Books by Robert P Vande Kappelle

In this third volume of his ""Adventures in Spirituality"" trilogy, Dr. Robert Vande Kappelle travels from Amsterdam to Cairo in search of his cultural and spiritual roots, inviting readers to join him in exploring fabled places across the Mediterranean World. Despite the grave problems centered in this region, it is the birthplace of Western civilization and the source of the world's three guiding religions. Readers unfamiliar with the emergence and development of Western civilization will find Into Thin Places a compelling introduction; others will discover here a new perspective.Affirming the human quest for adventure, meaning, and wholeness, Professor Vande Kappelle beckons adventurers to enjoy the wonderful experiences described in the book's ""travel entries."" Those seeking historical and cultural perspective will want to examine the numerous ""explanatory entries"" scattered throughout the narrative. These vignettes expand and deepen the storyline, piquing curiosity about seminal events, persons, and places that helped shape Western sensibility.As Dr. Vande Kappelle points out in his closing chapter, our world is in a state of crisis, precipitated by numerous factors but primarily by the loss of the sacred. ""Whether the current crisis is curable is debatable, but it will clearly require massive cultural reorientation. More importantly, it will require a transformation of the human spirit and a commitment of will."" Into Thin Places encourages readers to find ""thin places""--places transparent to the divine--in their own transformative journeys of discovery.

In 1989 Dr. Robert Vande Kappelle cycled solo cross-country. The 3,400-mile trip was the seed project for the Washington County (Pennsylvania) chapter of Habitat for Humanity. For forty-two days he went ""Homeless for Habitat,"" placing himself and his personal needs in the hands of strangers he met along the way. At the beginning he cycled across some of the most mountainous--and spectacular--terrain in America. After he crossed the Rockies, a nagging headwind arose, which only intensified with time. That, coupled with a deteriorating bicycle--along one of the most desolate stretches of the journey--produced spiritual testing of epic proportions.He was tempted to compromise the integrity of the trek, then to quit the trek, and finally to curse his circumstances. He sensed he was climbing an invisible mountain, whose top could not be reached. After venting his anger and frustration, he discerned that tailwinds and flat terrain rarely evoke wisdom. Insight flows freely, however, from the watershed atop life's invisible mountains.The Invisible Mountain narrates the account of that trek. The story examines the trek as adventure, spiritual odyssey, and as metaphor for the journey of life.In the words of Millard Fuller, co-founder of Habitat for Humanity International and The Fuller Center for Housing: ""Ride with [Bob Vande Kappelle] as you read. You will enjoy the trip and you will gain all sorts of insights . . . and perhaps most importantly, you will learn about yourself and grow spiritually as you experience vicariously the wonderful adventure of this 'journey of faith.'""

Description:Music, like romance, is the language of the soul. Music allows us to express ourselves, and in so doing makes us feel alive. Jazz music, the only art form created by Americans, reminds us that the genius of America is improvisation; a good beat, a contagious rhythm, an emotional ballad, creative improvisation, jazz has it all. Jazz is the story of extraordinary human beings, black and white, male and female, children of privilege and children of despair, who were able to do what most of us only dream of doing: create art on the spot. Their stories are told in Blue Notes.Blue Notes contains profiles of 365 jazz personalities, one for each day of the year. Each vignette tells a story, some heartwarming, others tragic, but all memorable. The daily entries also provide valuable information on jazz styles, jazz history, instruments and instrumentalists, and such related topics as jazz and religion, women in jazz, drug and alcohol abuse, and racism. These topics can be referenced through an extensive set of indexes. The book's appendix includes helpful background information, a concise overview of jazz music, and even a quiz on jazz biography.While Blue Notes is written for jazz fans in general, experts will value its comprehensive nature. So whether you are curious about jazz or simply love and appreciate music, Blue Notes will provide daily moments of discovery and help you recognize what the rest of the world already has, a music so compelling that it can be said to define the human being in the twentieth century.Endorsements:""My affair with [jazz] has lasted fifty-three years. And in that time I have seen her power firsthand: the power to make men forget their differences and come together; the power to make one's heart swell until it feels like it's going to jump out of your chest; the power to make you laugh, cry, jump, dance, think, and love. It's a power that doesn't recognize color, class, religion, or geographic boundaries--it's universal.""--Quincy Jones: arranger, composer, bandleader, trumpeter, pianist, record producer (from the foreword to Jazz: The First Century, edited by John Edward Hasse; New York: William Morrow, 2000.About the Contributor(s):Robert P. Vande Kappelle is Professor of Religious Studies at historic Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. He is the author of three books: Love Never Fails, The Invisible Mountain, and Into Thin Places, which comprise his ""Adventures in Spirituality"" trilogy.

Music, like romance, is the language of the soul. Music allows us to express ourselves, and in so doing makes us feel alive. Jazz music, the only art form created by Americans, reminds us that the genius of America is improvisation; a good beat, a contagious rhythm, an emotional ballad, creative improvisation, jazz has it all. Jazz is the story of extraordinary human beings, black and white, male and female, children of privilege and children of despair, who were able to do what most of us only dream of doing: create art on the spot. Their stories are told in Blue Notes.Blue Notes contains profiles of 365 jazz personalities, one for each day of the year. Each vignette tells a story, some heartwarming, others tragic, but all memorable. The daily entries also provide valuable information on jazz styles, jazz history, instruments and instrumentalists, and such related topics as jazz and religion, women in jazz, drug and alcohol abuse, and racism. These topics can be referenced through an extensive set of indexes. The book's appendix includes helpful background information, a concise overview of jazz music, and even a quiz on jazz biography.While Blue Notes is written for jazz fans in general, experts will value its comprehensive nature. So whether you are curious about jazz or simply love and appreciate music, Blue Notes will provide daily moments of discovery and help you recognize what the rest of the world already has, a music so compelling that it can be said to define the human being in the twentieth century.

