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Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 3 (Sword Of Truth, Book 11)
Terry Goodkind
Manufacturer: Tor Books
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ASIN: 0765315238
Release Date: 2007-11-13 |
Book Description
Descending into darkness, about to be overwhelmed by evil, those people still free are powerless to stop the coming dawn of a savage new world, while Richard faces the guilt of knowing that he must let it happen. Alone, he must bear the weight of a sin he dare not confess to the one person he loves…and has lost.
Join Richard and Kahlan in the concluding novel of one of the most remarkable and memorable journeys ever written. It started with one rule, and will end with the rule of all rules, the rule unwritten, the rule unspoken since the dawn of history.
When next the sun rises, the world will be forever changed.
Average customer rating:
- Compelling Intrigue; Psychological Thriller at its Best.
- Good Summer Pageturner
- Not an engaging book
- The Confessor - Daniel Silva
- Silva takes on the Vatican and the Holocaust
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The Confessor
Daniel Silva
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ASIN: 0399149724
Release Date: 2003-02-24 |
Amazon.com
Gabriel Allon, Daniel Silva's protagonist in an interesting series about a Mossad spy who doubles as an art restorer, returns in a fascinating tale of Vatican complicity in the Holocaust. Author Silva, a political journalist turned espionage writer, has done his homework on some recently unearthed documents and written a fast-paced novel that will reawaken the discussion regarding whether the Catholic Church turned a blind eye to Nazi atrocities against Jews in occupied countries during World War II, and if so, why. Allon remains an enigmatic figure whose desire for revenge against the Leopard, the assassin who killed his wife and child, compels him to put down his paints and brushes and take arms against Israel's past and present enemies. The Confessor is a solidly plotted, well-crafted story that will appeal to fans of Allen Furst, John le Carré, and other standouts in the international espionage genre. --Jane Adams
Book Description
Munich: The writer Benjamin Stern entered his flat to see a man standing there, leafing through his research, and said, "Who the hell are you?" In response, the man shot him. As Stern lay dying, the gunman murmured a few words in Latin, then he gathered the writer's papers and left.
Venice: The art restorer Gabriel Allon applied a dab of paint carefully to the Bellini, then read the message thrust into his hands. Stern was dead; could he leave right away? With a sigh, the Mossad agent began to put his brushes away.
The Vatican: The priest named Pietro paced in the garden, thinking about the things he had discovered, the enemies he would make, the journey before him. Men would surely die, and he wished another could take it for him. But he knew that was not possible. In the weeks to come, the journeys of all three men will come together, following a trail of long-buried secrets and unthinkable deeds, leaving each one forever changed. And with them, the lives of millions . . .
Filled with rich characters, remarkable prose, and a multilayered plot of uncommon intensity, this is the finest work yet by a new master of the art.
Customer Reviews:
Compelling Intrigue; Psychological Thriller at its Best........2007-08-21
This is my first Daniel Silva novel, but definately not my last. In short, I am hooked. Why? Because Silva's writing is crisp, taut, and fast-paced, without being cliche. From the opening pages of the book, Silva writes in a way that keeps you with this work until (a)you can't read any more because you are tired(or out of time!), and/or (b)you have finished the book.
This work of intrigue at its complex/darkest is about an art restorer by the name of Gabriel Allon who investigates a friends murder at the hands of neo-Nazis, or so we think. The novel delves headlong into the Vatican's controversial history during World War II: whether or not they helped European Jews fleeing deportation to Nazi death camps, or did they faciliate their doom through inaction. Early on in the book we are introduced to the fact that the murder of Benjamin Stein is much larger than a simple hate-crime by a derranged Nazi.
The books plot does not take any unnecssessary twists and turns; a literary device all-to-common in most thrillers. Silva keeps the story line relatively simple, without being simplistic. His characters are rich and textured; the dialogue is incissive.
Like I said, this was my first book by this author, but not my last. If you love a good read that keeps you engaged throughout, giving you a good mental workout, that this work is for you.
Good Summer Pageturner.......2007-08-18
Master Israeli spy Gabriel Allon is called in to investigate the death of a professor friend. He was killed because of a book he was writing, but what was in it that would cause his death? This book has the usual formulaic spy necessities - secret societies, double crossing, high speed chases, beautiful women and plenty of violence. The novel revolves around the Vatican and it's role during the Holcaust.The new Pope wants to release secret documents. Been there, done that in many novels before. Still the characters are fun and the novel keeps one turning pages.
