Product Description
"Blessings" chronicles the adventures of "the Lucy Ricardo" of Christian Scientists as she uses her understanding of God to find solutions to life's problems." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A fun little autobiography
I really enjoyed this small, self-produced book.Karen is likable and has had an interesting life.I love how she weaved her spiritual study and the biblical basis of her Christian Science religion into her life story.As a woman of her generation, I could relate to her experiences, although not being much of a mountain climber, I found the history of her dad and his friends fascinating.
It just shows that we all have a book in us - even if our lives seem more "normal" than special!We should all write, but most of us don't.Karen did, and I appreciate that.

Plusses and minuses
If you look at my reviews, you'll note that I read and review quite a few books on metaphysics in general and spiritual healing in particular."Blessings" is a quick read and well-written and well edited. In short, it is an enjoyable book.

It's an interesting memoir of a 40-something woman's life, but there's nary a page that doesn't quote Mary Baker Eddy and/or her writings and sometimes, that seems like a predominant characteristic of this book, almost shoving Ms. Terell's own story off center stage.

"Blessings" is a collection of short vignettes, kind of a thumbnail sketch of different experiences Ms. Terrell has had through the years, telling the story of times that she felt close to God and/or that God was responding to her prayers.

And I surely did enjoy these stories and I enjoyed hearing about the wonderful ways in which God answered Ms. Terrell's prayers. The vignettes are inspiring and each one provides a practical proof and example of how God's love shows up in our individual lives.

But the reason for the three stars: I was hoping for a few stories that didn't have such neat and tidy, wrapped-up-with-a-pretty-bow endings. Borrowing a quote from Joel Osteen, sometimes in the life of a Christian (and in the life of a Christian Scientist), we're forced to put things into the "I don't understand this, but I'll accept it" file.

Times when our prayers aren't answered and the young person passes on or the friend ends his life after losing his job or whatever. There are times when our prayers aren't answered in the way we think they should be answered and that is perhaps the hardest experience for a Christian to survive.

I've not yet met a woman whose lived more than 40 years on this earth, who doesn't have quite a few items in the "I don't understand this" file. I'd love to have read a few stories - written in Ms. Terrell's delightful style and voice - that didn't have perfect and tidy endings.

One of a kind
One reviewer recommends this book to those who may need a lift. I recommend this book for anyone including, devoted Christian Scientists. When I came across it I wondered if it would be appropriate as a Christmas gift to my wife who is a Christian Scientist. I think it is a wonderful sharing. Karen becomes your friend, someone you know and love and you know if she knew you, she would love you the way you want to be loved. I may be wrong, but I don't believe anyone else could have written this book. It is a stand alone item that gives us a window of life that is rare indeed. Twelve Years With Mary Baker Eddy: Recollections & Experiences (Twentieth-Century Biographers Series)

I loved this book!
Reading Karen's book makes me feel like I am sharing a conversation with a dear friend. She is so real and easy to identify with as she shares ideas about God and how those ideas shape her view of the world and influence her life in a very natural and positive way.Her humility and kindness are evident in her gentle approach to the challenges of life.She obviously has a sense of humor, but I would not describe her as "madcap" - just a very genuine and sincere individual who clearly enjoys life and lives what she believes.

Giving thanks should always be this much fun
The author enjoys life, and she lets you in on her secrets to that enjoyment!An attitude of gratitude that brought her many blessings can bless the reader as well.Have you ever had a friend that looks at a glass as half empty rather than half full.Karen is the friend that knows it is full to overflowing, and, she knows why!
I love the fact that each chapter is complete, and can be read as an individual story.The problem was that I was enjoying each chapter so much that I couldn't put it down until I had read the whole book! ... Read more

Amazon.com
Frequently caricatured as the religion that rejects medical treatment, Christian Science gets a balanced, nuanced appraisal in this memoir by a writer who grew up within the faith. Barbara Wilson appreciates Christian Science's unusual openness to women, who gained self-respect and status as its practitioners and healers, but she bares its inadequacies in a wrenching account of her mother's battle with cancer, suicide attempt, and eventual death. Her precise, unsentimental prose delineates a decades-long journey toward self-knowledge and peace with her past: it's a very American saga, sensitively told.Book Description

Customer Reviews (14)

blue windows
This story of a Christian Science childhood makes it obvious that Christian Scientists are no better prepared than 'ordinary' folks to recognize mental illness and deal with it. This is especially true of depression in men--the case in this family.It has only recently been discovered that angry men are frequently depressed--they are angry at their depression, and at those around them.This young woman does deal successfully with her problems.

Thoughts from a Christian Scientist
As a Christian Scientist I actually think that books like these are important, because they remind us that unless we are alert, a culture of conformity, pretense and stiffness can steal into the church (indeed, into any human institution).This undermines the true spirit of Christian Science, and hinders the spiritual progress of our members.

As a dedicated member of my church I have no hesitation to openly state, with my name signed above, that Christian Science, aflame with love and understanding, is first and foremost _practical_.Why?Because divine Love meets _every_ human need--in fact these very words are stenciled on the wall of almost every Christian Science church in the world.God can give aid through a doctor as well as through a spiritual healer.As stated in our textbook, Science and Health, page 444, line 7:"If Christian Scientists ever fail to receive aid from other Scientists,--their brethren upon whom they may call,--God will still guide them into the right use of temporary and eternal means.Step by step will those who trust Him find that 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.'"I think the vast majority of Christian Scientists understand this and realize that we are gentle and kind healers, not judgmental martyrs.

