The third edition of `World Religions in America', edited by Jacob Neusner, expands the text to include 20 chapters about the various aspects of religious experience and practice in America. As there is always a danger in any one person reading too lightly over the religious practices of another written by yet another, I enlisted the assistance of several other readers for reactions to this text. Not being Orthodox, or Christian Scientist, or Muslim, I enlisted readers from each of these faith traditions to read the chapters relating to their religions for their response. Each reader rated the relevant section `very good' to `excellent'.

As I read over the various chapters, I found the style engaging, entertaining and enlightening. Most writers write from their experience, either direct or long-standing academic. Andrew Greeley, who writes on the Catholic experience, is himself a Roman Catholic. Jacob Neusner, the editor, also wrote the chapter on Judaism, and is himself a Jew. The contributors read like a who's who of modern religious studies scholarship, and include Sam Gill (Native American religions), Martin Marty (Protestantism), Peter J. Paris (African-American experience), Justo L. Gonzalez (Hispanic religious experience), Jaroslav Pelikan (Orthodox), Gerald James Larson (Hinduism), Malcolm David Eckel (Buddhism), Robert S. Ellwood (East Asian religions), John Esposito (Islam), Dell deChant (World Religions made in the USA), Danny Jorgensen (Scientology, Nature religions, and Mormonism), Mike McMullen (Baha'i), Elizabeth Fox-Genovese (Women in religion), and William Scott Green (religion and society). One might notice directly the scarcity of female contributors.

This book is meant to be a textbook for introductory world religion courses. As such, the chapters each end with study questions, essay topics, and word/vocabulary lists. There is a glossary in the back, as well as a useful index (always a plus!). The writing is accessible to any with a high school education, given that there is a minimum of jargon and technical terms, and such as is used gets clearly defined and highlighted in lists and again in the glossary.

Neusner writes in his introduction that there are four different ways of exploring other religions: exclusivist (my way is the right way and you are all wrong); inclusivist (my way is right for me and your way is right for you); pluralist (every religion tells us something true); and empathetic interest (the primary focus of this book - looking at the ways in which religions are interesting and important historically and culturally, but not looking for theological truth). Neusner contends that this book will have been successful to the reader if the reader is able to understand important aspects of other religions and appreciate the importance of those aspects for the other person if meeting someone of another religion. In America, that is likely to happen. Almost all religions of the world are represented among the population of America, and certainly all `world religions' are present.

Perhaps the one drawback of the text is that there is no section on who the authors are - usually a text of this sort will have at least a one-paragraph synopsis of the qualifications and background of the contributing authors, but none is to be found here.

Overall, this is an excellent introductory text to world religions as they manifest in America. It could be used for parish-based studies on other religions, in adult classes in churches or colleges, or as a basic text for undergraduate students or seminarians to broaden the perspective, not only of the religious experience abroad, but the religious experience right next door.

Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki challenges the old assumptions of religious pluralism on many levels in her text, `Divinity and Diversity: A Christian Affirmation of Religious Pluralism.' As she states in the preface, once upon a time religious diversity in America largely extended to the different varieties of Protestant churches, and the one Catholic church (and, maybe, if the town was large enough, a Synagogue). As Judeo-Christian thought shares a common history (if not always a happy one), the pluralistic aspect didn't involve much more than looking beyond various shades of gray. Today's situation is vastly different, with the number of world and home-grown religions in many communities reach double or even triple digit proportions.

Suchocki asks the question, how do we deal with this phenomenon as Christians? Through various discussions of creation, radical incarnation, and the image of God in Godself, Suchocki argues that both the created world and God call for pluralistic understanding. The world was not created in a monotone manner - there was diversity from the very start. God in Godself is not monotone, either - the doctrine of the Trinity is used to explore the relationship of diversity within divinity, as a model for there being unity and diversity held in creative tension. Suchocki's treatment of the Reign of God is as a model for appreciating and protecting the `stranger in the gates', as that stranger includes everyone in creation.

