Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography

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Engaging Popular Biography, scholarship in the background

Pseudo scholarship

Intrigued, Provoked, and Scratching My Head at Times

Profoundly Disappointing

Glad it was a gift book.

Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography
Bruce Chilton
Manufacturer: Image
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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In Search of Paul : How Jesus' Apostle Opposed Rome's Empire with God's Kingdom

ASIN: 0385508638
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Book Description

A brilliant new biography of Saint Paul, whose interpretations of the life and teachings of Jesus transformed a loosely organized, grassroots peasant movement into the structured religion we know today

Without Paul, there would be no Christianity. His letters to various churches scattered throughout the Roman Empire articulated, for the first time, the beliefs that make up the heart of Christian practice and faith. In this extraordinary biography, Bruce Chilton explains the changing images of Paul, from the early Church period when he was regarded as the premiere apostle who separated Christianity from Judaism to more recent liberal evaluations, which paint him as an antifeminist, homophobic figure more dedicated to doctrine than to spiritual freedom. By illuminating Paul’s thoughts and contributions within the context of his time, Chilton restores him to his place as the founding architect of the Church and one of the most important figures in Western history.

Rabbi Paul is at once a compelling, highly readable biography and a window on how Jesus’ message was transformed into a religion embraced by millions around the world. Drawing on Paul’s own writings as well as historical and scholarly documents about his life and times, Chilton portrays an all-too-human saint who helped to create both the most beautiful and the most troublesome aspects of the Church. He shows that Paul sought to specify the correct approach to such central concerns as sexuality, obedience, faith, conscience, and spirit, to define religion as an institution, and to clarify the nature of the religious personality—issues that Christians still struggle with today.

Customer Reviews:

Engaging Popular Biography, scholarship in the background.......2006-11-23

`Rabbi Paul, An Intellectual Biography' by Professor of Religion, Bruce Chilton has a barely tautological title which is still capable of a hint of misdirection.

The virtually obvious aspect of the title is the fact that so little is known with certainty of the hard details of `Paul of Tarsus' life that a 332 page book must, by necessity, spend a lot of time on the intellectual content of Paul's Epistles which make up the most robustly theological portion of the New Testament. There are two facts about this book that can be slightly misleading. First, I believe the title of `Rabbi' applied to Paul may be just a bit of a stretch. `Rabbi' is a strictly Jewish title which, I believe, is only applied to a teacher of `the law' as laid out in the Torah and explicated in the Talmud. The main thrust of Paul's Christian theology was to make the Torah irrelevant to being a Christian. Second, while this book does deal with Paul's theology, I find it very odd that the author devotes less space to discussing the Epistle to the Romans than he does the two Epistles to the Corinthians. `Romans' is commonly believed by everyone from Augustine to Martin Luther to Jonathan Edwards to Albert Schweitzer to 21st Century commentators to be Paul's greatest theological work. Professor Chilton appears to give that honor to the Corinthians letters, which probably have somewhat more gossip than `Romans', so they provide more material for the narrative. Even some of his statements on the provenance of `Romans' seem shaky. He claims the letter was written in the Greek Asia Minor city of Mellitus, while most other reliable Biblical commentaries say it was written while Paul was in Corinth (See `The Oxford Bible Commentary', page 1108).

In one sense, this book can be seen as an exegesis to the Book of Acts of the Apostles, as this part of the New Testament provides most of the hard factual material upon which Chilton builds his speculations on the events in Paul's life. One example of `speculation' is the author's surmises on what Paul did during the years he spent in the desert of the Nabatean Kingdom south of Judea. The author's reasonable guess is that he made tents, as he came from a prosperous family of tent-makers in Tarsus. Aside from `Acts', `1 Corinthians' and `Galatians', there is relatively little material taken from the other Epistles.

