Archive for the 'Culture' Category

The Truth About Tolerance | Brad Stetson & Joseph Conti

by Matt McCarnan on August 30th, 2007

The Truth About ToleranceBrad Stetson & Joseph G. Conti. The Truth About Tolerance: Pluralism, Diversity, and the Culture Wars. IVP, 2005. 207 pp.

We all want to be tolerant.

No one wants to be intolerant. But does that mean we have to accept all truth claims as true? Does this virtue rule out having any strongly held moral convictions?

In this book Brad Stetson and Joseph G. Conti explore the use and misuse of this important value in academic circles and popular media. They note that the pursuit of truth and the pursuit of tolerance are often taken to be mutually exclusive, and it ends with truth having to give way to tolerance.

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Practical Justice | Kevin Blue

by Matt McCarnan on June 27th, 2007

Practical JusticeKevin Blue. Practical Justice: Living Off-Center in a Self-Centered World. IVP, 2006. 143 pp.

I know the world is full of injustice. I know that God calls Christians to work for God on the earth. But what can I do?

Many of us have questions like these. We are well-intended, but stuck in the rut of the everyday. We want to make our lives matter. But we don’t know where to start. We wonder about everything from whether to give a dollar to a beggar to how to participate in the political process; from whether to shop at Wal-Mart to how much to spend on a car.

Kevin Blue has spent his adult life answering these questions for himself and for others. He lives in the heart of Los Angeles, where these questions can’t be set aside. And he has led college students through experiences in urban ministry as well as international treks to the poorest parts of the world. In Practical Justice he combines what he has learned with the experiences of others to answer your questions.

Right thinking. Right action. Just living. God calls us to step up and get involved. This book will help you get started.

Author: IVP Bio | Servant Partners Bio

Overview: Amazon | CBD | IVP | Google Books

Excerpts: TOC | Intro | Ch. 1 | Browse in Amazon

Reviews: Amazon | Endorsements

Laymen/Unknown

  • Beth Winton at RememberAndAdjustAccordingly (03/07) Review
  • Carrie at It’sNotAboutMe (01/07) Review
  • Chris Fann at ThePreface (12/06) Review

Extras: Book Info PDF

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Praying at Burger King | Richard J. Mouw

by Phil Gons on May 14th, 2007

Praying at Burger KingRichard J. Mouw. Praying at Burger King. Eerdmans, 2007. 144 pp.

Richard Mouw packs a lot of wisdom into a few dozen small packages. Writing in an easygoing, conversational style, Mouw here considers how the outward life of a Christian should reflect the inner workings of the Spirit.

Arranged in three sections—Living, Believing, and Church and World—the thirty-six short essays in Praying at Burger King explore simple moments in life from a spiritual viewpoint. Including columns from Mouw’s beliefnet.com work never before collected in book form, these pieces are alternately amusing, touching, and poignant. From chicken dignity to patriotism to a weeping Savior, Mouw reveals how an extraordinary God meets us in everyday life.

Ideal for group discussion or individual reflection, Praying at Burger King shows that “there is no place in all of creation that is outside the scope of God’s mercies—not even Burger King.”

Author: Eerdmans Bio | Fuller Bio | Wikipedia | Mouw’s Musings | Theopedia

Overview: Amazon | Eerdmans | Google Books

Excerpts: TOC | Browse in Amazon | Browse in Google Books

Reviews: Amazon | CBD | LibraryThing | Endorsements

Laymen/Unknown

  • Mark Traphagen, Westminster Bookstore (03/07) Review

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Everyday Theology | Kevin J. Vanhoozer, et al., eds.

by Phil Gons on May 7th, 2007

Everyday TheologyKevin J. Vanhoozer, Charles Anderson, and Michael Sleasman, eds. Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends. Baker, 2007. 288 pp.

Generally speaking, students, theologians, pastors, and church leaders are well-trained in the task of biblical exegesis. Where many fall short, however, is in the area of cultural exegesis—reading and interpreting the texts and trends produced by our culture, which can have a profound influence on the way we understand the world and practice our faith. Anyone interested in the intersection of Christianity and culture needs to be able to do “everyday theology,” that is, to think theologically about our cultural environment and pass it through the grid of Scripture, in order to respond faithfully as Christian disciples.

