Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts

BLESSED ASSURANCE: A HISTORY OF EVANGELICALISM IN AMERICA Review

BLESSED ASSURANCE: A HISTORY OF EVANGELICALISM IN AMERICA
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy BLESSED ASSURANCE: A HISTORY OF EVANGELICALISM IN AMERICA? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on BLESSED ASSURANCE: A HISTORY OF EVANGELICALISM IN AMERICA. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

BLESSED ASSURANCE: A HISTORY OF EVANGELICALISM IN AMERICA ReviewAfter reading this book in one sitting, I am still unclear about its purpose. Readers expecting an historical overview will quickly become mired in long discussions about colonial ethnic politics. Readers expecting more penetrating scholarship will be put off by such gloss-overs as when Balmer writes the socially complex Salem Witch Trials off with a single word: 'misogyny' or when he repeatedly asserts that contemporary hymns inherit significant sexual imagery from the pietistic tradition but never presents an argument to support this assertion. The final two chapters strike me as thinly veiled assaults on Promise Keepers and the Christian Coalition. Justified or not, these attacks take the book out of the realm of history and into the realm of socio-political commentary, thus adding to my confusion about its ultimate purpose.
Balmer does have some interesting things to say, particularly about how American individualism and anti-institutionalism affect American politics and religion. Despite its apparent lack of focus, I enjoyed reading the book and found some useful nuggets related to my current academic project. Students of history, sociology, or religion may find the end-notes a good starting point for more serious study. Those looking for an overview (as the sub-title suggests) should look elsewhere.BLESSED ASSURANCE: A HISTORY OF EVANGELICALISM IN AMERICA Overview

Want to learn more information about BLESSED ASSURANCE: A HISTORY OF EVANGELICALISM IN AMERICA?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life Review

Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life ReviewThis revealing autobiography of slugger Hank Greenberg (1911-1986) makes for excellent reading. Greenberg was baseball's first Jewish superstar, a massive (6-4, 215 lbs), popular, intelligent player. Greenberg's immigrant parents disliked his decision to play baseball, but by the mid-1930's he was slugging the Detroit Tigers to pennants and his mother found herself a celebrity in her mostly-Jewish neighborhood in the Bronx. Greenberg's popularity probably reduced the amount of anti-Semitic abuse he faced - abuse that he often answered with his bat. Greenberg lost nearly five seasons to military service during World War II, and he left the game after 1947 to become a talented baseball executive and later an investment broker. All is described in these readable pages, along with Greenberg's views on famous controversies. Did opposing hurlers purposely walk him as he closed in on Babe Ruth's home run record in 1938? Was he unfairly drafted prior to Pearl Harbor? Should he play on major Jewish holidays? His answers ("no") are given at length. In his last year with Pittsburgh, Greenberg also encouraged a rookie named Jackie Robinson who faced similar but much greater abuse.
Greenberg was intelligent, dedicated, and surprisingly modest. He passed away before this book was finished, at which point journalist Ira Berkow filled in the gaps with interviews and anecdotes. This is an intelligent and readable biography about one of baseball's most impressive men.
Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life Overview

Want to learn more information about Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Italy since 1945 (Short Oxford History of Italy) Review

Italy since 1945 (Short Oxford History of Italy)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Italy since 1945 (Short Oxford History of Italy)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Italy since 1945 (Short Oxford History of Italy). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Italy since 1945 (Short Oxford History of Italy) ReviewThis is very concise short exploration of Italy since the end of WWII. It touches on the many aspects of Italian life, the rise of the middle class, the shift towards mediteranianism, the triumph of Christian Democracy, and the love of sport(football). This book also touches on the love hate mentality that Italians have for Americans, they love our protection but love to hate the USA. This is a short narrative, it perhaps does not touch on the more important events that are shaping Italy today. The mafia, the red terrorists, the elections of 1992, the corruption, the craxi regime, the invasion of immigrants and the plight of the south. Perhaps the book needs to be longer, it should be recommended as a short concise read on Italy for those taking a survey course or those interested in the current state.Italy since 1945 (Short Oxford History of Italy) OverviewItaly since 1945 sets in context the tremendous changes that Italy has undergone in the last 55 years.In place of the land of pizza, sunshine, and soccer, McCarthy describes a developing nation: an economy that has found its own road to success via the piccole imprese with an increasingly strong stockmarket and more sophisticated banking; a dynamic, traditional, family-centered society; and a political system struggling to modernize after forty years of Christian Democrat rule and Communist opposition.McCarthy also looks at the role of the Church, including Pius XII's wartime activities and the 'foreign pope', John-Paul II before finally turning to sport in Italy - the only country to have 3 daily newspapers devoted to the subject. Authoritative, accessible, and absorbing, the book examines modern Italy through the eyes of 10 leading commentators and explores the Italian experience in the wider context of both the nation's past and its wider contemporary European position.

