Overview

After Jesus glanced at the temple coin, he said, ""Render to Caesar."" This book's title and theme are based upon Jesus' command to give allegiance to both the state and God. Coauthor David Bentley is the historian-theologian who reads and translates the coins' messages. Coauthor Brad Yonaka is the geologist-scientist who finds the copper, silver, and gold coins which are on display in nearly one hundred photo-figures throughout the text. Our God is represented by the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam); his divine name has appeared on coins since biblical times. Even the most theologically astute readers will be surprised by our introduction of Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila as ""tabernacle-makers"" not ""tent-makers."" Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, a few ancient Persian empires, the Islamic caliphs, and Qur'anic messages are present in this book. Each stamped their impressions on civilization. When Lincoln added ""In God We Trust"" during the Civil War, was it as Jesus commanded, a combination of honoring divine and governmental authorities? Or was it a counterfeit trust in dead presidents or self?

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9781532670695

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Reviews

What is most striking about this book is the realization that all through history coins have unique stories to tell. They teach us about what people believed, especially their search for the divine, but also what they thought about themselves and the meaning of government. In this quest, some leaders blatantly deified themselves. The authors choose a topic, such as Gnosticism, Manichaeism, or Islam, give the context, and tie it in with a coin produced at the time. One hundred photo-figures throughout the text make the stories that much more interesting. This book will enhance mutual understanding among people of different faiths and give opportunities for Christian witness. --Warren Larson, Senior Research Fellow and Professor, Zwemer Center for Muslim Studies, Columbia International University

Author Information

David Bentley continues on a journey to meet Muslims in the United States that began with his family while serving in Jordanian and Iranian churches. His book The 99 Beautiful Names of God: For All the People of the Book (1999) was succeeded by Persian Princess@magi.com (2000), an enactment of his walk with magi through bristling Middle East nations. He translated Priest and Prophet for a Lebanese author in 2005. A novel, Wedding Haircut: A Prenuptial Rite of Passage for 9/11 Terrorists (2011), redeems a groom in a global year of terror. Brad Yonaka is a numismatic researcher and has written two books on Latin American coinage. He has lived and traveled extensively in Latin America and the Middle East, visiting locations of historical importance from ancient times onwards in the latter region. Professionally, he is an exploration geologist, working in mineral exploration. He is familiar with the places where gold and other metals were found and traded historically, and the metallurgy involved with the manufacture of coins.

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