The first duty of man ordained and brought forth into this world for that end, — my most dear Valerian! — is to know his Creator, and being known, to confess Him, and to resign or give up his life — which is the wonderful and peculiar gift of God, — to the service and worship of… Continue Reading
“That fearful sound of fire and fire, Let no man know is my Desire.” After our foray into economics, I had intended to return to recommendations of poetry. In particular, I wanted to recommend an American poet who could help us to simultaneously love and critique the society in which most of us live and… Continue Reading
Brother Lawrence, born Nicolas Herman in Hériménil, near Lunéville in the region of Lorraine, in 1611, was a former footsoldier and valet who entered the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Paris as a lay brother, taking the name “Lawrence of the Resurrection”. His serene piety drew attention, and he was eventually interviewed in person, and through… Continue Reading
Winner of “Best Book Subtitle of the Last Decade” must surely go to John McWhorter’s Doing Our Own Thing: The Degradation of Music and Language And Why We Should, Like, Care. McWhorter is witty, disarming, and generally enjoyable (if, unfortunately, lewd in places) while arguing a serious and convincing thesis. He is no grammar-maven, writing… Continue Reading
Perhaps you have no interest in economics beyond the price of bread going up and your gas budget not going as far as it used to go. Could there be any value to you in reading these two books? Let me respond with a question. Could there be value to you in understanding why your… Continue Reading
Ryan Martin, regular contributor to Religious Affections Ministries, has successfully defended his dissertation. His Ph.D. will be conferred officially on May 11, but (for what it’s worth) he can already claim to be Dr. Martin. As with most dissertations, Ryan’s title was long and convoluted: “‘A Soul Inflamed with High Exercises of Divine Love:’ Affections… Continue Reading
In this series of book recommendations, we have bounced around across time and across genres. We started with some classic theological works which will hopefully serve to open the door to other great theological reading from church history. We moved on to some educational, political, and historical works, books which are worthy of lifelong meditation… Continue Reading
In the last installment in this series of book recommendations, I recommended good children’s literature. I now want to recommend some literature that was certainly not written for children, but which takes a child-like imagination and develops it in powerful and learned ways. These are works that perfect the story-teller’s craft. What is more, they… Continue Reading
Yes, I mean it. You need to read this book. Not only that, you need to read it in a particular way, which is, out loud and to your children—or grandchildren or nieces and nephews or babysitting kids or whatever children you have within earshot. If you are so old and crotchety that you cannot… Continue Reading
What is the best book ever written on America? What is the best book ever written on democracy? Amazingly, at a well-seasoned 177 years old (the first volume was published in 1835, the second in 1840), Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America can make a strong claim to be the answer to both of those… Continue Reading
“Fundamentalists and Pentecostals share all the virtues and vices of popular culture,” says Nathan Hatch as he applies his analysis of the development of American Christianity. “Following the long tradition of democratic Christianity in America, Fundamentalists [which includes what are more commonly known today as Evangelicals] and Pentecostals reject modernity as it is expressed in… Continue Reading
Having first recommended books which expound the strong foundation of our faith, I have moved on to recommending books which reflect upon the milieu in which we must live our faith. Godliness is the Scripture is never merely correct doctrinal statements, signed and sealed behind glass for all to see. It is also right living… Continue Reading
“In the United States at this time Liberalism is not only the dominant but even the sole intellectual tradition,” Lionel Trilling famously declared in 1950. There was truth in what Trilling said, but not the whole truth. Three years later a young professor from Michigan State University conceded, “For a century and a half, conservatives… Continue Reading
Some writers are skilled builders, and it is enjoyable just to watch them work, even if you couldn’t care less what they are building. C. S. Lewis is one of those writers, and the book under consideration is one of those books. Consider: how many books you can think of from the twentieth century from… Continue Reading
In these book recommendations, we have worked our way back in time to the fourth century. We could spend much more time back there, and it would certainly be to our benefit. However, perhaps it would be best to bounce back to some twentieth century writers who had the insight to know how to apply… Continue Reading
Getting the gospel right is near and dear to the heart of every conservative Christian. The integrity of the gospel is a non-negotiable. In this conviction, we find a true brother in our forefather in the faith, Athanasius. Hailing from Alexandria, the formative years of his youth were spent amidst the horrible persecution of Christians… Continue Reading
Having recommended books by A. W. Tozer and John Owen, let me backtrack in time to a man that both of them would recommend reading – Augustine of Hippo (354-430). If for no other reason, one ought to read Augustine simply for the purpose of understanding Western church history. Barring the apostles themselves, it is hard to think… Continue Reading
“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3, ESV). The knowledge of the Holy is the glorious goal of our existence, and the Holy One we worship is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yet it seems that few Christians sense the gravity of that… Continue Reading
In his answer to the first question in this interview, poet and editor Justin Evans advances the idea that it is a sense of place which makes American poetry distinctly American–a notion given at least anecdotal support by poets from Bradstreet and Whitman to Stevens and Bly, and perhaps most obviously by Frost. If… Continue Reading
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” “It is my opinion that the Christian conception of God current in these middle years of the twentieth century is so decadent as to be utterly beneath the dignity of the Most High God and actually to constitute… Continue Reading