Neither Tolkien nor C.S. Lewis could have devised a panorama of personages and events more fantastic than the one which befell the human race at the dawn of its recorded history. Starting around 900 B.C.

E., four separate civilizations experienced a spiritual transformation spanning some seven centuries. The peoples in the regions now called Greece, India, China and Israel developed ethical ideas so consistent with each other that their independent evolution is a matter of pure astonishment.

This cross-cultural axis of religious awakening was first discerned and described 60 years ago by the German philosopher Karl Jaspers, who believed that history possessed both a clear origin and an achievable goal. Our generation’s premiere historian of religious thought, Karen Armstrong, is naturally less optimistic about humanity’s course, but she feels all the more impelled to provide a direction through her own writings. At the very outset of her monumental new book, The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions, Armstrong articulates the dire necessity to recognize and recreate the Axial Age of the first millennium B.C.

E. Her enterprise is so urgent the global stakes could not be higher that it demands a structure both simple and tremendous: she composes a historical symphony in four movements, one Greek, one Indian, one Chinese and one Hebrew. But just as, from our perspective, the different trees of thought in these four civilizations intertwine their branches, so too do the distinct movements of Armstrong’s prose symphony insinuate themselves into each other, chapter by chapter, under the headings of certain spiritual principles.

What are these radical principles of the Axial Age? First, the ability to recognize the divine in both the other and oneself, along with a likening of the other to oneself an empathy later to be called The Golden Rule. Second, the rise of introspection and self-discovery over external ritual and magic. Third, the recognition of the inevitability of suffering and the development of spiritual technologies for transcending it. Fourth, the capacity to see things as they really are a realism terribly undervalued in our own time. Fifth, the spread of knowledge, beyond the confines of an elite, to ordinary folk. Sixth, an awareness of the limitations of human knowledge. In all four geographical regions of the Axial Age, these gospels were long in coming and short in staying. What’s far worse, they are so familiar to us these days particularly through the sayings of that latter-day child of the Axial Age, Jesus of Nazareth that we can recognize neither the awesome strangeness of their universality nor their potential to change the world. The Buddha and Socrates, Confucius and Jeremiah were foremost among the many sages of those centuries. Could Armstrong be the first sage of a second Axial Age? It is literally up to the reader to decide. Michael Alec Rose is a music professor at Vanderbilt University.

The Bible covers thousands of years of history, culture and religion. Making sense of it all is a daunting task; it’s all too easy to get lost in the sea of odd names and ancient cultures or to forget just where in all those pages to find a particular reference or event.

The Illustrated Everyday Bible Companion is an excellent tool for understanding the concepts and customs within the Bible’s historic span. Described in its subtitle as An All-in-One Resource for Everyday Bible Study, this amply illustrated volume lives up to its billing, providing an encyclopedic listing of Biblical names, objects and concepts and placing each within its cultural and historical context. Packed with photos and drawings, this impressive guide also includes concordance information and a thematic summary of each book of Scripture. Want to know where King Jehoshaphat and King Ahab formed an alliance? The summary of 2 Chronicles will set you straight (18:1-3, in case you wondered).

The Illustrated Everyday Bible Companion is easy to read and fun to thumb through. A suitable guide for personal study or family devotions, it places a true understanding of the Bible within the reach of every reader, not just historical scholars and seminarians. A writer in Franklin, Tennessee, Howard Shirley is the author of Acts for God: 38 Dramatic Sketches for Contemporary Services, as well as Christian video and devotional materials.

Redemption is the theme of Story: Recapture the Mystery by Steven James. A storyteller and poet, James skillfully weaves together personal stories, re-imagined fairy tales, biblical scenes, imagined conversations with angels, philosophical musings and poetic interludes to tell the redemptive story of Christ. It is a potpourri of language and imagery, mingled to delicious effect, calling the reader to see the gospel story with fresh eyes, breaking through the numbness of familiarity to expose the wonder and adventure God offers. This highly original retelling of the Scripture is often beautiful, often haunting and thoroughly compelling. It is a reminder that Christ’s promise of life, anew is constantly with us, then, now and always. A writer in Franklin, Tennessee, Howard Shirley is the author of Acts for God: 38 Dramatic Sketches for Contemporary Services, as well as Christian video and devotional materials.

<b>God’s operation</b> If Out of Control challenges us not to be individually overwhelmed by the world, <b>Living the Resurrection: The Risen Christ in Everyday Life</b> by Eugene H. Peterson challenges the church not to let the world overwhelm the faith. A former pastor and theologian, Peterson is best known as the translator and author of <i>The Message</i>, which retells the Bible in modern language. With <b>Living the Resurrection</b>, Peterson calls for the church to refocus itself on the resurrection of Christ as the central transformational mystery that sets every purpose and guides every step. Peterson argues that the church has been lulled into treating faith as a self-help project, defined by techniques and goals and programs. Christians are trying to manipulate, define and control something and someone who is completely outside their control. Resurrection is not available for our use, says Peterson. It’s exclusively God’s operation. With this book, he calls readers back to allowing God to transform them, rather than making feeble efforts to effect change the other way around. <b>Living the Resurrection</b> is worth reading and worth pondering, an eye-opener to a way of thinking and living that returns to the redemptive power of Christ.