Want to learn more information about Italy since 1945 (Short Oxford History of Italy)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Religion in Twentieth Century America (Religion in American Life) Review

Religion in Twentieth Century America (Religion in American Life)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Religion in Twentieth Century America (Religion in American Life)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Religion in Twentieth Century America (Religion in American Life). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Religion in Twentieth Century America (Religion in American Life) ReviewThis neat little book is a wonderful overview of the evolution of religion in the United States in the twentieth century. The book begins with the early schism between the more conservative branch of Protestantism (which produced the Fundamentals of the Faith) and the more liberal branch (which produced the National Council of Churches). However, as it flows along, it embraces the streams Roman Catholic and Jewish development. Eventually, the book examines the arrival of traditional non-Judeo-Christian religions, and New Age religions.
This is a great book, one that gives the reader a clear understanding of religion in the United States, and how we arrived at this point. Although originally written for High School age readers (or perhaps because of that), it is highly informative to any reader, and indeed this orientation means that it is an easy read for those not already knowledgeable about the subject. I highly recommend this book.Religion in Twentieth Century America (Religion in American Life) Overview

Want to learn more information about Religion in Twentieth Century America (Religion in American Life)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau Review

A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau ReviewThe research and details in this book are incredible. Dates, names, addresses - this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the life of Marie Laveau, or just New Orleans history. I'm taking the book on my next trip to the Crescent city to visit some of the places Long mentions in her book. Very well documented and extremely readable.A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau OverviewLegendary for an unusual combination of spiritual power, beauty, charisma, showmanship, intimidation, and shrewd business sense, Marie Leveau also was known for her kindness and charity, nursing yellow fever victims and ministering to condemned prisoners, and her devotion to the Roman Catholic Church. In separating verifiable fact from semi-truths and complete fabrication, Carolyn Morrow Long explores the unique social, political, and legal setting in which the lives of Laveau's African and European ancestors became intertwined in nineteenth-century New Orleans.

Want to learn more information about A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

All over but the Shoutin' Review

All over but the Shoutin'
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy All over but the Shoutin'? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on All over but the Shoutin'. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

All over but the Shoutin' ReviewMy priest is from Alabama and kept asking me if I'd read this book. The first thing I did after I finished it was to email him so we could get together to discuss it. Then I wrote ten pages about it in my journal, and next I called my sister to tell her about it and talk to her about our own family. Rick Bragg is a gifted writer who does "talk Southern," and I understood every word. My mother's people were sharecroppers during the Depression. I know how hard she tried to raise us out of her own poverty, what she sacrificed, and how well she succeeded. I saw in my own history both those things of which I am most proud and those things of which I am most ashamed. He softened my shame and strengthened the pride, as I'm sure he did his own. Naming the demons frees us, and I thank him for helping me to name a few of mine. I'll recommend this book to everyone, including my high school journalism and American literature students. It touched me in a deep place.All over but the Shoutin' Overview

Want to learn more information about All over but the Shoutin'?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Team Spirits: The Native American Mascots Controversy Review