Various theologians (Rahner, Tillich, Kung, etc.) have sought to preserve both the primacy or normativity of Christianity while respecting the values of other religions. Scholars and philosophers beyond the strict discipline of theology (Troeltsch, Hick, etc.) tried to explore `grand unification theories' or historical underpinnings that might make Christianity a relative commodity. Suchocki lays out four responses to the issue: exclusivism, inclusivism, pluralism, and transformation. Being a process theologian, Suchocki will of course opt for the final option - transformation. Using process ideas and tools, Suchocki explores the underpinnings of current thought religious and beyond to draw together a theology of diversity.

Suchocki concludes with a look at salvation and mission, and calls upon Christians to adopt in the twenty-first century world and beyond a new model of mission, that of friendship. `Friendship requires forthrightness about who we are, and an eagerness to listen to who the other is.' Friends do not force or coerce, but they can and do share. Friends discuss, and often persuade. This draws us into the peaceable kingdom of God.

For those who subscribe to the framework of process theology, this book is a wonderful excursion into the topic of pluralism. Not definitive and doctrinaire, it instead invites readers to continue the process of discernment of the issues of pluralism with questions at the end of each chapter, and various pieces of poetry, lyric or narrative story to spur the thinking on a different plane.

For those who are not familiar or not comfortable with process theological ideas, this book presents a challenge to look at the issues of exclusivity, inclusivity and pluralism in a new way, and to explore what transformation might be like. Perhaps some of the ideas found herein may also fit other theological frameworks, at least as food for thought.

Augustine's 'Confessions' is among the most important books ever written. One of the first autobiographical works in the modern sense, it also represents the first time a psychological and theological enterprise were combined. It also helps to bridge the gap between the Classical world and the Medieval world, exhibiting strong elements identifying with each of those major historical periods.

Most undergraduates in the liberal arts encounter the book at some point; all seminarians do (or should!). Many adults find (or rediscover) the book later, after school. For many in these categories, there are concepts, narrative strands and historical data new and unusual for them. Notes, commentaries and guides are called for - this book by Paffenroth and Kennedy is a good one in many respects.

This book does not represent the thinking and analysis of one (or two) primary authors. Instead, Paffenroth and Kennedy have drawn together an outstanding team of Augustinian scholars to each focus upon one book (or chapter) of the thirteen that comprise the 'Confessions'. They do not look for one overarching theme (or even several) and then try to force the text into that narrow confine; rather, they let each book speak for itself, each one through the interpretative and scholarly lens of a different observer. Each essay can stand on its own - they are not interdependent, but they do all address the same topic, and thus relate in that basic way.

In many respects, this variation-viewing of 'Confessions' suits Augustine's personality well - he was a passionate person, but his focus wavered for much of his life until finally settling upon Christianity and the neoplatonic synthesis with this faith. Even while remaining a passionate Christian and rejecting the sort of dualism present in the Manichee teachings, he varied between various positions within these systems. The authors are conservative and liberal, young and old, Catholic and Protestant. Augustine's varied thought reaches through many denominational and scholarly paradigms.

These are not Cliff's Notes - they do not represent simple synopses of the books in the 'Confessions'. The authors assume the reader of this text will be reading (or will have read) the actual text of the 'Confessions'. These essays are relatively short (the longest is 18 pages) but insightful and engaging. There are extensive endnotes for those whose interest is more scholarly (35 pages of endnotes, to be exact - almost twice the number of pages of the longest chapter), but the texts of the essays can be read without these notes perfectly well for the more casual reader.

The book includes at the end suggestions for further reading, a list which includes some classic standards (Brown, Chadwick) and other pieces that were new to me. There are indexes for scripture and for subjects, and a brief biographical paragraph on each of the contributing authors.

This is a book that will be of interest to novice readers of Augustine as well as scholars, to students, clergy and laypersons, and anyone else who might have an historical, literary, philosophical, theological or other interest in Augustine - something for everyone, perhaps?

Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, professor of English, is an accomplished poet, with grace and sensitivity that crosses artistic media and achieves great expression in volumes such as 'Drawn By the Light: Poems on Rembrandt's Religious Paintings.'

