The Human Quest: A New Look at Science and Christian Faith, by Richard H. Bube (Word, 1971, 262 pp., $5.95), and Journey Away From God, by Robert P. Benedict (Revell, 1972, 189 pp., $4.95), are reviewed by Wendell McBurney, coordinator for school science, Indiana University, Bloomington.
Both of these authors are evangelical Christians interested in the interaction of Christianity and science, but at this point their philosophies diverge. Bube really tries (and successfully, in my opinion) to portray science and Christianity as totally compatible and even complementary. He accomplishes this by leading the reader through a series of very thoughtful evaluations of each sphere—evaluations lacking the negative belligerence shown by some representatives of either Christianity or science when speaking of the other.
Benedict presents Christianity and science in continual confrontation; the traditional points of contact usually appear as though each were an abrasive interface. Supported by an occasionally antagonistic style, this approach continues to the last page, where Benedict states, “Science and Scriptures really are at odds, really are in conflict, really do confront each other, whenever one trespasses the grounds of the other. It is really a lie to say that they do not.…” Benedict does, however, quickly applaud harmony whenever he finds science in support of Scripture.
Bube’s approach is carefully reasoned. At times, he comes on as an articulate philosopher. Benedict establishes his well-organized position through quotations of many scientists and a variety of Scripture translations, yet he denounces reason. More than once he says that “reason is the greatest enemy that faith has.”
Bube understands science. It is refreshing to read what a Christian who knows what he is talking about has to say about the methodologies and limitations of science. Benedict, on the other hand, refers to science as “this quizzical pastime,” and accuses it of being built “on shifting sand” because of its continuing need to revise existing theories when new data invalidate the old. This unfortunate misinterpretation of the dynamics of science becomes one basis upon which Benedict portrays science as a field of questionable integrity.
The Human Quest serves as an excellent defense against those who delight in “putting science down” on the rather absurd opinion that it is only for atheists. Bube’s insight into the nature of science and his skill at precise definition come quickly to the rescue. Sharp ground rules are easily established by such statements as, “Supernatural descriptions or explanations are ruled out of science by definition, not because of the lack of faith by scientists.”
The Human Quest is exciting reading. It becomes an adventure into forbidden territory with such bold assertions as, “Evolution is not a contradiction of the second law of thermodynamics”—a frequently used argument of the anti-evolutionist. Bube quickly proposes the invalidity of this classic argument by clarifying a common misinterpretation of the second law, and concludes that although evolution may be improbable, it does not violate the laws of thermodynamics.
The book offers an intriguing mixture of philosophy and educational psychology. Bube proposes that events and phenomena can be described at different levels of understanding and that to exclude any one level is to prevent a complete description. Thus the way is paved for scriptural and scientific descriptions to contribute to man’s total understanding of a given event or phenomenon. This proposal appears compatible with views expressed by contemporary learning theorists.
Bube, who is a physical scientist, attempts to relate true Christian faith to real science and all that science implies, including such topics as universal origins, the consistency of classical physics, the uncertainty of quantum mechanics, evolutionary theory, population control, environmental maintenance, racism, anti-intellectualism, and science as a service to man. Generally he stays well within his areas of strength, but he does seem to go beyond the original intent of the book by bringing in economics, violence, war, and situational ethics as areas for discussion. He thinks it is the Christian’s responsibility to be involved in social decision-making.
Although some may be disturbed by Bube’s view of man’s soul, his opinions on euthanasia and abortion, the room he leaves for the general theory of evolution, his occasional willingness to accept a non-literal interpretation of scientific matters in Scripture, and his tendency to avoid extremes, all Christians will agree to his most basic assumption: “God did create the earth” and continues to be in control.
Journey Away From God, also written by a physical scientist, attempts to invalidate the general theory of evolution by well-developed yet common arguments. The main weakness of the book is Benedict’s implication that science and evolution are synonymous and his resultant denouncement of both. In my judgment, the ultimate irony is Benedict’s use of a quotation by Bube to assist in establishing this end.
A Matter Of Prayer
Pray: A Study of Distinctive Christian Praying, by Charles Whiston (Eerdmans, 1972, 154 pp., $2.95 pb), is reviewed by Paul Fromer, author and Bible teacher.
