Biblion #6 (EN) - November/December 2017

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A CHRISTIAN BOOK MAGAZINE | # 6

100 YEARS: BIDDY & OSWALD CHAMBERS

B O O K

MARTINHO LUTERO IN PORTUGUESE

WISDOM: MARCUS AURELIUS & KING SALOMON

CO N C E R N I N G CHRISTIAN LIBERTY

HENRI NOUWEN DEVOCIONALS TEMPLARS

500

Years of Reformation

Alojamento

Cat Reg. Localização

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871 €

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Funchal

Quarto vista mar

971 €

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Partidas de Lisboa 28 Dez - Lisboa/Funchal - TP9137 - 16h30/18h15 01 Jan - Funchal/Lisboa - TP9002- 20h55/22h35 29 Dez - Lisboa/Funchal - TP9137 - 18h35/20h20 02 Jan - Funchal/Lisboa - TP9002- 20h55/22h35

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RUN WN E ILN CG OM HEAD

EDITORIAL An Ode to Christian Literature!

CO V E R :

CO N V E N TO D E C R I S TO I M AG E M : BIBLION

Review of Books, Books in Review

ISSUE #6 – NOVember/DECEMber 2017 Frequency: Bimonthly CollaboratORS in this issue: Daniel Gomes, Susana Pires, Vitor Marini (Illustrations), Samuel Ascenção (Production Consultant) TRANSLATION BY: Daniel T. Gomes

EDITORIAL OFFICE

email: mag@biblion.pt web: www.biblion.pt

Property of: Unique Creations, Lda. Headquarters: Tv. Francisco dos Santos, 2-6ºD 2745-271 Queluz Registry: Dep. Legal Nº 405423/16 NIPC nº 510951910 ISSN: 2183­-7899

Editing: BIBLION MEDIA

by Unique Creations EDITOR AND DIRECTOR: Paulo Sérgio Gomes Design & Graphic Project by: UC Design Studio PRINTED BY: Print24.com

Mission/Purpose: To promote and encourage reading habits of Christian themes, fostering the necessary conditions to allow everyone to access these works. Learn more about our drive and our principles at www.biblion.pt.

Content: The content of the articles hereby presented is subject to their authors’ opinions.

Content usage: Given that the main goal is the promotion of works and authors, content sharing is allowed for non-commercial ends only, and requires the source of this content to be mentioned.

Pricing and Availability: Prices mentioned include IVA. Products are subject to stock availability at the time of the order.

a

long with our sixth issue, we release our first book – and what a book! It’s the translation onto Portuguese of Martin Luther’s celebrated work, “On the Freedom of a Christian.” (a.k.a.

“A Treatise on Christian Liberty”) If Martin Luther was a key figure for Christianity, if we are who we are due to him starting the Protestant Reformation, and if that happened 500 years ago, we have more than enough reasons to join the celebrations by providing the Portuguese -speaking world with a vital work in our own language.

We do this imbued by this unshakable spirit, that this is the reason why Biblion exists, reaffirming our commitment to improve access to books for everyone.

This work was translated by our collaborating editor, Daniel Gomes, and we trust this initiative will please our ever growing community of readers. Despite the scant resources, all the labor put into this endeavor has value when done for them.

Enjoy the reading… in full Christian liberty.

PAU L O S É R G I O G O M E S

www.biblion.pt/en

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INDEX

HIGHLIGHTS

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30

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INDISPENSABLE

BEST OF

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PUBLICAÇÃO DE INSPIRAÇÃO CRISTÃ | Nº 5

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APP DA BÍBLIA: ENTREVISTA A BRIANAPP’S RUSSELL BIBLE INTERVIEW: O NOVO MUSEU BRIAN RUSSELL DA BÍBLIA

EUGENE PETERSON: G.K. CHESTERTON PASTOR-POET’S

LAST BOOK EUGENE PETERSON: O ÚLTIMO LIVRO THE NEW MUSEUM DO PASTOR-POETA OF THE BIBLE REFORMA: 500 ANOS G.K. CHESTERTON

Narnia Nárnia

o Mundo de C.S. LEWIS

THE WORLD OF C.S.

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PUBLICAÇÃO DE INSPIRAÇÃO CRISTÃ | Nº 6

EFEMÉRIDE: BIDDY & OSWALD CHAMBERS

E D I Ç Ã O

B I B L I O N

MARTINHO LUTERO EM PORTUGUÊS

SABEDORIA: MARCO AURÉLIO E ECLESIASTES

A L I B E R DA D E C R I S TÃ

HENRI NOUWEN

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DEVOCIONAIS TEMPLÁRIOS

500

Anos da Reforma

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NOV-DEC 2017

INDEX

INDEX

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JESUS

W I S DO M

TEMPLARS

27

36

38

SIMPLICITY

100 YEARS

D E VOC I O N A L S

44

46

48

C H R I S T Y AWA R D S

GENEROSITY

T R AV E L

IMAGES: BIBLION ARCHIVE, EXCEPT WHEN MENTIONED OTHERWISE. BIBLION IS VERY THANKFULL FOR ALL IMAGES AND CONTENT GRACIOUSLY SUPPLIED BY PUBLISHERS AND PARTNERS.

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INDISPENSABLE

Martin LutHEr

A

Liberdade Cristã [Concerning Christian Liberty] Daniel Gomes

F

ive hundred years after the beginning of the Protestation Reformation, the words of Martin Luther echo in the theology and the doctrine of numerous denominations. His ninety-five thesis baffled the Christianity of his time like no one before him had done (despite the attempts of John Wycliffe and Jan Hus, also worthy of admiration); his concepts of sola fide, sola scriptura and sola gratia continue well present in the hearts of millions of Protestants spread around the world. In order to honor one of the most influent theologians in the history of Christianity, Biblion is publishing the Portuguese translation of one of Luther’s most influent works: A Liberdade Cristã.

De Libertate Christiana, or A Liberdade Cristã (English versions include On the Freedom of a Christian and Concerning Christian Liberty) appears at the end of the year 1520, one of Luther’s most frantic and prolific times. After a fervent debate in Leipzig the year before, and facing the papal threat of excommunication in the shape of the Exsurge Domini bull, the Augustinian monk responds even more harshly to Rome’s

demands, producing absolutely crucial works for the complete and total separation between himself and the Catholic Church in just a few months. After writing several theses denouncing the ecclesiastical doctrines and abuses of his time, Luther publishes De Libertate Christiana, a work that seeks to show the true basis of Christian religion in the face of papal doctrines and laws. The work becomes the zenith of Luther’s alienation, given that

A L I B E R DA D E C R I S TÃ , B Y M A R T I N L U T H E R , P U B L I S H E D B Y B I B L I O N / U N I Q U E C R E AT I O N S , Q U E L U Z

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www.biblion.pt/en

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B I B L I O N - Review of Books, Books in Review

the monk stops attacking regulations specific to the earthly church in order to affirm the nature and posture worthy of the justified Christian. Here he establishes a dogma of redemption, built on the concept of sola fide as the only way of attaining God’s grace that is backed by Scripture, which in turn defies the dogma of the Church of Rome, which is strongly founded upon merit, ecclesiastic tradition and clerical authority by apostolic succession.

