Book Description
Read by the author, this new audio version of his popular work offers today's Catholic, young and old alike, a collection of clear and concise answers to questions about the Catholic Faith. Best of all, the 200 questions addressed by Mr. Pinto came from real Catholic teenagers from all over the United States.
A well-known apologist and co-founder of the popular apologetics journal Envoy Magazine, Matt Pinto has an extensive personal background working with Catholic youth. Working for the Archdiocese of San Diego in both youth and young adult ministry, Matt developed a program of evangelization that has become a national model for success. Popular Catholic speaker and host of EWTN's youth oriented TV show Life on the Rock, Jeff Cavins says of Matt Pinto, "Those who know the author are impressed with his energy and enthusiasm in his work with young people. He knows how they think and the social and spiritual situations they face. As a popular youth speaker, Matt Pinto is a master at applying the truths of the Church to the ever-changing moral and social landscape. And now he brings his energy, enthusiasm, and skills to the written page." And now St. Joseph Communications has put his work into a format that can meet teens where they are: at home, in the car, on the beach, or wherever they listen to tapes or CDs!
Through his involvement in Catholic youth and young adult ministry, Matt Pinto has personally witnessed hundreds of teens and "Generation Xers" experience genuine conversion and surety of faith after being effectively introduced to the powerful life-changing teachings of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. What's the secret? According to Matt, teens want clear Catholic truth, and respond most enthusiastically when the faith isn't "watered down." He relates that, contrary to popular opinion among some DREs and other Catholic educators, teens don't run from the "tough teachings" when Catholic truth is taught with conviction. Teens are looking for a firm foundation in a changing world. The Catholic Church provides that foundation and Did Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons? provides the kind of uncompromising answers that teens are hungry for.
Matt Pinto insists that "Without a firm understanding of Catholic truth, young Catholics will flounder. They will be unsure of who they are and what they stand for." But with the answers in this timely presentation, young Catholics will be equipped to embrace, explain, share and defend their faith. Did Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons? is perfect for Confirmation class, RCIA, youth group or other religious education classes. Order today!
Customer Reviews:
Well-intentioned, but dangerous and un-Christian.......2007-06-15
Matthew Pinto didn't do all of his homework and writes about the effects of the Reformation in a way that is unfair and not true (he doens't cite his sources). He describes Martin Luther as being a real sinner and the Reformation as being one of the most (if not the most) cataclysmic events in the history of the Church. Huh? Martin Luther did the Catholic church a real favor by pointing out many of the un-Christian ways in which the Church conducted itself. The Church IS subject to error, and we have Martin Luther to thank for being amongst the first to really make this public. The Reformation has really been influential in making the Catholic church what it is today, whether Pinto likes it or not. In addition, Pinto argues that being Catholic is the best way to go to heaven. This is not sound Christian theology at all. If Pinto were further versed in matters of theology, he would know that the only differences between true Christian denominations are in defining the sacraments and how denominational churches are run. Regardless of whether you're Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, or Eastern Orthodox, ALL Christians are equally capable of getting in to heaven because they (ideally) share the same essential beliefs necessary to be saved by God. As a final point, Pinto says that homosexuality is something that can be healed. Apparently, Pinto has not done his research, or he would have found that the overwhelming majority of the scientific community have concluded that homosexuality is not a mental disorder that can be healed (the American Psychiatric Association dismissed homosexuality as not being a mental illness over thirty years ago). Pinto and many others need to realize that implying that homosexuals can be cured does nothing but spread hate. Ultimately, this book is well-intentioned but unfortunately states many un-Christian falsities under the facade of truth and may prove more dangerous to people searching for answers than help. Teenagers (and all those who read this book) do not deserve to be brainwashed.
Great Tool for Educators and Parents.......2006-11-10
I wish I had found this book several years ago, when I was teaching a Confirmation class. It covers many of the questions from my students that used to stump me . Some of the questions seem so simple--until you try to answer them so a teenager or child can understand! This book does a great job of answering the tough questions clearly. And it backs those answers up with Biblical references to show how the answers were put together.
Great Youth Book.......2005-08-11
I loved this book in high school. I thought it was great tool for any Catholic young adult. If you like this book you would also like: Men for Life: Everything You Need to Know to Start a Men's Pro-Life Club.
Approved by the Catholic Church! Excellent resource!.......2005-08-05
The only thing I dislike about this book is that it is advertised as being for teens. I really think it is for everyone. The book is a Q and A format which makes it much easier to swallow for those who are younger or perhaps do not want to undertake a huge amount of reading on the subject. There is no doubt that the title draws people in which I like. Anything that allows someone to get a good overview of the teachings of the Church without feeling that they need a degree in theology is a good thing. I would point out that the reviewer who said the author had problems with his theology has the right to his opinion but I fail to understand it. This book has been approved by the Catholic Church and it has both the Imprimateur and Nihil Obstat. Both of those mean that it has been reviewed and acknowledged to be free of error. I cannot understand why someone would judge a book as being theologically unsound when the Catholic Church itself has approved it. In my own opinion this book is right on with the Catechism and one of the very best you will find if you are looking for the truth in a format that is easier to understand.
