Poet, writer, artist, and designer Amy Bornman’s first book, There Is a Future: A Year of Daily Midrash, explores Scripture narratives through the lens of midrash. “Midrash,” Bornman reminds us, “is a practice in study and imagination.” The rabbinical tradition “honors the text by wondering about it.” As such, this book is her grand vehicle…
The City is My Monastery by Richard Carter (Review)
Whether it’s Benedictine, Franciscan, Augustinian, or any other monastic spirituality, each one has a book called a Rule of Life. These Rules spell out each order’s unique character and practices, such as the balanced life of prayer and work that the Benedictines are famous for, or the holy poverty embraced by the Franciscans. These Rules…
An Outline of an Anglican Life by Tarsitano (Review)
I regret not having come across this book earlier in my exploration of Anglicanism. For those of us who come from contemporary or non-liturgical church settings, our first encounter with Anglicanism can be confusing. But here, in a concise 185 pages, is a book that answers literally scores of questions about this form of the…
Living in God’s True Story: 2 Peter (Review)
Have you ever stopped to consider what “story” you are living in? What we believe is true about the world, or “the story” of the world, profoundly shapes how we live. Living in God’s True Story: 2 Peter by the Rev. Dr. Donald L. Morcom seeks to challenge what we believe to be the true…
Worshiping with the Reformers by Karin Maag (Review)
When I began Worshiping with the Reformers by Karin Maag, I expected a history lesson and perhaps a further introduction into more of the details of the Anglican tradition. What I did not expect was the book captivating me in such a way that I found myself sitting in worship with my eyes watching the…
Transformed In Christ: 1 Corinthians (Review)
Transformed In Christ: 1 Corinthians is a concise, easily accessible summary of the apostle Paul’s first letter to the young church in Corinth, a large, prosperous, Greek city. Authors Ron Elsdon and William Olhausen lead us, through an examination of specific questions that Paul answered in his letter, into a rich understanding of the struggles…
Anglicanism: A Reformed Catholic Tradition by Gerald Bray (Review)
If you’re looking for a brief introduction to Anglicanism written by a well-known and conservative Anglican theologian, then you should take a look at Anglicanism: A Reformed Catholic Tradition (Lexham Press, 2021, 166p) by Gerald Bray. Building upon his previous accessible commentary on the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (The Faith We Confess), Bray, a research…
Reformation Anglicanism, Volume 1 (A Review)
Book Information: Reformation Anglicanism: A Vision for Today’s Global Communion, vol. I in The Reformation Anglicanism Essential Library, eds. Ashley Null and John Yates III (Crossway, 2017, 224 pages, $35.00). Introduction Reformation Anglicanism is the first volume of The Reformation Anglicanism Essential Library, a series that seeks to cast a renewed vision for Anglicanism, one…
A Review of “Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference,” Edited by Timothy Keller and John Inazu
Timothy Keller and John Inazu—along with 10 other contributors, ranging from Tish Harrison Warren to Lecrae—have put together a book that describes “how Christians can engage with those around us, while both respecting people whose beliefs differ from our own and maintaining our gospel confidence” (xi). They are looking for a way forward for the…
How to Lead in Uncharted Territory: A Review of “Canoeing the Mountains” by Tod Bolsinger
Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsinger came highly recommended. Last year, I received a copy of the book from Archbishop Foley Beach. He had read it and found it so helpful that he sent each rector in our Diocese (ADOTS) a copy of the book. The premise of the book…
Looking for Excellent Christian Music for Children? A Review of “All Creatures” by Rain for Roots
All creating is a work of collaboration. We see this in our triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) who made this world and all the heavens at first out of nothing, but then out of things he already created: people, created out of dust of the earth; seas, created out of expanses of water…
Pastor Paul: Nurturing a Culture of Christoformity, by Scot McKnight (Review)
What is the job of a pastor? Ask that question to a dozen pastors, and you will get a dozen answers. Ask that question to the hundreds of congregants those dozen pastors serve, and you will get even more answers. With so many varying definitions and sets of expectations, those of us in pastoral roles…
