Hearts & Minds Books

Musician and author Michael Card speaking on his Biblical Imagination Series commentaries. Co-sponsored by IVP and Hearts & Minds Thursday, May 16th, 2013.

2013-05-11T20:46:20Z

AN EVENING WITH MICHAEL CARD
I want to tell you that we have the brand new Matthew: The Gospel of Identity commentary by classy/casual acoustic musician (and smarty-pants author) Mr. Michael Card, published in very handsome paperbacks by the excellent InterVarsity Press (regularly priced at $18.00.) We have it (and other books by Mr. Card) on sale and if you write to us before Thursday, we can get you an autographed one, at our sale price, too. Yep, we'll do our best to score you an autographed copy on Thursday.

Why Thursday, you ask? We are sponsoring a talk by Michael here, where he will tell us about the Biblical Imagination Series he's been doing, lecture or read a bit from the new Matthew volume, and play some music inspired by the gospel texts. Thanks to near-by friends at Living Word Community Church in Red Lion who are partnering with us to host Michael for this author appearance, book signing, and mini-concert. As we are in our 30th year of doing this bookselling thing, we are honored to have such a high caliber musician turned author gracing us, and glad for the on-going support of LWCC. Learn more about the "Evening with Michael Card" here.

However, even if you are not in the area, you should know about Card's latest project, this "Biblical Imagination" series of books and recordings. I hope you enjoy my ruminations on his significance and the features of his latest work.

CCM AND THE BIBLICAL CLARITY OF MICHAEL CARD
Depending on your age and faith culture, you may know that Michael Card penned classic pop songs like "Love Crucified Arose", "Known By the Scars", the lovely "El Shaddai" made famous by Amy Grant and the still popular "Joseph's Song" which you probably heard on the radio this past December.

Back in the 80s and 90s, what I sometimes call the "early-middle period" of contemporary Christian music, there were some really dumb acts, artists with shallow theology and cheesy production. The mimicking of any hot trend was incessant and the reputation of the industry was somewhat of an embarrassment. Some CCM stuff was terrible. Yet, there were artists we enjoyed and some whose records remain among my all time favorites. From the Lost Dogs to Rich Mullins, the 77s and The Choir (and, of course, the late great Mark Heard) there were edgy, vital artists who did an enduring body of artful work Some CCM stuff was brilliant.

And then there was Michael Card. Card wasn't a cheap entertainer or a glitzy musical evangelist, but he never tried to be an avant garde, new wave (or any wave) heady, cryptic artiste, either. He was faithful at doing what he did well: theologically-literate, story-songs about Biblical texts. He worked overtime getting an MDiv in Biblical studies, being mentored in the details of exegesis by the remarkable New Testament scholar William Lane. And he used his notable song-writing abilities to take Bible stories and turn them into soft-rock, often acoustic tunes which sometimes had a nearly hymn-like feel. With soft instrumentation, using everything from harps to banjos, solo piano or finger-picked acoustic guitar, he has created a body of work including over 30 albums and he has won oodles of awards, from Grammy's to Dove's. He has done a remarkable series of songs based on the Old Testament, another set on the life of Jesus. He's done children's music and he's done a collection of hymns. I have appreciated his songs, and enjoyed his shows more than once. And once, I got to experience his graciousness and integrity first hand.

MY HUTZPAH, CHINESE ASYLUM SEEKERS AND HIS GRACIOUSNESS
About twenty years ago, some of you recall, I was deeply involved in an intense local campaign trying to get political asylum for a large group of Chinese folks who had escaped their totalitarian regime, fleeing the forced abortion policies from their one-child-only repressive state, only to be detained by the INS (now ICE) in York, PA.

Michael had been to China, helped distribute Bibles to house churches there -- learning first-hand how some of them were persecuted by the government, some of their leaders having been imprisoned, some of their homes burned down -- and had a song called "So Many Books" which sang about our embarrassment of literary riches in light of this mission to China. (It is actually from an album based on texts from the Old Testament prophets, and this is from Amos 9.) I contacted him right before the show, asked if I could make an announcement about our need for assistance in this local legal project for Chinese dissidents, and suggested he could play that song as a set up for me to do my little spiel.

This was a large show in a classy auditorium, with a sizable stage and professional lighting and, looking back, I'm nearly embarrassed by my audacious hutzpah, inviting myself into his show. As I recall, he seemed delighted to allow me to share the stage with him, worked that song into his set, providing the artistic context for me (who he had never met) to talk about justice, asylum, detention reform, the need for prayer and protest of our government's lack of fair trails for these dear folks. I knew it was remarkable that he cared enough to allow this to be part of his stage show, and his own professional courtesy belied a passion for justice and mission that was, especially back then, quite rare. Except for the occasional Compassion International or pro-life pitch, CCM artists in those days simply didn't get involved in much. My admiration and respect for Michael, which was already high because of his Biblical and theological integrity, grew even more that night.

I write about it now, knowing we are bringing him in to speak this week, and wonder if he even remembers. I hope to thank him, once again, and tell him about how we kept at it for years and years, praying in front of the prison every week, forming the largest pro bono legal project in US history, and how some of our detainees got asylum so many years ago, and about some who were deported to further imprisonment, torture and death back in communist China. As his song puts it, we have so very many books and Bibles here, and such freedom. Some folks lives aren't as privileged and we need to always keep that in mind. Anyway, it was a memorable thing for me to meet him and have our passions for this justice project affirmed.

I've noted that Mr. Card earned an advanced degree in Biblical studies and is on the deeper end of the CCM gene pool. A fairly recent remastered and re-issued double album of songs based all on the narrative of the Old Testament called An Invitation to Awe (Sparrow; $17.99) shows the artist not on stage or with his guitar, but in front of a library of Biblical reference books. Let's face it: this is unheard of in the rock music industry and makes him either really geeky or out of the box cool. Did I mention that besides releasing over 30 albums, and doing album covers with books on 'em, that Card has himself written over 20 books? Even if he were not the beloved performing and recording artist that he is, he would be known as a significant writer, contributing much to the contemporary religious publishing world.

Not all, but most of his best books are on the well-respected InterVarsity Press. We thank them for helping us host him here this week as he talks about his brand new commentary on Matthew, in the Biblical Imagination series. It is called Matthew: The Gospel of Identity, IVP; $18.00 (see our sale price, below.) Doesn't it have a fabulous cover design? The correlating album by the same name will arrive on Thursday (making us the very first place to have it, so our event will be a bit of a coming out party for the CD.) You can click on the link below and type in whatever you want to order -- for BookNotes readers, we have these Michael Card items all at 20% off.

Allow me to briefly tell you about Michael's latest book project, and then mention a few of his notable previous ones. We will have them all on sale Thursday night at our event. Let us know if we can get an autographed one for you. I think we can pull that off...

THE BIBLICAL IMAGINATION SERIES

Matthew: The Gospel of Identity IVP     regularly $18.00
Mark: The Gospel of Passion IVP         regularly $16.00
Luke: The Gospel of Amazement IVP   regularly $18.00

In this handsome on-going series (the volume on John won't come out until next year) Card has done the church and reading public a great service by distilling much academic scholarship, good, attentive study, and written informed, but readable commentaries. They are nearly unique insofar as they attempt to bring curiosity to the reading; his artistic temperament and imaginative sensibility colors how he reads the texts, so these are being touted as examples of the redemptive use of the imagination.

This is an immensely interesting idea, and the preface and introductory material are themselves wonderful meditations on this need and this approach. In different ways, in each one, he says that "the imagination is the bridge between the heart and the mind" or that we must "engage with Scripture at the level of the informed imagination."

He notes, and is surely right, that there are those who are so rationalistic in their studious approach to the text that they are missing much. The mind alone simply cannot comprehend and know all that is being revealed in sacred Scripture -- and anyone who has studied social history at all knows that this reductionist view of what counts as knowing is based on the pagan assumptions of secular Rationalism from the era pompously known as the Enlightenment. Of course, the other extreme is equally troublesome; mystical, allegorical, symbolic, emotional, and other creative readings can become unhinged, disconnected from common sense, overly subjective, not grounded in the best insights of the tradition of teaching that has gone before us or the perspectives of others in our faith community.

In other words, we need some holy combination of right and left brains, of scholarly/rational approaches and of spiritual/meditative approaches. And Card tells us that our God-given imagination is the tool the Spirit uses to bring back together these two modes of knowing, modes designed to compliment one another but rendered asunder by the Fall and human sin. Card makes this assertion quite nicely in the prefaces of these commentaries.

It is fabulous, I think, to have an author so self-aware and candid about his or her assumptions and strategies as they commence reading. (I was going to make a joke about him getting his cards on the table.) It is also quite nice to have one writing so helpfully about the proper role of the imagination. No lesser a thinker than modern painter and aesthetic writer Mako Fujimura, agrees, saying "Michael Card invites all of us to a magnificent journey of hesed (grace and mercy). This humble offering is a sweet aroma and an invaluable contribution to all those who desire to know the Bible and live creatively."

As it says on the back cover of one of them,

For years Michael Card's music has imaginatively explored the narrative power of the Word of God. Now, in the Biblical Imagination Series, Card invites readers to enter into the Scripture as he does, at the level of imagination... (these volumes) reintegrates our minds with our hearts to recapture our imagination with the beauty and power of Christ.

Here is a bit of a review published by the Englewood Review, of Luke: The Gospel of Amazement, which explains this nicely,

Card proves himself a worthy guide, offering much to be enjoyed by both bookworms and bohemians as he walks us chapter by chapter through Luke. For the former there is the requisite geographical and historical information, the dabbling in the original languages, and the discussions of authorship, setting, etc. For the latter there are plenty of invitations to feel, see, and hear, along with the occasional reference to music, painting, or art history. The author is particularly on point when he gets us exploring by way of his compelling use of language. Noteworthy examples are his discussions of the "unorthodoxy" of Jesus and the "impossible demands" that Christ places upon his disciples. These and other themes run throughout the book, giving us new nails on which to hang our mental pictures of the architecture of Luke's Gospel.

Or, hear what my friend David Swartz wrote at Patheos:

Michael Card wants to help us do something different with the Bible. With this (and three volumes on the remaining Gospels, all from InterVarsity Press), he wants us to uncork this rich book, letting it breathe until we drop our jaws and defenses, and fall in love with the main character--Jesus Christ. Michael finds his interpretive key in imagination. He helps us revive it as something often lost in "growing up." Card wants us to smell the sweat of fishermen and sneeze on Galilean road dust. He wants us to hear the tremble in screaming voices where panic threatens to strangle hope as the blind cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

What makes these commentaries especially helpful is that they are very readable. While it isn't quite as chatty and upbeat as Max Lucado -- who is a fan, by the way -- they are not dry or colorless. If one likes the entry-level commentary of writers like William Barclay or Warren Weirsbe or even the New Testament for Everyone set by N.T. Wright these would be quite accessible and, I think, enjoyable.

But what makes them even more special is that Michael Card is doing a record to go with
each book. I am not sure (and hope to ask him at our event) if the music came first and then the commentary, or if the songs emerged from his scholarly study. In some ways, the music could be commentary on the commentary, which sounds a whole lot like how First-Century rabbis would have taught, using midrash. Cool, huh? Anyway, I like these albums and even if you aren't huge fans of CCM, you should know these recordings. I told a group of Presbyterian church educators just last week that I think they are useful in their own Bible classes and Sunday school teaching. Having this whole body of text-based Bible songs is a huge asset to teachers and preachers.

For what it is worth, the artistic imagination aspect of all of this is subtle. These are not commentaries that overtly engage the senses (see Dwelling With Philippians a Conversation with Scripture in Image and Word by Elizabeth Steele Halstead, Paul Detterman and others [Eerdmans; $22.00] if you want that.) They are not particularly aimed at helping you meditate on the texts using spiritual disciplines such as lectio devina (try the Ancient-Future Bible Study Series published by Brazos or the Meditative Commentary on the New Testament published by Leafwood if you want that kind of a slow, contemplative reading experience.) Card isn't pushing envelopes or arriving at bold new conclusions, either (see, for instance, Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire by Walsh & Keesmaat [IVP; $23.00] if you want a wonderful example of fresh, relevant, provocative scholarship that does indeed push some envelopes.)

There are absolutely no flights of fancy here and if I have any criticisms of the "Biblical Imagination" project it is that they are not imaginative enough nor particularly courageous in offering a new way to write Bible commentaries. Mike is, I gather, careful, which is both a strength and a bit of a hindrance for this sort of a project. Occasionally the author playfully speculates, and when he does it is with humility and fruitfulness (his take on the role of Peter in Mark's life and in his telling of the gospel is genius, although, admittedly, not fully original.) There are moments where he offers some very curious insights, and occasionally invites us to stop and ponder. Card is a teacher and writes with a pastors heart; he isn't trying to be innovative, just helpful. He isn't trying to make a name as an innovator, he is trying to open up the Scriptures so we can know God in Christ and live for fully for His sake. These commentaries are not at all odd, not artsy, not bohemian, not risky. They are just very nicely written, quite solid, somewhat creative reflections for ordinary readers. It is, I think, what many people hunger for.

If you are not one who does much Biblical study, or haven't ever read a commentary straight through, any of these three would be an ideal introduction to this Christian practice. I hope you try one, and prayerfully read your way through it. Why not convene a group, inviting them to read the books, listen to the songs, week by week. It could be a great summer time.

LAMENT, SEERVELD AND THE SADNESS OF 9-11
I don't know exactly how it went down, but the short version is this: one of my favorite authors and a bit of a long-distance mentor, the exceptionally astute and nothing-short-of-brilliant Biblical scholar and philosopher of aesthetics, Dr. Calvin Seerveld, contacted Card after the horrors and national sorrow of 9-11. As you know, many contemporary worship services call their musical worship leaders "praise teams." Nearly one third of the Psalms are laments, and Seerveld wondered why there are no lament teams. He asked Card what he thought, challenging him to write some appropriate worship music of this sort. Seerveld insists that we simply must know how to receive and use these Biblical themes liturgically, and we need to -- as Seerveld's powerful chapter on learning to lament together in congregational worship in Forgotten Songs: Reclaiming the Psalms for Christian Worship edited by Ray Van Neste (B&H Academic; $19.99) puts it-- "Learning to Cry in Church." Interestingly, Michael was reading Walt Brueggemann's The Prophetic Imagination (Fortress; $19.99) in that season, which talks much of these themes and the call from Seerveld convicted him.
Grief Tile Painting, Arthur Rothenberg

Two books and a CD came from that challenge, and they are each very important.

Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament (Navpress; $14.99) and The Hidden Face of God: Finding the Missing Door to the Father Through Lament (NavPress; $14.99.) We commend them both to you, and we will of course have them for sale Thursday night as well.

Michael also released an album to compliment The Hidden Face of God, a CD with the same title The Hidden Face of God (Discovery House; $12.95.) It is, interestingly, a lovely album, not "hard to listen to" or particularly sad. It includes tender lyrics and while the songs are about hard times, seeking God even in God's seeming absence, it is surprisingly graceful and beautiful. I sometimes wondered if it ought to have been more gritty and angry. It includes a nice version of "O Sacred Head Now Wounded" which is lovely, with a bit of Celtic whistle. Anyway, it's a good one, quintessentially Card.