Great Q&A Catechism for Teens.......2004-04-01
Matthew Pinto's "Did Adam & Eve Have Belly Buttons?" is a terrific way for teens to learn the Faith in bite-sized morsels. Covering everything from Sacraments to the Creed, he provides straightforward answers to a range of questions. The book contains Catholic Truth, not the "Catholic Lite" one may find elsewhere.
Buy the book. "Did Adam & Eve Have Belly Buttons" is an excellent Confirmation gift. But you might consider reading it yourself first--you'll be surprised by what you learn.
Amazon.com
"Many people have sex in mind a great deal of the time." Authors Malcolm Potts and Roger Short spent more than 15 years trying to understand and explain these passions. While not fully embracing biological determinism--that destiny is simply written in the genes--Potts and Short believe that evolutionary biology can help explain human behavior. In this book they focus on milestones in life's cycle, such as love, marriage, sex, pregnancy, birth, parenting, divorce, and death. Each of these complex behaviors is studied in turn and analyzed for its biological foundations and centuries of cultural modifications. Nearly 100 illustrations lend support to the authors' theories, and dozens of fascinating sidebars go into greater depth about everything from Siamese twins and cloning to wet-nursing and Viagra.
The book is not without its flaws: the authors' belief that most behaviors are biologically based leads them to make sexist conclusions at times--for example, they argue that a woman's interest in sports must primarily stem from a desire to please her man. They also maintain that evolutionary biology can suggest solutions to some of our most difficult problems, without suggesting what these solutions (or, indeed, problems) may be. That said, the authors do an excellent job of teasing out the twisted strands of nature and nurture that make us who we are. Though scholars may find the lack of footnotes frustrating, Ever Since Adam and Eve will pique the interest of educated readers. --C.B. Delaney
Book Description
Eminent scientists Malcolm Potts and Roger Short view the broad panorama of human sexual and reproductive behaviour to reveal an inextricable mixture of nature and nurture - a combination of innate actions which have evolved over the millennia to adapt us to a nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle, overlain by more recent cultural constraints imposed by civilization. For each of life’s milestones - sexual intercourse, conception, pregnancy, birth, puberty, love, marriage, parenting, menopause and death - they describe the biology behind our actions and consider how pressures imposed by various historical and contemporary cultures have further influenced our behaviour. By looking back at the past they attempt to make sense of the present, to see how and why these cultural modifications arose, how they have contributed to the richness of human sexual behaviour, and what our biological and cultural inheritance can teach us about safeguarding the continuation of our species.
Customer Reviews:
Ever Since Adam and Eve.......2000-03-20
This book is a MUST for anyone who considers themselves an unbiassed thinker. If only there were a text like this when I was in college. It will appeal to anyone interested in anthropology, sociology and/or zoology. You don't have to agree with the arguments of the authors as they are the flavour enhancers of the proverbial "food for thought". The beauty of this book is it's personal affect of invading your waking and sleeping hours with questions. Wonderfully stimulating, the best thing I have read in AGES. What a legacy.
A great Outlook on sexual inhabitions and what drives them!.......1999-08-26
This book was written by my uncle who has always been an inspiration in my life. This book is just another extension of his Greatness! Malcolm Potts takes his work very seriously. I know that this book will and has already made changes in my life as far as human sexuality goes. It will make me take my sexual desires and actions to a new and much safer level.
veryprovacative,justone of thosebooksthathasrealityalloverit.......1999-08-03
the book was very touching.it made feel as if iwas far away from God, and it made me realize how far my relationship with God really was, and i'm just glad that Malcolm Potts and Roger Short brought me back to reality...
Stunning summary of the human condition from then to now.......1999-07-13
Of course there is nothing new under the sun...or is there? Better read this often funny, frequently irreverent book with remarkable sexual pictures and graphics. New syntheses must draw on past information. Like any masterpiece, these authors took lifetimes to acquire and understand the knowledge they now offer us in this complex, yet easy to read scientific recitation of human and other sexual histories. The book tells you about our evolutionary hsitory, that we are indeed descended from earlier animals and even earlier forms of life. They document that the main evolutionary drive for humans and mammals generally has been and is SEX, for the key to our existence is the need to produce the BEST next generation. For many this book will prove an epiphany of understanding, a creation of more reverence for life, but one not based on the mythology of religion, but on the clear facts of science. Don't miss it.
well written cultural anthroplogy.......1999-05-24
Two internationally recognized authors have provided us with a sparkling volume; informative and engaging. Several lay friends have read my copy, and shared it with their families.
Book Description
Deepens and refreshes our view of early Christianity while casting a disturbing light on the evolution of the attitudes passed down to us.
Customer Reviews:
Ugh, not again........2007-05-27
That's it, last time I buy a book buy Pagels no matter how enlightened she is. This is the second time I've wasted money on a Pagels book because of a misleading title and synopsis. I'm tired of her misrepresentation, and the wtf look on my face after reading is simply not attractive. This is supposed to be a book about how Christians came up with the idea that sex is inherently evil and ended up being about beavers in their natural habitat. For all you literal people, that was called sarcasm.
The design of Genesis.......2005-11-12
Two creation accounts were later joined in GENESIS. In the first four hundred years Christians regarded freedom as the primary message of GENESIS. In Jesus's time anti-pagan feelings were strong among the pious and rural Jews. John the Baptist may lived with the Essenes. Jesus warned of the coming day of judgment. Rabbis, teachers, came to replace the hereditary caste of priests.