Luther begins by declaring the apparently paradoxical nature of the Christian, affirming that “a Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; a Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to every one.” This nature is closely connected with a man’s composition as both a physical and a spiritual being, with a bond between the soul and the flesh. Despite being two dissimilar things, the soul and the flesh are not separate from each other, yet they work together to achieve this paradoxical resolution. Luther defends that the interior man (the soul) must be sure that he is but a sinner who needs God’s grace and justice to be saved, but there’s nothing the exterior man (the flesh) can do to achieve its own justification. To the monk, all works are void and condemnable if not made out of free will and unswerving faith, and even then there’s nothing inherent to the works that can affect the justification and salvation of the one who performs them.

Throughout this treatise, Luther emphasizes the role of faith as the only link between the Christian’s soul and Christ Himself. According to Luther, it is by this link through faith that the Christian is free from sin’s sla10 NOV-DEC 2017

very. It is also by this link through faith that we are “kings” and “priests” of the spiritual realm, just as Christ is. Nevertheless, the body has its own will, “which is striving to serve the world and to seek its own gratification”; this is where Luther affirms the performance of works, not to justify the soul, but with the double purpose of governing the flesh and loving your neighbor. From the monk’s point of view, the teaching of works as means of being saved is “devilish” and a “perverse notion,” since works are intrinsically material and cannot affect in any way that which is spiritual; however, he recognizes that they are valuable for the body’s submission to faith and for the neighbor’s benefit in love.

Luther concludes with a warning to those who, on one hand, refuse to accept the Christian liberty and stubbornly cling to works, laws and ceremonies as to be justified by these, and to those who, on the other hand, warp the meaning of this freedom and use it to totally despise the works and traditions. The monk of Wittenberg draws a line between those who cling to the laws and works out of pure intransigence and pride, and those who do it because they are “as yet unable to apprehend that liberty of faith, even if willing to do so.”

The Christian must defy the arrogance of the first with all his boldness, yet he must carefully observe the doctrine before the latter, as to not offend them.

This work by Biblion and Unique Creations is the translation of the English version produced by Elizabeth T. Knuth and David Widger, currently available on Gutenberg.org. The reader can get the eBook on our website at www.biblion.pt, and subscribe to our magazine in case you haven’t done so!

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BIBLE APP’S INTERVIEW: BRIAN RUSSELL EUGENE PETERSON: PASTOR-POET’S LAST BOOK THE NEW MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE G.K. CHESTERTON

Narnia

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BiblionApp your magazine, everywhere download the app

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11 11

JESUS

I M AG E : Z O N D E R VA N . CO M

The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus

J

Who is this Man? John Ortberg

ohn Ortberg has the gift of pointing out his thoughts through simple words, of not only enlightening the Scriptures but especially of exemplifying them through small stories and old adages, sayings and writings.

THUS THE READING of “Who is this Man?” becomes so fascinating that makes us want to read it in one go. In the same way, the author has grown his reputation as a reference in today’s Christian Literature, with works such as “Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them,” “If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat,” and “Know Doubt.”

Ortberg, pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, in California, answers the question that serves as the book’s title by presenting a point of view; not one that is held by a pastor or theologian, but by thousands of characters that were impacted throughout the last two thousand years by that wonderful figure, Jesus.

W H O I S T H I S M A N ? , B Y J O H N O R T B E R G . P U B L I H E D B Y Z O N D E R E VA N , G R A N D R A P I D S , M I - U S A

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I L U S T R AÇ ÃO : V I TO R M A R I N I

From historians to the illiterate, from priests to the peasantry, from elders to the children, contemporary to the Messiah Himself or from the Middle Ages, wretched destitute folk or wealthy sharks, slave owners or philanthropists, men or women – from the most diverse places, the author shows how much influence Jesus had, and how much more He has today, on our society.

And just as the heading foreshadows, this book delves into what was and continues to be “the unpredictable impact of the inescapable Jesus” on people’s lives, believers or non-believers, on nations, on businesses and on governments.

Jesus had great empathy towards the reviled, the sick, the poor, the subjugated and the abused, thus his importance to the striking majority of the world population through and through. He dressed as a slave, worked as a slave and died as a slave, (though a Rabbi, he was) a personis mediocribus.

As the US ex-Secretary of State Condolezza Rice writes on the book’s preface, “John Ortberg has demonstrated that nothing in our human existence has been quite the same since that fateful Sunday so long ago.”

Ortberg depicts the events of Jesus’ decisive days between His condemnation and resurrection in the last few chapters, completing an exposé on this mixture of humanity and divinity – Jesus.

PA U L O S É R G I O G O M E S

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WISDOM

A review of the Ecclesiastes and of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations

The Wisdom of Great Rulers When we think of wisdom, we tend to think of people whose words overflow with useful knowledge for our life. Philosophers, writers, pastors, gurus – we think of thinkers, of people who seek (and sometimes find) enlightenment on questions that usually leave the common human being bewildered.

B Y D A N I E L T. G O M E S

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B I B L I O N - ENGLISH VERSION

Solomon & Ecclesiastes THESE ARE QUESTIONS that many people want to see answered, yet few can find the answer for themselves; after all, wouldn’t it be nice if we all knew what was the meaning of life, for example, or where we go after we die? (And that once knowing these things, we could all be in agreement?)

So it happens that, in previous times, people tended to look to their leaders as fountains of wisdom. It was the people’s expectation that their highest power possessed discernment, that valuable capacity of objectively understand the reality in which people lived, as well as wisdom to act accordingly. History recognizes several leaders as being wise, yet two distinguish themselves as true “philosopher-kings” for their love for wisdom and for their ability to rule: Solomon, King of Israel, and Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome.

Solomon is to many people the wisest man who ever existed. His proverbs and songs, as well as the descriptions of his rule in the Old Testament books of Kings and Chronicles, attest to the sagacity, wealth, influence and power of David’s son and successor to the throne. Solomon enjoyed a peaceful rule in which Israel reached the very height of its prosperity. He built the temple his father David had dreamed of, he forged good relations with other rulers of his time (such as King Hiram I and the Queen of Sheba) through diplomacy and commerce, and he enjoyed a lifetime of pleasure – that is, he and his seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines.

Judeo-Christian tradition attributes the authorship of Ecclesiastes to Solomon, himself the author of Song of Songs, most of Proverbs, and other writings not included in the Old Testament. However, many historians and theologians have come to reject that theory on several factors, among which is the book’s theme and the language used by the author, placing the date of Ecclesiastes around the third century BC – seven hundred years after Solomon’s reign.

In his commentary on Ecclesiastes, Dr. Michael V. Fox presumes that the Qohelet, the supposed author of the book, is actually a fictional character made in the image of Solomon, and not the king himself nor any person directly related to him. Fox recognizes a strong influence of Greek thought in the text, as the Ecclesiastes seeks the truth through logical reasoning, rather than through divine revelation or the study of traditions. The critic even identifies traces of stoicism in the Ecclesiastes’ message, especially in the cyclical form of how he sees the past, the present, and the future.

With this in mind, there are still pastors and leaders in the church who continue to support the tradition that King Solomon is the Qohelet. In O Livro Mais Mal-humorado da Bíblia, Ed René Kivitz links the Ecclesiastes to Solomon several times throughout the book, though he admits from the very start that there are no assurances as to the Ecclesiastes’ identity. www.biblion.pt/en

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B I B L I O N - Review of Books, Books in Review

Nevertheless, a new face of Solomon is revealed in what I believe to be his magnum opus, even though it is quite likely he was not the actual author. (See “Solomon & Ecclesiastes”). Solomon, the Qohelet or Ecclesiastes, “one who convenes an assembly,” confesses his anguish about the meaning of life upon realizing that all his great deeds and wise words will mean nothing to him after his death. The text narrates that anguish and grief in the first person, as if we were face-toface with one of the greatest kings of ancient times, a king who no longer could keep his

thoughts locked within his heart and thus decided to share with us how he faced life, its brevity and insignificance.

