From Dante to Tina Fey, a romp through history with Jesus’ Beatitudes
Blessed are those who read this wise and lovely book.
Two new (very different) Old Testament translations
Is it man or humanity? Ark or chest?
A feast of scriptural language
Sarah Ruden writes some of the most sumptuous words about Bible words I’ve ever read.
Immanuel is the agenda
What humankind needs is a love that sticks around, a love that stays put, a love that hangs on. That’s what the cross is.
2 Samuel by Robert Barron
Robert Barron’s grasp of the complex development of David’s character in 2 Samuel is unsurpassed. And his references to history and literature are more than adornment.
The Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, edited by Gianfranco Malafarina
In The Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, the darling among splendidly artistic cathedrals is stunningly brought to life.
A New Heaven and a New Earth, by J. Richard Middleton
These days, we need a strong current of theological explication of Christian eschatology. Richard Middleton has stepped forward—and his book doesn't even mention zombies.
Short Stories by Jesus, by Amy-Jill Levine
Reading Amy-Jill Levine's Short Stories by Jesus, I kept wishing she had published it earlier. It would have saved me some mistakes in the pulpit.
Subversion and hope
In two pages, you go from a simple devotional habit to being sucked into the vortex of global power plays. You must be reading Brueggemann.
The Historical David, by Joel Baden
The public has a taste for biographies of great people who on closer inspection turn out to be not so great after all....
Francis of Assisi, by Augustine Thompson
When we think of the hagiography of Francis of Assisi, Qohelet’s wry musing comes to mind: “Of making many books there is no end.”...
In defense of church
Lillian Daniel's book is a feast of words—funny, ribald, tiptoeing to the edge of sarcasm, yet full of love and unflinching hope.
New testaments
The Common English Bible boasts that 120 scholars worked on it. The Kingdom New Testament was written by one (brilliant) guy.
Terrifying texts
A cynical little demon perched on my shoulder as I began reading Philip Jenkins's Laying Down the Sword, which is more Old Testament exegesis and hermeneutics than anything else.
Preaching the Atonement
The very idea of preaching a single doctrine seems misguided, even though it’s far superior to preaching on neat themes that intrigue the consumers out th...
Onward to Mordor: 2 Kings 2:1-12
Why does Elijah try to spare Elisha? Does he simply prefer to die alone?