The layout and print quality of this text is remarkable. The colours leap from the page, even given the relatively muted tones and darker tones Rembrandt often used in his sacred topics. Some of the paintings in this small text are the most famous of Rembrandt's; besides his self-portrait on the cover, the book includes the following:

Two Scholars Disputing; Woman Bathing in a Stream; The Sacrifice of Isaac; Jacob Wrestling with the Angel; Jacob Blessing the Children of Joseph; Moses Smashing the Tablets; Hannah and Samuel; The Reconciliation of David and Absalom; Simeon with the Christ Child; The Head of Christ; Christ and the Woman of Samaria; The Return of the Prodigal Son; The Apostle Peter Denying Christ; Christ on the Cross; Christ at Emmaus; Self-Portrait as the Apostle Paul

Rembrandt had an art for taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary; he also brought the biblical stories into his own time period, in architecture, decoration, style of dress. McEntyre similarly brings the biblical stories and paintings into relief in words that are both timeless and current for the present. One cannot tell if the paintings adorn the poems or the poems adorn the paintings. The details brought out of the paintings, both in McEntyre's words and the highlighted sections of paintings assist in setting a mood of reflection that includes both the big picture and the details.

McEntyre's poetry sometimes seeks the thoughts and emotions of Rembrandt. Other times, the poetry seeks to elaborate upon and seek the meaning brought out in the paintings themselves. Her words invite emotional reflection, spiritual growth, theological inquiry, and a search into the mysteries of life, particularly life with God. God is in the shadows of the paintings; God is in the deep-etched faces of the people; God is in the verse.

God is also in the questions. Perhaps the most powerful piece here, and one of the most famous painting accompanying, is the Sacrifice of Isaac. McEntyre's verse speaks of the questions: 'What kind of God would require such appalling fidelity?' Of course, Abraham was faithful, but not without cost, as McEntrye continues that 'some madness will always haunt him', and Sarah his wife will always mistrust him, her eyes darkened with suspicion.

Further in the text, McEntyre explores another famous painting, the Return of the Prodigal Son. Here she speculates on the painter's gaze, as well as the human condition -- so little in life is private, and even reconciliation comes with a great cost. The prodigal son receives forgiveness, but the painting, like the gospel parable, is just a snapshot. The prodigal now returned will continue to bear his brother's enmity and be in his father's debt. McEntyre compares this with the attire of the prodigal -- that he will wear his past as a hair shirt regardless of the more festal vestments he dons over himself.

In all, this is a fascinating and wonderful text, a great meditation tool, and great for new insights into these important paintings.

True to the ecumenical, Disciples influence of the Chalice Press, the authors and the editor of this volume, Marti Steussy (professor at my old seminary), this text presents a broad-based introduction to the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures that should appeal to a wide-ranging audience. The fourteen contributors (including the author) represent a good cross-section of that current of biblical scholarship that uses the modern tools of critical analysis to discover the meanings and the difficulties with the text.

Intended primarily as an introductory text for undergraduates or seminary students, the text would also be useful for adult Sunday school and Bible study classes that give attention to the whole of the Old Testament. Despite the variety of authors, the text is uniformly accessible, free from jargon and technical terminology save where such is carefully explained, and does not to succumb to the temptation of 'scholars writing for other scholars' that some introductory texts fall victim to. The text does not dumb-down the material either, presenting interesting ideas, basic structures, subtle characteristics, and general patterns in a lively and engaging fashion.

Because the different parts of the Old Testament are different kinds of literature, not every chapter is structured in the same way, nor is the material all addressed in a similar fashion, but all chapters cover basics such as authorship and dating issues, historical context, literary and linguistic characteristics, and primary theology presented. Each chapter also presents short list of recent scholarship on the subject.

Despite the title of this book (Chalice Introduction to the Old Testament), in fact the terms used most frequently throughout the text are Hebrew Bible and First Testament - removing the possible stigma that the word 'Old' can give when applied to the texts, a form of supersessionism. Similarly, most dates are presented as BCE/CE (Before the Common Era/Common Era) rather than BC/AD, again as a nod to inclusivity.

The chapters are arranged with consideration for the ordering differences in the various canons (various Christian and Jewish) as well as composition date and literary type. However, each of the chapters stand on their own, and so the reader can progress in any order, depending on their own progress through Bible study. None of the chapters is lengthy (the entire text is under 300 pages, with 16 chapters dividing those pages), and each could easily be read in one sitting.