The Ecclesiastes (also called “Teacher” and “Preacher” in different translations) states that things to which man attributes worth – such as material goods, labor, and even wisdom itself – are ephemeral and devoid of meaning; “all is vanity,” as the author puts it.

He also reflects on the ubiquitous injustice in this world, in the blessings the Lord pours to man without him ever being satisfied, and in death that is the end of all things and which

The Fear of the Lord The “fear of the Lord” is

king: with uncommon respect

being crushed by his very

one of the toughest concepts

and admiration, being fully

greatness even as we love

to grasp in Ecclesiastes, as it

conscious that the king is the

him and long for him.”

does not mean “fear” as sim-

highest authority, capable of

In his proverbs, Solomon

ply “being scared.” The “fear

elevating or destroying his

speaks of the immense be-

of the Lord” is an attitude

subject.

nefits resulting from the fear

of profound reverence and

Ed René Kivitz also con-

of the Lord, including wisdom.

apprehension in response

nects the fear of the Lord

It makes sense that the Ec-

to God’s magnitude. In his

to reverence, admiration

clesiastes, in his search for

Journal of Biblical Accuraccy,

and fascination: “God is too

wisdom, also pondered on

Anastasios Kioulachoglou

great,” Kivitz writes in O Livro

the fear of the Lord.

compares the fear of the Lord

Mais Mal-humorado da Bíblia

to the way a subject faces his

(free translation). “We fear of

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B I B L I O N - ENGLISH VERSION

makes us all equal – that is, it turns us all into dust. The earthly life, filled with pain, suffering and injustice, is a true affliction to the Ecclesiastes, who points out that the happiest are those who haven’t been born and did not have to experience the ennui and torture that life is. Chasing after the wind, suffering the injustices and evils of this world on our flesh, working so others may enjoy the fruits of our labor – all to end up as dust, seven feet underground, with our name and our deeds forgotten. All is vanity, is an illusion, ephemeral and without meaning and value; our life is short, and its end is inevitable.

Amongst all this melancholy, the Ecclesiastes finds hope in the fear of the Lord, in humility, and in savoring the present time.

He believes God will judge the dead for their actions in life and concludes that we should be glad for the good things we have, as they are gifts of God and we do not know how long we’ll be able to enjoy them.

A thousand years after Solomon (who supposedly reigned in the tenth century BC), a new philosopher-king appears in the form of Marcus Aurelius, the last of the “Five Good Emperors,” as Machiavelli named them, who ruled the Roman Empire. However, Marcus Aurelius distinguishes himself from his predecessors by his dedication to philosophy; Meditations, the compilation of his writings, is considered to be one of Greco-Roman philosophy’s greatest works.

Such praise is not unfounded. The Roman emperor’s Meditations offer a detailed and singular perspective of Stoicism (the Hellenistic school of thought which Marcus Aurelius adhered to) since Marcus Aurelius, much like Solomon, was not just a thinker: he was the supreme leader of Rome, seen as a god by his people. However, Marcus Aurelius had a rare interest in those questions that leave us puzzled, so much that he would write about his perspective in life and the world in which he lived in even while he was in military campaign.

As expected, Marcus Aurelius’ wisdom does not fit one hundred percent with that of Ecclesiastes. This happens especially due to the divergence between Judaic monotheism and Roman polytheism with Stoicism’s pantheistic emphasis. Marcus Aurelius believed in the union of all things and of all mortal beings with the universe; he also believed in value of reason and virtue, essential to a life in accordance with what’s natural, in deference to emotions and earthly pleasures, which stoics saw as destructive.

Even so, both philosopher-kings agree that life is short, a dot on the infinity of time; that death is an end inescapable, one which we should not fear if we live a life which we do not regret. The two also agree that wisdom is beneficial to all men and that its search is a more than a mere wish – it’s a way of life. Other areas where the two find common www.biblion.pt/en

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B I B L I O N - Review of Books, Books in Review

Marcus Aurelius and Christians Christians continued to

calls “patron” and “protector”

In spite of it all, Marcus

be persecuted during Mar-

of the church, highlighting

Aurelius was against the

cus Aurelius’s reign, despite

the way he interceded for

Christian stance on certain

him being considered one

Christians. Other equally

aspects. In his Meditations,

of the most benevolent em-

positive evidence are the

the emperor criticizes the

perors prior to Constantine.

letters of Marcus Aurelius

fanatical way Christians em-

Justin Martyr, for example,

himself, where he depicts

braced death in their faith’s

was decapitated in the

the miracle of Legio XII Ful-

defense, which deliberately

co-reign of Marcus Aurelius

minata, and the supposed

went against his rationalist

and Lucius Verus, according

presence of Apollonius the

philosophy. His constant

to Eusebius’ writings.

Apologist in the Roman se-

reflecting on abiding by

Nevertheless, it is not

nate while Marcus Aurelius

the law and the value of

clear how far Marcus Aure-

was emperor. Apollonius

the common good could be

lius was personally involved

was tried and executed

related to the church, who

in the persecutions. We

for being a Christian in the

at that time was a minority

know Marcus Aurelius was

reign of Commodus, son of

infamous for its refusal in

seen in a positive light by

Marcus Aurelius, considered

paying tribute to Roman

the early church: Tertulian

by many to be an unworthy

gods, thus defying the law

praises the Emperor in his

successor, incapable of

of Rome, and consequently,

Apologeticum, whom he

honoring his father’s legacy.

the power of the Emperor.

ground is the exhortation both do about living in the present, in experiencing for ourselves that which was done by our ancestors (“there’s nothing new under the sun!”), and in obeying the law, which is applied for our own good.

I believe there is nothing like reading the writings of these two great leaders to understand why after thousands of years past their time, they are both still revered by their 18 NOV-DEC 2017

wisdom. The books of Ecclesiastes and Meditations are the most intimate thoughts of two men who, despite their majestic positions of power, maintained a profound, humble, and realistic judgment of the world and of themselves. It is now up to us to follow on their footsteps, seeking wisdom that enlightens our minds, cleans our hearts, and changes our surroundings through our words and our actions.

B I B L I O N - ENGLISH VERSION

“The Most Unhappy Book in the Bible” Ecclesiastes is a book well known for its bittersweet and apparently disheartening tone (“all is vanity!”), but Ed René Kivitz offers a different standpoint in O Livro Mais Mal-humorado da Bíbilia.

In his interpretation of Ecclesiastes, Kivitz remarks how the study of Ecclesiastes provides the basis for knowing how to deal with life’s circumstances. Conscious that our life is short yet that God has power over all things, we are encouraged to trust in the plan He has for us and to live with joy.

