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The Bible Now – A Review

  The Bible Now By Richard Elliott Friedman & Shawna Dolansky   2011 Reviewed by Geoffrey W. Sutton In their thought-provoking book, The Bible Now , Friedman and Dolansky delve into the Hebrew Bible, exploring its relevance to contemporary social and political issues. The authors meticulously examine what the Bible actually says—or doesn’t say—about a wide range of topics, including homosexuality, abortion, women’s status, capital punishment, and environmental concerns . The Bible has long been a touchstone for moral and ethical debates, but it is often misused or misunderstood. Friedman and Dolansky aim to rectify this by shedding light on the biblical texts, revealing their true intent and context. Here are some key insights from their work: Homosexuality : Contrary to popular belief, the Bible does not clearly condemn homosexuality. While the story of Sodom is often cited, it does not specifically address same-sex relationships. Additionally, David’s lament o
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Can Christians Evolve? A Review of Thriving with Stone Age Minds

  Thriving with Stone Age Minds: Evolutionary Psychology, Christian Faith, and the Quest for Human Flourishing (BioLogos Books on Science and Christianity) By Justin L. Barrett   and Pamela Ebstyne King On AMAZON Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton I’m in the process of writing about irreconcilable differences between Christianity and psychology. Thriving with Stone Age Minds surprised me. Not only does Barrett affirm evolution but he explains evolutionary psychology and how it may relate to Christian theology. *** Thriving with Stone Age Minds: Evolutionary Psychology, Christian Faith, and the Quest for Human Flourishing by Justin L. Barrett delves into the intersection of evolutionary psychology, Christian theology, and human flourishing. In this thought-provoking work, Barrett and co-author Pamela Ebstyne King explore how our evolutionary past shapes our present minds, relationships, and behaviors. The book begins by acknowledging the controversy surrounding evolu

Living, Loving, and Learning A Review

  Living, Loving, and Learning By Leo Buscaglia 1982 We gathered around an old black and white TV. Someone had a videotape of the charismatic Leo Buscaglia talking about love. We were graduate students in counseling at the University of Missouri. And it was the 1970s when love was exploding after the Vietnam War ended. Leo touched many lives then and his ideas are still worth considering. The Author Leo Buscaglia was born 31 March 1924 in Los Angeles, California. During WWII, he served in the US Navy. He earned his PhD in 1963 and was a professor of Special Education at the University of Southern California. He was widely known as Dr. Love. Leo died 12 June 1998 from a heart attack. He was a popular motivational speaker and his works were so popular that five books were on the New York Times Bestseller List at the same time! Book Summary Living, Loving & Learning   by  Leo F. Buscaglia  is an inspirational collection of his informative and entertaining lectures, deli

The Spy in Moscow Station- Book Review

  A Spy in Moscow 2024 by Geoffrey W. Sutton & Designer The Spy in Moscow Station: A Counterspy's Hunt for a Deadly Cold War Threat by   Eric Haseltine 2019 The Spy in Moscow Station: A Counterspy's Hunt for a Deadly Cold War Threat by Eric Haseltine recounts the true story of the incredible challenge to discover the deadly intelligence leak in the United States Embassy in Moscow. The book is an electrifying account of espionage, American spy agency bureaucratic infighting, technical surveillance, and spycraft that reveals the barriers to counter-intelligence caused by the limitations of the intersection of human intelligence and personality.   The Spy...Moscow on AMAZON Haseltine's book is a technical account of the lengths that governments will go to gain intelligence advantages as we head into the 2020s. The Spy in Moscow Station describes what really happened behind the scenes in the 1970s and 1980s at NSA, CIA, and in the U.S. embassy in Moscow. The book is

Psychology and Christianity: Five Views -Review

  Five Views 2024 Geoffrey W Sutton & Bing AI The second edition of Psychology and Christianity: Five Views is an expanded version of the 2000 edition. Edited by Eric L. Johnson, the book presents ways to understand the relationship between psychology and Christianity.  [ Available on Amazon ] The Five Views   1. Levels-of-Explanation View by David Myers, Hope College   This view suggests that psychology and Christianity operate at different levels of explanation. Psychology operates at the level of human behavior and mental processes, while Christianity operates at the level of meaning and value.   2. Integration View by Stanton Jones, Wheaton College   This view proposes that psychology and Christianity can be integrated in a way that both can contribute to a fuller understanding of human nature.   3. Christian Psychology View by Robert Roberts (Baylor University) and P. J. Watson (University of Tennessee-Chattanooga)   This view argues that a distinctly Ch

Beyond Freedom and Dignity - A Review

  Beyond Freedom and Dignity Author: B.F. Skinner Reviewer   Geoffrey W. Sutton   B.F. Skinner's Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971) challenges traditional ideas about human autonomy and self-determination. Skinner asserts that our behaviors are not driven by an inherent sense of freedom or dignity, but rather by environmental contingencies. I observed a somewhat humorous example of Skinner’s influence on psychology in the 1970s when I was in graduate school. A colleague in school psychology relied heavily upon reinforcement theory as he helped teachers with classroom management and identified himself as a behavioral engineer.   In Beyond Freedom and Dignity , Skinner argues for a more orderly structuring of society, especially through the implementation of psychological research. As a proponent of radical behaviorism, he posits that humans are controlled by their environment and their DNA. He suggests that if society wishes to improve its collective habits, it must

Walden Two - Review

  Walden Two by B.F. Skinner Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton Walden Two by B.F. Skinner   Walden Two is a utopian novel that presents an experimental community where life is drastically simplified and happiness is obtained through a scientific approach to behavioral engineering. The story begins with two young men, Rogers and Steve, who visit Professor Burris after returning from World War II. They inquire about a man named Frazier and the new society he is trying to build.   Frazier, a former classmate of Burris, has created a community named Walden Two based on principles of behaviorism. This community, home to about a thousand people, operates on the idea that human behavior can be controlled by manipulating contingencies of reinforcements and punishments. The inhabitants live in communal dwellings, eat in common dining spaces, raise their children in a communal nursery, and grow and build much of what they need. The standard workday lasts only four hours, and no one ear