Chiefs, Scribes, and Ethnographers: Kuna Culture from Inside and Out (The William and Bettye Nowlin Series in Art, History, and Culture of the Western Hemisphere) Review

Chiefs, Scribes, and Ethnographers: Kuna Culture from Inside and Out (The William and Bettye Nowlin Series in Art, History, and Culture of the Western Hemisphere)
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Chiefs, Scribes and Ethnographers: Kuna culture from inside and out, copyright 2009, University of Texas Press, Austin, is the latest book from anthropologist James Howe. In keeping with his earlier works, The Kuna Gathering and A People Who Would Not Kneel, Howe writes on the Kuna of Panama. In contrast to his earlier works, which discuss a specific cultural practice and a specific historical event respectively, in his latest work Howe examines the Kuna experience more generally. Surveying a long history of interaction with Westerners, Howe focuses on the development and use of writing among the Kuna. While managing to keep the theme of the development and use of writing within Kuna Society central to his narrative, Howe also uses this theme as backdrop for a broad analysis of ethnography itself. Howe implicitly relies on his own vast experience with the Kuna as a platform from which to critically evaluate the writings of a vast array of Westerners who have interacted with the Kuna for over more than three centuries, including a host of ethnographers, himself included. Throughout the book, Howe weaves the narrative thread of the story of a collaborative ethnographic effort in which Kuna have actively participated as both subjects as well as agents.
James Howe is currently a professor of Anthropology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Professor Howe received an A.B. degree from Harvard College (1966), an M.A. from Oxford University (Social Anthropology, 1967) and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania (Anthropology, 1974). His research is focused on political and historical anthropology, indigenous-state relations, and missionization. He has worked closely with the Kuna for nearly 40 years, beginning his work with the Kuna in the early seventies.
Howe is clearly deeply concerned that the Kuna have a voice in their ever increasing engagement with the outside world and that, as much as possible, it be their own. The Kuna, one of the most studied and well known native societies in Latin America, have long had the ear of a variety of interested westerner listeners, but the message was often garbled due in part to the limitations of the Kuna, but also through the constant misinterpretation and misrepresentation of the Kuna by a host of interested parties. Although Howe takes pains to be as neutral as possible in his accounts of the deeds and writings of the Kuna, he is not shy in applying criticism to the seemingly endless blunders and biases of foreigners. Indeed, it is almost as if Howe identifies more with the Kuna than with his Western counterparts. Occasionally his attempts to distance himself from the ethnographers of whom he writes are a bit uncomfortable, such as when he refers to his own experience and work with the Kuna in the third person, making no effort to clarify that he is speaking of himself.
The breadth of time and personalities covered over the course of the book's 11 chapters is staggering, beginning with the French pirate Lionell Wafer's encounters with the Kuna in the 1680's, and ending with coverage of contemporary scholars, both Kuna and foreign. Howe draws from a vast array of sources, including journal entries, letters, reports, newspaper articles, master's and doctoral thesis, pamphlets, books, and first-hand accounts. The nature of the Kuna relationship to writing ranged from the Kuna's initial resistance to literacy, to their limited acceptance of western education, to their extensive use of writing to convey their grievances and requests to the national government, to the drafting of laws, and most importantly for Howe, to the use of writing by the Kuna to record their own history, habits, customs as ethnographers. Howe sheds light on the role of a small but growing class of young, educated men known as "letrados," or "sikkwis" in Kuna, as scribes and intermediaries (34), who were often recruited by chiefs in order facilitate communication with outside officials and dignitaries.
Of all the accounts, in chapters six and seven, Howe gives the most detailed coverage to the story of the collaboration between the Kuna and a Swedish anthropologist Baron Erland Nordenskiold. This interaction involved the travel of a young Kuna scribe to Sweden in 1931, and resulted in a massive collection of textual ethnographic material.
Howe's overall purpose seems to be to reveal how the elements of writing, agency through writing, and ethnology worked together in the Kuna story to uniquely enable the Kuna to confront the outside world. He draws inspiration for his book from the works of James Axtell and William McLoughlin who studied the role of writing in the struggles of indigenous peoples with state and imperial powers. These writers studied the Huron and the Cherokee respectively (3-4). The critical methodology that Howe employs is drawn from the theoretical writings of Said, Gramsci, and Foucalt, which focus on the connection between knowledge and power, and the problems inherent in cultural representation (9). While Howe embraces their emphasis on contextualized analysis, he claims to step back from their pessimistic dogmatism that condemns, rather than scrutinizes, dominant ideologies. He refers to his own work as a "reflexive historical reexamination...of a whole corpus of work on one society or region," a tradition which he traces to James Boon's Anthropological Romance of Bali (1977) (19).
Howe is particularly successful in showing the practical and theoretical developments in the field ethnography during the 20th century and into the 21st. By focusing on the integral role that the Kuna have played in facilitating and shaping the delivery of their own story, he is showing the importance, even inevitability, of a collaborative approach to ethnography. As indigenous communities become more accessible and integrated into modern societies, and they continue to cultivate their own scholars, it is essential that western scholars begin their interaction with indigenous societies firmly entrenched in the tenets of the collaborative approach.



