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As workers are trapped in a collapsed mine on Christmas Eve in 1941, the everyday lives of the inhabitants of a small Alabama town come to a halt. Grace and redemption undergird the narrative of a son searching for his trapped father, his drunken father-in-law who sobers up long enough to aid in the search, and the town prostitute who brings the community together at the funeral of her stillborn infant.

This reprint edition, ideal for classroom use, includes a new interview with the author and a bibliography of Covington's major writings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

absorbing
This book tells the story of Keller Hayes, a young man living in a small mining town in Alabama, who has to learn how to make his way in a harsh world during a series of life changing events.Through marriage, childbirth, poverty, and war, Keller must make sense of his life while understanding that suffering and loss are usually inescapable.The cold and damp of the camp seem to soak into each of the characters so that you feel his or her burden seperately and with acute empathy.Coming away from this novel I could almost smell the coal dust in my clothes and sense the indestructable tie that bind one family to another.Covington has the ability to transport the reader into her world and make you never want to leave.

I think this book mwas excelent because
it was about teens in the SOUTH. In the story, Keller matures a lot because he deals with sex, marraige, and death. I think this book is great, but SOUTHENERS will appreciate it more, not Yankees.. HAHA!! ... Read more

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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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This book provides a collection of some 400 passages on music from early Christian literature - New Testament to c. 450 AD - newly translated from the original Greek, Latin, and Syriac. As there are no musical sources of the period, music historians must rely upon remarks about music in literary sources to gain some knowledge of early Christian liturgical music. This volume makes a large and representative collection of the material conveniently available. The passages are arranged chronologically and regionally in eleven chapters with brief commentary. An introduction sets out the major subjects and themes of the original source material. ... Read more

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Early Christian Perspectives on Music
This is an excellent book for music historians or for those who are just curious enough to be amateur music theologians like me. James McKinnon has collected a large and diverse representative selection of source writings on music from the first 450 years of the early Church. One quickly learns that there is no one "early Christian perspective," but a range of views across time and space.

As McKinnon states in his introduction, there are "four principle categories of material." These are:
1. "That chorus of denunciation directed against pagan musical customs...."
2. "Passages that signal acceptance of music as one of the liberal or encyclical arts."
3. "Musical images or figures of speech."
4. "Passages that shed some light on early liturgical chant."

Given these diverse themes, readers may not find all excerpts of personal interest. Yet the diversity is representative of early Christian thought and helped me gain a more rounded understanding of their musical concerns.

Most interesting to me were the passages that shed light on Christian understandings of the morality of various musical practices, such as musical "styles," music in worship, or instrumentation. I learned that such understandings varied widely, from the Christians of the first century and a half, who have left little record of their thoughts on the matter ("the first hint of the polemic against pagan music appeared in the work of the late second-century converted rhetorician Tatian"), to converted Greeks clearly influenced by Plato and other pagan philosophers who also condemned certain musics as immoral, to the monastic desert fathers whose main musical activity seems to have been unadorned chanting of psalms, to post-Constantinian authors caught up in the finer points of developing liturgical traditions. Thus, while it is reasonably clear that the first generation church practiced a cappella singing in worship, it is less clear how much this was due to theological beliefs and how much it was due to the unsettled nature of the often-persecuted early church and its "birth" in the Jewish synagogue.

There are 398 excerpts in all, ranging from one sentence to nearly a page in length. Each excerpt, as well as each individual author, is helpfully prefaced by a brief explanatory note.

This book will answer some of your questions about how music has been viewed by the Early Church. It will almost certainly raise an equal number of new questions unanswered by the historical record, reminding you that Christians of each age, including our own, must "work out [our own] salvation with fear and trembling" anew by God's Spirit in light of His Word.

Scholarly and fascinating--highly recommended! ... Read more

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This annotated bibliography, a volume in the Greenwood series, Bibliographies and Indexes in Religious Studies, provides access to the numerous writings, from the 1960's through the 1990's, on feminism and Christian tradition. Major feminist theologians and sociologists are represented. As a guide to further research, this cross-disciplinary approach presents themes and issues in both a historical and a topical framework. An extensive overview of feminism in relation to the women's movement, women's studies, sociology and American religion introduces the literature and provides a historical context for the nearly one thousand entries that follow. ... Read more

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When August ran off that ocean cliff that night, she didn't expect to live. She also didn't expect to return to Fallon after ten years, to find that her boyfriend had gone to prison for her murder. But August brought back a gift, a gift that would force a small town to question its very faith. Beautifully written and filled with richly drawn characters and hairpin twists and turns, this novel is for a Adults Only, and contains some sexual situations and violence essential to the story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