***
Michael Card has done more than two dozen other books. For instance, he has a lovely set of reflections on the gospel of John called Parable of Joy (Discovery House; $14.99) based on his own translation of the text. He has a truly outstanding collection of pieces about the cross A Violent Grace: Meeting Christ at the Cross (IVP; $15.00) which moved me deeply as I read some of them during Lent. It was out in a hardback before, but I really like the hand-sized paperback IVP released. There is a very popular book of his called A Fragile Stone: The Emotional Life of Simon Peter (IVP; $16.00) with which many people resonate -- most of us should, come to think of it -- and even a study guide for it. Each of these have supplemental albums of songs to go with them, and we stock them all. He really is a prolific author and artist, and we hope you have used some of his good resources.

AND THEN THERE ARE THESE TWO AMAZING TREASURES

A Better Freedom: Finding Life as Slaves of Christ (IVP; $15.00) This is one that has to be mentioned as it is truly extraordinary. (It isn't every day I get to tell about a book where there is very little other work done in the field and this one is on a rare topic -- wow!) A Better Freedom is a book which I've mentioned before and it is not only truly fascinating, it is brave. And painful. And wonderful. Card attends an inter-racial church in the South, and he speaks and sings in all sorts of venues. He is not unfamiliar with black culture in America and worships with African-American brothers and sisters routinely. He was intrigued about how he noticed his African-American friends freely using the language of Christ being a "master." During the days of slavery, he learned, using this rhetoric eroded the sense of the slaver master's power. This discovery, as it says on the cover, "led Card on a journey of discovery, as he wondered, "What did it mean for African American slaves to acknowledge Jesus as Master?"" Card uses Greco-Roman slavery as a window into understanding Jesus (who, remember, "took the form of a slave") and how he brings freedom. This is fascinating, a good example of cross cultural studies, and a rare insight into an often under-valued part of the language of Christian discipleship.

Scribbling in the Sand: Christ and Creativity (IVP; $16.00.) This is one of my own favorites of his is and I hope you know about it as it is such a good read. I have reviewed Scribbling... elsewhere and we take it out to many of the places we go to display books as it is a core title in our section of books about the arts. It is, as is his style, mostly a Biblical study (drawing its allusive title to the story of Jesus writing in the dirt.) He offers good insight into the life of an artist and how the Biblical teaching on creativity and the very life of Jesus can influence those called to creative work. Nice!!

I especially like that, inspired by the 1966 "Letter to a Christian Artist" published in Art Needs No Justification by H.R. Rookmaaker, he invited a handful of influential authors and artists to pen a similar "Letter to a Young Christian Author" today which forms a very significant appendix. Mako Fujimura, Calvin Seerveld and others wrote original epistles for this volume, lovely and wise notes of encouragement and insight and guidance.

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The Christian Parenting Handbook: 50 Heart-Based Strategies for All the Stages of Your Child's Life by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller (Nelson) ON SALE

2013-05-06T03:10:28Z

Is a comment an aside if it is the first thing written? Regardless, here it is, an opening aside: on my wife's birthday a few weeks ago, we needed a new alternator for the van, and a new hot water heater. There was just flat-out nothing sentimental or nice about her gifts this year.

Which brings me to this: your wife (if you are a reader who is a husband), should she be a mom, most likely does not want an appliance for Mother's Day. And certainly not a part for under the hood of the mini-van.

But I also have a hunch, and I bet you are with me on this, that she doesn't really need some fancy piece of jewelry like I saw in all the Sunday paper Mother's Day ads today. Or a sexy little cocktail dress (what were those models, like, twenty?)

So, I guess the "don't celebrate motherhood with an appliance or auto part (or glitzy bling -- it ain't Valentine's Day, after all)" advise isn't an aside, it is a lead-in. A set up. I think it is a great way to honor a mom by getting her a book which celebrates her desire to take up her parenting vocation with intentionality and care. Mother's Day is this coming Sunday, and we'd love for you to order a book from us as a Mother's Day gift -- which we can gift wrap for free, and enclose a little note if we send it to her for you. Most good moms would love a good book, especially if it is smart and practical. And today's feature is a great suggestion. And you can give it for Father's Day, too, so order extras for some guys you know!

The Christian Parenting Handbook: 50 Heart-Based Strategies for All the Stages of Your Child's Life by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller (Thomas Nelson) sells typical for $16.99 although we have it at a Hearts & Minds BookNotes 20% or so discount. This upbeat and lovely paperback would make a great gift for any parent you know. It seems to me that while Christian parenting books are nearly "a dime a dozen" some are either too psychological and formulaic, without much distinctively Christian insight, or they are so laden with theology and heady analysis that they aren't that practical. Some are so full of tender care that they drip with sappy sentimentality; others are so strict that they just seem harsh. (Including, I think, some authors who make much of God and grace and a "gospel-centered" approach. Yikes!) Finding a thoughtful, well-written, insightful but user-friendly handbook from a balanced perspective is not as easy as it seems, even in bookstores where there are dozens and dozens of mostly fine choices.

We have our handful of favorites and the previous books of Turansky and Miller have been high on our list. Parenting is Heart Work, Say Good-Bye to Whining, Complaining and Bad Attitudes... in You and Your Kids, and Good and Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character... in You and Your Kids are each must-reads. In these, and in this new one, they are clear that they believe that parents are to evoke "heart change" in their children. That is, behavior modification and compliance -- raising "nice" well-behaved kids who don't embarrass us in public -- is not the goal. We don't wish only for kids to obey us in dutiful compliance, but for children to desire to do the right thing, to be people of character, to be followers of Christ who enhance the family with good energy, not draining it with bad. We want them to learn to take responsibility and to be kids of compassion. In a way, they have set the bar high, but they write and work with a light touch. Very nice!

Turansky and Miller take up their position within the plethora of family-oriented self-help books wisely in the philosophical and theological middle. They aren't about just having fine-looking outcomes; they want deeper heart change, although they aren't so religious and into character formation that they are in la-la land. No, these are real parents, who understand real children and real parents, and realize that through God's grace, with some intentional effort, laughter, outside help (from coaches, teachers, church groups and the like) and a little luck, children can be mentored into gracious maturity and can turn out to be kids we enjoy and young adults we admire. And they are masters at showing us how it it is done, pointing to example after example.

In many ways, The Christian Parenting Handbook is a culmination of their 25 years of work on this. It offers their 50 best ideas, their top 50 strategies, short chapters that have proven to be the most fruitful (some of these were previously published in the newsletter of their National Center for Biblical Parenting and Biblical Parenting University, an on-line course they have taught for years. Watch their brief introductory video to get a sense of their style. This new handbook really provides the cream of the crop, the best work they've done, distilled into enjoyable, easy-to-understand bites.

When I say that this represents the best of the research, work, writing and prayerful consideration of Scott and Joanne, that is truly significant! They have been at this a long time, have been on endless speaking tours, have tirelessly done workshops and conferences, large and small events, here in the mid-Atlantic and (honestly) in places quite far away. They have listened, observed, talked with thousands of parents of all ages and cultures. They are always busy, have a spectacular array of good resources at their useful website (more on that anon) and can talk for hours about all that they have come to learn. Yes, to say that this is their best work is really saying something!

Again, The Christian Parenting Handbook offers 50 good strategies for creating the sort of parenting style and home-life that hopes for gospel-driven, wholesome heart transformation. It invites creativity, flexibility, and prayerful attentiveness rather than a formula. It doesn't give formulas, as they just aren't technique-driven teachers. But, as I've hinted, they don't (like some authors) over-react against easy steps and simple formulas so much that all they offer is broad, visionary ideals. No, they have case studies and stories and examples which illustrate their principles, underscoring that you can do this! We have heard from our own customers -- and from my own use of one in a time of personal struggle -- about how applying the insights of their previous books that this material can be life changing.