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The Kuna of Panama, today one of the best known indigenous peoples of Latin America, moved over the course of the twentieth century from orality and isolation towards literacy and an active engagement with the nation and the world. Recognizing the fascination their culture has held for many outsiders, Kuna intellectuals and villagers have collaborated actively with foreign anthropologists to counter anti-Indian prejudice with positive accounts of their people, thus becoming the agents as well as subjects of ethnography. One team of chiefs and secretaries, in particular, independently produced a series of historical and cultural texts, later published in Sweden, that today still constitute the foundation of Kuna ethnography.

As a study of the political uses of literacy, of western representation and indigenous counter-representation, and of the ambivalent inter-cultural dialogue at the heart of ethnography, Chiefs, Scribes, and Ethnographers addresses key issues in contemporary anthropology. It is the story of an extended ethnographic encounter, one involving hundreds of active participants on both sides and continuing today.


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Mormon Passage of George D. Watt: First British Convert, Scribe for Zion Review

Mormon Passage of George D. Watt: First British Convert, Scribe for Zion
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Under its founder, Joseph Smith, and continuing through his immediate successors Brigham Young and John Taylor, the Mormon Church was a culture that provided opportunity for upward mobility for its adherents, especially new converts from Northern Europe. This was made possible by the diversity of social origins comprising the first generation; its members ranged from frontiersmen and farmers, to craftsmen and merchants, to preachers and social engineers. This phenomena is particularly well showcased in the superbly written biography of George D. Watt, a British convert who taught himself the then newly created Pitman shorthand and became an able and sought after chronicler. He was also the creator of Deseret Alphabet, and the chief recorder of the sermons of the Mormon leaders that became the content of the "Journal of Discourses", an invaluable historical resource for subsequent generations of scholars and historians. Additionally, Watt authored significant works ranging from horticulture to spiritualism. A parting of the ways with Brigham Young was to inflict social isolation and poverty, but Watt continued to exert his own independence of thought in his writings and personal philosophy. "Mormon Passage of George D. Watt: First British Convert, Scribe for Zion" by biographer Ronald G. Watt is both a fascinating and detailed personal story, but also a seminal contribution to 19th century American History and a highly recommended addition for academic and community library collections.


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The Scribes For Women's Convents in Late Medieval Germany Review

The Scribes For Women's Convents in Late Medieval Germany
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Before the printing press, books were rare, and made mainly by religious institutions. "The Scribes for Women's Convents in Late Medieval Germany" discusses this manuscript production of women during this era, and how these manuscripts differed from those of their male counterparts. Scrutinizing a forgotten portion of women's history, author Cynthia J. Cyrus goes over the work of women from nearly five hundred convents who did much in the production of the era's literature. Granting insight on the stories of these unsung copyists, "The Scribes for Women's Convents in Late Medieval Germany" is a top pick for any medieval history or women's studies collections.

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While there has been a great tradition of scholarship in medieval manuscripts, most studies have focused on the details of manuscript production by male copyists. In this study, Cynthia J. Cyrus demonstrates the prevalence of manuscript production by women monastics and challenges current assumptions of how manuscripts circulated in the late medieval period. Drawing on extensive research into the surviving manuscripts of over 450 women's convents, the author assesses the genres common to women's convent libraries emphasizing a social rather than a codicological understanding of how manuscripts of women's libraries came to be copied.

