Your weekly installment of things we’ve been reading around the web.
Book Review/Video of the Week
The Gospel Transformation Bible, reviewed by Aaron Armstrong. It takes some guts to post a book review of the Bible! (Well, this is more of a review of the brief commentary associated with each book.) The Gospel Transformation Bible is unique in attempting to tie every passage directly to the gospel of Christ.
Articles of the Week
Race, Faith, and the Southern Baptist Convention, Bruce Ashford. “Over the course of the past twenty years, I have filled the pulpit of several hundred churches in the United States. Those churches belong to more than 20 denominations, though most are Southern Baptist. During this twenty-year stretch, I cannot remember more than, say, 20 churches that were multi-racial.”
How I Re-Discovered Faith, Malcolm Gladwell. This is a fascinating article describing some of the backstory behind Gladwell’s new book, David and Goliath. The frequent notes of surprise throughout are the most interesting, and a shining example of how Christian faith—when lived out—should prompt people to respond, “What in the world would make a person live such a different sort of life? Where is this inexplicable power to forgive and endure coming from?”
Will We Regret Pushing Christians out of Public Life? Cristina Odone. This is an insightful reflection on the encroaching intolerance of political correctness—more pronounced in Europe than in the U.S., but present here nonetheless. Odone’s answer? Christians should step forward into the light, proving that we are not “a race apart,” but a people who cherish an alternate ideal.
Roe v. Wade’s Toxic Fruit, Wesley J. Smith. January 22nd will mark 41 years since the Supreme Court decision “Roe v. Wade” settled the issue of abortion. But as Smith points out, Roe has hardly “settled” anything, since our society is more torn on the issue now than ever. This article makes some important connections between Roe and other “settled” Supreme Court cases enforcing racism and eugenics—cases that we now look back on with embarrassment and disdain.
On The Lighter Side
“Youth Ministry through the Bible”
This is a truly unique interpretation of youth ministry throughout Scripture:
http://vimeo.com/50542567
