By: Rhonda Davis on January 17, 2019
Bebbington’s Evangelicalism in Modern Britain seems to have filled a gap in academic writing with this comprehensive look at the effect of evangelicalism on British society.[1] Even though some reviews such as Watts[2] and Rutz[3] have censured Bebbington for ignoring some of the more negative critiques of the movement, they have also expressed gratitude for…
By: Sean Dean on January 17, 2019
My two oldest kids have reached the point in their math studies where they are learning how to add and subtract mixed numbers like 1 4⁄5 + 2 2⁄3 = 4 7⁄15. If you can remember back to fifth grade math class the process is to find the lowest common denominator, add across, and reduce…
By: Digby Wilkinson on January 17, 2019
History is complicated because it records and interprets multifaceted humanity at work. Our capacity to simultaneously recognise and ignore the past is a reason our future is unpredictable; we do not follow logical lines of growth, instead we respond to set events at certain times without reference to the necessary causes creating the contexts in…
By: Jake Dean-Hill on January 16, 2019
What an interesting couple of books to start the spring semester with. The mammoth and overwhelming almost 1,000-page classic A Secular Age by Charles Taylor, and thankfully the much smaller How (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor by James Smith that helped us actually read and digest Taylor. I appreciated Smith’s description of Taylor’s…
By: Jay Forseth on January 16, 2019
“We haven’t yet solved the problem of God,” the Russian critic Belinsky once shouted across the table at Turgenev, “and you want to eat!” [1] This phrase puts into simple perspective my reading of A Secular Age by Canadian Charles Taylor, a Roman Catholic, Emeritus Professor, as well as the prestigious winner of the Templeton…
By: Dan Kreiss on January 16, 2019
Not a bad way to begin reading for the semester. An erudite distillation of the challenging tome and seminal work of Charles Taylor. James K.A. Smith expertly provides both explanation and points of application relevant to all seeking to comprehend Taylor’s text and the wider culture. Smith provides an invaluable summation of the bulk of…
By: Mike on January 13, 2019
Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age and James Smith’s How (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor are two books combined into one LGP8 post. Taylor’s masterpiece is massive in historical size and philosophical scope on the topic of secularism from the 18th century forward. Smith’s book is a companion field guide that condenses Taylor’s nearly…
By: Jennifer Williamson on January 13, 2019
When I reflect on my experience in Seminary, I realize that studying Christian history and theology did not give me any answers; but rather, made me comfortable with my questions. Instead of becoming one who was sure of what she believes, I became one who was not unravelled by how much she doubts. Perhaps this…
By: Wallace Kamau on December 30, 2018
I was eager to go to Hong Kong and had my expectations of what the city looks like but was not sure what to expect in terms of immigration officials and the hospitality of the people of Hong Kong. I was excited and really looking forward to meet my cohort LPG 9, other cohort members…
By: Harry Fritzenschaft on December 28, 2018
Bebbington’s Evangelicalism in Modern Britain took me back to my own faith experiences which began in the mid-‘70s. I was particularly drawn to chapter 7 which dealt with the charismatic movement. While my dad grew up in the culturally Catholic state of Bavaria Germany, my mom grew up in a southern Primitive Baptist environment heavily…
By: Shermika Harvey on December 21, 2018
He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight[1]. The DNA of fighters run profusely through my veins. I fight for my people, my heritage, my blood rite. I fight for the lost, the marginalized, the discarded and the abuse. However, when the fight comes to my front door, who will…
By: John Muhanji on December 21, 2018
By: John Muhanji on December 2, 2018
Christianity View of Theology in Relationship with Spirituality. All through this term and the selection of books Jason chose for the class are amazing and making one think a reflection on what is being brought out. From where I am coming from, and the cultural perspectives and believes of what theology is vis-à-vis the spirituality…
By: Nancy VanderRoest on November 30, 2018
I was sitting with one of my beautiful Hospice patients last week, providing the gift of ‘presence’ to a lonely Alzheimer’s patient, when she looked at me and said with unusual clarity, “You are a God-Whisperer!” I was so taken aback, as this is a lady who generally only speaks in ‘word-scramble’ and is usually…
By: Wallace Kamau on November 30, 2018
My world revolves around working with children from vulnerable communities and it always amazes me the possibilities these children open up for their families and their local communities. One of the greatest concerns for every family is the welfare of their children. They work hard to feed, clothe, educate, and facilitate for their children to…
By: Tammy Dunahoo on November 30, 2018
Over twenty years have passed since the publishing of Who Needs Theology?: An Invitation to the Study of God, and this book has an even more poignant message for today’s culture. Grenz and Olson wrote out of concern regarding the ambivalence and even, animosity toward theology not only in society, but also in the church.…
By: Mary Mims on November 30, 2018
“He may not come when you want him, but He’s always right on time”, the preacher shouted while the congregation applauded. This saying is popular in many Black churches and provides comfort to those suffering, knowing that God will eventually come through with answers to prayer. Although this saying is not specified in the Bible,…
By: Sean Dean on November 30, 2018
I first read Who Needs Theology in 2002 when I was 24. It was the first book of my first semester at Fuller and I think the only book I read cover to cover. I can remember reading the book with absolute delight, highlighting passage after passage. I let several friends borrow my copy because I…
By: Karen Rouggly on November 29, 2018
I’m a community mobilizer. It’s not just what I do but it’s who I am. I desire to mobilize people to engage local, national, and international communities. And when they engage them, I want to do so in the name of Jesus. I get the chance this in a college setting, and have been for…
By: Trisha Welstad on November 29, 2018
One of the newest texts on global consumerism will hit readers like a punch in the gut. Why? Because the author speaks of a reality much of the world lives in but does not check or often question. This reality is that of the inundation of the largest tech companies in the world into everyday…
