ET Books

Epilogue; Faith Vs Faith:
Emil Brunner who once said that Buber's discovery and analysis of the I-Thou relationship set up a Copernician revolution in the thinking of the whole of mankind, described Buber's 'faith versus faith' essay as; "An all-out attack on Christianity", and an attempt by Buber to clarify why he came short of becoming a Christian! (Dogmatic Theology, E. Brunner)
It may be that Buber glittering philosophic rhetoric, at once attracted and repelled, despite his literary talent, as his best analytical critic, Monsignor Oesterreicher described him, borrowing william James useful taxonomy, "Buber seemed 'tender minded' to one whose nature and philosophical nurture honor by preference 'tough minded' thinkers!

A shift Of emphasis:
It may be to my support for Amazon.com readership and the theologically trained Practical.Org review visitors, to recall a similar reaction to mine, by Thieme, a German theologian.
The late Karl Thieme joined Catholicism, leaving his Lutheran Church due to the latter adjustment to Nazi policy, excluding clergy of Jewish origins from its service. Thieme, rejecting the 'two types of faith' whimsical view, asserted that Christian's faith differed from Jewish faith by a 'Shift of emphasis.' He criticized Buber's reading of Paul's theology, encountering in his letter to the Romans 'A wrathful God' rather than 'A Loving Father.'
"I am saddened that Buber's aversion to Paul was so strong that he was unable to appreciate the Apostle's loving avowal of God's special bond to His people in Romans 9 to 11...I am at a loss to understand why Buber did not give Paul the regard that is his due.' comments Oesterreicher on Thieme parallel views.

Buber's faith Vs Torah:
In his exploration of the 'two forms' of faith, first as a member of community, whose covenant with the unconditioned, trusts in a person, vs. an individual converted to faith, in acceptance of a truth, associating with other converts to form a community.
While Hillel, the great rabbi, held his Golden rule of Jewish faith as; "The whole Torah, and, the rest is commentary," Buber writes, "I do not believe that revelation is ever a formulation of law. It is only through Man in his self-contradiction that revelation becomes legislation." Buber' Letter to Rosenzweig

The Risen Christ:
It is clear why the resurrection was such a stumbling block to Buber, that he took offense debating; "the Jew of Paul's time,...believed in the resurrection of the dead as a great community at the end of time; but the resurrection of an individual was unknown to the Jew from scripture..." Buber's conclusion against the core of Christian faith is : "The resurrection of an individual (Jesus) is incredible to Jews,"
Shmuel Bergmann, a great Jewish thinker, and a friend of Buber whom he asked to review the manuscript (Two Types of Faith), wrote in 1949; "If the resurrection (of Jesus) really happened, it was such a decisive event-the fact that a human being conquered death-such a new beginning in human history that Paul was right to attribute to faith in that fact a decisive significance."

Martin Buber:
One of the foremost religious thinkers of the twentieth century, M. Buber made a tremendous impact, not only on Jewish but also on Christian thinkers. Reinhold Niebuhr has described him as "the greatest Jewish philosopher of our time"
In nominating Buber for a Nobel Prize in literature in 1949, H. Hesse stated that, "He has enriched world-literature with a genuine treasure as has no other living author."

Buber outlines here the difference between two kinds of faith the emunah of the Jews, and the pistis of the Christians. In doing so he also writes sympathetically about Jesus who he sees in some way as part of the spiritual history of Israel. For Buber the Jews faith is communal and centers on their persistence in history in continuing their communal religious life. He sees Christianity as having a different kind of faith one which focuses on individuals, and the individual salvation. In his concluding chapter he suggests that in the future each might take a bit more of the character of the other( not in doctrine) but in the Jewish faith becoming more pistis and the Christians moving more toward a communal faith. In the introduction to the work Buber thanks great Christian scholars with whom he was in dialogue, Rudolf Bultmann, Schweitzer, and Rudolf Otto. Clearly he was living and working toward Jewish- Christian dialogue as extension of his belief in the importance of meeting and making relationships with others in which the full humanity of both parties could be lived and expressed.

An exhilerating account of the roles philosophy and theology ought to play in Catholic thought!

This is an excellent study of John Paul II's difficult encyclical on faith and reason. Most of the contributions deal with the vexed issue of "Christian philosophy," a much disputed topic in the 1930s which has been given new life by our reigning philosopher-pope. Highlights are the fine essays by Avery Cardinal Dulles, placing the current issues in historical context, and the remrkable essay by David Meconi on the Marian dimension of philosophy.

My daughter just had a birthday last week, and so my brother sent her some books. One of them was "Under the Sea" and the other was "Under the Ground". They are both being enjoyed by my kids (5 and 3) and me! They aren't very long, but they are VERY CLEVER. Every two-page spread has information and drawings on one side, and then a plastic page on top of a black page on the other. You punch out a paper 'flashlight' that is located in the back of the book, slide it under the plastic and are then able to see/highlight what is hidden underneath. We've been looking at them daily and are happy to have them.

I was amazed at how my two and a half year old was totally taken by this book. The concept so simple but so very effective. The flashlight is a definate asset. The animal descriptions are short and concise and the pictures are just perfect.