An engaging mix of biography, women's history, and book history, The Scribes for Women's Convents in Late Medieval Germany will change the way medieval manuscripts are understood and studied.


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Scribes, Visionaries, and the Politics of Second Temple Judea Review

Scribes, Visionaries, and the Politics of Second Temple Judea
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Judaism and Christianity both arose in times of empire, with roots in Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman periods. In order to understand these religious movements, one must first understand the history and society of these imperial cultures. In these formative years, wisdom and apocalyptic traditions flourished as two significant religious forms. In this book, the author, a distinguished New Testament scholar, analyzes the function and meaning of these religious movements within their social context, providing essential background for the development of early Judaism and early Christianity.

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The Gifts of God: Poems by the Scribe of A Course in Miracles Review

The Gifts of God: Poems by the Scribe of A Course in Miracles
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This is a volume of beautiful poetry from the pen of Helen Schucman, scribe of A Course In Miracles. If one is familiar with the teachings in ACIM, reading her majestic poems is like receiving inspirational reflections on the basic thoughts espoused in the course. Because A Course In Miracles is so large a work, it sometimes seems very daunting to digest and practice its message. The Gifts Of God succinctly convey key ideas of ACIM teaching to help us be more aware and encourage our progress along the road to real happiness. The Gifts Of God provides an encouraging and wonderful tool for understanding and using A Course In Miracles successfully.

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THE GIFTS OF GOD brings together a collection of poems written by Dr. Helen Schucman, scribe of A Course in Miracles, which was received from a divine source. These personal poems explore and expand on the book's spiritual teachings, which have been embraced by millions worldwide. Through personal as well as Christian and universal religious themes, Schucman illuminates some of the mysteries of the Course to help readers interpret its message of universal love and peace. A collection of 114 poems written by the scribe of the best-selling inspirational book A Course in Miracles.A Course in Miracles has been translated into 19 languages and has sold more than two million copies worldwide.

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Jesus and the Village Scribes Review

Jesus and the Village Scribes
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William E. Arnal is a scholar who received his doctorate in 1997 at the University of Toronto under the direction of John Kloppenborg. He has three books to his credit and many scholarly articles in prestigious journals. Both a critic and a historian he brings an unusual perspective to the matter of Christian origins. He is an atheist. He is also deeply read in the Marxist critics and has published scholarly works in that area as well. As he has stated and I paraphrase, he is a member of the Religious Studies Department and not the School of Theology. He sees no necessity for a scholar in his area of endeavor to be a confessing Christian. I agree fully with this conclusion. What I have read in this book and elsewhere about this young man indicates that he is a rising star in the field of Christian origins and academic criticism and is already considered to be a major scholar by his peers. He is safely ensconced as an associate professor, read tenured, in the Religious Studies Department at Regina University in Saskatchewan. This book and those of a few others by exceptional young scholars are being deeply discounted by their publisher Fortress Press. Expect to pay less than five dollars for a new copy of this book through online Christian bookstores.
This is a book in six parts. After a provocative introduction that forewarns the reader that major revisionism and criticism lie ahead, Arnal provides five chapters each of which is capable of being a stand alone essay. The big trouble I refer to above is that this book presents a massive challenge to the congenial presuppositions many of us have found in the "third wave" scholarship on the subject of Christian origins. My academic training in history lies elsewhere, but the degree to which I have been able to find a Jesus to suit my own needs and prejudices in current scholarship has troubled me immensely. The first chapter deals with the foundational idea of itinerant apostles, prophets and teachers in the Didache as explicated by Adolf von Harnak. Second, in chapters two and three, the reader is treated to a complete explanation and total dismantlement of Gerd Theissen's theory of itinerants as pivotal to the early spread of the Jesus movement. The sloppy methodological execution of Theissen exposed by Arnal comes as no particular surprise to this reader. When you use historical form to validate your own preconceived bias, you do no write history, you write polemics. And, as I have pointed out elsewhere in my reviews on Amazon, there is far too much polemic in what passes for scholarship in the writing of the history of Christian origins. Chapter four is an in depth study of the socio-economic realities of the Galilee that effected the "Q" community. Chapter five including the conclusion provides a detailed literary criticism of the "Q" document, and in light of all the foregoing a history of the "Q" people that naturally follows.
The prose in this book move from understandable to difficult to ponderous. It would appear that this work was intended for Arnal's peers rather than you and I, the lay readers. Expect to ultimately be burdened with the language of academic literary criticism. Whether you call it jargon or a meta-language, it is present and is opaque to many readers. And yet, there is an almost liberating truthfulness about this book as I see it. The assumptions questioned and challenged by this work should cause the open minded to completely reassess their understanding of the spread of formative Christianity. Ultimately, however, there is nothing here that should shake any one's faith. Nor, do I believe it was the intention of the author to do so. What is going on here is a corrective to the loose methodological criterion that have informed far too much of the third search for the historic Jesus and early Church history. Once again, we have been tripped up by our own preconceived bias. Shame on us. This book is an absolute must read. And please be advised, Arnal, Harland, and others have far more highly revisionist things to say on these topics which are available for you to read elsewhere. For myself, I find these scholars a breath of fresh air in a discipline that is generally far too self satisfied.

