Review of Keller's The Reason for God

Posted on December 7, 2007

Click here for my first post on Keller’s book re: secularism and religion.

Publisher’s Weekly has given Tim Keller’s book, The Reason for God, an great advance review Here is an excerpt:

In this apologia for Christian faith, Keller mines material from literary classics, philosophy, anthropology and a multitude of other disciplines to make an intellectually compelling case for God…One of Keller’s most provocative arguments is that “all doubts, however skeptical and cynical they may seem, are really a set of alternate beliefs.” Drawing on sources as diverse as 19th-century author Robert Louis Stevenson and contemporary New Testament theologian N.T. Wright, Keller attempts to deconstruct everyone he finds in his way, from the evolutionary psychologist Richard Dawkins to popular author Dan Brown.

The New n +1

Posted on December 7, 2007

The new n + 1 is out. A twice-yearly print journal of politics, literature, and culture, this issue has:

“We have a masterly novella by Caleb Crain; we have a history of the cubicle, that wretched device, born, it turns out, in the revolutionary maelstrom of 1968; poems by our favorite Russian poet, Kirill Medvedev; pieces on the new ideology of indie bookselling; post-apocalyptic novels; and five years of Gawker.com. There is a symposium on the left-wing “politics of fear.” And finally, the centerpiece of the issue, a very powerful essay on Seung-Hui Cho, the Virginia Tech shooter, by Wesley Yang.”

How Should We Then Work?

Posted on December 6, 2007

Boundless is running one of my new articles on a redemptive approach to work entitled “How Should We Then Work?”

An excerpt:

In many respects, work is the engine of civilization. Without work, societies would not perpetuate. Furthermore, if as Schaeffer argues, the rise and decline of civilization is intimately intertwined with the strength and weakness of the Christian worldview, then the labor of everyday citizens, which contributes to the quality of human flourishing, should be given serious attention. If indeed theological ideas have practical consequences it becomes us to inquire, “How should we then work?”

In response to this important question, I can think of at least four main approaches to work that should frame our theologically informed response. First, Christian work should be excellent work. Second, Christian work should be ethical work. Third, Christian work is a platform for evangelism. And fourth, Christian work should be done in reflection upon its essence, how it may or may not reflect the nature and character of God.

T-Magazine

Posted on December 5, 2007

Check out the new online magazine from NY Times, the electronic upgrade of their print magazine (which often has great articles and book reviews). Here is their description of T:

“T translates the print magazine content and sensibility into an immersive, online experience. T is not your conventional online magazine. It is full of visual surprises…”