As Kivitz puts it: “Live intensely, with dignity and trust in God. Do the best you can at all times. Commit with an open heart, believing that God’s hand rests over all things and over this life filled with hardships. […] Live, because we can only beat the hardship by living in the trust that God’s good hand will rest over us.” (free translation)

BIBLIOGRAPHY: https://howtobeastoic.wordpress.com/2015/12/22/meditations-book-xi/ http://www.gutenberg.org/files/732/732-h/732-h.htm#link2HCH0005 https://howtobeastoic.wordpress.com/2017/03/28/marcus-aurelius-and-the-christians/ http://donaldrobertson.name/did-marcus-aurelius-persecute-the-christians/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OUY3LMQ?ref_=sr_1_1&qid=1490031249&sr=8-1&keywords=Delphi%20complete%20 Marcus%20Aurelius&pldnSite=1 https://books.google.pt/books?id=TX9DuDb9hgQC&printsec=frontcover&hl=pt-PT&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false https://www.jba.gr/Articles/nkjv_jbaapr00a.htm http://www.tertullian.org/articles/reeve_apology.htm

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19

PERSONA

THE WOUNDED PROPHET

Henri

Nouwen If people are in unity with God and in community with one another, their ministry will be the natural pouring out of His love.

P O R PA U L O S É R G I O G O M E S

T H E W O U N D E D P R O P H E T , B Y M I C H A E L F O R D . P U B L I S H E B Y PAU L I N A S E D I TO R A , L I S B O N

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THE WOUNDED PROPHET

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ouwen’s personality, extremely wanting of affection, sensitive and always ready to tend to others’ wounds through his own, gave him the epithet of “wounded healer”.

A MAN, MASTER of an absolute spirituality, to whom contemplation was a crucial part of his every daily action toward God, but also a fragile being, dependent on the love of other people. He lived in a latent inner friction, a terrible despair to the point that he could not stand his friends’ alienation, even if unintentional, demanding all their attention even when that was impossible at times.

In his last interview to the journalist Rebecca Laird, editor of “Sacred Journey,” Nouwen stated: “I’m here only to tell you

who I am and to put myself at the disposition of others.” (editor’s translation) Five days prior to his death, Nouwen left for the Netherlands to meet with a TV director with whom he had previously travelled to St. Petersburg, the city where he would record a documentary on The Return of the Prodigal Son (see Biblion #1). Such would not come to being, as Nouwan suffered a heart attack upon arriving to Amsterdam. He was taken to the hospital immediately and registered a

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1932 Nouwen is born on January 24th, in Nijkerk, Netherlands.

1957 Ordained as a Catholic priest at the Archdiocese of Utrecht.

slight recovery before succumbing to a second heart attack a few days later.

Henri had a huge appreciation for art, being a great admirer of Vincent van Gogh, even authoring the preface to a work titled Van Gogh and God, where he exalted the spirituality springing from Van Gogh’s paintings.

The influence of the famous painter was also expressive in Nouwen’s career as a university professor, having a very significant impact on his student body.

His books shine by his endless search for spiritual intimacy, by his sharing of his life’s “wounds” with the community, by his unconditional love and support towards his neighbor. These could be found in the White House, on the hand of then First Lady Hil-

1976 Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, MN.

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1977-1981 Professor of Pastoral Theology at Yale Divinity School

1957-1964 Studies Psychology at Nijmegen University.

1964-1966 Participates in the Religion and Psychiatry program of Menninger Foundation (USA).

lary Clinton, or under the rubble of a house destroyed by the bombings in Bosnia.

A flawless communicator, Nouwen left an indelible mark on those who attended his conferences, but at the same time he often lived in a painful personal dissatisfaction due to lack of attention, of fellowship, even of personal intimacy, surrendering to anguishing solitude, much like the archetypical “sad clown.”

At the age of fifty-five, Nouwen shocked everyone who knew him when he abandoned his academic life to pastor a small congregation with severe physical disabilities – L’Arche Daybreak, in Toronto, where he retreated to better understand his own deficiencies. In spite of an emotional collapse that led to therapy, he kept writing, exposing himself openly

1979 Semester at the Abbey of the Genesee, in Piffard, NY.

1981-1982 Associate Fellow at the Abbey of the Genesee.

Trip to Bolivia and Peru.

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1968-1970

1970-1971

Amsterdam Joint Pastoral Institute and Catholic Theological University of Utrecht.

Studies Theology at Nijmegen University

and leaving clear his homosexuality, which he only came to terms with in the last years of his life, and which he could not separate from what flowed from his works.

At the time of his death, the ecumenical consensus around Henri Nouwen was so far-reaching that, from Eastern Orthodox monks to Evangelical Protestants, from Radical Catholics to lay Jews, spanning the most diverse religious quadrants, “the world of contemporary spirituality mourns one of its most influent and prolific advocates.” (editor’s translation)

1971-1977 Professor of Pastoral Theology at Yale Divinity School

1974 Semester at the Abbey of the Genesee, in Piffard, NY.

ENDORSEMENT “When I first came across Nouwen’s phrase ‘downward mobility’ it struck me as radical, counterintuitive, and profoundly true. His reminder of Jesus’ message goes against nearly everything in modern life, but ignoring it has led to most of the urgent problems we now face: global warming, poverty, and a deep sense of alienation.

Perhaps it is not too late to change, and Henri Nouwen has shown us the way.”

P H I L I P YA N C E Y (The Selfless Way of Christ - back cover)

1983-1985 Professor and speaker at the Harvard Divinity School

1985-1986 Nine month stay at L’Arche, in Trosly-Breuil (France).

1986-1996 Pastor at L’Arche Daybreak, in Ontario, Canada.

1996 Dies on September 21st, in Hilversum (Netherlands), at the age of sixty-four.

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TEMPLARS

THE MOST WELL KNOWN OF ALL RELIGIOUS ORDERS

FOTO: ARQUIVO

Templars The History Channel

A

mythical institution. A humble purpose. An abominable ending. All there is to know about the Order of Solomon’s Temple – that mysterious military order that remains the subject of much discussion in our days – can be found in the more than three hundred pages of this book produced by The History Channel.

TODAY, THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR captivate the imagination of younger audiences as well as more mature ones. All the wealth and power the Templars accumulated in nearly two centuries, together with the Order’s sudden extinction and rumors of occultist connections, earned them a semi-legendary reputation that remains quite alive in present times. But the

truth about the Order of Solomon’s Temple as it was during the Middle Ages was very different from all the conspiracy theories surrounding it since the last two hundred years.

It all began from a necessity. The First Crusade had resulted in the wresting of Jerusalem from the Muslim powers as well as in the creation of Christian states by the crusa-

T E M P L Á R I O S , B Y T H E H I S TO R Y C H A N N E L P O R T U G A L . P U B L I S H E D B Y C L U B E DO AU TO R , L I S B O N

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ders, but the roads to the Holy Land continued plagued by bandits and raiders that endangered the lives of thousands of pilgrims. In 1120, a group of knights led by Hugues de Payns decided to see to this necessity in a very atypical way.

After some time communing with the monks of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the knights took up religious vows of obedience, chastity and poverty in 1120, at the same time dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to the pilgrims’ protection. Unbeknownst to them, the “Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ,” as they called themselves then, had founded the first and most famous military order in History.

After having granted the approval and monastic rule from Bernard de Clairvaux, the Templars proved themselves as paragons not only to monks, but especially to knights.

Bearing a sacred mission and unfaltering rigor, the Order soon grew to be the elite of Outremer’s crusaders. Hundreds of knights would leave all their possessions behind to join the Knights Templar and become worthy of great honor and eternal salvation.