I am happy to see that the younger generation of Christian Scientists is more practical, inspired, and open about discussing these issues and practicing pure Christian Science without peer pressure, false pretenses, or condemnation.I am also happy to see many people asking for an alternative to the world of medicine, and I pray to be ready to help.And I also hope that this book will help anyone who felt they were hurt by an erroneous church culture (be it CS or otherwise), and remind us all not to make the same mistakes.That said, it is very good to recognize the difference between Christian Science, and a corrupted, fearful, angry sense of it.

Well worth reading
This book is a fairly good memoir, despite long digressions into overly detailed memories. I skimmed some chapters, especially in the first half. However, as therapy for a recovering Christian Scientist, it was a wonderful experience that I would highly recommend. Particularly in the second half of the book, when Ms. Wilson gets into the meat of her family's troubles, her writing style hits its stride and the insights are especially clear and penetrating.
It may be flogging a dead horse to critique Christian Science these days, as it fades away with the passing of the last generation to grow up without antibiotics. However, those of us who were raised in it need to critique it for our own benefit. The public image of CS has to do with shunning doctors and medicine. There's much more to it. In my family, as in Wilson's, the greatest pain was caused by the avoidance of relationship problems and mental disorders. An untreated infection may kill you quickly, but an abusive parent can affect your quality of life, and those of the rest of your family, over many years.
My father was a third-generation Christian Scientist, First Reader of our church, and served on the board of a CS sanitorium. He went to church twice a week and served on countless church committees. I'm sure he never once tasted alcohol or tobacco, he never went to a doctor, and he always had one of us sitting by the TV (in the days before remote controls) to turn down the volume when ads for medicine came on. He was also an abuser with chronic untreated depression and suicidal impulses.
Nobody could acknowledge that my father's abuse was happening because we had to pretend that life was Perfect. This made us all enablers. Society is full of abusers and people who enable them, but few have a basis for enabling that's as powerful as the belief that the abuse literally doesn't exist. In Christian Science, if you see abuse, this is a problem in your perception--an instance of Error. You need to work on your perception, not on the person who seems to be imperfect. Domestic abuse thrives in such a setting. There are statistics that show Christian Scientists live shorter lives. I don't know of any statistics on how common abuse or mental illness is in CS families. My guess: very common.
Kudos to Barbara Wilson for talking about this in her own life, and helping the rest of us survivors of CS to confront and fix the problems in our families that medicine can't touch.

If you can recite the scientific statement of being...
... then you were raised in Christian Science and may be struggling to make sense of your experience. Read this book. If you love someone who is a lapsed Christian Scientist, read this book. Wilson lends historical perspective and emotional insight as she lovingly and thoughtfully articulates that peculiar childhood. I found her explanations thought-provoking, tremendously helpful and well-written.

a practicing Christian Scientist speaks
It's interesting that not one of these reviews mentions Christ Jesus and that he healed without medicine. Christian Science is often condemned because it's proponents don't go to doctors.This infers that using conventional medicine and doctors is the only right option. Other religions also practice spiritual healing.Jesus disciples did it and his adherents did it into the 3rd Century at which time Jesus was arbitrarily designated as God and healing through prayer for all intents and purposes ceased.That decision made healing prayer a miracle and not natural.Understanding man as the image and likeness of God (not an manlike/anthropomorphic God) is the key to seeing healing.The emphasis in the book and a few of the reviews is that Christian Scientists claim matter isn't real.Again that is like trying to state a truth by beginning with the falsehood.The truth is that God is all therefore the human existence has no substance - which physicists know is the truth.Mary Baker Eddy received her inspiration by reading the Bible and she kept reading it.She had struggles throughout her whole life with very human problems just like all of us do. She makes a clear distinction between the relative human experience and the absolute divine thought acknowledging that we have to grow into the understanding of God as all.She specifically states that we can't demonstrate what we don't know.This religion does not hypnotize, mesmerize or otherwise brain wash people.People make their own choices.I know many Christian Scientists who have had phenomenal healings of deadly diseases.And I know Christian Scientists who have used conventional medicine and I know Christian Scientists who have died under medical care as well as under Christian Science treatment. Don't be tempted to pillory the religion over the ability or lack thereof of it's adherents to heal.If you do so you are then like those who put Jesus on the cross out of fear of what they didn't understand. ... Read more

Book Description
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, thousands of American Jews were drawn to the teachings of Christian Science. Viewing such attraction with alarm, American Reform Rabbis sought to counter Christian Science's appeal by formulating a Jewish vision of happiness and health. Unlike Christian Science, it acknowledged the benefits of modern medicine yet, sharing the belief in God as the true source of healing, similarly emphasized the power of visualization and affirmative prayer. Though the numbers of those formally affiliated with Jewish would remain small, its emphasis on the connection between mind and body influenced scores of rabbis and thousands if not hundreds of thousands of American Jews, predating contemporary Jewish interest in spiritual healing by more than seventy years. Examining an important and previously unwritten chapter in the story of American Judaism, this book sheds light on religious and social concerns of twentieth-century American Jewry, including ways in which adherence to Jewish Science helped thousands bridge the perceived gap between Judaism and modernity. ... Read more