Team Spirits: The Native American Mascots Controversy
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Team Spirits: The Native American Mascots Controversy? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Team Spirits: The Native American Mascots Controversy. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Team Spirits: The Native American Mascots Controversy ReviewC. Richard King and Charles Springwood, with their edited collection, bring to the forefront the cultural and social intricacies, animosities, and stereotypes associated with the Native American team mascot debate. The work "traces the (re)inventions of self and society through Native American mascots and the cultural artifacts, public sentiments, and ritual performances...associated with them." (1)
The essays are very informative and help clarify why certain practices have been misappropriated by the dominant "Euro-American" society. The authors prey upon the same themes in almost every essay, racial stereotypes, misappropriations of cultural practices, and displacement of Native American cultures and histories. Moreover, it appears that some of the authors take umbrage with the fact that certain Native American tribes actually support the use of their images as mascots. In their fabulous discussion of the Seminole Tribe and Florida State University, King and Springwood particularly illustrate their indignation in regards to the backing of the Chief Osceola mascot by the Seminole Tribe. The authors believe that members of the Seminole Tribe should quit "playing Indian" with the whites and work to challenge the misuse of Chief Osceola and the Seminole Tribe's identities and culture. King and Springwood also worryingly rely on a third-person account to buttress their argument that Florida State's appropriation of Native American imagery for use as a mascot only furthers popular stereotypes and prejudices.
Team Spirits is a work of activism. The collection of essays are designed inform readers of the complexities surrounding the Native American mascot controversy and hopefully reconsider their thoughts and conceptions of Native Americans. Perhaps the most important point of the text is that the appropriation of and misuse of Native American images reveal "much more about the non-Indian people and institutions that invented them than they have about Native American cultures and histories." (328) Most of the authors ignore the fact that mascots are not intended to glorify a certain historical or cultural distinctness. Many mascots were created in informal meetings without much regard to historical and cultural settings or identities. The authors of the essays expect mascots to lionize certain aspects of a locale's cultural and historical heritage. In reality, this just is not the case. However, Native American mascots are held to a higher standard as they should be and the complexities and controversies surrounding the issue show no signs of diminishing. Additionally, the Native American mascot controversy overshadows the argument that Native Americans have been perhaps the finest athletes the United States has ever had.
King and Springwood's effort certainly will not end the debate; it does provide analysis and understanding for those unfamiliar with the true subtle intricacies forever associated with Native Americans and their white conquerors.
Team Spirits: The Native American Mascots Controversy OverviewA growing controversy in recent years has arisen around the use and abuse of Native American team mascots. The Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, Florida State Seminoles, and so forth-these are just a few of the images and names popularly associated with Native Americans that are still used as mascots by professional sports teams, dozens of universities, and countless high schools. This practice, a troubling legacy of Native–Euro-American relations in the United States, has sparked heated debates and intense protests that continue to escalate.

Want to learn more information about Team Spirits: The Native American Mascots Controversy?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Muscular Christianity: Manhood and Sports in Protestant America, 1880-1920 Review

Muscular Christianity: Manhood and Sports in Protestant America, 1880-1920
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Muscular Christianity: Manhood and Sports in Protestant America, 1880-1920? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Muscular Christianity: Manhood and Sports in Protestant America, 1880-1920. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Muscular Christianity: Manhood and Sports in Protestant America, 1880-1920 ReviewA very interesting analysis of turn of the century Protestant America that looks at how a new conception of manhood was altering the character of mainline Protestantism to make it conform to ideas of masculinity. In part this reaction was imposed by a broader cultural movement which forced Protestant leaders to co-opt those ideas lest they open themselves up to criticism of overfeminization or lose converts to the secular "strenuous life" philosophy, but in large measure the effort to reemphasize the masculine aspect of Christianity and reassert control over Church life was not a calculated response to outside pressure, but motivated by various social anxieties that lead to new definition of manhood in general. In short, it examines a broad social process applied to Protestantism in particular. In any event, it should prove a very valuable resource for historians and sociologists studying various aspects of turn of the century America.Muscular Christianity: Manhood and Sports in Protestant America, 1880-1920 Overview

Want to learn more information about Muscular Christianity: Manhood and Sports in Protestant America, 1880-1920?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...