In this third volume of his ""Adventures in Spirituality"" trilogy, Dr. Robert Vande Kappelle travels from Amsterdam to Cairo in search of his cultural and spiritual roots, inviting readers to join him in exploring fabled places across the Mediterranean World. Despite the grave problems centered in this region, it is the birthplace of Western civilization and the source of the world's three guiding religions. Readers unfamiliar with the emergence and development of Western civilization will find Into Thin Places a compelling introduction; others will discover here a new perspective.Affirming the human quest for adventure, meaning, and wholeness, Professor Vande Kappelle beckons adventurers to enjoy the wonderful experiences described in the book's ""travel entries."" Those seeking historical and cultural perspective will want to examine the numerous ""explanatory entries"" scattered throughout the narrative. These vignettes expand and deepen the storyline, piquing curiosity about seminal events, persons, and places that helped shape Western sensibility.As Dr. Vande Kappelle points out in his closing chapter, our world is in a state of crisis, precipitated by numerous factors but primarily by the loss of the sacred. ""Whether the current crisis is curable is debatable, but it will clearly require massive cultural reorientation. More importantly, it will require a transformation of the human spirit and a commitment of will."" Into Thin Places encourages readers to find ""thin places""--places transparent to the divine--in their own transformative journeys of discovery.

In 1989 Dr. Robert Vande Kappelle cycled solo cross-country. The 3,400-mile trip was the seed project for the Washington County (Pennsylvania) chapter of Habitat for Humanity. For forty-two days he went ""Homeless for Habitat,"" placing himself and his personal needs in the hands of strangers he met along the way. At the beginning he cycled across some of the most mountainous--and spectacular--terrain in America. After he crossed the Rockies, a nagging headwind arose, which only intensified with time. That, coupled with a deteriorating bicycle--along one of the most desolate stretches of the journey--produced spiritual testing of epic proportions.He was tempted to compromise the integrity of the trek, then to quit the trek, and finally to curse his circumstances. He sensed he was climbing an invisible mountain, whose top could not be reached. After venting his anger and frustration, he discerned that tailwinds and flat terrain rarely evoke wisdom. Insight flows freely, however, from the watershed atop life's invisible mountains.The Invisible Mountain narrates the account of that trek. The story examines the trek as adventure, spiritual odyssey, and as metaphor for the journey of life.In the words of Millard Fuller, co-founder of Habitat for Humanity International and The Fuller Center for Housing: ""Ride with [Bob Vande Kappelle] as you read. You will enjoy the trip and you will gain all sorts of insights . . . and perhaps most importantly, you will learn about yourself and grow spiritually as you experience vicariously the wonderful adventure of this 'journey of faith.'""

If the New Testament represents the crown jewels of Christianity, the Gospel of John is its ""pearl of great price,"" the most beloved, most read, most quoted, most distinctive, most memorable, most debated book in its canon. Truth Revealed is ideal for individual and group study. It divides the Gospel of John into twelve units, providing helpful introductory features, summaries, learning objectives, and questions for each unit, and concludes by offering perspective on a specific topic that arises as one follows the narrative, always with an eye on the big picture, namely, guidance for daily living.Few sayings attributed to Jesus are better known or more widely quoted than the words ""You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"" (John 8:32). At his trial before Pilate, Jesus declared that his purpose in life was to witness to the truth. Pilate responds with the Gospel's most memorable question: ""What is truth?"" The answer is explored in Truth Revealed, a commentary that provides literary, theological, historical, and textual guidelines for understanding the message of this ancient work in a way that is accessible and applicable to twenty-first century readers.""Robert Vande Kappelle does it again. Truth Revealed is masterfully organized and serves as a guide to the Gospel of John for scholars, laity, and novices of the Bible. With depth of information and an inquisitive style, Bob provides a tool for our own search for spiritual truth.""--Daniel A. Stinson, Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, PA""Since the first century, the gospels have occasionally been read and interpreted anti-semitically. In his commentary on John, Vande Kappelle demonstrates the Jewishness of Jesus and of his original followers. Written in a clear and lively style, Truth Revealed examines John's gospel historically, theologically, and literarily, in an ecumenically engaging manner. This book can help Christians rediscover the first-century setting of their faith and can be used profitably in current Jewish-Christian dialogue.""--Rabbi David Novitsky, Beth Israel Synagogue, Washington, PA""Truth Revealed is a fitting coda from a long-time teacher and lifelong student of Scripture. Robert Vande Kappelle's clearly ecumenical approach draws insight from a vast array of scholarship and across the theological spectrum. This book can be used with profit by scholars, students, and general readers who sense there is yet greater truth to be discovered in John's good news.""--Walter C. Weaver, Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, PARobert P. Vande Kappelle is Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, PA. He is the author of eight books; his most recent titles are Beyond Belief (2012), Iron Sharpens Iron (2013), and Hope Revealed (2013), a commentary on the book of Revelation. He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA).