Stuck in the Present

Pooping Elephants

The Battle for Hell

Ecclesiastes, Songs of Songs (Holman Old Testament Commentary, Vol. 14)

The Last Men's Book You'll Ever Need

Good Christians, Good Husbands?

FINDING MESSIAH

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Jennifer Rosner has written a winsome, probing, even dare I say, provocative book.

Rosner is a Jew by birth. Later, she became a Christian by believing in Jesus as her messiah. As she tells so well in this book, her love of all things Jewish did not stop when she trusted in Jesus. Just the opposite.

This book does a terrific job of challenging Christians to consider whether we properly appreciate the debt we have to the Jewish religion. Most of us have not digested the reality that the Christian faith is anchored in the Jewish world. Rosner makes a strong case that Jesus would want us to ponder more deeply how much we owe to our Jewish ancestors.

STRANGE RITES!

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Burton’s book combines terrific writing, first-rate reporting, telling illustrations, and the competence of a brilliant scholar. Burton’s Oxford doctorate does not get in the way of writing in an accessible and compelling style.

As many others have said, and I certainly concur, this is a terrific resource to better appreciate the many bizarre ways people embrace the “spiritual.”

TIM KELLER IS HOME WITH JESUS

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My Interview with Tim Keller, Endorsing My Favorite Keller Book, and Reflections on His Life…

I was hesitant to interview Tim Keller, but not for the reasons you may think. I was slated to interview him on his book about trusting God with suffering. I have read many books on the subject, so I was a bit skeptical that any fresh angles could be articulated.

I was wrong, and so very glad to do the interview which you can find here:

Tim Keller on Suffering

It was also a privilege to blurb what is perhaps my favorite Keller book:

https://timothykeller.com/books/making-sense-of-god

Keller had his critics, and some of that criticism seems well-founded. However, there are many things we can learn from his example.

Many times, God uses the most unlikely people. Keller’s awkwardness socially would not have made one think he was destined to the ministry we now know him for. By the way, Keller got a C in his seminary preaching class, not an encouraging sign that he would amount to much as a preacher.

Some other things we can learn from Keller’s life:

*Mentors are hugely influential. Keller had several, but Edmund Clowney was one of the most formative. Clowney’s kindness, learning, and commitment to Keller reminds me of the role Ambrose played for Augustine.

*Keller’s ability to synthesize material, commitment to listen well to others, free people up to use their own gifts, but most of all, his humility, are things God has honored.

*There is no Tim Keller as we know him today without Kathy Keller. If you have a spouse who is a partner in ministry (I am graced by God to say that I do), then thank God for that blessing. If you are single and looking for a spouse, be diligent to find someone who shares the vision God has laid on your heart.

*If I were asked to list a couple of specifics that make a minister used of God, I would list true piety, humility, ability to keep loyal friends over the long haul, and courage. For the latter, Keller had a powerful model in a pastor who preceded him. He is a long-forgotten name, but you will be inspired by getting to know William E. Hill Jr. Many obscure figures had a big impact on Keller.

MODERN LIFE/”OUR TIME”

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A few reflections about “our time.” (HT: David Wells)

Speed is sexy, but what do we miss by going so fast? There’s no time to ponder the question.

Inventions and innovations alter the landscape of human existence. How can we properly measure the net benefit of cars and the Internet? We can’t, so we go by faith which is one of the ironies modernity presents. Modernity wants us to believe that everything is measurable, yet it is constantly creating things that defy measurement.

Everyone says they crave community, yet many of us habitually do things that impede the community we supposedly crave.

We are regularly reminded that suicide and depression are at epidemic levels. Is this a bug or feature of modern life? If it is the former, who is the exterminator? If it is the latter, what does this tell us about progress?

We live in a disenchanted world. Only the material is real. A personal God is absurd. Has shaking off the divine absurdity made us happier? Rises in suicide, breakdown of the family, depression, and other social maladies (because we can’t call them sins) should give us pause. Pausing to ponder is not in vogue among us moderns, so we go on our less than merry way.

Modernity produces ironic inconsistencies. Alan Jacobs is a literary critic and Christian. When Jacobs said he was leaving Twitter, many Christians applauded him by going to Twitter and retweeting his departure from the social media platform!

Modern non-Christians have no vocabulary for sin, so people get categorized as evil. Modern non-Christians have no vocabulary for redemption, so people get categorized as unredeemable.

Modernity extols the “virtue” of having no limits, yet proper limits are found in everything we cherish.

The love of fads and formulas, steps and strategies.

Machine-like efficiency reigns supreme.

Many admit that our gadgets have resulted in a diminished attention span. What many of us fail to admit is that attending to what really matters is threatening. It just might mean some major change needs to be made in our character or lifestyle.

Blaise Pascal said this centuries before the Internet and social media: “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” Now we sit alone in our rooms, but most of us are playing video games or watching things that suffocate our souls.

Since we don’t have souls, there is no worry that pornographic and other worthless material can hurt us. The “real me” is only physical.

According to Emerson, since you are an autonomous individual (department of redundancy department), you, and you alone, hold the keys to the promised land of changing your identity. Congratulations! You can be whoever you deem to be which is far better than the pathetic person you now face in the mirror every morning. It’s a sexy proposition. Many of us get snookered into believing this is really in our power.

Remaking the self is big business in America because we are amply supplied with gullible guys and gals who gladly buy the latest workout equipment, makeup, head to some exotic locale, or best of all, receive some plastic manipulation of body parts. Great effort coupled with high hopes all in the service of finding the better me.

