Christian Review Magazine Issue 4 - April 2015 | Page 86

THE GLORY OF THE CRUSADES by Steve Weidenkopf
Catholic Answers - Christian History - Available Now
Reviewed by Christian St John

SEVEN LAST WORDS by Terry Minchow-Proffitt
Middle Island Press - Poetry - Available Now
Reviewed by Christian St John

Whenever I find myself in a conversation about
Christianity with a non-believer, quite often the issue of
the Crusades will come up. And before reading this book I
wouldn’t know what to say in response, as quite often
their comments of the Crusades being about power, lust,
greed, and religious bigotry seemed justified.

The seven sayings of Christ from the cross, seven sayings
found in the Gospel accounts, have been a source of
hope, encouragement, and strength in the lives of many
believers. Terry Minchow_Proffitt, a retired pastor, has
written seven poems based on the seven saying of Christ
on the cross.

If you too have had those kinds of conversations, The
Glory of the Crusades may seem to be a totally
contradictory title, especially when held against the
commonly held belief that the Crusades were nothing
more than a turn or die quest for converts, as well as a
driving force for power and greed. But save for the
hearsay, how much do people actually know about the
Crusades? According to the books author not a lot.

I’ve never been one for going out of my way to read
poetry. But I do appreciate good poetry whenever I come
across it. And I have to say that I have read and re-read
the seven poems contained in this short book many times
since receiving it. Some it what is written is instantly
understandable, while other idea’s the author presents
may take a while to sink in… and I’ll be the first to admit
that I’m still a little confused over some of the imagery
presented.

The Glory of the Crusades goes a long way to shining light
on what actually happened and why the Crusades were
begun in the first place. And here’s a hint of what you'll
find should you choose to read this book… the Crusades
were not all about the stuff they are commonly believed
to be about. Personally, as a student of Christian history I
found this book to be a fascinating read, and it has given
me some valuable insights and knowledge to call upon
should I ever need to defend my faith in light of the
Crusades.
86 > CHRISTIAN REVIEW MAGAZINE

Seven Last Words isn’t a very big book - 61 pages in length
with 18 pages dedicated to the poems themselves; the
rest of the book is made up on forward, afterword, an
interview with the author about the poems themselves,
and a contributors page. This may not be the fattest of
books, but if poetry’s your thing, I‘m sure that you will
find yourself going back to these poems again again, all
the while discovering new thoughts and ideas contained
within the words.