Book Description
Why is it that Western science evolved as a thoroughly male-dominated enterprise?As philosopher Sandra Harding has noted, "women have been more systematically excluded from doing serious science than performing any other social activity except, perhaps, frontline warfare."In A World Without Women, David F. Noble provides the first full-scale investigation of the origins and implications of the masculine culture of Western science and technology, and in the process offers some surprising revelations. Noble begins by showing that, contrary to the widely held notion that the culture of learning in the West has always excluded women--an assumption that rests largely upon the supposed legacy of ancient Greece--men did not thoroughly dominate intellectual life until the beginning of the second millennium of the Christian era.At this time science and the practices of higher learning became the exclusive province of the newly celibate Christian clergy, whose ascetic culture denied women a place in any scholarly enterprise.By the twelfth century, papal reform movements had all but swept away the material and ideological supports of future female participation in the world of learning; as never before, women were on the outside looking in.Noble further demonstrates that the clerical legacy of a world without women remained more or less intact through the Reformation, and permeated the emergant culture of science. A World Without Women finally points to a dread of women at the core of modern scientific and technological enterprise, as these disciplines work to deprive one-half of humanity of its role in production (as seen in the Industrial Revolution's male appropriation of labor) and reproduction as well (the age-old quest for an artificial womb).It also makes plain the hypocrisy of a community that can honor a female scientist with a bronze bust, as England's Royal Society did for Mary Somerville in the mid-nineteenth century, yet deny her entry to the very meeting hall in which it enjoyed pride of place. An important and often disturbing book, A World Without Women is essential reading for anyone concerned not only about the world of science, but about the world that science has made. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

One of Deborah Tannen's top 10 on women's issues
The Washington Post (Sunday, March 19, 2006) asked Deborah Tannen -- the author of "You Just Don't Understand," "Talking from 9 to 5", and "You're Wearing That?" -- to gather a shelf of her favorite books on women's issues. Her first choice was this book.This is what she said about it:

When I first read this book, I could talk of little else for a long, long while. Noble shows that the exclusion of women from Western scientific and educational institutions was not the inevitable outgrowth of historical forces. Rather, it came about because early universities were seminaries and early scientists were either clergy or steeped in a Christian clerical culture. The Latin church, with its hierarchical structure, used the stigmatization of women in its power struggle to gain control of the monasteries in which women and men prayed and studied as equals in the first millennium of the Christian era.

the common histories of the church and academic science
This is a historical examination of the inter-relationship between the history of the Catholic church and of academic science.The theme is that the tendecies towards misogyny and towards expecting monastic devotion toone's work can both be traced back to the clerical origin of academicstudy. ... Read more

Book Description
*Download Description
Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks.Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG- - This last summer, when I was on my way back to Vienna from the Appetite-Cure in the mountains, I fell over a cliff in the twilight, and broke some arms and legs and one thing or another, and by good luck was found by some peasants who had lost an ass, and they carried me to the nearest habitation, which was one of those large, low, thatch-roofed farm-houses, with apartments in the garret for the family, and a cunning little porch under the deep gable decorated with boxes of bright colored flowers and cats; on the ground floor a large and light sitting-room, separated from the milch-cattle apartment by a partition; and in the front yard rose stately and fine the wealth and pride of the house, the manure-pile. That sentence is Germanic, and shows that I am acquiring that sort of mastery of the art and spirit of the language which enables a man to travel all day in one sentence without changing cars.There was a village a mile away, and a horse doctor lived there, but there was no surgeon. It seemed a bad outlook; mine was distinctly a surgery case. Then it was remembered that a lady from Boston was summering in that village, and she was a Christian Science doctor and could cure anything. So she was sent for. It was night by this time, and she could not conveniently come, but sent word that it was no matter, there was no hurry, she would give me "absent treatment" now, and come in the morning; meantime she begged me to make myself tranquil and comfor-table and remember that there was nothing the matter with me. I thought there must be some mistake. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Twain also admired Mary Baker Eddy
When Twain penned this book in 1907, the idea of spiritual healing was radical and new to this time and perhaps more than a little frightening. After all, in the early 20th Century, the "scientific method" was all the rage and with the advent of the germ theory, folks were pretty confident that all the answers lay in science.

But this is the 21st Century and hopefully, we know better now. Spiritual healing has been proven to be a real and true alternative to conventional medicine. Harvard Medical School now offers courses on "spirituality and healing" and "Spiritual healing practices."

I suppose it was easy to take potshots at Mrs. Eddy's new religion in 1907 when so many in the media were ready to denigrate a woman for having the nerve and audacity to establish a healing system (and a church and an international religion) wholly independent of the patriarchal and male-dominated field of medicine.

And to show Twain's confusion over this, he also stated in THIS book:"She [Eddy] was the most interesting woman who ever lived and the most extraordinary...It is 1300 years since the world has produced anyone who could measure up to Mrs. Eddy's waistbelt."

This Is How It's Done
Twain amusingly eviscerates Mary Baker Eddy and her religion in this still-amusing book.A century later, his deft skewering of religious foibles and fantasies still delights.Would that he could see the world of today: Christian Science still exists, though in a much shrunken form, and hundreds (thousands!) of equally improbable cults thrive alongside it.

Where's Twain now that we really need him??

Bad Medicine
The book begins with a comic tale of how Twain once fell over a cliff in a remote area of Austria, and "broke some arms and legs and one thing or another."There was no medical doctor around, so someone suggested a Christian Science doctor a few miles away who could cure anything.Twain sent a messenger to fetch her.She sent a message back saying she couldn't conveniently come that day, but that there was no hurry since there was nothing the matter with Twain.

"Did you tell her I walked off a cliff seventy-five feet high?" Twain asked the messenger.
"Yes."
"And struck a boulder at the bottom and bounced?"
"Yes."
"And struck another one and bounced again?"
"Yes."
"And struck another one and bounced yet again?"
"Yes."
"And broke the boulders?"
"Yes."
"That accounts for it; she is thinking of the boulders. Why didn't you tell her I got hurt, too?"
"I did. I told her what you told me to tell her: that you were now but an incoherent series of compound fractures extending from your scalp-lock to your heels, and that the comminuted projections caused you to look like a hat-rack.. . . She said you would have these delusions, but must pay no attention to them. She wants you to particularly remember that there are no such things as hunger and thirst and pain."

