William Palmer: The Oxford Movement and a Quest for Orthodoxy By Robin Wheeler Holy Trinity Seminary Press, pp. 324, $47.95 Review by Richard Mammana Jr. Among the most eccentric figures to come out of the Oxford Movement was the Anglican deacon William Palmer (1811-79), who devoted his career to a personal testing of the Branch Theory: the idea that the one … [Read more...] about A Personal Testing of the Branch Theory
book review
An Adventurous Archdeacon
A Window to Heaven: The Daring First Ascent of Denali, America’s Wildest Peak By Patrick Dean Pegasus Books, pp. 336, $27.95 Review by Rob Price From the hills of the Lake District in his native England, to the post-Civil War cattle ranches of West Texas, to the Gold Rush settlements along the Yukon River, and finally to the peak of Denali, Hudson Stuck was an … [Read more...] about An Adventurous Archdeacon
The Holy Land’s Last Christians?
The Vanishing Faith, Loss, and the Twilight of Christianity in the Land of the Prophets By Janine di Giovanni PublicAffairs, pp. 272, $30 Review by Paul Feheley Books written about the Middle East are often either political explorations of various regimes and factions, or stories of faith. The award-winning author Janine de Giovanni has managed to combine both, and … [Read more...] about The Holy Land’s Last Christians?
Passing On the Story
The Bible in the Early Church By Justo L. González Eerdmans, pp. 204, $19.99 Review by Frank Logue The woman sitting two seats over on the subway sits transfixed, clearly intent on whatever she is listening to with her earbuds. Author Justo Gonazález observes that she may be “listening to the prophet Isaiah — the same prophet whom the Ethiopian traveler was reading” … [Read more...] about Passing On the Story
Two Useful Guides to Church Finances
Review by James W. Murphy Creating Financially Sustainable Congregations By James L. Elrod Jr. Church Publishing, pp.128, $14.95 James Elrod’s Creating Financially Sustainable Congregations and Mark Elsdon’s We Aren’t Broke are filled with useful guidance, and both pose provocations as churches seek to be effective, sustainable, and relevant in the post-COVID world. Both … [Read more...] about Two Useful Guides to Church Finances
Australia’s Good Book
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
‘Gandhian Christians’: Murray & Mary Rogers
Pilgrimage of Awakening: The Extraordinary Lives of Murray and Mary Rogers By Mary V.T. Cattan Pickwick, pp. 442, $51 As an Amazon Associate, TLC earns from qualifying purchases. Review by Titus Presler Mary Cattan’s perceptive biography of Murray and Mary Rogers offers a compelling story that will strike a chord with those exploring inter-religious encounter, … [Read more...] about ‘Gandhian Christians’: Murray & Mary Rogers
Jeremy Taylor: Contentedness in Hard Circumstances
By Charles Hoffacker The life of Jeremy Taylor (1613-67) was anything but easy. This Caroline Divine lived through decades of uproar, remaining a consistent Anglican and Royalist throughout the English Civil War, Protectorate, and Restoration. Taylor served as a chaplain to Archbishop William Laud and King Charles I, both of whom were executed, and was himself briefly … [Read more...] about Jeremy Taylor: Contentedness in Hard Circumstances