Most of us have expectantly picked up a book on the Christian life only to find that it consisted of a recital of the author’s experiences with a Scripture verse tucked in here and there to sanctify the whole. Such books are perhaps better marked off by the gallon than by the chapter: Gallon 1, “My Life of Sin”; Gallon 2, “Peace and Joy in Christ”; Gallon 3, “You Too Can Get What I Have.”
Whiston has avoided this approach in his superb book on prayer. As the basis for prayer he offers some theological comments about God’s nature; then he considers forms of prayer and the uses of prayer.
Back in the sixties many seminaries were teaching their students to preach, counsel, and study, but not to pray; and so the Lilly Endowment sponsored an extensive project to remedy that matter and put Whiston in charge. (He is professor emeritus of systematic theology at Berkeley’s Church Divinity School of the Pacific [Episcopal].) He found that laymen weren’t praying because the clergy weren’t, and the clergy weren’t because their professors in seminary hadn’t known how either.
Whiston found about fifty seminary teachers who wanted to learn to pray and then to teach their students to pray. Because the book grows out of the attempts of people to learn to pray, it is practical; because it was formed in seminary surroundings, it has a theological base as well; and the practical and theological are held in balance. Whiston not only proposes prayers for specific occasions but also discusses what our general view of God should be and how this can affect our praying.
The central idea in the first of the book’s three main divisions is that praying must focus on God, not man. Jesus, so often represented today as a “man for others,” was first “a man for God.” Though this God is transcendent, Whiston spurns as foolish the Honest to God type of attempt to make God abstract and treat space-time representations as hindrances. God calls us to come; only then do we come. Whiston sees prayer to be as much a gift of God as forgiveness is.
Further, our access to the Holy God is always mediated by Jesus Christ, a view the author sets in sharp contrast to the humanistic teaching that over-glorifies man and taints much present theological writing with skepticism and doubt. Prayer must be rooted in Christology. Man is to respond to God, living a theocentric, not egocentric, life; and Jesus is the model. This view counters the current preoccupation with “God in man,” which slights God’s transcendence.
This affects our answer to the question whether prayer should be spontaneous or regular. Can we give God our attention only when we feel like it, and still maintain the view that he is high and lifted up? Perhaps instead of asking, “Do I feel like praying?,” Whiston suggests, one might ask, “Does Christ want me to come to him in prayer?” Praying thus becomes an essential duty.
Having laid a foundation for praying, Whiston turns to some of the forms of prayer, such as intercession, confession, thanksgiving. He emphasizes again that the example Christ left us is one of personhood free from all egocentricity. After conversion we need to surrender daily to Christ.
Those who equate “action” with the picket line only are asked, Is not intercessory prayer itself action? Does not something objective occur “out there” when we pray, as well as something interior? Prayer is not just autosuggestion.
In the chapter on thanksgiving, perhaps the most profound point is that without our asking, God gives us three holy gifts for which we should thank him, because they help to turn our hearts toward him: (1) loneliness, (2) shame, guilt, and judgment, and (3) pain.
We live in a kingdom of means, so adoration of God for his own sake comes hard to us. We need therefore to pray for the gift of adoration. Use of the Bible is crucial here, but Whiston also recommends devotional classics (e.g., Augustine, Francis, Fenelon).
Finally, Whiston turns to the relation of prayer to everyday living. He suggests that we take the Lord’s Prayer and rewrite it for specific situations. Even if we see that discipline in prayer is important, the author says, we probably want it to be self-discipline. We say, says Whiston, “ ‘I will discipline myself by myself.’ Thus we seek to retain the very sovereignty that Christ means us to surrender.” But God can discipline us, and in fact is calling us to ask him to do so. In his grace he will make our wills his own.
Several reservations about this book must be mentioned. First, the Bible could be given a more central place. Second, the author’s acceptance of Genesis and other passages as mythical may help the reader who is prone to reject both the history and its point, but may also have the effect on the reader of undermining the reliability of Scripture, and thus compromising God’s authority over the life of the one learning to pray. Further, the eschatological note of Pauline praying does not seem emphatic enough. Only two references to Revelation 21 (the holy city) touch on this important biblical concept.
In the author’s study of confession, the thrust is disproportionately on the Christian’s need to confess the sins of his society, rather than on confession of his own sins. And in the section on thanksgiving, the pre-eminence of the works of God is neglected. Surprisingly, Whiston confines intercession pretty much to prayer for the world, scarcely mentioning prayer for the conversion of non-Christians. And he does little with the Pauline emphasis on the content of prayer for Christians.