Through the pope’s assistance as well as numerous donations from all over Christendom, the Templars grew beyond the Holy Land. They played a vital role in the Reconquista, as such enterprise could not have been successful without the Order’s intervention. According to historian Adriano Vasco Rodrigues, “we would not have Portugal’s independence, or the Portuguese territorial extension, were it not for the Templars’ aid. Portugal would not be Portugal if it was not for them.” (free translation) In almost two hundred years, the Templars stood for what everyone recognized at that time as true soldiers of Christ: men who naturally and without qualms committed themselves to a war as physical as it was spiritual. The

“

[…] The Order of the Temple intended to be a religious order, but its members, far from forsaking the world, would draw the sword against the enemies of the Church…

TEMPLÁRIOS P. 8 4

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“

Shortly after the creation of the Order, there were those who saw the privileges and donations it amassed with distrust and reluctance.

Curiously, the first instances of criticism came from within the Church.

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white mantle, the red cross, and many other idiosyncrasies made the Templar a stirring icon that mixed heroic virtues with religious cause and fervor. Such zeal for the protection of holy places by the Order was essential in maintaining Christian factions in the Middle East, which nevertheless didn’t last long due to the unceasing efforts of Muslim states and to the sprawling schisms within the Christian nobility.

The fall of crusade territories in Outremer and the negligence from many members of Templar Houses far from war dictated the beginning of the Order’s unexpected end. Despite its fame as defenders of the weak and downtrodden in dangerous, distant lands, the Templars quickly became the target of the greed and envy of the most powerful men of that time - men who made use of all their skill and influence to put a brutal, definite end to the Order. Jacques de Molay, the last Templar Grandmaster, was burned at the stake in 1314, after so many other of his knights had suffered the same fate. Although the Order of Solomon’s Temple had been disgraced, its memory was kept alive through wise monarchs who refused to punish the Templars or who, as was the case of King Denis of Portugal, restored the Order under a different name.

All this and much more can be found in this comprehensive work featuring international historians and specialists such as Helen Nicholson and Alain Demurger. This book is fundamental to a better understanding of one of Medieval Era’s most powerful institutions and the way it impacted the Christendom of its time.

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SIMPLICITY

TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY THOMAS MERTON

TheSpirit

of

Simplicity Jean-Baptiste Chautard

I

n this short yet concise book, Jean-Baptiste Chautard and Thomas Merton speak on the importance of having a simple, humble character and on how this is one of the cornerstone principles to the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance.

“WHY READ A MONK’S BOOK?”, the reader may ask. The question seems to make sense if the reader is in no way connected to the life of a monk or even to the Catholic Church. However, one must take into account that the monk, although living in a rather peculiar reality compared to most believers – especially when the monk is a Trappist, like Chautard and Merton are – strives to lead a life of utter abnegation of his own will on

behalf of a greater good: God. It’s almost natural that a monk, one who is fully dedicated to seek God at all times, may eventually have something to say about this subject.

Chautard is no exception. The abbot of Sept-Fons, monk of the O. C. S. O. and author of The Soul of the Apostolate was asked to write a work of encouragement to nuns who had recently joined the rigorous monastic order. www.biblion.pt/en

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Chautard’s response was exactly what they needed: The Spirit of Simplicity.

In a short amount of pages, Chautard explains the significance of the rigor and humility so characteristic of the Trappists (another name for O. C. S. O. monks, taken from the Abbey of La Trappe) in their walk with God and in the order’s own identity.

He often refers to Cîteaux, the cradle of the original Order of Cister, in his exhortation for a life of simplicity: “The spirit of Cîteaux is a spirit of simplicity: that means, a spirit of sincerity, of truth.” Chautard also refers to the examples of Bernard of Clairvaux and Benedict of Nursia, role models of a humble life devoted to God; he also constantly mentions documents that were essential to form and maintain a monastic life around the concept of simplicity such as the Exordium Parvum (“Little Exordium”), which he seems to attribute its authorship to Stephen Harding, another Cistercian monk.

To Chautard, simplicity is the key to a life according to God’s will. By addressing the customs of the original Cistercian monastic rule, Chautard points out the way in which humility and frugality are necessary for us

to better understand our own condition before God. The monk defends that simplicity must come from within our hearts before it produces any outward effect: “Love is the power that realizes unity in the soul, and then it makes the soul one same spirit with God.” Thomas Merton complements Chautard’s work with his analysis, providing numerous quotes and excerpts from Bernard of Clairvaux so that we may better understand the reasoning of the Abbot of Sept-Fons. From the writings of St. Bernard, Merton states that simplicity is a fundamental feature of the believer resulting from God’s will overpowering our own self-will. The ultimate goal of a humble life of abstinence is the union with God, something that remains dependent of the Lord’s grace, but to which we are prepared to receive when the spirit of simplicity lives in us.

In this world ever more focused on consuming and on personal interests, The Spirit of Simplicity remains up-to-date even after ninety years, ever since Chautard first wrote it. The work is a breath of fresh air that challenges us to redirect our goals and to adopt a lifestyle that gets us closer to God’s nature.

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THE MELLIFLUOUS DOCTOR Through both Templários and The Spirit of Simplicity we get to know better one of the major figures of the Church in the Middle Ages: the one and only Bernard of Clairvaux. The “Mellifluous Doctor” – thus called by Pope Pius XII for the monk’s superb skills as a persuasive speaker and writer – was one of the most in-

I M AG E M : AV E M A R I A P R E S S

fluent clergymen of the twelfth century, whose works and reforms were decisive for the Church.

Bernard started his ecclesiastic life as a monk of the then recent Order of Cistercians, but his unswerving vision and spirit led him to play a monumental role in the order’s reform. Soon he gained the trust of both ecclesiastic and lay leaders as a wise mediator and a man of faith, being summoned by popes and great noblemen throughout his life, with the intent of settling conflicts either spiritual or political. One of the most reputed voices of his time, Bernard of Clairvaux maintained the religious fervor quite ablaze, exhorting Christians to defend the Holy Land through crusades and giving his full support to the founding of the first military order, that of the Knights Templar. Even after his death in 1174, his influence lasted for several centuries, and he continues to be a reference to Christians in our days.

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BEST OF

HONOURABLE MENTION

EDITORS’

CHOICE

C. S. LEWIS

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ERIC METAXAS

TIMOTHY SMITH

THE CHAMBERLAIN KEY

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God [But Were Afraid To Ask] – The Jesus Edition NICK VUJICIC

Unstoppable NICK VUJICIC

Give Me a Hug SAM STORMS

TOUGH TOPICS GREG BOYD & PAUL EDDY

MAURÍCIO ZÁGARI

O ENIGMA DA BÍBLIA DE GUTENBERG

ACROSS THE SPECTRUM GARY CHAPMAN

The Five Love Languages GREG KOUKL

THE STORY OF REALITY RICHARD FOSTER

Celebration of Discipline PAOLO SQUIZZATO

AMY & CRAIG GROESCHEL

From This Day Forward

Elogio Della Vita Imperfetta TIMOTHY KELLER

Prayer

WAYNE GRUDEM

The Poverty of Nations HENRI NOUWEN

The Return of the Prodigal Son DIETRICH BONHOEFFER ED RENÉ KIVITZ

O LIVRO MAIS MALHUMORADO DA BÍBLIA 30 NOV-DEC 2017

Discipleship EUGENE PETERSON

Tell It Slant

B I B L I O N - ENGLISH VERSION

C. S. LEWIS

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe EDITORIAL PRESENÇA

Issue # 5 SEP/OCT 2017

The second volume of The Chronicles of Narnia (the first in publication order) is an example of C. S. Lewis’ genius, which deftly transformed Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection into a fascinating tale. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe tells the adventures of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, four siblings that arrive to

the magical world of Narnia and are charged with freeing its inhabitants from the evil White Witch. A story filled with drama, courage and redemption, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is for many people one of the finest children’s books of all-time, thus clearly deserving a place on our Top15.

