Feed Your Mind, Nourish
Your Soul
The bookstore of United
Christian Communities Inc.
One of the best way to begin to help the
Christian communities in the Holy Land is to learn about them,
to learn about the Holy Land, to learn about your religion and
then to think about what they all mean, and can mean, to you.
And if you were to do all that, then you will find that that
path is also one of the best ways to learn about yourself.
The following books have been selected with this in mind.
Return often to explore new additions to the list. We believe
the books selected are both informative and non-offensive to any
person or believer. But if we are wrong, on either score, or if
you have suggestions for additions to the list, please click here to let us
know.
And by the way, your purchase of any books from this page will
result in a contribution being made to help us in our
work. (And if you would like to help us in our work in
preserving the Christian presence in the Holy Land, please
consider a small donation and
click here.)
Do you have a book to recommend to us and our readers? If
so,
please let us know and we may be able to feature it in our
"Reading Suggestions from Our Visitors" section.
Instructions on using our Bookstore:
Clicking on a picture of a book below will take you to a
description of that book (and an opportunity to purchase it, if
you wish). This will open in a new window. To return to this
page simply click on the X on the upper right hand corner of
that new window or click on "File" (on the upper left hand
corner of that new window) and then "Close."
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a Section to Browse
Our
Current Featured Selections
For anyone who's ever pondered what everyday life was
like during the time of Jesus comes a lively and
illuminating portrait of the nearly unknown world of
daily life in first-century Palestine.
What was it like to live during the time of Jesus?
Where did people live? Who did they marry? And
what was family life like? How did people survive?
These are just some of the questions that Scott Korb
answers in this engaging new book, which explores what
everyday life entailed two thousand years ago in
first-century Palestine, that tumultuous era when the
Roman Empire was at its zenith and a new
religion-Christianity-was born.
'After so many news headlines, you suddenly spend time
with ordinary locals, appreciate their everyday lives
and the subtler shading in this complex, multicultural
society, as well as learn fascinating facts about their
culinary traditions and economic difficulties...' THE
INDEPENDENT
A memoir from the Holy Land told from a Christian
perspective. Is it possible to live at peace in the
midst of conflict? "From my perspective, both as a
believer and as a diplomat, I take hope and comfort in
knowing that amid all the hatred, destruction, and
death, Father Chacour, [a four time nominee for the
Nobel Peace Prize] continues his patient work, softening
one heart at a time." James A. Baker III, U.S. Secretary
of State, 1989-1992
In a region scarred by conflict, it is easy to forget
the beauty of this area. In the small villages and large
towns that dot the landscape, Palestinians are getting
on with life: running businesses, going to university,
farming, renovating and restoring.
It is the other face of Palestine, the one not
represented in the daily images of the conflict'', says
Stefan Szepesi, a Dutch economist and walking
enthusiast.
Detailing all kinds of paths from paved roads to
shepherd's trails, his book provides maps, information
on historical sites, wildlife and local springs, as well
as parking, public transport, accommodation, and - most
importantly - where to eat.
The unexpected encounters are just wonderful, they are
the most important part of walking … I have never
regretted accepting the offer of tea or coffee,'' he
says.
The Boston Globe's
Middle East bureau chief uses the path traveled by Jesus
to structure a vivid sketch of the often-overlooked
Christian communities in the Holy Land sharing the
stories of people he encounters in his travels and work.
Chronicles the history
and current state of Christianity in the Holy Land,
describing each Christian denomination there and
providing a country-by-country report on the present
situation of the church.
Reviewers comments: "This is a book that you will pick
up over and over and over.
And you will be changed each time. A yearning will begin
to stir in you, a yearning to draw closer to God.
" . . .In truth, the entire book is one you will want to
reflect upon. It is filled with beautiful writing and
wonderful photographs. "
There are hundreds of
guidebooks deisgned for pilgrims and other visitors. The
encounter with the stones which Jesus saw and touched
has been, for many, a powerful spiritual experience. But
the Christian presence is not just history. There are
living, worshipping Christian communities in the Holy
Land today. This unique guidebook is designed to help
you encounter contemporary Christians in Israel, the
Palestinian and Occupied Territories. Written half a
century after the creation of the state of Israel, with
the co-operation of all the Christian traditions in the
Holy Land, it is a key companion for visitors who want
to share for a while the thoughts and the life, witness
and presence of those who now live the faith of the
apostles in this troubled land.
To
protect their ancient churches from desecrating
marauders on horseback, worshipers in the Holy Lands
centuries ago sealed off most of their doors to keep the
invaders outside their sacred halls, so the term,
"narrow gate churches" began to be used to describe
Christian churches in the land of our savior’s birth.
This history of how Christians have survived for two
millennia under stressful conditions is a tribute to the
faith of the remnant community which has rather
miraculously survived under hostile regimes and
straitened conditions.
Stories told by John
Moshus of the Christian people and places he encountered
on his travels through the Holy Land in the Late 6th
Century
Re-enacting John Moshus'
travels, encountering today's Christians and what one
reviewer called the "dying [Christian] culture."
An attempt at an easily readable, non-biased,
non-denominational history of Christianity.
Written by a Christian
Arab, a history of the remnant Christian community which
has miraculously survived in the Holy Land for 2,000
under hostile regimes and straitened conditions.
This valuable collection of
thirteen studies provides an overview of recent research
on central issues concerning the history of late antique
Gaz. This book covers a relatively neglected chapter in
the complex and fascinating Christian history of the
Holy Land.
This book is an
excellent choice for visitors to the Holy Land who want
to take an in-depth look at the area's historical sites.
