The Gospel as Manuscript (Oxford University Press, 2020) We read the Gospels on our computers, phones, and in print, and we often take for granted that the story of Jesus was written down. We assume if something was important, it was inevitable that it became recorded in literature. Chris Keith, in his new book The Gospel as Manuscript, pauses to consider this event, the “textualization” of the Jesus tradition, as an important occasion in the lives of the early Christians. Here… Read more

Confession: Lately, I have been going on a “Mary Beard” binge, especially watching every online lecture she has given. If you are not familiar, she is Professor of Classics at Cambridge and a world renowned historian of ancient Roman literature. I just watched her 2019 lecture on “Whiteness” in the Roman World, it was absolutely fascinating. She notes that some white supremacists today imagine some kind of white legacy going back to Greece and Rome. Beard questions that narrative and… Read more

My friend Max was kind enough to answer some questions about his important new book Moral Transformation in the Greco-Roman Philosophy of Mind (Mohr Siebeck, 2020).   NKG: How did you become interested in the topic of “moral transformation” in the ancient philosophers? MJL: How does a person change? Ever since I became a Christian my sophomore year in college at Cal Berkeley, I wondered: If sin has formed me a certain way for 19 years of my life until the… Read more

Good for IVP IVP is grateful for the prophetic voices of our authors who share their stories, educate us when we are uninformed, and challenge us with the truth. Learn from these books as we pursue justice, wholeness, and racial righteousness in our homes, churches, and communities. Choose ONE  free e-book from their selection of recent works on justice, and some works by writers of color. Make sure to use the promo code: JUST20, sale ends June 12. There are lots… Read more

Free Book: Gospel of Mark   Truth be told, I already own this whole set on Logos. The editors have extracted helpful snippets on each section of the Gospel of Mark from early Christian writers like Augustine, Ambrosiaster, Jerome, and Chrysostom. I use this series all the time, both for academic study and for personal Bible study. Grab this volume for free while you can! While You’re At It Logos has also discounted a couple of volumes from the REFORMATION… Read more

It has taken me a long time to figure out what I want to say publicly about what is going on in America right now. (BTW: my town of Portland, Ore. has been on mandatory curfew the last few days because of the mayhem around the city.) I am frustrated, not just with the brutality against black people in recent years, but also the fact that nothing ever changes. This news cycle is enduring, but in my more cynical moments, I… Read more