Chilton Reviews

This book is the finest, most balanced book I have read on the common roots of Judaism and Christianity. The notion that Christianity was A Judaism was counter to my thinking, but they make the case. It stresses the similarities and differences between Judaism and Christianity, showing that the differences are within the Judaic context. I didn't agree with everything they said, but any serious discussion and debate on this subject MUST include the points raised here.

This is the first book of either author I have read and I enjoyed it completely. The idea that the New Testament is another form of Judaism at first went against what I was taught even though I had always recognized the jewishness of Jesus. This book focuses on the important issue of God fulfilling the Talmud through the person of Jesus Christ

Louis Jordan's consumate professionalism, and the clean life he lead wouldn't make him seem to be the ideal topic of an autobiography (on the surface)... Nevertheless, between his wit, his horn and his passionate desire not to be upstaged by ANYONE he managed to revolutionize modern music by smashing Jazz, the blues, and a bit of down home entertainment together, paving the way for what would eventually become the music known as rock and roll and R & B.

Written in a well researched anecdotal matter, this book documents the man who was one of the biggest selling artists of his time. His movie shorts managed to inspire an entire generation of artists who would later take his formula and create rock and roll. In his own biography James Brown (The Godfather of Soul) rants and raves about Louis, mentioned the influence that Caldonia in particular had on his life, especially the way he'd go up and shout real high, just like Little Richard (only long before Little Richard.)

In this book you will meet many legendary entertainers (now virtually forgotten) and find out what it was like to be an entertainer of color in some very difficult, yet changing and turbulent times... and in particular the riff between him and many of the younger musicians who's music he absorbed but often accused him of being an "uncle Tom" for his whimsical style of performing.- - You'll find out about life on the road, the difficulty of holding together bands, and touring the chitlin' circuit in the days of segregation... and suddenly those silly songs like "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" and "Iz You Iz" will take on a whole new meaning.

The book contains a nice discography, about a dozen pages of pictures... including one with Dottie Smith, a member of his group who's still singing and performing here in Philadelphia, Sunday Nights at Barber's Hall and that I've sat in with on occasion. - - John Chilton is a superior Jazz historian who's as good as collecting the facts, as telling the stories they represent ! ! !

This book helps bridge the gap between the pre-war big band era and the modern juump blues bands and eventually rock and roll. It is a very readable book, whether or not you are familiar withn Jordan's life and music. Because Louis Jordan was such a big influence on Chuck Berry, I found it particularly interesting in developing the context from which rock and roll arose. To fully appreciate this book, have recorded versions of Jordan's music available for reference.

This book should be required reading for anyone who takes up space on this planet we call earth. Being able to provide an Optimum Learning Relationship should be the goal of all adults that are in communion with the children of the world by their very presence or intent. We have for too long denegrated children and those that work with them. Children are the future and they deserve the best. This book shows how the children can best be served and provides some hope for a better future for all living on the earth.

This book is magical! It very succinctly and lovingly explains years of research on child development, the potential of the human brain, and how to live our lives more authentically through play. As a parent, it was inspiring to read about how I can achieve a state of play in my parenting (and in my life as a whole). I have alraady seen such a change in myself and my children as a result of putting into practice the principles set forth in the last chapters of the book. Rather than focusing our the children, it challenges us to work on ourselves, to understand and change our own enculturated attitudes and habitual ways of responding to our children and others, in order to achieve a new way of relating to our children and the world. It provides us an exciting opportunity to use parenting as a journey of self-discovery, and the result: happy, healhy, creative, playful relationships with our children and others! Buy this book for yourself and anybody you know who cares about the well-being of children (and those who would enjoy an opportunity for personal growth as well). If your kids are in school buy it for their TEACHER! They really do need to understand this stuff! Scattered with quotes from many authors, athletes, coaches, researchers, scholars, etc. this book provides a jumping point for even further exploration and playful learning adventures. Summarizing the many EXCELLENT works of Joseph C. Pearce, this book is a MUST have/MUST read. ENJOY!

I re-read the professional reviews, and I think they fairly present the author's approach. To these good reviews I will merely add my few minor thoughts.

1) This book is not devotional reading for Christians who are mostly focused on living a godly life. It requires some thought and a genuine interest in Jesus history.

2) Bruce Chilton says he is associated with the Jesus Seminar. I've read a little from others associated with the Jesus seminar, like Crossan and Funk. This is NOTHING like the other Jesus Seminar writers. He clearly places Jesus within (the variegated) Second Temple Judaism, and credits him with thorough knowledge of Hebrew Scripture.

3) I was impressed with how carefully Chilton develops his arguments throughout the book, along the way making some very enlightening observations.

4) His book changed my understanding of the Kingdom of God, and how Jesus delivered it to those to whom he ministered.

5) I'm not good enough a reader or well trained enough in history or theology to know whether I truly agree with everything Chilton wrote, but he wrote many things in this book that I found worthy to ponder and to recommend to others.

6) I have now purchased other books of his because I liked this one so well.

