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Prayer and protest come in many guises. The Basotho women of South Africa and Lesotho pray to their ancestors for rain, abundance, and peace by painting and slicing brilliant geometric murals on the mud plaster walls of their houses. "If the prayers are successful," says photographer and author Gary N. van Wyk, "the rains arrive and wash away the paintings." Growing up white under apartheid, van Wyk noticed these vivid houses while traveling with his family through the Highveld below Johannesburg where many Basotho lived and worked on white-owned farms. In the years when links to the outlawed African National Congress party were often severely punished, some Basotho women defiantly splashed their homes with the black, green, and gold colors of the ANC. Van Wyk joined in such protests as an art student by helping paint street murals of state-sanctioned violence. A passion for recording political graffiti led him back to the dwellings decorated in ANC colors, several of which he photographed for this dazzling testament to Basotho lives, ceremonies, history, and art. --Francesca Coltrera ... Read more

Reviews (3)

WOW - great book!!! Wonderful art, beautiful color pics
This is really a wonderful book! I bought it because it looked like it had nice color pictures, and it turned out they're fantastic! I'm an artist and I just LOVE these beautiful painted houses. It also looks like it has a lot of good information in the narrative, but so far all I've done is look at the great color pics. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Women's art as a poltical message
African Painted Houses is filled with not only beautiful photographs of dwellings, but reminds us of a time not to far ago where South Africa was filled with distress, social and political upheavel, and when women were meant to be at home. Women are still told to stay at home, and these African women took it upon themselves to go against the social status quo and speak there minds in an amazing artistic manner. African Painted Houses will enlighten you to the true nature of the protest against the Apartheid. When the African men were out fighting for independence and when the African men were prisoned and not home, who maintained the house? who maintained the continuing fight against the Apartheid...it was women. African painted Houses is an easy read and will fill your minds from a world that is so far from ours but the messages are so close to the heart. Women have voices and in this book, women's voices are projected into a beautiful masterpieces.

a visual feast for the eyes
This book is full of wonderful photographs of African Painted houses. The verbage is complete in explaining the significance of the illustrations from a historical and present day view. This is a facinating rich culture. The use of patterns and color, and their meaning come together in an easy to understand format. This a book I can pick up and read for hours at a time or peruse for minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent selection and introduction to the subject
Professor Nasr's work on Islamic subjects is generally characterised not merely by its academic and still hospitable style but further by an indepth understanding and experience of spirituality as such in its most universal and applicable sense. In the book "Islamic art and Spirituality" he cover the highlight themes of traditional art, architecture, calligraphy, poetry, prose literature, esoterism, piety, etc, as it developed in Islamic lands. Of special interest is the chapter on the Persian poet Jalal al-Din Rumi. I warmly recommend the present work to students of religious studies as well as religios seekers from all traditions. ... Read more

Book Description

Over the last two decades, a quiet revolution has been taking place in our culture. In both the church and the public square, people are turning away from partisan politics and shrill ideologies and looking for social and personal renewal through the imagination and, more specifically, the imaginative space where religious faith and artistic vision meet. In short, they are seeking ways to reconnect beauty to goodness and truth.

One of the forces helping to spearhead this cultural revolution has been Image: A Journal of the Arts & Religion, the premier publication devoted to showcasing original creative work--fiction, poetry, visual art, music and more--by Christian and Jewish artists at work today. Image, which has received accolades from both the professional art world and the religious community, has published not only Nobel and Pulitzer prize winners but also a whole generation of emerging artists.

Intruding Upon the Timeless: Meditations on Art, Faith, and Mystery is a collection of Gregory Wolfe's editorial statements that preface each issue of Image. These short, evocative essays constitute a new Christian aesthetic for our time. Each of the meditations is like a polished gem: radiant, gracefully written, beautiful in itself, but also serving as a stimulus to further reflection. They remind us of the way that both faith and imagination reach beyond the limits of reason to intuit the mystery of redemption. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Tool marks and "joins", "Cycladic" and "Daedalic styles", and "kouroi" and "kanephoroi" are among the many terms pertaining to the study of classical stone sculpture that are succinctly described in this latest addition to the popular Looking At series.Presented in glossary format, this superbly illustrated book gives concise definitions of the words and phrases most frequently encountered by museum visitors in exhibition labels and texts. Throughout the book, the author focuses on the technical aspects of sculpting that influenced the style and character of the finished works. An introductory essay underscores the importance of understanding why and how ancient stone sculpture was produced, allowing readers to gain a greater appreciation of the aesthetic value of individual works. Featuring numerous illustrations of ancient stone sculptures, many from the collections of the Getty Museum, Looking at Greek and Roman Sculpture in Stone is a valuable guide for students, scholars, and all who wish to heighten their enjoyment of this classical art. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

