:: books ::
:: online resources ::
n.t. wright - one of the leading scholars of the new testament and christian belief living today. he writes brilliantly, on a scholarly and popular level. his website is a treasure trove of wonderful articles and lectures on christian history and theology.
stanley hauerwas - a christian ethicist who teaches at the divinity school at duke university. hauerwas’ theology is a bit catholic, a bit mennonite, a bit anglican, and totally wise and provocative. this site archives a number of his shorter articles. check him out for perspectives on ethical dilemmas (especially abortion and nonviolence) and thoughts on christian living.
james k.a. smith - a professor of philosophy at calvin college, smith’s work is a great place to pursue questions about discipleship, the role of the church in contemporary culture, and great cultural criticism (films, books, etc.).
faith and theology blog - while the discussions here can get heady pretty fast, this blog gives a glimpse into contemporary and up-to-date theological scholarship and musings. it’s also the online home of kim fabricius’ “ten propositions” series, which are a pithy and precise way to explore theology and belief.
books and culture - a bi-monthly journal published by christianity today, full of great essays and reviews of new books and old ideas.
::resources ::
Someone once told me that a Christian student at a secular university has double the reading load of her peers. I think they meant that for all the effort expended in classrooms and labs, there’s an equivalent amount of work that goes into learning about what it means to be a disciple, of coming toward a more sophisticated and mature understanding of faith and relationship to God.
No doubt, university is a great time to do this sort of work. It’s a great time, because you’re surrounded by big ideas, by great books, and by intelligent people who’ve all sorts of provocative things to say. Some of these ideas and some of these people are going to build up your faith, but many of them will challenge it.
Either way, you’re going to need to be on your toes, both intellectually and spiritually. There’s a heap of accumulated wisdom out there written and composed by wise and intelligent Christians, and it’s all available for to to discover, to pick at, to disagree with, and to feed your mind and your soul. What follows is a brief list of things that may be of interest to you during your time on campus.
mere christianity :: c.s. lewis - if you’ve not read it yet, now’s a great time. this is the great christian classic of the 20th century. it still sparks wonderful conversations
as i write this, it comes to my attention that if i listed all the books, magazines, and websites worth reading, it’d make for a long and tedious list. there are many many more things to add to this list, and if you need a recommendation on a particular subject, feel free to send an email along to me. you never know, your generous campus ministry may even buy you a copy, or give you a subscription to what you’re looking for!
books and culture - like the link provided above, but a paper version. subscribe to this to stay informed on great ideas and great books.
comment - a “magazine trying to build a Christian intellectual, artistic, and culture-making community animated by the gospel: serving the people of God seeking the shalom of our cities.”
first things - a periodical published by scholars with a roman catholic background (though protestants are often published, too). fairly conservative, but a great venue for deep thinking that goes against fashionable currents of the day.
good - a great not-for-profitish magazine that explores ethical issues. not expressly a christian magazine, but often pieces written by christians. beautifully designed, too.
the new york times - ok, it’s not a religious publication. in fact, they often get so much wrong in their reporting on matters of faith. yet, this is still the best newspaper in the world, and i’d argue that it’s mandatory reading for staying informed about
:: periodicals ::
