Torrey Gazette is the combined work of everyday Christians blogging on books, family, art, and theology. So pull up a seat and join us. Family Table rules apply. Shouting is totally acceptable.
All in Art
A recovery of beauty in the realm of aesthetics in the church is not going to be an easy task. It is going to take a long time and the odds are unlikely that our generation will taste the fruit of faithfulness. But what greater example of selfless love is there than laying down our own aesthetic preferences so that our great grandchildren can reap the fruit of a robustly beautiful church.
“We do not want to artificially endorse rigid gender stereotypes that make cultural normative expression of gender roles a marker of obedience to God or something along those lines.” (150-151)
A Week in the Life of a Roman Centurion fell short of it’s potential. The text boxes contained phenomenal information, the story was creative, and every detail researched – but in the end all was underwhelming.
Before recent times, church architecture meant something. Recently the protestant faith in the West has come to be understood in (almost) entirely intellectual terms. “Belief” is the core and sole tenet. Due to this emphasis on an intellectualized faith, aspects like architecture, city planning, and aesthetics in general, have gone by the wayside.
they told me they didn’t want my blood.
the ink (got up north, then carried south,
words carved deep into my heart over winter
etched fresh on skin before
rendered me unwanted by more than a few
Churches interested in Bible Study or Sunday School material will love the format, discussion questions, and overall tone of the David Jones.
Jesus once said that whoever believes in him with overflow with rivers of living water (John 7:38). Bombadil is this type of character. The typical modern man is like a void or a vacuum: hoping to fill itself with something. Bombadil is like a spring or a river: full and simultaneously filling those around him.
The softcover NIV Single-Column Bible is very reader friendly. Unlike “reader bibles” which remove verses and chapters for readability, the SCB also works well as a church bible and home study bible.
Discover God’s Heart Devotional Bible provides wonderful devotions for a straight-through reading of the Scriptures. I am not sure how valuable it will be as a long-term Bible. But I am once again impressed with the quality of devotional/study material put forth by Zondervan.
History, Law and Christianity is a short work that deserves to be read by anyone studying apologetics. Even if these arguments are not conforming to every preference, they demonstrate that belief in the Divine Christ of the Scriptures is reasonable.
Leithart wants to show that there is a pattern “mutual indwelling” to the created order. This mutual indwelling is seen most clearly when we understand that the vitality of the way objects and people relate to one another is through their inhabiting of one another. This co-inhabitation does not blur the lines of difference between objects but rather is created by the distinct differences inherent to the objects.
A resource for understanding how the “churched” of today view the evangelical tradition, and what questions many of them are asking. In several ways this book ought to fade from relevance.
The Quest for the Historical Adam has substantial highs and lows. It is immensely valuable in its interaction with the literal tradition of the church.
Eager cries of “read this one!” can be heard, with multiple voices clamoring to recite the story alongside the descriptive pictures and actual text.
Gripping and thought provoking, Parrish has crafted a story well worth engaging. The characters are recognizable, yet authentic.
The Lost World of Adam and Eve presents new ideas to conservative readers. Young-Earth creationists will find themselves confronted by many conflicting elements and arguments. In his conclusion, Walton reveals his concern for those entering higher education with misguided piety and overly protective ideals (209-210).
In conclusion, 40 Question About Creation and Evolution is a one of the best source materials for Christians to begin their exploration of the origin of man and Biblical teaching of Genesis 1-3.