My No. 1 Choice So Far
Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings
by Sankti Leksukhum, et al is the first and (so far) only book dealing with South-East Asian culture to deserve my 5 star rating. The commentary is well-researched, easily read and flows hand-in-hand with the breathtaking reproductions of Thai narrative murals of the Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and later Rattanakosin periods. The publisher, George Brazillier, should also be commended on the splendid and meticulous execution and quality of the printing and the excellent choice of format, which make these amazing masterpieces of Thai art spring-up at the reader right from the printed page. Need I say more? If you like the subject matter - definitely go and buy this book.

A Feast for the Eyes
Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings by Sankti Leksukhum, et al, is both a serious and entertaining essay which gives one the feeling of actually "being there". A must for the serious admirer of South-east Asian art and culture! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Winner of the Runciman Award for 1989. Justinian's great church in Constantinople was the culminating architectural achievement of late antiquity and the first great masterpiece of the Byzantine world. For over 900 years it was Christendom's grandest place of worship and, for most of this time, the seat of the Orthodox patriarch and a principal setting for imperial ceremonies. After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans, it was for almost 500 years one of the principal mosques of Istanbul. Its influence, both architecturally and liturgically, was widespread and enduring. Drawing on the work of Robert Van Nice for Dumbarton Oaks as well as on his own detailed observations and critical reading of the historical material, Rowland Mainstone's authoritative account of the church presents the genesis and development of its design and construction, the subsequent changes, and its character and influence. His evocative descriptions, complemented by specially prepared plans and drawings and superb photographs, provide a unique record of an unprecedentedly ambitious project. 305 illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent text, fine illustrations, but bad binding
Exaustively researched, excruciatingly detailed, and competently illustrated, this is still the best book I know on the subject, although an update to include color illustrations would much improve it. However, the paperback binding is sadly inadequate--my copy fell apart when I opened it...

I am writing about this, and this book was helpful
I am writing about the Hagia Sophia, and this book is very helpful for information.

a must for ecclesial, historical and architectural buffs.
A bit technical at times but very interesting overall. Excellent photos and elevations. Plus shows how the Church was originally appointed for Orthodox/Catholic Christian sacred use. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. ... Read more

Book Description

100 artists showcase their conceptions of the world's all-time favorite bad boy, Satan, in this subversive response to the popular traveling exhibit ""100 Artists See God."" As the popularity of angels arises, so does their oversaturation in the art world. This is a tongue-in-cheek balancing of the cultural phenomena of angels: 100 devilish works of art, sincere, irreverent, and parodic. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Beautiful pictures
I really did like this book. The pictures were beautiful, but I wished there were more of them. This is the first Wysocki book I ever saw, so I expected more art work. The book read like a child's story book---so I was a little disappointed with that. However, this may be normal for the Charles Wysocki series. ... it was worth it. ... Read more

Book Description

A magnificent array of Hanukkah menorahs and lamps that shed light on the Jewish traditions that produced them

The ceremonial kindling of lights each night during the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah commemorates an ancient victory for religious freedom—the liberation and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE. As their diversity and beauty attest, Hanukkah lamps are singularly important as a form of ceremonial art and are among Judaism’s best-loved traditional objects. This superbly illustrated book showcases more than 100 Hanukkah lamps selected from the extensive collection of The Jewish Museum in New York. The featured lamps date from the Renaissance to our own time, and were created from a wide variety of materials in virtually every part of the world, including the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Susan L. Braunstein provides an engaging overview of the Hanukkah lamp and discusses its origins in Jewish tradition, its many innovative forms, its enduring ritual uses, and its social context. She also includes a short informative essay about each of the wonderfully varied lamps pictured in the book.

Susan L. Braunstein is curator of archaeology and Judaica and head of the Judaica Department at The Jewish Museum in New York. She is also adjunct instructor of Jewish art and material culture at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. She is coeditor of Getting Comfortable in New York: The American Jewish Home, 1880–1951 and coauthor of Israel in Antiquity: From David to Herod.


