Introducing Christianity [Paperback]

Michael Keene (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Pr (February 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664257909
• ISBN-13: 978-0664257903
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,308,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Folklore and Legends of Rochester
The Mystery of Hoodoo Corner & Other Tales
Michael Keene

Born from the chilly waters of Lake Ontario and the Genesee River, Rochester, New York, has been the cradle of the modern spiritualist an anti-Masonic movements and religious sects and communes. This unusual history has given rise to strange legends and shrouded the city in mystery. Was the corner of Main and Elm Streets--McCurdy's Department Store--cursed? Who was Captain William Morgan, and why did he suddenly disappear? What stories lie behind Rochester's first murder and the execution of William Lyman's killer? What is hoodoo, and who is the Hoodoo Doctor? Native American tales, the history of the infamous Fox sisters and the secrets of the Freemasons are woven into these and other legends of Rochester


Michael Keene worked for twenty-five years in the financial services industry as a financial planner. He also is the award-winning producer of Visions, True Stories of Spiritualism, Secret Societies & Murder, which in part inspired this book. He lives in Pittsford, New York, with his wife, Diana, and their daughter, Michele, and grandson, Joshua. His website address is www.ad-hoc-productions.com


If you would like to schedule an interview with the author, please contact
Michael Keene
PO Box 40805
Rochester, N.Y. 14604
800-648-8909
www.ad-hoc-visions.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect sized, beautiful and clear introduction, December 18, 2001

By 

Michael Hoffman (Egodeath.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Introducing Christianity (Paperback)

This book accomplishes its goal well. It is the perfect size for an introduction to the main ideas and traditions in Christianity. It is not too short, but is certainly not overly long either; it isn't too hard to read this cover to cover. It is clear, and throughout, compares Protestant, Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, and other main forms of Christianity.

The pictures are charmingly honest and realistic, showing actual people worshipping and doing other Christian activities. I have been reading special topics in theology but needed a basic backgrounder to broadly survey Christian traditions. The book emphasizes what might be called current traditions; it has good coverage of the origins of Christianity but is not primarily about the historical development of Christianity. It is balanced and appropriate for anyone who wants to quickly survey the main ideas and traditions of Christianity.

This book would make a great gift for anyone. It is written very clearly and straight. It points out some of the most surprising aspects of Christianity such as the sudden ending of Mark with the empty tomb and no post-resurrection appearance. It provides a fair, reasonable, and unbiased comparison of the different forms of Christianity.

The book does have some incidental weaknesses, such as the glossary entries which really should each be twice as long. Given that each page spread lists relevant glossary entries, I would expect the glossary entries to be more insightful. However, the book definitely achieves its goal in a nice, glossy yet accessible format. It is physically an ideal size to handle -- not so large like a coffeetable book that it becomes difficult to handle.

I especially enjoyed the coverage of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.