Everyday Theology is the first volume in the new Cultural Exegesis series. With an emphasis on both methodology and case study, it is well-suited for seminary classroom use. A significant introduction by Vanhoozer lays out the hermeneutical method for engaging with culture. This is followed by a series of essays that engage cultural texts and trends, from the music of Eminem to the grocery store checkout lane to the phenomenon of Internet blogs. A concluding chapter walks the reader step-by-step through the interpretation process with an additional case study.

Authors:

Overview: Baker | Amazon

Excerpts: TOC, Intro, Ch 9 | Amazon

Reviews: Amazon | CBD | LibraryThing

Laymen/Unknown

  • Byron K. Borger, Hearts & Minds Book Notes (03/07) Review
  • Jason, Christian Book Lounge (05/07) Review

Extras:

  • Interview with the Kevin Vanhoozer: Pt 1, Pt 2

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Contextualization in the New Testament | Dean E. Flemming

by Phil Gons on May 1st, 2007

Contextualization in the New TestamentDean E. Flemming. Contextualization in the New Testament: Patterns for Theology and Mission. IVP, 2005. 344 pp.

From Cairo to Calcutta, from Cochabamba to Columbus, Christians are engaged in a conversation about how to speak and live the gospel in today’s traditional, modern and emergent cultures. The technical term for their efforts is contextualization. Missionary theorists have pondered and written on it at length. More and more, those who do theology in the West are also trying to discover new ways of communicating and embodying the gospel for an emerging postmodern culture. But few have considered in depth how the early church contextualized the gospel. And yet the New Testament provides numerous examples.

As both a crosscultural missionary and a New Testament scholar, Dean Flemming is well equipped to examine how the early church contextualized the gospel and to draw out lessons for today. By carefully sifting the New Testament evidence, Flemming uncovers the patterns and parameters of a Paul or Mark or John as they spoke the Word on target, and he brings these to bear on our contemporary missiological task.

Rich in insights and conversant with frontline thinking, this is a book that will revitalize the conversation and refresh our speaking and living the gospel in today’s cultures, whether in traditional, modern or emergent contexts.

Author: IVP Bio | European Nazarene College Bio

Overview: Amazon | IVP

Excerpts: TOC | Preface | Intro | Ch 1

Reviews: Amazon | CBD | IVP | LibraryThing

Professors

Pastors/Church Leaders

Extras:

  • Winner of a 2006 Christianity Today Book Award for Missions/Global Affairs
  • Honored as one of the “Fifteen Outstanding Books of 2005 for Mission Studies” by International Bulletin of Missionary Research

Buy It: Compare Prices | Amazon | IVP | WTSBooks

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Revolutionary Parenting | George Barna

by Phil Gons on April 23rd, 2007

Revolutionary ParentingGeorge Barna. Revolutionary Parenting: What the Research Shows Really Works. Tyndale, 2007. 192 pp.

The Revolution is underway, but in this new era, how can parents make a lasting impact in the spiritual lives of their children? To find the answer, George Barna researched the lives of thriving adult Christians and discovered the essential steps their parents took to shape their spiritual lives in childhood. He also learned surprising truths about which popular parenting tactics just aren’t working. Revolutionary Parenting goes beyond youth group and Sunday school and shows parents how to instill in their children a vibrant commitment to Christ.

Author: Tyndale Bio | Barna Group | Wikipedia

Overview: Tyndale | Amazon

Excerpts: TOC, Intro, Ch 1 | Intro

Reviews: Amazon | CBD | LibraryThing

Laymen

  • Suzanne Hadley, Boundless Line (04/07) Review 1, 2
  • ChristianBookLounge (04/07) Review

Extras:

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Last updated 04/23/07

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The Mission of Today’s Church | R. Stanton Norman, ed.

by Phil Gons on March 27th, 2007

The Mission of Today’s ChurchR. Stanton Norman, ed. The Mission of Today’s Church: Baptist Leaders Look at Modern Faith Issues. B&H, 2007. 210 pp.

The Mission of Today’s Church is a compelling collection of twelve essays from current Baptist leaders addressing three major questions: (1) What does it mean to be a Christian today on individual, group, and societal levels? (2) How can Southern Baptists best work together? and (3) What is next for the Southern Baptist denomination? Those addressing these key topics in-depth include Stan Norman (“Together We Grow: Congregational Polity as a Form of Corporate Sanctification”), Ed Stetzer (“The Missional Nature of the Church”), and Daniel Akin (“Ten Mandates for Southern Baptists”). Among the many other contributors are Chad Brand, Charles Kelley, and Jim Richards.