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This volume challenges Gerd Theissen's dominant thesis of "wandering radicals" as the earliest spreaders of the Jesus tradition. Several conclusions emerge: (1) the textual evidence for the "wandering radicals" hypothesis is not tenable and it must be replaced with one that more closely comports with the evidence; (2) the immediate context of the Jesus movement, and of Q in particular, is the socio-economic crisis in Galilee under the Romans; and (3) the formation of Q is the product of Galilean village scribes in the Jesus movement reacting to the negative developments in Galilee that affected their social standing.Arnal moves decisively beyond earlier Q studies, which focused almost exclusively on literary history without dealing with the social realities of the first century.Contents--Introduction--Harnack, Itinerancy, and the Didache--The Sayings Tradition and Itinerant Preachers--The Problem with Itinerant Preachers--The Socio-Economics of Roman Galilee--Q's Rhetoric of Uprootedness

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Not as the Scribes: Jesus as a Model for Prophetic Preaching Review

Not as the Scribes: Jesus as a Model for Prophetic Preaching
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I remember a few years ago visiting an independent bible church in Gordonville Pennsylvania, just outside of Paradise. I walked into the building and had a seat in the pew, awkwardly glancing around. I quickly realized that I was easily thirty years younger then anyone else is the congregation. In fact, both the couple beside me and in front of me where sitting with breathing machines, loud breathing machines. As the elderly Pastor took to the stage, I comfortably pushed back in my pew waiting for a semi-dry but normally established sermon - only to find a sermon based on the explaining of the genealogy of the tribes of Israel. As I sat there, I asked myself, where is the part where the Holy Spirit moves? Where is the part about the Kingdom breaking through in my life? Where do we get to live this out in our own lives?
This is the very issue in sermons that Ryan Ahlgrim is journeying to grasp in his book, "Not as the Scribes". I recently purchased this book from Herald Press, through the Mennonite Publishing Network as a way to challenge my own preaching style. This book, Not as the Scribes: Jesus as a Model for Prophetic Preaching is a rather short read and I am not saying it's the best or most revolutionary read I have ever encountered, but Ryan as an author, is truly committed to the topic and spends his whole time throughout the book casting a vision for better preaching."Ultimately our task as preachers is not to repeat the old word but to proclaim a new word for our people and our situation that is congruent with Scripture and faithful to Jesus Christ" [P. 139]
Ryan takes some time to briefly enter into a look at the methods Jesus used when he taught, especially taking a look at the prophetic undertones in the Parables and stories he told. The book spends much time analyzing how Jesus announced with the authority of God, that the Kingdom of God was near and that it was interacting in the here and now. He then analyzes the type of preaching most used in bible churches and mainline churches across america, the two don't mesh with the style of Jesus. In fact, we find many sermons today looking more like the well rehearsed scribes (teachers, lawyers, wise guys) of the time of Jesus, much more so then reflecting the Kingdom speak of Jesus. Ryan points out, "When Jesus healed someone, it was never by his own power, but by God's power. When Jesus spoke, it was never by his own authority but by Gods'.....Jesus spoke in God's name and we are empowered to speak in Jesus' name"
As a Pastor this book has energized me to analyze my sermons. Are my messages speaking of the grace, mercy, forgiveness and healing of the Kingdom as something people can grasp, learn from, be captivated by and experience? Ryan gives an example of a modern parable, "the Kingdom of God is much like a nudist colony, we have to be completely naked to get in". That made me think of my own sermons as well. My sermons have to be naked of my style, of the me influence and solely focused on the Kingdom and authority of God through the name of Jesus.
This book is a great, simple and fast read that will challenge how we as Pastors draw people into a presentable invitation into a real living and breathing Kingdom. Let's present the Kingdom and the message of God for what it truly is, amazing.
"When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority--quite unlike their teachers of religious law." Matthew 7:28-29