Not an engaging book.......2007-06-22
I really wanted to like this book, because I like good spy thrillers, and the author does an excellent job of conjuring up images of European locales. Unfortunately, the characters and story aren't engaging enough to maintain interest.
First, my thoughts on the characters. There were a HUGE number of characters and all of them had similar sounding names. This, coupled with the fact that none of the characters had much in the way of personalities, made it a chore to keep track of who everybody was and what their motives were. The protagonist, Mossad agent Gabriel Allon, was one of the dullest series characters I've ever come across. He barely says anything and the author never reveals what's going on inside his head, save for a few mentions of his participation in the Israelis' "Wrath of God" operation in 1972 as a response to the Munich Olympics masssacre. Perhaps it was Silva's intention to make Allon a laconic and gruff individual, but at the end of the day, I need to have a reason to like the protagonist and to care about what happens to him. With Allon, I simply felt no connection.
As for the story, I feel like it was Silva's attempt to cash in on the popularity of "The DaVinci Code". While I'm not offended by the book's attack on the Catholic Church, I'm really getting bored with writers in recent years using the same scenarios involving evil conspiracies within the Vatican, etc.
I will not be reading any more of Daniel Silva's work.
The Confessor - Daniel Silva.......2007-01-21
I love Daniel Silva's novels. He is an expert at thrills and chills.
Silva takes on the Vatican and the Holocaust.......2006-12-27
Daniel Silva has written a thrilling set of novels focusing almost entirely on hypocrisy, specifically, Europe's collective self-imposed amnesia about the Holocaust.
To tell these stories, Silva has created a very compelling figure in Gabriel Allon, Israeli assassin/art restorer. Allon is a scarred man, both physically and emotionally. The child of Holocaust survivors, Allon wants nothing more than to put his skilled hands to work restoring the great artworks of Europe. He is especially drawn to works commissioned by the Catholic church during the Renaissance. In restoration, Allon can forget that his son was murdered by a terrorist trying to kill Gabriel, and his wife was permanently disabled in the same bomb blast.
But life intrudes. One of Allon's bosom friends, Beni, is working as an academic in Munich. He is working on a top-secret book that will explode the myth of Vatican neutrality during WWII. This gets Beni killed off in the first chapter, and Allon is called out of hiding to do the investigative work that only he can.
"The Confessor" then takes the reader on an thrilling exploration of Vatican politics, as a new Pope endeavors to usher in a period of honest assessment of the Vatican's role in WWII, and specifically the actions of Pope Pius. This offends one of the Vaticans many secret clandestine organizations, Crux Vera. The honesty of the current Pope threatens the myth of papal infallibility, and members of Crux Vera decide to remind this Pope that you only hold office for life. To achieve this end, they enlist the aid of the Leopard, Europe's most feared and legendary assassin.
While a conventional pot-boiler in many ways, "The Confessor" ultimately has higher ideals in mind than simple global domination or vast riches or other such hum-drum themes you see so often in thrillers. Instead, "The Confessor" explores a real-world conundrum - how could 6 million Jews be murdered when one of the leading religious figures of the era - the Pope - largely remained on the sidelines?
"The Confessor" is at its strongest when confronting these ideas, which separates "The Confessor" from the other airport thrillers out there. Check it out for an enjoyable, occasionally melancholy read.
Book Description
Contemporary scholarship recognizes in Maximus the Confessor a theologian of towering intellectual importance. In this book Adam G. Cooper puts to him a question which from the origins of Christian thought has constituted an interpretative crux for catholic Christianity: what is the place of the material order and, specifically, of the human body, in God's creative, redemptive, and perfective economies? While the study builds upon the insights of other efforts in Maximian scholarship, it primarily presents an engagement with the full vista of Maximus's own writings, providing a unique contribution towards an intelligent apprehension of this erudite but often impenetrable theological mind.
Book Description
St. Maximus the Confessor, the greatest of the Byzantine theologians, lived through the most catastrophic period the Byzantine Empire was to experience before the Crusades. This book introduces the reader to the times and upheavals during which Maximus lived. It discusses his cosmic vision of humanity and the role of the church. The study makes available a large number of Maximus' theological treatises, many of them translated for the first time, which are accompanied by lucid and informed introductions.