Finally, the book says little about the Holy Spirit’s relation to prayer, though in Scripture and present Christian thought the Spirit has a vital role.
But these reservations pale before the contributions of the author in calling us back to an appreciation of God’s transcendence, of Christ’s centrality in prayer, and of discipline in prayer life. This book is worth careful study. In the areas of its strengths, it is probably one of this decade’s best books on prayer.
NEWLY PUBLISHED
Essential Books For Christian Ministry, by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Fleming Library [Box 220002E, Fort Worth, Tex. 76122], 129 pp., $2.50 pb). A briefly annotated listing by topics of more than 1,200 books. For ministers and lay leaders generally, not specialists. Well worth the price.
Basic Bible Studies, by Francis Schaeffer (Tyndale, 86 pp., $.95 pb). Twenty-five groupings of Bible passages with brief remarks on each. Designed only as an aid to studying the Bible itself in order to gain a systematic overview of its teaching. Highly recommended.
Come! Live! Die!, by George Verwer (Tyndale, 96 pp., $.95 pb). A brief discussion of the differences between a Christian and a Christian living under the Lordship of Christ; suggests basic steps of commitment toward the latter state.
Who’d Stay a Missionary?, by Helen Morgan (Christian Literature Crusade, 77 pp., $.95 pb). Entertainingly helpful not only to missionaries but also to those who want a better “feel” for missionaries’ problems.
The Reproducers, by Chuck Smith and Hugh Steven (Regal, 146 pp., $1.95 pb). One man’s investment in the Jesus movement. Pastor Chuck Smith tells about the revival in nationally publicized Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, California.
Church/Mission Tensions Today, edited by Peter Wagner (Moody, 238 pp., $4.95), Crucial Issues in Missions Tomorrow, edited by Donald McGavran (Moody, 272 pp., $4.95), and A Biblical Theology of Missions, by George Peters (Moody, 368 pp., $6.95). Three key additions to the growing body of literature on faithful and fruitful obedience to the Great Commission.
Occult America, by John Godwin (Doubleday, 314 pp., $7.95). A more than sympathetic, encyclopedic look at our age of occultist Aquarians. A good reference book, though, for those who want to be informed.
Morality: An Introduction to Ethics, by Bernard Williams (Harper & Row, 107 pp., $1.60 pb). A philosophical primer on some of the basic concepts of morality prevalent in society. Deals with relativism, subjectivism, amoralism, and so on in a simple and lucid way. Not definitive, but a good place to begin.
The God Who Makes a Difference, by Bernard L. Ramm (Word, 160 pp., $5.95). A concise yet comprehensive approach to apologetics by one of the small number of evangelical writers who venture to treat the subject systematically. Leans a bit toward rationalism of the Butler-Hodge type and neglects the presuppositionalist analyses of contemporary apologetes such as Schaeffer and Van Til.
To the Hebrews: Translation, Comment and Conclusions, by George Buchanan (Doubleday, 271 pp., $7). Latest addition to “The Anchor Bible.”
Manual For Accepted Missionary Candidates and Manual For Missionaries on Furlough, both by Marjorie Collins (William Carey Library [533 Hermosa St., S. Pasadena, Cal. 91030], 109 and 151 pp., $2.45 pb and $2.95 pb). Very practical guides that can be of invaluable assistance.
Tongues and the Holy Spirit, by Frank Pack (Biblical Research [774 E.N. 15th St., Abilene, Tex. 79601], 131 pp., n.p., pb), Tongues in Biblical Perspective, by Charles R. Smith (BMH [Box 544, Winona Lake, Ind. 46590], 141 pp., $2 pb), and Tongues, Healing, and You, by Don Hillis (Baker, 112 pp., $1 pb). The authors do not think “tongues” should be sought today. Written from Church of Christ, “Grace” Brethren, and general evangelical perspectives, respectively.
In Place of Sacraments, by Vernard Eller (Eerdmans, 144 pp., $2.95 pb). An attempt to recover the original New Testament meaning of the word we translate “sacraments.” Rejecting the authoritarian ritualism surrounding the Lord’s supper and baptism as practiced in the institutional church, Eller seeks to clarify the true significance of these sacraments. Institutionalism, watch out!