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LAI- Scribes and Schools Review

LAI- Scribes and Schools
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Philip Davies has a reputation as one of the more extreme members of the recent school of Biblical minimalists/revisionists. However, in "Scribes and Schools" he keeps himself fairly well restrained and highly referenced. The result is a book that, while not conclusively definitive, intrigues the reader with a wealth of possibilities about how the canon of the Bible grew into the one we are familiar with today.
He starts by introducing us to the idea of canons generally, moves to those who controlled the technology of writing in the ancient world, a hereditary international class of scribes attached to palaces and temples, and how they operated in the fairly well-documented societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece. He then reviews various approaches taken by scholars regarding these issues in Judaism, and summarizes Israelite and Judean history from the monarchic to the Roman periods. The remainder of the book is devoted to specific divisions of the Bible: the Torah, Prophets, Widsom Literature and Apocryphal writings, taking into account the libraries at and around Qumran. The final chapter considers the final form: the transition of canonical collections of literature into Holy Books as we now know them.
The book is fairly short, written in a rather dry, academic style, and good enough to recommend to anyone thinking about the Bible's growth into its present form. Sometimes Davies is insightful, as when he suggests a Persian period date for the composition of Deuteronomy on the basis of its diminished notion of the role of the king, which would have been unsuitable for a monarchic state but well-adapted to a colonial one. Other times he is less so, as when he suggests that the oldest parts of 1Enoch were composed at the same time as the oldest parts of Genesis, since it is quite clear in comparing these texts that they come from totally different literary and conceptual universes! Davies also refers to obscure sources which is very interesting, at least to me.

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The Grand Scribe's Records, Vol. 1: The Basic Annals of Pre-Han China (Volume I) Review

The Grand Scribe's Records, Vol. 1: The Basic Annals of Pre-Han China (Volume I)
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Better than Chavannes translation (in French) and also of Burton Watson's partial transaltions. Easy to read and satisfactory notes. Great accomplishment for the various scholars participating in the project. I appreaciate the easy reading since I am not a Chinese scholar except as an old amateur.

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"... an essential source for the study of events in early China, aguide to the moral philosophy of the gentlemen of Han, and a splendid work ofliterature which may be read for the pleasure of its style and the power of itsnarrative.... This work makes Shi ji and its scholarship accessible to any reader ofEnglish, and it is a model for any work in this field and style." -- Bulletinof the School of Oriental and African Studies, OxfordJournals"Through such work as this, the scholary andliterary community of the West will learn more of the splendour and romance of earlyChina, and may better appreciate the lessons in humanity presented by its greathistorian." -- Bulletin of the School of Oriental and AfricanStudies"... Nienhauser's new translation is scrupulouslyscholarly... the design of this series is nearly flawless... the translation itselfis very precise..." -- Chinese Literature, Essays, Articles,ReviewsThis project will result in the first complete translation(in nine volumes) of the Shih chi (The Grand Scribe's Records), one of the mostimportant narratives in traditional China. Ssu-ma Ch'ien (145-c.86 B.C.), whocompiled the work, is known as the Herodotus of China.

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The Grand Scribe's Records, Volume V.1: The Hereditary Houses of Pre-Han China, Part I Review

The Grand Scribe's Records, Volume V.1: The Hereditary Houses of Pre-Han China, Part I
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This may well be the most important information we have on chinese culture.One can spend years finding one religious motif when anything of importance is in the royal scribes records.Amazing translations even more amazing its released to the public.This is not the only dynasty translated!

