What is being a pastor? Is it more like being a teacher? Is it more like being a statesman? Is it more like being a psychologist? Is it some combination of the above? Or something else entire? The world is full of books about how to preach, and full of books about how to lead, R. Scott Pace and Jim Shaddix have published a little book that attempts to tie these two things together and clearly articulate the function of... Read more
Every once in a while we come across a book that is convicting, challenging, obviously correct in its every claim, and yet will probably have no measurable impact on my day-to-day life. Neil Postman’s Amusing ourselves to death was one such book for me. Now Andrew Davis’s How to Memorize Scripture for Life: From one verse to entire books may very well be another. Look, I know I should be memorizing God’s Word. It’s a clear command. It’s good for me. It’s... Read more
After several years of effort, I’ve finally wrapped up the final volume of the First Series of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, John Chrysostom’s Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and Hebrews. As with the other books in this series, this one is excellent. While I don’t always agree with Chrysostom’s exegesis, his pastoral concerns and crisply aimed at the lives and hearts of his congregation. “I may without knowing it be treating you for one disease while you are... Read more
As I opened the blank page to write a review of Andre Naselli’s short book Predestination: An Introduction (part of the excellent “short studies in systematic theology” series from Crossway), I turned off the audiobook version of Senator John Danforth’s book Faith in Politics. I just happened–though Naselli would be quick to point out that it is definitely not by chance–to be listening to Danforth recount his visit to Cambodia in the wake of the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge. Starving and dying... Read more
In the summer of 2021, Evangelicals across America tuned in to Christianity Today’s podcast “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.” (You can listen to a discussion about it here.) Now the host, Mike Cosper, has released a new book called Land of My Sojourn: The Landscape of a Faith Lost and Found. Land of my Sojourn is made up of three parts loosely woven together. The first is a memoir of Cosper’s time founding a church (“Sojourn”) in Louisville, and how he... Read more
I’ve said on this blog in the past that both of the Reacher movies and Season 1 of the Reacher show are excellent, and worth your time. The same is true of Reacher, Season 2. In Season 2, we get a peek behind the scenes at Reacher, kind-of. That is, we get a picture of his past and his military unit, who were tasked with doing exactly what we’ve seen Reacher himself doing in Season 1 of the series: fighting bad guys (albeit more... Read more
Neil Gaiman’s 1602 is a clever idea, well-written (as we should expect from Gaiman), and generally faithful to both sets of its source material. If you’ve not heard of it (either because you don’t follow graphic novels or because this came out almost two decades ago), this is basically the story of the colonization of America with the Puritans dropped out and superheroes put in their place. And again, this is faithful to both sources its drawing on. The Marvel characters are... Read more
I’m late to the Super Mario Bros Movie bandwagon, but I’m glad I jumped on it when I did. Granted, I don’t have the same fond memories of the game that a lot of people do (largely having been confined to playing it at friends’/cousins’ houses, at least until the emulator boom of the 21st century came along). And the earlier movie is best left unmentioned. That said, this movie is very, very, well done. Even without the nostalgia factor on my... Read more
I don’t know who the greatest living Christian scholar is, but there is a good argument to be made that it is George Marsden. Winner of multiple prestigious awards, Marsden’s scholarship is both academically rigorous and readable by non-specialists (and that is NOT a common combination). And while all of his works are worth your attention, his newest is as excellent as anything he’s produced so far. An Infinite Fountain of Light: Jonathan Edwards for the Twenty-First Century is a great... Read more
Review of "Jesus and the Gift of Friendship" by Trillia Newbell Read more
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