Maximus the Confessor provides a much needed introduction to the theology of Maximus, as well as direct access to his profound but often difficult thought.
Customer Reviews:
Far too fine to let the one star stand.......2007-05-25
Andrew Louth is a fine scholar, and this is an example of his work. If for no other reason that this, I have to weigh in to give it more stars.
just trying to even the score some more.......2001-08-02
The first reviewer's criticisms might matter if there were a better translation of Maximus' work available. There is not. Maximus is such a brilliant, insightful theologian, he deserves to be read; perhaps I should say contemporary Christians need to read and consider him seriously.
Louth's introduction is indeed superlative.
Perhaps Maximus' most approachable work are his Centuries on Love, available in the Classics of Western Spirituality Series and in the Philokalia, Volume II, edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware (but not in Louth's book). Thunberg's works, "Microcosm and Mediator" and the shorter, more accessible "Man and the Cosmos" are the best English works on Maximus (perhaps the best in any language). Another recent scholar, who has translated a number of Maximus' works into English, is Joseph Farrell.
An invaluable study.......2000-10-10
Despite the hyperbolic criticisms (indeed, doomsaying) of the first reviewer, Louth's Maximus the Confessor is an enormously useful resource. The introductory essay provides a clear orientation for the reader -- no small task for the works of the Confessor. Though some flaws in the translation have been pointed out (not least by Janssen, a learned editor of Maximus' texts), this should not concern for the reader as they do not distort the Confessor's teachings and therefore are not misleading. In fact, by coupling his deft introduction with a lucid translation of these tremendously difficult texts, Louth has done a great service for the English speaking world. It is to be hoped that this will encourage further reading in the challenging, but greatly rewarding, works of St Maximus.
A "most valuable" introduction to Maximus.......2000-08-15
I cannot in good conscience bypass one more time that one-starred, rather negative review by the reviewer from Holland of this actually excellent book on St. Maximus the Confessor by Andrew Louth, without attempting to redress what is basically a false impression of a very praise-worthy work. I could not disagree more with his overall opinion of what Louth has done. In fact, Andrew Louth has done a great service in making these texts of St. Maximus--some of his most important and most beautiful spiritual works--available to the English-speaking public. Yes, he is not always consistent in his translation of some of the terms Maximus uses; yes, one might quibble with his interpretation of the Confessor's thought here and there. But anyone who has ever tried his hand at translating even one passage of Maximus' notoriously difficult Greek will appreciate what Louth has actually accomplished and will give credit where credit is assuredly due. One of the greatest Maximus scholars of this century, Lars Thunberg, who has himself written perhaps the single most important monograph of the past fifty years on the Confessor's thought,
<
>, says in his own review (published in an Orthodox journal in England) of Louth's book: "His audacity is to be hailed, for the texts that he has chosen for translation are some of the most difficult: Ambigua 10 and 41...together with the very succinct and demanding Letter 2 on Love...translations of Maximus texts of this complexity...may always be discussed and other renderings be suggested." Despite offering in his review alternative renderings of his own of some difficut passages, Thunberg does not let his scholarly criticism outweigh his assesment of the overall value of the book, and goes on to praise Louth for producing "this beautiful volume, containing both a substantial introduction and remarkable translations...Andrew Louth has certainly given to his readership a most valuable introduction not only to the 'thinking' but also the 'thought' of the Confessor. His challenging observations provide a stimulus and an agenda for us all."
The "substantial introduction" is all of that, and is, in my view, simply one of the best introductions to the thinking and theology of St. Maximus in print. It is itself worth the price of the book. In short, I agree with Lars Thunberg, and not with the reviewer from Holland, in recommending this book highly. Anyone who loves Maximus or who wants to understand him better should read this book.