The first few chapters are introductory, and set the stage for the rest of the text - the introduction by Steussy discusses general terms and format for this text and the First Testament. The second chapter by Lowell Handy gives an overview of the history and geography of ancient Israel. Using a timeline and table, the progress of history in terms of kings and empires is laid out, but the one thing missing (given that this is also a geographical background) is a map. A few maps would be useful - while many Bibles will have maps the reader of this text can use (and the reader will want to have a good study Bible as a companion while reading), a few maps showing the broad setting of the Middle East and a more detailed map of the Syro-Palestinian area would be welcome.

The remaining fourteen chapters either look at particular books (Genesis, Deuteronomy, Isaiah) or sets/collections of similar literature (Samuel and Kings, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, The Twelve Prophets). In addition to providing general editorship and the introductory chapter, Steussy wrote the chapter on Psalms, and collaborated (with Lisa W. Davison of Lexington Theological Seminary) on the chapter on Samuel and Kings. Steussy's insights into the Psalms show the methodological care and theological sensitivity she brings to the text - highlighting the honesty in the psalms while addressing some of the popular misconceptions with the psalms, she draws a broad portrait of this most popular book as demonstrating not only the content of prayer, but also the process of prayer.

The glossary at the end is basic and handy. Perhaps given the introductory nature of the book, it could be fleshed out a bit more. There is a topical index, but there is no index for scripture references, which could be useful in cross-referencing. Still, these are minor flaws in an otherwise well-conceived and well-constructed text.

As truth in advertising is important, I must admit my bias. I know the editor and a few of the authors of this text (Marti Steussy and Carolyn Higginbotham are on faculty at my seminary; I know a few other authors from professional and academic circles). Steussy's class on the Introduction to the Old Testament remains one of my favourite classes from my seminary career, and she brings the same knowledge, enthusiasm and spirit to this text.

Part of a planned multi-volume series by Eerdmans, this first volume of 'A History of Biblical Interpretation' covers the ancient period -- variously defined by historians, it basically begins with the formation of the Hebrew scriptures and their translation into Greek into the Septuagint (LXX), proceeds to look the early Rabbinic and Apostolic periods, and proceeds into Christian history with the early Fathers and Apologists, Jerome, the closure of the canon, and the ending of imperial times.

I give great credit to this text as they devote much attention to looking at the Bible prior to the time of Jesus as Jewish texts in Jewish contexts, without superimposing a necessarily Christian framework or interpretation upon the texts. Space is precious, even in a multi-volume work, so decisions had to be made as to what to include and what to exclude (a decision that is always made in authorship, though rarely recognised explicitly as the editors here describe) -- while investigation of sidelines and minor strands in Judeo-Christian biblical interpretation is interesting, the decision was made to concentrate on the major influences and figures that continued to have major impact.

The editors Alan J. Hauser and Duane F. Watson provide an introductory chapter that explores the topics in the subsequent chapters of this volume, providing an initial framework and introduction for the overall strand of development. Over two thousand years of interpretation is a major topic to develop; even five hundred years is a formidible task, particularly when those five hundred years contain the formation of the canon of both the Tanakh and the Christian bible, and the formation of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaisms as established institutions.

Hauser and Watson explore the issues of unity and diversity, pointing out the shifting emphases over time. They then briefly describe major historical events and key topics and personalities crucial to the understanding of ancient biblical interpretation. These range from Midrash and the Dead Sea Scrolls to canonical formation and regional rivalries, such as that between Alexandria and Antioch. Hauser and Watson make the interesting observation that, at the end of the ancient period, as Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity were firmly established on separate paths, there was still a great deal of commonality in methods of interpretation. Upon reflection, this should come as no surprise, given that both grew up essentially in the same cultural and intellectual environments.

Succeeding chapters look at major figures and topics such as Philo of Alexandria; Jerome and the Vulgate; the Dead Sea Scrolls; Rabbinic Midrash; Apostolic Fathers; Augustine; and various other topics. The chapter on the Dead Sea Scrolls represents perhaps a departure from the stated intention of not going into minor and sectarian strands (for example, Samaritan interpretation is not a major topic explored in its own right, even though its direct interpretation influence is arguably stronger than the Dead Sea Scrolls until modern times). The Dead Sea Scrolls do, however, provide a snapshot of a sectarian development at a certain point in time, and the documentary evidence that survives represents some of the oldest and largest collections of biblical texts, exegetical writings, and other community pieces from the ancient world.

