(REVIEW) “Vote of Faith” combines ethnographic storytelling with academic analysis. Readers might find the engaging stories and conversations captivating, like a great novel. However, some sections filled with jargon and less common vocabulary may slow down the reading pace. Overall, the book is well-researched and intriguing, providing valuable insights into the relationship between religion and politics.
Read More(REVIEW) The strength of her book is that, for the most part, she does not feature dissidents who consciously oppose the government. Instead, she focuses on ordinary, law-abiding people who consider themselves to be loyal Chinese citizens but who unwittingly cross the CCP’s constantly changing redlines. The people Feng features find ways to live with dignity and integrity in the crucible of China’s dictatorship.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, 2010 Nobel Laureate in Literature, died in Lima on April 13. His critics and followers have spent the last few days and weeks analyzing the work and legacy of this renowned intellectual, politician, novelist and essayist — arguably one of the most important figures in contemporary world literature. Vargas Llosa is often regarded as the last of the great writers from the Latin American “Boom of the 1960s.”
Read More(REVIEW) The Dalai Lama has hopes for Tibet, but as someone who knows the feeling of having governance forced upon him all too well, he does not say that these conditions are the absolutely correct ones. Instead, he makes clear that neither the CCP nor he should decide the destiny of the Tibetan people. While the Dalai Lama expresses disappointment at the fact that he will likely not return to Tibet.
Read More(EXCERPT) This is why I said earlier that these are pages born “from the thought and the affection” of Cardinal Scola: not only from thought, but also from the emotional dimension, which is the one to which Christian faith points, since Christianity is not so much an intellectual act or a moral choice, but rather the affection for a person — that Christ who came to meet us and decided to call us friends.
Read More(REVIEW) The university system is under attack. Professors risk careers by publicly speaking out on issues of intellectual freedom. Campuses have become tinderboxes. Meanwhile, the lines between church and state are blurring, imperiling the independence of the former while power-hungry political rulers seek to expand their iron-fisted grip over both. Welcome to the age of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Shakespeare’s works are, and have always been, profoundly theological — not because they provide answers but because they compel us to confront fundamental questions of existence. Is there justice in the universe? Do our actions have eternal consequences? Can the worst among us be saved? These questions not easily answered, if they can be answered at all. These are questions that still haunt us.
Read More(REVIEW) Six months after the invasion of Ukraine, the Putin regime announced a document titled “State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values.” The document aimed to shape the worldview of Russians, including a “strong family.” Putin has utilized the rhetoric surrounding traditional values, which the Russian Orthodox Church has promoted, for his own purpose.
Read MoreCliff Graham, author of the “Lion of War” series of books based on the wars of the Old Testament, is looking for redemption as he resumes publication of his series through a partnership with Kavod Family Ministries in North Carolina. Graham, now 43, is the subject of criticism for the panoply of failed ventures he has engaged in.
Read More(REVIEW) The book boldly gives a brave, honest and forceful account of the realities of the effect of colonialism on Anglicanism past and present, Percy critically examines how the Anglican Church, which served as both a spiritual arm and a moral justification for British imperial expansion, is now struggling with the enduring legacy of complicity in slavery and colonialism.
Read More(ANALYSIS) If she were still alive, March 25 would mark Flannery O’Connor’s 100th birthday. This milestone invites us to explore the many ways in which her Catholic faith shaped her literary genius. O’Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia, where Protestantism was the norm. Her decision to follow Catholicism wasn’t just a personal faith choice, but a key part of her identity and a driving force in her writing.
Read More(REVIEW) Encouraging women to feel disgust toward men’s sexuality also doesn’t seem like the best approach to restoring harmony between the sexes. Despite Perry’s focus on the harms of hookup culture, Gen Z is having less sex than previous generations. Culture critic Freya India points out that much of this is due to the constant fearmongering about sex and men from online influencers. The result of Perry’s book may not be healthier relationships, but fewer ones.
Read More(REVIEW) Researcher and author Diana Darke argues that the connections between Islamic and Christian cultures during the medieval period were stronger than commonly believed. This cross-fertilization of cultures had an impact on society, religion and culture. Her extensive research, covering hundreds of buildings across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East led her to propose replacing the term “Romanesque” with “Islamesque.”
Read More(REVIEW) Author of “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism,” author Katherine Stewart picks up where that 2020 book left off in her new work “Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy.” In it, she surveys a horizon that has only grown darker. It is a landscape overshadowed by a well-organized, well-funded consortium of oligarchs and billionaires and others.
Read More(REVIEW) More progressive critics have said Hays doesn’t go far enough. Perhaps it’s not so much that God’s mind has changed on homosexuality or slavery, but God was always pro-LGBTQ and against slavery. The early Christians weren’t ready for the concept of individual human rights. Instead, one could say God was so merciful and patient, he allowed the human church to catch up with God’s gracious understanding of such issues.
Read More(REVIEW) In “The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance,” Jamar Tisby provides a survey of leaders whose devotion to racial justice resulted from their belief in God and commitment to God’s work in the world. In time for Black History Month, the church has been given a resource that explores people of faith and their work in racial justice. Christians of all races and ethnicities can benefit from knowing those who made a connection between their faith and justice and acted accordingly.
Read More(REVIEW) In “Immigration and Apocalypse: How the Book of Revelation Shaped American Immigration,” Yii Jan Lin narrates how some Americans have used the apocalyptic vision from the Book of Revelation to idealize the United States as a new holy land, while simultaneously marginalizing immigrants. The U.S. is portrayed as the New Jerusalem, with immigrants viewed as outsiders exhibiting unethical behaviors.
Read MoreWhen the 18th century church planter and evangelist George Liele was imprisoned in Jamaica, he spread the Gospel in prison, reminiscent of the apostle Paul. Liele is among historical African American Christians author Trillia Newbell invites families to center dinner table devotions around in her book, “Celebrating Around the Table: Learning the Stories of Black Christians Through Readings, Fellowship, Food and Faith.”
Read More(REVIEW) Pastor Tyler Staton’s new book makes a compelling case for placing the Holy Spirit at the center of Christian life. Unfortunately, much of what it says also validates the fears of those skeptical about Spirit-filled theology. In times of perceived decline, people search for answers on how to reverse it. Many in the church and the Western world view Christianity and Western civilization as being in cultural retreat. One of the proposed solutions is "re-enchantment.”
Read MoreIn Israel after the 1967 War, Tamar’s sister-in-law, Hadas, is killed in a terror attack. In reality, Hadas was dating a Palestinian man, Daoud — a taboo in wartime Israel — and her death was a crime of passion. In the book, only Tamar knows the truth, and she keeps it a secret. Tamar immigrates to the U.S. with her husband and kids. When Tamar’s teenage daughter falls in love with the son of a Palestinian family, Tamar fears that history will repeat.
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