Clipmarks | arifsali's Books collection

Jesus for the Non-Religious By John Shelby Spong

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 04:32:11 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Writing from his prison cell in Nazi Germany in 1945 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a young German theologian, sketched a vision of what he called "religionless Christianity." In this book, John Shelby Spong puts flesh onto the bare bones of Bonhoeffer's radical thought. The result is a strikingly new and different portrait of Jesus of Nazareth—a Jesus for the non-religious.

Spong challenges much of the traditional understanding that has for so long surrounded the Jesus of history, from the tale of his miraculous birth to a virgin, to the account of his cosmic ascension into the sky at the end of his life. Spong questions the historicity of the ideas that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, that he had twelve disciples, and that the miracle stories were meant to be descriptions of supernatural events. He also speaks directly to those contemporary critics of Christianity who call God a "delusion" and who write letters to a "Christian nation" and describe how Christianity has become evil and destructive.

Tags: religion, books, spong, jesus

Blogger's Reading List: Intro to Islam

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 21:05:11 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: I'm pretty much in agreement with the list.

Clip Source: www.islamicate.com

Reading List: Intro to Islam

What would an introductory reading list on Islam look like? Not for an academic audience, but for the educated lay reader? My suggestions:

Tags: islam, books, education

The Case for Islamo-christian Civilization

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 21:03:00 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: This is one of my favorite book on the topic.

Clip Source: www.amazon.com

The Case for Islamo-christian Civilization (Paperback)

Bulliet, a history professor at Columbia University and a former director of the Middle East Institute, offers a short, insightful book about Islam and Muslims that actually provides hope for the future. The book consists of four essays arguing that Islam and Christianity have tremendous common roots and history—as much as, or more than, Christianity and Judaism.

Bulliet's most brilliant insight, which comes in the last chapter, is the recognition that those Islamic movements on the fringe eventually become the center of Islam. The new leaders of Islam—probably those on the edge now, who have shown more diverse, tolerant attitudes—have not yet been heard from, he says.

Tags: islam, christianity, books

Jesus rode a donkey

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 21:56:19 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: Just picked up this book.

Clip Source: www.jesusrodeadonkey-thebook.com

During the last election, Christian Democrats often heard that the Republican vote was the values vote, that good Christians were Republicans, and that Democrats attacked people of faith. Yet, my understanding and prioritizing of the many values of caring for the poor, health care, over-coming discrimination, creating sound fiscal policy, working for peace, caring for the environment, overcoming governmental corruption - all are founded upon my Christian faith, and have led me from being a Republican to becoming a Democrat.

Jesus Rode a Donkey shines the light of Scripture and theology on policy decisions of both the Republican and Democratic party, and looks at the many ways that, I believe, the Republican party has lost its way -- by giving more tax breaks to the super-rich than the poor, by cutting back on environmental policies that protect the environment, by not caring for the poor, the needy, the have-nots in our society, by fueling the war rather than creating peace

Tags: jesus, democrats, republicans, religion, faith, book

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, the Singin' Scientist

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:56:24 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.drjilltaylor.com

Jill Bolte Taylor was a 37-year-old Harvard-trained and published brain scientist when a blood vessel exploded in her brain. Through the eyes of a curious neuroanatomist, she watched her mind completely deteriorate whereby she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. Because of her understanding of how the brain works, her respect for the cells composing her human form, and an amazing mother, Jill completely recovered her mind, brain and body. In My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey, Jill shares with us her recommendations for recovery and the insight she gained into the unique functions of the right and left halves of her brain. Having lost the categorizing, organizing, describing, judging and critically analyzing skills of her left brain, along with its language centers and thus ego center, Jill’s consciousness shifted away from normal reality.

Tags: science, scientists, brain

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 20:37:00 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.amazon.com

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations . . . One School at a Time (Hardcover)

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Some failures lead to phenomenal successes, and this American nurse's unsuccessful attempt to climb K2, the world's second tallest mountain, is one of them. Dangerously ill when he finished his climb in 1993, Mortenson was sheltered for seven weeks by the small Pakistani village of Korphe; in return, he promised to build the impoverished town's first school, a project that grew into the Central Asia Institute, which has since constructed more than 50 schools across rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Coauthor Relin recounts Mortenson's efforts in fascinating detail, presenting compelling portraits of the village elders, con artists, philanthropists, mujahideen, Taliban officials, ambitious school girls and upright Muslims Mortenson met along the way. As the book moves into the post-9/11 world, Mortenson and Relin argue that the United States must fight Islamic extremism in the region through collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty and improve access to education, especially for girls. Captivating and suspenseful, with engrossing accounts of both hostilities and unlikely friendships, this book will win many readers' hearts. (Mar.)

Tags: books, pakistan, afghanistan, peace, girls, education, schools, terrorism