Sound introductions to bad translations........1999-10-18
There soon will be published a four-page review of this book, by my hand, in the journal 'Vigiliae Christianae'. What follows here, is the summary of that review : Louth's 'Maximus the Confessor' wants to provide an introduction to the theological thinking of Maximus the Confessor, a goal the author hopes to achieve by providing translations of some of Maximus' major theological treatises, especially 'Ambigua ad Thomam' and 'Ambigua ad Johannem'. Although both the editor of the series 'The Early Church Fathers' and Louth himself stress the necessity of an accessible modern translation of "key texts by the major Fathers", Louth's translation of Maximus leaves a lot to be desired. First of all, his negligent treatment of the original Greek text has been the cause of a number of annoying mistakes in the translations. In more than one case, these mistakes even twist Maximus' theology in a way the Confessor himself would not have agreed upon. It is hard to believe that the author of this kind of translations has been able to provide such a sound and correct introduction to them. However, it goes without saying that the real sources for further study of Maximus' thinking, i.e., the Confessor's works, have not become more accessible by this edition. On the contrary, the numerous inaccuracies and definite errors in the translations might in the future result in some strange conclusions about Maximus' theological thinking.
Book Description
The last half of the twentieth century saw the establishment of the reputation of St Maximus the Confessor as the greatest of all Byzantine theologians, with a wholeness of vision that speaks directly to many of our concerns today. Until very recently, however, little of his work has been available in English translation, save for some collections of brief reflections arranged in centuries and a few brief treatises, too easily classified as "spirituality." This volume provides translations from St Maximus, two main collections of theological reflections, his Ambigua (or Difficulties) and his Questions to Thalassius, plus one of his Christological opuscula, hitherto unavailable in English.
The translations are accompanied by immensely helpful notes, and prefaced by a long, brilliant introduction to the theology of the Confessor. This is the ideal volume from which to learn at first hand the depth and insight of St Maximus' cosmic vision and grasp of the complexities of human nature, as he patiently explores the nature and consequences of the renewal of all things in Christ. Robert Wilken and Paul Blowers have put us all deeply in their debt.
- Andrew Louth,
Professor of Patristics and Byzantine Studies, University of Durham
Paul M. Blowers is Professor of Church History at Emmanuel School of Religion and an historian of early and Byzantine Christianity.
Robert Louis Wilken is the William R. Kenan, Jr Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
On the Cosmic Mystery of Jesus Christ is part of the POPULAR PATRISTIC SERIES.
Customer Reviews:
The World According to Maximus.......2005-08-28
In the millennia-long conversation of Christian theology, St. Maximus (580-662) stands out as a profound, original contributor. For this reader, the most striking feature in this collection of his writings has to be his understanding of "deification.". Based on his reading of II Peter 1:3-4, deification (or divinization) stands at the very center of his thought concerning the redemption and transfiguration of the entire cosmos. According to Maximus this process occurs in a "blessed inversion":
"... the power that elevates man to God through his love for God and brings God down to man because of his love for man. By this blessed inversion, man is made God by divinization and God is made man by hominization." (Ambiguum 7)
So, while Western theology's development of man's reconciliation to God has emphasized the descent of God into the human, Maximus gives equal time to man's ascent into the divine. Perhaps the closest theological term in the Western tradition to Maximus' "deification" is sanctification, the process whereby the Christian becomes purified from the old, corrupt self and grows into the new, Christ-like self. Maximus, developing II Peter 1:3-4, seems to take things farther: while we in the West are used to the notion of becoming like Christ (as remote as that can seem from our day-to-day reality), Maximus insists that our being is transformed to share in the very nature of God.
In doing so, Maximus gives this reader a fuller picture of the wondrous union of God and man brought about by the grace of God in Christ - a union that removes all barriers to the realization of Eternal Love between Church and Christ, Bride and Bridegroom.
Maximus is not all sweetness and light, however. Sadly, in his diatribe against Jews in Ad Thalassium 64, he adds his two cents to a poisonous, persistent theme in the history of Christian discourse. Also, for present-day readers, his insistence that the act of conceiving a human life is sinful tends to undermine his explanation of the corruption inherited from Adam.
Yet given what a product of his times he is in on these issues, he (surprisingly) concedes a redemptive role to human emotions. The fires of passion are not simply condemned (as they are in many manifestations of Christianity), but refocused so that passion may find its greatest fulfillment: "[turning] desire into the appetitive movement of the mind's longing for divine things." This is a perspective developed most recently in Evangelical Christian circles by John Eldridge in his The Divine Romance and The Journey of Desire. From a psychological standpoint, we might say that Maximus represents a surprisingly healthy and compassionate approach to human emotion, especially for a church father writing in the 7th century! Yet this all flows logically from his overarching view of the cosmos: all is redeemable and will find deification in Christ.
