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Rating:  - A Compelling Inter-generational Narrative of Counter Culture
There is a tradition in Christianity, of individuals gifted with the uncanny ability to stir the secular culture of their generation with such poetry and excellence that posterity could not relegate them to obscurity. Muggeridge is firmly planted in this tradition and is an able spokesperson for those before him. His treatments of Pascal, Kierkegaard and Bonhoeffer were basic enough that they could serve as introductions but substantial enough that despite the fact that I have read much by and about these men, I found their treatment in "Third Testament" both informative and moving. It is his treatment of Tolstoy, however, that really stands out as his very personal connection with Russian culture and people gives it a particular poignancy. Contemporary Christianity could benefit a great deal by reflecting on the approach of contemplation, passion and rigor that is represented by the biographies in this book. Muggeridge has done and excellent job bringing them to us.
Rating: - Astute Observations
"A Third Testament" by Malcolm Muggeridge is the script version of a TV series the author had previously done. It is a collection of short biographical sketches and observations about the lives a various influential writers, thinkers, and theologians. Or perhaps all of the men described her meet all three of those descriptions.
At first there might not seem to be a common tie between such men as Saint Augustine, Blaise Pascal, William Blake, Soren Kierkegaard, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer: yet Muggeridge makes the claim that all of them were spiritual wanderers, devoted to a search for God in their own time. He calls these men 'God's spies' as they endeavored to make the truth of the gospels shine in the dark times in which they lived. All of the men Muggeridge devotes his time to went through a crisis in their life or in their nation. They found strength through their relationship with God to overcome these travials and serve as a bastion for their faith. They, alone sometimes, were the bright light shining through the overcrowding darkness.
Muggeridge's portraits are brief, but succinctly complete. Even without having read anything by some of these men, the reader is not at a loss. Muggeridge aptly portrays how their faith affected their lives, and interweaves their own thoughts with his, and the observations of those who knew these great spies. What "A Third Testament" causes in the readers is a renewed sense of wonder at the men God uses for His purposes - these motley men who challenged their countrymen to repudiate false teachings. Indeed, their challenge has survived throughout the generations, and is just as necessary today as it was when they were living.
Rating:  - Solid Thumbnails of Muggeridge's Spiritual All-Stars
This book is a series of brief biographies on several writers who Malcom Muggeridge considers to be essentially prophets. The biography is focused on the spiritual aspects of the writer, and provides a context, history of conversion and ever changing relationship with God, and reports major decisions each man made. Muggeridge doesn't really separate himself from his writing; often he puts his opinions in with the biography "I think...", which is unique.
It is based off of a TV series and isn't especially detailed on any one particular man. Sometimes the writing seemed a little discombobulated or rushed, for example the first mention of Tolstoy's wife just introduces her as "Sonya... didn't like such and such", which gave me the feeling that I missed something. Overall the book read well; it wasn't hard to read, but I had a good feel for each person I read about. It was never monotonous or boring, and clearly written by an intelligent man.
Rating: - A Fourth Testament
If you haven't read Malcom Muggeridge, don't give up yet--you may yet do so. Should that happy event occur, you may end up as puzzled as I am that most of Malcom Muggeridge is out of print. A Third Testament, for instance was the accompanying book for a series of films/TV shows written and narrated by Mr. M.M.. You'd think since Little, Brown published the book, and it was owned by Time-Life, which also owned the shows, that ads would be popping up on late night TV for the whole Time-Life Muggeridge collection. Think again. Or you'd think that since Collins Books (now part of HarperCollins) brought out the two volumes of his autobiography, The Chronicles of Wasted Time, to rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic, that someone might trouble to keep them in print. Think again again.
The reason must be that the author's life was too dull, his writing style too lifeless and dry, his testament (whatever that is) prescribed bedtime reading for insomniacs. His titles notably absent from the bestseller list, he would understandably not be a household name. One wouldn't recognize him as a former editor of the British humour magazine, Punch, or as a player on the BBC's send-up of the news, That Was the Week That Was. But that would explain why his books are so side-splittingly funny. One also wouldn't know that he did the first BBC interview with Mother Teresa, and was profoundly moved by her life, an inspiration evident in A Third Testament. That would explain why his books are so profound. Nor would one know of the awakening in his soul that led him to tirelessly denounce the idiocy of modern life even as Malcom and his wife, Kitty, simplified their own lives to follow a different drummer. That would explain why this book by a late convert to the Catholic Church was reprinted by Plough Publishing and praised by readers of all spiritual stripes. But nothing can explain why these Muggeridge books are all out of print, or keep readers who have tasted one from tracking down them all.
Rating: - The Third Testament
AN AMAZING BOOK! I picked this book up randomly. It was in a forgotten RELIGIOUS section of a city library. Malcolm takes scattered history and complicated theology and reveals what it simply looked like in the lives of these great leaders. Definitely food for the heart and the soul!
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