Each chapter is developed by a scholar expert in the topic; they do work together as a collection. As an aid to scholarship, there are several indexes: subject, ancient and modern author, biblical and extra-biblical primary sources (indeed, the indexes extend for 70 pages). Each chapter has a bibliography for further reading in each topic. I might argue with some of the bibliographic pieces (for example, there were a few key texts for Augustine that seemed to be missing from the list for that chapter), but in general they are good lists.

Scholarly yet accessible, complete without being unbearably lengthy, this book is a good study of the way in which people have looked at the Bible in the past; together with future volumes, it provides an interesting way in seeing how Biblical interpretative development in Judaism and Christianity has brought these religions to the position of diversity of opinion they occupy today.

Too many people think of ministry as the province or the responsibility of the professional ministers and clergy, or, if that circle is to be broadened, then to also include the church leaders, elders, and other 'significant persons' in the congregations. Not so! Verna Dozier, a lifelong worker in education and in the church, has compiled an anthology of great pieces arguing strongly against this sense of clericalism (as much an ill of the laity as it is of the clergy), and making persuasive and passionate pleas for the people to get out and do the ministry to which they were called through their commission at baptism.

Divided into three primary sections, the text deals with decision making, living in an incomplete world, and looking toward education as a resource and model for ministry by all. Each section highlights the issues with personal stories and practical situations, avoiding the theory-only writing that often gets approval but little action. Particularly written for people in modern Western society, issues such as politics, economics, business and work choices, relationships, and community responsibility all fall into place as elements needing consideration. Where does ministry lie? In the first section, the authors identify several primary places, but one is left with the inescapable conclusion that ministry opportunities exist everywhere, and do not have to be 'made'.

The second section, 'Living with the Incomplete', shows some of the difficulties. Ministry is never complete, as life is never complete. We live in a world where stories are broadcast on a regular basis that have a problem and solution presented within a half-hour to hour time frame - those stories that take three or more hours to complete are considered long. Also, there is the feeling that somehow this ministry is not real - if it was real, shouldn't those doing it be ordained? (The churches have much to answer for in this, reserving the institutional authority and honours for those institutionally ordained, and not giving proper recognition to those outside such hierarchies.) One writer, Nell Braxton Gibson, even makes the comment that occasionally, after telling people she is an unordained minister (and finding they don't believe her), sometimes she has trouble believing it herself. She concludes that, even through the lack of recognition by the church, her ministries are important to those she ministers to, and that makes them important, period.

The third section addresses the role of education in three ways: the relationship between the church and the world, the theological issues around ministry of the laity, and how this challenges the institutional church. The relationship between church and world has changed dramatically in the past generation, with fewer people going to church, and even fewer seeing any real connection between Sunday morning and the rest of the week. Ministry outside of the congregation in public life are highlighted as important. The theological issues are very important. Dozier remembers an incident where the tasks of the laypersons were to a certain extent denigrated by the call to create 'sacred space' for a Eucharistic service - devaluing the ministry that had been done by the laity in their 'not-so-sacred space' by implication. Dozier calls for a recognition of the dual nature of the church - the Church as an institution, and the Church as the People of God, with the latter being the more important. Clergy are in service of the latter, though often think and act as if they are primarily there for the former. The church needs to recognise that what happens Monday morning is at least as important, if not moreso, than what happens on Sunday morning. The laity should not be treated as second-class citizens, and clergy should not act as if they have religious authority that the laypersons don't have. Finally, the clergy are part of the church, but need to recognise they are there as servants, called to empower the people.

The third and final subsection gives specific suggestions for empowering the laity toward ministry, particularly from a congregational standpoint, and how to give opportunities to older persons, who might both have more time but also longer institutional dissuasion against doing 'ministry' themselves. The equipping of the saints is a biblically-mandated task that the church needs to recapture.