This is not to say the book has no scholarly credentials. The end of the book includes about fifty pages of notes and comments on sources. But Chilton is certainly aiming his narrative at a popular audience, since his main text is singularly free of the impedimenta to smooth reading found in scholarly works on Paul, of which there are thousands. This includes words, phrases, and sentences quoted in Aramaic, Greek, or Latin; long footnotes in barely readable fonts; and indecipherable references to six volume works in German, Latin, or French. Thus, while most of those thousands of works have no value for the average interested reader, this volume had interest aplenty. I almost wish Chilton had done just a bit more referring to his sources in the main line of his text. Chilton firmly subscribes to the belief that Paul was influenced by the Stoics, but he doesn't connect Paul's beliefs with concrete Stoic works quite as well as I would like. I would like to know more about the Paul, the Stoics, and `eastern' mystery religions of this period, because I suspect Paul's Stoic `doctrines' could have come from other sources; but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt pending more reading on my part.

If this work achieves nothing else, it will give Paul a human personality, combining all known biographical facts we have about him with reasonable hypothesizing about his character and his interactions with his congregations in Asia Minor and Greece. One interesting question it answers is why Paul planned to travel to the ultimate West (the Roman province of Hispania, modern Spain) when it is highly unlikely that Christianity had yet been brought to all cities in the eastern half of the Mediterranean. The answer seems to be that Paul simply wore out his welcome with the good citizens of Asia Minor, Greece, and his home bases of Antioch and Jerusalem.

Since Paul's most important interpreter for our times was Martin Luther, an opinion Chilton firmly endorses, it is easy to think of Paul as having the same kind of constantly doubting `existential' personality. Chilton shows this was not even close. Paul was nothing if not sure of his positions and his beliefs. In fact, he may have been just a bit too self-assured as when he held positions contrary to the young church leaders in Jerusalem, especially Jesus' brother, James, the leader of the Jewish Christians.

It is easy to discount James in the history of Christianity. This book firmly establishes that James was certainly one of the `big three' among Christian apostles around 45 - 55 CE together with Peter and Paul. The problem with James is that while the Catholics lionize Peter and the Protestants promote Paul, James has no strong advocate among modern Christian groups.

One problem with writing a book for a popular audience is that you let yourself slide on some details; as when Chilton refers to an Asia Minor location as being in Turkey. The term `Turkey' didn't exist until the Ottoman Empire, and even then, it was probably not common until after the end of the First World War. At any rate, it certainly was NOT the name used by the natives or their Roman governors!

This book is a great commentary to be read in conjunction with a study of the book of `Acts of the Apostles'. It is also a superior `popular' treatment when compared to `The Gospel According to Paul' by Oxford (Lincoln College) don, Robin Griffith-Jones. If you wish to study Paul's theology, stick with the scholarly commentaries on his Epistles.

Pseudo scholarship.......2006-08-16

An engaging prose masks a serious lack of bona fide scholarship. The author glibly asserts as facts numerous details that are not amenable to verification ... and often in conflict with generally accepted scholarly postions. Similarly, unsubstantiated assumptions are made about influences in Paul's development, motivational factors behind Paul's actions, etc. The book reads like a novel; unfortunately, it claims to be a biography. As scholarship, it is pure whimsy.

Intrigued, Provoked, and Scratching My Head at Times.......2006-02-24

The best part of this book that I have read is the quote by Martin Luther on page 184. Parts of the book are thought provoking and the book is filled with intriguing speculation which appears to be guesswork. Chilton claims that the revelation given to Paul upon Paul's visit to the third heavens was concerning the make up of the "new Israel" of God. He fails to convince. He puts Paul on probation from Jerusalem, at odds with Peter, James and Barnabas and portrays him as a cavalier egomaniac and makes several unsupported jumps and conclusions. From what I have read of reviews on his book Rabbi Jesus these things seem as nothing new. At times he speaks somewhat negatively about the writing in the Book of Acts. It is not a horrible book to read, can be thought provoking, at times good in bringing out the Greek meaning of a word (such as euangellion which means announcement of a great victory) . . . and finally the great humor found on page 184. For more accurate reading on Paul let me suggest Paul and the Self by Knox Chamblain or Apostle of the Heart Set Free by F.F. Bruce.