OK. That's funny, but the book quickly descends into the ranting and ravings that were a hallmark of much of Twain's writing in his waning years.

Like Twain, many of the other people who have reviewed this book on Amazon obviously have a bone to pick, so to speak, but other than having a friend who died of Christian Science when I was in college, I have nothing in particular against CS or other forms of wishful thinking. I do have strong feelings about the book, however. I have read all of Twain's books, many of them several times.I love Twain's writing, but I rate this book, along with What is Man, at the absolute bottom of the heap.It is not particularly funny and Twain's arguments are often muddled. For example, he spends several paragraphs "proving" that because MaryBaker Eddy, the founder of CS, once mentions the Virgin Mary, Jesus, and herself in that order in the same sentence that she must rank herself above Jesus since the Virgin Mary obviously ranks below Him.

I did NOT enjoy this book, and if I ever get to Austria, I shall throw my copy off a cliff, if I can find one with sufficiently jagged boulders.

The First Important Attack on a Dangerous Cult
Christian Science is neither Christian nor science but is merely a pseudo-scientific cult that has lead to the deaths of many people, including innocent children. I am all in favor of religious tolerance but tolerance ends when a religion starts to harm the rights of others, as Christian Science has done in allowing a number of their children to die. You have the right to martyr yourself if you like, but NO ONE has the right to martyr their children! People who review this book negatively are either ignorant Christian Scientists or idiotic individuals who think tolerance entends to even those who allow their children to die for their parent's beliefs. Christian Science is a rapidly dying cult that will be gone by the end of this century and the world will be a better place becasue of it.

Still one of the best books about "Christian 'Science'"
The first part of Mark Tawin's work on "Christian 'Science'" is very funny; he shows through parody and wit just how ignorant, stupid, superstitious, and gullible human beings can be. The second part is much more serious: Twain shows how the sinister organization came into existance, and remarks upon Eddy's criminal and abusive acts when starting the business, as well as mentions some of the plagerism she committed.

This is by far one of the best books about how the "Christian 'Science'" organization came to exist. While the book is a classic, it is also timeless.

If you are interested in Eddy or "Christian 'Science,'" this is the single best source for you to explore. I recomend this book HIGHLY! ... Read more

Product Description
christian science journal ... Read more

Book Description
This work surveys the development of science so that Christians may gain an understanding of its historical progression in light of their faith. The authors look at this field of study in its formative stages--when Christianity was the backdrop to virtual ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

What a joke
I am not convinced. Karl Popper did more with the lint in his pocket
for science then Christianity ever did. Yes this is a horrible review, but I am done waisting my time with this book.

The Soul of Science: Christian Faith and Natural Philosophy (Turning Point Christian Worldview Series)
THIS BOOK BRINGS TOGETHER MANY CENTURIES OF CHRISTIAN THOUGHT TO SHOW THAT THE BIBLE DOES SPEAK TO EVERY AREA OF LIFE AND THOUGHT IN THE UPPER STORY OF SPIRITUAL TRUTH AS WELL AS THE LOWER STORY OF LIFE APPLICATION.

How the Christian Faith Gave Birth to Modern Science
A metanarrative has become ingrained in our culture which states that science is the means by which we threw off our religious superstitions and entered a brave new world of reason and progress. Does this metanarrative itself need to be overthrown? In this work Discovery fellows Nancy Pearcey and Charles Thaxton explain how Christian theism has played a vital role in the historical development of science.Moreover, the next scientific revolution may bring science back to a point where it will reconsider the possibility that life was designed.

First, Pearcey and Thaxton shed light on the fact that the "Dark ages" were not quite so dark. While the medieval scholars lacked much of our accumulated knowledge, medieval scientists like Jordanus de Nemore anticipated the work of subsequent scientists through his work on statics.When the scientific revolution swung into full force, early scientists like Newton were devoutly religious and motivated by religion.As one historian they quote put it, "God had designed the universe, and it was to be expected that all phenomena of nature would follow one master plan.One mind designing a universe would almost surely have employed one set of basic principles to govern related phenomena." (pg. 129)Even today, they find that "the DNA code originated from a cause similar in relevant aspects to human intelligence." (pg. 244)

The authors begin by observing that "the idea of a war between science and religion is a relatively recent invention--one carefully nurtured by those who hope the victor will be science." (pg. 19) After reviewing all of the contributions which theists, the church, and Christianized societies have made to science, they conclude, "The Christian religion, hand in hand with various philosophical outlooks, has motivated, sanctioned, and shaped large portions of the Western scientific heritage." (pg. 248)

The best Christian introduction to philosophy of science
In this book, Pearcey and Thaxton lay bare the foundation and motivation for science: philosophy.They reveal how science is pushed along by philosophy, and how philosophical views lead to scientific theories (see esp. the chapter on interpretations of quantum mechanics). Before reading this book I had not realized just how strong the influence of philosophy was upon science, but this book opened my eyes. They also do an excellent job of showing the relationship between science and theology, though if this you are looking for anything beyone a basic introduction to this subject, better books are available (try John Polkinghorne and Stanley Jaki, though be warned that they are not easy reads).

The Philosophies Behind the Science
Most of the books I read, I read because I delight in them and think I'll enjoy them.There are other books I read merely because I think they will contain some information that will be useful to me in life or in ministry.Then there are some books which are flat out difficult for me to read.Yet I read them to stretch myself and broaden my horizons.

Such is the book The Soul of Science by Nancy Pearcey and Charles Thaxton.It's not the book is any way deficient, as can be seen by the endorsements of the book.Phillip E. Johnson says this is a "brilliant book that deserves a wide readership."J. P. Moreland says it would be an excellent text for courses on science and religion. James W. Sire says that "this book should destroy for all time the persistent myth that Science and Christianity have always been at war with each other."

