Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Scripture Twisting

Scripture Twisting -20 Ways the Cults Misread the Bible by James W. Sire

How often have you encountered some bizarre doctrine only to be stunned to hear a Bible verse used to support it? How are they able to twist Scripture to mean something orthodox Christians never believed it to mean?   This book is a must read for every Christian. James W. Sire has given the Christian a most useful tool as to the “20 ways Cults misread the Bible“. You will see how cults twist and Misread the Scriptures. You will learn how to detect a counterfeit gospel, as well as how to read the Bible for yourself. This is a 177 page book that packs a lot of information into it’s pages.  

The book also covers several worldviews. James W. Sire has isolated twenty separate kinds of reading errors which are characteristically made by cultists as they interpret the Bible. He covers simple misquotation to complex argumentation and more. This book will help safeguard you and your family from deception. It was exceptionally helpful to me after discovering a loved one was drawn into an unbiblical belief system. This book should be in every Christian’s library, and should be given to every new Christian believer.  

James W. Sire holds a Ph.D in English from the University of Missouri, Columbia and is editor of InterVarsity Press.

Published by InterVarsity Press  http://www.ivpress.com/
Copyright © 1980
Scripture Twisting -20 Ways the Cults Misread the Bible - James W. Sire
ISBN - 0-87784-611-1 holds a Ph.D in English from the University of Missouri, Columbia and is editor of InterVarsity Press.

Monday, May 30, 2011

The Vanishing Word

The Vanishing Word - The Veneration of Visual Imagery in the Postmodern World - Arthur W. Hunt III  

 In our technologically advanced age the value of the written word is being lost. Arthur W. Hunt III reveals that we have entered a high-tech version of the Dark Ages, but he admits he is not the first to do so. He shows how the Judeo-Christian heritage is characteristically word-dependent, and contrasts this with Paganism, which typically has been image-dependent. The book shows how the Dark Ages of Europe illustrate what can happen when a culture lapses from the written word, and that image has supplanted the word, causing pagan forms to return.

The Bible calls Babylon “the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication” Revelation 17:1,2. Spiritually, Babylon is the relentless competitor of revealed religion and strives to change the truth of God into a lie, by idolizing the creature over the Creator (Romans 1:25). The term mystery Babylon is allegorical for the political religious systems of ancient Egypt, Canaan, Assyria, Greece, and Rome all of which bowed to the image.

The Author shows the reader examples of this by giving a historical account of how this is leading our present society into Idolatry and Paganism. The devaluation of the written word is leaving people defenseless against counterfeits and leaves them open for whatever trend comes along. This book takes a close examination of our media saturated culture.

This book is a clear warning that the church is being cut off from its word-based heritage. We are open to abuse by those who exploit the image but neglect the Word. Thoughtful readers will find this a challenging call to be critical about the images bombarding our senses and to affirm that “the Word is everything.”

© 2003
Published by Crossway Books   http://www.crossway.org/   
The Vanishing Word - Arthur W. Hunt III
ISBN 1-58134-404-X
Christianbook.com: The Vanishing Word

Review Date: June 2006