Interdisciplinary Book and Film Reviews

Ronald Cotton, The Innocence Project Ronald Cotton - Innocence Project Picking Cotton (The book)   PICKING COTTON      Our Memoir of  Injustice and  Redemption By   Jennifer Thompson-Cannino   & Ronald Cotton      With   Erin Torneo Reviewed By   Geoffrey W. Sutton   I was interested in   Picking Cotton   for several reasons. As a psychologist and researcher I have helped people deal with interpersonal offenses for over 45 years. My focus has been on forgiveness and reconciliation. But there are more lessons in this book. In view of recent events the book serves to illustrate social injustice and racism. In addition, we see the serious problem of faulty eyewitness testimony evident in the experiments of Elizabeth Loftus. So for these reasons, I recommend this book to a broad spectrum of readers. And would especially recommend it to my colleagues in counselling and mental hea...

Left to Tell Discovering God Amidst     the Rwandan Holocaust By Immaculée Ilibagiza Reviewed By   Geoffrey W. Sutton “If they catch me, they will kill me,” (130) thought Immaculée as she struggled physically, psychologically, and spiritually to survive the 1994 Rwandan genocide.  Following a powerful introduction by Wayne W. Dyer, Immaculée Ilibagiza relates a heart-rending drama with the able assistance of award winning journalist, Steve Erwin. Readers will find their emotions pushed to the limits by the high definition images of love, violence, betrayal, death, destruction, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Part one sets the stage by revealing Immaculée’s emerging awareness of the powerful prejudices between the ruling Hutus and minority Tutsis. At school, she became aware of the racial differences during ethnic roll call, in which students identified themselves by name and status as Hutu or Tutsi. As a Tutsi, and a woman, her opportunities for advancement we...

Christian Morality: An Interdisciplinary Framework                  for Thinking About Contemporary Moral Issues. Edited by   Geoffrey W. Sutton &   Brandon Schmidly Reviewed by   Various Reviewers Sutton, G. W. & Schmidly, B. (eds.). (2016). Christian morality: An interdisciplinary framework for thinking about contemporary moral issues . Eugene, OR: Pickwick . ********** Christian Morality is a timely and accessible resource that provides the reader with the language, the categories, the concepts that help us talk responsibly and respectfully to each other about the topics that matter most to us. The cultural and moral climate today begs for resources like this one. Heather Kelly , PsyD. ,  Professor of Psychology, Evangel University, Springfield, MO **********   As a rhetorician, I repeat often to students that “how we talk about things matters.”  What Sutton & Schmidly have provided in th...

Counseling and Psychotherapy       with Pentecostal and     Charismatic Christians By   Geoffrey W. Sutton Reviewed By    Various Reviewers “ Geoffrey W. Sutton has created THE authoritative source to help mental health professionals, lay helpers, and basically anyone understand people who adhere to Pentecostal and Charismatic practice, values, and beliefs.  Pentecostalism and Charismatic Christians constitute the fastest growth in worldwide Christianity.  The first part of the book can help all readers--regardless of profession or religious identity--understand people who live into that religion.  The second part of the book is a practical and insightful guide to effective helping for psychological difficulties.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who seeks to understand and help Pentecostals and Charismatics.” — Everett L. Worthington, Jr. , Commonwealth Professor Emeritus     (www.EvWorthington-forg...

  Why I became an Atheist :       A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity  By   John W. Loftus   Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton John Loftus explains his reasons for becoming an atheist in a way that’s quite different from the likes of Dawkins (2006) and Harris (2004). Loftus knows Christianity from the inside and the outside. He graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and served as a pastor. The text reveals his familiarity with Christian theologies and apologetics. The author covers some familiar territory by reviewing the problems with the classic arguments for the existence of God. These arguments are commonly presented in philosophy of religion courses. As is commonly known, the arguments do not offer a pathway to belief in the God of the Bible or another god. Loftus presentation is even-handed and not belligerent. He also challenges Christian views of the Bible. As might be expected, he points out problems wit...