Profoundly Disappointing.......2005-11-20

Just two words summarize my thoughts and feelings toward "Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography": profoundly disappointing.

Having seen Bruce Chilton's name in the context of good, conservative Bible-related resources, I was looking forward to his behind-the-scenes treatment of the apostle Paul. What I got instead was a little fact mixed with a lot of unflattering fiction, topped off with quite a number of inflammatory words and phrases.

Chilton has his preconceived notion of what the apostle Paul was like, which he then uses as a grid for interpreting most of the New Testament. Chilton's Paul is a paranoid, frustrated, combative, arrogant zealot. Of course to reach such a conclusion Chilton must jettison the authenticity of most of the New Testament books traditionally attributed to Paul -- which he does without hesitation. Chilton also denigrates the book of Acts, repeatedly accusing it of being filled with half-truths, deliberate exaggerations, and outright lies.

While there certainly was some conflict between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians in the early years of the Christian faith, Chilton makes this conflict his defining hermeneutic, leading in turn to more than a few deliberate exaggerations of his own. Instead of a "conspiracy nut," Chilton comes off sounding like a "controversy nut."

I would not buy "Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography" again nor recommend it to anyone anywhere. If you really want to get behind the scenes and dig deep into the apostle Paul's life and teachings, I would recommend the "Dictionary of Paul and His Letters" (1993, ISBN 0-8308-1778-6).

EXCERPT:
So Paul did seem arrogant. He even thought that his cultural preferences should outweigh local customs: in some ways everybody was supposed to behave as if they came from Tarsus. His peremptory command about women still takes people's breath away (1 Corinthians 11:5-6): "But every woman praying or prophesying with uncovered head shames her head, because it is one and the same to being shaven! For if a woman doesn't cover herself, she shall be shorn. and if it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or shaved-she will be covered!"

The burka we associate with Islam is no Muslim invention, but had been well established during Paul's time in Tarsus. He knew the Corinthians too well to know that he could not stop Greek and Roman ladies in their household flaunting flimsy linen, their curves, and the odd flash of pale skin. But he felt full enough of Spirit to inisist that they cover up in meetings for worship. People who made their living from sexual license simply could not inherit the kingdom of God, and any display of female skin or hair ran a similar risk as far as Paul was concerned.

He tried to mount an argument for his aversion to female flesh, but this attempt was a ruin. First he says, thinking of the book of Genesis (2:22, leaving aside 1:27), "man is not made from woman, but woman from man," but then he turns around and remembers his own principle that "neither is woman apart from man nor man apart from woman," because both are equally from God (1 Corinthians 11:8-12). All he really manages to show is that he has no argument, and that he has let his own preferences run rampant.

He also insisted that women had no rightful part in community debate. Commentators have scoured ways to take the sting out of Paul's words on the subject, and when that fails, to attribute them to some later copyist. But this special pleading doesn't work. The phrasing is Paul's, the sentiment typically Pauline, the arrogance unmistakable (1 Corinthians 14:33b-35): "As in all the churches of the holy ones, the women in the churches will keep silent, because it is not appropriate for them to speak, but they shall be subordinated, just as the Law says. And if they want to learn something, they will inquire of their own husbands at home, because it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church."

So much for Chloe, for Priscilla, for Lydia-however valuable they were to Paul, however equal to him in Christ. In this world, passing away though it was, he feared the turn-on of women's voices as much as the sight of their hair and skin. Those enticements could ruin a congregation; at one point he even suggests that the sight of female hair might distract any angels in church attendance (1 Corinthians 11:10). Women were neither to be seen nor heard when men were around-apart from their husbands, that is, because marriage had cured them of flaming passion.