GENESIS commands be fruitful and multiply. Jesus reversed traditional priorities. He celebrated the single and childless. Within a century of Paul's death ascetic aspects of Jesus's message spread rapidly. Chrisitians attacked the gods and the imperilled pagans.
Christians in different provinces showed great diversity. Christians were distinguished for their moral rigor. Some Christians resented being told what to think and how to behave by the bishops. Some sought to know God directly through gnosis. Gnostics constituted an institutional threat.
After Constantine, heresy became a crime against the state. Jesus had said there were no grounds for divorce. Paul spoke of marriage in negative terms. Paul and Jesus sought to prepare for the end of the world. As the religious basis of society, Christians were to look to one another. They claimed moral equality. Some Gnostics believed in an internal source of desire and action.
Augustine was joyful when he gave up ambition and embraced celibacy. The ascetics were athletes for God. Augustine de-emphasized free-will and affirmed secular government in qualified fashion. He offered a theology of politics. The Christian view of freedom changed as Christianity became the religion of emperors.
All things old are new again..........2004-10-02
Elaine Pagels is perhaps best known as the author of the popular text, `The Gnostic Gospels', highlighting a lesser known arena in early Christian history. Her reputation is somewhat controversial, as is her writing, but one thing is certain - she is a good writer, interesting to read, and she will make her readers think. This particular book, `Adam, Eve and the Serpent' deals with issues surrounding sexuality and gender, a hot topic in the social and cultural situations of today, but similarly of concern throughout much of Christian history. There is a tug-of-war between `traditional values' (leaving aside that there are various traditions) and `revisionist' or `modern' ideas, and few are in agreement over where the boundaries should be drawn.
Pagels explores some of the ways in which these traditional roles of gender and patterns of sexual expression arose to become so powerfully ingrained in western Christian society. To this day, most people make the appeal to the early chapters of Genesis both as the paradigm for what God intended for the world as well as the explanation, if not the actual instance, of sin and evil encroaching upon the world. Pagels begins with a copy of the first few chapters of Genesis, and traces ways in which ancient Jewish and early Christian communities interpreted these chapters.
Each chapter in Pagel's book highlights a particular theme. The first chapter looks at the understanding of Jewish culture of the early Genesis stories that would have formed the world view of Jesus, Paul, and the other apostles and church leaders, all of whom were born and raised into this Jewish culture. Jesus and Paul do not seem to see original sin as being a sexual sin or act, according to Pagels, and humanity after Adam and Eve are still called to make a moral choice out of freedom that goes beyond sexuality.
Later chapters deal with the development of interpretation in light of the political and social situation, first as an oppressed minority, then later as a significant political presence in the empire. Pagels also devotes a chapter to looking at the Gnostics and their views toward gender and sexuality, the radicality of which sowed some of the discord between their community and the greater orthodox church. Pagels then devotes considerable space to the Augustinian development of ideas of sexuality, gender and human nature in relation to Genesis, as all subsequent Christian viewpoints in the West have some relationship, pro or con, to the Augustinian foundations. The prevailing idea of original sin as being sexual derives largely from Augustine (although some of it is based upon misinterpretation).
Pagels discusses briefly the issues of exegesis (interpretation) versus eisegesis (reading into the text, or projection) - it is often said that one can find most anything one wants in the bible by interpretation; Pagels has been charged with this as well. However, as an explanation of the ways in which certain texts were understood and passed on, Pagels is a good voice to include - her scholarship and research support is sound, and her interpretations fit within reasonable limits. This is a book that introduces the reader to ideas perhaps unknown, intriguing, and certainly worthy of conversation.
The Village Reader Review.......2004-07-14
Jesus interprets Genesis 1 to 3 in a radical new way, and the subsequent four centuries of orthodox and Gnostic Christians resulting thought process leads to modern ideas on relationships.
In first century Jerusalem there was conflict between the pagan Rome and Jewish culture and religion. There were also a struggles between Jews that had an accommodative posture toward Rome (led mostly by the upper classes and Priests that had the most to lose) and those, mostly more conservative and rural, that resisted Roman influence. In modern terms, Jesus was a resistance leader.
Pagels argues the conflict was partly due to Jesus' interpretation of Genesis. In Genesis 1:28, the basis for marriage was procreation - and by Jewish law, marriage without children was grounds for divorce. Christ turned the law upside down. When asked what the grounds for divorce were, his answer, in Matthew 19:4-6, is that there are none. "This answer shocked his Jewish listeners and, as Matthew tells it, pleased no one".
After the crucifixion, but long before the Reformation, two groups competed for the heart and soul of Christianity - the orthodox and Gnostics. The same Scriptural texts supported radically different viewpoints. Orthodox Christians read Genesis as "history with a moral" - and their viewpoint was "a proclamation of moral freedom". Pagels implies this led to the development of the rights of man, democracy and equality under the law. Gnostics believed that Genesis was a "myth with a meaning". They argued that Genesis could not be read literally because it didn't make sense. There were two different creation texts which didn't agree (Genesis 1:26, 27 and 2:7); they questioned if Adam and Eve could hear God's footsteps (Genesis 3:8) and wonder why God an omniscient God would ask "where are you?" (Genesis 3:9). They looked for a deeper meaning to scripture.