This book should be read by every clergy person of every denomination. It should also be read by every lay person! It is everyone's responsibility, and everyone's privilege to be a minister. This book can open some vistas.

Too many people think of ministry as the province or the responsibility of the professional ministers and clergy, or, if that circle is to be broadened, then to also include the church leaders, elders, and other 'significant persons' in the congregations. Not so! Verna Dozier, a lifelong worker in education and in the church, has compiled an anthology of great pieces arguing strongly against this sense of clericalism (as much an ill of the laity as it is of the clergy), and making persuasive and passionate pleas for the people to get out and do the ministry to which they were called through their commission at baptism.

Divided into three primary sections, the text deals with decision making, living in an incomplete world, and looking toward education as a resource and model for ministry by all. Each section highlights the issues with personal stories and practical situations, avoiding the theory-only writing that often gets approval but little action. Particularly written for people in modern Western society, issues such as politics, economics, business and work choices, relationships, and community responsibility all fall into place as elements needing consideration. Where does ministry lie? In the first section, the authors identify several primary places, but one is left with the inescapable conclusion that ministry opportunities exist everywhere, and do not have to be 'made'.

The second section, 'Living with the Incomplete', shows some of the difficulties. Ministry is never complete, as life is never complete. We live in a world where stories are broadcast on a regular basis that have a problem and solution presented within a half-hour to hour time frame - those stories that take three or more hours to complete are considered long. Also, there is the feeling that somehow this ministry is not real - if it was real, shouldn't those doing it be ordained? (The churches have much to answer for in this, reserving the institutional authority and honours for those institutionally ordained, and not giving proper recognition to those outside such hierarchies.) One writer, Nell Braxton Gibson, even makes the comment that occasionally, after telling people she is an unordained minister (and finding they don't believe her), sometimes she has trouble believing it herself. She concludes that, even through the lack of recognition by the church, her ministries are important to those she ministers to, and that makes them important, period.

The third section addresses the role of education in three ways: the relationship between the church and the world, the theological issues around ministry of the laity, and how this challenges the institutional church. The relationship between church and world has changed dramatically in the past generation, with fewer people going to church, and even fewer seeing any real connection between Sunday morning and the rest of the week. Ministry outside of the congregation in public life are highlighted as important. The theological issues are very important. Dozier remembers an incident where the tasks of the laypersons were to a certain extent denigrated by the call to create 'sacred space' for a Eucharistic service - devaluing the ministry that had been done by the laity in their 'not-so-sacred space' by implication. Dozier calls for a recognition of the dual nature of the church - the Church as an institution, and the Church as the People of God, with the latter being the more important. Clergy are in service of the latter, though often think and act as if they are primarily there for the former. The church needs to recognise that what happens Monday morning is at least as important, if not moreso, than what happens on Sunday morning. The laity should not be treated as second-class citizens, and clergy should not act as if they have religious authority that the laypersons don't have. Finally, the clergy are part of the church, but need to recognise they are there as servants, called to empower the people.

The third and final subsection gives specific suggestions for empowering the laity toward ministry, particularly from a congregational standpoint, and how to give opportunities to older persons, who might both have more time but also longer institutional dissuasion against doing 'ministry' themselves. The equipping of the saints is a biblically-mandated task that the church needs to recapture.

This book should be read by every clergy person of every denomination. It should also be read by every lay person! It is everyone's responsibility, and everyone's privilege to be a minister. This book can open some vistas.

This volume, The Q Thomas Reader, contains a bit of history unknown to most about the origins of Christian documents. The book is in two sections: the first deals with the Q, or Sayings, gospel, a hypothesised document most likely shared by Matthew and Luke as a basis for their gospels, and the Gospel of Thomas, an early document popular in some Christian communities, but which did not get incorporated into the final Christian canon of any community surviving past the ancient period.

The Q (short for Quelle, German for 'source') does not come down to modern times in any direct documentary form. Rather, it is a document whose existence has been theoretically accepted as a likely source for material that is shared by Matthew and Luke, but which is not found in Mark. The first three canonical gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, are called synoptic gospels, as they look at essentially the same events in the essentially the same way; Matthew and Luke both contain substantial parts of Mark (albeit with some revisions), and each contain original material, but the amount of material they share apart from the Markan material led scholars to believe there was another source (hence Quelle, source) they held in common. The introductory essay by Michael Steinhauser discusses this theory, as well as the method of reconstruction for Q. This is not without controversy, both in the theory and in the reconstruction, which the authors admit freely.

