Thanks to this generous donor for making the publication of this book possible: The Lerman Family Foundation.Connecting the wisdom of tradition with contemporary spiritualityMesillat Yesharim is a classic of Jewish ethical literature. Written by one of the leading kabbalists of the late Middle Ages; it is also a window into the kabbalist’s understanding of the connection between ethics and mystical vision. Luzzatto; one of the great Hebrew stylists of his time; is acknowledged by some as the first writer of modern Hebrew; thus Mesillat Yesharim is also important for its place in Hebrew literature. This translation; published originally in 1936 by JPS; is a landmark in Jewish publishing. It made this Hebrew text finally available to English readers; and it gave us insights into the groundbreaking work that Kaplan did in orienting American Jews to the deep connection between ethical living and religious belief. It is no wonder that this book has become the centerpiece of the modern-day Mussar Movement; which inspires so many on their spiritual path. Rabbi Ira Stone; consummate teacher and stirring speaker; is a major force in the resurgence of the Mussar Movement. In his introduction; he presents Luzzatto and Mesillat Yesharim in their historical context; and gives us new insights into Kaplan’s emerging theology. Stone also explains the principles of reading that he uses in his commentary and teaching to make this medieval text so inspiring to readers today. This volume contains the original Kaplan translation; as well as those sections of the text that Kaplan omitted; along with Stone’s new commentary. The original Hebrew text is in the back of the book.
#34915 in Books Kregel Publications 2007-05-31Original language:Ancient GreekPDF # 1 8.00 x .98 x 5.28l; .75 #File Name: 082543307X368 pagesEusebius The Church History
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. An Indispensable ResourceBy A. Sutono; a.k.a.; Birdey The ObserverI am delighted that the first church history text by Eusebius of Caesarea is made available in English by Prof. Maier; an expert story-teller. The ten-volumes consist of Christology in book 1; the progress of Christianity from the ascension of Christ to the reign of Diocletian in books 2-7; the Diocletian persecution in book 8; Constantine's victory and his imperial favor to the church in book 9 and Christianity prospering as the state religion in book 10. Eusebius cites other authors such as Josephus on the account of the siege of Jerusalem under Titus the son of Vespasian the Caesar (p.82-87); whose scene reminds one of what happened during the first siege when the city fell to Babylon in 586 BC under Nebuchadnezzar that the prophet Jeremiah writes in Lamentations. One problem I am annoyed with in this book is Eusebius seems to be excessively concerned with names. He wants to ensure that he gets all the names right in the apostolic succession which may distract the solemnity of the reader's experience. Nevertheless; vivid descriptions of brutality towards Christians under hostile imperial regimes; the unspeakable suffering they endured with courage out of their love and allegiance to Jesus Christ are much appreciated for the edification of the church today. Some popular stories include the martyrdoms of Ignatius the bishop of Antioch and Polycarp the bishop of Smyrna. An excerpt from the letter Ignatius wrote sheds light on the account of his death (p.109);"From Syria to Rome; I am fighting with wild animals on land and sea; night and day; chained to ten leopards - a troop of soldiers - whom kindness makes even worse. Their shameful deeds increase my discipleship; but this does not justify me. May I benefit from those wild beasts that are ready for me; and I pray that they are prompt. I will coax them to devour me quickly; not as with some whom they have been afraid to touch. If they are unwilling; I will force them to do it. Pardon me; but I know what is best for me: now I am starting to be a disciple. May I envy nothing seen or unseen in gaining Jesus Christ. Let fire and cross; struggles with beasts; tearing bones apart; mangling limbs; crushing of my whole body; and tortures of the devil come upon me; if only I may attain Jesus Christ."The martyrdom of Polycarp (p.131-135); burnt alive at "the stadium;" is perhaps highlighted by the last moment before he died in which "he was filled with courage and joy; and his features with such grace that they did not pale with alarm at what was said to him." Then there is his remark in response to the governor's pressure on him to curse Christ "For eighty-six years I have been his servant and he has never done me wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"Both sides of the stories in Eusebius's Ekklesiastices Historias; the original title in Greek; in which Christianity was persecuted under Roman regimes before Constantine and its privileged status afterwards are reflected today in countries hostile to Christianity and the prosperous West; respectively. While there is no need to feel guilty for those of us living in the West; the Western churches would do well to remember various Scripture exhortations to support their persecuted brothers and sisters. I will only include Pink's exposition on Heb 10:32-34 and 13:3 in this regard; "It is the bounden duty for Christians to express in a practical way their compassion for any of Christ's suffering servants; doing everything in their power to succor; support and relieve them...remember them in your prayers; intercede for them; seeking on their behalf grace from God; that they may meekly acquiesce to his providential dealings...Finally; do unto them as you would wish them to do unto you were you in their place. If you can obtain permission; visit them (Matt 25:36); endeavor to comfort them; so far as practicable relieve their sufferings; and leave no stone unturned to seek their lawful release" (An Exposition of Hebrews; p.631; 1121-1122).11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. The source material for so many Christian HistoriesBy Jeffrey Van WagonerI have always been a great fan of history and have read the works of Gibbon; Durant; and Paul Johnson and noted that they all referenced Eusebius for the first few centuries of Christian history. I decided that I wanted to read this to see everything that he had to say instead of just reading the quotes others used. I also have a great interest in early Christian doctrines and the major heresies and thought this would be a good place to start.First of all; I thought the translation was excellent. The prose was very understandable and clear. Note that this is the only translation that I have read; so I have no comparison. I also liked the commentaries that the author put in after every chapter to put things into context and to update historical errors that Eusebius made.I found the extra biblical stories of the apostles fascinating. I also learned a lot about the early church fathers and the early heretics. Eusebius extensively covered the persecutions that the early Christians endured.As far as doctrines; he didn't go into much detail; except when explaining the heresies; and that was explaining what they didn't believe. The most enlightening section on his beliefs was in the end when he gave a Panegyric on the building of some churches. Here I was able to get a good feel for his beliefs in God. Maier did note that he trimmed this section a bit due to its "excessively eulogistic verbiage". I would be interested in seeing all of that section for doctrinal reasons. I'll have to look elsewhere. As far as I could tell; that is the only section he trimmed.I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in early Christian history. It is clearly a must for anyone interested in the subject.6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Invaluable Document on the History of the Christian ChurchBy Richard HildrethI am a catechumen in the Christian Orthodox church; and was assigned this by my priest; to learn the early history of the Church. I was intimidated at first. I knew that it would be an exhaustive read (which it was) and was also convinced that it was written in some archaic form which would be expected of a 2nd or 3rd century work. It wasn't. Whether it was Eusebius himself or the translator (probably a little of both); the book flowed surprisingly well. If you are a Protestant like I was and scratch your head and wonder; 'Hey; what are they not telling me? What happened between the writing of Revelation and the Reformation?' than read this book. After that read about the seven Ecumenical Counsels.
