb-Thompson/dp/1666733997

Peace in the Midst of the Storm will appeal to Christian readers and collections interested in literary connections to faith. It focuses on overcoming obstacles that impede faith and confidence, on adopting a selfless behavior set that approaches both mortal and spiritual life with hope and proactive thinking, and it solidifies the kind of faith that connects individuals to the freedom of choice they must maintain to strengthen their spiritual bonds: "I choose to live the rest of my life in peace/Through my battles and mistakes, I'm forgiven..."

From acknowledgement of the spiritual presence left behind by a dearly departed one in 'Heavenly Shadow' ("The battle you fought was won and the race you partook in was gracefully completed/Another angel was chosen; no need to tirelessly be included with a world deemed so shallow and dense/Our minds have processed that you are no longer with us, but with our hearts, you will never be deleted...") to a foray into another's egotism and the karma it transmits into the world in 'Broken Mirror', Kaleb Thompson's strength lies in an ability to connect daily life events with ethereal considerations of growth and Christian perspective.

These elements weave through every poem to solidify its spiritual and emotional draw. Whether discussing imperfection and humility or "...the importance of spiritual and mental release as I am no longer held captive to an unapologetic nightmare...", Peace in the Midst of the Storm depicts a variety of life-inducing storms and the methods by which peace (both emotional and spiritual) are derived from closer inspections of choice, consequences, and paths towards enlightenment. Peace in the Midst of the Storm will especially appeal to readers of faith, who will find within its poetic notes a wisdom about how to approach life and its deepest currents of challenge, and connections to spiritual thinking.

Christian collections, in particular, will find it both literary in form and filled with food for thought and debate in its subjects.

The Greatest Love Story Never Told
Avi Raa
Nirvana Foundation
https://www.nirvana.foundation
9798374196740, $18.95

https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Love-Story-Never-Told/dp/B0BSJF8TD4

The Greatest Love Story Never Told: Liberating Jesus and Mary from Christianity should be a mainstay in any Christian collection not because it explores the usual contentions of Christian history; but because it defies many of these traditional perceptions. Its controversial message won't be for every Christian -- but it should be, because within its challenge of Church doctrine and the extreme efforts made over history to rewrite the image of Jesus the man lies an intention to place Jesus in the kind of perspective that makes him even more of a spiritual figurehead: "When it comes to understanding Jesus, the single most important question humanity has failed to ask is, 'What did this young man find within him that he was willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of sharing it?'

If only Christians had asked this one question, without supplying it with a two-thousand-year-old stale biblical answer that he was a "Messenger of God", they would have discovered an entirely different Jesus -- one more alive and vibrant than he who hung on the cross."

Vibrant, uplifting, and filled with reworkings of traditional Christian history, The Greatest Love Story Never Told indeed walks the dangerous path of revisionary works in challenging some of the most closely-held legends of Christian belief. From Mary Magdalene's real role as the wife of Jesus and one of his apostles to her very human broken-heartedness over his crucifixion and the roots of why he was envisioned as rising from death after three days,

The Greatest Love Story Never Told not only adopts a broader perspective in re-interpreting the life of Jesus, but does so with fiery passion. This often translates to condemnations of not just Church doctrine, but challenges to the form of history that it created in the name of not God, but its own special interests.

Many of these passages will offer much food for thought in other ways, envisioning possibilities that could have stemmed from events if they were interpreted and presented differently: "...there is no Christianity without Mary and her internalization of Jesus' truth. If Mary Magdalene had been a man, in all likelihood her Christianity would have replaced that of Jesus'."

By now, it should be evident that, inherent in the controversial reworking of Christian history, there is enlightenment in the discovery of a living man who was something even more intriguing than the mystical figure the Church created from his life. Christian collections willing to consider this book's revolutionary and outspoken revisionist approach to Christian history will find it sparks not only debate and food for thought, but a different, more revealing appreciation for the path Jesus walked.

Libraries appealing to Christian readers and thinkers will find The Greatest Love Story Never Told: Liberating Jesus and Mary from Christianity essential for reading groups interested in different views of how Christian fact and fancy evolved. The book encourages reflection and debate as it forms an unusual perspective on Jesus' life and the way it was taken over and interpreted by the special interests of a Church undertaking to cement its power in the world.

How to Human
Carols Whittaker
WaterBrook Press
c/o WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group
10807 New Allegiance Drive Suite 500, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com
9780525654025, $18.00, PB, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/How-Human-Distracts-Divides-Disconnects/dp/052565402X

Synopsis: The Covid-19 Pandemic, white cops shooting down black men, a war breaking out between Russia and the Ukraine, an attempted overthrow of a freely elected American government, rising numbers of the homeless and the hungry, climate change based disasters world wide and here at home (and more!) -- these are crazy times. We are more agitated than ever. We're fighting. Wrestling with big issues. Less connected than ever to one another and to God. It's a perfect storm: debilitating anxiety, crashing relationships, and forgetting what it feels like to, well, be human.

With the publication of "How to Human: Three Ways to Share Life Beyond What Distracts, Divides, and Disconnects Us", author, speaker, and social-media personality Carlos Whittaker offers a fresh vision for becoming the best versions of ourselves. We can refuse to let disagreements define us. We can say no to becoming upset, rage-filled humans and say yes to fuller, happier lives. It begins as we make the shift from "me" to "we" to "everybody" in a three-part journey to be human, see fellow humans, and free those around us.

A practical guide which reveals how to help others, how to hope fiercely, and how to experience the thrill of being fully human, in the pages of "How to Human", Carlos describes a radical path of love -- one that requires us to become builders rather than destroyers. One that gets personal. One that moves toward others in faith rather than away in fear. One that, when times get crazy, is willing to get crazier (in a good way). One that understands the big joy of how to human.

Critique: Written from a Christian perspective, "How to Human: Three Ways to Share Life Beyond What Distracts, Divides, and Disconnects Us" by Carols Whittaker is especially and unreservedly recommended reading for anyone in need of a Christian based Self-Help/Spiritual Growth instructional guide that is 'real world practical', motivationally inspirational, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. While highly recommended for church, seminary, community, and academic library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of seminary students, clergy, and all members of the Christian community that "How to Human" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Carlos Whittaker (https://www.carloswhittaker.com) is a speaker, social media personality, and author of Moment Maker, Kill the Spider, and Enter Wild. A self-professed "hope dealer," he frequently speaks at some of the nation's largest churches, corporations, and culture-shaping conferences as well as events such as Orange Conference and MOMcon. Carlos is a People's Choice Award winner and host of the popular Human Hope podcast.

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