Summary: The history and influence of Mere Christianity. I stumbled across the audiobook of CS Lewis’ Mere Christianity: A Biography when I was looking for another book by George Marsden. I have previously read two other books from The Lives of Great Religious Books series (Letters and Papers from Prison and the Book of Common … Read more
Takeaway: Justice requires working systems. Part of working systems is adequate defense and reasonable sentencing. No one that I know that has read this has rated it less than 5 stars. Bryan Stevenson is the head of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery Alabama. Somewhat similar to the International Justice Mission that focuses on bringing … Read more
Summary: Spiritual insights from the author’s friendship with Mr Rogers. There really are surprisingly few books about Mister Rogers. Outside of the books by Mr Rogers, I can really only find four. One I read and reviewed last year (The Peaceful Neighbor). One that I just found today, one that is self published (and very poorly reviewed) … Read more
Summary: The relationship between Christianity and the founding of the United States is a complicated matter. As I was finishing up In the Beginning Was the Word: The Bible in American Public Life 1492-1783, I picked up God of Liberty. Thomas Kidd’s history is well known and spoken of well by Mark Noll and many … Read more
Takeaway: “Hearing is an act of the senses, but listening is an act of the will.” I have been looking forward to this book for a while now. Adam McHugh’s first book, Introverts in the Church, was extremely helpful to me as an introvert that also deeply loves the church. “Listening ought to be at the heart … Read more
Takeaway: influential nearly a century and a half later. John Henry Newman is a figure that is frequently referenced, but I have not read anything by or about him directly. The recent biography by Ian Kerr is a more comprehensive biography, but it also does not have either a kindle or audiobook edition and it … Read more
Summary: A look at how Mr Rogers communicated his countercultural Christianity through his life and tv show. I am a big fan of Mr Rogers. Part of what made me pick up this book was a desire to re-connect with the peacefulness of Mr Rogers for my children. My daughter is just old enough that … Read more
Summary: An conversion story that stumbles with long digressions into particular styles of worship and other minor issues of Christian life. I first heard of the Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert when Seth Simmons (a Bookwi.se contributor) reviewed it here. But it wasn’t long after that that there was a minor controversy at my … Read more
Takeaway: Not everyone important is known. I have written before of the importance of good Christian biography as part of spiritual growth. (And by good, I mean actually biography, not hagiography, that looks at an honest portrayal of the real person.) Karen Swallow Prior has written an excellent, eminently readable biography of Hannah More, a woman … Read more
Summary: An impassioned letter from an African American father to his 15 year old son. Between the World and Me deserves all of its praise. It will be on virtually every ‘Best of 2015′ book list. I need some space, but I would like to read it again before the end of the year. This … Read more