Truly, this is a great book, but it was difficult for me to read, being a non-scientist.And when I say that I am a non-scientist I am giving myself far too much praise and credit as a scientific scholar.I have always done poorly in science.I somehow survived all of the biology classes I had to take in High School and College and nearly bombed out in chemistry.The fact that I passed a required chemistry class in college, I attribute to either the generosity of the professor or that he was in a drunken stupor when he was handing out grades.I went to college hoping to be an engineer but abandoned all hope of such a career when I took my first physics class.The only time in my life I can ever remember having a complete mental block in a subject was when I took that physics class - I just couldn't get it.Two weeks into the semester I dropped the class and changed my major.

So, I read this book as a non-scientist and want to share a few thoughts on its value to non-scientists like me.For a good review from a technical standpoint you'll have to look elsewhere.The book has lots of interesting information about biology, mathematics, quantum mechanics and DNA, to which the most intelligent response I can give is "wow . . . hey, . . .that's um . . .interesting, . . . that's really groovy man."In other words, it all sounds pretty neat but I don't understand much of what I read.

What I did understand though, and what makes this book valuable to a scientific ignoramus like me is that all science has an underlying philosophy.Science is supposed to be one field of study where you just deal with bare facts, where the facts speak for themselves, where empiricism rules the day.Yet, the project of science itself depends on certain philosophical underpinnings.

The project of science begins with a presupposition that the world around us is real and understandable.This is not something native to all societies and Pearcey and Thaxton point out what many historians agree on - that Christianity is the native soil out of which the scientific enterprise grew.The Christian worldview says that there is a God, a God of order, who created a world of order.Thus the earliest scientists sought to understand the world that God created, to think His thoughts after Him.Science was a means of knowing God and giving praise to Him.

Thus, the notion that there is some kind of hostility between science and Christianity is false.The hostility that arose between science and Christianity arose as scientists abandoned Christian presuppositions for atheistic presuppositions.

However, it is not as if there is a "Christian philosophy of science" and an "atheist philosophy of science."Pearcey and Thaxton demonstrate that, historically, there have been three dominant philosophies of science.All three have morphed at times, but the basic philosophies are Aristotelian, Neo-Platonic and Mechanistic.

Aristotle pictured the world as a vast organism.He believed that all forms of motion or change are accomplished because of an objects built in purpose or goal.Aristotle described things using metaphors of living organisms, not machines.Aristotelianismwas rationalistic, viewing God as a rational mind whose thoughts are known by logical analysis.The development of living organisms was driven by some kind of internal pattern that assured they fulfilled their goal or purpose.

The Neo-Platonists were similar to Aristotelians in that they believed the world was a living organism.However, they differed in that how they explained this:"In explaining natural processes, it appealed not to rational Forms but to the creative power of spiritual forces.These forces were often regarded as divine, or at least as avenues of divine activity in the world.

The mechanistic worldview rejected Aristotelianism and Neo-Platonism in that it didn't see the world as a living organism, rather as a machine with God as the chief engineer.

Pearcey and Thaxton point out that there are many nuances within these basic worldviews and the worldviews are applied somewhat differently in different disciplines.Further, these are rough groupings and some scientists would be hard to categorize.But, for Pearcey and Thaxton, these worldviews are portrayed as the grid through which almost all scientific disciplines are pursued.They also point out that, historically, each of these worldviews have been used in service to both Christianity and non-Christianity.Hence, the obvious implication is that there are certain faith commitments that form an even deeper sub-strata beneath the philosophies themselves.

I say that I didn't understand most of the more technical stuff in the book, but there were some nuggets that got through my thick skull.There is a fascinating chapter on the fall of mathematics from its pinnacle as the ultimate source of empirical certainty.And the chapter on DNA is wonderful.The complexity and volume of information contained in DNA gives wonderful testimony to the existence of a creator and to the notion that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

But the bottom line value of the book is that it will help us look beyond the facts in discussions about Christianity and Science.Very often, Christian apologists seek to go head to head with non-Christian scientists in regards to evidences.The Christian piles up a stack of evidence that he says proves the existence of God or the Christian worldview, and the non-Christian piles up a similar stack of evidence against him.They both attack the others stacks of evidences and defend their own.The outcome sometimes looks like an office where both stacks of paper have been blown around the room resulting in chaos.

We need to look beyond the "bare facts" (there is no such thing as a "bare" fact) to the philosophical foundations behind them.In that regard, the Christian worldview provides a remarkable foundation for science.

"The Soul of Science" affirms the words of Max Planck who says "Over the entrance to the gates of the temple of science are written the words: 'Ye must have faith.'" ... Read more

Book Description
"Willa Cather is indisputably the author of The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy and the History of Christian Science. For readers and students today it presents an important profile of Cather's developing voice and a glimpse of subjects and styles that would be her special stock in trade. As the strange drama of Mrs. Eddy's life unfolds in the narrative we become aware of Willa Cather, the burgeoning novelist with a powerful and sympathetic interest in human psychology."--David StouckThis controversial biography of the founder of the Christian Science church was serialized in McClure's Magazine in 1907-8 and published as a book the next year. It disappeared almost overnight and has been difficult to find ever since. Although a Canadian mewspaperwoman named Georgine Milmine collected the material and was credited as the author, The Life Of Mary Baker G. Eddy was actually written by Willa Cather, an editor at McClure's at that time. In his introduction to this Bison Book edition, David Stouck reveals new evidence of Cather's authorship of The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy. He discusses her fidelity to facts and her concern with psychology and philosophy that would take creative form later on. Indeed, this biography contains "some of the finest portrait sketches and reflections on human nature that Willa Cather would ever write." David Stouck is a professor of English at Simon Fraser University and the author of Willa Cather's Imagination. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Do more research.
December 2007 The Mary Baker Eddy Library has the real and whole story. I think that it must have been built to make everything available to everybody. Before you get lopsided on this book, better visit or call MBE Library for the Betterment of Humanity.
The real test of all this is to read her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.When you feel the change that comes over your whole life you'll be in a better position to write a review. And, it doesn't matter if you are an atheist, a Mormon,catholic or anything in between.

