Serving God in the heart of our community since 1881

St Andrew's Church, Taunton

Welcome to St. Andrew's book review pages

"When gifted writers express what we already know to be true, we recognise our own thoughts and take them more seriously."

                                                                                           Robin Meyers

'The Way of the Cross - Meditations on the death of Jesus' by Katharine Smith with illustrations by George Boxley.

Reviewed by Jean Hole of St. Andrew's Church

Katharine has a special gift for articulating imaginative thoughts.  This book brings to life the events leading up to Jesus’ death.   We are there with him and the crowds in Jerusalem re-living the pain and torment of those days.

The scene moves from the Garden of Gethsemane by way of a traitor’s kiss, to the Sanhedrin’s condemnation.  Peter’s denial, later forgiven by Jesus, brings him guilt and anguish.  Katharine describes Pilate’s involvement as ‘political cynicism’. He finds Jesus innocent but avoids his task by asking the crowd whom he should release. 

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The 100 Minute Bible

The Bible in under two hours?

Sue Goodman of St. Andrew's Church reviews

How are you doing with your New Year resolutions?  If you resolved to do a bit more Bible study this year, you might like to consider "The 100-minute Bible" as a starter.  (Copies available in the Parish Library!)  It's in 50 short (one-page) chapters, and you probably could read it in a hundred minutes, though I haven't tried.  There are also some maps with both Biblical and modern place names, for geographical context.

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Prayer - does it make any difference

by Philip Yancey

Reviewed by Mike Chapman of St. Andrew's Church

This is the latest book from the pen of inspirational spiritual
writer Philip Yancey.

Prayer is something that most people struggle with. It poses many difficult
questions and often results in answers that we weren't looking for -
questions like "Why doesn't God answer my prayer?"

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Forsaking the Family -

Jesus, Childhood And The Search For Freedom

by Simon Parke

Katharine Smith reviews a controversial book which challenges traditional images of “family”.

This might seem an unlikely title for a book being recommended during the Christmas season but it’s not always easy being part of a family, sometimes it can seem quite a struggle.

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A menu for book lovers

Three very different books for reading in quiet moments reviewed by Katharine Smith:

The St. Gargoyle's Diet

The 100-Minute Bible

The Good Little Christmas Tree

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The Christmas Mystery

by Jostein Gaarder

Reviewed by Adrian Smith

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Who Needs God?

by  Rabbi Harold Kushner

Katharine Smith reviews a book which invites its readers “to re-think the role of religion in their lives”.

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Song of the Nightingale - A Modern Spiritual Canticle, by Michael Ford

Reviewed by Adrian Smith

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Disclosures - Conversations Gay and Spiritual

by  Michael Ford

Reviewed by Adrian Smith

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Inheriting Paradise - Meditations on Gardening

by  Vigen Guroian

Reviewed by Adrian Smith

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Beginning Again

by  John Pritchard

Reviewed by Adrian Smith

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Policemen, Angels and a Saint

Holiday reading set in Venice, recommended by Katharine Smith

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