To give
Matthew Avery Sutton read just about everything that fundamentalists and evangelicals had to offer in preparation for his pointed argument in American Apocalypse: premillennial dispensationalism pushed conservative Protestants into public, political, national, and international action. If you want to wrestle with evangelicals, read this book.
To give
Whether read as a companion to formal studies of early Christianity or for pleasure, Peter Brown’s Through the Eye of the Needle is a valuable and rewarding investment (530 pages plus notes). I read it last year, then took a class on early Christianity. Now I look forward to rereading Brown because he adds context, covering economy, politics, religion, and more—all in one riveting narrative.
To give
Boyhood, Richard Linklater’s epic of everyday life, lingers long after one has seen it. Filmed on a few days every year for 12 years, the story follows a young boy as he grows from age six to 18. In part a coming-of-age story, in part a meditation on time and the shaping of human character and memory, Boyhood is a masterpiece.
To give
The Both, Aimee Mann and Ted Leo’s first album together, combines catchy tunes with lyrics about the complexity of human relationships. Topics include setting boundaries with people with addictions, conflict with loved ones, and coping with environmental destruction. But the songs aren’t disheartening so much as cathartic.
To give
I’ve always been particularly interested in Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s time in Harlem. Bonhoeffer attended the Abyssinian Baptist Church, where he was deeply influenced by black Christian faith. In Bonhoeffer’s Black Jesus, Reggie Willliams digs into Bonhoeffer’s experience with the black church—a formative experience that helped prepare him to resist the Nazi regime.