Customer Reviews

In the Footsteps of Paul

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The idea for In the Footsteps of Paul by Ken Duncan is a good one. A kind of a photo-journal of the places the apostle Paul visited on his various missionary journeys. The pictures in the book are beautiful. Some of them look exactly as I imagine the Biblical locations to have looked. Some show a more modern portrayal of these old cities. And still others demonstrate how cities often decline and fall into disrepair over time.

While I really enjoyed the photography, I found the rest of the book to be lacking. I would have preferred to have only Biblical text, and of course captions identifying the photos, as the entire text of the book. Instead, there were also many quotes used, as well as narrative by the author. The quotes used on many of the pages were distracting. Some of the narrative provided was OK, but much of that, like the quotes, was a distraction to both the photos and the Biblical text.

The other thing I found off-putting about this book was the number of times the author listed a photo as a place Paul "probably" saw, or "must have" seen. If we do not know for sure it is a place he actually traveled to, saw or experienced, I don't understand it's place in the book. I prefer accuracy, not probably or might have.

This would make a good coffee table book, if you just want to flip through it and look at some amazing photos, but the written content leaves something to be desired.

Several years ago, when I visited the modern ruins of Ephesus, it sent chills up my spine to realize I was walking on the same streets and standing in the same amphitheater where the apostle Paul had ministered many centuries before. At the time, I thought to myself how amazing it would be to tour the modern sites today where Paul had lived and ministered.

While it is easy to reach many of those sites in modern Greece, Turkey, Italy and Israel, it would require quite a long travel itinerary! And, some of those sites are not easy to reach by any manner.

Fast-forward to 2009, and Ken Duncan's release of "In the Footsteps of Paul". Ken has done what I always wanted to do - taken a step-by-step journey to the modern sites of Paul's birth, conversion, ministry, and eventual martyrdom. Ken's photographs are simply stunning - and they inspire the same chills that I felt standing on the alabaster streets of modern Ephesus.

"In the Footsteps of Paul" tells the story and ministry of Paul in chronological sequence with Ken's photography, verses from the Book of Acts, and with added insight from among Billy Graham, C.S. Lewis, C.H. Spurgeon, Rick Warren and many others. There are 2 maps to provide you a geographic context to the photographs (although they don't appear until the second section), and I found myself bookmarking them as a reference as I followed the subsequent journeys.

While on the surface, you could scan just the stunning photography, it is the biblical context and ministry that provides a deeper study on so many levels. And it is in this context that I found this book a must-have.

With fantastically clear photographs, and just enough narrative to make it both accessible and a worthwhile educational pursuit (though the prose is clearly not for the seasoned scholar), this work belongs on the coffee table of the amateur biblical student. In this case, however, the book lives by the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, and so is sparing with its prose. The purpose of the book is to show people the things they read about, whether in the Bible or in a textbook, rather than requiring them to lean solely on imagination. As it is, the book is worth the modest investment and is quite handsome a living room table.

Length:: 1:15 Mins

A Christian book review by Glowing Reviewsl

This coffee table book of photographs depicting Paul's journeys contains stunning photography. I especially loved the pictures of the seashore and the ocean - these beautiful photos give you a better sense of what his journeys may have been like.

The text is comprised of quotes from the Bible, a few thoughts from Duncan, and quotes from well-known people. I actually really did enjoy the quotes. I found them enlightening, and many of them were inspiring to me as a Christian. I think it may have been nice to have a bit more scholarly text in order to learn more about Paul, although one can just go straight to the Bible, right? The main point of this book is to showcase places he visited and traveled through the amazing photography.

I am very much interested, after reading this book, in checking out Where Jesus Walked by Duncan - I am sure he has done an equally amazing job on that book.

Excellent book - not so much for the journalism as for the beautiful pictures. One picture is worth a thousand words. Imagine reading a well-written book on Paul's Journeys and then compare that book with this one. See those journeys come to life through these photographs. This is something invaluable for the person who will never see these places in person.