ERIC METAXAS

Everything You Always Wanted TO

Know About God (But Were Afraid to Ask) – The Jesus Edition BAKER BOOKS

Issue # 4 JUL/AUG 2017

In a quite original and insightful way, Eric Metaxas invites the reader to find out who Jesus really is in his book Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God (But Were Afraid to Ask) – The Jesus Edition. Destined to an audience that is not at all familiar with Christ, the book describes Jesus

in great detail, in a “Q&A” style that makes the message more informal and appealing to the public. This work of Metaxas guarantees a place on our Top15, proving that biblical teaching can and should be a fun, captivating experience.

NICK VUJICIC

Unstoppable WATERBROOK press

Issue # 4 JUL/AUG 2017

Unstoppable tells us about some of the most critical moments in the life of Nick Vujicic, the famous Australian author and evangelist that was born with tetra-amelia (i. e., without arms or legs). In this motivational work, Nick explains how he was able to overcome

his condition through his faith in Christ, and how we too can overcome our obstacles. Our Top distinguishes this invigorating work for its message of faith and hope to those who are going through tough times in their lives.

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BEST OF

NICK VUJICIC

Give Me a Hug MUNDO CRISTÃO

Issue # 1 SUMMER 2016

The Australian evangelist Nick Vujicic stands apart from the other authors on our Top 15 by having not one but two works on this list. His children’s book Give Me a Hug tells us of Nick’s story, from his birth to this day. Nick highlights his struggle with tetra-amelia and the difficulties that arise on a

daily basis from this rare syndrome, as well as the role of faith in overcoming his condition and in “embracing” his qualities and opportunities. This is a children’s book with a strong and mature message, worthy of being present on our Top 15.

SAM STORMS

Tough Topics CROSSWAY

Issue # 4 JUL/AUG 2017

Sam Storms’ fearless book is in our Top 15, standing out by its biblical concept and rigor. The North-American pastor’s premise is simple: to analyze twenty-five of the trickiest themes in Christian theology and spirituality, according to what is written in the Scriptures. From the gifts of the Spirit

to tithing, Sam Storms examines each topic with absolute detail, calling upon numerous biblical passages to untangle these themes to the reader. With a broad and vital content for the Christian world, Tough Topics is certainly a Top 15 of the previous six issues.

GREG BOYD & PAUL EDDY

Across the Spectrum BAKER ACADEMIC

Issue # 3 WINTER 2016

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Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy are present in our Top with the book Across the Spectrum, a work of theology praised for its rigor and transparency. The book contends the panoply of views that divide Christians in several subjects such as the Creation, free will and baptism. This is, without a doubt,

a work that edifies and preserves the Christian spirit, in which Boyd and Eddy demonstrate absolute respect for the existing variety of opinions and love for the truth, as few authors in this literary niche currently do.

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GARY CHAPMAN

The Five Love Languages nexo editorial

Issue # 3 WINTER 2016

The Five Love Languages of Gary Chapman became an international best-seller, for its simple approach, based on common cases, concludes that there are only five types of communicational language to be identified as ways of creating a healthy and long-lasting relationship in couples.

The secret lies in understanding what is the love language of the other half, and that will help the reader bond with his or her partner and understand the challenges of a couple’s life. A muchneeded book when love is also much needed.

GREG KOUKL

THE STORY OF REALITY ZONDERVAN

Issue # 3 WINTER 2016

It is a book of invaluable apologetic wisdom, as put by Tom Challies, the author who graciously allowed us to use his review, that Greg Koukl’s The Story of Reality tells the world’s history through a panoramic lens with five layers to it. The header fits the book perfectly: “How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important

that Happens in Between.” Challies adds that “Koukl structures his telling of the story of reality around five themes: God, Man, Jesus, Cross, and Resurrection,” showing that “the Bible makes sense of the entire world, that it forms the basis for a cohesive, coherent, satisfying worldview.”

RICHARD FOSTER

Celebration of Discipline HARPER COLLINS

Issue # 2 AUTUMN 2016

We stand before one of those books that should be in every person’s bookshelf, even if not a Christian. Celebration of Discipline is one of the most influent books in modern literature.

Foster insists profusely throughout the book that life deserves to be enjoyed peacefully, in a simple way.

Time has its own pace, and it must

be slow and silent. The reading too requires calm, study and meditation.

Each discipline addressed here is a valuable tool to the progression in a long path of spiritual growth and in a unique relationship with God. Whether read solo or in a study group, this is a fundamental work, a must-read for everyone.

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BEST OF

PAOLO SQUIZZATO

Elogio Della Vita Imperfetta PAULINAS EDITORA

Issue # 2 AUTUMN 2016

Elogio Della Vita Imperfetta (Elogio da Imperfeição in the Portuguese version) is a short book of simple yet inspiring reading. Here the author exposes our natural weaknesses – our imperfection – without stopping us from reflecting on our reconciliation with God and with the world around us. Guiding us through a harmonious reading that

sympathizes with our flaws, he urges us to assume who we are and how we are, imperfect and sinful. Sqcuizzato takes us in a journey of reconciliation through love, forgiveness and mercy, first with ourselves, without futile justifications, showing us that there is a way out by relying on God.

TIMOTHY KELLER

Prayer EDITORA VIDA NOVA

Issue # 2 AUTUMN 2016

Tim Keller leads us to understand the basic pillars of a life centered on communion with God through prayer.

Filled with annotations that enrich an already invaluable book, Keller makes us question our ways and habits of coming to God, the right moment, the adequate environment and the

waiting for a reply. It is an extremely useful and practical manual, steering the reader to a discovery of the joy that constitutes that close communion with God, constantly established upon biblical foundations and practical suggestions to reach the plenitude of such an unconditional surrender.

WAYNE GRUDEM & BARRY ASMUS

The Poverty of Nations CROSSWAY

Issue # 4 JUL/AUG 2017

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As the pastor of Saddleback Church, Rick Warren, mentions in his foreword, “I’ve been waiting for a book like this for a long time.” Not that there aren’t other good books that cover this subject; some of those may be in the sources used by the authors, but this particular book needed to be written.

Grudem and Asmus start the book by laying out the goal of this work: to propose a sustainable solution to the

world’s poorest nations, based not only in their financial history but on biblical principles as well. The solution given by the college professors won’t turn the poor countries into rich ones, but it will help raising the quality of life for people in those countries by creating opportunities to the most disadvantaged, so that they too may prosper.

B I B L I O N - ENGLISH VERSION

HENRI NOUWEN

The Return of the Prodigal Son EDITORA A.O.

Issue # 1 SUMMER 2016

The Return of the Prodigal Son, published in Portuguese by Editorial A. O., is a powerful hymn to the humble healing through forgiveness, through reconciliation, through the unconditional permission we have to seek shelter in the arms of God Almighty.

As we read the book, we are literally carried to the context of the parable of the prodigal son, but we are

confronted with our own behaviors toward such attitudes as resentment, insubordination or pride. Being that this is a work that bears the spiritual experience of Nouwen, with which the reader may identify by finding answers to personal dilemmas, it is also a great opportunity to appreciate the art and talent of Rembrandt.

DIETRICH BONHOEFFER

THE COST OF Discipleship Touchstone

Issue # 1 SUMMER 2016

Bonhoeffer warns us about the laxation and the “inexpensiveness” of many believers in corresponding to the Christian message, going so far as to calling it “cheap grace,” and challenging us to question the carefree way in which we submit to Christ.