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Book Description

This up-to-date version of the universally accepted text from the King James Bible will make a handsome addition to any home. The revised translation is easily accessible for the modern reader, and is based on the original King James Version, published in 1611. In the course of time, the King James Version came to be regarded as "the Authorized Version." It has been termed "the noblest monument of English prose," and it has come to be of central importance to Western society as no other book. Thunder Bay's Holy Bible is beautifully appointed and illustrated with reproductions of original fifteenth-century masterpieces, highlighting Renaissance masterpieces from the period of 1430 to 1510. Almost every page of the Holy Bible has illuminated accents, with evocative drawings throughout from the Vatican Library, and an overall design inspired by the peerless Urbino Bible of 1478. The Holy Bible is complete with beautiful pages on which to lovingly record marriages, births, baptisms, confirmations, deaths, and family trees. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

An amazing value for the money- a very beautiful Bible.
As an ordained pastor for 30 years, I have seen many, many diferent Bibles over the years, and have often been responsible to select, from all the many Bibles in print, which Bibles we would order to be given away, sold at cost for wide distibution, made available at Church book ministries, etc.. Undoubtedly, this is the most beautiful printing job for the money I have ever seen (it was printed in China). There are lovely full-color old masters and ornamentation on virtually every page, copied from a Medieval hand-illuminated Bible. The genalogy and family info pages are about the best I have ever seen also. I have shown my copy to numerous people, and the usual result is, "What did that cost?" Most guess in the 100's. After they recover from the shock of hearing it is under $25, the next question is usually, " Where can I get one?" The spine has raised ribs, as usually only found on much more expensive books. The cover is fake but acceptable leather grain. If this were bound in genuine leather, it would be the absolutely perfect family Bible, but of course it would have to cost $25 to $50 more- but I, for one, would be glad to pay it. I can't comment on how well the binding will hold up, as I just received mine last week. It has the straight, beautiful old King James Version text, without notes or comments. Thunder Bay Press has done a great service to the world in making this available. I intend to get each of my seven children a copy for Christmas. Highly recommended!

KingJamesVersion of the Bible is Big, Fancy, & High Quality
I love this KingJamesBible.

When I first picked it up, it was really really heavy. My back was hurting, just holding it for so long. And it was also big. Very very big. This KingJamesBible has beautiful pictures of Adam & Eve, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Creation Account, etc.

The pages are gold gilded, and the unique thing about this KingJamesVersion, is that the pages ARE NOT the usual thin tissue Bible paper, but it is strong paper that isn't easily bendable or breakable. It's the shiny kind of paper, where you can kind of see your reflection in it. It's almost like cardboard paper.

This KingJamesBible is also good because the old english spelling IS NOT updated. They left it alone, and that is really rare these days. These days, publishers like Nelson, Holman, World Bible Publishers, Cambridge, etc. change the old english spelling in our beloved KingJamesBible. Here's an example: "Broided" IS NOT changed to "Braided" (1 TIM. 2:9), "Throughly" IS NOT changed to "Thoroughly" (2 TIM. 3:17), and "Cloke" IS NOT changed to "cloak" (ISAIAH 59:17), in this KingJamesBible. Everything is left untouched and preserved. Praise to "Thunder Bay Press" for publishing the true KingJamesBible.

I highly recommend this Beautifully Polished KingJamesBible. Remember, DON'T trust the modern Bible translations.....

Simple and a Beautiful cover
As someone who has read this "great" work several times, both as a child and as an adult, I have to say after you get past the nicely bound and elegantly designed cover one will find that it is one of the most contradictory, melodramatic and poorly written works ever produced. While, early on the plot is interesting despite its painfully simplistic retelling of Sumerian, Egyptian, Chinese and jumbled Hebrew mythology, blended with a generous helping of Platonic philosophy, it quickly devolves into unremitting tedium and gratuitous violence.
On the one hand the reader is faced with the daunting task of plowing through pages of genealogical chronicle "as so and so begat so and so" seemingly repeated ad nauseum, interspersed between accounts of the supernatural protagonist's attempts to pummel his human guinea pigs into everlasting submission. God, the main protagonist of the story, even goes so far as too bring forth a great flood as a last resort, in an attempt to kill all but the most timid and easily controllable servants, but is undone by the seemingly ubiquitous "bad seed". Following this disastrous attempt to regain control over his minions God's muddled plan quickly spirals out of control, eventually leading to (a mixture) of fire, brimstone, plagues and pestilence, which crescendos in his hackneyed threat to destroy all of creation and lock everyone up in one of two metaphysical prisons (heaven and hell). Eventually, the humans in the story get so tired of God's megalomania and sociopathic behavior, they lure him to Earth-he transmutates into a man like Zeus was apt to do-and taking a page out of his own book, humiliate, torture and finally put him to death.
Predictably, however, with a twist right out of the most melodramatic of Victorian Novels, a la Charles Dickens, it turns out that God had simply changed himself into human form for the purpose of getting himself killed and afterward returns to his metaphysical abode unscathed-yeah, that's the ticket. At this point the plot devolves into what amounts to a confusing, if not, altogether incomprehensible descent into gibberish, which is rendered in the form of fantastic apocalyptic dreams, visions and ramblings that rivals the most bizarre opium induced visions of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Aleister Crowley.
For all its pomp and circumstance the Bible fails miserably in inspiring anything but a distressing ennui, except in the most simple-minded and disturbed of readers. Its fundamental tenets are the absurdest fancy, a world turned upside down, a mythological buffoonery, its contents being the hollowest and most senseless display of words ever lapped up by simpletons, while its presentation being the most repulsive and nonsensical rubbish, recalling the rantings of a bedlamite.
While some steadfastly claim that this book provides solace and peace, I could not find any. Instead, what I did find was an almost unending parade of debauchery, destruction, violence and death. All in all, this book is at best a horrible horror novel, which mindlessly rehashes themes better left to Stephen King, Anne Rice and H.P. Lovecraft. Finally, I offer a closing warning in regards to the reading of this work, which has been known to cause confusion, self-loathing, feelings of worthlessness, erratic behavior, delusions of grandeur and extreme violence in its readers, precede only if in sound mental health. But if you don't get around to reading it you are not missing much and will probably be a lot better off and happy for it anyway.