Among the special features are 150 site plans, maps,
diagrams, and photographs; routes through the Old City
of Jerusalem; a brief historical outline; and a glossary
of essential terms and more than 70 shaded sidebars
offer a mini-anthology of ancient texts.
Centuries ago when
Jesus walked the Earth, an ancient fishing vessel
disappeared in the Sea of Galilee. Then in 1986 a record
drought revealed the long hidden relic. Two fishermen
first spotted it and when archaeologists arrived at the
scene, a double rainbow appeared overhead. Was it a
sign? Could this be the boat of Jesus Christ? Follow
filmmaker Daniel Lusko to Israel as he chronicles the
historic journey of what we now know as The Jesus Boat.
This journey could change your life. Hosted by Pastor
Skip Heitzig (Calvary of Albuquerque) Exclusive
interviews with: Pat Robertson, Tim Lahye, Franklin
Graham, Chuck Smith, Iand many more! Running time: 54
Minutes
Sweeping fiction offering an insider's look at the daily
life of a biblical group of mothers and wives told in
the voice of Jacob's daughter Dinah, who offers stories
of her four mothers, Rachel, Leah, Zilpah, and Bilhah,
all wives to Jacob.
The first of the Omar
Yussef crime novels. Omar is a modest 56-year-old
Christian schoolteacher in the Dehaisha Palestinian
refugee camp, becomes an unlikely detective amid the
uncertainties and violence of modern Bethlehem. Israeli
gunfire peppers the area, the Muslims mistrust the
minority Christian population, and the Martyrs Brigade
instills terror in virtually every group. The characters
and the setting are so richly textured and the
politicized events so wrenching that the mystery story
becomes incidental.
In this second Omar Yussuf Sirhan
mystery novel the principled teacher turned-detective,
who travels to Gaza from the West Bank. Omar Yussuf
seeks to free a kidnapped colleagues' as the auther
take a hard look at the pervasive corruption and
physical degeneration that characterize life in Gaza for
all those trapped in that small territory. Rees enhances
his novel with impressive explanations of the history of
the area and, more interestingly, with one wonderful
character study after another. As intricate and good as
the plot is in this novel, the character studies and
descriptions of the place are even better.
the third Omar
Yussef mystery novel and another page turner, this time
exploring the interplay between Hamas and Fatah in the
West Bank town of Nablus as Omar Yussef is driven to
solve the murder of the son of the religious leader of
the small Samaritan tribe. If you want to learn about
Palestine and its people, these novels are as good a
place as any to start-- and you get some great detective
stories too.
A woman's mid-life flight to the Holy Land as she
questions her marriage and her life. Not the typical
inspirational novel, but part travelogue, part history
lesson, part Bible study, blending a wonderful story
with empathetic characters.
In the words of reviewers: "one of those rare, absorbing
novels that grabs you from the first page and simply
doesn't let go." "In the same caliber as "The Red
Tent". " "No longer am I an observer reading [Bible]
stories from afar. I am now a participant, living the
stories with the characters that experienced them."
Fiction covering the
history of the Holy Land, from Roman times to the
present day by putting you right into the lives of three
women: Leah, one of the early Christians; Hannah, an
archeologist; and Rachel, Hannah's daughter.
A
semi-autobiographical "elaborate tapestry" by an Israeli
Christian Arab that interweaves the 150-year history of
the author's clan in Fassuta, a village in northern
Israel. In the words of one reviewer: "It is highly
poetic prose and a magical exploration of childhood."
"A book of
extraordinary power and integrity written [that] takes
that great tale of flight and conquest and tells it . .
. with precision and moral economy, with awesome detail
and honesty." The Washington Post Book World
The story of Lebanon
and Israel in the 1980s that, in the words of one
reviewer, "greatly broaden my perspective and empathy
for people on all sides of the Middle East conflicts."
Mosab Hassan Yousef, as the oldest son of a
founding member of Hamas, was groomed to assume his
father's legacy, politics, status and power. But Mosab
turned away from terror and violence, and embraced
instead the teachings of another famous Middle East
leader, Jesus. Now called "Joseph"-he tells of his
spiritual journey, reveals new information about the
workings of Hama, his dangerous decision to make his
newfound faith public, and his belief that the Christian
mandate to "love your enemies" is the only way to peace
in the Middle East.
Recommended by Pastor Wayne. "Too often we see people
react to what they don't like about the church. In From
Eternity to Here, Frank Viola offers up the doctrine
which causes him to act on behalf of the church. Make no
doubt about it--Frank is a provocateur and an artist--
and both come through in this book. Frank continues to
challenge the church-at-large with a powerful mind, an
impassioned voice, and a love for the Bride of Christ.
You need to get this book and wrestle with Frank through
the biblical passages regarding our identity in Christ
as His body and the mission our God has entrusted to
us."
~Ed Stetzer, author of Breaking the Missional Code.
Recommended by Pastor Wayne. "Chan describes at
length the sorry state of lukewarm Christians who strive
for a life characterized by control, safety and an
absence of suffering. In stark contrast, the book offers
real-life accounts of believers who have given all—time,
money, health, even their lives—in obedience to Christ's
call.Chan also recounts his own attempts to live crazy
by significantly downsizing his home and giving away his
resources to the poor. Earnest Christians will find
valuable take-home lessons from Chan's excellent book."
Born in
Kfar Burum, a village on the border
with Lebanon that was razed along with other villages following the creation of
Israel, he was raised on the mean streets of Beirut during the chaos of the
Lebanese civil war and practiced the oud while his friends did things nice
people living in nice places simply do not do.
He is Maronite Christian Marwan Abado, composer, singer and master oud player
who is helping to reinvigorate Arab music by integrating Western influences
while keeping it true to its roots.