An Excellent Read!!!
As a follower of Jesus Christ I appreciated the way Anthony opened a window into the everyday life of a community (just like the one i live) - showing it as the often raw, rugged, ruthless place we all call home; while portraying people's hunger for something deeper. Some of the scenes were definitely shocking, but necessary, no different than I find everyday as I read the news or watch TV. This book was carefully written, with fantastic detail, vivid characters, and a story line that constantly kept me guessing. For me the most significant aspect to the book was its honest portrayal of people seeking to reconcile the messiness of life with the realization of a powerful, loving God who is always there to help all people navigate through this journey of life.

The First Rains of October
Horrible book. The language was as bad as the story line. It was written to convert people to Christianity but it is a big dissappointment. I can't even give it away.

The First Rains of October
As an avid reader and a Christian, I appreciate Tony's novelThe First Rains of October.I do agree that this has clearly been written for adults, but it is neither salacious nor superficial.Besides finding this a well-crafted story, I was blessed by the portrayal of its characters and its satisfying conclusion.This world in which we live is peopled by those with real needs, both Christians and "non" as they meet life's challenges (whether devastating or life-renewing and uplifting).In order to appreciate what we as Christians have been freely given in Christ Jesus, we also need to have our eyes opened to what we have been rescued from.This isn't a "nicey-nice" world, and I applaud the heart and honesty with which this story is told.

Pleasantly Overwhelmed!
I have to say, ordering a new book from a fairly unknown author (especially Christian these days) can be somewhat risky and diasappointing more times than not, but this book has given me a renewed trust in up and coming authors.A real spellbinding twister- yet thourough, comforting, and smoothly delivered at the same time.The story line is fantastic, never a dull moment to be found, and the language and description of the contrasted settings takes me back to Steinbeck in the Grapes of Wrath.Besides this, "The First Rains of October" was truely thought-provoking.It has the grit yet sensibility to push you to really explore the inner heart and spirituality of oneself.I can't wait for the next book from this author, if it's anything like this, it should be fantastic!

The Tolbert Report
Great read! Barbera is able to paint an amazing picture of each and every setting.The order in which Barbera reveals information is truly what makes this book.At first, the reader is thinking the absolute worst about a certain character... but then that immediately changes... and both the reader as well as the other characters look upon this man completely differently, without him doing anything.It all just goes to show you how much we have a tendency to jump to conclusions.Reading the book should create deep thoughts about all kinds of things for the reader. ... Read more

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The first comprehensive and critical overview of Christian perspectives on the relationship between social justice and ecological integrity, this annotated bibliography focuses on works that include ecological issues, social-ethical values and problems, and explicitly theological or religious reflection on ecological and social ethics and their interrelations. This body of moral reflection on the relationship between ecological ethics and social and economic justice (sometimes called "eco-justice") will be of interest to those involved in religious education, research, liturgical renewal, public policy recommendations, community action, lay witness, and personal life-style transformation. ... Read more

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German rabbi, scholar, and theologian Abraham Geiger (1810–1874) is recognized as the principal leader of the Reform movement in German Judaism. In his new work, Ken Koltun-Fromm argues that for Geiger personal meaning in religion—rather than rote ritual practice or acceptance of dogma—was the key to religion’s moral authority. In five chapters, the book explores issues central to Geiger’s work that speak to contemporary Jewish practice—historical memory, biblical interpretation, ritual and gender practices, rabbinic authority, and Jewish education. This is essential reading for scholars, rabbis, rabbinical students, and informed Jewish readers interested in Conservative and Reform Judaism.

Published with the generous support of the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation. ... Read more