For four centuries orthodox and Gnostic waged a philosophical battle for the heart of Christianity. Orthodoxy won, and only now, nearly sixteen hundred years later, are some of the early arguments and texts being reexamined, after the discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts in 1945 and the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. This well written, probing, thought provoking book is a part of a reexamination of the development of religious thought.
The many influences of one myth..........2004-05-22
"Adam, Eve, and the Serpent" is a brief, fascinating introduction to the world that shaped early Christian thought. Pagels writes that, during the first four centuries of the common era, there were many different schools of thought about religion, almost as many as there are in the contemporary American setting that she writes.
In this book, she examines how one myth -- the story of the fall of Adam and Eve-- shaped different religious thinkers. Some, like Augustine, took it as an illustration of the inherantly sinful nature of people, and used the story to flesh out his highly influential beliefs about original sin. Other religious thinkers, like Gnostics, saw the myth as an allegory about the spirit (Eve) within the flesh (Adam) and even went so far to see the serpant as an early foreshadowing to Christ. The fall wasn't a bad thing -- it was an allegory of emerging spiritual consciousness.
Readers may be surprised to discover just how influential the Adam and Eve myth really was. For many under Roman rule, it was the first introduction to a notion of human equality-- all people were equal creations of God-- and a spark that lead to contemporary American concepts that "all men are created equal." (Just to be accurate, in both of these periods it was only men who were seen as equal, and no consideration was given to women, slaves, etc...) Pagels points out that an idea like this, which the American founding fathers took to be 'self-evident' is in fact an empirically unprovable concept, and philosophers like Aristotle would have found it absurd.
Elsewhere in the book, Pagels provides an interesting window into Christian attitudes about celibacy. I was surprised to learn a life of renunciation was seen as a freedom from the responsibilities of family life -- my modern mind was more trained to see it as a purely religious concept, not a practical one.
Pagels has a succint, controlled writing style that is hypnotic. In just 154 pages, she covers a lot of ground. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and would be curious to see other treatments of the singular influence of certain Bible stories.
Average customer rating:
- Magnetic Poetry
- the Signet edition is my favorite
- Shakespeare's Successor
- A Blind Man creates a Sensational Poem!!!
- Satan needs a hug
|
Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained (The Signet Classic Poetry Series)
John Milton
Manufacturer: Signet Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Classics
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| Poetry
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Poetry
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Milton, John
| Classics
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Classics
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
United States
| Single Authors
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
British & Irish
| Single Authors
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Milton, John
| ( M )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Milton, John
| ( M )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
( M )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Melville, Herman
| Moliere
Classics
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
British & Irish
| Single Authors
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
United States
| Single Authors
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Classics
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Austen, Jane
| Bronte, Charlotte
| Bronte, Emily
| Bunyan, John
| Carroll, Lewis
| Chaucer, Geoffrey
| Collins, Wilkie
| Conrad, Joseph
| Dickens, Charles
| Eliot, George
| General
| Hardy, Thomas
| James, Henry
| Kipling, Rudyard
| Lawrence, D.H.
| Wilde, Oscar
General
| Classics
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
20th Century
| Poetry
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Poetry
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
( M )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Maxwell, John C.
| McDowell, Josh
| Merton, Thomas
Poetry
| Fiction & Poetry
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Divine Comedy
-
The Divine Comedy: Inferno; Purgatorio; Paradiso (Everyman's Library)
-
The Dore Illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy
-
The Canterbury Tales (Bantam Classics)
-
Beowulf: A New Verse Translation (Bilingual Edition)
ASIN: 0451527925
Release Date: 2001-11-07 |
Book Description
Here in one volume are the complete texts of two of the greatest epic poems in English literature, each a profound exploration of the moral problems of God's justice. They demonstrate Milton's genius for classicism and innovation, narrative and drama-and are a grand example of what Samuel Johnson called his "peculiar power to astonish."
Edited by Christopher Ricks
With a New Introduction by Dr. Susanne Woods
Download Description
Now had the great Proclaimer, with a voice More awful than the sound of trumpet, cried Repentance, and Heaven's kingdom nigh at hand To all baptized. To his great baptism flocked With awe the regions round, and with them came From Nazareth the son of Joseph deemed --Milton.
Customer Reviews:
Magnetic Poetry.......2007-05-13
This is what illegal drugs will get you "Paradise Lost," even if it is regained!
the Signet edition is my favorite.......2007-05-06
I have maybe a half-dozen editions of "Paradise Lost."
Whenever I need to reread it quickly, I pick up the Signet Classic edition. It's got to be my favorite.
There are more thorough editions, certainly. But the thing I like about the Signet edition is that it's got this whole Goldilocks thing going on with the footnotes. Not too few, not too many.
In the text, words and phrases that are glossed at the bottom of the page have a little circle (a degree sign) next to them. You look down if you need to; if you don't, you keep reading. I like this because many editions don't indicate in the running text when something has a gloss: one must flip to the back of the book to hunt this out for oneself.
Additionally, there are not so many footnotes that they clutter up half (or more) of the page: I'm sure you're familiar with this sight.
Originally this was edited by Christopher Ricks (of Cambridge). In addition to the bibliography, chronology, and footnotes, he also wrote a short introduction. That unremarkable introduction has now been supplanted by one done by Susanne Woods, to which I am also indifferent.
The Signet edition also fits snugly in your hand, as other, meatier editions do not.
