In "Tales Christ Told", writer April Armstrong expertly sets the stage for each parable, then transports the reader into the center stage. Using simple, but beautiful words, the reader becomes a part of the crowd on the mountainside intently listening to the words of Jesus as He delivers the manifesto of Christianity. In each little story, the disciples come alive, their personalities, vocations, family ties told whether against the lake, in city streets, or big, green pastures. The reader fels at home as Matthew has a garden party to make merry after Jesus had invited him to be one of His disciples. Jesus' parables are lifted from the Bible in exact form and then additional explanations provided by the writer, makes for easier understanding. Beautiful, inspirational reading for young adults and adults, Christians and non-Christians.

When I first read Tending Your Money Garden, I really didn't understand many financial concepts and terms (I had no idea what a mutual fund was!) The book explained many terms in a way that I could relate to, and made me giggle sometimes too. I really liked his analogy of the Three Selves, Past, Current, and Future, sharing the finances and making the best decisions based on all of their needs. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is ready to learn more about finances and gain awareness of their own situation. I am using the workbook section so that I can make a realistic plan for ways to achieve my dream!

Armstong and Terrell's lawyer's guide to effective writing and edting is simply the best book ever written on legal writing. I would advise lawyers, judges, and paralegals to buy it, read it, and use it.

Amelia Hornsby is a twelve-year-old schoolgirl living in Philadelphia in 1803. She soon plans to join her widowed father on the frontier in Pittsburgh, but in the meantime she's living with his friend, Dr. Rush. When she suspects a visitor of being a foreign spy, she writes to President Thomas Jefferson, who, to her surprise writes back, telling her that the visitor is his secretary Meriwether Lewis, who will soon lead an expedition to the Pacific coast with the help of William Clark. Even after Amelia goes to live in Pittsburgh, she continues to correspond with the President. This was a fascinating book, written in the form of letters between Amelia and President Jefferson, that reveals what life might have been like for an educated, inquisitive young girl in the early 1800s.

I recieved this book from Mr. Armstrong after I lost my parents in a plane crash in 1988. I was one of his students at Kent School. This is an excellent account of losing a loved one and the depression that follows. Armstrong takes you through his heart breaking story of the death of his wife. He is left alone to raise their children. It tells of his depression and how he overcame the tragedy.

I thanked him for helping me through the hardest part of my life. It woke me from the depressive slumber and help pull me back to reallity. It is an excellent book for anyone who has suffered a loss.

When discussing "revival" the diversity in definitions and emotional reactions is seemingly limitless. Dr. Armstrong is not shy about the controversy, however, his kind approach is thoroughly Biblical.

Given that the word "revival" is not used in the New Testament to reference an evangelistic campaign or even to describe a church-wide event, Dr. Armstrong does a praiseworthy job of explaining how the examples of revival events are presented in Scripture. In other words, the concept is Biblical even if the word is not.

Dr. Armstong's most important analysis is contained in chapters 12 and 13. Here he evaluates the theology of Charles Finney and the practical impacts Finney has had on modern evangelism. While the look at Finney is unflattering, it is very informative and helpful. In fact, these two chapters should be a mandatory read for all pastors, evangelists, and seminary students.

This is an extraordinarily Biblical book. It will be of help to most anyone who is interested in, or involved in evangelism, or who is concerned about bringing true revival to America. Far from being a how-to book, this in-depth discourse on the theology of revival is immensely practical and useful in establishing the doctrines and the directions the churches need to take to accomplish meaningful reformation and effective evangelism.