Mine is going to our church library where I feel young and old alike will experience a new closeness to the stories about Paul on his three journeys.

In the Footsteps of Paul is a beautiful coffee table (or as the publisher refers to it, "gift book") which combines photography and scripture. The author follows the journeys of St. Paul using the Act of the Apostles as his source material. The two page spreads generally begin with a quotation from Acts and have two (but sometimes one, or more) photographs showing the area referenced. There is also usually some narration by the author or a quote from someone famous.

The photography is absolutely gorgeous. Either Photoshop did a great job or the blue of the Mediterranean is like no water I've ever seen. It matches the sky in places. Of course the photos were recently taken so they can't completely illustrate the world as St. Paul knew it, but many of the pictures are of ancient ruins. Being from someplace as new as the United States, it is interesting to see those ancient aqueducts going through modern cities.

One thing I found helpful in the book was the maps showing Paul's journeys and naming the towns discussed in Acts. I've seen the maps in Bibles, but these maps were followed by pictures of the places, making it easier to get a mental picture of what they must have been like at that time.

If you are trying to learn more about St. Paul during this Pauline year, but aren't looking for heavy-duty reading, this book may be for you. I enjoyed it and it is landing on my keeper shelf, not in the giveaway box.

"In The Footsteps Of Paul" by Ken Duncan, is absolutely breathtaking! I couldn't put it down! The pictures are beautiful. Some of Ken's photos looked like paintings, such as the one at Seleucia Beach, Turkey. I had to do a double take to see if it was real, or a painting! One would have to pry this book out of my hands, because I plan to always cherish this one. There are great books I have rated a five, but this one I would rate much higher, if I could.

Ken actually took me back in time to see what Paul saw. Ken was able, through pictures, to allow me a glimpse of Paul's life. The photos are generous, wide and clear. I have some picture books of places with photos that are skimpy and small, but this book has generous large portions. Ken captured the exquisite colored seas of the area, the ancient pillars, the roads of times past, where I could envision Roman soldiers marching down them. Ken has outdone himself and all I can say is buy this book, you won't regret it!

I loved this book. The pictures alone would have made a great book, but the descriptions and the "story" behind the pictures gave them that much more meaning. Seeing places that Paul traveled during his many journeys was sort of surreal. I think that Ken Duncan should be awarded for his ability to capture the scenes of these places in a way that portrays that enormous role they played in the bible.

Being that I don't have an intimate knowledge of Paul's travels I thought that I may be a little lost as to where these places were and their importance. The scriptures and notes that go along with the pictures made Paul's life and his tribulations clear to me.

At the very least this book is a great collection of photography. However I feel that the way the book was constructed allows the reader to have a accurate picture of the places Paul traveled as well as the significance of event that occurred during his travels.

This is an incredible book from Thomas Nelson. Ken Duncan is a photographer who traveled to the places that Paul visited on his three missionary journeys and final journey to Rome.

The pictures make this book what it is. Words cannot begin to describe it, you truly have to see these stunning pictures to believe it.

Reading about St. Paul in the Book of Acts and in his Epistles is one thing. And don't get me wrong, it is an amazing thing. But it is quite another to see pictures of the places that Paul visited on his travels.

St. Paul traveled throughout the Eastern and Northern Mediterranean world for one purpose only - the share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with people.

And this he did. And in so doing, was God's instrument in bringing the Gospel out of Israel to Turkey, Greece, and Italy - and thus, to the whole world.

In the Footsteps of Paul chronicles the conversion of Saul/Paul, his three missionary journeys, and his final trip to Rome with readings from Acts and his Epistles, as well as quotes from Christian authors like C. S. Lewis, Billy Graham, Max Lucado, and others.

Short of actually walking in Paul's footsteps yourself, no study of St. Paul would be complete without these amazing photographs by Ken Duncan.

Highly recommended.