In case you didn’t know it already, I am a reader. I love to read and I will read just about anything. I love to find good Journals and newspaper articles and I love to share what I am reading. So here is what I enjoyed this week:
1. “How Brooklyn Got Its Groove Back: New York’s Biggest Borough Has Reinvented Itself As A Post-Industrail Hot Spot” by Kay S. Hymowitz
This captivating piece on the transformation of Brooklyn from dingy, dangerous, ghetto to hipster mecca was insightful and inspiring. It’s easily one of the best articles I’ve read in weeks. I love Brooklyn, but I also love my city. And as I read this piece I couldn’t help but transpose so many of its discussions onto my city and look to a day when the transformation of Portsmouth can be written and talked about in this kind of detail.
2. “Mark’s Good News of the Kingdom” by Brian J. Vickers
This brief, yet hardly simple, introduction to the topic of the Kingdom of God in the Gospel According to Mark has been extremely useful as I work through the book with a number of counselees. Vickers covers the entire book showing how each piece of the story directs us to another aspect of Jesus’ announcement that the Kingdom of God is at hand.
3. “D.A. Carson’s Evaluation of ‘Theological Interpretation of Scripture'” by Brent Parker
I greatly respect D.A. Carson’s mind and breadth of scholarly knowledge. His ability to travel seamlessly between the realms of theology, Scripture, and philosophy has made him one of my most frequently visited authors. In this short article the author reviews Carson’s recent reflections on the school of thought known as “Theological Interpretation of Scripture.” Pointing, in usual Carson fashion, to both the positives and the negatives within the movement Carson gives us strong caution to this hermeneutic.
4. “10 Reasons to Believe in a Historical Adam” by Kevin DeYoung
DeYoung’s quick list blog post regarding support for a historical Adam is just the kind of reminder I needed this week. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the complexity of a book like Genesis and to ignore the obvious evidence right in front of us. Here DeYoung gives some support for what he believes. It won’t convince everyone, but it is a fresh reminder to those of us who believe that a historical Adam is necessary for the gospel’s realization.
5. “Citizenship Confusion: Pamela Geller Abuses A Murder” by Alan Noble
This short piece on the misrepresentation of some court cases by Christians is a needed reminder that fear and prejudice do not honor God. The information gives us a glimpse inside a despicable effort by some to generate hatred of Muslims in America. The comments are almost as worthy of your time as is the initial article.
6. “Understanding What Moves the Muslim” by J.D. Greear
The new Journal of Urban Ministry from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is worth subscribing to. And this particular article is worthy of your time. In it Dr. J.D. Greear describes his own experience living with a Muslim Imam, and the process by which they tried to convert him. interestingly, Greear observes, the offer the very same reasons to convert that are often expressed by those who left Islam and converted to Christianity. It is a fascinating piece that lets those of us unexposed to the inner workings of Islam a glimpse inside. And since, as the whole journal argues, Islam is a major part of the new American urban context it will suit us all well to become increasingly familiar with it.
7. “The Problem with Jonah” by G. Aalders
The book of the Bible that I am studying this year is Jonah. It has already proven to be a fascinating study for me as I didn’t realize how much I have neglected this book. It’s content seems so commonplace to me (I’ve known the story ever since I was a little boy in Sunday School). But to see it through fresh eyes, to view it’s theology, to examine it in light of the whole canon, and to study some more scholarly treatments of it has provided fruit beyond what I could imagine (and I am just getting started). This simple journal article the author tries to assess whether or not the author of the book intended for it to be taken as descriptive of a real, literal, historical event. I have vacillated on this very point myself over the years and so to study it out is proving good for me personally.
8. “Bad Art Doesn’t Exist Apart from the Good” by John Starke
An intriguing post about what the philosophy behind certain artistic methods may communicate.
9. “The Pastor as Counselor” by David Powlison
The return of the Journal of Biblical Counseling has this great article that will refresh any counseling ministry. It is not just for pastors, that is the obvious target audience. The piece is really about a counseling methodology and therefore anyone involved in counseling can and should read this.
10. “China Laces Up Its Chuck Taylors” by Frank Langfitt
Chuck’s have always been one of my favorite shoes. This short little piece from NPR reveals their entrance into the Chinese market.
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