Too bad Amazon buries this edition in the back pages. I had to hunt around a while before I could find it!
Shakespeare's Successor.......2006-10-11
"Paradise Lost" and "Paradise Regained" really entitle John Milton to be called Shakespeare's successor. While the material may seem to be drawn out at times, we must remember that Milton is exercising his mastery of the English language. It is my opinion that you will enjoy this book the most after you have read the Bible. Basically, "Paradise Lost" is this. Satan has been defeated by the forces of God; Satan tries to cheer up what's left of his defeated forces; he contemplates another move; like a good leader, he listens to what his different allies have to say; he then journeys out of hell to find something he can use; God becomes aware of Satan's 2nd wind and fears that man will be corrupted by Satan; Jesus offers to sacrifice himself for the salvation of man; the angel Uriel sees Satan and warns the angel Gabriel of Satan's presence; Gabriel goes to Eden and explains to Adam how God's angels defeated Satan as well as the story of creation; Satan gets Eve to eat the forbidden apple; in sorrow, Adam decides to share Eve's fate; before being cast out, the angel Michael encourages Adam by telling of the coming of Christ. It is interesting how Milton was able to make Satan human and sympathetic. One really interesting thing is that Satan tricks Eve into eating the forbidden apple, but he honestly thinks it is an absurd rule God gave them: "...can it be a sin to know, / Can it be death? and do they only stand / By ignorance, is that their happy state, / The proof of their obedience and their faith?" (Book 4, Lines 517-520). If I may be permitted a slight digression, in "Bedazzled," Peter Cook as the devil hinted at how he thought this was absurd: "I'll tell you why Adam and Eve were so happy. They were pig ignorant." The most frightening thing about this book is that at times, Satan does have reason on his side. Moving on to "Paradise Regained," that is a longer and more articulate telling of Christ's temptation in the desert. While some people may find it disturbing to see a human, sympathetic, and at times very rational Satan, Milton truly deserves to be called William Shakespeare's successor.
A Blind Man creates a Sensational Poem!!!.......2005-04-19
+++++
(Note that this review is for the book "Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained" published by Signet Classic in 2001.)
"Of Man's First disobedience, and the Fruit
Of the Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste
Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat"
Thus begins some say the greatest and most controversial epic non-rhyming poem (which has two parts, some say two poems) in English literature. The first part was published in 1667 and the second part in 1671 by a then blind poet named John Milton (1608 to 1674).
"Paradise Lost" consists of twelve long chapters or "books." "Paradise Regained" is the more subdued and much simpler second part and consists of four books. The first part is centered around the biblical story of the fall of Adam and Eve and ranges from heaven to hell while the second part is the story of Satan's triple temptation of the Son of God in the wilderness.
Both parts of this poem can be read for their magnificent poetry, their powerful imagery and language, their imaginative vision and storytelling, or their complex and passionate view of human suffering.
My favorite lines from this poem are:
" The mind is its own place, and in itself,
Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n."
Besides the poem, this particular book has three main features:
(1) Introduction by Dr. Susanne Woods, a Professor of English (at Wheaton College in Massachusetts). It is excellent and provides valuable insight on Milton's poem.
(2) Notes and Footnotes by Chris Ricks, a professor of humanities (at Boston University). Each chapter or book of the poem begins with a brief "argument," a note that summarizes in modern English each book's contents. I found these an invaluable aid. As well, there are footnotes throughout that help the reader with obscure language and indicate nuances and puns.
(3) Chronology of Milton's life. When did Milton go blind? Was Milton married? Was Milton ever arrested? These are the sorts of questions that are answered instantly in this section.
This poem can be a challenging read but ultimately worth it. I recommend not rushing when reading it.
The artwork on the cover of this book is impressive. It is an image entitled "The Shepherd's Dream" (from "Paradise Lost") by artist Henry Fuseli.
Finally, to get an extraordinary visual impression of the first, longer part of this poem, I recommend "Dore's Illustrations for Paradise Lost" (1993) by Gustave Dore.
In conclusion, be sure two read this epic poem to see why it "has thrilled, challenged, and sometimes dismayed readers from the seventeenth to twenty-first century!"
(published 2001; introduction; general note on this text; a note on this edition; chronology; "Paradise Lost" in 12 books; "Paradise Regained" in 4 books; main narrative 360 pages; selected bibliography)
+++++
Satan needs a hug.......2005-03-07
The connected plot of "Paradise Lost" and its accompanying poem "Paradise Regained" contains no surprises for anyone who is even casually familiar with the Bible. Milton, however, does something remarkable the Bible doesn't do--he inflates Satan from a mere flat symbol of evil into a complex personality that enlivens his identity as the principal enemy of God, Jesus, and man. Who is Satan, where did he come from, why does he do the things he does, and, most importantly, why is he an indispensable part of the Christian myth? Milton takes the initiative of asking and answering these questions.
Divided into twelve "books," "Paradise Lost" begins with a war in Heaven instigated by the angel Lucifer who, with the help of many rebellious cohorts, tries to wrest control of the celestial kingdom from God. Like a school principal putting kids in detention for starting a food fight in the cafeteria, God deals swiftly and severely with the miscreants, hurling them "headlong flaming from the ethereal sky/With hideous ruin and combustion down/To bottomless perdition, there to dwell/In adamantine chains and penal fire." That's powerful stuff.