The translation of Q by John Kloppenborg is based upon his work 'Q Parallels', a new translation based upon Greek texts (so any particular English version may not agree with the translations here). Q is set out in both Matthew and Luke frameworks; the boldface shows verbatim agreements between the two in the Greek text, with various other notations used to show the differences. Where these refer to Mark or other scriptural texts, this is also noted.

The Gospel of Thomas is set out in a dual language format. Consisting of 114 verses or so (the division of books of the Bible into chapter and verse did not come until the latter half of Christian history - a thousand years passed between the formation of the canon and the insertion of chapter and verse numbers), the book was found as part of the Nag Hammadi library (which consists of many books and book fragments from the ancient days of Christianity that never made it to the official canon). Like many non-canonical gospels, the Gospel of Thomas is more a collection of sayings (like Q) rather than a narrative story (like the four canonical gospels in the Bible).

The Greek text here is presented comes from the Nag Hammadi library, with a new translation by Marvin Meyer presented beside. Following this text is a collection of translated pieces from the Oxyrhynchus fragments, which also contain pieces of the Gospel of Thomas (and were discovered as documents half a century prior to the Nag Hammadi discovery, but were not identified until after the Nag Hammadi pieces were published).

An introductory essay by Stephen Patterson introduces the Gospel of Thomas in similar fashion to Q; historical placement, discovery, linguistic and theological issues are explored, particularly the relationship between Thomas and the other schools of thought that made progress through early Christianity.

This book presents a fascinating introduction to some alternative theories and readings, and shows the diversity of opinion about Jesus in the early church. To understand the historical context and documentary progression that leads from early Christianity to the present is to better understand our own world, and this text is one small part of that path to understanding.

Adalbert Hamman's text, 'How to Read the Church Fathers', is part of a series by the Crossroad Press on how to read or study different aspects of church history, practice, and belief. This book deals with the group of people in the ancient, undivided church commonly referred to as the Church Fathers. It follows a basic progression of history: the second century (as the centre of Christianity shifts away from Jerusalem) when letter writing and apologetics was born; the third century as the church of the martyrs; the fourth and fifth centuries of consolidation and institutional growth, and then the beginnings of the East/West divisions.

This text was originally published in French, translated a few years later for the benefit of English-reading audiences. For a book that was prepared before the wide-spread influence of the internet, it bears a remarkable similarity to modern web pages in its format and design. There are boxes, highlighted areas, pull-quotes, sidebars and other features throughout -- this is no simple, boring narrative. There are charts (chronologies, canons, etc.), maps, timelines, definitions, line-art drawings, and more.

The text is only 130 pages, but packs a lot of information into these pages. There is a narrative strand that carries the history from the end of the Apostolic period (end of the first century) to the firm establishment of the church in the Empire (the fifth century or so). Attendant to this narrative are boxes that highlight definitions of terms, descriptions of major ideas (philosophy, history, etc.), brief biographies of major figures (Augustine, Irenaeus, Gregory, etc.), descriptions of practices (what did prayer look like in the ancient church?). The narrative history could be read in but a few sittings (perhaps, for the quick reader, even in one sitting). This can then be fleshed out by including the complementary information upon second reading. Like much of history, some memorisation of dates, persons, places, movements, etc. would be helpful -- the style of this text makes that much more easy to do.

This is a book of context and background. It does not take the place of doing reading in the primary texts. One will never get the true sense from Augustine's 'Confessions' by reading the summary here. However, one will get a greater appreciation for the larger Christian and Roman context into which Augustine was born and from which Augustine was writing. To this end, Hamman gives suggestions on how to read the ancient texts, reminding the reader here that the worldview was quite different, and the presumed message from the the text will be different today than in the past.

Interesting, accessible, full of great information, this book helps to make an unfortunately relatively obscure (yet vitally important) collection of people come alive in a relevant way for modern readers and modern church members.