In his overwhelming concentration on Spirit, Paul had a real problem with flesh: the "one flesh" of a married couple, the flesh you eat, and female flesh. He fumbled with all those topics, experimenting with approaches as occasion demanded, never achieving consistency, convincing relatively few of his readers in his time or ours. (Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography, 214-216)

Glad it was a gift book........2005-05-26

I bought this book with a gift certificate so I was not as discriminating as I would have been if I had paid my own money for it. I enjoyed reading the book, but I'm glad I didn't spend *my* money on it. I would definitely feel cheated.
Now and then I like to read scholars like Chilton, Crossan et al because they often write of the grittier side of NT characters. In my opinion, too often conservative and moderate scholars are too busy focusing upon the positive aspects of NT personalities that they spend too little effort on weaknesses, foibles and insecurities of NT personalities. If a real person is standing in front of me, will I have a better perception of him if I stay where I am or walk around him looking at him from different angles? Of course, looking at him from different angles will give me a better idea of what he really looks like. It's the same way with NT personalities. Chilton's Rabbi Paul allows me to step to a side of Paul I usually wouldn't see and I'm thankful for that. So fair and accurate was the book that I was halfway through the book when I rightly conjectured he may be a "Jesus Seminar" theologian, "accuracy" and "fairness" not being words usually attributed to such theologians.
So, here's the low-down on why I gave the book a "so-so" rating. Chilton does a good job of giving the reader a glimpse into the oh-so-human Paul. I thank him for giving us that angle into who Paul was. What I didn't like is that Chilton appears to make the mistake that too many liberal scholars make; namely, they will give readers information, insight, ANGLES, into biblical characters that too few conservative and moderate scholars feel they need to give and presume that that angle is THE angle. Chilton sometimes takes that angle and runs with it like Forrest Gump running for a touchdown for the U. of Alabama. "Run, Bruce,Run! The ol' conservative neanderthal scholars are coming after you!" Most conservative scholars could care less about this book because it is rife with inaccuracies. It's as if Chilton and other liberal scholars will take a grittier look at a NT character or situation much differently than the way that more moderate or conservative scholars will and by being grittier, more deconstructive, and less reverent they are somehow closer to "the truth" of the character or situation. Gritty irreverence is not the same as impartial dissection and impeccable scholarship, something it seems to me too few people who applaud this book recognize. But, then again, one has to have little knowledge of the Bible (or bible, whichever way you want to spell it) to see this book as little more than an "angle". That's all it basically offered me, of which I am thankful (I know: I've said that three times already).
I know I will get some "unhelpful" reviews because, hey, the truth hurts.
It's worth a read though--if you can find it in the library, that is .

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Rabbi Paul an Intellectual Biography
Bruce Chilton
Manufacturer: DOUBLEDAY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDDLEO

The Gospel according to Paul: authors show Paul as a man who challenged imperial claims.(Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography; In Search of Paul; Paul ... An article from: National Catholic Reporter

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The Gospel according to Paul: authors show Paul as a man who challenged imperial claims.(Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography; In Search of Paul; Paul ... An article from: National Catholic Reporter
Patrick Marrin
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by Thomson Gale on May 26, 2006. The length of the article is 1839 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Gospel according to Paul: authors show Paul as a man who challenged imperial claims.(Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography; In Search of Paul; Paul of Tarsus: A Visionary Life)(Book review)
Author: Patrick Marrin
Publication: National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 26, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 42 Issue: 30 Page: 4a(1)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

The mother of the most famous person with autism today, Temple Grandin, Ph.D., tells the story of her death-lock struggle with medical authorities and her husband to keep her daughter from being warehoused in an institution, delving into myth and reality, angst and guilt, family and society ultimately defining the travails of all of humanity.

Customer Reviews:

same as all others.......2007-04-06

I have read several books on families that have a least 1 child that is autistic and this is no different. The only thing, i found interesting is that this mother seemed to be more invovled with her child and encourged her then just pushing away.