I am not a Christian Scientist.....
but I would not hesitate to write a book about a church that condones the death of children and adults and causes untold emotional suffering and insanity. Period!

An Observation
It seems that all the reviews here show a bias that was held before this particular book was read. If one had a a prejudice agains Christian Science, they thought the book was wonderful. If one was in favor of Christian Science, they thought the book was terrible.

My feeling is, that at least in the US where we treasure religious freedon, to write a book that trashes another's belief is despicable. Everyone should be able to follow their beliefs without someone trashing them.

I am not Catholic, but I am not going to write a book denouncing the pope.

Dennis R.

Banned in Boston
In 1906 Georgine Milmine, a newspaperwoman who had spent years assembling an enormous collection of material about Mary Baker Eddy but doubted her own ability to write on the subject, sold it to McClures Magazine. Interest in Christian Science was at its height at the time, and McClure's turned the project over to Willa Cather, who was 32 years old and had 32 published short stories to her credit, but whose days as a great novelist still lay in the future.

Although Ms. Cather publicly disclaimed credit for the resulting series of articles which form the basis of this book, the editors provide convincing proof that she wrote it.

In addition to being a highly entertaining account of the rise of one of the more fascinating characters in American religious history and the church she founded, the book provides extensive factual detail to anyone seriously interested in the history of either. While it is critical of Mrs. Eddy, it is also complimentary. Factually accurate and extensively documented., it is perhaps the most objective account available of a truly remarkable woman and her church.

Although the book was the subject of favorable reviews when it was published in 1910, the response of the church was, predictably, less enthusiastic. According to the afterword, even before it was published, "three spokesmen for the Christian Science church visited the McClure's office and tried to suppress the series of articles. Christian Scientists were said to have later bought and destroyed most copies of the book, and library copies were said to be kept out of general circulation through constant borrowings by church members... The copyright for the Milmine book was purchased by a friend of Christian Science, the plates from which the book was printed were destroyed, and the manuscript also acquired. That this happened is supported by the fact that the manuscripts for the 'Milmine' book are held in the Archives and Library of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston." (pp. 497-498)

Perhaps the most important contribution that this book makes is to present Mrs. Eddy and her church in the context of their time. There is a tendency today to present her as an early oppressed feminist. That interpretation should be compared with Ms. Cather's hard-nosed assessment:: "The result of Mrs. Eddy's planning and training and pruning is that she has built up the largest and most powerful organization ever founded by any woman in America. Probably no other woman so handicapped-so limited in intellect, so uncertain in conduct, so tortured by hatred and hampered by petty animosities-has ever risen from a state of helplessness and dependence to a position of such power and authority... The growth of her power has been extensive as well as intensive." (p. 480)

In fact, the only complaint in an otherwise favorable review by a student of nervous disorders in the American Historical Review (Vol 15, July 1910), was that the author did "not do enough to explain the abnormal psychology of the founder of Christian Science-the record of hysteria, hypochondria, and the delusion of persecution." (p.498)

Well worth reading

Inaccurate information
More recent scolarship has shown this biography to be a polemic not a biography.See more scholarly work by Gillian Gill especially her comments on page 563 about Milmine's work. ... Read more

Book Description
SPIRITUAL DARKNESSA devastating interplanetary war has been raging for decades. The fallen ones have instigated mankind's downfall, waging a sinister campaign leading towards a singular goal, universal domination.A WARRIOR RACELong the ordained guardians of peace, the Barudii, have been reduced to a scattered remnant struggling to survive. All but wiped out by the Vorn clan, they have little hope of stopping the genocide that threatens mankind's survival.THE LAST HEIRYoung Tiet soone, the only remaining heir to the Barudii throne, returns from exile to avenge his fallen people. He is the final hope for restoration, and the only one that can mediate a peace between the warring clans before its too late...before the dark forces opposing his every effort succeed in enslaving humanity. To claim victory he will do what Barudii warriors do best-fight-to the death if need be. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Short, but to the point, I think!
As the author of, The Second Virgin Birth, I have to say that this book by James Somers is very believable, with well developed-characters that make you want to know more about them. Amazing dialogue surrounds an action-packed story line that will keep you guessing the entire time.It's an easy read, and extremely well written.

Somers' Soone Debut!
New author James Soone debuts his first novel in a seemingly new series that comes off reading like a mix of Star Wars vs Terminator.

Both genres of both film and novels here are quickly apparent in the prose. Well, that can be good...and also bad.

We felt that James Somers holds great potential, but overall after reading the first 1/3 of the novel, we got a feeling of lack of quality in terms of much-needed descriptions and characterization. Unfortunately, those came as run-of-the-mill.

On a more postive note, Somers never lets up in pure high-octane action/adventure. But after reading Best-Selling authors for many years, action/adventure is not enough. It is just a couple of important elements, yes, but cannot hold up the whole novel idea as a whole.

There was also the major problem of editing. Numerous mistakes here made this reading experience a headache at times. But James Somers CAN write. And we would look at a 2nd novel of Soone.

