Advent Books

This a very helpful collection to use during the season of advent (and many selections also apply to Christmas). It contains carols, anthems, motets and arrangements of hymns that span a wide variety of cultures, musical styles, and ability.

It should be noted that the authors are English, as is the publisher and yes, many of the selections, are English.The book is laid out very much like the books in the Carols for Choirs series, except that this collection contains many motets (there are hardly any in Carols for Choirs). Liturgical (especially Episcopalian and Anglican) and concert choirs will benefit greatly from this collection. Also helpful are antiphons for the lighting of the advent wreath and the great "O" antiphons.

A few things that deserve a place are missing including Gibbons' "This is the record of John" and Ord's "Adam lay ybounden." The editors say that it is easy to find these pieces, and therefore they don't need to include them, yet, no advent collection seems complete without them.

Highlights include:

"Canite Tuba"-Francisco Guerro
"Rejoice in the Lord alway"--Anonymous
Hymn arrangements by Malcolm Archer and Stephen Cleobury
"Tender Shoot"--Otto Goldschmitt
"There is a flow'r"--Paul Vann
"E'en so, Lord Jesus"--Paul Manz

The editor does an admirable job of pulling together a very interesting collection of essays about hope in the second coming of Christ. Refreshingly, there are essays expressing a variety of scriptural and historical perspectives. The book is academic enough to appeal to one's intellect, (with extensive references and indexing) yet contains ample human interest angles to allow the reader to identify with the authors and editor. There are lessons in the historical chapters that would do much to help today's reader strike a balance between faith and hope on the one side, and avoiding credulity on the other.

Atmaram Kulkarni has done a superb job trying to critically analyze the life and works of L.K.Advani. It is awe inspiring and thought provoking. The clarity of Advani's thoughts and ideas is sure to clear up and enlighten anyone interested in culture rich India.

This is one of the foundation works for Baha'is and non-Baha'is alike who want to know what this glorious Faith means for this troubled age. The Beloved Guardian masterfully expounds on the specific tasks of Baha'is in the American Community in combatting racism, dealing with various other social and community issues, and in individually upholding a strong moral character.

This books offers us an untainted view of the establishment of the Fatimiyya Caliphate. It provides the readers with a critical, covert view of the aspects of life in Ifriqiya at that time. It's unfortunate the editors could not expound on certain situations that took place pre and post advent of the dynasty such as the factual reasons behind the execution of the two Da'i brothers.

The translated manuscript provides a solid glimpse of Ibn al-Haytham's personal view and feelings of the ongoings during this period in time.

'Advent is a time of being deeply shaken, so that man will wake up to himself.' This is the message of Father Alfred Delp, a German Jesuit who perished in a Nazi prison shortly before the end of World War II. Readers of this book are bound to be shaken up themselves, when they recognize the courage of the man and the relevance of his teaching.

For English speakers, this will be the first introduction to the sermons of Father Delp, who preached in Munich parishes from 1941 until his arrest in 1944 for membership in an anti-Nazi circle. The book combines some of his Advent sermons with meditations that he scribbled while handcuffed in his prison cell. The arrangement of the texts adds to their power, as we see the insights of the preacher tested in the crucible of torture and imprisonment.

Sixty years later, Delp's reflections do not seem quaint or old-fashioned. His main theme is the power of Absolute Love to overcome the ideologies, technologies, and fashions that oppose it. Advent is an annual invitation to repentance in the deepest sense: the recognition of one's sinfulness, weakness, and dependence on God. The reader will be struck, however, by the optimism and 'humanity' of Delp's sermons, and especially of his prison writings. His faith in divine and human love remained unshakable, even when he was in the clutches of the Gestapo.

As a preacher, Delp remained close to the words of the day's Liturgy, and so the book includes the Latin and English texts of the Mass for each of the four Advent Sundays. Helpful footnotes unpack his references to forgotten catechesis (e.g., the 'four last things') and his indirect attacks on the Nazi regime. (When he stated, for example, that one cannot 'raise a hand' against God's law and providence, his parishioners would have recognized an allusion to the Nazi salute.) The anonymous translator from St. Walburg's Abbey in Eichstaett, Germany, has provided a smooth and readable English version--a real achievement, considering the density of the text.

In the forward to this edition, Father Adolf Kreuser ranks Delp among 'the great "prophets" who comprehended the horror of Nazism and handed down a message to our times, insofar as our times are still able to comprehend and process prophetic words.' It is important that we make the effort to comprehend them. For while Nazism destroyed itself, the spiritual disease that Father Delp detected behind it has not gone away--and neither has the cure.

get this game the only bad thing is that the game is not long enough

I have never seen a more comprehensive collection of inspirational writings for the season of Advent. Most of us just forget about it and move on to Christmas, though the anticipation of Christmas is celebrated in Advent. This book can be used in MANY ways. I use it for meditations before I start class with my students. You won't be sorry you bought it.

Underhill was one of the 20th century's great spiritual advisors, and this little volume of contemplations on the meaning and use of Advent shows why. A lovely thoughtful book.

Our church is preparing to use this worship service for the first Sunday in Advent. I am very impressed with the order, information and Scripture passages used. This will probably be the service we will establish as a tradition as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. Ms. Dreher has given us an truly inspired work. Of all the resources I have used over the years, this is by far the best.