We all want better home lives, and those who have children at home -- from little ones to teenagers -- can certainly benefit from the guidance, gentle support, wise teaching, and helpful ideas shared in this wonderful resource.

The wonderful opening chapter sets the tone and, in a way actually illustrates much of their own philosophy of parenting. It is called "Developing Your Own Biblical Philosophy of Parenting" and that's it! They don't want to force compliance or demand that they have all the answers or that their perfect plan is all you need. No, they invite you to have your own heart touched by the profound grace of God, to have your own mind formed by a Biblical worldview, to have your own family habits guided by the lovely mercies (and, yes, hard teachings) of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, yes, even in this first chapter they are not bludgeoning readers, but inviting you to think along with them and consider with your own discernment and then to be creative and find a pattern of parenting that is faithful and fruitful, for you and your kids. My kids are mostly grown, and I was deeply moved by this book, even the introduction!

Here are just a few the kinds of chapters they offer. I hope it gives you an indication of how interesting and fun, wise and helpful, these diverse entries are.

Consistency is Overrated
Build Internal Motivation
Consequences Aren't the Only Answer
Parenting is an Investment -- Think Long Term
Bookmark Good Days
It Takes Two to Argue But Only One to Stop
Children Can Only Take as Much Pressure as the Relationship Will Allow
Be Prepared for the Three Arenas of Resistance
Use Creativity to Teach Your Kids Spiritual Truths
Teach Kids to Communicate Emotions Wisely
Firmness Doesn't Require Harshness
Good Character Qualities Misused

In a bit more than 200 pages, they offer 50 of these sorts of well thought-through, Biblically-grounded, very practical, and quite interesting, short pieces. They aren't random, really, but they can be dipped in to as needed. It really is a handbook -- one you will use over time, keeping it handy for years to come. I am sure of it.

By the way, to illustrate their fairly centrist, balanced view, consider their thoughtful chapter on spanking. The book has been out a week (although many bloggers have been promoting it beforehand) and they have already gotten some firm rebuking letters from both sides -- some say they are too conservative, some say they are too liberal (or something like that.) Although they do not rule it out, they fear that spanking is often used in anger, which is troubling, and that it frankly isn't that helpful, anyway. (The Turansky's have served as foster parents and to foster kids one has to pledge not to spank. And guess what? They learned, even though they think it is Biblically-permissible, that there are a whole lot of other, better strategies that can be used in times when discipline is needed.) So, they are moderate, practical, living in the "real world" and yet have remarkably good hopes to see Christ honored and children nurtured in transforming ways by the gospel, and by the fruit our own on-going inner formation.

We are big fans of The Christian Parenting Handbook and are happy to commend it, even now, as a way to honor and assist some mother you may know. What a nice gift it would make! We carry all their other resources as well, including a brand new set that Turansky and Miller, with some help from others, have created, a set of five books, covering parenting ideas throughout the developmental stages of a child's life. Let us know if you have questions about any of their other good work.

The authors have other good resources at their National Center for Biblical Parenting website. Check 'em out.

Of course, there are oodles of other family-related books of various styles, formats and theological tones. We have a lot! And other kinds of books are certainly appreciated as Mother's Day gifts. We realize, naturally, that your own mom may not be the target audience for this or any other parenting book. So, buy her a cookbook or gardening book, a novel, a women's Bible, a memoir, a current event study or historical biography, or a guide to deeper spirituality. We've got so many great books here at the shop, and books make such wonderful gifts. As always, we have gift certificates, too, which we can send to you, or to your mom on your behalf. Just let us know how we can help. Thanks. To you and your mom.

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Six New Art Books to Enhance Your Creativity and Faith -- 20% OFF

2013-04-23T17:28:07Z

MUSIC & POP CULTURE
I hope you saw the book list I did on music and popular culture (inspired by the fabulous Calvin College Festival of Faith and Music in Grand Rapids which Beth and I attended a week or so ago.) I love some of these books and could have suggested others; from books about faith-based approaches to video games (like Of Games and God: A Christian Exploration of Video Games by Kevin Schut [Baker; $17.99]) to our section on media ecology, from books on film to books on theater, we love sharing these sorts of resources. And especially books about good old rock and roll. Do you know the 33 1/3 books, for instance, published by Bloomsbury, each which examine a particularly interesting and often quite important rock album? We stock a lot of them and think they're pretty cool.

Studying books about pop culture does at least three two things, or so it seems to me. Firstly, it helps us "practice the presence of God." We can find God everywhere more easily when we don't just look for inspiration, or emotional/spiritual highs, or Holy Spirited shivers throughout the day, but find signals of grace and divine goodness in the ordinary, in our actual encounter with the stuff of life. This is easier for some of us to imagine in nature, finding God in the out of doors, but it is equally true that God is found in the spheres of entertainment and pop culture. So this is a spiritual discipline, in many ways, learning to attend to Holy Things in our common lives, including listening to rock songs or going to movies with, as Romanowki's book puts it, "eyes wide open."

Secondly, intentionally attending to the possibility of common grace in popular culture also trains us in discernment. That is, we can use movies and music as case studies on how to observe not only the good and true, but the odd and disconcerting. Idols and ideologies bring distortion and danger and we must keep our antennae up to be sure we are not being hoodwinked, ever so subtly, by the stories and values which we take in. I think it is a tad simplistic to say we are like computers --"garbage in/garbage out" --but there is something to this notion. We are shaped and formed by the stuff we engage in. Read Jamie Smith's essential Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Baker; $21.99) to be reminded of this in quite sophisticated terms; see Walt Mueller's How to Use Your Head to Guard Your Heart: A 3(D) Guide to Making Responsible Media Choices over at CPYU for an easy to apply process for talking about this with teens in pretty simple terms. Although it is not just on the popular arts, I love Walt's important book Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture: Bridging Teen Worldviews and Christian Truth published by IVP; $18.00) which certainly is relevant here.

And, thirdly, it just makes things more interesting. Maybe this makes it more demanding -- yup, we have to faithfully think about stuff, all of this stuff -- but, I'd say, and I bet you agree, that this also makes life's adventure much more fun. We can enjoy music and dancing and playing and watching movies when we understand the art form a bit and have eyes to see all that is going on in terms of style and content and vision.

ALSO, THE VISUAL ARTS
The process and approach of engaging this side of life is a bit different when considering visual art or literature, but our basic point is the same: we glorify God when we take seriously our human calling to steward the gifts of Earth, which includes culture and culture-making. Music and film and paintings all matter. We can appreciate and make art for God's sake, as acts of devotion and love of neighbor.

So here are some new books on the heels of our music and pop culture list that are about the arts more generally and about creativity in the life of faith.

We have much bigger lists on the arts, aesthetics and more, for instance, here. Here are some that focus more on enhancing or deepening our own creative lives.

Not just for artists, you know.

Drawn In: A Creative Process for Artists, Activists, and Jesus Followers Troy Bronsink (Paraclete) $16.99 Troy is a Presbyterian pastor, indie musician, street activist and faith-based organizer and he has here given us a tremendously cool book, full of substance and verve, theology and vision, hope and healing. If you are an artist, patron, fan, or simply a person wanting to learn how to be more imaginative, this guide is hard to beat. What a great title (and cover, too, eh?) Love it.

Sally Morgenthaler (who calls it "one of the finest books on art, creativity and the nature of God to date" says it is a manifesto. Indeed. It is a call to live a creative life as a follower of Jesus, inviting us into God's own creative work and "redemptive rhythms" in the world. It is serious, thoughtful, very interesting and highly recommended.