And hope for a more well-rounded novel.

from Wayne Thomas Batson, Author of The Door Within Trilogy and Isle of Swords
The Promising First Step in an Ultra Cool Space Epic!--that's what I'd call James Somers' Chronicles of Soone, Heir to the King. Being an author myself, I read a little differently than most people. I read like a scientist, analyzing every inch of the story: the craft, suspense technique, character development, general hook, etc. After all the analysis, I'm impressed.

Please realize this is Mr. Somers' first book. Of course it has rough edges and some editing foibles, but whose first book doesn't? If the story's cool, most readers {except perhaps, for book snobs, lol} can forgive a few errors in the written craft. Rather than technical precision, what readers should look for in a first novel are the following: an intriguing hook, sparks of creative genius, and a story worth hearing. CoSM has all of that.

An Intriguing Hook: CoSM begins with a mysterious, but utterly black betrayal...the underpinnings of centuries frought with genocide. An enemy, who while not exactly sympathetic, has motives we can understand. The hook comes when you realize the rabbit hole is A LOT deeper than you first thought. WOW, I couldn't believe how the story just seemed to balloon with each new revelation.

Sparks of Creative Genius: Somers' strength is plotting. No bog down scenes here. It just keeps amping. Wait until you meet the cyborg assasin Vale. He alone adds a rogue suspense mechanism worth the price of admission. The Vorn, the Barudii, the transdimensional rift--all very cool elements.

A Story Worth Hearing: CoSM has definite spiritual themes. There's truth in this book, but it is not preachy in any way, shape, or form. Somers somehow tells a thrilling story that simultaneously makes you think about yourself and the world in a pure light.

Order a copy of Chronicles of Soone now, and like me, look forward to the release of Rise of Lucin, CoSM2!

An action packed read with spiritual overtones
Everything an action sci-fi fan could ask for: Full of battle scenes packed with blazing swords and "ray" guns. From the opening scene I was captivated. Woven into the action are moral dilemmas and tragedy, coupled with a unique perspective on the battle between good and evil. An excellent read.

You Must Get This Book!
THE CHRONICLES OF SOONE: HEIR TO THE KING, by Rev. James Somers is a no-stop roller-coaster ride of adventure, terror, love and hate.The plot starts out pretty straight-forward, but then does an odd, but enjoyable twist.Soon the reader becomes caught up in a maze of adventure, battles, wisdom, love, hate and sorrow that is hard to find elsewhere.For his first novel this is a most remarkable story.It is in some ways simple and straight-forward, yet in others it is almost unbearably complex.As a mystery writer I like the fact that I couldn't quite get a handle on the story.I mean, I could never predict what was coming next.With the introduction of new terms, that make their way into your vocabulary as if you'd know them all your life, the clan of Barudii warriors and the races of Castaillan, Vorn and Baruk all seem to make sense.I would love to say more, but if I did I'm afraid I would start giving away pieces of the story that would take away from your uncovering them for yourself.Treat this story like a gold mine in which you have found a vein of gold.As you follow that vein and mine it just as it seems to thin out and threaten to disappear altogether it breaks open into a new and larger vein.And this Somers is able to keep up throughout this epic novel.You just know the next one is going to be just as fantastic. - David Brollier; author of THE 3RD COVENANT

(You're wondering why I didn't give it a 5?That's because of some mechanical problems with the writing that the editors failed to pick up on or imposed on his otherwise great story.Otherwise it would definitely have been a 5) ... Read more

Product Description
Flashpoint is Biblical Cyberpunk set in the year 2036 and is the story of an alternative future where patriotism meets tyranny, the Patriot Act waxes Stalin-esque and the violence of terrorism has united the world. 2036 is the time of a central one-world government: the One-State. Fundamentalist terrorists are the One-State's only threat. This group includes Bible-believing Christians. When peacekeepers make a home-church bust in Ward-Six of the Chicago Metroplex, only Dave and Jen Williams evade capture. The siblings turn to the Body of Christ Underground for help, adopt street-names (Calamity Kid and e-girl) and slip between the cracks of the Chicago Metroplex. Calamity Kid and e-girl undergo technological re-formation that provides them with skills, knowledge and other abilities that allow them meet the gravest challenges facing Fundamentalist Christians and ultimately help them save their family, friends and neighbors before they're brainwashed, enslaved or worse by the One-State Neros. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Flash Bang!
I met Frank Creed a few years ago through some writers groups and have followed his rise to published author with great interest. Frank is a thinker and he provokes one to follow him into thinking. Too many of us don't think anymore, we simply react. I guess that's why Frank has chosen a sub-genre of speculative fiction called cyber-punk to make his mark.

By now, it should be no secret that Flashpoint has won many accolades. I'm not surprised. It's an imaginative potpourri of ideas and ideology that keeps one involved in the process as they read.

I do like this book even though I'm only giving it three stars. Most of my problems with it have nothing to do with Frank's writing or the story itself and anyone who likes apocalyptic stories with technology and supernatural elements is going to love this book.

My problems were with the book itself. My copy is an advanced reader copy so these problems may have been resolved. The Writer's Cafe (co-owned by Frank) is a small press with not much history in the making of books and it shows. A larger font would accomplish a couple of good things for this work. It would be more readable. I had a hard time with the font. Too many lines per page I think was the deal. A different font size would put less lines on the pages. Which leads me to the other issue I had. This copy has the story at 169 pages. That's not a novel. I'm not even sure it'd qualify as a novella. With this being book one of a series I felt more of the story could've been added and the novel could've been separated into sections. I see this all the time.

I see from the Amazon page that the edition for sale is 216 pages so maybe they did some of this and my criticisms or moot. I hope so. I wanted to like this book more. I think Frank has a promising future as a storyteller and look forward to not only his growth, but that of The Writer's Cafe.

