An explosive examination of the coalition of forces that threatens the nation; from the bestselling author of American Dynasty In his two most recent bestselling books; American Dynasty and Wealth and Democracy; Kevin Phillips established himself as a powerful critic of the political and economic forces that rule—and imperil—the United States; tracing the ever more alarming path of the emerging Republican majority’s rise to power. Now Phillips takes an uncompromising view of the current age of global overreach; fundamentalist religion; diminishing resources; and ballooning debt under the GOP majority. With an eye to the past and a searing vision of the future; Phillips confirms what too many Americans are still unwilling to admit about the depth of our misgovernment.
#273149 in Books Jaroslav Pelikan 2006-01-31 2006-01-31Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x .60 x 5.60l; .55 #File Name: 0143036777288 pagesWhose Bible Is It A Short History of the Scriptures
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great read. Easy history for modern humans to understandBy HeatherGreat read. Easy history for modern humans to understand.8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. The Many Faces of the BibleBy Marc Rubyâ„¢I decided to read this volume after a friend mentioned an interesting history of the creation of the King James version of the bible and I thought it behoved me to make sure I had a good picture of the several thousand years of biblical history that preceded the KJV. I really didn't expect it to be particularly interesting or insightful. Much to my surprise Pelikan managed to be both of those things; and a number of others; without displaying any particular axe to grind.The bible is hardly the staid; stodgy collection of pages that many of us think it is. Whether you think of it as a collection of tales and philosophy; or direct revelation; any number of peoples have adopted it; and changed either its wording or its interpretation. Often with unexpected results. Pelikan captures much of this as the bible shifts from the Torah; to the Tanach; and then the Septaguint; etc.; etc.; etc. This isn't dry history but a tale of human development and many of the great intellectual movements of Western culture.Pelikan is most interested in how to religions can use the same book and draw contradictory meanings from it. In Judaism; the bible is the public side of Jewish law and thought; as well is the (admittedly sometimes distorted) history of a people. It is important in itself. Christianity often views the Old Testament as the the source of evidence of Jesus' divine nature. As such the two can read the same text and see different things. In addition; They are reading in different languages with that whole set of complications. As Pelikan traces the history of the bible we begin to see a vast tapestry of the conflict between tradition and change. We begin to realise that this diversity is important and that what is needed is understanding; not conversion.There's no lack of scholarship here; but Pelikan is very good at avoiding excesses if detail which shedding light on the important facts. If you are looking for a book that discusses the bible without any layers of bias this is it.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Is the whole greater; or lesser; than the sum of the parts?By Delbert K. ClearVery readable--entertaining at times. Straightforward; historically accurate knowledge-base; drifts along between original meanings of words/phrases in Hebrew; Greek; Latin; English; and sometimes other languages without requiring an in-depth knowledge of these languages. Truly a book for the lay person who is "concerned" about the implications of claiming that the Bible; that we know best; is; or can be the absolute "Word of God." Falls a bit short in some chapters of really delivering the promise of the title--the last chapter is a good example--and does not wrap the book's basic premise; posed in a question form; with definitive resolution. This; of course; was probably his goal--to get the questions asked and parsed and left unresolved due to its fundamental resolvability. Perhaps his focus on any person's (as opposed to mankind's) relationship to God is individual;is the key to understanding the limits of the answer he gives.