Art + Faith: Reclaiming the Artistic Essence of the Church Jon Bowles (House Studio) book $12.99; DVD $36.99 This is a small, nifty book that could be read on its own, but I suppose is designed to go with the DVD curriculum of the same name. It is not a "participants guide" or simplistic workbook, though, but a real book that certainly invites great imagination. Informed by the narrative of the Beggars Table,a community that meets in a gallery in Kansas City's art district. This is not about "arts programming" but, not unlike the Bronsink book above, it really is more about helping all of us appreciate the arts, engage in meaning-making by being formed in disciplines of seeing. This is a story, they say, of "how art has shaped the imagination of one church toward the Kingdom. This could be a story about your church, too." I like this study of mystery (and our "mystery deprived world) and beauty and awe, and the necessary relationship of faith, religion, art and wonder.

The Art + Faith DVD includes six session and PDF transcripts, discussion guides and other bonus material. The package includes the DVD and one book.

Life After Art: What You Forgot About Life and Faith Since You Left the Art Room Matt Appling (Moody Press) $13.99 I am excited about this new imprint of books published by the stalwart evangelical house called Moody Collective. This tremendous book is a great new kind of book for Moody, it seems, young, creative, fresh, interesting for those who need something other than standard basic Christian growth or self-help books, or mere theology (as helpful as all that can be.) This book invites us to realize that we are creative people, we make things (for better or worse) so we might as well, as Appling says, do it on purpose. He wonders how we lost our confidence to create, crumbling under the pressure of the so-called "real, grown-up world." Appling is an art teacher, having worked with pre-K through high school, in fact. This is a hopeful book, fun and a bit challenging. Has something been lost along the way, for you? This will help you get it back!

Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice Christine Valters Paintner (Sorin Books) $15.95 We have carried the previous books by Ms Paintner which includeThe Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul With Monastic Wisdom (Sorin; $14.95) and a fabulous book about being attentive to God's goodness revealed in creation called Water, Wind, Earth and Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements (Sorin; $14.95.) I really love this new one on photography and recommend it to any number of those who like to take pictures with their iPhones, who are learning to pay greater attention to daily life as they hone the skills of "seeing" by way of their cameras. Valtgers Paintner is the on-line "Abby of the Arts" and here she helps us with "viso divina" (she is a Benedictine oblate, after all) and cites great contemplative and monastic sources, as well has helpful technical suggestions about lighting, composition, framing, printing, equipment. This is a lovely, good, book which many will enjoy and by which many will be blessed.

Awake My Soul: A Contemplative Art Journal Aletheia Schmidt $25.99 Aletheia is a Lancaster, PA-based artist who has created this wonderful, full-color book which shows her abstract work with plenty of nice spaces for you to journal, reflect, or draw along. She is a vibrant, kind, and talented young woman and she sees these paintings as prayers. She believes "the arts, imagination, and creativity offer life."

You can check out her website to get a sense of her sense of things. You can even buy her cards and prints. But this book, which we are thrilled to carry, is a wonder. The reflection questions are not simplistic or one-dimensional, and I would think that it would be a beautiful thing to do together, even if it is more likely to be used individually. There are 52 paintings, so you use it for a long while. Congrats to this new friend, a fine artist who has offered her playing and painting and praying to us.

Qu4rtets artwork by Mako Fujimura, Bruce Herman, and Christopher Theofanidis, and others; inspired by T. S. Eliot $35.00 You might want to revisit my previous review of this splendid, remarkable book -- superlatives elude me to tell you how good this is. Two stellar, respected, deeply Christian painters (Fujimura and Herman), and a classical musical composer (Theofanidis), collaborated to do these works, collated in this marvelous coffee-table paperback book, inspired by the famous poem Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot.
This is a lovely book, handsome, intriguing, illuminating. The combination of visual arts, a music score, and the historic, important poetry is so very interesting and fruitful. The great introduction by Image journal editor, Gregory Wolfe, sets it up perfectly.

As I explain in my earlier description of Qu4tets, there are included three very significant essays (also enhanced with lovely type and smaller art pieces throughout) by Matthew Milliner, James McCullough,and Jeremy Begbie. These critical reflections add gravitas to the project (as if it needed more) and are themselves very well done. Highly recommended. -- perhaps as a graduation gift?

BookNotes

                   Hearts & Minds 234 East Main Street Dallastown, PA 17313 717-246-3333
                                                            read@heartsandmindsbooks.com

Music Matters: Books on Popular Culture & Contemporary Music inspired by the Calvin College Festival of Faith & Music 2013. ALL BOOKS MENTIONED 20% OFF

2013-04-19T20:24:41Z

If you followed the Hearts & Minds facebook page (or my own) you know that last weekend we attended the Calvin College Festival of Faith & Music. It may have been the first vacation we've had in years and it was just wonderful to be with our good, good friends, Ken & Gail Heffner. Ken and his Student Activities Organization (our daughter Marissa helps out a bit) run this extraordinary conference on pop culture every other year. (In the off years there is this little breathtaking thing known as the Calvin Festival of Faith & Writing.) Just reading through the FFM workshop speakers, topics, and conversations is instructive, not to mention seeing the artists who played, so visit their site, here. It's the kind of event that many of our BookNotes readers care about, so I figured you'd like to hear about it, the authors who spoke, the books that were discussed (or that should have been, imho.) You follow our bookstore's work for a reason, and I trust this is one of them. I can't wait to tell you about it...

This year's FFM was, as always, a heady mix of lectures, workshops, concerts large and small, and some fabulously interesting late night after-parties. What fun to get to hear musicians perform their sets in intimate rooms, artists as diverse as the Soil and the Sun, Care, and, say, Julie Lee and Sarah Mason; and there were bigger shows with Welcome Wagon, Andrew Bird, and Josh Garrels with Mason Jar Music collective. It was so cool crossing paths with Noisetrade founders Derek Webb and Brannon McAllister, her.menutics.com and Christianity Today editor Katelyn Beaty (herself an alum of Calvin.) Being with friends like singer-songwriter (and now author) Justin McRoberts, or Redeemer Presbyterian's art guru (and harp blowing bluesman) Kenyon Adams, was precious for Beth and I. As Ken Heffner put it, this gathering is a bit unique as participants get to learn and think and reflect, even with scholarly papers, and then also actually experience the very art and music which is being explored. That we did this with wise, Christian leaders and bunches of college-age young adults --- the event is held at a college, after all --- makes the Festival especially interesting. Never has the interface of theory and praxis been so much fun. Woo-hooo.

Vacation-time is over, though, so I'm back to being the book guy. For our purposes, here, then, allow me to name a few books by the authors who spoke at the festival (forgive me if I miss some) and a handful of other books that are new or important. These will help us as we think as people of Biblical faith about the contemporary music scene.

The Soul of Hip Hop: Rims, Timbs and a Cultural Theology Daniel White Hodge (IVP) $17.00 I've said this before, but this may be the very best book on hip hop culture and the amazing art form of rap. Hodge is an astute observer, knows the history of the style, and - thank goodness, for a book like this! - enjoys it. His presentation the first night of the Calvin Festival was riveting, bold and passionate, well beyond a surface look, engaged with the passion of a devotee and evangelist. He wanted us to get it, to appreciate the lyrical power and social themes of the prophetic imagination emerging from the often disenfranchised artists who have shaped this genre. This is radical, Biblical reflection, and his book deserves to be known, read, considered. Certainly if you know young adults who like hip hop you should tell them about this book. We have a few others, but this is the best. Kudos to Calvin for once again hosting this good brother.