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One Woman's Jihad: Nana Asma'u, Scholar and Scribe Review

One Woman's Jihad: Nana Asma'u, Scholar and Scribe
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This is a realy important book and it is a shame that it is so overlooked. Nana Asma'u was the daughter of Sheikh Usuman dan Fodio, scholar and warrior and sister of the Caliph Muhammad Bello. This book not only describes the Islamic community that thrived in West Africa under Muhammad Bello but also the importance given to education especially the education of women.
In this Nana Asma'u played an especially important role she not only being sister to the Caliph but an important Islamic scholar in her own right. This book details the methodolay used by the Muslim community of West Africa in education and how Islam was spread by educated Muslim women such as Nana Asmau.
This book is a valuable read and one I would recomend to anyone who had an interest in either Islam/Sufism or African history.


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Oliver Cowdery: Scribe, Elder, Witness: Essays from Byu Studies and Farms Review

Oliver Cowdery: Scribe, Elder, Witness: Essays from Byu Studies and Farms
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Oliver H. P. Cowdery (1806-1850) was one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon and a key figure in the early LDS church history; he was excommunicated in 1838, but returned to the church in later years.
The editors wrote in the "Acknowledgements" section of this 2006 book, "Since Oliver Cowdrey played a crucial role in the publication of the Book of Mormon ... it is fitting that the articles published over the years by BYU Studies and FARMS about Oliver Cowdrey should be gathered and published in celebration of his 200th birthday."
Here are some quotations from the book:
"Oliver's charge of adultery against the Prophet was simplistic, for Oliver already knew about the principle of plural marriage. Rather than deny the charge, the Prophet testified that because Oliver had been his 'bosom friend, 'he had 'intrusted him with many things'..." (Pg. 7)
"The idea of a controlled text (of the BOM by Joseph Smith) originates with statements made by the witnesses of the translation... this control was tight, but not iron-clad. The text could be 'ungrammatical' from a prescriptive point of view, but the use of nonstandard English is not evidence that the text was not being tightly controlled, or that it did not come from the Lord, who apparently does not share our insistence on 'proper English' (see D&C 1:24)..." (Pg. 101)
"In their written accounts ... many early members compressed all the events of priesthood restoration into a general reference to a visitation by a holy messenger or angel... It is also likely that some writers focused on a single messenger's role in the restoration of the priesthood in order to simplify the restoration of the gospel for hymns or missionary work..." (Pg. 139-140)
"The Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ began to take shape shortly after Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery first met... Cowdery's Articles of the Church of Christ ... was a relatively short procedural statement that depended heavily on excerpts from the Book of Mormon and early revelations to the Prophet. Thus it can be concluded that even though Oliver's Articles were written in the first person of Christ's voice, it does not rise to the same stature of original and authoritative revelation." (Pg. 175)
"Many of (Alexander) Campbell's arguments continue to lead the recurring parade of Book of Mormon criticisms ... by anti-Mormons today, many of whom merely rehash the same points or questions Campbell raised ... For example, Campbell's criticism that the Nephites and Lamanites took upon themselves the name of Christ before the time of Christ is often brought up by critics." (Pg. 228)
"Similarly, Oliver's accusing Joseph of adultery can hardly be taken as evidence that he is not a valid witness of the Book of Mormon. To the contrary, his willingness to make such an accusation while still in the church ... reveal's Oliver's independent spirit... Speaking of Joseph Smith, Oliver wrote, 'A dirty, nasty, filthy affair of his and Fanny Alger's...' ... Oliver was apparently unaware that Fanny Alger had become the first plural wife of Joseph Smith." (Pg. 283)

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The Anonymous Scribe & the Secret Temple Scroll Review

The Anonymous Scribe and the Secret Temple Scroll
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I was not sure what to expect of this book when I saw it; but I enjoy historical fiction with an intriguing plot, and this certainly is it! The title leads one to believe that it is a mystery, a fantasy or a thriller. It is, in fact, a real page-turner with elements of these other genre deftly woven around the Gospels and the destruction of Pompei and Herculaneum. It is not just "historical fiction". It aims to ask questions about the message of the Gospels and early Christianity through the anonymous scribe - a fictional young man who follows Christ intent on recording his words - so they could be used as evidence against him. I will not spoil the plot by saying anything further. This is a very satisfying read and is appropriate for readers from middle school age (6th grade)to adult, although the younger reader may require an explanation of the history of the period to appreciate it fully.
John I. Rigoli writes as one who knows the Gospels and the history and teachings of Christianity. (The book is dedicated to his brother, Anthony, an Oblate priest.) His characters are not caricatures, but reflections of his own facile and questioning mind: raising issues, asking questions and discerning if there is more to the message of the Gospels than we receive in homilies or sermons every Sunday or see acted out in our daily lives. The anonymous scribe could well be his own alter ego!
I recommend this book highly for Religious Educators, Church groups, Religious Education students from 6th grade and above and anyone else who would like to see the life and teachings of Christ presented anew with interest and respect. With the Holidays soon upon us, it would make an excellent and timely gift. This is a book worthy of a broad audience. Rigoli has done a very fine job in his first effort.

