How can Paul navigate the choppy waters of a pagan environment, with its idols and temples? The obvious place to start is the Shema.
The proximity of Thanksgiving and Advent evokes in me an awareness and celebration of the ways God comes into the world.
Food stamps are efficient, effective and good for the economy. So should we cut them a lot, or just a little?
Captain Phillips emphasizes the larger story: long before they meet, the lives of the pirates and the captain are already bound together.
Since the 1970s, Ethiopia has seen something like what Europe saw around 1520: a movement based largely on growing access to the vernacular Bible.
Inexhaustible Lewis
"You'll never get to the bottom" of C. S. Lewis, said Tolkien. The books published for the 50th anniversary of Lewis's death reveal the truth of this statement.
How we got here
Were liberal democracies ill equipped to manage the crises of the 1930s? It was a genuine question, as Ira Katznelson underscores in this engrossing book.
Sober Mercies, by Heather Kopp
One in four American children—seven of my third-grader's classmates—experience something akin to what Heather Kopp describes in her recovery memoir.
Don Jon is not about a porn addict saved by a good woman. It's about the unhealthy collision of two people who are ready only for broken relationships.
Beautiful Africa, by Rokia Traoré
Malian singer, songwriter, and guitarist Rokia Traoré has long blended West African music with occidental influences. Her fifth album, produced by P. J. Harvey collaborator John Parish, features the strongest rock element yet.
The Ash & Clay, by the Milk Carton Kids
Most Americana duos don’t sound as much like Gillian Welch and David Rawlings as people say they do. But the Milk Carton Kids’ resemblance is uncanny.
The Invisible Girl, by Parov Stelar Trio
The best hyphenated genres don’t combine disparate worlds; they embrace commonality.
My True Story, by Aaron Neville
Now in his seventies, Aaron Neville can still locate the incredibly sweet spot between full voice and falsetto. The R&B legend’s singing remains mellow but quietly forceful—as if he could let loose at any moment but chooses not to.
This Side of Jordan, by Mandolin Orange
Another day, another talented Americana songwriter immersed in the language of a faith he doesn’t profess.