Sin Boldly: A Field Guide for Grace Cathleen Falsini (Zondervan) $19.99 I adore this book and it was so wonderful hearing Ms Falsini again. It was, in fact, deeply moving - Beth and I fought back tears when she played "Born at the Right Time" from Paul Simon's Rhythm of the Saints as she talked about adopting her son from Malawi. And I got choked up when she told about her travels with Bono while playing a post 9-11 live video version of one of the many U2 songs that helped so many of us cope after that tragedy. Falsani has written before about the first time she heard the first single from Mumford & Sons new album, Babel, as she was on her way to be with her dying father. So, she certainly did a marvelous job, as she does in Sin Boldly, finding glimpses of grace all over the world, in the good and the bad, in politics and poverty and film and rock and roll. Her other books include the wonderfully curious The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers (Zondervan; $14.99) and -okay, I'll just say it, Belieber: Fame, Faith, and the Heart of Justin Beiber (Worthy; $16.99.) As she said, offhandedly, "Lord have mercy, we should pray for that little boy." Cathleen Falsani is an excellent writer and you should read her books.

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto Chuck Klosterman (Scribner) $15.00 Many participants adored this edgy, Gen X writer, one of the more popular novelists and essayists of his generation, as he rambled through a hip talk pondering what in the world he was doing at a conference on religion and rock music. Well, for starters, his novels are packed full of references to religion and music, and his collections of essays -fun, profane, pushy, witty, insightful - sometimes tackle the topic directly. (Chuck K is a sports writer, too, and his journalism there is also highly regarded among those who favor a certain informal, provocative style. In his talk he dismissed the recent pundit who compared him to Hunter S. Thompson but to even have to do that, well, 'nuff said.) Okay, so, anyway, he wondered how he got himself into this gig.

Way to go, Calvin College SOA, for inviting this somewhat controversial guest into our conversation, for allowing us to (again) find insight from various quarters. One of the great 19th century disciples of John Calvin was Abraham Kuyper, and it is Kuyper's sort of neo-Calvinism that animates Calvin College and the Festival with its blessed, if a bit dangerous, commitment to living into the themes of common grace. The phrase "Common grace for the common good" often is applied to politics, how we should draw on all manner of gifts and insights to build a public square that is just for all. At FFM such nods to common grace, also for the common good, means be willing to hear and engage the gifts of art, music, and cultural criticism, no matter from where it comes.

By the way, Klosterman told us his next book is a study of evil, by way of looking at literary and film villains. Philosophy, lit crit, pop culture and a heckuva creative prose style will combine to give us a great book, I'm sure. I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling with Villains (Real and Imagined) will release early June 2013. It will be a hardback, selling for $25.00. Let us know if you want to pre-order it (at the 20% BookNotes discount.)

Right By Her Roots: Americana Women and Their Songs Jewly Hight (Baylor University Press) $24.95 I really intended to catch this workshop, but the schedule didn't permit. So glad we have had the book on our shelves for a year. I've read a few of these good chapters (about Julie Miller, Victoria Williams, Michelle Shocked) and will now read more. One reviewer said when it came out that it "will end up being the best book written about American music this year" FFM speaker David Dark invites us to be enriched saying, "With a powerful wit, intense attentiveness, and eloquent empathy, Jewly Hight is a dream come true for the songwriters to whom she pays careful and affectionate heed. By calling our attention to them, she lifts their voices, testifying concerning the ways their work uplifts, invigorates, and challenges our otherwise all-too-settled imaginations."

Everyday Apocalypse: The Sacred Revealed in Radiohead, the Simpsons, and other Pop Culture Icons David Dark (Brazos) $18.00 What can I say? Being with David is itself a bit of performance art; he's a genius, a wordsmith, and a dear, dear, loyal friend to many. He has written several other books, all of which we commend (and, in fact, I've got an endorsing blurb on one of them, an honor I did not take lightly.) Pop culture fans young and old, artists, filmmakers, writers, and thought leaders in this whole arena (like FFM's Ken Heffner) will regularly say that David Dark is one of their best supporters and his book truly seminal. No one can talking knowingly about this topic without having read Everyday Apocalypse; it is that important. If you are interested and into this topic and haven't read this amazingly rich, mind-blowing work, treat yourself and be prepared to have your world rocked. Really.

Personal Jesus: How Popular Music Shapes Our Souls Clive Marsh & Vaughan S. Roberts (Baker Academic) $22.99 It was a delight to meet Vaughan (who gave an outstanding, research-based workshop) and to chat with some of his editorial staff at Baker who do so many good books in this series - what a fascinating gentleman scholar who is doing such fine work! Yes, this book is a bit academic (and yes, the cover is, uh, well, you know.) But at its heart is something basic, something passionate, something nearly primal: how does listening to music effect us? Is it a religious experience and if so, how? What do people say when asked? What is going on here? (And, is it the lyric, mostly, or the music itself?) This is a very serious, and I think groundbreaking rumination on how popular music works, the role it plays for listeners, and the phenomenon of its popularity. It really does have a missional edge, asking how we as Christians might engage the music itself, more faithfully, and with awareness of why we and our neighbors are influenced as we are by the music we love.

As Brett McCracken writes in the forward "Personal Jesus is one of the best theological treatments of pop culture I have ever read. Marsh & Roberts offer a many-layered, comprehensive model for how we can more thoughtfully understand and engage pop music." Or, as Catholic Gen X scholar Tom Beaudoin (Virtual Faith) writes, "Marsh & Roberts prepare the way for a new style of making theological sense of popular culture... they show us why studying the lived experience of popular music is an imperative if we want to find out where religion cohabitates with ordinary stuff, more or less openly, today: in the spaces of meaning communicated by music in everyday life." Roberts is a Vicar of Collegiate Church in Warwick, England. I hope this book is bought and studied, discussed and taught.

Broken Hallelujahs: Why Popular Music Matters to Those Seeking God Christian Scharen (Baker) $18.00 I love this book, and really appreciate the work of this excellent author. (Scharen used to be at the Center for Faith and Culture at Yale Divinity School, but now teaches worship and theology at Luther Seminary in St. Paul.) I've reviewed it before, so for how, here's what it says on the back cover: "Building on the success of One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those Seeking God, Christian Scharen shows how to engage faith and culture through a wide range of popular music, including the blues, hip-hop, and rock. He examines artists such as Arcade Fire, Kanye West, Leonard Cohen, and Billie Holiday, offering a fresh, compelling theology of culture in conversation with C. S. Lewis that can look suffering and brokenness in the face because it knows of a love deeper than hate, a hope stronger than despair. Written engagingly yet with theological depth, this book will resonate with readers interested in the interface between pop culture, music, and theology, as well as with pastors and youth ministers."

Don't Stop Believin': Popular Culture and Religion from Ben Hur to Zombies edited by Robert K. Johnston, Craig Detweiler, and Barry Taylor (Westminster/John Knox) $20.00 I hope you know these authors, who form nearly an entire school of thought in this whole area of study. Each have written thoughtful books on film, music, entertainment, digital culture, media and the popular arts. Together, now, they've edited a fine collection of mature essays on hundreds and hundreds of topics. Don't Stop... can be used as a conversation starter, as background for deeper thinking, or to dip in to whenever you have a spare moment or two (but be aware, it can be addicting!) Skip to pedestrian cover and dive right in -- this is good, good content! Read succinct insights about the Beatles, the significance of Star Trek, the meaning of Dr. Who, making sense of South Park, the aesthetics of Andy Warhol, the role of Calvin Klein and Nike ads, the theological significance of SimCity.

There are interesting pieces of culture-shaping events like the Super Bowl and on artifacts like the iPod and a good reflection on the impact of Facebook.

Of course there are entries on influential writers in the field such as Marshal McLuhen. Naturally, there are pieces on classic musicians like Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Madonna, and Bob Marley and on filmmakers such as Woody Allen and Quentin Tarantino. There is a lovely piece on Les Mis, and good ones on pop icons such as Mary Tyler Moore.