Grammatical Aids For Students of New Testament Greek, by Walter Mueller (Eerdmans, 86 pp., $2.45 pb). Supplements a regular grammar. Both for beginners and for those who want a refresher guide.
Mormonism and American Culture, edited by Marvin Hill and James Allen (Harper & Row, 189 pp., $2.95 pb). Eleven articles, nine previously appearing in scholarly journals, by both Mormon and non-Mormon writers. Of value to those who want to understand this growing religion and reach some of its adherents with the first-century Gospel.
Say It With Love, by Howard Hendricks (Victor [Wheaton, Ill. 60187], 143 pp., $1.45 pb). The popular professor of Christian education at Dallas Seminary offers an excellent study guide on “the art and joy of telling the Good News.”
The Ecclesiology of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, by James Cheung (Christian Literature Crusade, 176 pp., $1.45 pb). An outstanding evaluation and critique of the rapidly growing, rather exclusive group of congregations known to outsiders as “The Little Flock.” Many who have profited from devotional writings of the late Mr. Nee are unaware of these aspects of his teachings.
Karl Barth, by David L. Mueller (172 pp., $4.95), Dietrich Bonhoeffer, by Dallas M. Roark (123 pp., $3.95), and Rudolf Bultmann, by Morris Ashcraft (141 pp., $3.95), all in Word’s “Makers of the Modern Theological Mind” series, edited by Bob E. Patterson. Appreciative analyses from an evangelical publisher of great figures of modern dialectical and existentialist theology. Mueller neglects to indicate the seriousness of Barth’s conflict with biblical Christianity at the point of the doctrine of Scripture: he does not mention Van Til among Barth’s critics. Roark’s study of Bonhoeffer fails to apprise the reader of Bonhoeffer’s ambivalence and ambiguity on issues that divide evangelicals from liberals. Ashcraft’s study of Bultmann is more perceptive, but concludes, erroneously or deceptively, that “Bultmann speaks as a man who has chosen authenticity—Christian faith.”
An Aquinas Reader, by Thomas Aquinas (Doubleday, 597 pp., $2.45 pb). A very useful selection of writings by one of the most important Christian thinkers. Arranged topically. Edited by Mary Clark.
Ms. Means Myself, by Gladys M. Hunt (Zondervan, 145 pp., $3.95, $1.95 pb). A warm, understanding treatment of the subject “Being a woman in an uneasy world,” by one who seems to know how to do it. Deals with definition and acceptance of self and role in terms of a close relation with the God who created and loves woman.
To Munich With Love, by Bob Owen (Chick [Box 662, Chico, Cal. 91710], 126 pp., $.95 pb). The exciting news story of Christian evangelism at the Olympics. Many photographs help to relay the impact of more than 2,000 young Christians.
A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, by Bruce Metzger (American Bible Society [1865 Broadway, New York, N. Y. 10023], 775 pp., $2.80). An outstanding bargain. A well-bound guide, not to the meaning of the passage, but to the prior question: What were the original words (inspired by God)?
Black Sects and Cults, by Joseph R. Washington, Jr. (Doubleday, 176 pp., $5.95). Basic to any study of black religion. Places Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals and other groups in historical perspective.
Where God Meets Man, by Gerhard O. Forde (Augsburg, 128 pp., $2.95 pb). An updating of Lutheran theology. Attempts to apply Luther’s down-to-earth approach to the Gospel to the needs and questions of the twentieth-century layman. Could be of help to those who want to see into the meanings of the traditions in more formal churches.
Death in the Middle Ages: Morality, Judgment and Remembrance, by T. S. R. Boase (McGraw-Hill, 144 pp., $5.95). Taken from The Flowering of the Middle Ages, with expanded chapters and more prints to produce a more complete treatment of the topic. Brings new awareness of the meaning and mystery of death, even for twentieth-century man.
6,000 Sermon Illustrations, by Elon Foster (Baker, 704 pp., $7.95). Reprint of a twenty-year-old treasure house of illustrations and quotations from the writings of noted preachers and religious leaders. Entries are practical and are easily found through a topical index.
Woman in a Man’s Church, by Arlene Swidler (Paulist Press, 111 pp., $1.25 pb). Mostly complaining. Very little insight into the real issues of being a total woman in the twentieth century.