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One of author Dick B.'s prized discoveries was the library of books A.A. co-founder Dr. Bob had read, studied, recommended, and circulated. Dick first found part of them in the home of Dr. Bob's surviving daughter Sue Smith Windows in Akron. Later he found most of the balance with Dr. Bob's son Smitty and his wife in Nocona, Texas. A.A. literature reported that the books had been given away on Dr. Bob's death. But that was not the case. Once the discovery was made, Dick checked out the details with the Smith children, and located other books that Dr. Bob had used. The importance of the find was that it illuminated the real Bible-based ideas and program of early A.A. This because Dr. Bob used the books and recommended them for use in recovery. Their scope is wide: Bible, prayer, Quiet Time, Jesus Christ, healing, the mind, psychology, devotionals, Oxford Group, William James, Carl Jung, Richard Peabody, Sam Shoemaker, New Thought, and much much more. There were hundreds in all. And Dick has taken this treasure trove of books, categorized them by subject, identified which were actually owned and still extant in possession of the relatives, and listed the source of others used. Those in the recovery movement who wonder what Bill Wilson meant when he wrote in the Big Book that there were many "helpful books" and that suggestions could be obtained from one's rabbi, minister, and priest will no longer wonder why Bill also wrote: Be quick to see where religious people are right. Make use of what they have to offer. A.A. never was a cloister which banned educational, psychological, religious, medical, or inspirational literature. Quite the contrary, pioneers did make use of what they had to offer. The Akron fellowship strongly recommended the use of "outside" literature. And Bill and Bob were still making that recommendation when they spoke together on the stage of the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in March, 1948, before an audience of 4500 AAs and their families. Here's the place to find, read, and use the books the founders used as they achieved healing. ... Read more

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The first Dick B. discovery that turned us all back to the Bible, to early A.A., and to reading
Possibly Dick B. should never have used words like "library," "journal," "history," and "books" in his titles. It's too easy to miss their real purpose, pass the books along, and consider them records of the past--a past that's no longer relevant. But Dick B. is an honest historian who likes accurately to describe his subject matter. On the other hand, his passion is to serve the LORD; tell people about God's word, son, and power; and urge them to recover and be cured today just as the early AAs were and just as Dick has done. What about the books owned by Dr. Bob? What do they show? The answer is that their very scope indicates why early AAs had a documented 75% to 93% success rate among seemingly hopeless medically incurable real drunks who went to any length to be cured by the power of God. When Dick discovered Dr. Bob's library in the attic of Dr. Bob's daughter and then later discovered another large portion in the home of Dr. Bob's son, he was ecstatic. And Dr. Bob's kids were equally enthusiastic. At last, people could learn for themselves just how much Dr. Bob had studied and circulated books about the Bible, God, Jesus Christ, Love, life-changing, healing, prayer, quiet time, seeking God's guidance, devotionals, alcoholism and cure, and so on. To know Dr. Bob's library is to know just how solid the early A.A. pioneers were in their belief that their Creator, the accomplishments of Jesus Christ, the truth of the Bible, their prayer life, their studies, and their efforts to help others could back up what they heard repeatedly from Dr. Bob: Your Heavenly Father will never let you down! Here is a nifty compilation of Dr. Bob's entire library, so far as is known today. It's a library that is not located in one place. The daughter sold her portion to Brown University. The son donated his portion to Dr. Bob's Home. And there are others retained by these folk and others. But you can do what Dick did. Once he learned what the books were, he went to the libraries and the bookstores and the internet and studied them. He had verified the originals, but he didn't need to own them. He just needed to study and learn their contents in order to live the abundant life and help others-to salvation and to the truth. Perhaps that appeals to you. It did appeal to me. It's a treasure.

