For several years now, I’ve been writing for Christ and Pop Culture. While I wish I had more time to write full length articles (this was my last one), I’ve been mostly consistent in doing a brief monthly write-up of books for members. If you support the website on a monthly basis, you have unlimited access to content, as well as 2 free e-books. Or, I suppose you could look at it as getting two new e-books for $1.99 each. However, members also have access to a Facebook group, and many would say you can’t quantify the value of that. In any case, it’s worth your while to support great writing, especially dealing with the intersection of culture and Christianity.
Had you been a member this past year, you would have not only seen all of my mini book preview/reviews, you would have gotten these e-books from Crossway:
Finding Grace in The Face of Dementia by John Dunlap
Dunlop, who is a geriatrician, guides readers through all sorts of questions related to dementia. He explains his purpose is to “provide a theological lens through which we can view dementia and then give a number of practical ways in which it can be applied” (19). He uses numerous stories from his personal experience, but also weaves the story of single couple throughout the book. In doing so, he shows his ability to empathize well with both caretakers and those suffering with the disease. The latter is from his many years of experience and study, but the former is from seeing it take both of his parents.
Sex in a Broken World by Paul Tripp
Over the past decade or so, there are few writers of practical theology that have influenced me as much as Paul Tripp. While someone familiar with his writing might be able to piece together his take on sex without reading the book, it is worth spending the time reading and reflecting on the content in detail (there are questions at the end of each chapter to facilitate that, something else that’s new with this edition). This is a topic that affects all of us in varying ways. Because of that, it is exceedingly helpful to have bearings provided by an author like Tripp who relentlessly emphasizes grace in his writings.
The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield
Hospitality in its truest sense is not for the faint of heart. Being open to that sort of lifestyle means being open to the stranger, who might be an orphan or refugee. Or it might be someone whose lifestyle makes you cringe. But as Butterfield notes, God never gets the address wrong. If we are open to our houses being used to expand the kingdom, then they take on a different role entirely.
In His Image by Jen Wilkin
This book complements well Wilkin’s previous book, None Like Him, which focused on the attributes of God we can’t fully reflect. Those are attributes are commonly called the incommunicable attributes, such as omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence to name a few. Her treatment makes it a go-to concise read on a tricky subject.
Made for Friendship by Drew Hunter
I think the reality might be that if you have close friends, you might not think about the topic of friendship that much. And if you struggle with forming close friends, you likely don’t think a book is the best place to start solving the problem. It also might be that those of us in ministry might have a harder time forming friends, especially true if you’re an introvert. In my case, most of my social energy is used up in teaching and mentoring, leaving little left over for the kinds of friendships that I need to cultivate. Made for Friendship speaks to this well, and I found Hunter’s thoughts on friendship and its importance an encouragement to rethink some of my schedule this fall. My hope is that it will help other readers to do the same.
Scientism and Secularism by J. P. Moreland
Given certain trends we see in our culture, this book is timely. Christians need to grow in both the knowledge that science can provide us about God’s world, as well as the reasons why science isn’t the only path to knowledge. We chart a course between the Scylla of anti-intellectualism and the Charybdis of scientism. Moreland can help us steer the ship well, and Scientism and Secularism is required reading for anyone who loves science but doesn’t want to yield to the philosophically mistaken path of scientism.
The Ten Commandments by Kevin DeYoung
We would all do well to make our way through this relatively short book. It will push us to think more deeply about why the Ten Commandments should still have relevance to our personal lives today. They are more than just something that needs to be on the walls of our local courthouses. Rather, they need to be considered a useful guide for us to live wise Christian lives in our modern and increasingly post-Christian world. If we want to truly love God and love others, the Ten Commandments are good first words for guiding us into a life that does just that.
Can We Trust the Gospels? by Peter Williams
On the whole, this is an excellent introductory volume that should allay any questions one might have about the reliability of the Gospels in the New Testament. Across multiple lines of evidence, Peter Williams shows that the Gospels we have in Scripture were most likely written very close to the time of Jesus and done so by people who knew him and the lay of the land at that time. The same cannot be said of so-called “lost Gospels.” Some may still be left with questions after reading Williams’s volume, but there are other works to read if so (e.g., the book I mentioned in the first paragraph). For most of us though, this book is great short read on the trustworthiness of the Gospels, and perhaps a good read to share as Advent turns our culture’s attention to these same documents.
Hopefully that gives you a feel for what’s on offer, and maybe motivates you to consider it for 2019? There’s some good stuff coming next year, so you don’t wanna miss out!