Inside Scientology, by Robert Kaufman (Olympia, 279 pp., $6.95). An ex-member describes Scientology as he found it. The finding cost him $8,000 and a stay in a mental hospital.
A Book of Elements: Reflections on Middle-Class Days, by Michael Novak (Herder & Herder, 145 pp., $8.95). Mrs. Novak’s twisted, fibrous drawings reflect the banal neo-religiosity of her husband’s “thoughts.” He little reflects middle-class living as many of us know it.
The Pastoral Epistles, by Martin Dibelius and Hans Conzelmann (Fortress, 175 pp., $10). The 1955 updating of Dibelius’s 1931 commentary is now translated and beautifully produced as part of the new “Hermeneia” series.
Much More! by Jack K. Taylor (Broadman, 160 pp., $4.95). The sequel to the author’s popular Key to Triumphant Living, on how to lead a Spirit-filled life.
The Mediaeval Mystics of England, edited by Eric Colledge (Schribner, 309 pp., $2.95 pb). A convenient collection of mystical writings that have had a profound influence on the devotional life and theology of Christians in all communions.
It is Required of Stewards, by John M. McBain (Broadman, 128 pp., $1.50). Emphasizes stewardship as a function and obligation of the Christian’s whole life and being, directly proportional to his relation with God.
Readers Theatre Comes To Church, by Gordon C. Bennett (John Knox, 128 pp., $4.95 pb). A complete how-to manual on an informal drama medium increasingly pervading churches. Includes scripts of eleven well-known selections such as C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce (excerpt) and O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi.
Amazing Saints, by Phil Saint (Logos, 211 pp., $2.50 pb). The story of the author’s journeys and mission as a chalk artist in Auca territory (where his brother Nate and four other missionaries had been martyred) and other parts of the world. Good insights into the disposition and needs of the not-so-happy savage who is supposedly blithely ignorant in the jungle.
The Messianic Secret, by William Wrede (Attic [Box 1156, Greenwood, S. C. 29646], 296 pp., $12.50). A belated English translation of the cunning but fanciful 1901 reconstruction of the life of Jesus that temporarily ended the long liberal “quest for the historical Jesus” about which Schweitzer wrote.
Three Essays, by Albrecht Ritschl (Fortress, 301 pp., $10.95). A useful introduction to an influential nineteenth-century theologian who sought to overcome the disintegrating effects of skeptical liberal theology by emphasizing the ethical-imperative and faith-community aspects of Christianity.
The Nine-to-Five Complex, by James Johnson (Zondervan, 178 pp., $4.95). Using a fictitious (but all too true-to-life) Christian bumper-sticker company as his “model,” the author shares very worthwhile reflections. The necessary relations of “ministry” and “business” are often strained, to the detriment of both spirituality and survival.
Classical Evangelical Essays in Old Testament Interpretation, edited by Walter Kaiser (Baker, 265 pp., $3.95 pb). Fourteen essays, mostly from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some are on approaches to whole books; most deal with specific, crucial passages or themes.
A Faith For Skeptics (originally entitled The Reality of God), by Louis Cassels (New Family Library, 127 pp., $.95 pb). An inexpensive reprint of a 1971 introduction to Christianity, by the religion editor for UPI. His three appendixes contain particularly helpful suggestions for further reading.
A Cappella Music in the Public Worship of the Church, by Everett Ferguson (Biblical Research [774 E. N. 15th St., Abilene, Tex. 79601], 98 pp., n.p., pb). Defense of one of the chief distinctives of the two-million strong Churches of Christ (non-instrumental).
Rock Music, by William J. Schafer (Augsburg, 128 pp., $2.95 pb). A fairly accurate survey of the history of rock. Schafer traces the influences on rock and gives some interesting insights into what this new and important art form means to young people.
The Earth Is the Lord’s?, by Joyce Blackburn (Word, 1972, 160 pp., $4.95). An offbeat, joy-of-creation-filled look at ecology. Practical as well as inspirational; gives detailed suggestions for Christians who want to do as well as read.
Hope and the Future of Man, edited by Ewert H. Cousins (Fortress, 148 pp., $3.95 pb). Selection of papers from the “Conference on Hope and the Future of Man,” held in New York in 1971. Process theology, Teilhardian philosophy, and the theology of hope are set forth in introductory essays and followed by responses and counter-responses. Major thinkers include J. Cobb, P. Hefner, C. Braaten, J. Moltmann, W. Pannenberg, and J. Metz. Good discussion of important schools of thought seriously concerned with the future.