The first of three foundational history works on early A.A. in Akron
At the very beginning of his 17 years of research into the spiritual history and roots of Alcoholics Anonymous, Dick B. turned his attention to Akron. Why? Because A.A.'s own conference approved DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers opened the door to a good deal of history practically unknown in A.A. meetings and groups; and it erred in listing the books that Dr. Bob read and circulated indicating wrongly that they had been given away. The A.A. book also told little or nothing about Anne Smith's morning quiet times at the Smith home and nothing of the journal that she kept from 1933 to 1939 and used to teach Bill and Bob and also stimilate discussion at quiet times. Finally, the real Akron beginnings with Sam Shoemaker, Russell Firestone's miraculous cure from alcoholism, the roots of the Akron fellowship in United Christian Endeavor Society, and the real program itself as outlined by Frank Amos were not presented in full. Dick's first book and first edition of Dr. Bob's Library was written after Dick discovered from Dr. Bob's children, Sue Smith Windows and Robert R. Smith, that not only was Dr. Bob's Library still around, but that half of it was in Sue's attic in Akron and the other half was in Smitty's home in Nocona, Texas. Dick inspected them all, probably the first to see the whole group and study the individual items because each of the two children provided him with handwritten lists of the books so that he could track down the books and comment upon them. Dr. Bob's were of particular interest because they individually and in groups showed the various vital areas of interest to the pioneer AAs among whom they were circulated. Thus they covered alcoholism, Bible study, prayer, healing, love, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, studies of important Bible segments like the Sermon on the Mount and 1 Corinthians 13, the commentaries on these segments, the life-changing books (like those of Harold Begbie, Sam Shoemaker, and A.J. Russell), a Christian classic or two (like St. Augustine and Thomas a Kempis), many works by the top Christian writers of the day (such as Glenn Clark, Charles Sheldon, E. Stanley Jones, Oswald Chambers, Toyohiko Kagawa, the Unity leaders, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Norman Vincent Peale, Fulton Sheen, Emmet Fox, and many others), the writing of William James and Carl Jung, some of the Oxford Group literature, some of the Sam Shoemaker literature, and the devotionals like The Runner's Bible, The Upper Room, My Utmost for His Highest, and The Meaning of Prayer which were in daily use in Akron and, to a very limited degree, in New York. If you are going to learn and paint a picture of the real early A.A. and the Biblical origins of most of the principles practices it utilized, you need to see the scope of Dr. Bob's books, know that they were loaned out, know that they were background for the studies and meetings in the homes, and realize they covered all the rudiments of early A.A.'s Christian Fellowship and recovery program--abstinence, resisting temptation, acceptance of Christ, reliance on the Creator, elimination of sinful conduct, growth in fellowship with God and His son and other believers (through Bible studies, prayer meetings, morning devotions, seeking God's guidance, reading helpful literature, and engaging in religious and social comradeship and, if desired, attendance at church). The trio of Dick's earliest books--Dr. Bob's Library, Anne Smith's Journal, The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous--show you an A.A. with a high success rate, an A.A. that relied on God, and A.A. in which members were cured, and a very simple program whose basic ideas were taken from the Bible. If you take this important first reading and then look at what has been discovered, you see the meat, the bones, and the flavor of early A.A.'s simple program before there were any steps and before there was any basic text. You can also obtain and study the Akron AA pamphlets (4 in all that Dr. Bob caused to be published some 10 or 12 years later) that pointed to all the subjects, roots, principles, and standards that were so much a part of the Akron plan. This Dr. Bob book is a winner. It's content has never been even closely approximated in writings. It should be first on your march through history. And it will give you a perspective of words, phrases, language, and ideas that developed in early A.A. from 1935 through 1944. ... Read more

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The world of apocalyptic literature can be both vast and confusing. To journey successfully through its complexities, it is best to have an experienced tour guide to direct you to the sites most representative of that world. In this way the new traveler can avoid dead ends, skip the fruitless excursions, and instead enjoy the ride. Reddish's introductions to the otherworldly writings of Judaism—including the War Scroll from Qumran and books such as 1 Enoch from the so-called Old Testament Pseudepigrapha—as well as to the apocalyptic documents of Christianity, including the noncanonical apocalypses of Peter, Paul, and James, and related works such as the Sibylline Oracles, are simply superb. Those wanting a more informed understanding of these centuries-old writings of hope and despair will not be disappointed.

"Reddish's selection limits the corpus to a range that can be covered in an undergraduate course. Charlesworth's [Old Testament Pseudepigrapha] edition will remain indispensable for the scholar and specialized student, but Reddish's presentation is surely more accessible to the nonspecialist."
—John J. Collins, University of Chicago ... Read more

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Best Place to Start for Studying Revelation
If you want to become comfortable in the world of the New Testament book of Revelation, I suggest you start with this book. Reddish has selected and edited 25 Jewish and Christian Apocalypses in this book that will help the reader become more acquainted with the apocalyptic genre of writing.

I used this book in a course on Revelation while at college. We read this book the first half of the semester, and then Revelation itself the second half. The similarities and nuances that one can pick up afterward is rather astonishing and helpful from an interpretative stand point.

You need not agree with Reddish on all his view points to appreciate this book. It simply helps you to understand better the assumptions that apocalyptic carried with it when you approach Revelation.

An indispensable collection for beginning students
James Charlesworth's Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (volume 1) is still the go-to general collection for Jewish apocalyptic literature, but it is too expensive and overwhelming, both in terms of its bulk and the academic style of its commentary, for the typical undergraduate student/beginner . Reddish's slim paperback really gets the job done for that student. It includes at least portions of every important apocalypse outside the Bible, both Jewish and Christian, in an accessible translation with a pertinent introduction for each book. Its scholarship is solid, but at the same time it doesn't confuse the introductory student with debates over points he/she is not yet ready to address. I've used this text in university classes with great success and recommend it highly.

Great Content - Suspect Introduction
One of the challenges in biblical prophecy is separating style from substance.For example, in the Bible, when we read of the sun turning dark, the moon into blood, and the stars falling from the sky in Matt. 24:29, is this to be taken literally? Many Christian interpreters say yes. Others say no, it is simply apocalyptic language and cannot be used as a determiner in the sequence and timing of end-times events.

