Stuck in the Present
Marilyn McEntyre is a gifted wordsmith. She is also a keen observer of the grand and the obscure. This book showcases both those things.
McEntyre shows how slowing down and doing something as simple as making a list can lead to profound discoveries about one’s self, others, and the world one lives in.
A delightful book!
Good succinct reflection from actor, Chris Evans:
There are many fine worldview books available. I’ve read my fair share.
What makes this one unique is that Poplin weaves her own story throughout this compendious book. Poplin has experienced many of these alternative philosophies not as some detached academic, but as a real participant. Her wide-ranging reading and commentary offers fresh analysis.
Highly recommended!
This interview just went live:
Ancient Greece versus Ancient Rome: Which one is preferable?
Mary Beard’s book on Roman History is terrific. SPQR is the famous Roman catchphrase Senatus Populus Que Romanus or The Senate and People of Rome. If you know anything about Mary Beard (perhaps via BBC specials) you know this Cambridge professor is as feisty as she is brilliant. Her writing is magnificent. She knows how to tell the stories of ancient Rome in a way that are accessible and entertaining.
Some who are able to spin a good yarn are not careful with the details. Beard goes no further than the evidence will allow for telling this story. In other words, she does not traffic in speculation or try to fill in details we would love to have, but simply do not.
She does include details that make the story interesting throughout, but these are details we can be pretty confident of. For example, did you know that ancient Rome had one million inhabitants and that no city would have that many people until the nineteenth century?
Ancient Roman history is extremely relevant to the hurly-burly of twenty-first century America.
Highly recommended!
I will be interviewing Professor Karen Swallow Prior next month, but this is a terrific interview on what great books can do for us:
https://www.moodyradio.org/programs/chris-fabry-live/2018/09-2018/2018.09.05-on-reading-well/
Quite a bit, it turns out.
The second century was a time when Christianity was challenged by many philosophies and religions. Because of this volatility, Michael Kruger, in his wonderfully conceived overview of the second century, convincingly shows that it has much to say to our own situation today.
Kruger’s book fits a huge need as the second century has been largely ignored.
Among other things, this was the time when key defenders of the Christian faith arose to give articulate and persuasive arguments.
Kruger’s book also does a terrific job of showing that the canon was largely determined far in advance of Nicea.
Kruger is thorough without being pedantic. He is a skillful scholar who knows how to write clearly.
I interviewed Joe Loconte on his terrific book. You can find it here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2015/10/03/tolkien-lewis-loconte/
Now the book has been made into a documentary. Wonderful to see!