<i>A writer in Franklin, Tennessee, Howard Shirley is the author of</i> Acts for God: 38 Dramatic Sketches for Contemporary Services<i>, as well as Christian video and devotional materials.</i>

The frenzied pace of this harried world is the disease which Out of Control: Finding Peace for the Physically Exhausted and Spiritually Strung Out seeks to treat. A pastor and clinical psychologist, respectively, Ben Young and Dr. Samuel Adams offer relief to anyone who feels overwhelmed by modern life. In many ways, this book could be a companion piece to The Rest of God, as it touches on similar themes, including a call for a return to a personal Sabbath. Out of Control suggests ways to bring each day out of the rushing current of the world and into the peaceful presence of God. The style of the book is friendly and straightforward, making Young and Adams’ advice easily accessible to everyone. There is no preaching or condemnation, but solid, practical advice on dealing with anxiety, stress, worry and the demands of a mile-a-minute, information-overloading world. If you find yourself barely hanging on to your last thin thread, this book is for you.

A writer in Franklin, Tennessee, Howard Shirley is the author of Acts for God: 38 Dramatic Sketches for Contemporary Services, as well as Christian video and devotional materials.

This book takes a look at one of the oldest religious traditions: the Sabbath the day of rest. In his book, The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath, Mark Buchanan challenges us to go back to the original intent of the Sabbath, as expressed at its inception, commanded in the Torah and pointed to by Christ: a rest from one’s labors, blessed by God. The Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath, Christ said, and the implications of this truth are what Buchanan examines. Buchanan is not calling for a return to blue laws and suit-and-tie Sundays, but a recognition that God calls us indeed created us to rest from our work, one day each week. Sabbath rest means recognizing God, restoring ourselves and enjoying the life he has given us.

Buchanan writes with skill and beauty, using phrases, images and stories that are a delight to read and a joy to the soul. Regardless of your background, The Rest of God is a healing treasure in a far too harried world.

A writer in Franklin, Tennessee, Howard Shirley is the author of Acts for God: 38 Dramatic Sketches for Contemporary Services, as well as Christian video and devotional materials.

For motivational speaker and self-help guru Judith Wright, creating a luxuriant life depends on something far more important than conspicuous material consumption. In The One Decision: Make the Single Choice that Will Lead to a Life of MORE, Wright outlines a plan for realizing your heart’s deepest desires, which she describes as the greater MORE. To find more in life, she says, people must make a single commitment a life stand or One Decision. She leads readers through a 10-faceted prism, looking at the key qualities of adventure, desire, decision, truth, heart, presence, quest, keys to the kingdom, allies and the good fight then follows up with a 30-day plan to guide readers toward making the One Decision to lead a more meaningful life. Wright makes a compelling case that a life of more is about being alive, conscious, engaged. It’s not about being perfect. . . . It is a constant state of becoming more me.

Dr. Tim Kimmel contends that too much of today’s Christian parenting is based upon fear and, as a result, many parents build walls of holy checklists around their children to keep them safe. What God really wants, he insists in Grace-Based Parenting, is for parents to base their parenting on God’s grace instead. With an easy-to-read style and lots of explanations, examples and encouragement, Kimmel gives parents the tools to build or rebuild a home that reflects the security (love), significance (purpose) and strength (hope) that God gives each of His children. Mike Parker is a writer in Smyrna, Tennessee.

Apart from Christ, the Apostle Paul is perhaps the most dominant figure in the New Testament. With meticulous attention to detail, Robin Griffith-Jones has produced a scholarly work on his eventful life that reads like a summer beach novel. Entertaining and enlightening, The Gospel According to Paul sheds important light on the man and his times. At first a fiercely determined adversary of the fledgling faith, after his dramatic conversion experience on the Damascus road, Paul became Christianity’s most outspoken advocate. Yet while he preached of love and responsibility and founded churches throughout the Roman empire, he found himself reviled. He begged for unity while dismissing a close friend and follower, John Mark. The fascinating paradoxes of this remarkable leader are brought to life in this exploration of the early days of the Christian church.

Christian publishing phenomenon Max Lucado is an industry unto himself. His work appears on everything from bookmarks and calendars to greeting cards and plush animals. With all this acclaim, it would be easy for Lucado to assume the universe revolved around him. Instead, he has chosen to proclaim loudly that contrary to popular belief, It’s Not About Me. Lucado contends that modern life leads people to want the wrong things. Using the universe as a measuring rod, Lucado draws on the ancient wisdom of Copernicus to conclude that there is a center to all created things, and it isn’t us it is God. We exist to give honor to His name. By properly aligning our lives with this central truth, we not only find our purpose, but happiness.

Since the time of Job, no question has been more troubling to people of faith than, “Why doesn’t God answer our prayers?” It’s a question author Jerry Sittser has asked himself many times: his mother, wife and young daughter were killed by a drunk driver. In his book, When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayer, Sittser refers to this question as the “raw nerve in the Christian community.” Reading those great prayers of faith in the Bible that resulted in marvelous, miraculous victories such as Daniel in the lion’s den and Elijah on Mt. Carmel only add to the maddening frustration when we pray for a sick loved one who then dies, or for wisdom in a major decision only to receive no guidance. Sittser suggests that many of our prayers fall short because we want the problems to disappear, but not necessarily to be solved. God, he warns, is bigger than that.

There is no such thing as a perfect Christian family, asserts social science research analyst and author Glenn T. Stanton. And there is no step-by-step, “complete idiot’s guide” that will transform your family into a perfect one. Instead, Stanton’s new book, My Crazy Imperfect Christian Family, advocates discovering the spirit behind the rules. It all starts with sex, he says, because that “is where the family begins.” Stanton goes on to explore the three primary family roles spouse, parent, child and discusses why it is so important, yet so difficult, to live out our family lives in these roles. Neither a rulebook nor a workbook, this is a sourcebook of big-picture ideas designed to help families live what they believe, and to be kind to the ones they love.