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The Lindisfarne Gospels: Society, Spirituality, and the Scribe (The British Library Studies in Medieval Culture) Review

The Lindisfarne Gospels: Society, Spirituality, and the Scribe (The British Library Studies in Medieval Culture)
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The Lindisfarne Gospels: Society, Spirituality & The Scribe by Celtic and Anglo-Saxon cultural history expert Michelle P. Brown (Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts at The British Library), examines this important and influential eighth-century book in the light of both theological analysis and revelations of the latest archaeological finds. Marvelous color plates as well as black-and-white photographs wonderfully enhance the exhaustive, college-level text, which is a master piece of scholarship studying the genesis of the Lindisfarne Gospels, and how this classic was originally physically prepared, written, and bound, as well as the significance of its art, the nuances of its scripted text, and more. A thought-provoking and informatively extensive study, The Lindisfarne Gospels is also available in a soft-cover format.

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The eighth-century Latin Gospelbook known as the Lindisfarne Gospels, with its tenth-century gloss (the earliest surviving translation of the Gospels into the English language), is one of the great landmarks of human cultural achievement. Like all such icons, or important archaeological sites, it repays revisiting. Successive generations approach them with new questions and new technologies, bringing to light fresh evidence or finding different ways of 'reading' what we thought we knew already. This study seeks to do just that, taking advantage of new photography and technical analysis as well as assessing previous work in the light of more recent studies and archaeological finds.

This book sets the Lindisfarne Gospels within its socio-historical context, during one of the world's formative periods of transition - from the Graeco-Roman world to that of the early Middle Ages. The melting-pot of the multi-ethnic British Isles, with its international Christian context stretching from Frisia to the near-East, is reflected in the pages of the Lindisfarne Gospels, as part of an attempt to achieve a cultural synthesis in which all peoples could find a place - a visual reflection of the international Oecumen. In Northumbria the rallying point for this new identity was the figure of St Cuthbert, his cult and the role of the church of Lindisfarne (originally a Celtic mission to the Anglo-Saxons) playing a vital role in the faith, power and politics of the region. The questions of where and when the Lindisfarne Gospels were made are addressed, but just as importantly the 'why' is explored, in the context of new research concerning the technical innovation of its maker, his spiritual motivation and the needs of the society in which he worked.


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In the Shadow of Lions (Chronicles of the Scribe, Book 1) Review

In the Shadow of Lions (Chronicles of the Scribe, Book 1)
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Ginger Garrett's "In the Shadow of Lions" tells the story of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation in 16th century England. She tells her tale through two main characters. The first, Rose, a fictional creation, is a despairing young woman ready to give up on life. The second is Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry the Eighth. Their stories are dictated by a supernatural being called the Scribe to a dying woman in the present day.
I found this book to be a frustrating, unfulfilling read. A major flaw in the novel is the portrayal of Anne Boleyn. I've read many, many books about Anne over the years, both fiction and non-fiction. Anne Boleyn was a woman who not only fascinated a king, but has also fascinated historians and readers in the centuries since her death. In Garrett's portrayal, she's a rather flat and uninteresting character. I never got a sense of why Henry became so obsessed with her or how she was able to keep his devotion for so long. There was nothing to explain her allure. Henry himself never emerges as a very well defined character.
"In the Shadow of Lions" also contains the most negative portrayal of Sir Thomas More I have ever read. There's no doubt More could be virulently anti-Protestant, but this book takes his actions to the extreme. His daughter, Margaret, is an extremely inconsistent character, one moment treating Rose as an ally and at others treating her more as an enemy. I felt very removed from this book; it was hard to truly feel involved with the story or the characters.
There were many other things about this book that bugged me, but I'll just mention one more. Anne and Henry's daughter, Elizabeth, was born on September 7, 1533. In this book, Anne is two months pregnant shortly before Christmas. There's no way the timeline would work out for a September birth. Garrett never gives a date for Elizabeth's birth, but she does say she's born in winter. A woman can't be over two months pregnant in late December and give birth in a winter month unless the baby is extremely premature, which was not the case, or the baby is in the womb for over a year. I kept thinking I was missing something but I've read it over twice. It just absolutely makes no sense.
I suppose this book might be more appealing to a reader of Christian fiction than to a reader of historical fiction. The historical oddities, at any rate, might be less off-putting.
I really wanted to like "In the Shadow of Lions." I was looking forward to reading about Anne Boleyn from a different viewpoint, one that explored her role in the Protestant Reformation. Unfortunately, the poorly developed, inconsistent, and often unlikeable characters made this more of an exercise in frustration. One of the first things I noticed about this book was the beautiful cover. It's too bad the contents inside didn't live up to it.