Beautifully Illustrated Bible
My wife and I recently bought this Bible, and we love it. The hundreds of illustrations and decorative borders are beautiful, and we like the large, thick pages. I was surprised by how big and heavy this Bible is.

I usually prefer to read more modern translations, but the older English of the King James Version is a perfect complement to the Renaissance-era artwork. If you like illuminated manuscripts or religious art, you'll appreciate this Bible.

Simply beautiful
If you love to have a beautiful copy of the Bible in your bookshelf, this is a must. KJV Bible with many illuminations from the medieval era. The illuminations are mostly same as printed in Turner's large, expensive edition of the NRSV published in 1995: but mostly the illumations are much bigger and the book is much much inexpensive! One thing I feel pity is that this Bible does not contain the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books, which were published in the original KJV.
I enjoy reading the poetic, though out-dated, translation with so many beautiful illuminations! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A fascinating book by an accomplished scholar
Dr. Derbes has a rare gift of insight into this troubled time period, and her flowing, warm writing style makes the images and ideas equally accessible to her readers. A wonderful book for anyone interested in Medieval times or iconography.

our wonderful professor
reading this book was wonderful, but taking the italian renaissance class with our dear professor, Anne, was even better!! ... Read more

Book Description

There is growing interest today in spirituality, an area ripe for serious yet accessible exploration. In this major, fully illustrated book, the great riches of the Christian spiritual tradition are revealed to both the general reader and the student.

Drawing from East and West, the authors present a full and fascinating picture of humanity’s desire for the divine—across the centuries. Highlighting the contribution of key individuals, this volume explores the ways in which Christians from the earliest times to the present day have sought to express and live out the deepest truths of their faith.

Contents
--Introduction
--The Early Church Fathers
--Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Spirituality
--Saints and Mystics of the Medieval West
--The Eastern Christian Tradition
--The Russian Spirit
--The Protestant Tradition in Europe
--Catholic Saints and Reformers
--The Anglican Spirit
--The Protestant Tradition in America
--Spiritualities of the Twentieth Century
--Epilogue
--Further Reading

Beautifully illustrated throughout, The Story of Christian Spirituality is a readable and vivid guide to the spiritual riches of one of the world’s most influential religions. This beautiful and highly informative book provides the historical development of Christianity to both the student and serious religious reader.

Great for gift giving as well. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Surveys two thousand years of the diverse Christian movement
The Story Of Christian Spirituality surveys two thousand years of the diverse Christian movement, with its evolving history and theology in terms of the spiritual heritage of the Christian faith, from East to West. The contributors present a full, fascinating, and informative portrait of humanity's desire for the dive across the centuries. The Story Of Christian Spirituality highlights the contributions of key individuals as they explored the ways in which Christians from earliest times to the present day sought to express and live out the deepest truths of their faith. A variety of traditions are showcased including the early church fathers, the Celts and Anglo-Saxons, the saints and mystics of the Medieval Wet, the Eastern traditions, the Russian contributions, the Protestant tradition in Europe, the Catholic saints and Reformers, the Anglicans, the Protestant tradition in America, and the 20th century international profusion of spiritualities arising from Christian traditions and innovations. Superbly and beautifully illustrated throughout, The Story Of Christian Spirituality is a remarkable and highly acclaimed addition to any personal, church, seminary, academic, or community library collection. ... Read more