Books and Culture

The latest print edition of Books and Culture, the 15th anniversary edition, is the best I’ve read. I read B&C each time it arrives in my mailbox, but I confess to reading only about 70% — some articles just don’t interest me much.

But this recent edition raised that percentage significantly.

Some of this stuff is online, but not all — and I’d urge you to consider subscribing. Some of you may not even know what B&C is: it is an intelligent monthly Christian review of books and culture — not just theological books, but books across the spectrum, including novels and monographs. One of the highlights is the quality of the writing.

Here goes on what’s in this issue: an excerpt from Philip Yancey’s new book, a cutting review by Mark Noll of a multi-authored work  on social impact of the Bible, an interview with classicist Sarah Ruden on the apostle Paul, a wondrous piece by Frederica Mathewes-Green on icons, Jeremy Begbie essays on the history of Christian music — with 1000 years not open to notes, Timothy Larsen’s exceptional piece on Knossos, and an incredible piece by David Lyle Jeffrey on Christianity in China (he thinks there’s about 50 million) … and then there’s Molly Worthen’s study of Niebuhr, Billy Graham and Paul Tillich (yes, that’s right), Nicholas Wolterstorff’s examination of a recent book on justice … and then one more I will mention: Amy Reynolds and Catherine H. Crouch on the science and religion debates.

Wow, just great reading.