I have always been a big reader. In this age of distraction and clickbait viral videos, reading a book has become somewhat of a revolutionary act. Reading is far rarer than it should be. It is in reading books that we think deeply about a topic or enter the world through someone else’s perspective. If …
I’ve just finished reading a thorough and very interesting historical account of China’s Great Leap Forward in 1958-62. The book is called ‘Mao’s Great Famine: The History of China’s Most Devastating Catastrophe’ by Frank Dikotter. It’s a harrowing read at times. In an attempt to bring China’s industrial output in line with the developed countries …
I read a lot of books, and this has been a year particularly full of reading due to my Sabbatical mid-year. I have found that the act of reading longer-form pieces of writing like books is revolutionary in a world that is full of swiping from 10 second video to 10 second video. Having to …
If you are convinced that you should read more books, where might you start? If you realise that your intellectual diet has been the equivalent of fast food for a long time, where can you go for something more substantial? The temptation when you notice that something needs changing is to change too much at …
I have read two short, simple books that have been greatly encouraging and helpful. I warmly commend them to you as worthy of your time. How to Talk about Jesus (Without being THAT guy) by Sam Chan I have read many books on evangelism. Some of them have been deeply theological, explaining our role and …
In my recent Sabbatical, I had the marvellous opportunity to read more than normal. While some of the books I read were disappointing, these ones made me think and encouraged me in worship of the true God. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs (Puritan Paperbacks) I had been meaning to read this …
There are few more important questions that Christians face from their friends and colleagues than the relationship between science and Christianity. Many dismiss Christianity thinking that science has explained it away, especially when it comes to the issue of the origin of the universe. The standard theory of evolution is accepted as adequately explaining everything; …
I have recently published my second book! The cover looks like this: What is this book about? While the topic is retirement, this book explores what the Bible says about older age more generally. Here is the official blurb: Most of us assume that when we reach a certain age, we will retire from …
There are many good books published every year, and I think reading Christian books is a worthwhile way to expand your thinking and grow in your understanding. Some of the books I have read recently are not ones I would recommend; in this list, I simply want to present some that I found useful that …
Rod Dreher has noticed a connection between what is happening in our cultures today and what has happened in the past. In his latest book, “Live not by lies”, Dreher compares the rise of “soft totalitarianism” and identity politics to the situation Christians found themselves in under the communist regimes of the 20th century. …