Taking the Sermon on the Mount as

the core of his speech, he depicts the communion in discipleship. It’s a thought-provoking work, pushing us to act, to leave our comfort zone. It’s a dense and demanding book, but essential to anyone who really wishes to become a true disciple of Christ!

EUGENE PETERSON

Tell It Slant Eerdmans

Issue # 5 SEP/OCT 2017

Great teacher in the study of God’s Word, author of The Message, Eugene Peterson probes the deep wisdom coming from the many aspects of the language employed by Jesus, describing the different types of communication used by God for our own understanding. The author describes the prayer of Jesus on the

cross, his last seven words on the cross – seven prayers and only one sentence. No one Gospel tells them all. Peterson chose to present them in a harmonious sequence with an inner coherence. The seven prayers are real metaphors that we are invited to use on our daily prayers. Indispensable!

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100 YEARS

The hundredth anniversary of Oswald Chambers’ passing away

Biddy

Mrs. Oswald Chambers hat can a woman expect of her marriage to a man who is completely committed to God? What can she expect from someone who says ”I have nothing to offer you but my love and steady lavish service for Him”?

HER NAME IS Gertrude Annie Hobbs, or “Biddy,” as she was affectionately called, and she accepted without reservations the challenge presented to her by Oswald Chambers at St. Paul’s Cathedral, in London. It was a somewhat surprising proposal, as Chambers was an impressive itinerant preacher who lived to proclaim the Gospel, and who had no intentions of raising a family. He had no permanent salary or home, and thus he had no conditions to support a wife, much less a whole household.

Coming from a middle-class Victorian family and with her father’s premature death, Biddy soon had to find resources on her own to support her mother, applying her excellent understanding of grammar and her dexterity with a keyboard to specialize on dactylography, a skill highly valued among

women, given the industrial and entrepreneurial development of that time.

Both Biddy and her older sister worked in London, and together with their mom, they served actively at Eltham Park Baptist Church, led by Oswald’s brother, Rev. Arthur C. Chambers. Though quite reserved on her spiritual life, she used the sermons to practice stenography, which helped her assimilate better what she heard. That virtue would be crucial for millions to come to know the writings and sermons of her future husband.

On the hundredth anniversary of Chambers’ sudden death in WWI, a good way to become acquainted with one of the greatest names in the sharing of the gospel would be through his wife and her testimony, who carried out his mission through the writing of books and devotionals.

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I M AG E M : B A K E R B OO K S , A D I V I S I O N O F B A K E R P U B L I S H I N G G R O U P © 2 0 1 7 . U S E D B Y P E R M I S S I O N

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Michelle Ule

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Devoc 38 NOV-DEC 2017

I M AG E M : w e s t mi n s t e r j o h n k n o x p r e s s

B I B L I O N - ENGLISH VERSION

cionals DAY-BY-DAY, ALL YEAR ROUND

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Devoc BV BOOKS

The Love Dare STEPHEN E ALEX KENDRICK

From the movie Fireproof, a Christian cinematography hit with significant impact worldwide, comes the devotional series The Love Dare, especially dedicated to married couples facing a crisis, just like in the movie.

This is one of the best tools for restoring relationships by nurturing trust and union between the husband and the wife. It is not about changing your partner to be who we desire him/ her to be, but about learning how to truly love. More than a feeling,

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love is also a decision.

The Love Dare is meant to be followed by the couple throughout forty days, with three daily elements. Each day hosts a healthy discussion about an aspect of love, as well as a challenge for the couple to devote themselves to, and ending with a blank space to register what they are learning, how they are reacting to the challenges and how each spouse is progressing through the program.

Dare to love, unconditionally!

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cionais WJK PRESS

ADVENT FOR EVERYONE N. T. WRIGHT

“A Journey with the Apostles” is the subtitle given by N. T. Wright to a devotional specifically directed to the Advent season – four weeks of daily reading followed by the author’s own thoughts, helping the reader understand the preparation for Jesus’ birth.

The Advent, the “Coming,” refers to Jesus’ arrival, and Christians live in hope of Christ’s second coming.

The author, an expert of theological teaching as only he could be, wrote this brief devotional with the goal of instructing Christ’s followers to personify the Advent community (not to be misunderstood with “Adventist”).

Wright elaborated this work so that believers may be “people of light in a dark world, people of hope in times and places

of despair.”

Advent for Everyone is not your common devotional, with a little reading and a prayer. Its structure requires dedicating of enough daily time to study what N. T. Wright transposes from the biblical passages, which are quite more than a short verse. Just as is his timbre, so Wright’s way of writing always strives to simplify his prose, smoothing its understanding.

Attention is given on a weekly basis to the following themes of the season: thanksgiving, patience, humility and joy. Each daily segment ends with challenges of reflective introspection to the reader, or to discuss in Bible study groups. Highly recommended to people “who truly follow Jesus.”

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Devoc PAULINAS EDITORA

The Breath of the Soul JOAN CHITTISTER

The North American, award-winning author and Benedictine nun Joan Chittister is one of the most popular names of our day; not only by her books, which make a great emphasis on prayer, but also by her ministry as a world-class speaker.

The Portuguese publication of The Breath of the Soul by Paulinas Editora actually incorporates two books: The Breath of the Soul and God’s Tender Mercy.

The first one comprises forty-two reflections over time spent with God, which can help us acquire the right attitudes for prayer. In The Breath of the Soul, the author bases each section on a sentence from historical mentors in spirituality, from Julian of Norwich to Francis of Assisi, and then conferring her own personal

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touch, complementing it with a daily mnemonic, before finishing with a portion of Scripture. She suggests that these lessons should be read without following a definite order, but according to the reader’s interests.

The second, shorter part of this book delves into mercy, as well as the guilt and healing associated to it. According to the Portuguese publisher, this “2-in1” book format is totally reasonable as it allows a broader look to the author’s full work, which calls for a mature spiritual walk.

Father Tolentino Mendonça praises Chittister as being a relevant author for those who seek inspiration and spirituality, “as was Thomas Merton in his time [read article on p. 29], or more recently, Henri Nouwen [p.20]”

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cionais ZONDERVAN

DAILY POWER CRAIG GROESCHEL

There’s nothing like a lively and stimulating reading to shrug off that morning grogginess and start your day better; but it’s even better when the author places a special emphasis on facing the day. Craig Groeschel has gotten us familiar with his innovating dynamism, yet he surprises us by doing it through an unexpected format – the devotional. The morning reading advises calm and peaceful meditation, which is still possible with Daily Power as we read the biblical verse that starts us off on our time with God. As we move to Groeschel’s

message, the “power” of his arguments, of his encouraging words, of him taking us from the depths of our inertia to raise us to the top of human empowering, makes this daily practice a true “spiritual gym.”

We can clearly see this project is well put together, with messages that are appropriate to each day.

And to finish the session with an extra “push” – the “Power Lift” – Craig challenges the reader to speak in the face of God, improving the trust and dependency in Christ needed for the rest of the day. www.biblion.pt/en

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I M AG E M : WAT E R B R OO K P R E S S , A D I V I S I O N O F P E N G U I N R A N DO M H O U S E L L C © 2 0 1 7 . U S E D B Y P E R M I S S I O N

C H R I S T Y AWA R D S

Nominated for 2017’s Christy Awards

MIRIAM

MESU ANDREWS

author of

THE PHARAOH’S DAUGHTER

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n another exclusive, Biblion offers its readers a review to one of the books nominated for the current edition of the North American “Academy Awards” of Christian Literature – the Christy Awards. Miriam, by Mesu Andrews, has been picked as one of three contestants in the category “Historical.”

