The Forever War by Dexter Filkins (Vintage Books, 2008): A Book Brief
by David Nelson
Returning from a trip overseas recently, I had one of those long layovers that was accompanied by the disappointment that I’d read every book I’d carried with me. That led me to the Borders bookstore in the Detroit airport where I picked up Dexter Filkins’ The Forever War.
The book has collected plenty of awards, so no one needs my review of the … [Read More]
Book Brief: The Forever War
When Words Aren’t Enough: A Report from the Field, Part 1
For much of the month of January, a colleague and I have been in an international setting serving with overseas workers. We have worked together daily in an educational context, and I have been reminded continually of the significance of the Great Commission. To say I am impressed by the workers of our mission board is an understatement, but I don’t want to embarrass my friends by being overly effusive about their labors. None of … [Read More]
Does God Hate Haiti?
Sometimes Christians with a public platform say foolish and irresponsible things that gain international attention and bring significant embarrassment to the cause of Christ and His gospel. Such is the case again with Pat Robertson’s declaration that God judged Haiti with an earthquake for having swore a pact with the devil in the 18th century to escape French rule and oppression. Such an outrageous statement quickly made its way around the world. I am currently … [Read More]
The Baptist Preacher as Prophet: A Lesson Learned in Liberia
This past week, I traveled to Monrovia, Liberia and was reminded of a profound truth while sitting at the feet of a septuagenarian Liberian pastor named Walter Richards. The occasion was the graduation ceremonies of Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary (LBTS), where I was delivering the graduation address. After the ceremonies, I had the opportunity to spend time with Richards, who is currently the chairman of the Board of Trustees for LBTS. From him, I learned … [Read More]
What Hath Jerusalem to Do with Mecca? Evangelicals Respond to “A Common Word”
This year the Evangelical Theological Society holds its annual meeting in New Orleans on Nov. 18-20, and one session warrants special attention. On Wednesday, Nov.18, 8 - 11 am, J P Moreland will chair a panel discussion of A Common Word, with John Piper and Al Mohler among the participants (a schedule of the program can be found here).
What is A Common Word? In October 11, 2007, 138 Islamic clerics and scholars from 43 nations issued a joint statement called A … [Read More]
Global Context (NAME): The Arabs in History
This series of posts deals with the global context in its many dimensions-historical, social, cultural, political, economic, and religious. We will provide book notices, book reviews, and brief essays on these topics. We hope that you will find this series helpful as you live and bear witness in a complex and increasingly hyper-connected world.
Bernard Lewis’ The Arabs in History is was first published in 1958, revised in 1993, and is still fruitful for the beginning … [Read More]
Global Context (Europe): The Penguin History of Europe
This series of posts deals with the global context in its many dimensions-historical, social, cultural, political, economic, and religious. We will provide book notices, book reviews, and brief essays on these topics. We hope that you will find this series helpful as you live and bear witness in a complex and increasingly hyper-connected world.
J. M. Roberts’ The Penguin History of Europe is the best one-stop history of Europe available. (Norman Davies’ Europe: A History is … [Read More]
The Church Planter’s Library (4): Global and Cultural Context
A good missiologist (whether North American or International) is first and foremost a theologian, but also a student of other disciplines such as world religions, cultural anthropology, history, current affairs, and anything else he can get his hands on in order to understand his context. By studying world religions, the missiologist learns to understand the core beliefs and religious practices of those to whom he will minister. From cultural anthropology, he learns to pay careful … [Read More]
Global Context: On India, Calvinists, and cow-dung shampoo
In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India
Should you read In Spite of the Gods? That depends. If you’ve never heard a man compare militant Hindus to Calvinists, then yes. This will be amusing. If you are looking for a book that gives a riveting narrative of the rise of modern India, the answer is yes. If you want a book that is well researched and interspersed with colorful and humorous vignettes observed first … [Read More]
Global Context Series (Central Asia): Ghost Wars
Ghost Wars
A wise man would refuse to lug even the paperback version of Steve Coll’s Ghost Wars to bed, for fear of being crushed to death if he dozes off in mid-sentence. However, despite being 712 pages long Coll’s volume is well worth the read for anyone interested in U. S. involvement in Afghanistan beginning in 1979 and spanning more than two decades.
Coll’s book is not a history of Afghanistan, per se, but rather a … [Read More]