A good book that I enjoyed.
As both an author and reader of fiction, I was impressed with Flashpoint. Maybe it is because I have always enjoyed a book that could hold my attention and make me think at the same time. In a nutshell, the characters are believable and yet a little out of the ordinary and the story line interesting. Give this book a try.
Tommy Taylor
Author - The Second Virgin Birth

Flashpoint
Flashpoint is set in the Chicago area in 2036.Due to a number of events chronicled in a timeline in the front of the book, fundamental Christians are labeled as terrorists by the One State government. As a result, these believers--referred to by the One State as "Fundis"--have established an underground known as the Body of Christ.The believers are helped in their struggle for survival by the process of re-formation, which is described as "God's giving us back a little of what it was like to be human before the fall."The main characters are Calamity Kid and e-girl, who enter the Body of Christ after their parents are arrested for holding church meetings in their home.
After joining the Body, they spend the majority of the book devising a plan to rescue their parents from a One State "rehab" center, which amounts to a brainwashing facility.Calamity Kid takes on the role of a Sandman, combating the One State's force with tranquilizer darts, while his sister e-girl becomes a Hack, providing technical support for her brother's missions.As they search for their parents, they also adjust to their re-formation and to their newfound status as wanted criminals.
Overall, the book is excellent.Creed does a great job of writing for his intended audience of biblical/science fiction/cyberpunk fans, and he displays a good understanding of his hybrid genre.In his dialogue, he has created a sort of futuristic slang that, while intentionally different from its modern counterparts, is easily understood (words like "ace" and "spiff" are high praise).Most importantly, Creed manages to balance techno-punk sci-fi and Christianity to near perfection.The characters are growing in their faith while dealing with situations of almost unimaginable pressure, yet they are portrayed so well that the reader can easily relate to them. This not only applies to Calamity Kid and e-girl but also to minor characters; the character of Legacy is particularly well drawn.I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes biblical fiction or science fiction.

Matrix, move over!
Matrix, move over! Frank Creed delivers non-stop action and pulse-pounding suspense in the best book I've read this year! Frank's dry wit laces the story with humor, breathing life into unforgettable characters, in a future you won't wish to see.

The year is 2036, the place is Chicago, Illinois, and the world has joined together under one government called One State. Their primary objective: to outlaw Christianity. With persecution dogging their heels, the Church goes underground, digging in to protect the Body from annihilation.

When Jen and Dave Williams find themselves dumped out of their father's car, he speeds away to distract the "Peacekeepers" while the children hide under a bridge. But as Peacekeepers surround them, a man of remarkable talents comes to their rescue, dazzling the children and disarming their enemies. His name is Legacy.

Legacy leads Dave and Jen into the incredible world of the underground believers. They quickly discover their own talents and gifts, and learn to use them to rescue the Church from the brain-washing techniques of the Peacekeepers. Jen becomes e-girl, a whiz-kid with the ability to interface with computers, relay information, and burrow herself into a cyber-reality.Dave becomes a field agent like Legacy, adopting the name of Calamity Kid, who plans and executes rescue operations, endeavoring to keep the precious Saints safe from the One State.

Travel the streets of Chicago with e-girl and Calamity Kid, as they struggle to find their places in the Body of Christ, delving into spiritual warfare like you've never seen it before. Frank Creed's style is pure genius, and you'll delight in the unique language he brings to this novel. Flashpoint, this first book in Mr. Creed's series, is sure to leave you clamoring for more!


Review by Deborah Cullins Smith

An original spec-fic debut...
Jen and Dave live in an America where the government is their bitter enemy. In a nation where Christian Fundamentalists are labeled "terrorists", they must go underground to survive. Their sympathizer parents, on the verge of being captured and thrown into a Rehab, stash Jen and Dave under an overpass, hoping they can evade Peacekeepers long enough to be rescued.

Every believer has a place in the Body of Christ and Dave and Jen find theirs as "Calamity Kid" and "e-girl." They find an underground group of "fundies" who use the latest technology available to penetrate the enemy and regain contact with their families, while also reaching lost souls with seemingly no hope.

Told from Calamity Kid's POV, the story chronicles his move from obscurity to valuable member of the fundie team. He must learn to use his new abilities within the BOC to help accomplish its goals, one being to save he and his sister's parents from the Rehab Ward.

I admit I was a bit lost in this novel, primarily because I've never read "cyberpunk" before.The fight scenes proved sufficiently confusing to me because of the use of future weaponry However, that doesn't mean Creed doesn't write well. On the contrary, he gives us likeable characters, a believable futuristic plot and a plethora of his patented witty one-liners. The ending was predictable, but hey, I like happy endings.

It's basically a story of persecution, survival and learning to use one's Spirit-given gifts to encourage and assist Christ's body of believers in the world. That theme with a post-Christian era as a backdrop made for a very original book. I applaud Creed for his originality, doing his part to again bring the lost genre of speculative fiction to light.
... Read more

Book Description
A look at the questions students should be asking as they study the natural sciences in relation to the Christian worldview and think critically about God's creation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent, thoughtful intro and contribution to the science/religion debate by comitted Christians
An excellent intro to the science/religion debate.It touches on almost every issue in some way and shows how committed Christians who are also scientists are dealing with the "debate".This book is a must for any Evangelical Christian who thinks evolution and the other findings of modern science are in direct antithesis to their Christian beliefs.It's also a must for any non-believer who thinks all Christians are ignorant and take what the Bible says in blind faith over the findings of modern science.Not Just Science presents authentic attempts to maintain the integrity of both Christianity and science.I only felt there was one downfall - I would have given the book 5 stars had I not felt that the authors relegated Christianity solely to the realm ethics too often. ... Read more