This remarkable reference guide is arranged chronologically from the 1950s - Johnny Cash shows up here, as does C.S. Lewis, and Mickey Mantle and Marilyn Monroe - and ends with the 2000s. This last section includes dozens of entries, including Bansky, The Daily Show, Lost, Project Runway, Twilight, Wicked, World of Warcraft and more.

The pieces are succinct and informative; a few are nearly sublime. And, often, the connection of topic and author is itself quite fabulous: Lauren Winner on Mitford, David Dark on Amy Grant, Steve Turner on the Beatles, Jana Riess on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gareth Higgins on Desomd Tutu, Daniel White Hodge on Tupac Amaru Shakur, Mark Pinsky, of course, on The Simpsons. From contributions by sports writers to those exploring influential ad campaigns, from ruminations on socially-significant literature to the popular impact of certain political figures, this really is a glimpse into the making of the contemporary Western (and, increasingly, global) imagination. It is well worth your time to read these, bit by bit. Enjoy!

There is a tremendous introduction, by the way, and the epilogue is equally fantastic, inviting us all into "The Mystery Discerning Business." If you know this growing field of study, the interface of faith and popular culture, you know you want this. If you don't (preachers? teachers?) perhaps it will bring you up to speed on how to think about the stuff so many of your neighbors take for granted.

The Day Metallica Came to Church: Searching for the Everywhere God in Everything John Van Sloten (Faith Alive/Square Inch) $14.99 Although the lead-off Metallica piece here really is a fine, fine essay, this isn't a book about heavy metal music; it isn't even a book about music in the church, really, at all. It is a book about popular culture, about how to find the presence of God -- "the everywhere God" -- in all sorts of places, artifacts, experiences. This is the kind of book you can enjoy by dipping in almost anywhere: a piece on No Country for Old Men, perhaps? "Common Grace in The Dark Knight"? A reflection on Van Gogh? Race relations explored Christianly by way of the movie Crash? Yes, yes, yes, you can enjoy these, use them in classes, ponder them so that you might deepen your own cultural discernment skills. John Van Sloten is my kind of guy -- he loves U2, he is able to talk theology, and he exhibits a wide reading/listening/viewing pallet. And he's mostly quite right about all this: as Richard Mouw writes, "Don't go -- or refuse to go! -- to another rock concert or soccer match without first reading this marvelous book. It is a reliable and inspiring guide to hearing the Lord speak to us in new and exciting places."

Listening to Popular Music (Compass Guides to Christian Explorations of Daily Living) Don H. Compier (Augsburg) $15.00 I have commended this series of books before, and glad that they've now included this great topic alongside the others (such as Clothing, Shopping, Eating and Drinking, Play, Parenting, Work.) Compier could have presented a scholarly paper at the FFM, for sure, as his general effort is consistent with their discerning "common grace for the common good" project, and he takes up the gifts of pop music in thoughtful, faith-informed, sociologically-astute ways. His style at times, especially in a chapter about the fear of music in church history, illustrates his role as a theological thinker of mainline Protestant orientation. Still, this is a solid, interesting, brief, contribution to this whole project. Compier is dean and professor of theology at Community of Christ Seminary at Graceland University in Independence Missouri. Another book he wrote is What is Rhetorical Theology: Textual Practice and Public Discourse -- this one, gladly, isn't laden with that kind of arcane rhetoric. He does cite some fairly contemporary singers (Death Cab; Lady Gaga, Green Day, Rage Against the Machine) but as he explains, he's been a rock and roll fan all of his boomer life. So he digs the the Beatles and Springsteen and Los Lobos and Aretha Franklin and Johnny Cash; even the Dead! And he writes about them alongside Augustine, Calvin, Wesley, and James Cone. No matter your musical tastes, he has given us some important, serious stuff, here, a method for thinking intentionally about popular arts. Like the others in the series, it is well worth reading.

Popologetics: Popular Culture in Christian Perspective Ted Turnau (Presbyterian & Reformed) $19.99 If I had been selling books at this event, I'd have had this on a double-decker book stand, featured and promoted. In part, I'd do it just to be ornery, since this author calls us to be a bit more concerned about the possible negative influences of pop culture, and such "Christ against culture" themes (or, better, what Kuyper called "the antithesis") isn't discussed much at FFM. But I'd be being sincere, too, as this really is a great book, and those attending the conference surely would benefit from it. Despite the quirky title, Popologetics is a profound, serious, important, and -- at times -- exquisitely exciting study, inviting us to really dig deep into the "in the world but not of it" teaching of Jesus. Just so you know how very good this is, read this short review by our good friend (and pop music lover) Denis Haack, from his lovely, wise journal, Critique. Further, Bill Edgar of Westminster Theological Seminary says it is a "tour de force...there is nothing remotely like it in print today." A senior editor at IVP UK writes, "This is one of the freshest and most original books I have read in ages." At 368 pages, this isn't a simple, breezy read, but it is one you should commit yourself to work through, sooner than later.

I didn't get to sell it at the event, so I'm prentending now: "Hey, hi -- uh, didja see this one? Man, it's good - check it out. A little tougher than some, but, you know, we need to think about this stuff, really. Yeah, yeah, I know, it isn't as funny as that Klosterman your looking at. No, it isn't just about music. Yeah, I know, it's thick. Yep, I've read it." (Aside, under my breath: "Well, most of it, anyway.") "And look at these killer quotes on the back. This dude says it is a freakin' tour de force! That's gotta be good, right?" Well, yes, thanks. And it's on sale, too. Thank you. Hope you find it helpful."

There. All weekend at FFM I was wanting to do that.

Eyes Wide Open: Looking for God in Popular Culture William D. Romanowski (Brazos Press) $23.00 This is surely one of the best books in this field, doubtlessly a watershed work, esteemed and cited by everybody in the field. If you follow BookNotes or visit the shop, you may recall me saying this before -- it's a book I love to tell people about, and not a few have thanked me for doing so! Did I mention how much I love this author, as a very old friend and a very good scholar? Or that he teaches, also at Calvin College, home of the FFM? (But used to work for the CCO near Pittsburgh?) This second (expanded) edition has a bit more material in it about film than music, but the worldviewish and cultural studies frame he uses to allow us to discern idols and ideologies, and appreciate goodness and grace, in all kinds of popular artifacts, remains unparallelled. Not even a short list like this would be complete without naming Eyes Wide Open. Very, very nicely done.

AND ANNOUNCING: YOU CAN PRE-ORDER
It Was Good: Making Music to the Glory of God edited by Ned Bustard (Square Halo Books) $24.99 Not Yet Released; due late summer/early fall 2013 It is a bit early to promote this, perhaps, and you can be sure I'll do a thorough discussion of it when it releases later this year. I've read much of it already in early drafts, and, like its earlier, spectacular, must-have companion volume, It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God (also edited by Bustard and published by Square Halo Books; $24.99 ) it is truly, exceptionally fantastic. There is no other volume like this, that's for sure!

This forthcoming anthology has original pieces on all kinds of music (from jazz to blues to rock to hymnody) and explores many aspects of music (with good chapters on listening, on technical stuff by producers, even a truly wonderfully-rendered piece on booking and promotion by one of the former staff of the Calvin College SAO who produces the FFM.) IWG:MM includes contributions by some well-known people (including, for instance, a piece on modern hymnody, by Keith Getty (who wrote In Christ Alone), one on songwriting by Welcome Wagon's Vito Aiuto who preformed at FFM, a chapter by prestigious Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist John Patitucci on improvisation and one notable one on collaboration by the very cool Michael Roe of 77s fame.) Some chapters are by folks I know and respect (Joy Ike, Sandra McCraken, Charlie Peacock) and many are from authors I do not know. There are some neato surprises (Brian Moss on silence, Stephen Nichols on fame, Mark Foreman, father of the Switchfoot boys, on training, Katie Bowser on kids music.)

