A Brick in the Valley

In 2007 a well known atheist named Athony Flew published an unexpected book.  The title of the book is, There Is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind.  In it, Flew shared why he renounced being an atheist, though he is still not a Christian.  I’ve not read the book, but it must be a fascinating read.  You can read a review by R.C. Sproule here.  (HT: Justin Taylor).

In the mean time, I will add Flew’s book to my online store.  Slowly, I’m building a list of recommended reading.

You can see my online store here.  Notice that there are categories at the upper right so, you can move away from this particular aisle.  (Full disclosure.  The theory is that if you buy a book via my online store, I get some sort of reward).

Al Mohler writes a provocative column on how the digital age is changing our attention spans.  College students no longer simply listen to a lecture.  Instead, they instant message, shop, and read online newspapers during college classes.

We need to be aware of how we are being shaped by technology.  Read Mohler’s article here.

In 2005 a man named William P. Young wrote a book called The Shack.  Originally, it was written for his children.  Soon, however, a small, little known publishing house, made it available to the public, and now it is wildly popular.

The fact that a work of fiction has gotten so much attention, especially coming from an unknown author and publishing house is surprising.

On another level, it is not so surprising.  The goal of The Shack is to address the question, “Where is life in world so filled with pain?”  This an itch that everyone knows.  Any book that scratches, or appears to scratch, that itch in a compelling way is going to sell like ice cold bottled water in the Gobi dessert. 

If you haven’t read the book, you know someone who has.  And, because the Shack has a theological agenda, it is important that it be read discerningly. 

I would encourage all of you to read Tim Challies’ excellent review of The Shack by clicking here.  Tim’s review, not The Shack is the reading I am recommending here.

It may be time to  pre-order C.J. Mahaney’s upcoming book, Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World, or read the next excerpt by clicking here.

The Discerning Reader site has posted a review of the most recent Joel Osteen book.  Read it here.

I have tagged this post as recommended reading.  For the record, the review is the recommended reading: not the Osteen book.