Reviews

BOOKS

Radical then, radical now by Jonathan Sacks. Harper Collins £7.99

Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks is deeply concerned about the decline in the British Jewish community, whose numbers have fallen from 450,000 in the 1950s to 280,000 today.

He adds: "Tragically, of course, anti-Semitism has not died. It has merely travelled, and today exists in the form of an Islamic anti-Zionism no less demonic than its Christian antecedents." (I would add Christian anti-Zionism too).

However, he does believe that the Jewish people will survive. He quotes Pascal who applied probability to history and spoke of the truly remarkable survival of the Jews against all odds and Tolstoy who said: "The Jew is everlasting as eternity itself."

Then he refers to Nicolay Berdyayev, who converted from Marxism to Christianity because the miraculous survival of the Jews contradicted the Marxist theory of history.

Jonathan Sacks is justly proud of the major contribution of the Jews to Western civilisation. In ages of poverty, ignorance and superstition, they sustained the life of literacy and religious scholarship. They taught monotheism and that man was created in the image of God. Human life is therefore sacred.

They stressed law, duty and mutual responsibility. They held human rights to be superior to the power of rulers. They affirmed the sovereignty of justice, the rule of law, and a free society.

He defends Judaism against charges of legalism by insisting that at its heart is a unique covenant of love between God and man.

However, Sacks is an avowed pluralist – he believes that various religions lead to God. He states bluntly: " ... to believe the idea that one religion is true and the others false, is ... absurd.

"Where Christianity sees man as in need of being saved, and Islam calls on him to submit to the will of God, Judaism advances the daring idea that man and God are partners in the work of creation. Faith is the call to human responsibility."

He is optimistic, even excited, about the future and writes: "Today for the first time in 2000 years, we have a sovereign state in Israel and freedom and equality in the Diaspora. As almost never before we have the chance to succeed where historically Jews failed – in creating a covenantal society in our own land, and a genuine dialogue with humanity elsewhere. I, for one, would not miss it for the world."

This is an informative, readable and very quotable book. I commend it.

Tony Higton is General Director of the Church’s Ministry among Jewish People

MUSIC

Songs from a poem

Footprints, Kingsway Music. CD, £14.99

As a source of comfort and encouragement, Margaret Fishback-Powers’ Footprints poem has attained almost iconic status amongst Christians, so I’m sure many will be drawn to this collection, subtitled "Songs that reflect the heart of a timeless poem”.

The involvement of Yorkshire-based Celtic worship group Eden’s Bridge might be an extra purchase incentive, but my caveat would be that it’s actually styled more like an American production – most of the vocal tracks, with the exception of Sarah Lacy’s "guest vocals", were laid down in Nashville.

Six of the songs were written especially for the album, including You Carried Me by John Pantry, Out Along The Beach and Looking Back, and there’s a recitation of the poem itself. Other material is well-matched to the theme – Stu Townend’s setting of The Lord’s My Shepherd, People Need The Lord by Greg Nelson, plus traditional classics such as I Need Thee Every Hour, Leaning On The Everlasting Arms (sung by an unnamed Stevie Wonder soundalike), and a Clannad-like arrangement of Jesus I Am Resting.

Each song is annotated with a Bible verse and a key lyric – a helpful finishing touch to the package.

Rock with a spiritual edge

Audio Lessonover? by Delirious?, Furious? Records, CD £14.99

To thousands of fans and interested onlookers, Delirious? remain the principal Christian torch-bearers in the UK music industry, maintaining a pattern of album releases which swings, pendulum-like, between worship and mainstream-orientated material. With the Bon Jovi tour as its launchpad, Audio Lessonover? falls into the latter category – spiritually-undergirded mass-market rock.

Already showcased as singles, Waiting For The Summer and Take Me Away set the scene – love songs by any definition, but "show me the way to a higher place" signals a need for an extra dimension besides mutual attraction and the desire for companionship. Love Is The Compass expresses human vulnerability: "I tried to save the world, but it fell upon my shoulder … Falling down, be there for me when I start to drown."

Alien wrestles with age-old questions of being in a fallen world, but not of it: "I feel a stranger in this land ... where children wander fatherless ... I grieve … Take them away to a higher place."

And there’s prayer for the nations too: "America, you’re too young to die; England, you’re too old to cry; He’s got the whole world in his hands ... Everybody come on, it’s time to sing a new song." (America).

Challenging listening for all.