The four medieval mystics discussed here bear witness to the depth and intelligence of English spirituality in the 14th century, and their work may show the way forward for a religion that seems to have become sterile, especially in its Protestant version. Armstrong discusses each of the four mystics in an introduction to selections from their major works that are reproduced here:
(a) The eccentric Richard Rolle of Hampole and his work The Fire Of Love
(b) The author of The Cloud Of Unknowing followed by this deeply moving text
(c) The sober Walter Hilton and his Ladder Of Perfection
(d) Julian of Norwich and her work Revelations Of Divine Love.
My favorite text is The Cloud Of Unknowing which is mentioned in Leonard Cohen's song The Window on his album Recent Songs (1979). It is very accessible in its gentle humor and its emphasis on the heart-felt spiritual experience but I can also relate to the more serious work of Julian of Norwich. Richard Rolle is a bit extreme and one-dimensional for my taste, while I found Walter Hilton to be not "mystical" enough. But all of them journeyed inward to the depths of the self and each in their own way created a personal faith that offers a more intimate experience of the divine. Armstrong's insightful introduction demonstrates how the mystical experience is similar in all religions and her interpretations of these texts are guaranteed to encourage modern seekers of spirituality and transcendence in the Christian tradition. Above all, in this book Armstrong has done much to restore the greatest voices of the long-lost Western mystical tradition to their rightful place. In this 21st century, many adherents of mainstream Christianity may rediscover the mystical experience and find it to be a more meaningful form of religious practice than the conventional and dogmatic expressions of faith.

William Armstrong invested much time and energy into this book. Factual, including an outiline of Parkers life and accomplishments. Armstong includes many pictures and historical references. Highly recommended for anyone interested in New York State History or the Seneca Indians. Ely Parker rose above the prejudices of society and became a man of both worlds. Hurray for Armstrong, who has developed a book worthy of The Last Grand Sachem of the Iroquois.

Jeannette Armstrong's novel Whispering in Shadows has a strong protagonist in the character of Penny. Penny is a Native of the Okanagan Nation (like the author of the book) and is a mother of three, an artist and an activist. Throughout the novel, Penny comes face to face with the struggles of Native, or Indigenous, people throughout North America. Whether she is in the forests of Western Canada or in the desolate Mayan communities in Mexico, or even trying to get a job, Penny sees first hand the battles that Native people have to fight, from trying to keep what is theirs to trying to survive as a people. As a Native American reading the novel, some of the situations that are described strike a chord of remembrance, as one or more of Penny's experiences are things that we have all been through, from racism to protecting our land. I would also highly recommend this book to non-Native readers, so that they could try to understand the struggles that we face.

I am neither the publisher nor the author of the book, but am the editor whose name appears on the book.

Often works of this nature tend to become dated almost at once and are cast off by potential readers who have only now come into contact with the book and who, with a quick glance at the publication date, presume there is nothing relevant for them any longer in the contents.

Not so. The topic of this book--the state of relationships between clerical and lay religious men (i.e., between priests and brothers)--is as current today as it was when the work was commissioned by the Conference of Major Superiors of Men in the late eighties.

The chapters are comprised of topical articles written by experienced individuals expert in their field--theology, sociology, education, psychology, monasticism, canon law, history--and offer a broad perspective of issues at work in creating both helps and hindrances toward the smooth collaboration between clerical and lay vowed ! religious in congregations of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States and their expression of due respect and regard for one another.

The book is divided into three sections: studies of the development of relational situations existing today from several viewpoints; experiential and anecdotal narratives revealing elements contributing to relational situations; and a summary of a statistical study made at the time that delves into attitudes that help form relational situations between priests and brothers in either the same or different religious communities of men.

Because of the very deliberate pace at which Rome--the Vatican--marches in investigating and seeking resolution to matters proposed for consideration by the Church, the topic of EQUALITY of opportunity in elective congregational offices, at the heart of a good bit of the tension still existing between clerical and lay religious, has yet to be the subject of a definitive statement by the Pope, the Congrega! tion for Religious Institutes, or the Canon Law Institute. ! Opinion in some circles still holds that the sacrament of orders bestows certain juridically non-transferable capabilities upon its recipients, and therefore non-ordained religious, i.e., lay religious, cannot be juridically equal to their clerical confreres, and hence cannot exercise equal authority as congregational leaders, even in areas not related to jurisdiction. Rome continues its study of this issue.

In the meantime the arguments for and against total equality remain as urgently relevant as they were a decade ago. Today's reader may take up the book knowing that its contents likely could not have been to any significant degree updated except by peripheral and anecdotal material.