HOW TO GROW OLD

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Princeton University Press has hit an absolute grand slam homer with these elegant and inexpensive editions of ancient classics. I have purchased several of them. My recent reads were Seneca on anger and this one by Cicero on aging.

I highlighted much of both books and made loads of notes.

Not to be missed!

SOCRATES’ CHILDREN

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I have read many books by Peter Kreeft. His writing is always clear, informed, makes wonderful connections, and he peppers important truths with his signature humor.

This four-volume set is a marvel. Word on Fire puts together beautifully designed books, and it is on vivid display in this work.

I have already encouraged friends to pick up this set. Indeed, I am beginning a weekly discussion with a friend over its contents.

If you want to learn from a master communicator about matters of the utmost importance, then these volumes are highly recommended.

READING

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One constant for me is a red pencil for highlighting and a black pen for marginalia. Pencils are only used if I think the pen will bleed through the paper.

Another constant is that I tend to read about five books at the same time. Different types of books being read at the same time carries these benefits: they start forming a conversation among themselves, if you are slogging through a tome like one of Charles Taylor’s big books you can take a break and read something lighter, and it is motivating to finish a bunch of books about the same time.

For many years, I have kept a log of what books I’ve read, or in some cases, reread. It serves as a good accountability to hit my goal of about 50-60 serious read books each year and it allows me to evaluate how balanced my reading is across different disciplines.

Not a constant, but close to one, is that I usually take a book with me to appointments. I don’t get perturbed when someone is late!

THE GOSPEL COALITION, CONTROVERSY, AND CHRIST-LIKE CHARACTER

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Those who know me would hardly peg me as an apologist for The Gospel Coalition. For those who don’t know me, they may want to consult this piece, posted almost eight years ago to the date:

A Few Thoughts for My Friends in the Gospel Coalition (by David Moore)

One tweak to that post based on feedback I received from Justin Taylor is that Denny Burk is part of Together for the Gospel not The Gospel Coalition. That correction was gladly received from Justin, but the nub of my overall concerns with The Gospel Coalition were not altered by that factual error. (My correction is also noted in the follow up post on The Gospel Coalition at the end of this post.)

Another update: Tim Challies wrote me this shortly after seeing my post:

“Denny is not part of Together for the Gospel and, I’m quite sure, has never been, unless he perhaps did a breakout for them or something. He is part of Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, and a professor at Boyce College.”

Like Justin’s earlier correction, I gladly receive this one from Tim. Again, it does not alter the concerns I raised in my first post about The Gospel Coalition.

Many of you are aware of the controversy swirling around Joshua Ryan Butler’s book, Beautiful Union. I very much agree with Anthony Bradley that Butler’s publisher failed him by not offering the proper checks and balance. Granted, Butler’s book is a more popular level book, so the peer review that comes with academic works did not take place. However, given the nature of what Butler was writing, the publisher should have vetted it by utilizing scholars, both male and female, who have real expertise on the subject matter.

To keep this post short, my concern is that it is easy for all of us to dismiss and discredit a fellow believer (or Christian organization) we find in error, even and maybe especially so when the error(s) are serious.

Even those like Scot McKnight who is certainly not to be confused as an apologist for The Gospel Coalition (!) had very favorable things to say about Joshua Ryan Butler’s earlier books. And I should add that it was on Scot’s blog that he gave me the green light to write this appreciative follow up post about The Gospel Coalition:

David Moore, TGC, Part 2

TIMOTHY KELLER: HIS SPIRITUAL AND INTELLECTUAL FORMATION

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I have read eight books by Tim Keller. None have been duds, but I certainly have my favorites.

Opportunities to interview Keller have come on two occasions. The first was on his book about suffering. That interview can be found here:

Tim Keller on Suffering

The other was an exchange of emails about preaching. That exchange was published here:

Tim Keller Answers: How Much Prep Time for a Sermon?

And now we have a terrific book on the formative influences that made Tim Keller who he is. Here then are a few observations from Collin’s Hanson’s wonderfully conceived book:

*Many times, God uses the most unlikely people. Keller’s awkwardness socially would not have made one think he was destined to the ministry we now know him for. By the way, Keller got a C in his seminary preaching class, not an encouraging sign that he would amount to much as a preacher.

*Mentors are hugely influential. Keller had several, but Edmund Clowney was one of the most formative. Clowney’s kindness, learning, and commitment to Keller reminds me of the role Ambrose played for Augustine.

*Keller’s ability to synthesize material, commitment to listen well to others, free people up to use their own gifts, but most of all, his humility, are things God has honored.

*I mentioned above that I have read eight books by Keller. Making Sense of God is probably my favorite. I am glad that Collin gave some attention on the need to write such a book. My review of Making Sense of God is here:

Tim Keller’s Newest

THE AIR WE BREATHE

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I have read many books on apologetics and how best to engage the culture. I have read and, in some cases, reread classic works by Augustine, Pascal, Chesterton, and Lewis. Contemporary folks like Keller, both of the two big books by Charles Taylor, Sire, Guinness, Schaeffer, Pearcey, and Moreland have been very helpful. You get the picture. All these have been terrific, but the book that now tops my list is Glen Scrivener’s book, The Air We Breathe.

In relatively short compass Scrivener winsomely, wisely, and wonderfully showcases that we do as Flannery O’Connor said, live in a Christ-haunted world. (She said a Christ-haunted south, but I am expanding on her words.)

If you are looking for a well-written and compelling resource that makes it crystal clear that many of the things we love and take for granted like freedom are a result of Christianity, then this book is for you. If you are not looking for a resource like this, you should be!