I’ve mentioned Stephen Prothero’s revolutionary book, God is Not One, in this blog before. I think his writings are worth noting, especially with the hopes that he could be signaling a change in the ways our culture discusses different religious views. At the beginning of a new year, it may be worth praying that a new cultural trend will accompany the new calendar.
I’ll be presenting a number of seminars in the next few days about sharing the gospel. One seminar seeks insight about the question, “Are people really lost without Christ?” Another seminar tries to give an overview of the entire Bible’s missional message. I promised people I would post my suggestions for further study on these topics. I could have come up with a much longer list but I wanted to keep it manageable and current. So here’s what I came up with:
I just recently reread parts of Tim Keller’s The Reason for God. If you haven’t read it yet, I urge you to do so. I think it may be the most important evangelistic work to come along since C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity. In fact, Keller has said in a few interviews, that his hope was that this book could serve as a Mere Christianity for the twenty-first century. I think it certainly could. The book showcases Keller’s gift for addressing believers and non-believers in equally meaningful and engaging ways.
I’ve been reading Robert Putnam and David Campbell’s American Grace. Based on the most (or one of the most) extensive surveys about religion in American life, this study is worth careful consideration by those who want to understand and reach out to those around them.
This whole world of blogging and writing poses numerous challenges for the development of humility. “Read my blog” and “Buy my book” don’t naturally lend themselves towards the obedience of “Humble yourself before the mighty hand of God.”
April is National Poetry Month. I hope you have a few favorite poems that you’ll dust off and enjoy. And I hope you will explore poetry a bit more, regardless of how much or little it has shaped you thus far.
Poems touch places where prose can’t go. They scratch where other genres don’t reach. They ignite or fan into flame emotions that otherwise remain cold.
In some recent blog debates, some people have defended unorthodox theology, seeking support from C.S. Lewis. “Lewis believed some questionable things and people don’t reject him,” they reason.
It has caused me to reflect on why I like Lewis so much, even when I think he occassionally misses the mark.
Ten years ago, I was given a copy of Operation World, a prayer guide to every country in the world. After recovering from the marvel at all the work required to produce such a tool, I began to use it on a regular basis to pray for the world.
But the book was almost obsolete the minute it was published. Just days after its 2001 release, terrorists