Thomas

I started listening to this series of lectures with a bit of a guilty feeling that I ought to know more about the subject. I came away enthusiastically desiring to learn more. Dr. Drout is a clearly knowledgable scholar with an unabashed love of scholarship in his field of study and an ability to communicate what is interesting, intriguing, and humane in the people, events, and literature he teaches. He helps us beginners with effective mnemonic devices and clear organization while giving us glimpses of the complexities and uncertainties behind the story. His mastery of the subject has led to a love of it that comes across to and into the listener.

I am a pastor in New York City and an admirer of Tim Keller's preaching and writing, though I've only attended Redeemer Presbyterian Church a couple of times. This lengthy book reads as a carefully assembled notebook of the accumulated wisdom of Keller (and his team) in building one of the most thriving and paradigmatic churches in New York City today. It shows clearly the depth and clarity of thought and the faith put into practice that is embodied in Keller's work. It rightly rejects the idea that others can simply take over the Redeemer model and replicate it. Rather, Keller leads the reader to think substantively about the many elements that are part of the life of an urban church with a strong center in the Gospel. It ranges widely from the content of preaching and theology, to issues of interaction with secular culture, to diversity in worship styles, and many other topics.
While I think that the book will be most relevant to those who are directly involved in ministry, it will also provide a thoughtful journey through urban church life to anyone who reads it.
Tom Parks does an excellent job reading the book. I highly recommend it.

This is a book of outstanding scholarship written with great clarity by one of the most knowledgable and trustworthy historians of the period of the late Roman empire. Brown uses the issue of wealth as a key to enter a complex social and religious world that saw the emergence of Christianity into the ancient hierarchies of power, prestige, and vast wealth that had powered the Roman empire for many centuries.
Brown's narrative is fascinating and relatively easy to follow and brings to life the variety of characters and interests of the period in a wonderfully vivid way. He leads the listener to understand the nuances of primary texts while evaluating many current debates among historians with a sure touch.
Brown writes as a person who has lived in the world he describes for many years and understands its nooks and crannies like a native. I emerged from the long journey with a tremendous sense of gratitude for Brown's guidance through an important historical period in which modern prejudices could easily distort my perceptions.

Cooper reads the book with great clarity and articulation. My only problem with the narration was that quite a number of the names of ancient people or texts or technical terms seemed mispronounced. It did not seem in keeping with the high scholarly quality of the book otherwise.

I highly recommend this work. It is very substantive and assumes that the listener has a basic knowledge of the period covered. But it certainly rewards careful listening.

The issues in philosophy of mind are some of the most challenging and important to our understanding of ourselves as human beings that one can imagine. Are our minds illusions, our thoughts determined? Do we have free will? Prof. Pessin's lectures present the issues and principal voices in this field with clarity. He aims to let the great variety of points of view be understood on their own terms. He carefully provides the listener with resources for grasping both the excitement of the field and the difficult choices to be made.

I have long been looking for an audio version of the Quran. This is the first that I have found that was easily available and not divided into so many parts as to make it too expensive. This is N. J. Dawood's 1956 translation published in Penguin Classics with the Suras in the correct order. The reader is very clear, sober and rather monotone in his presentation. I wish that there were a way to navigate more easily and find particular Suras. The translation is in modern English prose with no real attempt at poetic quality, but the power of the Quran's language comes through. I found myself grateful for a solid presentation of this very important work.