Further, Maximus makes distinctions around passions and attachment that can seem uncannily Buddhist or Hindu to our ears: "Anything non-existent seems to exist merely by the presumption of mistaken judgment when actually it has no existential basis at all; indeed, mere fantasy deceives the mind and, through passion, causes vain attachment to objects that do not exist." His insights on the illusory nature of our attachments foreshadow Buddhist-influenced Christian discourse in the 20th century, for example in the meditations of Catholic writer, Anthony De Mello (The Way To Love).
All in all, for those already within the Christian faith, Maximus deepens the awe that comes over us in the light of "amazing grace." For those seekers of truth who are open to the idea of a universe where Spirit evolves us to higher consciousness and greater compassion, Maximus may open the possibility that Christianity lives in a bigger house that they had previously thought.
Maximize Your Maximus Studies!.......2003-11-23
Great translation of the hero and confessor of the faith who defended the natures of Christ, wills of Christ and hypostatic union. Really he helped defend the core of the faith against those who taught that Jesus was not exactly like usand exactly of the nature of the Father. Great material.
Book Description
Maximus is called the Confessor because of his sufferings and labors for the true faith. During the seventh century when the monothelite heresy (belief that Christ had only one will-----a divine one) plagued the Church, Maximus eloquently demonstrated that Christ had both human and divine natures.
Writing in the introduction to this volume Jaroslav Pelikan highlights the relevance of Maximus' writings for today: "It was the genius of Maximus Confessor that, in a measure that has been granted only to a few, he was fully bilingual, affirming by means of negation and speaking both the language of spirituality and the language of theology with equal fluency.
From the looks of things within both Western and Eastern Christendom-------and beyond------that gift of being bilingual is one that people of faith will need more than ever in the years to come."
Customer Reviews:
Maximus the Confessor.......2007-04-19
The writings of St. Maximus the Confessor are mandatory for all Chrisitians. St Maximus was a monk near 500-600 AD. He lived at a time when there was argument whether Christ possessed soley a divine nature or if he had dual natures (human and divine). A point that seems very vague to many in the modren world. But St Maximus believed so adamantly in the dual nature that he had his right hand cut off as well as his tongue and left to die. The legacy of writings left behind shed very deep insight on topics like love and theology.
In my own opinion you can not go wrong with St Maximus he was an austere monk, that devoted his life to preserving the true meaning of Christianity. He diligently studied the writings of older monks closer to the time of Christ in which we get a clearer view of what it means to really be Christian.
A great Eastern father.......2006-10-20
St Maximus the Confessor stands tall in the Eastern tradition as one of the greatest theologians and mystics. Somewhat overlooked by Catholicism and Protestantism, Maximus's thought is deeply profound and contains great spiritual beauty and insight into the mysteries of Christianity.
Maximus, like other Eastern Christian fathers, focuses on the apophatic or negative approach to God. In the included works which include the 'Centuries on Love' and the 'Centuries on Knowledge' Maximus stresses the need for leaving behind the earthly for the spiritual realities beyond, which are ineffable yet infinitely beautiful. Some of the finest though of Maximus occurs in his Centuries on Love, which focus on the need for true love of self and neighbour without selfishness, without which we cannot attain salvation.
St Maximus had a key influence on later theologians such as Gregory Palamas, and is also important to the great Western Carolingan philosopher-theologian Eriugena.
Read a Little at a Time.......2003-04-22
St. Maximus the Confessor lived during the time when the eastern half of the One Holy Apostolic Catholic Church was battling a heresy called the Monothelite controversy dealing between the unity or duality of will in relation to nature. Today many think the issue was due to cultural language limitations between Greek & Arabic, political problems within the Byzantine empire, & the rapid spread of Islam. Either way St. Maximus was the champion of Orthodoxy defending the view that Jesus was fully God & fully human in his incarnation, therefore he had 2 natures, & each nature had a will. Jesus expressed these ideas when he said "Not my will be done, but thy will be done" verses "I am in the Father." The 1st section of the book deals with St. Maximus's trial before the Byzantine Emperor where many false witness accused the Saint of being against the Emperor. St. Maximus quickly & rightly goes to the source of the matter & asks for proof, of course there is none, its all hear-say (heresy). For historical note: St. Maximus was finally accused, had his tongue & one of his hands cut off, & sent into exile where he shortly died. The masterpiece of this book is the 100 Chapters of Love, where St. Maximus takes several scriptures & many writings from the Church Fathers, & explains in great detail what Love is. The 1st time I read this book, I tried to read it as a whole book, this was a mistake. The 2nd time I read it, I read a verse at a time. St. Maximus writes with such tight exact meaning, that each word is overwhelming. Therefore for maximum (Maximus) enjoyment, read this section like a poem & then pray or reflex on each line. Another section is a great commentary on the Lord's Prayer: "Our Father". Each verse gets a few paragraphs of detail. This book is not for the soft hearted or for the easy to read crowd, but for people that enjoy deep books.