The rebel angels, now transformed into devils for their treachery, are imprisoned in Hell, a hot, smelly, miserable place, with Lucifer (now named Satan) their lord to dwell in a palace called Pandemonium--the place of all demons. Milton assigns names of heathen gods to the devils and allows three of them to offer advice on the proper course of action for the hell-bound. The bellicose Moloch insists on resuming war with Heaven, the rational Belial believes a peaceful acceptance of their sentence will eventually restore them to God's good graces, and the pragmatic Mammon suggests they should establish and rule Hell as their new dominion rather than return to Heaven as servants. But Satan has another idea--to travel through Chaos (the dark, lifeless void connecting the realms) to Earth to corrupt Man, the new being with whom God plans to replace the expelled angels in Heaven.
Satan would be uninteresting if he were no more than a fist-shaking, teeth-gnashing villain, but Milton endows this vilest of creatures with the most human of consciences. While on his nefarious mission, as he rapturously views the luxuriant Eden, he laments, "O sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams/That bring to my remembrance from what state/I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere;" and the jealousy mixed with sorrow is palpable. He knows he did wrong and momentarily regrets his misbehavior, but he also knows that there can never be a reconciliation between him and God, and therefore resigns himself to be forever the king of evil and vie for man's soul. It is here that Satan eavesdrops (pun not intended) on Adam and Eve talking about the Tree of Knowledge, the fruit of which they are forbidden to eat.
Regarding the Tree of Knowledge, the poem inevitably raises the issue of entrapment. What is the purpose of the Tree? Simply that God demands obedience, and obedience can be tested only if there exists something to provide an opportunity to disobey. The material component of this opportunity is the Tree; the human component is the Tempter, who of course is Satan. Jesus, as narrated in "Paradise Regained," is the exemplary resister of Temptation, rejecting Satan's offer of world domination and his challenges to test his faith in God by turning stones to bread and casting himself from the top of the temple's spire. Through embellishment and dramatization, Milton makes ideas like these more explicit in the "Paradise Lost/Regained" poems than they are in the Bible.
Completely blind by the time he wrote these poems, John Milton was a man of strong but curious convictions--he defended the freedom of the press, but he lauded Cromwell and condoned regicide. As poems, "Paradise Lost/Regained" can be read as sacred, reflecting much of English religious thinking of the seventeenth century, or as heroic, subtly illustrating Milton's assiduous efforts to reform religion and government. But regardless of its subtext, it's no wonder that "Paradise Lost" has become one of the most celebrated accomplishments in the English language--the book of Genesis could not have been re-imagined more vividly, more terrifyingly, more beautifully.
Average customer rating:
- Valuable, but Skewed
- Essential reference book for anything about Eve!
|
Eve & Adam: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Readings on Genesis and Gender
Manufacturer: Indiana University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Gender Studies
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Feminist Theory
| Women's Studies
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Old Testament
| Commentaries
| Reference
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Criticism & Interpretation
| Reference
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Old Testament
| Criticism & Interpretation
| Reference
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Criticism & Interpretation
| Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)
| Sacred Writings
| Judaism
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Study
| Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)
| Sacred Writings
| Judaism
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Comparative Religion
| Religious Studies
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Religion & Spirituality
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
People of the Covenant: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
-
Nuer Religion
-
Global Bible Commentary
-
Hagar, Sarah, And Their Children: Jewish, Christian, And Muslim Perspectives
-
Aging in a Changing Society
ASIN: 0253212715 |
Customer Reviews:
Valuable, but Skewed.......2005-11-25
I'm not going to say it's a bad book. There are very few books that draw together so many fine and seminal pieces of literature and play them against one another so well. It's a fine book.
There are, however, features of the book which are just maddening. Did ancient religious scholars stop to question the historicity of Genesis 1-3? No, out of enlightened self-interest (and a strong wish to avoid being executed as an apostate) they did not. As the modern inheritors of that legacy, we are not quite so bound up in the literal. I think the editors, all very capible, might have included more material from the mythological, metaphysical, and allegorical readings of creation and fall.
It is an exceptional book as it is--but it could be a real masterwork if some slightly more heretical material were included.
Essential reference book for anything about Eve!.......1999-11-03
Magnificant book! The authors have done a tremendous job collecting together a broad but representative array of readings about Eve from three religious traditions. Anyone doing research on the Adam and Eve story, or anyone wanting the background to the naming and valuation of women which has developed from the Adam and Eve story must get this book! Helpful summaries move the reader through the plethora of material, noting important changes and developments in thinking through the centuries. A great text for women's studies, feminist theologies and literary studies.
Book Description
An American legend rewrites a remarkably contemporary Adam and Eve. In tackling the first three chapters of Genesis, Twain creates a story of The First Couple who are psychologically familiar to even 21st Century Americans. He wrote the Diaries as a tribute to his own marriage, so they are also his most heartfelt and personal work. Between 1893 and 1906, he attempted six versions; only these satisfied him and were published in his lifetime.
This expanded edition is • beautifully illustrated • faithful to Twain's final rewrites • faithful to Twain's wish that the two tales be "bound together" • and includes passages published for the first time.
Customer Reviews:
interesting point of view. .......2007-05-10
unique and intriging. fun and fast to listen to. very creative.
