By: Daron George on April 14, 2024
In his book, Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution, author Carl Trueman offers a deep dive into the historical and philosophical evolution of personal identity, particularly how it intersects with modern conceptions of sexuality. Trueman’s exploration is more than an academic exercise; it is an examination relevant…
By: Sara Taylor Lattimore on April 14, 2024
Have you ever wondered how things came to be? My children often ask me questions like, “Why do we trade money rather than candy? What makes money more valuable? Candy tastes better.” They have a point, candy definitely tastes better, but along the way as society developed so did our concept of trade and then…
By: Laura Fleetwood on April 14, 2024
In less than a generation, Western culture’s view of human gender identity and sexual preference has dramatically changed. In his 2022 book titled Strange New World, Professor Carl R. Trueman attempts to explain how and why this shift occurred through a philosophical, theological and historical lens. He also proposes a way for Christians to respond.[1]…
By: Chad McSwain on April 14, 2024
“No one ever asks me about my sex life.” I have quipped on more than one occasion at my church. Interesting conversation to be having at church, you might think. You would be right. This is a sign of the times, if you will. Sexuality is a topic of conversation in the denomination I serve,…
By: Akwese on April 14, 2024
We live in a hyper-politicized society where one can readily see the world’s brokenness on multiple levels. This has often birthed arguments fueled by anger and grief, causing many to lash out at/demonize one another or avoid engaging in the sociopolitical arena altogether. However, rather than start a yelling match or excuse ourselves from the…
By: Joel Zantingh on April 13, 2024
When Christians equate evangelism with undermining cultural ideologies, it can quickly become white noise and easy to dismiss. In my work in the Canadian context, this distortion of evangelism that leads to less positive engagement, and more pushback even from within a marginalized Christian community. In September, 2021, Alpha Canada held a “Life Shared Summit”…
By: Caleb Lu on April 12, 2024
At the heart of his book, Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution, Carl Trueman explores the effect expressive individualism has on modern society, especially in regards to the sexual revolution, and seeks to trace how its influence became ubiquitous.[1] His hope seems noble. He doesn’t seek to…
By: Laura Fleetwood on April 12, 2024
In the book, Dominion, author and historian, Tom Holland, takes his reader on an adventurous journey through the past to expose how Christianity has impacted the moral fiber of the Western world despite popular attempts to extinguish it. From Antiquity through Christendom to Modernitas[1], Holland provides vignettes of people and cultures that followed Christ’s call…
By: Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe on April 12, 2024
Carl Trueman’s book Strange New World & The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, must be one of those books that I will love to read and spend much time on in the future. After Dominion with Tom Holland last week, one will agree that these books are excellent and have the potential to…
By: Jenny Steinbrenner Hale on April 11, 2024
“Today’s world has reached a state which, if it had been described to preceding centuries, would have called forth the cry: ‘This is the Apolcalpyse!’ Yet we have grown used to this kind of world; we even feel at home in it.”[1] Trueman’s Works Carl Trueman, in his book, The Rise and Triumph of the…
By: Jana Dluehosh on April 11, 2024
I have mentioned in the past that I am a PK, my grandpa was a pastor, my uncle was a pastor, my brother-in-law is a pastor and sister a pastor now, my husband and I were pastors. I have put a lot of thought into pastoral families, and while reading J.R. Woodward’s book The Scandal…
By: Shonell Dillon on April 11, 2024
As I sit here trying to remember what I heard when listening to Trueman explain Strange New World in an interview, I am drawing a blank to his explanations. What does stand out to me is how he laughed when speaking about homosexuality and transgender individuals. Many jokes have been made about this subject but…
By: Julie O'Hara on April 11, 2024
It was March 2020 and my long-suffering husband’s world was turned upside down when three vessels of estrogen and education invaded his work space, our home. One afternoon we all came home, not for dinner, but to stay. School was online and jobs were on hold. Let me introduce the players. Me: A fifty-ish woman…
By: Kristy Newport on April 11, 2024
Carl L. Trueman, as a professor of biblical and religious studies, provides a commendable analysis of our culture and its current views on sexuality in his book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. [1] He paints a history of how pornography has impacted how we now think and behave in the chapter entitled…
By: Shela Sullivan on April 11, 2024
Evangelization and Ideology: How to Understand and Respond to the Political Culture by Matthew Petrusek,[1] is a hard book to absorb, nevertheless it is thought provoking and confusing at the same time. Questions like, “What does it mean?” “Wait, what?” This is definitely a coffee table book to discuss with my friend Barry. I re-read…
By: Chris Blackman on April 11, 2024
In 1972, I was the 13-year-old son of two very conservative, far-right republican Catholic parents. It was what I knew. They had a very solid stance on politics and religion. It was tradition for me, my older brother, Mom, and Dad to share dinner and conversation every night. Also, in 1972, Richard Nixon was running…
By: Elysse Burns on April 11, 2024
Matthew Petrusek’s Evangelization and Ideology is an invitation for the Church to re-enter the sociopolitical arena with the saving message of the Gospel. Petrusek writes, “The Church has a unique opening to re-enter the sociopolitical fray, re-engage the secular mind, and call the culture back to Christ—provided we can effectively understand and respond to the…
By: Nancy Blackman on April 11, 2024
“What’s wrong with the world, Mama? People livin’ like they ain’t got no mamas I think the whole world’s addicted to the drama Only attracted to things that’ll bring you trauma Overseas, yeah, we tryna stop terrorism But we still got terrorists here livin’ In the USA, the big CIA The Bloods and the Crips…
By: Chad Warren on April 11, 2024
Do you remember Lieutenant Columbo? He was a police detective in a show starting in the early 70s that ran for over 30 years. I loved watching the show as a kid and still enjoy it today. Lieutenant Columbo’s disheveled appearance and bumbling demeanor always gave the impression that he had no idea what was…
By: Daren Jaime on April 11, 2024
At one time or another, all of us have been driving along the highway or streets believing we had the supreme knowledge of where we were going. In an instant our confidence changes because of a wrong turn or misinformation. When we are lost, we turn to the ole trusty GPS in an effort to…