Good.......2006-11-04

I like this book. It is extremely well written and expressed. I love reading life stories and hers is brilliant. You can pictures her words in your mind. Thoroughly recommended.

asperger's de-mystified.......2006-11-03

This author was constrained in her telling of the 'family story' by an embargo from her adult children who requested that their stories be largely omitted. However, as the main character was her daughter 'Temple'she still managed to impart interesting facts and portrayed the difficulties and some triumphs as she struggled with her unusual daughter and the strains the situations placed on her (Eustacia's) marriage. As a project worker involved in supporting families of school aged children with autism, I found it interesting and valuable as well as a good story in it's own right.

Not a true family story.......2005-08-28

This book was a dissapointment to me. I know that her other children didn't want to be mentioned in this book, but even if they had been mentioned Im not sure it would have mattered. This is not a story about Temple or her family. It is however a book about Temples mom and her life, not necessarily her life involving anyone else. She is a priviledged woman who isn't too in touch with anyone but herself. After reading the inside cover I was hopeful that this book was exactly what I was looking for, but I was misled. The book is nothing like the cover's brief insight into life, but more like a bunch of similies and metaphors stuffed together in random order. It seemed sometimes as if she couldn't complete a thought or even a short story about Temple with out rambling on like some theater major putting on an over the top monologue. "A chink, I think I found a chink!" If you can get through all these ramblings you may find one complete thought that could potentially be helpful. I didn't however.
I have 2 autistic children and they are not nearly as functional as Temple but since I was so inspired by Temples writing I was hoping for so much more from this, her mothers, biography. I'm not saying Ms. Cutler shouldn't talk about herself at all, but if this book was truly supposed to give us all a look into Temple's life and family, Ms. Cutler needs to remember the phrase I repeat to myself daily "This isn't about you anymore, its about your children."
My mother just met with Temple and her mother yesterday and they are exactly like their books. Temple, a down to earth sweet loving lady and her mother still a high society lady who vacations at Martha's Vineyard and always talks like she is performing on a stage. There needs to be a book written by an average parent of an autistic child, or children, that had to struggle with money and with the schools and can still remember these struggles. Maybe I will write one :)

Inspirational story.......2005-08-21

This was an excellent read and made more inspirational when one realises the challenges Temple's mother had within her marriage. Great to also read about Temple's recovery through hard work and more moving because this was over 50 years ago. Would highly recommend this book.

Book Description

Missing, Believed Wiped is a book for collectors and enthusiasts of British Television. It explores the history and destruction of celebrated British television programs and lists in detail some of the most important missing material. Above all, the author reveals the exciting possibilities of recovering such valuable items in the future and tells the fascinating stories of how programs once thought lost have been returned, including some through the British Film Institute's Missing, Believed Wiped initiative.
Serious dramas, sci-fi shows, pop programs (such as Thank Your Lucky Stars), swashbucklers (The Gay Cavalier), cop shows, comedy, factual programs (Tyranny) and all the other TV genres suffered from the purges of most of the major TV broadcasters. Lack of storage space, the high cost of videotape (which could be re-used) and the (mistaken) belief that black and white television programs had no commercial future after the coming of color, were all cited as reasons for the destruction. However, the establishment of the commercial video industry, new TV channels entirely dedicated to vintage viewing, and the public's seemingly insatiable appetite for classic, cult, and nostalgic TV established beyond doubt the folly of the wiping and junking decisions, declaring the practice a financial embarrassment at best, cultural hooliganism at worst. But this book chronicles a treasure hunt, not a witch hunt. It is a tale of historical mistakes, serendipitous finds and serious sleuthing. It is a valuable guide to those searching in the future for TV material long classified as Missing, Believed Wiped.
Missing programs discussed include: plays by Dennis Potter and David Mercer, Quatermass, A for Andromeda and Doctor Who, The Avengers, Armchair Theatre, The Likely Lads, and Till Death Us Do Part.