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Other Tribes, Other Scribes: Symbolic Anthropology in the Comparative Study of Cultures, Histories, Religions and Texts Review

Other Tribes, Other Scribes: Symbolic Anthropology in the Comparative Study of Cultures, Histories, Religions and Texts
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I found I can edit my review. I originally thought I was reviewing the seller and so gave the seller a great review, but when looking back, it looked as if I was giving the book 4 stars! The book came in a timely manner and in condition described. A good price, plus it qualified for Prime Shipping. Many used books do not, so I got it in two days with free shipping! Yay! The book itself is hard to read and assumes that the reader is well versed in anthropology. This book is the required book for a class I am taking. I am into chapter 2 and have not understood one word so far. I hope things improve as time goes by, but would not recommend this book for someone looking for an introduction to symbolic anthropology.

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Any interpretation of another culture is itself embedded in a specific cultural context and historical moment. In this book, James A. Boon investigates the history, dialectics and practice of the symbolic analysis of cultural diversity. His aim is to formulate a general comparative approach to the study of symbolic processes, integrating the major different theories about symbolic forms that have been developed by other writers. In so doing, he discusses the varying theories and practice of such figures as Durkheim, Weber, Marx, Mauss, Frazer, Saussure, Peirce, Lowie, Malinowski, Sapir, Hocart, Benedict, Parsons, Levi-Strauss, Geertz, Barthes, Foucault and others; and brings together a wide range of related issues in anthropology, linguistics, intellectual history, the sociology of religion and comparative mythology and literature. This original integration of social scientific and literary analysis will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in anthropology, history, philosophy and literature.

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Scribes, Warriors, and Kings: The City of Copan and the Ancient Maya, Revised Edition Review

Scribes, Warriors, and Kings: The City of Copan and the Ancient Maya, Revised Edition
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the first 60 pages talks mainly about archaeological expeditions to Copan and who sponsored them etc. so there was little about the scribes,warriors or kings,but later it picked up.Copan appeared to be the "capital" city of loosely affiliated outlying villages with questionable allegiances. Since the allegiances were changing, Copan (rather the rulers of Copan and their families and associates)developed a rich ceremonial life with grandiose buildings,costumes,calendars etc.in order to impress the commoners into accepting the ruling class' authority.At least that is one interpretation offered in the book.Also the book seems to stress the deforestation theory for the demise of Copan,saying that "sucess"in agriculture and population growth brought about heavy erosion due to overuse of timber.Copan was never able to form alliances to any substantial degree with any other major city and in fact there is evidence of bitter rivalry between some of the smaller cities as well as the major ones.I was unaware before reading this book that alot of the Mayan temples were built by the rulers of Copan as a form of sacred ancestor worship.There are great photos of alot of the more profound discoveries of Copan particularly the Eccentric flints from the Hieroglyphic stairway.the author claims that presently there is no flint napper alive today who could duplicate this feat.I also enjoyed the descriptions of the "Bat" houses and their possible sinister uses to shelve "sacrificial victims".There is also a good picture of the way alot of these Mayan temples would have been painted because today all we see too often if the bare limestone facings.The deep reds and greens must have made for a real sacred appearance that would no doubt astonish.Was the message--"Your link to the nether-world,get it here"reinforcing the status and authority of Copan's rulers.whose to say,maybe they actually did have a fast tract to the nether-world,at least till they ran out of trees?

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