This is one of the best books you will ever read about the Christian ministry. That is a dramatic claim. Right now, you’re asking yourself if it’s true. After all, this book written by New Testament scholar D. A. Carson and published by Crossway Books in 2008 is just shy of 160 pages; it doesn’t treat a figure of major historical significance; it doesn’t claim to be an exhaustive primer on the Christian ministry. Indeed, it’s rather paradoxical in nature–it’s... Read more
I confess that until recently I had not watched a minute of the ABC show “Extreme Home Makeover.” Then, randomly, I watched a few moments several weeks ago, my snobbery at mainstream American entertainment (temporarily) overcome. I came away touched by the show’s heart, even as I found aspects of it quite interesting. There’s another show remarkably similar to this one, called “Oprah’s Big Give” or something like that. The thing I find most interesting, and potentially troubling, about both... Read more
1. Earlier this week, I wrote about the movie Once. Here’s the movie’s key song, “Falling Slowly”. Tell me it’s not a great song. It’s especially exhilarating to see the song performed in the movie. It’s all make-believe, of course, but in the movie, the key actors compose it together in a music store. It’s funny, and it’s quite believable, and the song is beautiful. I like the quieter part, the man’s low voice, and the piano. Give it a... Read more
The LA Times published a piece today arguing that the recent California decision to limit homeschool to “credentialed” parents has been misunderstood. The piece’s authors, Walter P. Coombs and Ralph Shaffer, are professors emeriti at Cal Poly Pomona. They make some questionable points in “Regulating Home Schoolers”, a piece so bad it fairly begs for satirization. For instance, read this statement: “The court’s decision means that home schoolers must be given some substantive instruction in social studies and not simply... Read more
Eliot Spitzer, the governor of New York, has resigned after it became public that he had hired prostitutes through a “high-end clientele” business. The story is sordid, and very sad for the people whom Mr. Spitzer has let down. This would include, significantly, his wife, and, not insignificantly, the state of New York. In looking at web coverage of this event, I came across this article in the LA Times by an evolutionary biologist. David Barash argues in “Want a... Read more
Mark Kriegel’s Pistol came out in 2007 and tells the fascinating and tragic story of the basketball player known as “Pistol” Pete Maravich (1947-1988). I highly recommend it to most anyone who likes reading, and to those who like biographies, and to those who like sports, and to those who like good writing. This is a sizeable group of would-be readers, I know, but it’s justifiably sizeable. Kriegel is a solid historian, a talented storyteller, and has good insight into... Read more
Here’s a movie you should consider seeing: Once. It’s an independent film made for $160,000, and yet it is better than many films costing 100 times more. It is not an incredible film, but it has a soul. It tells a simple but moving message of the power of music. To briefly summarize the film, a street musician (“Guy”) meets a street saleswoman (“Girl”). The two share a love of music and end up making it together. I won’t reveal... Read more
1. Sovereign Grace recently posted a review of what sounds like a terrific rap cd. It’s by Tony Reinke, assistant to Sovereign Grace director C. J. Mahaney. I haven’t heard the album in full, though I’ve heard it in parts, and I can say that Tony hits the nail on the head, and reveals that rap, though it may sound strange to some, can actually prove to be a very theologically friendly style of music. All the lines that rappers... Read more
The New Yorker has a good story on a series of books that you may or may not have heard about. They’re called the “Gossip Girl” books and they deal with a pack of tony New York prep school kids who act like, well, tony New York prep school kids. I can write that line with credibility–I went to college with a bunch of this type. They were fascinating to a small-town Maine boy, much like a rare species of... Read more
Have you been shopping recently and found yourself not so much helped by store staff but accosted? My wife has had this experience a number of times in past months. She’s gone out to the mall, browsed in a few stores, and had upwards of ten store employees stop her in the span of about twenty minutes to ask her if she needs help, wants information, or can’t find something she wants. The first few times she’s thankful and a... Read more
Thought Life
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In