Outlines of Theology, by A. A. Hodge (Zondervan, 678 pp., $9.95). Reprint of a classic work by the younger of the two great Hodges of Princeton. Dated language but excellent in organization and clarity.
Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism, by Methodios Fouyas (Oxford, 280 pp., $15.25). A detailed survey of the three major episcopally ruled, tradition-oriented communions, by an Orthodox archbishop. Shows little understanding of the evangelical element in Anglicanism; quite thorough on structural and liturgical questions.
Change, Conflict, and Self-Determination, by Iris V. Cully (Westminster, 191 pp., $5.95). An analysis of how teaching methods in the churches can be developed to cope with forces for change in our society.
Epitaphs For Eager Preachers, by J. D. Grey (Broadman, 126 pp., n.p.). Spicy, entertaining, and thought-provoking.
On Time and Being, by Martin Heidegger (Harper & Row, 84 pp., $4.95). Shifting emphasis from his earlier magnum opus, Being and Time, Heidegger struggles to think of time and being in a non-metaphysical way. Key to Heidegger’s mature thought.
Mummies, Men and Madness, by John J. Davis (BMH Books [Box 544, Winona Lake, Ind. 46590], $3 pb). For archaeology buffs. A look at the “art” of Egyptian mummification with some deductions made about Egyptian life at the time of the Pharoahs. Last chapter on “Mummification and the Bible” somewhat of an addendum. Interesting photos.
Search For Understanding, by Warren A. Quanbeck (Augsburg, 125 pp., $2.95 pb). Three of the important bi-lateral conversations between Lutherans and other denominations, held in an attempt to pull the churches together, to rediscover the scriptural idea of the unified Church. Deals with similarities as well as differences in theology and practices.
The Gathering of the Ungifted: Toward a Dialogue on Christian Identity, by John Meagher (Herder & Herder, 176 pp., $5.95). Written to Christians who have trouble mustering faith the size of a mustard seed. Supplies humanistic justifications for prevalent shortcomings.
Why Didn’t They Tell Me?, by E. M. and D. A. Blaiklock (Zondervan, 173 pp., $1.25 pb). The book’s claim—provocative answers to some of life’s great questions—is not an idle one. Especially helpful for teen-agers.
Shaken Foundations, by Peter Beyerhaus (Zondervan, 105 pp., $1.95 pb). Lectures on missions, including one that was published in CHRISTIANITY TODAY (July 7, 1972). Presents a clear case for a biblical theology of mission. Focuses on mission as men reaching out, with sensitivity, to other men. Worth reading.
Silhouettes: Women Behind Great Men, by Helen Kooiman (Word, 170 pp., $4.95). Inspirational portraits of sixteen wives and mothers of such men as Stephen Olford, Billy Graham, Bill Bright, and R. G. LeTourneau.
The Gospel in a Broken World, by John H. Snow (Pilgrim, 124 pp., $4.95). Christians have the task of bringing hope through Christ to a fragmented society. But the Gospel Snow writes of is itself broken. Most of the book is based on Teilhard’s ideas.
Search For the Sacred: The New Spiritual Quest, edited by Myron B. Bloy, Jr. (Seabury, 180 pp., $3.75 pb). A collection of essays with sociological roots dealing with the spiritual trend that is pervading our society. Approaches the topic from three perspectives: “Loss of Direction,” “Quest For Direction,” and “Confronting the Sacred Yes.” Worth reading.
The Role of Woman in the Church, by Wayne Mack (Mack Pub. Co. [110 State Rd., Media, Pa. 19063], 84 pp., $1.25 pb). An insensitive and mundane treatment of the subject. Shows little perception of and less true concern for women.
Mother Elizabeth, by Marguerite Tjader (Herder and Herder, 231 pp., $8.95). An inspiring biography that tells of the revitalization of the long dormant Order of St. Birgitta by a Swedish nun, Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad.
The Literature of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus, by Emil Schürer (Schocken, 416 pp., $7.50, $4.50 pb). Reprint of part of Schürer’s well-known multi-volume work, The Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ (1886–90). Contains an introduction and supplementary bibliography by Nahum Glatzer.