Sweet.......2007-05-09
I came to this book by way of a banned books list (The Diary of Eve has been banned in some schools). I was hesitant to read it; high school didn't make me a fan of Twain but I can finally say that I have a favorite book by him. I'm glad I decided to go ahead and 'knock it off my list' because both these 'diaries' tell a sweet love story. This is what a romance novel should be!
P.S. My religious beliefs fall under "eclectic paganism"; you don't have to be Christian to enjoy this book.
Perfect Gift for Next Valentine's Day.......2007-03-29
We got this CD because we had seen THE APPLE TREE (which is based on THE DIARIES OF ADAM & EVE), and wanted to go back to the source. The source is beautiful, a love story like none other. And what a perspective on the Bible. Now we'll have to buy the book so we can put our own voices to the text.
Treasured.......2007-01-06
My spouse and I loved this book so much we chose it as the only reading in our wedding, and so I completely agree that it would make a great wedding or anniversary gift. It is perhaps the best thing Twain ever wrote, because it is everything: hilarious, tragic, cynical, tender, and hopeful. Apparently, Twain started this before his wife's death and came back to it again afterwards, which I think is why there is so much passion and reflection in the story. There are earlier versions that were published in serial format and are also worth reading.
In essence, this is the first and the last love story, as Eve says. And so it is also everyone's love story. The development of Adam and Eve's relationship is the main focus here, but I disagree that Twain's views about God are not here, too. Whereas Adam seems content to just follow orders, it's Eve's questioning of God and The Fall that adds such depth to the story. This piece really is about the best and worst not only of the human race, but of God as well, told in a way that makes you realize why Twain is probably the best writer this country will ever see. It's only a 45 minute read, but it's one that you'll treasure.
The Diaries of Adam & Eve: Translated by Mark Twain.......2005-10-10
Great buy....just as described....quick delivery!!!
Book Description
The beginning is everything, and the tale of human beginnings is no exception. We cannot understand our destiny until we find our place within the story of our origins. In this book, Gary Anderson explores both Jewish and Christian readings of the account of Adam and Eve and charts how human ends are configured by human beginnings.
Customer Reviews:
A difficult but enlightening monograph.......2002-06-23
I found this to be an enlightening yet difficult read. The difficulty I blame on my background and not on the author's writing skills. As a Southern Baptist, I know almost nothing about the beliefs and practices of Judaism and very little of various themes, writings, and rites of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox religions. The author relies strongly on sources I am unfamiliar with, and the text does seem more geared toward Catholicism than Protestantism. It was quite a learning experience for me to be introduced to the Talmud, rabbinical sources, and early Christian church writings not included in my Protestant Bible. I was rather amazed at the complex arguments and ideas about Adam and Eve in the Jewish and early Christian worlds; the author presented me with many thoughts and ideas that make sense yet had just never occurred to me. The basic argument I took from this work is that Adam and Eve can only be properly understood in conjunction with the "ends" of Jewish and Christian goals, which center on the giving of the Torah to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai and in the birth and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, respectively. While I have seen Christ described as the second Adam, I found the comparison of Eve to the Virgin Mary quite interesting. There has obviously been much debate among religious scholars about the events and meanings of the Fall and exile from Eden of Adam and Eve, and the author seems to address every thought and suggestion possible in this regard. He also provided me with interesting information on the rebellion and exile of Satan, drawing largely from sources outside my own religious jurisdiction. As a Christian, the concept of Original Sin has been an idea I have always accepted without question, and it was interesting to see how the full concept of Original Sin was actually developed by Saint Augustine. The author helps illustrate his points with discussions of religious artwork such as that of the Sistine Chapel and the illuminating epics of Milton's Paradise Lost and Dante's Inferno. Overall, I learned a lot from this book, information which I cannot fully digest without further study. Someone familiar with the Jewish and early Christian doctrines will doubtless find this book a much easier read than I did, but I think all Christians can certainly gain new perspectives on their beliefs in these pages.
Average customer rating:
- All I can say is that its good and I learned alot!
|
Adam and Eve: The Bible Story
Warwick Hutton
Manufacturer: Margaret K. McElderry Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding
General
| Bible
| Christianity
| Religions
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religions
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Early Reader
| Series
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
| A-Z Mysteries
| All Aboard Reading
| Amanda Pig
| Amelia Bedelia
| Andrew Lost
| Babar
| Berenstain Bears
| Bob Books
| Brand New Readers
| Clifford
| Dorling Kindersley Readers
| Dr. Seuss
| Early Step into Reading
| Elvis the Rooster
| Encyclopedia Brown
| Ernestine & Amanda
| Festival Readers
| First Stepping Stone Books
| Frances
| Frog and Toad
| George and Martha
| Green Light Readers
| Hello Reader
| High-Rise Private Eyes
| I Can Read Books
| I Spy
| Junie B. Jones
| Let's Read and Find Out Science
| Little Bill Books
| Little Critter
| Little Toot
| Magic Elements
| Magic School Bus
| Magic Tree House
| Marvin Redpost
| Max
| Minnie and Moo
| Nate the Great
| Puffin Easy-to-Read
| Ready For Chapters
| Real Kids Readers
| Rugrats
| Scooby Doo Readers
| Shredderman
| The Littles First Readers
| Viking Easy-to-Read
| Winnie-the-Pooh First Reader
| Young Cam Jansen Mysteries
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0689504330 |
Customer Reviews:
All I can say is that its good and I learned alot!.......1997-12-21
I just want to encourage you guys to write more of those books.If you make more of those books I will make sure I'm there first to get the first book.How did Eve's children have kids and get married? By: Caitlin and Tara
Book Description
Combined in one volume these whimsical diaries are at bottom both an argument for women's equality and an irreverent look at conventional religion.