Book Description

Musical Performance considers music from the vantage point of active music-making. Stan Godlovitch brings philosophical insight to the issue that most of us now listen to music that is "ready-made"--recorded and replayed for us at our convenience and completely separated from its actual performance.

Godlovitch addresses the performance aspects of music, rather than from composer or audience perspective. This book evaluates traditional musical performance and asks where its unique value lies.

Authenticities: Philosophical Reflections on Musical Performance

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Philosophical considerations on performance

Authenticities: Philosophical Reflections on Musical Performance
Peter Kivy
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0801430461

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"In his latest book on the aesthetics of music, Peter Kivy presents an argument not for authenticity but for authenticities of performance, including authenticities of intention, sound, practice, and the authenticity of personal interpretation in performance. . . . As usual, Kivy's work is beautifully written, well argued, and provocative."--Notes

"Kivy has provided a sorely needed framework for all future discussion of the authenticity matter. This is his best book, a major contribution to performance studies and to musical aesthetics; likely it will be studied and cited for generations."--Choice "Written in lively prose, with a keen sense of reality, [this volume] ought to be of interest not only to philosophers and musicologists, but to all serious lovers of music."--Roger Scruton, Times Literary Supplement

"The consistent theme running through Kivy's book is the need for interpretation as the personal authenticity and authority of the performer against the ideology both of the composer as genius and of the puritanical devotion to the authority of the text of the early music devotees. . . . This is a most valuable book, one which constantly surprises and delights through its philosophical insights and informed musical understanding."--British Journal of Aesthetics

Customer Reviews:

Philosophical considerations on performance.......2007-09-24

This is one of a series of excellent books on problems in the philosophy of music by Peter Kivy, professor at Rutgers University. This is the third I have read and I have found them all stimulating and thought-provoking. This one, in the area of performance, deals with matters that are a good deal less well-defined than the problems dealt with in the other books such as The Fine Art of Repetition, but still well worth the time. In particular Kivy does an excellent job of problematizing the notion of 'authenticity' in early music. I have often thought that even after you have done everything possible to ensure that your performance is as close to an historical one as possible, you are still presented with the problem that your audience does not have 17th (or 16th or whatever) century ears and minds. Kivy goes into this sort of problem in depth.

Musical Works and Performances: A Philosophical Exploration

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Musical Works and Performances: A Philosophical Exploration
Stephen Davies
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0199241589

Book Description

What are musical works? Are they discovered or created? Of what elements are they comprised? How are they specified by notations? What makes a performance of one piece and not another? Is it possible to perform old music authentically? Can ethnic music influenced by foreign sources and presented to tourists genuinely reflect the culture's musical and wider values? Can recordings substitute faithfully for live performances? These are the questions considered in Musical Works and Performances. Part One outlines the nature of musical works, their relation to performances, and their notational specification. Works for performance differ from ones that are merely for playback, and pieces for live rendition are unlike those for studio performance. Pieces vary in the number and kind of their constitutive properties. The identity of musical works goes beyond their sonic profile and depends on their musico-historical context. To be of a given work, a performance must match its contents by following instructions traceable to its creation. Some pieces are indicated via exemplars, but many are specified notationally. Scores must be interpreted in light of notational conventions and performance practices they assume. Part Two considers authenticity in performance, musical traditions, and recordings. A performance should follow the composer's instructions. Departures from the ideal are tolerable, but faithfulness is central to the enterprise of work performance, not merely an interpretative option. When musical cultures interact, assimilation from within differs from destruction from without. Even music subject to foreign influences can genuinely reflect the musical and social values of a culture, however. Finally, while most works are for live performance, most performances are experienced via recordings, which have their own, distinctive characteristics. This comprehensive and original analysis of musical ontology discusses many kinds of music, and applies its conclusions to issues as diverse as the authentic performance movement, the cultural integrity of ethnic music, and the implications of the dominance of recorded over live music.

