The Bible in Australia: A Cultural History By Meredith Lake New South, pp. 544, $39.99 As an Amazon Associate, TLC earns from qualifying purchases. Review by Robyn Douglass “Bible Basher” is an Australian insult for someone who engages in enthusiastic proselytizing, or just someone who talks about Christianity a bit. There is a group of Bible Bashers who stake … [Read more...] about Australia’s Good Book
Bible
Barton’s Bible Balancing Act
Review by Paul D. Wheatley A History of the Bible The Story of the World's Most Influential Book By John Barton Viking, pp. 512. $35 In A History of the Bible, John Barton attempts to account for the writing, compilation and long history of interpretation of the Bible through the present day. Barton is a retired Oxford professor and priest of the Church of … [Read more...] about Barton’s Bible Balancing Act
Engaging Diversity in Theological Commentary
Review by Isabelle Hamley Judges and Ruth: Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible By Stephen Fowl and Laura Smit Brazos Press, pp. 288, $32.99 The Brazos Theological Commentaries on Scripture series is an open effort to bring Biblical Studies and systematics together, undergirded by the belief that theology illuminates the Biblical text and is essential to … [Read more...] about Engaging Diversity in Theological Commentary
Younger Readers Favor Jeremiah
For ages, John 3:16 (“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”) has stood as a widely beloved Bible verse. It is often called the gospel in a nutshell. But a Durham researcher believes a new favorite text has emerged among the social media generation. The Rev. Pete Phillips, director of … [Read more...] about Younger Readers Favor Jeremiah
Character Studies
By G. Jeffrey MacDonald The challenge of shaping moral character in students looms large in Chattanooga schools, where the state attorney general last year identified 122 bullying incidents and cited “widespread systemic problems.” Now, to stamp out bullying, cheating, and other character-related problems, Hamilton County schools are drawing on a not-so-secret weapon that … [Read more...] about Character Studies
In a Tongue Understood by the People
By Robyn Douglass In the clash between European culture and Australia’s first nations, the Christian churches have often been seen as villains, imposing Western beliefs on cultures which had been active for tens of thousands of years. But there’s another side to this history. Christian missionaries wrote down and preserved languages and customs. One of the oldest … [Read more...] about In a Tongue Understood by the People
Reflection on the Psalms
The Rev. W. David O. Taylor, who brought Bono and Eugene Peterson together for a video discussion of the Book of Psalms, writes about the project: As is well known by now, one of my two goals for the project with Bono and Eugene Peterson on the psalms, going back to October 2014, was that people might be inspired to read the psalms for themselves. With the generous help of … [Read more...] about Reflection on the Psalms
Treasure the Pearls
Twenty Minutes with the Rev. Lindsay Hardin FreemanBy Sarah PuryearThe Rev. Lindsay Hardin Freeman is an Episcopal priest, writer, and speaker who lives in Minnesota. She has written and edited six books, including The Scarlet Cord: Conversations with God’s Chosen Women (Circle Books, 2010) and The Spy on Noah’s Ark and Other Bible Stories from the Inside Out (Forward Movement, … [Read more...] about Treasure the Pearls