(REVIEW) How big a threat is “Christian nationalism?” Fear of Donald Trump increased the revenues of big media companies in 2016, and fear of “Christian nationalism” in 2024 is helping the sale of books screaming about it.
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(EXCERPT) Whenever we pivot in life, freedom from fear requires either a colossal ego or a colossal God. Ego leads us to grab what is not ours. The path to contentment starts with faith in God. In this sequel to “Lament for a Father,” Marvin Olasky first describes his journey from Judaism to atheism to Marxism to Christ and then his adventures in evangelical, conservative, compassionate, and journalistic circles.
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(REVIEW) My prime recommendation this month is “The Augustine Way.” Authors Joshua Chatraw and Mark Allen first set the scene by showing that the great thinker grew up in a sinking society not all that unlike our own: highly sexualized and solipsistic, with philosophers viewing Christians with condescension and saying we should self-authenticate our own truths.
Read More(REVIEW) Many Religion Unplugged readers are familiar with the civil rights contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr., and may also know that the organization he led was the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Some may be less knowledgeable about what made King a profile in courage.
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(ANALYSIS) Nigerian Christians have been slaughtered in the tens of thousands by Nigerian Muslims. When press coverage hasn’t been M.I.A., it’s resorted to a lazy “climate change” explanation. Not even the Biden administration seems to care.
Read More(REVIEW) Both rightly-named football matches and their American cousins have halftimes. The kind of “football” dominant in the United States is poorly-named because in it only one person on the field, a kicker, uses his feet, and that only at specialized times. In both varieties, though, players at halftime get a short rest and coaches offer rallying words. Books that try to answer why we exist should not have halftimes. Authors should offer a consistent vision.
Read More(REVIEW) As Christmas approaches, some U.S. Christians despair that millions who used to go to church no longer do so. “The Great Dechurching” by Jim Davis and Michael Graham shows the decline, which — given cultural pressures plus scandals within churches — is not surprising.
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From 1992 to 2021, my book reviews appeared in the magazine I edited, World. Probably about half came from Christian publishers. During the past two years, Discovery Institute has published a monthly OlaskyBooks column that emphasizes secular books. That column will continue, but I still read many religion-based books, and Religion Unplugged has an audience that cares about them, so I’ll report about those here.
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(OPINION) Let’s start with Chapter 9 of Ecclesiastes: “Under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.” Baseball is different from basketball, where a perfect shot will go into the basket. In baseball, it’s possible to hit a ball so hard — yet a well-positioned fielder can catch it.
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The perilous state of The King’s College in New York City developed over decades, hit turbulence in the past two years, then turned into a stunning death spiral in the spring 2023 semester.
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(OPINION) The stakes are high since White evangelicals play a strategic role in GOP primaries and national elections. In 2016, the Pew Research Center found that 78% of White evangelicals planned to vote for Trump — but 30% said they backed Trump, himself. Trump’s evangelical numbers remained strong in 2020, after he filled several SCOTUS slots.
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This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights four key religion trends to watch as the pandemic rages on. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
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(OPINION) Responding to a review of his book Reforming Journalism, Olasky writes that a Christian alternative to mainstream journalism is needed and should follow principles of biblical objectivity rather than try to stay neutral on issues the Bible clearly addresses, like abortion or same-sex relationships.
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(REVIEW) The WORLD Magazine Editor in Chief and author of 20 books writes that the Christian faith can and should use journalism to further its aims, but the only criterion of good journalism is a good story. Religious literacy simply gets you better stories, and Olasky never says this.
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