Mesu Andrews has specialized in giving life to female biblical characters through her novel series “Treasures of the Nile,” as has happened in previous literary successes such as Love Amid Love Amid the the Ashes Ashes aand nd The T h e Pharaoh’s P h a ra o h ’s Daughter.

Daughter.

One who’s very knowledgeable about the Scriptures, Andrews introduces to us in this fictional book several biblical figures that we thought we knew. The rigor of the descriptions, the character’s d e t a i l , t h e p l o t ’s d e p t h ,

it all takes us back to Exodus, where dire events for the the people people of of Israel Israelwere wereoccurring occuring in Egypt.

Egypt.penosos para o povo de Israel.

Though o Embora herseu name nome is seja not pouco commonly mencionado mentioned na Bíblia, in the Miriam Bible, Miriam tem um plays papel a key fundarole mental in the Hebrews’ na fuga dos escape Israelitas, from perseguidos the persecution peloofexército Pharaoh’s do Faraó. army. The A sister irmãofdeMoses Moisés, and uma a prophetess profetisa que thatcuidava took care dos escravos of the slaves às mãos while dosunder egípcios, the foi yoke afligida of Egypt por was inúmeras struckmaby leitas, many acabando ills, dying por at the morrer end of já no forty final years doscrossing 40 anos the de travesdesert sia incessantly. errante.

PA U L O S É R G I O G O M E S

M I R I A M , BY M E S U A N D R E W S . P U B L I S H E D BY WAT E R B R OO K , CO L O RA DO S PR I N G S - U S A

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GENEROSITY

GIVING IT ALL AWAY... AND GETTING IT ALL BACK AGAIN

The Way of I M AG E M : Z O N D E R VA N . CO M

Living

Generously David Green with Bill High

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hat could the 234th richest multimillionaire in the world, with a fortune worth over six billion dollars, teach us about how to live generously? Maybe a 2012 article from Forbes magazine may help us understand this better when it states, “David Green insists God is the true owner of his $3 billion arts and crafts chain.”

Green CARRIES OUT his life according to the biblical precepts, applying them in his entrepreneurial life, and that is the experience of almost fifty years that the wanted to share in this book with a rather long title – Giving It All Away... and Getting It All Back Again – along with a cascade of examples used here.

From his start with six hundred dollar loan,

making small frames in his kitchen with his kids for seven cents apiece, to the application of his “partnership” with God in his daily decision-making, turning each situation into an opportunity to give, enjoying the value of getting it all back again.

But it’s not just about the challenges related to daily business management that are addres-

G I V I N G I T A L L AWAY . . . A N D G E T T I N G I T A L L B AC K AG A I N , B Y DAV I D G R E E N . P U B L I S H E D B Y Z O N D E R VA N , G R A N D R A P I D S , M I - U S A

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contributing to spread the Word of God to all people.

In this spirit, several enterprises were born whose family legacy, if not expressive, bears a singular span, as their cooperative support of Every Tribe Every Nation, which seeks to accelerate and coordinate the different Bible translations, thus implementing a pattern system of digital content development, founded upon a credible digital biblical library. YouVersion’s Bible App (see the previous Biblion issue) benefits tremendously of this array of initiatives by hosting the largest digital bookshelf of Bible’s versions and translations.

IMAGEM: MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE

sed here, but also his social intervention, as it was in the famous case Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, that made it all the way to the US Supreme Court, when the federal government ordered businesses to supply contraceptives for their female employees, which went against the religious convictions of the Green family. The daily fine equivalent to more than $1 million USD did not intimidate them, even if losing the lawsuit meant the end of the company and the firing of 32,000 people, and they moved into a court battle that ended in 2014, with Green winning the case.

The book reflects on a number of lessons David learned, on his tangible legacy, but above all on his intangible legacy, which life has allowed him to enjoy; not by seeking earthly wealth but divine grace. The son of a pastor, David soon absorbed the generous character personified in his parents’ lives, as they always had something to share despite their lack of financial resources.

Throughout his extensive entrepreneurial and philanthropic life, David has continued to be involved in projects that have significant impact on society, even though he remains attached to his decoration empire. Green appeals, “we need a sense of urgency about God’s priorities for the resources we’ve been given.” The Green family has not only ensured a sustainable financial legacy, as they also follow the biblical guidelines to bless others,

M U S E U M O F T H E B I B L E , I N WA S H I N G TO N , DC

Another great endeavor developed by the Green family is the groundbreaking Museum of the Bible (also in Biblion #5), which opens to the public in November, and comprise the largest collection of Bibles in the world, with the purpose of sharing the narrative, the story and the impact of the Bible.

www.biblion.pt/en

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TBRÍ B AV L IEAL

THE WILDER TRAIL

The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder AUTHOR OF “Little House on the Prairie” SERIES

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work in the background, abundantly illustrated with images, maps, and drawings. She even dedicates a brief chapter on how to replicate a garden from those described by Laura in her writings, whether the reader has a small flowerbed in the lawn or an estate with several square miles.

The second part of this work is dedicated to a suggested guided tour through the regions that made part of Laura’s ninety years of life, which she regularly visited with her husband, Almanzo, with suggestions of “green” attractions appropriate to those who share the “tin can tourist” lifestyle.

This is a route prepared for the fans of the outdoor life that Laura appreciated so much, the fields, the flowers, the plants, the houses and the farms.

The tourist should take the due time to venture into the nature, observing the local flora, but the animals, the birds and the landscape as well.

McDowell takes into account the meaning each stop had in the life of Laura Ingalls, and provides alternatives to wonderful strolls through the Wilder Trail – the trail that Laura left us as her legacy through her literary work.

PA U L O S É R G I O G O M E S

T H E W O R L D O F L AU R A I N G A L L S W I L D E R , B Y M A R TA M C DO W E L L . P U B L I S H E D B Y T I M B E R P R E S S , P O R T L A N D , U S A

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F O TO S N E S TA S PÁG I N A S :

ComMemoraTING THE 150TH anniversary of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birth, her daughter Marta McDowell, who teaches historical landscaping and horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, effected an exhaustive research among material of that age and now, original documents and annotations, photos and illustrations, which elaborate in a single work the trail covered by the Ingalls and the sylvan heritage developed in each place.

Over the course of several American states, from the woods of Wisconsin, passing by the north of New York, the Native American territories in Kansas, the creeks of Iowa and Minnesota, and the plains of South Dakota, all the way to the Great Plains and the Ozarks, in Missouri. It’s a true pilgrimage through the iconic places where the author of Little House on the Prairie passed by.

The author, a specialist in gardening, describes exhaustively throughout the book each stage of Laura’s life, in childhood like is seen on the TV series as well as in her adult life, always with the themes of agricultural culture, botany and rural

© 2 0 1 7 . T I MB E R PR E S S , P O RT L A N D , O R - E UA

ho does not recall the series “Little House on the Prairie, which told the story of a family of settlers that in the nineteenth century traversed the fresh territories of the American Midwest in search of sustenance and prosperity? In fact, the harshness of the time was such that the adventure was a permanent fight for survival.

B I B L I O N - R E V I S TA D E L IB VIR BO L ISO ,N LIV -R ENGLISH OS EM R VERSION E V I S TA

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