Pastoral Care
Even though we are in the midst of a Christian publishing boom, writers often overlook their most obvious audience: their own congregations. I hate to break this news to all of us aspiring writers, but most of us are not going to write the next Purpose-Driven Life, or Love Wins,
Books
In their newly-released book, Bonhoeffer The Assassin? Challenging the Myth, Recovering His Call to Peacemaking, the authors Mark Thiessen Nation, Anthony G. Siegrist, and Daniel P. Umbel provide compelling evidence that Dietrich Bonhoeffer did not participate in a plot to kill Adolf Hitler. I had anticipated this book's
Books
Two bound copies of my dissertation arrived today. The title is The Reconciling Community: The Missional Mending of Spiritual and Social Relationships Through Local Church Ministry. I lived with writing this for almost two years, so it is very gratifying to see it done, bound, and approved. Still waiting for
Books
I have waited far too long to spotlight Mark O. Wilson's new book, Filled Up, Poured Out: How God's Spirit Can Revive Your Passion and Purpose. Mark and I met as fellow-bloggers, and I have followed his blog, Revitalize Your Church for several years now. Mark
Books
It goes without saying that N. T. Wright, recently called the J. K. Rowling of the evangelical world, is a prolific writer. The author of more than 30 books by one count, Wright cranks out multi-hundred page volumes like others do tweets. But the difference is that Wright also packs
Books
Six Dramatic Trends Impacting Small Churches In his new book, American Religion: Contemporary Trends, Professor Mark Chaves of Duke University identifies six new trends affecting U. S. congregations, including small churches. In the chapter titled simply “Congregations,” Chaves examines sociological and demographic trends which are shaping church congregations. These six
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Evangelicalism has thrived in America because of its ability to adapt to its culture, according to Randall Balmer in his book, The Making of Evangelicalism: From Revivalism to Politics and Beyond. Balmer, professor of American religious history at Columbia University and a contributing editor to Christianity Today, writes in this
Culture
The Myth of Why Conservative Churches Are Growing The myth that conservative churches are growing today because people are looking for theological fundamentalism is roundly debunked by Mark Chaves in his new book, American Religion: Contemporary Trends. Despite the book’s mundane title, Mark Chaves sheds dramatic new light on
Books
While many individuals are held in high esteem in our denomination, Southern Baptists have only one saint and her name is Lottie Moon. Of course, we don’t refer to her as “St. Lottie,” but the legend that has arisen around her life story qualifies Lottie Moon for the highest
Culture
Rob Bell’s newest book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, And The Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived sits at number three today in Amazon’s book sales list. Love Wins will no doubt hit the New York Times bestseller list this week. Bell obviously has churned
Books
Rob Bell's new book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived is already generating tons of controversy. Harper One is sending me a pre-publication copy to review. I also hope to snag an interview with Rob about the book.
Books
Mark Thiessen Nation, professor of theology at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, has broken new ground in the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Nation's new book, co-written with two former students, argues that Bonhoeffer was a pacifist from the time of his tenure in America in about 1931. Going against the