Want a grand dose of culture? One doesn't have to go much further than Bolivia. "Understanding Bolivia: A Traveler's History" explores Bolivia's rich history of cowboys, religion, carnivals, silver mines, ancient American history, and that's just the beginning. With a special look at adventurers who have traveled through Bolivia through the years, "Understanding Bolivia" is a must for anyone interested in the country or planning a visit.

This book is a treasure, so much more than just another travel guide. The information that you might find in other travel guides in short sidebars and notes (those bits that most of us find so fascinating) becomes the focus of the author's work. Bolivia has a rich history and culture, dating back over 2,600 years. The book takes us from ancient times to the modern day, chronicling events and traditions and economic and political changes along the way. Lougheed doesn't shy away from a story. Weak leaders, revolution and the "war on drugs" are covered, as are human rights issues and the working conditions of silver miners today. You get a sense, though, that the author has a deep affection for the country and the people and this comes through, in the stories and in the beautiful photographs that add so much to the book. I understand that the publisher, Harbour House, will be publishing more "Understanding..." books (the first, I believe, was Understanding Belize, and this is the second). Well done! Travellers and armchair travellers will approve. This is what travel writing should be.

GREAT GIFT, GREAT PRICE! None of us will live to fully realize all 30 Articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but hopefully the next generation will. The books are beautifully bound, and are printed in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian and Arabic, so they are great gifts for travel abroad. I met Mrs. Roosevelt as a child, and was very struck by her profound humanity and compassion. This Declaration is her greatest legacy to the future of mankind. Highly recommend.

This book provides a great DBQ for social studies. It is also a moving and important document that has relevance today. Our greatest First Lady wrote this document and was instrumental in developing the United Nations. I was glad that I picked it up at the FDR Presidential Library and will use it in my teaching.

This is an excellent book and my son who is studying French thoroughly enjoys it, but it is 63 pages and not the 392 pages in the listing. I was wondering why this book was so much longer than the other books in the series, but as it isn't, I guess that answers that. Still, 63 pages of C et H is better than 300 of so many other books out there :).

I bought this book for my students and they love it. Even if they do not understand everything, this is a great way to motivate teenagers to read French!

This is a must have for those interested on the Black Madonnas. The author makes a fair investigation, far from especulative theories. The abundant photographs make it a wonderful document as well, for those of us who like the topic but are far away from french and european churches.

Sophie Cassagnes-Brouquet's book is a well-done, clear and compehensive tour of the Black Virgins of France. The many color illustrations add a great deal to the text. Her heart is obviously into her work.

I stumbled upon this book in New York a few years back and was immediately stunned by its beauty and quality. The Gilman Paper Company apparently started their collection well before the current photography craze and amassed one of the most outstanding collections that you can imagine. Most of these photos are from the very earliest days of the medium and many are in the sepia tone that I personally love. The quality of reproduction is so good that you can actually frame some of the photos! It's astounding...well worth obtaining for any art book collector.

I purchased this book in conjunction with The Metropolitan Museum exhibit of the same name. I spent hours in the exhibit, and I spent hours pouring over the lush, and beautifully reproduced images in this book. I've always been fascinated with the photographic process, and this book explores it down to the roots. I've walked away amazed that someone figured out how to look at something, and through a chemical process tranfer ones vision onto paper. (Not to mention concocting the chemical formula) A stunning book, well worth the price.

Childhood is the most wonderful time of discovery -- of the world and of self. Author Carolyn Stearns evokes this sense of wonder -- and concern -- that all children (and most adults) feel when their world suddenly changes dramatically and they don't know why. The story is about a true natural phenomenon that occurs once in a while on the Chesapeake Bay -- that cosmic wonder! -- when the tides and the wind and the moon and other weather factors are just right. Surprise, consternation, a sense of loss, fear, worry, skepticism, reassurance from wise and understanding parents, joy and renewed faith are all a part of the story. The illustrations of David Aiken are stunning and inspired, and complement the text beautifully. This is a timeless book of spare and direct prose for children of any age, to be read to younger ones aged 2-8 and read by older ones aged 9-99. And is the storyteller a girl or a boy?

I live with my mom & dad on Herring Bay on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. One morning, all I could see was mud! When I asked my parent where did all the water go, they said not to worry, the water would be back. My dad thinks the wind has pushed the water away. I imagine the wind blowing all the water across the Bay. I think of where all the water went.

What a long day it was at school, I couldn't stop thinking about how all my friends, the fish & the birds who would perish without the water & the school bell couldn't come soon enough. What would I find when the school bus dropped me off at the Bay? Would the water still be far away?

With David Aiken's enchanting & whimsical artwork, Carolyn Stearns has written an informative & exciting little book about the comings & goings of salt water bays. Delightful & a keeper! Do check out my full review & many others of neat children's books.

This is lovely book with stunning pictures. Seattlites will enjoy the sense of awe that is at the same time familiar and other will be able to explore these beautiful wetlands for the first time.

Photos of birds, berries and bark all bring to our attention the wonder in the small parts of nature that are so often overlooked. At the same time misty waterscapes show the full grandure of the Washington Park Arboretum.

This book is so great! The pictures are stunning. It would make a great gift for anyone who likes the Washington Park Arboretum, nature, or photography in general.