Customer Reviews:
Funny!.......2007-07-16
This book was recieved in about a week and a half. Better than I had thought! It's a good book. It reads very quickly and sent chuckles flying out of my mouth every few pages. If you like Twain you'll adore this book. If you don't, you'll still chuckle.
'Whoever she was, there was Eden'.......2007-01-16
This quote is Adam's final assessment of Eve; the true Eden is within us not a patch of picturesque landscape full of artificial harmony. I'm sure, had he died first in Mark Twain's vision, Eve would have said similar of Adam.
This is a wonderful, imaginative and amusing piece of writing - short, but with wisdom. I will never forget Eve trying to get stars out of the night sky to place in her hair - first with a big stick ('they must be so far away,' she complains) and then with clods of earth! I will never forget the speculations - how did the milk get into the cow? And the 'scientific' tests to prove the various theories!
Adam and Eve (and their children right up to Twain's own time) are fanciful imaginings in these writings but they are brim full of character and personality.
The Diaries.......2007-01-05
The Diaries of Adam and Eve is a great book for pleasure reading or for research. It isn't as well known as some of Twain's other works, but it displays his amazing wit and sense of humor. Adam is a couch potato, while Eve is a stereotypical chatterbox. The book is set up as a series of diary entries by both Adam and Eve. These entries tell the creation story in a fresh, amusing way. Twain may have been influenced by Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost."
Witty.......2005-04-10
I bought this book because it was referenced in another book I read. I found the book to be witty and humorous. It's a fun and short read, thats great for a train or before sleep.
The diary entries alternate between Adam and Eve and deal with subjects like intimacy, talking (in Eve's case talking too much), and sexual roles (why does Adam name everything?)
Some of the entries were a little dry (hence the 4 stars).
WONDERFUL!!!.......2004-07-20
If there is a shorter, funnier, more delightful book on the planet, I have yet to find it. The genius that was Twain's is in abundant evidence here. And there is no longer version, this is it. Twain only wrote "extracts from" to make it seem more believable. Notice the "translated" also? I own the PBS version with David and Meredith Baxter Birney and have watched it many times, but I still laughed out loud when I finally got around to reading this short little gem. And the illustrations are at least half of the fun. I suspect this can re-read many times, especially when one is in need of a pick-me-up. Because, as always with Twain, much wisdom is interspersed with the humor. And beautifully written passages as well. DON'T MISS THIS ONE!!!
Book Description
For clutter bugs who avoid opening closets because they fear they will trigger an avalanche, a solution is finally at hand. The Only Clutter Control Book You'll Ever Need cuts through the mess, helping packrats sift through all the junk and get everything under control fast—in the office, bedroom, kitchen, garage, basement, attic, and even in the car.
The Only Clutter Control Book You'll Ever Need offers creative suggestions for:
· Creating clutter and storage solutions in closets
· Organizing the kitchen with "Kitchen Quickies"
· Keeping the kids' rooms clutter-free
· Mastering the clutter monsters under the bed
· Finding fast remedies for cramped office space
· Sifting through paper pileup
· Beating obstacles, such as procrastination and perfectionism
Chock-full of junk-busting strategies, storage solutions, and time and stress management techniques, The Only Clutter Control Book You'll Ever Need is sure to add some welcome sanity to any fast-paced lifestyle.
Customer Reviews:
Get a handle on clutter.......2005-07-03
Pros: Well designed for easy reference for all your clutter projects. Excellent solutions to all your clutter problems.
A program to understand clutter and what it represents.
Cons: Loved the book cover illustration, would have liked a few more pictures in the book for motivation. (review by about.com)
I love books like this. Even though my house is fairly organized now, I have to be vigilant not to fall back into my old cluttery ways.
Books:
- Dynamics of Mass Communications: Media in the Digital Age with Media World DVD and PowerWeb
- Elephants Can Paint Too! (Ala Notable Children's Books. Younger Readers (Awards))
- Exploring Color
- Family Tree
- Faux Surfaces in Polymer Clay: 30 Techniques & Projects That Imitate Precious Stones, Metals, Wood & More
- Feng Shui Your Life
- Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book)
- Framing America: A Social History of American Art
- From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
- Gitanjali
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies
- The Malloreon, Vol. 1
- Photoinitiated Polymerization
- The Future Has a Past: Stories
- The Glass Castle: A Memoir
- The Nemesis Affair: A Story of the Death of Dinosaurs and the Ways of Science
- The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less
- Antique Trader Metalwares Price Guide
- Ryokan: A Japanese Tradition
- Changjiang san jiao zhou ji lin jin di qu bao zi zhi wu zhi
Did Jesus Have a Last Name? And 199 Other Questions from Catholic Teenagers
Blessed Are the Bored in Spirit: A Young Catholic's Search for Meaning
Saharan Boy
Aquinas for Armchair Theologians
Ask the Bible Geek: Answers to Questions from Catholic Teens
