Faith | Books | Culture
Reading a lot of books does not mean reading bad books. Someone can read broadly and selectively. To do so takes some research and discernment, and it also takes a sort of predetermination to read certain categories of books.
To that end, consider these four categories of books that you should read. The list is not comprehensive, but I hope it provides a good start for creating a personal criteria for books to read. [Read more…] about Four categories of books that you should read
When Jesus confronted Pilate, he said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 19:36). Reader’s of the Gospel of John would know what Jesus meant because John tells us that Satan rules this world’s kingdom. Jesus calls him “the ruler of this world” (John 14:30; 16:11; John 12:31–33). And the devil’s kingdom is characterized by deceit since its ruler has been a liar from the very beginning (John 8:44).
Christ’s kingdom, however, bears witness to the truth (John 19:37). In this sense, telling the truth or rather telling of the Truth (John 14:6) characterizes the kingdom of Christ. One kingdom is full of lies; the other is Truth itself.
One kingdom, represented by Pilate, uses military power and political machinations. The other confronts this world that is full of lies and exploitation. Knowing the power and nature of these two kingdoms provides us with a political theology that can guide how we view and participate in politics. [Read more…] about How Should Christians Think about Politics?
Every January, many commit to reading through the Bible in one year. Incidentally, this commonplace is one reason why I love evangelicalism. We are Bible people. And as Bible people, we should pursue reading Scripture well by avoiding common mistakes that we sometimes make.
Here then are three mistakes that we sometimes make when we read the Bible. [Read more…] about 3 Common Mistakes We Make When Reading the Bible
I want to define something that at one level is quite simple yet at another level can be hard to grasp. I want to define sex. No, not that kind of sex. I mean male and female—sex. Gender, in our modern discourse, often refers to the accidental and sometimes wished-for properties of humans. Sex, however, points to a concrete reality on the basis of biological and metaphysical norms for males and females. [Read more…] about What Is Sex?
I love social media in part because I follow and learn from pastors, professors, and experts. I love asking questions. I love finding answers. What I do not love is entering into conflicts online (well, my flesh might sometimes).
And while that used to be simple to do through self-control, it has become increasingly hard to do over the past few years due to so many theological and cultural wars occurring across the globe. When these regional conflicts hit social media, they become international. And when they become international, they affect all of us. They make it near impossible to avoid conflicts. [Read more…] about How Social Media Makes Regional Conflicts International
In our day, we marry later and delay starting a family. Through selfishness, some North Americans have written off the institution of marriage altogether. In light of these realities, Christians rightly underscore the goodness of marriage and the family.
But, on occasion, we emphasize marriage so much that we give the impression that singleness represents a lesser state. It does not. It is not just okay to be single, but for those so gifted with singleness, it also represents a much better state of living than does marriage. [Read more…] about Is It Okay to Be Single?
