Interdisciplinary Book and Film Reviews

    Stuck: Why We Can’t (or Won’t) Move On     by Anneli Rufus   Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton In Stuck ,  Anneli Rufus explores the intriguing problem of our tendency to get stuck in many areas of our life. Whether it’s being trapped in the wrong relationship, career, or town, or simply struggling with stubborn habits, many of us find ourselves immobilized. Rufus combines interviews, personal anecdotes, and cultural criticism to explore the dreams we hold dear and the road to achieving them. When faced with the possibility of change, our minds play tricks on us. We convince ourselves that we “can’t make it” or that it’s “not worth the effort.” In a time of unprecedented freedom and opportunity, why do so many feel powerless and unsure? Rufus uncovers a complex web of potential causes, from fear and denial to societal messages that reinforce our helplessness. The book also shares stories of those who have broken free and those who ...

  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. Addi...

  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 sur...

  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 entertai...

  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 ...

  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) ...