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Location: United States

Member Since: Dec. 24, 2015

Desmond Cross

Smashwords book reviews by Desmond Cross

MODERN PHARISEES? Tough Questions for Serious Christians on Jan. 01, 2016

Western civilization is for the most part Christian, yet many Christians are content to accept the select passages offered up by their ministers as their sole source of scriptural nourishment. This in turn leads to cherry-picking and arguments between denominations. This is not a highly productive way of gaining insight into the Bible. One can then turn to theologians and Bible scholars to point them in the right direction, but those who do are soon faced with a dizzying assortment of specialized technical jargon like 'exegesis' and 'Q source'. By the time the layperson has deciphered the Theobabble they have probably forgotten what they were looking for to begin with. And even then they must contend with the fact that the information those experts provide has been filtered through their own theological lenses and are rife with doctrinal biases. The author of Modern Pharisees has taken a new and refreshing approach. Without being patronizing, he has laid out information not piecemeal, but layered and in context for the readers mental digestion. He asks questions, sometimes uncomfortable ones but relevant none the less. And most importantly, he gives the reader the opportunity to think for themselves. He has lead the proverbial horse to water. The wise ones will realize this and drink. Now, does he lead the reader to every question? Of course not. To do so would take a book larger than the Bible. And he is naturally not without his own biases and long-held opinions. Not that we should fault him for that, because none of us are. He does however seem aware of his own preconceptions enough that he spares the reader from any rhetorical arm twisting. As such and to use a phrase often used by a dear friend of mine, your mileage may vary. In a nutshell,Modern Pharisees is articulate, informative without being overbearing, and might even open an eye or two. Definitely worth the read. It achieves the goals the author was aiming for, and you can't ask for much more than that.