In Praise of Slowness: A Q&A with Slow Church authors Chris Smith and John Pattison

Last updated on: June 4, 2014 at 11:54 am By Guest Contributor

“By learning to live a slow, attentive life together in our churches, we give our neighbors and the world a tiny but irresistible taste of a life that is rich, vibrant and full of meaning. Isn’t that ultimately what everybody wants?” — Christopher Smith, author, Slow Church This month at the Patheos Book Club, we’re featuring the new book Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus, by John Pattison and Christopher Smith. Here, the authors answer some questions about... Read more

God and the Gay Christian: An Evangelical Response

Last updated on: May 22, 2014 at 11:12 am By Amber Stamper

I liked "God and the Gay Christian" because it got me more engaged with my faith, inspired me to think, and pushed me to seek out the knowledge and the wisdom to better articulate my beliefs about the biblical position on gay marriage. Read more

The Problem of Gendercide: A Q&A with Elizabeth Gerhardt

Last updated on: May 15, 2014 at 4:48 pm By Deborah Arca

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In her new book, The Cross and Gendercide: A Theological Response to Global Violence Against Women and Girls, theology and social ethics professor Elizabeth Gerhardt makes a case that violence and sexual assault against women is heresy. In her groundbreaking study, Gerhardt proposes a holistic theology of the cross as the basis for a prophetic response by the church to a problem that is not only moral and ethical, but also confessional. Here, Dr. Gerhardt responds to a few questions about her important book.... Read more

Where the Wind Leads: A Q&A with Vinh Chung

Last updated on: May 15, 2014 at 12:14 pm By Deborah Arca

As you can see in my family, the actions we take in this world can impact generations and perhaps an eternity. Read more

Christian Piatt’s Blood Doctrine: A Review

Last updated on: May 6, 2014 at 11:19 am By Amber Stamper

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The fast pace and brief episodic organization of Blood Doctrine make it a quick read, and the sheer unexpectedness of the plot twists will keep readers rapidly turning the pages. Read more

God and the Gay Christian: A Q&A with Matthew Vines

Last updated on: May 1, 2014 at 10:11 am By Guest Contributor

“Jesus indicates in the Sermon on the Mount that good teachings should bear good fruit. The consequences of the evangelical church’s categorical rejection of same-sex relationships have been anything but good: higher likelihoods of depression, illegal drug use, relational brokenness, and suicide. Those are all red flags that opposing same-sex marriage isn’t the best understanding of Scripture.” — Matthew Vines, author This month, the Patheos Book Club features a controversial new book examining the Bible’s view on same-sex relationships. The... Read more

Arms Open Wide: A Q&A with Sherri Gragg

Last updated on: April 30, 2014 at 3:38 pm By Guest Contributor

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“I have heard so many people express their belief that God is an angry God, waiting to pass judgment on them when they fail. I hope after reading my book, they forever see Him as a loving Father who welcomes us to His table with arms open wide.” — Sherri Gragg This month at the Book Club, we’re featuring a new devotional book, Arms Open Wide: A Call to Linger in the Savior’s Presence, by popular author Sherri Gragg. Here,... Read more

My Friends, the Saints: A Q&A with Elizabeth Ficocelli

Last updated on: April 30, 2014 at 1:39 pm By Deborah Arca

“Once I began to read about the saints, I was greatly surprised to discover how real and human they were. They were not perfect people, and they were poignantly aware of that. But each one of the saints had a deep desire to enter into an intimate relationship with God and purge themselves of their character flaws to embrace God’s will rather than their own. Their humility made the saints quite approachable to me.” — Elizabeth Ficocelli, author In her... Read more

Richard Cole on Becoming Catholic, Finally

Last updated on: April 17, 2014 at 11:00 am By Deborah Arca

After a lifetime of spiritual searching, Richard Cole found what he was looking for in the most surprising of places — a small, unassuming monastery in southern Texas. Cole’s wife had given him a three-day retreat at the Benedictine monastery for his 49th-birthday, and Cole went, thinking it would be a nice few days of relaxation and reading. What he didn’t expect, was to come home with a heart strangely on fire for Catholicism. Here, Richard talks with us about... Read more

Signs and Wonders: On Writing a Book for My Wedding Anniversary

Last updated on: April 15, 2014 at 2:44 pm By Guest Contributor

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Editor’s Note: This month in the Patheos Book Club, we’re featuring the new book Jehoshua: Signs and Wonders. Here, author Garrett Glass reveals the surprising inspiration behind the project. My 30th wedding anniversary was approaching in 2012. What special thing do you get a spouse who has been by your side for such a long period of time, and whom you’ve loved for longer than that? Whatever it was, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to find it at... Read more