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Christianity at work around the globe.

Archive - Books reviewed in 2008

Fountains in the Dust - Snapshots from the Streets of South America by Adrian & Bridget Plass and Angela Murray A heartrending account yet full of humour and hope! How can that be? Well! Adrian Plass is renowned for his humour but also for his sensitivity to other’s plights. Bridget too has shared many of these experiences before, so is open to understand the commitment of the workers with these street children. Angela Murray is employed by Toybox the charity which sent them on this trip, their task, to find out how the money is being spent, how the projects are working out and raise awareness of the need by writing this book on their return. It has worked for my husband and I. The illustrations alone give an idea of what is being done and the surrounding dirt and poverty; yet there are happy smiling faces too and the sense that those working in this environment will never give up on these young people; but they do need our money! See www.toybox.org Review by Mary Bartholomew  (24/12/08)

The New Faces of Christianity - Believing the Bible in the Global South by Philip Jenkins This book is a companion volume to Jenkins' highly successful "The next Christendom" which looked at the position of Christianity in the global south. As numbers of Christians remain static or fall in the Western nations but grow significantly in Africa, Asia and South America, the Christianity that these nations exhibit can be very different to that with which we are familiar. Jenkins explores how Christianity is experienced in the global south, including the significant focus on healings, demons, witchcraft and persecution, all within a framework of a world like that of the Bible, marked by plague, poverty and exile. Jenkins shows how Christians in the global south are reading the Bible with fresh eyes, taking new messages or highlighting areas that for post-enlightenment westerners have lost their power. Some of the behaviour and theology of these churches made for uncomfortable reading for me as a western believer but it was a fascinating reminder that Christianity is a global religion and that we are often very different from our neighbours on the planet, and yet the Bible can speak to us all in our own languages. It's a worthwhile and thought-provoking book and an excellent companion to The Next Christendom - The Coming of Global Christianity Review by Helen Hancox  (05/01/08)

Christians in China A.D.600 to 2000 by Jean-Pierre Charbonnier This book is a translated, updated, and expanded version of Father Charbonnier’s landmark work on the history of Christians in China. Both the original and this translation by the Archbishop Emeritus of Birmingham, M.N.L.Couve de Murville are mammoth tasks as this is a volume of 600 pages. Fr Charbonnier has written a Preface in which he outlines where Christianity stands in relation to ancient Chinese cultural and religious traditions, refers to previous books and suggests other lines of enquiry. This is an academic study and I confess that unlike other books, I have not read every word. The passages I have read, were fascinating and easy to understand. Written with a Roman Catholic view, Protestants are not ignored, and for anyone genuinely interested in the history of Christianity in China and the Chinese Christians whose faith has endured through so many hardships, this book is a treasure trove of information. Review by Mary Bartholomew  (15/10/08)

China’s Christian Martyrs by Paul Hattaway China features strongly in all our lives at this time. It is right that we should learn more about those who have lost their lives speaking out for Jesus, and refusing to give up their belief in our great God. Paul Hattaway has brought to the world’s attention some startling facts about Christianity and Christians in this great land. Thousands of ordinary men and women, boys and girls who have ‘laid down their lives for the kingdom of God.’ Just think of this fact alone; 30,000 Christians were slaughtered in the Boxer rebellion of 1900. Though still a minority, there are more Christians in that vast country than in our tiny island, yet we don’t think of it as a Christian country. What exciting times the future could be. In the meantime, read the horrific stories of man’s inhumanity to fellow men; harrowing, but inspiring stories of heroic faith and love. A fuller volume of this work is from Piquant Editions & Authentic ISBN 978-1-903-68940-0 China's Book of Martyrs (AD845-present) Fire & Blood, The Church in China:Volume 1 Review by Mary Bartholomew  (08/03/08)

The Spirit of China - Roots of Faith in 21st Century China by David Burnet With China very much in the news these days this was a very interesting read, if at times rather confusing. David Burnett travels through China's history, exploring how religious ideas and practices have developed and changed over time. The chapters on China's history in the last hundred years were particularly helpful, showing how the various influences of events and culture have affected Chinese peoples' expressions of religious faith. Reading this book reminds us how different the Chinese people are from Westerners and this reader occasionally became confused by the similar sounding names and words but overall this was a very informative and well-written book. Review by Helen Hancox  (18/08/08)

Miracles Among Muslims - The Jesus Visions by Christine Darg Miracles Amongst Muslims is a wonderful account of what God is doing in the Islamic World. From the mountains of Algeria to the Royal Palaces of Saudi Arabia to Palestinian Terrorist groups, God is using dreams to introduce Muslims to the truth of who Jesus Christ is. Miracles Amongst Muslims also shows how through Christine, The Jesus Video and others, He is sending evangelists to bring them to Him. Across the Middle East people are being prepared for a great harvest of the Gospel. But this book also left me unsettled. In France Muslims now out number Christians. Young people, even those from non Muslim backgrounds, are being recruited to militant Islam while in prison in the UK. And we have a media that is as antichristian in its bias as any in the Middle East. We have militant atheism that sneers at Christianity. Yet while we rely on debate, elsewhere God is using dreams to speak to the heart. As the UK continues its slide into a post Christian society I felt challenged by Miracles Amongst Muslims as to whether we are willing to prepare hearts in this country through dreams and visions. Review by Phelim McIntyre  (18/06/08)

Faith That Endures - The Essential Guide to the Persecuted Church by Ronald Boyd-Macmillan
ISBN: 978-1-852-40449-9 Price: £11.99	Published: 2006
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Reflections from the Scorched Earth - A Witness from some of the World’s toughest War Zones by Ed Walker
ISBN: 978-1-854-24833-6 Price: £7.99	Published: 2007
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The Lion Encyclopedia of World Religions by David Self
ISBN: 978-0-745-94983-3 Price: £14.99	Published: 01 June 2008
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Road to Romania by Ann Penrose
ISBN: 978-0-955-70940-1 Price: £6.99	Published: 2007
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Faith Like Potatoes - Based on an Inspiring True Story A Regardt Van Den Bergh Film
ISBN: 9-990-00011-5 Price: £15.99	Published: 2007
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Books reviewed in 2009

Books reviewed in 2008

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Books reviewed in 2002

Books reviewed in 2001