Peter Dilley

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		BOOKS Radical then, radical now by Jonathan Sacks. Harper Collins £7.99 Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks is deeply concerned about the decline in the British Jewish community, whose numbers have fallen from 450,000 in the 1950s to 280,000 today. He adds: "Tragically, of course, anti-Semitism has not died. It has merely travelled, and today exists in the form of an Islamic anti-Zionism no less demonic than its Christian antecedents." (I would add Christian anti-Zionism too). However, he does believe that the Jewish people will survive. He quotes Pascal who applied probability to history and spoke of the truly remarkable survival of the Jews against all odds and Tolstoy who said: "The Jew is everlasting as eternity itself." Then he refers to Nicolay Berdyayev, who converted from Marxism to Christianity because the miraculous survival of the Jews contradicted the Marxist theory of history. Jonathan Sacks is justly proud of the major contribution of the Jews to Western civilisation. In ages of poverty, ignorance and superstition, they sustained the life of literacy and religious scholarship. They taught monotheism and that man was created in the image of God. Human life is therefore sacred. They stressed law, duty and mutual responsibility. They held human rights to be superior to the power of rulers. They affirmed the sovereignty of justice, the rule of law, and a free society. He defends Judaism against charges of legalism by insisting that at its heart is a unique covenant of love between God and man. However, Sacks is an avowed pluralist – he believes that various religions lead to God. He states bluntly: " ... to believe the idea that one religion is true and the others false, is ... absurd. "Where Christianity sees man as in need of being saved, and Islam calls on him to submit to the will of God, Judaism advances the daring idea that man and God are partners in the work of creation. Faith is the call to human responsibility." He is optimistic, even excited, about the future and writes: "Today for the first time in 2000 years, we have a sovereign state in Israel and freedom and equality in the Diaspora. As almost never before we have the chance to succeed where historically Jews failed – in creating a covenantal society in our own land, and a genuine dialogue with humanity elsewhere. I, for one, would not miss it for the world." This is an informative, readable and very quotable book. I commend it. Tony Higton is General Director of the Church’s Ministry among Jewish People MUSIC Songs from a poem Footprints, Kingsway Music. CD, £14.99 As a source of comfort and encouragement, Margaret Fishback-Powers’ Footprints poem has attained almost iconic status amongst Christians, so I’m sure many will be drawn to this collection, subtitled "Songs that reflect the heart of a timeless poem”. The involvement of Yorkshire-based Celtic worship group Eden’s Bridge might be an extra purchase incentive, but my caveat would be that it’s actually styled more like an American production – most of the vocal tracks, with the exception of Sarah Lacy’s "guest vocals", were laid down in Nashville. Six of the songs were written especially for the album, including You Carried Me by John Pantry, Out Along The Beach and Looking Back, and there’s a recitation of the poem itself. Other material is well-matched to the theme – Stu Townend’s setting of The Lord’s My Shepherd, People Need The Lord by Greg Nelson, plus traditional classics such as I Need Thee Every Hour, Leaning On The Everlasting Arms (sung by an unnamed Stevie Wonder soundalike), and a Clannad-like arrangement of Jesus I Am Resting. Each song is annotated with a Bible verse and a key lyric – a helpful finishing touch to the package. Rock with a spiritual edge Audio Lessonover? by Delirious?, Furious? Records, CD £14.99 To thousands of fans and interested onlookers, Delirious? remain the principal Christian torch-bearers in the UK music industry, maintaining a pattern of album releases which swings, pendulum-like, between worship and mainstream-orientated material. With the Bon Jovi tour as its launchpad, Audio Lessonover? falls into the latter category – spiritually-undergirded mass-market rock. Already showcased as singles, Waiting For The Summer and Take Me Away set the scene – love songs by any definition, but "show me the way to a higher place" signals a need for an extra dimension besides mutual attraction and the desire for companionship. Love Is The Compass expresses human vulnerability: "I tried to save the world, but it fell upon my shoulder … Falling down, be there for me when I start to drown." Alien wrestles with age-old questions of being in a fallen world, but not of it: "I feel a stranger in this land ... where children wander fatherless ... I grieve … Take them away to a higher place." And there’s prayer for the nations too: "America, you’re too young to die; England, you’re too old to cry; He’s got the whole world in his hands ... Everybody come on, it’s time to sing a new song." (America). Challenging listening for all. Peter Dilley © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.