Maximus to the maximum.......2000-07-25
I am an Orthodox Christian, and I have not only read this book, but as a Maximus scholar, I have lived with it for 15 years, since it first came out in 1985. My original copy is totally dogeared, held together with tape and glue and the grace of a book lovingly valued as precious far beyond its price. Every page is full of notes upon notes in various colors. As it gradually falls apart through much use, I am considering learning the art of bookbinding, so I can preserve it and keep on using it. I am very grateful for Paulist Press for producing this volume, and to George Berthold for the effort and energy (as only one who has tried to translate Maximus' subtle and sophisticated Greek knows just how much effort and energy) it took to translate these texts of the Confessor's. I believe St. Maximus' genius and accomplishments deserve to be honored for what they are and not to be bracketed by disputes and criticisms that, whatever their merit, have no real point in the present setting. Yes, there are other good translations of some of these texts. Yes, the critical apparatus may not be of the highest order. Yes, the theological perspective in the Introduction may not rise to the level or be equal to the content of the Maximian texts. But what introduction could?--and that was not the book's primary purpose. As a basic introduction to the Maximian corpus, the Paulist Press volume on St. Maximus, for all its supposed faults, is still the best single volume to give to someone new to St. Maximus. St. Maximus' greatness lies in the fact that he was not only a brilliant theologian, but an equally accomplished philosopher, as well as a great ascetic and spiritual master of the Eastern Orthodox monastic and hesychastic tradition. He can put more into a single sentence or paragraph than most philosophers or theologians put into whole chapters, or even books. That is why a volume like this one can be read and reread for years and years, always giving one a new perspective or an astonishing view of depths previously unknown or unrealized.
I agree with the Chicago review........2000-03-29
Perhaps the Roman Catholic fellow whose review is found below didn't understand what the fellow from Chicago meant, so I'll try to make it clear for him: other books in this series dash from their subject matter to theologians on whom the writers later had an influence, but this one does not. Why not? It seems obvious: Paulist Press is a Roman Catholic operation, and the main line of Orthodox theologians have been branded "heretics" by the ... in Rome. That includes St. Gregory Palamas. Thus, the main influence St. Maximus had is completely ignored in this text.
If you want to know St. Maximus, skip the introduction and read the text. Then, go to one of the many secondary works _in the same tradition as the saint_ for further light on him. It will surely repay your effort.
Customer Reviews:
Not for the novice historian.......2004-11-22
Wow - this man knows his history! If you are a serious historian interested in Edward the Confessor - this is your Bible! The reading is extremely dry - don't think you'll find more here than the facts, but there are facts galore! Barlow begins with an indepth look at Edward's background and the background of the political situation in England. He ends with the impact of Edward during the reign of Henry III and covers literally EVERYTHING in between. Then for good measure, he adds nearly another 100 pages of appendicies, time lines, maps, tables and illustrations. I'm very impressed with the author's knowledge of the subject. I only hold back that last "star" because I regret that the author didn't make it a bit more "friendly" to read. It is dry and moves slowly and is not probably a book that would generate interest in Edward the Confessor so much as it is a book to verify facts for those already interested. I personally prefer history and historical fiction that can introduce a reader to a subject and make them want to read more. I'm afraid that his work will be too daunting to many and makes Edward sound extremely dull - which he truly was not.
It's really good!.......2000-09-12
Though the subject of this book may seem a bit daunting and even boring, I promise you that Frank Barlow has done a fabulous job. He has brought to life the enigmatic and somewhat obscure lives of the most important Englishmen of the late 11th century: Edward the Confessor, Earl Godwin, Edith Godwin's daughter, King Harold II, Swegn Godwinson, and Tostig Godwinson. A must-read.
