Books
Each year new books are released that discuss about and shape thought in our culture. Some of these are sociological in nature, detailing the changes and forecasting trends that are emerging. We also see books written by Christians as they bring new light to the faith we believe in. These books are both good and bad as they reflect scripture or try to add new ideas that do not mesh with the holy scripture. Here are a few of the books that we believe are participants in these discussions:
Wired for Worship
One of the first things I struggled with when I first became a Christian was worship. Because I had never been exposed to any sort of church tradition or practice, I pigeon-holed the practice of worship as being the 15-20 minutes of music and singing before the sermon....
Can You Keep Your Faith In College
Abbie gathers together 50 college students to write essays on college life as a Christian. They openly discuss the ups and downs, pressures, perceptions, and challenges that a Christian college student faces on campus.
This Beautiful Mess
According to author Rick McKinley, at the center of the gospel message is something not so tidy, not so neat, not so perfect. Building upon Jesus words in the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," the conclusion is that the kingdom is for those who lack and those who are broken. Unfortunately, most of us are too busy involved in other matters to see the beauty (i.e. The Beautiful Mess) that is the kingdom around us.
Easy Chairs, Hard Words
"Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He will He hardens. You will say to me then, 'Why still find fault? For who resisted His will?' But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?" (Romans 9:18-20a) Hard words, indeed. But they remain, for all our explanations, God's words. In this book, the reader will find an unapologetic treatment of many such passages in Scripture.
Nausea: Jean Paul Sartre
Nausea is the story of Antoine Roquentin, a French writer who is horrified at his own existence. In impressionistic, diary form he ruthlessly catalogues his every feeling and sensation about the world and people around him. His thoughts culminate in a pervasive, overpowering feeling of nausea which "spread at the bottom of the viscous puddle, at the bottom of our time—the time of purple suspenders and broken chair seats; it is made of wide, soft instants, spreading at the edge, like an oil stain." Roquentin's efforts to come to terms with his life, his philosophical and psychological struggles, give Sartre the opportunity to dramatize trhe tents of his Existentialist creed.
Jesus in the Margins: Finding God in the Places We Ignore
Jesus is our ultimate model for finding identity, acceptance, and legitimacy from the Father. As we pull back the curtain on His life, we discover that Jesus knows what it's like to be marginalized. He understands how it feels to have society shove you to the side, to not really be accepted, and in the end to be totally rejected. He can identify with life in the margins because when God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, He landed in the margins. On purpose. And He chose to land there because it's in the margins that broken lives get mended, prisoners are set free, and the poor hear the Good News.
Gospel According to Tony Soprano
The Sopranos has captured audiences and awards with its portrayal of life in an Italian-American crime family. But it is more than just a mob show. It provokes us, excites us, and pries back the exterior to peek into the darkest parts of our souls. The plotlines and characters raise spiritual issues that leave us questioning our own beliefs. The Gospel According to Tony Soprano explores the many reasons why this hit series has connected so deeply with American culture and exposes the mysteries of faith, family, life, and God that permeate the show.
Cultural Creatives
A thorough look at how the postmodern person has now come into the position of dominant influence in American society.
American Jesus: How the Son of God became a National Icon
No religious personality has captivated so many Americans for so long as Jesus. Indeed, as Boston University historian Prothero demonstrates in this sparkling and engrossing book, Jesus is the one religious figure nearly every American, whether Christian or not, past and present, has embraced. From Thomas Jefferson's cut-and-paste Bible to Jesus Christ Superstar, from the feminized Christ of the Victorians to the "manly redeemer" of Teddy Roosevelt's era, from Buddhist bodhisattva to Black Moses, Prothero surveys the myriad ways Americans have remade Jesus in their own image.
The Prayer of Jabez
There are many great books on prayer. The Prayer of Jabez is not one of them. Isn''t it funny that this book and the Left Behind series are popular examples of Christian books. So ultimately believers want to know (1) How do we get more stuff and (2) when do we get to leave!
Reformission and Culture
Article from the Sheep & Goats column in the San Diego Reader on The Radical Reformission by Pastor Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill and Acts 29.