This book is Volume I in an ongoing series called "Studying the Historical Jesus", edited by Bruce Chilton and Craig Evans. Chilton himself is the author of this fine analysis of what Jesus meant by the term "Kingdom of God". He maps the Kingdom along five coordinates. (1) Eschatological -- The Kingdom is near and final, to be prayed for, pointing toward the future while resisting any calendrical predictions. (2) Transcendence -- The Kingdom is all-powerful and immanent, able to touch the world as we know it and thus, in one sense, present on earth now. (3) Judgment -- The Kingdom is demanding and faultless, encompassing questions about ethics and worldly possessions. (4) Purity -- The Kingdom is pure and holy, but in a revisionist way that provides for outcasts and pariah. (5) Radiance -- The Kingdom is associated with Zion in particular, yet spreads outward to be an inclusive worldy reality. Unlike many historical-Jesus specialists these days, Chilton shies from pigeon-holing the Kingdom into a single narrow framework. Some of the finer details are debatable, but there are no one-sided agendas here. The Kingdom of God is described for what it clearly is -- an outright scandal to our modern way of thinking, "eschatological in respect of time, transendent in respect of place, perfect in respect of action, sacred in respect of purity, and all-embracing in respect of Israel and the world". Chilton then discusses Jesus' activity for the Kingdom, focusing on the last days spent in Jerusalem when he demonstrated in the temple and subsequently celebated the eucharist with his disciples. Building on his previous work, Chilton argues that at the last supper Jesus made his meals of bread and wine into a rival altar. "This is my flesh, and this is my blood", meant "this is my 'flesh' of sacrifice, and this is my 'blood' of sacrifice", meaning that bread and wine were Jesus' offerings to God, in place of the flesh and blood of animals sacrificed on the temple altar. Bread was better "flesh", and wine was better "blood", than any of the sacrifices associated with the corrupt temple regime.

A book which focuses on the Kingdom of God is a great way to launch a fresh series on the historical Jesus. To date, the subsequent volumes are: "The Immerser" by Joan Taylor, "God's Final Envoy" by Marinus de Jonge, and "Jesus Outside the New Testament" by Robert Van Voorst.

Every Christian ought to read Gary North's "Unholy Spirits." Within our context we probably do not encounter too many psychic healings, spontaneous combustions, witch hexings and the like. North assembles an impressive amount of research (his chapter on the sorcerer's world was particularly intriguing) in a convincing fashion. By the end of the book, one should be convinced in the existence and power of evil spirits. North does an excellent job of critiquing the rationalism of modern scientists, who refuse to take seriously the reality of the paranormal. Rationalism, as Cornelius Van Til argued, has a secret treaty with irrationalism, and North proves the existence of this treaty. Both sides (rationalism/irrationalism), although they often have internal squabbles, are against God and His Anointed. History often manifests the oscillation between these two systems of thought, and this is due to man's propensity to refuse to embrace biblical religion. The 1960s and its infatuation with the occult mark a transitory stage into the irrational, Van Til's "integration into the void." Being a man who refuses to fight something with nothing, North offers his readers the only good alternative to the coming (seemingly) world of irrational, chaotic humanism--covenantal obedience to every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. "Unholy Spirits" is a fine read. Be sure to follow North's warnings, however, in your study of this often macabre subject.

This is intellectual detective work at its best. The forward alone (The Crisis of Western Rationalism) is just about worth the price of the book. North follows the rationalistic viewpoint to lits logical conclusion, showing why it helps foment occultism. He also shows how orthodox Christianity has the only answer to problems unanswerable by devotees of science or the occult. But it's hardly a sermon. None the likes of which you've heard before. It's a full course meal for the mind on every page. It was through the reading of this book that I was introduced to the writings of Jacques Vallee, because North dedicates some analysis to Vallee's work. He believes that Vallee is on target about UFO's being a control mechanism of deception, but wrong about what they really are. At any rate there is one thing you will not be when reading this book....bored.

If you are into swing, this book on the English swing bands is a must have. So, toss an LP/CD on the player, grab the book and just groove for a bit. Hotcha!!

Really the only recomendation this book needs is that the author adheres to the standard he set in "Who's Who in Jazz - Storyville to Swing Street." If you have read this book and have any interest in British Jazz, Swing and/or Dance Music this book is your next purchase.

I wish someone would re-publish this book. It was written way before its time - now is its time and it cannot be found anywhere. It contains more simple, heartful wisdom than any modern child care book - with games, ideas and feelings that need to be taken in by every parent.

To love a child isn't about changing them, it's about changing you. They can lead us back to remembering, if only our eyes are open to see the path. By choosing to write this book from an open heart, the author gives us a glimpse of tomorrow, in the present. If you are going to have a child, or have had a child, this book is invaluable. Not to mention, Amazon Books was the only place we were able to find any copies. After doing book searches, writing the publishers, calling every bookstore in the area, Amazon came through. This piece of information doesn't just speak highly of the book, but also of the company providing this book.

Though some may find it somewhat boreing by its length(some 500 pages), I consider Telemacus to be just about the best book I've ever read. It mainly consists in advice upon several subjects, though mainly upon kingship(or any other form of gouverment),and the moral duties implied by such a responsabilty.

This is an excellent and easy to use book about babies and parenthood. Dr Chilton's wisdom is accessible and his approach to children and child-rearing is both refreshing and reassuring.
I found this book to be a trusty source of information and a valuable guide to everything to do with babies.
Finally a book that speaks to real people with real babies!!!

Very informative servicing book for the owners of older models of caravan. Very detailed info and pictures of the usual caravan servicing chores.