Book Description

Morris dancing, one of the more peculiar of the English folk customs, has been greatly misunderstood. Traditional scholarship on this custom has been based on the assumption that morris dancing is one of the pagan calendar rituals, a preconception held by many folklorists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Now, building upon his previous work with Michael Heaney of the Bodleian Library in Annals of Early Morris, John Forrest carefully analyses a wealth of evidence to show that morris dancing does not, in fact have pagan or ancient origins. His examination of early documentation draws morris traditions into the wider area of communal customs and public celebrations, showing the passage of dance ideas between groups of people who until now have been considered folklorically distinct.

Careful, detailed, and encyclopedic, The History of Morris Dancing, 1458-1750 is an essential reference work for specialists in English drama and social historians of the period.

Book Description

Available for the first time in paperback, Seven Faces of Philanthropy introduces to you the Seven Faces approach--a powerful tool that enables development professionals to maximize their effectiveness when approaching major donors for gifts. The authors identify and profile seven types of major donors and offer you detailed strategies on how to approach them. Both novice and expert fundraisers will find this framework a valuable supplement to existing strategies and techniques.

Customer Reviews:

Very helpful.......2002-04-03

I loved this book! The Seven Faces of Philanthropy offers a very helpful donor-centered approach to interacting with donors.

Although thoroughly researched, the authors' humility is also refreshing. Prince and File specifically say they are not offering a framework that supplements, not replaces, the strategies and techniques our offices are using. Later, they acknowledge the limits and constraints with this framework but affirm that the strength is in the process.

Throughout the book, actual comments from donors illustrate the points the authors are making. I could almost hear donors I know talking to us through those quotations! As I read The Seven Faces of Philanthropy, I found myself scribbling notes in the margins about how I could implement the framework in my daily work.

I was disappointed that this reprint merely had a new introduction. Part Two is laden with statistics and I found myself wondering how they have changed in the last ten years. Nevertheless, this book is well worth reading and implementing.

In addition to a preface, two introductions, and a research appendix, the chapters include:

Part One: Profiling the Seven Faces of Philanthropy
1. The Communitarian: Doing Good Makes Sense
2. The Devout: Doing Good is God's Will
3. The Investor: Doing Good is Good Business
4. The Socialite: Doing Good is Fun
5. The Altruist: Doing Good Feels Right
6. The Repayer: Doing Good in Return
7. The Dynast: Doing Good is a Family Tradition

Part Two: Cultivating Major Donors with the Seven Faces Framework
8. Making Connections Through Charity Networks
9. Building Relationships with the Seven Philanthropic Personalities
10. Identifying Appropriate Giving Strategies
11. Sustaining Relationships Through Donor Centered Strategies

Conclusion: Applying the Seven Faces Framework

Who are you asking?.......2002-02-24

This is a very important read for the not-for-profit person planning to ask for money. It is important to understand the motivations for giving and incorporate that into your "ask".
This book is the best resource for simplifying the giving patterns and motivators of people.

Real Useful Information for Real Non-Profit Professionals.......2000-09-06

Prince and File really did a number on this book. It contains valuable information about how to friend raise, how best to serve friends of your non-profit, and how to keep them on board with your organization. The book describes seven philanthropic "personalities" and allows the reader to think about his or her own constituents and how they might fit in with these personalities. A remarkable work, that is insightful yet easy to understand and apply.

The Seven Faces of Philanthropy A New Approach to Cultivating Major Donors

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The Seven Faces of Philanthropy A New Approach to Cultivating Major Donors
Russ Alan Prince Karen Maru File
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSDT5G

The Seven Faces of Philanthropy: A New Approach to Cultivating Major Donors (The Jossey-Bass Nonprofit Sector Series)

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The Seven Faces of Philanthropy: A New Approach to Cultivating Major Donors (The Jossey-Bass Nonprofit Sector Series)
Russ Alan Prince; Karen Maru File
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QY3GAG

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