Author: NOBTS

Overview: Amazon | B&H

Excerpts: TOC | Chapter 1

Reviews: Amazon | CBD | LibraryThing

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Extras: Norman’s other publications
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Last updated 03/27/07

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Reconciliation Blues | Edward Gilbreath

by Phil Gons on March 26th, 2007

Reconciliation BluesEdward Gilbreath. Reconciliation Blues: A Black Evangelical’s Inside View of White Christianity. IVP, 2006. 207 pp.

What is the state of racial reconciliation in evangelical churches today? Are we truly united?

In Reconciliation Blues journalist Edward Gilbreath gives an insightful, honest picture of both the history and the present state of racial reconciliation in evangelical churches. He looks at a wide range of figures, such as Howard O. Jones, Tom Skinner, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Jackson and John Perkins.

Charting progress as well as setbacks, his words offer encouragement for black evangelicals feeling alone, clarity for white evangelicals who want to understand more deeply, and fresh vision for all who want to move forward toward Christ’s prayer “that all of them may be one.”

Author: IVP Bio | Bio | EdGilbreath.com | Reconciliation Blog

Overview: Amazon | Google Books | IVP

Excerpts: TOC | Prologue | Chapter 1

Reviews: Amazon | CBD | IVP | LibraryThing

Professors

  • Scot McKnight at Jesus Creed (03/07) Review

Pastors/Church Leaders

  • Mark Dever at T4G Blog (03/07) Review

Laymen/Unknown

  • Benbow

Extras:

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Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches | Robert E. Webber, ed.

by Phil Gons on March 22nd, 2007

Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging ChurchesRobert E. Webber, ed. Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches: Five Perspectives. Zondervan, 2007. 201 pp.

A cross-section of five frontline leaders in the controversial emerging church movement sheds informative light on their beliefs and basic message to help us understand whether it’s all about new methods or a new message or both.

What are the beliefs of the new movement known as the emerging church? In thought-provoking debate, prominent emerging leaders John Burke, Mark Driscoll, Dan Kimball, Doug Pagitt, and Karen Ward discuss their sometimes controversial views under the editorship of author and educator Robert Webber. Hear what they say about their views of Scripture, Christ, the atonement, other world religions, and other important doctrines, so you can come to your own conclusions about the emerging church.

Authors:

Overview: Amazon | Google Books | Zondervan

Excerpts: TOC and Excerpts from Chapters 1–5 | Browse in Google Books

Reviews: Amazon | CBD | LibraryThing

  • Andrew Jones (02/07) Review
  • Trevin Wax, Kingdom People (02/07) Review
  • Scot McKnight, Jesus Creed (02/07) Review
  • Chris Leonardo, Minutia (02/07) Review
  • Bob Franquiz, BobFranquiz.com (03/07) Review
  • Brandon Rogers, Longer Needle or Smaller Camel (03/07) Review: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
  • Michael Spencer, InternetMonk (04/07) Review

Extras: Questions that the authors were asked to address

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Last update 04/26/07

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Can We Rock the Gospel? | John Blanchard and Dan Lucarini

by Phil Gons on March 21st, 2007

Can We Rock the Gospel?John Blanchard and Dan Lucarini. Can We Rock the Gospel? Rock Music’s Impact on Worship and Evangelism. EP, 2006. 267 pp.

Few subjects generate more heat in the Christian church today than the use of music in worship and evangelism.Does God endorse music of every kind? Can we “cut and paste” secular rock music and “Christianize” it in the process? Should the Christian church unite in bringing rock music to the altar or in sending it to the bonfire?

Every musical form and every way of expressing it has as many detractors as it does promoters. Yet in recent years most of the conflicts have centred on what is generically known as rock music, which has become an increasingly dominant—and divisive—issue since it first slipped into church life some forty years ago.

Two respected Christian leaders and best-selling authors who together have many years of hands-on experience in worship, preaching, evangelism and music have combined to produce a book that examines this controversial subject, using both recent evidence and time-tested truths.

Authors:

Overview: Amazon | EP

Excerpts: Introduction

Reviews: Amazon | CBD | LibraryThing

  • The Bookshelf (10/06) Review
  • Tim Challies, Challies.com (10/06) Review
  • Zach Nielsen, (11/06) Review
  • Gordon Ferguson, British Church Newspaper (12/06) Review
  • Randall Shanks, Randall’s Ramblings (01/07) Review

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Last updated 03/21/07

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