Ten Elshof, Gregg A. I Told Me So: Self-Deception and the Christian Life. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009. ISBN: 9780802864115. Meet the Author Gregg A. Ten Elshof is Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Biola University. Elshof has written two books: Introspection Vindicated: An Essay In Defense Of The Perceptual Model Of Self Knowledge and I Told Me So: Self-Deception and the Christian Life. For additional information, view his curriculum Read More …
Review of Rowan’s Rule (#0081)
Shortt, Rupert. Rowan's Rule: The Biography of the Archbishop of Cantebury. US edition: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009. ISBN: 9780802864611. Meet the Author Rupert Shortt is the religion editor of the London Times Literary Supplement. He is the author of four books: Rowan's Rule: The Biography of the Archbishop of Canterbury; God's Advocates: Christian Thinkers in Conversation; Rowan Williams: An Introduction; and Benedict XVI: Commander of the Faith. Book Read More …
Religion with Relevance / The Language of God (#0080)
On Friday, April 16 the United Church of Christ launched a new marketing effort within the framework of their popular Still Speaking campaign. An undated letter published several weeks prior to the launch explains this new commercial, The Language of God, will be different in "how it will be carried / launched / delivered by you. For the first time, we will be relying on a grassroots, viral campaign to 'spiral' our message across the internet via web-based ads, Facebook, YouTube, Read More …
Review of Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful (#0079)
Parrett, Gary A. and Kang, S. Steve. Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful: A Biblical Vision for Education in the Church. InterVarsity Press Academic, 2009. ISBN: 9780830825875. Meet the Authors Gary A. Parrett is Professor of Educational Ministries and Worship at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Parret has over twenty years of pastoral ministry experience and has co-authored three books: Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way (with J. Read More …
Review of The Devil Reads Derrida (#0078)
Smith, James K. A. The Devil Reads Derrida and Other Essays on the University, the Church, and the Arts. William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2009. ISBN: 8780802864079. Meet the Author James K. A. Smith is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Calvin College and the Executive Director of The Society of Christian Philosophers. Smith is a prolific writer and the author of several books including Introducing Radical Orthodoxy and Who's Afraid of Postmodernism? For Read More …
Review of Tribal Church (#0077)
Merritt, Carol Howard. Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation. The Alban Institute, 2007. Meet the Author Rev. Merritt is an ordained Presbyterian Church, USA pastor. She has served congregations in Louisiana and Rhode Island. Currently she serves Western Presbyterian Church - an intergenerational church in Washington D.C. She and Bruce Reyes-Chow co-host the Internet talk radio show The God Complex. Tribal Church is Merritt's first Read More …
Who is Jesus? – Jesus’ Prayers (#0076)
Christians are people of prayer. Many larger congregations have multiple prayer ministries. Many people are regularly exposed to and participate in prayer in a variety of ways - alone and in corporate worship; through prayer lists or chains; as a prayer partner or in a prayer group; or as a student or leader in a class on prayer. While praying is a given, prayer guided by the example of Jesus is often limited to praying the Lord's Prayer or Our Read More …
Who is Jesus? – Jesus’ Parables (#0075)
The Jesus' Parables As I read and re-read the four biblical gospels, I became acutely aware of just how often Jesus spoke in parables. About one third of his teaching took the form of a parable. While the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son are the two most well known parables, there are actually between thirty and forty parables in the gospels. (The exact number not agreed upon since similar material is used by different gospel writers and because there is no universally Read More …
Who is Jesus? – The Jesus Priorities (#0074)
The Jesus Priorities: 8 Essential Habits While my own reading of the gospels began to help form and reform some of my views of who Jesus is, it was my encounter with a more comprehensive study that helped me deepen and broaden my thinking. Christopher Maricle's The Jesus Priorities: 8 Essential Habits (2007) summarizes his study of the words and actions of Jesus in the gospels in relation to the question: "What did Jesus say and do during his public ministry that would be instructive Read More …
Who is Jesus? – The Jesus Creed (#0073)
As someone who has been involved in churches near both ends of the creedal continuum, I was intrigued to read Scot McKnight's The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others. I approached this book as someone who had served congregations that held the creeds in high esteem and congregations that were non-creedal in practice preferring instead to live by the phrase "no creed but Christ." I am more interested in Christian unity than in finding ways to separate and Read More …