Aaron Armstrong's Blog, page 34

Links I like (5/31)

The Theological Legacy of Rachel Held Evans

Anne Kennedy:

Evans’ appeal grew out of her deep roots within evangelicalism and the Bible Belt. Her facility with the Scriptures combined with her wit, humor, and fluid prose gave a way for believer and non-believer alike to consider faith in a fresh, lively way. In particular, evangelicals weary of the culture wars, angry about notorious hypocrisy within the church, and disenchanted with the conflation of culture, politics, and biblical faith foun...

Questioning questionable content, preachy fiction, and James Bond

We tend to joke a lot about “content,” “grit,” and “scenes” in books. But today, we’re having a serious conversation (as serious as we get anyway) about the place of questionable content in fiction, if there is actually a legitimate place at all. Listen in as we get think-piece-y while discussing:

If we should make distinctions between violent and sexual contentWhat we do when we get caught off-guard by explicit content in a bookWhy it’s not good for fiction to get preachyIf explicit content...

Links I like (5/24)

Heresy Often Begins with Boredom

Brett McCracken:

But sometimes heresy begins not in a place of head-scratching, frustrating paradox. It simply begins with boredom. It begins when the thrill of orthodoxy is simply not very thrilling to us anymore, when our familiarity with faith breeds contempt, discontentment, and a dangerous restlessness. And so we take it upon ourselves to dress up Christianity, modernize it, reframe and repackage it for a new age.

What Message Do the Letters to the 7 Chu...

The bittersweet feeling of not being their sponsor

In March 2006, as a still very brand-new Christian, I did something I never expected: I picked up a packet from the Compassion table at my church, and sponsored a little boy in Honduras. His name is Jocsan (though he’s not a little boy anymore). I met him a few months later, when I went Honduras for the first time. The experience of meeting him was a unique one without a doubt (and amazing). To see the boy from the photo on my fridge and share a meal with him… it was unreal. (I wrote about th...

Wiping books out of existence, organizing our libraries, & hurtful words

We love our listeners—you are as much a part of this show as we are, with your questions, feedback, and more than a little shade that gets thrown at us. On today’s episode, we introduce a new way for you to participate in the show with our illiteracy helpline! With the help of Google Voice, we set up a new number for you to call in with your questions, and asked a few of you to test it out. And boy, did you ask some great questions! Listen in as we discuss:

How Barnabas’ personality lines up...

Links I like (5/17)

How Can We Use Blogs and Social Media to the Glory of God?

Tim Challies:

To the Young Pastor Who Feels Inadequate

Jared Kathcart:

Whether your path to the pulpit was like mine, or you are one that desired and anticipated the role and calling, struggling with some degree of inadequacy is inevitable. For me, depression was knocking on the door. I needed to get a grip on the matter, or I was going to be devoured.

Reclaiming Friendship in the Social Media Age

Brad Merchant:

Social media’s di...

Proposing to propose, taking chances, and the problem of how-to-books

Barnabas is writing a new book. Dave is helping launch a few key new titles for B&H. I’m in the midst of putting together a new book proposal for something I’ve wanted to write (and have been poking away at) for four-plus years. So today, we’re digging deep and offering some practical advice for aspiring authors, specifically around what makes a good proposal. Listen in as we discuss:

What are a few of the key ingredients of a good book proposal?Why is it helpful to have a literary agent?Shou...

Links I like (5/10)

How Can We Show Christ’s Love to the Gay Community?

Christopher Yuan:

Humble Confidence, Not Self-Love

David Prince:

Contemporary pop psychology’s mantra about well-being is that you must love yourself first in order to be a healthy person and to be able to love others. It is common for some form of this thinking to be advocated by Christian counselors and individual Christians. After all, the assertion sounds plausible. While there is possibly a way you could nuance and clarify the state...

Short books, getting self-promo-y, & enjoying Spring

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The three of us read a lot of books, but even as guys who really like to read, there are too many books that are just way too long. Maybe you feel the same way. So today, we’re back in the studio in Nashville to talk about some of our favorite books that are quick reads. Listen in as we discuss:

How do we define “short” books?Are celebrity memoirs actually any good?How do we really feel about the books we are “encouraged” to read by our bosses?What is the best time of year to be in Nashville...

Links I like (5/03)

[image error] How to Fall in Ministry

Jared Wilson:

Each time it happens, we get less adept at incredulity, less inclined to outrage and distress. We’re not happy about it, of course, but we are, sadly, getting used to it. Then the backward troubleshooting begins, the diagnosing of sicknesses long after the deaths. Ministry post-mortems tell us so much, but it would be great if we could see the falls coming.

But can’t we?

If the Bible Is Wrong, I’m So, So Wrong

Tim Challies:

Many people choose to relate t...