Rating: Summary: Thought Provoking Theological Fiction Review: Dr. Maier's book is a very thought provoking story about what it would be like if something were uncovered that might possibly signal the end of Christianity. A word of caution to Christians reading this book. At the outset the book seems heretical in its subject matter, however, have no fear the author is Christian and makes all right in the end, once again proving that God can take evil intent and turn it to his bidding. The only problem I had with this book was a small amount of sexual content. I only bring this up because my twelve year old son wanted to read it and I had to tell him it was a little above him. I realize Dr. Maier wrote this for adults and not children. However, I feel a Christian writing a book about Christianity, albeit the subject matter ficticious, still has responsibilities to his fellow Christians. Having to explain to my son that he cannot read this book because of a minor amount of PG-13 material was a bit difficult, since it was written by a Christain. Otherwise the book was very good. It's a mysterical pager turner in the classic sense, and for Christians especially, it will be impossible to put down.
Rating: Summary: intelligent and intense Review: Dr. Paul Maier recently released a sequel to this book, a classic that I read almost 10 years ago. The sequel is called "More than Just a Skeleton, it was one Man against the World" and was one of the best books I've read in years.A Skeleton in God's Closet is well worth reading and I have reread it and enjoyed it many times. Not only will this book make you think about issues of faith versus knowledge, but it will also introduce you to the world of scientific verification of archaeological discoveries. It is the only accessible book to this highly technical feild that I have ever encountered. The characters in Dr. Maier's book are realistic and easy to identify with. Some have criticised his inability to create deep female characters in his book, and perhaps there is some validity to this as the female character in this book is not really well-developed. The romance is juvenile, unrealistic and annoying. (My wife unfortunately never finished the book because of the cheesy romantic scenes). However the other strengths of the book make it well-worth skipping the remantic passages. I highly recommend reading this book as a introduction to Dr. Maier's new work, which I believe is the best book of Christian fiction since C.S. Lewis wrote the "Great Divorce".
Rating: Summary: A Book That Makes One Think,,, Review: I loved reading this book. The ideas and purposes behond the book are deep and profound. You will question your faith if you were in that situation. I wondered what would I say to my congregation on the next Sunday morning. I emerged from this book with my faith strengthed and a better understanding of Archaology.
Rating: Summary: A Religious, Archaeological Mystery-Thriller Review: I really enjoyed this book. I picked it up because I'm interested in historical fiction, and the cover caught my eye. When I first read the book three years ago, I found it really gripping, and wished I had someone to discuss the story with. I decided to pick it for my bookclub this month, and just re-read it in anticipation of our discussion. I finished the whole thing in a day, and it was as good as I had remembered. Personally, I did not think the love interest detracted from the story, and I thought it was handled in a very appropriate way. I think the author has really done a good job of imagining all the things that could realistically happen if Jesus' bones were discovered, and I liked the intrigue the main character had to go through to solve the mystery. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in archeology, historical novels, or religious themes.
Rating: Summary: Entertaining yes, problematic? yes Review: I wasn't sure as I started to read this book if the publisher was a Christian house or not, so I wasn't sure (but suspected) how it would end, knowing it before hand probably makes it a little less suspenseful. There are a few problems with this book, the most glaring one being that if a major newspaper came out with a story that the bones of Jesus were found most Christians I know would laugh, I don't care how serious the reports. Most people would "know that they know" that it would end up being a hoax and there lies the problem with this story line. I also found many of the people depicted just a bit to much "overboard" and the romance part of the book was a bit "forced". On the positive side, I enjoyed reading this book and trying to figure out if the author was going to let us hang at the end or solve the mystery, I would suggest giving this book to a christian friend as a gift, but try and convience them that it was written by an atheist.
Rating: Summary: Went Beyond My Hopes!! Review: I've never been a big fan of Christian fiction, as I usually read books on Christian theology, philosophy, history, and apologetics. I saw Paul Maier interview on the Michael Coren (Christian Journalist/Personality in Toronto Area) Show and I thought I'd give this guys books a try. Well I bought both of his "Skeleton" books and took four days to read them both. This one is about finding the bones of Jesus. The book is suspensful, but would have been more so if I didn't know that the author is a Christian. Overall this was a fun book and very addictive. I had to keep reading because I needed to know what was going to happen next. This book would have received five stars if he had just left out the romantic parts. They seemed the sort of romance in teenage novels. He could also write his women with more depth of character as I found them vapid. Over all this is a tremendously fun read, and could be read without offense by any orthdox or standard Christian.
Rating: Summary: Can you challenge your faith? Review: Then read this book! I loved the overwheming sense of reality that Maier portrays here. From cover to cover I was deeply enveloped within the story, engrossed in each character and deeply moved emotionally by every upset and twist and turn. When someone died I actually shed tears! I gasped with shock aloud at many points! The only reason I allowed it to loose a star is because at times I found the precise Technical explanations of the archaology extremely tedious and hard to read through, some of them felt like college textbooks; but honestly every bit of it was worth the deep philosophical questions asked! Would this change your faith? Can the world adapt to such a severe shift in perception? Incredible realism, images painted more vividly than most movies can even begin! I think anyone who enjoys a deeply rooted mystery, a spiritual journey, or a deeply introspective search would thoroughly enjoy this book! Or even if you just want a good fast-paced page turner to cozy up with on an otherwise lazy afternoon. Remember: action, discovery, mystery, romance, and philosophy all with one whack!
Rating: Summary: What would you do? Review: This book makes you ask yourself, "If what is happening in this story really happened where would I be in my faith walk?" Very perplexing. Well written. Would recommend this to everyone. I gave the rating of 4 stars because I feel the love interest was not essential to the story and at times detracted from the story. Still an excellent read and well worth your time.
Rating: Summary: A Stimulating and Provocative Read. Review: This is the first book I read in the genre 'Theological Thriller'. The book represented the world really well. It depicted one way the world could react to the discovery of Jesus' bones. It was an intense read at times forcing me away from sleep to continue another chapter. I enjoyed the book thoroughly except for one thing, the romance. There was a relationship between the main character and another character that seemed out of place and a bit forced. This was a pretty minor thing though. I just dismissed the relationship as just a vessel for more conflicts and complications to intensify the situations. I give it a 4 out of 5 because there were some instances where it was slow but they were pretty slight, but this combined with the relationship brought it down a little. As I said, overall I love the book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a good, captivating read.
Rating: Summary: The Ultimate Test of Faith Review: This is the first novel I read by Mr. Maier and was extremely pleased. It is useless in telling what the plot is about since others have explained it and the main review gives it away. This book is first rate for its outstanding attention to detail in terms of religious philosophy and archeological terminology and methodology. The character development, including some startling twists and turns along the way, does not leave the reader asking "What else is there to this character?" It's like Maier was watching the actors live out his story. Rare is it to find an author willing to develop charcters' background and personality to the extent Maier does. Maier, a scholar, is a treasure not only to history, religious studies, and philosophy, but also to literature and story telling. Above all, Maier challenges the readers' own faith with each turn of the page. A great story that deserves reading.
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