Book Description
The revision of Origen's philosophical theology by St. Maximus the Confessor resulted in an eschatology involving the replacement of the human ego by the divine presence. In this study, I will examine the theological developments that led to this loss of a sense of human freedom and creativity in the face of the divine, tracing the influence of Origen's eschatology through the Cappadocian Fathers, Evagrius Ponticus and others, up to Maximus. This will allow me to show the manner in which Origen's humanistic theology was misunderstood and misinterpreted throughout the Patristic era, culminating in the anti-personalistic system of Maximus. Special attention will be paid to the development of Christian Neoplatonism, and how Christian contacts with the pagan philosophical schools came to have a profound effect on Eastern Patristic theology and philosophy. The final section of this study will suggest some ways in which the history of Patristic eschatology - especially Origen and Maximus - may serve as a fruitful source for contemporary theologians who are concerned with issues of personhood, creativity, and existential authenticity.
Customer Reviews:
A Genuinely Original Appreciation of Early Christianity -Four and a Half Stars.......2005-08-07
Throw out everything you think you know about early Christianity. For most of us moderns & postmoderns (especially if our understanding of Christianity derives from the Latin West, the Orthodox East is another matter) it is a dour, unimaginative and inhumane thing. In this fascinating work Edward Moore shows us an early Christian thinker -Origen- whose speculations can be said to rank up there with Plotinus or Hegel, whose emphasis on human freedom reminds one of existentialism, and whose enthusiasm for Existence is contagious.
How does Origen remind one of the existentialists? In his respect for the freedom of each individual soul. Moore effectively demonstrates that the eschatology of Origen insists not only on the absolute freedom of each human soul to choose (or not) to engage God in the midst of His History, but also that, given the Absolute nature of this human Freedom, a 'saved' soul could choose to fall again!
But this should not be understood as his last word. Origen is, philosophically, a neo-Platonist. (Both Origen and Plotinus, according to Moore, are students of Ammonius Saccus, although it seems that there is some room for scholarly doubt about this.) And like all Greek philosophers he could not believe that anyone could knowingly choose evil. Thus, he thought all of us would one day be saved. But, or so Origen (and Moore) insist, not in the 'same' way. Each individual soul is saved in its own personal way. For Origen, it would seem that there is no script, no apocalyptic/eschatological line, which trumps the precise specificity of the Love that God has for Each of his Creatures.
In order to situate (and demonstrate) the originality, the Christian Originality, of Origen's position, Moore gives us, as an Introduction, a first-rate (but all-too brief) history lesson of the understanding of the early Church on Eschatology, including an informative discussion of the Gnostics in relation to this topic. Then he discusses (Ch. 1) the intellectual background of Origen, (Ch. 2) His theology, (Ch. 3, 4) His influence and lastly (Ch. 5, 6) his influence on and differences with (the far more 'Orthodox') Maximus.
All of this is important but it is the speculations of Origen (and perhaps Moore too) that steal the show. For instance, Moore insists that (for Origen) God placed Himself at Risk in the Act of Creation. "The culmination of history, dependent upon humanity's response to God, is potentially both the deification of humanity and the justification of God. His decision to create absolutely free, self-determined beings will be judged at the end-time, along with the humans who defied the conditions of this creation." In other words, the History He Judges also sits in judgment of Him!
Another example of the commitment to the individual freedom of each soul, and the Speculative nature of Origen's thought is his belief in the pre-existence (and reincarnation) of Souls. Each Soul chose, at some specific point, before any incarnation, to Fall. One finds oneself wondering (or Speculating) that since each Soul's Fall was unique so too (for Origen/Moore) each path to Salvation must also be utterly unique. Moore insists that all these Speculative Acts on the part of Origen -reincarnation, pre-existence of souls, the ability of a 'saved' soul to fall again- derive from Origen's overwhelming commitment to a place, an Eternal Place, for Human Freedom in a World no human made.
Exercise your freedom and explore a Christianity that no one (at least in Western Christendom) knows. Then pick up something by Origen. I give 4.5 stars to Moore and 5 stars to Origen himself. Bravo!
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King of the Confessors
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000FR4C1Q |
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