I have recently become interested in the question of apocalyptic imagery, particularly as it relates to the sequences in Revelation, so I pulled a book off my shelf that I ordered long ago: Apocalyptic Literature, compiled and edited by Mitchell G. Reddish. From it, I hoped to get a sense for the apocalyptic writing style of the period that would give me some additional perspective.

The collection of apocalyptic writings is chosen to represent different non-canonical apocalyptic writing styles in both ancient Jewish and Christian literature. But the introduction is something to be taken with a grain of salt, and if this text is used in undergrad coursework, it is presenting an extremely skewed viewpoint that is potentially as dangerous as it is inaccurate.

The editor, Mitchell Reddish, adopts the view that all apocalyptic literature, including the canonical book of Daniel, was written ex eventu, or after the fact, by a writer using a pseudonym of an ancient historical figure, such as Moses, Abraham, or Daniel. This places all apocalyptic literature in the realm of human origins - works of fiction and imagination - and denying the possibility of divine inspiration.In other words, despite the internal evidence and the testimony of other ancient writers, the only way biblical writings could contain accurate prophecies is for them to have been written by imposters centuries later.

Ironically, throughout the introduction to the book, Reddish repeatedly uses the term "God," as if he accepts the existence of a divine being, and he even refers to Jesus as "the Christ" and refers to His resurrection; and yet his evaluation of all apocalyptic literature, including the writings of the biblical canon, is that that it is nothing more than "protest writing" of human origin. Futurist interpretations of Revelation - or even any attempt to see these prophecies as literal, even in terms ofhistorical fulfillment - are written off as foolisness.

Although this book is a compilation of non-canonical literature, and therefore is not a direct attack on the inspiration of scripture, there is still a dangerous combination of fact and personal belief as it relates to all apocalyptic literature that is packaged as if it is ALL fact. His bias even goes so far as to indicate that most Christians who do venture to study Daniel and Revelation discover them so impenetrable that they give up all hope of finding any clarity within them. This is so blatantly untrue that it makes all of his other unverifiable statements suspect, as well.

In a way, this reminds me of the writings of the Jesus Seminar, whose standard for evaluating Jesus' sayings in the gospels as true or untrue is, "Do I think that Jesus would have said that?" Anything supernatural is disqualified as factual. Automatically disqualifying something based on a preconceived notion or worldview is such poor academia that I find it amazing that the academic world continues to accept it.

As for the remainder of the book itself, this is an interesting collection of apocalyptic literature, and for anyone interested in this genre, it provides a perspective that is important for all students of prophecy. As students of prophecy, it's important to have a broader perspective than our own worldview. If we want to understand the style, organization, and flow of books such as Revelation, it helps to have a larger sense for the genre. The inspiration for the scriptures may have come from God, but the biblical authors used the language and style of their times. And in the world of biblical interpretation, it's all about context, context, context - historical, language, and scriptural.So understanding the other apocalyptic writings of the period has definite value.

So purchase the book, read the literature, but take the introduction for what it is - a single, biased perspective that does not reflect the complete body of scholastic thought, but only one narrow view.

- H. L. Nigro, author of "Before God's Wrath: The Bible's Answer to the Timing of the Rapture"

An excellent ajunct piece to the Bible
I haven't read most of this book, but from what I have read, it is beautiful.I think it is books that were written when the Holy Bible was written, but they weren't included in the Bible because God did not want them there.This book is full of beautiful poetry about Enoch, Abraham, Moses, and other prophets of the old testement.If you are a Bible reader and want to know more about God and how He deals with mankind, this book is for you.I am excited to start reading it.You will find that the reading is not difficult and the authors of this writing paint pictures of what the world will be like when Jesus Christ comes to earth a second time. ... Read more

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Although Judaism and Catholicism have important differences, both religions contain elements of religious mystery, aspects of belief that transcend the rational. This book studies how Jewish and Catholic practices of giving structure to religious mystery are embodied in the works of Bernard Malamud, Walker Percy, Cynthia Ozick, and Flannery O'Connor. The volume links Malamud with Percy and Ozick with O'Connor because these authors depict religious mystery in similar ways. Percy and Malamud use the quest form to give shape to mystery, while O'Connor and Ozick use the grotesque and fantastic to evoke the numinous. Whether presenting a movement toward mystery or serving to evoke it, these four authors explore an ineffable dimension that readers need to sense in order to gain a better understanding of their works. ... Read more