By E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien. It happened. We elected a president. The world didn’t end and we still have the internet. Whew. Regardless of who won, at one level the situation is the same.Whichever way the election fell, a large number of Christians woke up disappointed on November 9. They found themselves with a president who doesn’t represent their Christian values. There may or may not have ever been a time when America was a “Christian nation,”... Read more
By Brandon J. O’Brien and E. Randolph Richards. When news broke about an audio recording of presidential candidate Donald Trump’s “locker room” talk, my mind went to a strange place: the apostle Paul. Paul and Trump don’t share a lot in common on the surface. Paul was a Mediterranean Jew; Trump is a New York Presbyterian. Paul was an itinerate preacher; Trump a real estate magnate. But for all their differences, they do share this: they have both been labeled... Read more
When Gary Chapman first published The 5 Love Languages in 1992, he introduced a tool that could radically change the dynamics of a relationship. As we understand the language of love that different people “speak,” we can hear them in new ways and translate our own care and concern into the language of the other. Chapman’s work in this area undergirds this new book, Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade. He and co-authors Deborah Barr and Edward Shaw explore the... Read more
Tom Muzzio has a conversion story – from atheism to Christianity and back to atheism. Along the way, he experiences the inside world of Christian fundamentalism as a convert, then an ordained minister, and then a missionary. And then he leaves. His experiences with Christian hypocrisy, the play for power, and the hatred for gays bring him to clarity about his true identity and his need to be free of the Christian community. Since then, he has explored a new... Read more
There are probably as many personality tests out there as there are personalities, and they all have strengths and weaknesses in their support of the pursuit of a transformed life. The Enneagram, in this sense, is one of many, but it also makes some extraordinarily powerful and unique contributions to the work of conversion—the work of understanding self and seeking change. Ian Morgan Cron brings a wide range of perspectives to bear on the Enneagram. As a novelist, songwriter, Episcopal... Read more
“It may have surprised readers to see how vital prayer is in the individual and collective lives of those serving in high office, and yet this book illuminates that fact as a shining truth. Weekly prayer breakfasts, regular bible study groups, and conversations with others who also cherish God—these guide the relationships and inner lives of these men and women, and they strive to align their service with their values and belief systems.” In the midst of a contentious election... Read more
“‘Surface Tensions’ refers to the tension between inside and outside, isolation and interaction, solipsism and interpersonal unity. It refers to tension between the hollow, image-driven selves we attempt to create and the selves we humbly lay before each other’s feet––and how these tensions manifest themselves by way of the many modern surfaces (cell phones, movie screens, TV screens, tablets, and so on) that rest between us.” –Nathan Roberts, author In his new book Surface Tensions: Searching for Sacred Connection in a... Read more
My relationship with the books of the Bible is the same as it is with food: I like some portions more than others. I know it’s all scripture, all inspired. I get it. But over the course of 45 years or so of Christian living, some books just haven’t rung my bell at times. The book of Acts was the first one I remember. And I thought the Psalms were bland for a period of time (shows I hadn’t read very much of them doesn’t it?). Now... Read more
By Sarahbeth Caplin It was with great personal interest that I read Jewish-Christian Difference and Modern Jewish Identity by Shalom Goldman: a collection of mini-biographies about seven 20th-century converts from Judaism to Christianity, and vice versa. Of the seven, only one name was familiar to me besides the biblical Ruth: Moishe Rosen, the controversial founder of “Jews for Jesus,” the largest messianic Jewish organization in the world. Rosen’s story in particular implicitly asks the reader: what makes someone Jewish, or not Jewish? This question becomes... Read more
In his new book on Jewish identity, Shalom Goldman shows us that it’s not easy to become Jewish, even harder to try to leave, and, maybe most difficult of all, to remain Jewish in the face of changing beliefs. Read more
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