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 collec= tions interested in literary connections to faith. It focuses on overcoming=
obstacles that impede faith and confidence, on adopting a selfless behavio=
r set that approaches both mortal and spiritual life with hope and proactiv=
e thinking, and it solidifies the kind of faith that connects individuals t=
o the freedom of choice they must maintain to strengthen their spiritual bo= nds: "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 depa= rted 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 t=
o 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 wi=
ll 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 lie=
s in an ability to connect daily life events with ethereal considerations o=
f growth and Christian perspective.

These elements weave through every poem to solidify its spiritual and emoti= onal draw. Whether discussing imperfection and humility or "...the importan=
ce of spiritual and mental release as I am no longer held captive to an una= pologetic 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 especial=
ly appeal to readers of faith, who will find within its poetic notes a wisd=
om about how to approach life and its deepest currents of challenge, and co= nnections to spiritual thinking.

Christian collections, in particular, will find it both literary in form an=
d 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 Christia= nity should be a mainstay in any Christian collection not because it explor=
es the usual contentions of Christian history; but because it defies many o=
f these traditional perceptions. Its controversial message won't be for eve=
ry Christian -- but it should be, because within its challenge of Church do= ctrine and the extreme efforts made over history to rewrite the image of Je= sus the man lies an intention to place Jesus in the kind of perspective tha=
t makes him even more of a spiritual figurehead: "When it comes to understa= nding 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 sacrifi=
ce 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 Go= d", they would have discovered an entirely different Jesus -- one more aliv=
e and vibrant than he who hung on the cross."

Vibrant, uplifting, and filled with reworkings of traditional Christian his= tory, 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 crucifixi=
on 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 of= ten 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, envi= sioning possibilities that could have stemmed from events if they were inte= rpreted and presented differently: "...there is no Christianity without Mar=
y 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 m=
an who was something even more intriguing than the mystical figure the Chur=
ch created from his life. Christian collections willing to consider this bo= ok'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 Greates=
t Love Story Never Told: Liberating Jesus and Mary from Christianity essent= ial 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 inter= preted 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/052565402=
X

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 fr= eely elected American government, rising numbers of the homeless and the hu= ngry, 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, an=
d 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 v= ersions 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, a=
nd 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 time=
s get crazy, is willing to get crazier (in a good way). One that understand=
s the big joy of how to human.

Critique: Written from a Christian perspective, "How to Human: Three Ways t=
o 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 th=
at is 'real world practical', motivationally inspirational, and thoroughly = 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. While highly recommende=
d for church, seminary, community, and academic library collections, it sho= uld be noted for the personal reading lists of seminary students, clergy, a=
nd all members of the Christian community that "How to Human" is also avail= able in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Carlos Whittaker (https://www.carloswhittaker.com) is a spe= aker, social media personality, and author of Moment Maker, Kill the Spider=
, and Enter Wild. A self-professed "hope dealer," he frequently speaks at s= ome of the nation's largest churches, corporations, and culture-shaping con= ferences 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.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
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Midwest Book Review

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