Tag Archives: Christian Life

After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters by NT Wright

Synopsis: Theologian NT Wright’s powerful exploration of the dynamism of sanctification. Review: After You Believe just blew my mind. I never thought much about sanctification beyond feeling like I’m a failure because the fruit of the Spirit don’t come naturally to me and I suck at following the rules. According to Wright, a British theologian, I’ve fallen prey to a very common error. I really can’t do justice to the depth of this book in a short blog post, but basically he says that we…

Read More »

Spiritual Mothering: The Titus 2 Model for Women Mentoring Women by Susan Hunt

Synopsis: A study on how to cultivate mentoring relationships among women. Review: We read through Spiritual Mothering in my Friday morning moms’ Bible Study, and we all really got a lot out of it. The basic idea is that women grow spiritually both by looking up to women who are older than them, either in age or in spiritual maturity, and that women also grow spiritually by becoming mentors themselves. The book offers insights from the Bible and from the author’s own spiritual journey and…

Read More »

Taliesin by Stephen R. Lawhead (The Pendragon Cycle, Book 1)

Synopsis: A princess of Atlantis flees to ancient England where her paths cross with a mage-in-training whose parentage is unknown. Review: I was drawn to Taliesin (which I desperately want to be an anagram of Atlantis, but it’s not) because it’s a retelling of the King Arthur legend with historically accurate place names and details, and with the Christianity an important, unoppressive element. Several major characters are converted to Christianity in episodes that are emotionally and spiritually powerful, but Lawhead doesn’t make that the happy…

Read More »

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

Synopsis: A semiotics-enthralled English major falls for a manic depressive scientific researcher, while being loved unrequitedly by a religious studies major for whom Mother Teresa is his last hope in a fruitless quest to find faith. Review: The best thing about The Marriage Plot is that it’s a fantastic story with characters that I connected with on a very deep level. Jeffrey Eugenides’s other two novels were good but didn’t fire up my emotions the way that this one did. Now that I’ve gotten that…

Read More »

Why We Are Not Emergent by Two Guys Who Should Be by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck

Synopsis: An overview of the emerging church movement from two critics, a pastor and a sportswriter. Review: I have been a fan of Kevin DeYoung for a while based on his appearances on the White Horse Inn, a favorite podcast of mine. And my interest in the emergent movement stems from my days as Managing Editor for a now defunct webzine covering Christianity and culture. I was there when Relevant Magazine launched and when The Ooze had only a few members. We were one of…

Read More »

Pause for Power by Warren Wiersbe

Synopsis: Daily devotions from Bible teacher Dr. Warren Wiersbe. Review: Pause for Power is kind of perfect for me right now. I have hardly any time at all for myself, juggling two kids and freelance work and life in general. This book gives one verse and a short but profound meditation for each day. It’s no substitute for an in-depth Bible study but it still gives plenty to chew on. I have heard that Protestants love devotionals and study Bibles and all kinds of other…

Read More »

The Foolishness of God by Ferenc Visky

Synopsis: The prison writings of Ferenc Visky, a Reformed minister who spent seven years in the Gherla prison after the 1956 Hungarian revolution. Review: “He who does not believe in miracles is not a realist.” The Foolishness of God is a slim volume packed with deep wisdom from a man who suffered more than most. Joy beams from every page, a hard-won thanksgiving for a God who justifies and sanctifies through mysterious ways. I love the irony that Ferenc Visky employs in showing how foolish…

Read More »

Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller

Synopsis: Subtitled: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters. Review: Counterfeit Gods is a slim little volume that must have been taken from a sermon series by Timothy Keller, pastor of New York City’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Pastor Keller speak on a number of occasions, as the church I’ve gone to for the past 15 years is in the same family as Redeemer. While I didn’t feel like I learned anything astonishingly…

Read More »

Finding Inner Peace During Troubled Times by William Moss

Synopsis: An essay about the practice of Christian meditation. Review: I really should stop saying yes when asked if I want to review books like Finding Inner Peace During Troubled Times, because I just keep finding theological bones to pick with foundation suppositions. But I really am interested in the topic of Christian meditation because I think we have a lot to learn about the discipline of focusing our minds on God. Sadly, this slim volume (really just an essay, and not even a very…

Read More »

The Gospel-Driven Life by Michael Horton

Synopsis: An in-depth explanation of the Christian gospel, intended to teach believers what they believe and why the believe it. Review: The Gospel-Driven Life is a companion piece to Michael Horton’s paradigm-shifting Christless Christianity. Where the latter offers a critique of the sorry state of nominally Christian churches, The Gospel-Driven Life gives believers the meat and potatoes of real, saving faith in Christ. I deeply heart Michael Horton. I am an obsessive listener of his podcast, The White Horse Inn, and just subscribed to his…

Read More »