I won't spill all the beans now, but you get the drift. This is awesome. You can pre-order it from us now if you'd like at our BookNotes 20% off.

BookNotes

                   Hearts & Minds 234 East Main Street Dallastown, PA 17313 717-246-3333
                                                            read@heartsandmindsbooks.com

Freefall to Fly: A Breathtaking Journey Toward a Life of Meaning -- ON SALE NOW: $15.00

2013-04-08T21:56:08Z

Perhaps you read my Easter essay, originally published in the Washington Institute on Faith, Vocation and Culture. I tried to make the case that in the death and resurrection of Christ the "death of death" has been accomplished, which means not only that those in Christ are promised eternal life, but that God's own rulership of the world is assured -- the divine restoration of all things has begun! The brokenness and hurt of this fallen world is being healed! This in-breaking of the rescue plan of the world God so loves means we have to learn how to live as new creations in a new world coming; a Christ-centered commonwealth called in the Bible the Kingdom of God, into which we are transplanted. Being savingly liberated from the bondage of the old order is, of course, only the start of the Christian journey and we are now tasked with discerning the shape and texture of Christian discipleship in our place, in our time.

Part of that task of new creation living includes eschewing the anti-intellectualism and sentimentality that is commonplace in many churches (liberal or conservative, or so it seems to me.) To blaze new trails of 21st century fidelity, we need groups who take up resurrectionary reading. "Study to show thyself approved" the apostle wrote to young Timothy (2 Timothy 2:15.) If you hunger to learn more, if you agree that books are tools for discipleship, and you desire a "renewed mind" (Romans 12:2) or what Philippians 2:5 calls "the mind" of Christ then you know that thoughtful reading must be part of your regimen of spiritual disciplines. Buying and giving (and begging and borrowing) books is part of what we do. We are, as they say, "people of the Book" and our faith communities must be communities of discourse where books and their ideas of commonly discussed. We treasure the printed page, Holy Writ and more ordinary books as well. We resist the easy tendency to "amuse ourselves to death" and take up the task of becoming well read.

In the most recent post, then, I described five books that I thought might point us towards renewed conversations about Kingdom living, learning to think in fresh ways about culture, society, about impacting the world around us. From Francis Schaeffer to Jim Wallis to Leslie Newbigin, and more, they are very good and remain on sale as BookNotes features. If you haven't browsed through that little list, I hope you do. Reading in light of the resurrection can help us be more effective as salt and light and leaven. And - I hope you agree - it is often a pleasant discipline; well-written non-fiction is in many cases an artful joy, beautiful words bringing beautiful ideas.

Resurrectionary reading, though, is not always all about big ideas for social change, cultural studies and public faith. Sometimes, it is good to read more personal stories (you know we love memoir and find it truly wonderful to see how others narrate their lives.) Here is a new book written by a woman who ruminates nicely on her own spiritual journeys. This book is at time page-turning riveting and at times poignantly tender and poetic. It points to the goodness of glimpses - glimpses of hope and healing, glimpses of meaning and purpose, glimpses of joy and freedom amidst very hard times. It is a book I hope you consider buying from us.

Freefall to Fly: A Breathtaking Journey Toward a Life of Meaning Rebekah Lyons (Tyndale) $19.99

This is the story of a thoughtful, well-connected, upbeat young woman who seemed to many, and perhaps herself, and to her husband, Q Ideas founder and author Gabe Lyons, to be a poster child for the kind of hip and idealistic "next generation" Christian who talks about vocations of transforming culture, being a catalyst of change, embracing servant leadership, creating social initiatives, impacting the world and the like. One who seems to have it all together. Rebekah Lyons was part of a recent renaissance of Southern evangelicals without the conservative cultural baggage (let alone the right-wing religious belligerence), a talented cohort that is building bridges and starting shiny new organizations, creating signposts of a new way of being Christian. Gabe and Rebekah lived in the suburbs but had exciting lives, working in the rising young evangelical church communities in Atlanta even as they started their new family.

A few years ago they discerned a call to move from their close network of energetic compatriots to the Big Apple, establishing Q Ideas in the heart of Manhattan. Ms Lyons' compelling narrative begins with a tearful goodbye to close friends in Atlanta. I am sure I am not the only reader who was immediately drawn in - emotionally hit in the gut, choked up on her behalf, and having a deep spot of grief touched in my own life. (Oh, how Beth and I recall our last nights in our reformational community in Pittsburgh 30 years ago when our brothers and sisters there commissioned us to move to central Pennsylvania to follow our bookstore dream.) Who hasn't said hard goodbyes? I think many readers will be hooked at the very first, realizing how momentous this transition will be. And so, the first few pages tell us much. Rebekah is being stretched by this move and while she claims to be on board with the vision of Q and Gabe's righteous aspirations, she is paying a price, leaving friends and relationships and a culture in which she knows her place, her calling, her gifts. She is leaving home.

I really like the video trailer for this good book and knowing Gabe and Rebekah just a bit, I know that their passion is to help facilitate networking and conversations around themes of evangelical cultural witness, promoting "common grace for the common good" sorts of projects. They are remarkably talented, bold, and visionary with sharp instincts and notable expertise. I don't know how they do it -- from the finances of running classy nationally-known events like the annual Q gathering to creating and offering regional workshops, creative confabs and networking soirées. But this book is not just about dreaming big and making a difference and getting to do cool stuff. It is not primarily Rebekah's invitation for women to take risks and do good work, as she has done in her own journey to New York. Rather, it is about the cost of doing that. It is about learning how. It is about a woman and her identity and how that is sometimes hard to discern, even in these modern times. I was taken aback - I really was - by how I misunderstood the nature of this book. I should know better, but sometimes I jump too quickly to presume what a writer has to offer, what a book really is about. Freefall is much more painful and real than I expected -- more authentic, gritty story and not just a call to fly high. I wasn't fully off base -- in some ways this is about women dreaming big, about engaging the world with one's gifts and passions, about serving and trusting God with gusto. Lean in, ladies. Or, as she says, lean out! This is Mrs. Gabe Lyons, after all, so let's get some big ideas going and Make It Happen.

But more, this is an honest, and at times raw look at Rebekah's interior life, her fears and struggles and doubts. She is admirably candid about her sense of being overwhelmed and she is candid about her weaknesses. For a nationally-known emerging leader in a fairly fashionable setting (they literally work with fashion designers; just sayin') it is beautiful to hear Rebekah talk with such transparency about her anxieties living in Manhattan, the difficulties with buses and crowds and heat and the cost of living. If somebody as vital and strong and with such a supportive and forward-thinking man of faith as a husband as she has experiences hardship adjusting to new living conditions and new work contexts, my goodness, do those of us without such supports stand a chance?

Many of us know (as they have told part of this story before) that Gabe and Rebekah's first child was born with Down's Syndrome. Some parts of the book are directly about the challenges of parenting a special needs child (including two of the most riveting scenes in the book) but it isn't mostly about that. Some parts of the book are about her debilitating anxiety attacks, a disorder she was brave to reveal and which also brings some incredible drama to the story - wow. Some parts of the book are just about coping with raising three children in an extraordinary, complex neighborhood while trying to do extraordinary ministry; the lessons learned about forming supportive friendships, working honestly with her husband, staying connected with older friends and family, having rituals and caring about places, all of this is helpful for any of us in times of transition. All of this storytelling and reflection creates a moving memoir, packed with gems of insight, some offered forthrightly, others that sneak in between the lines.

As you can surmise, this is the sort of book we love to promote and I think that you - our BookNotes readers and Hearts & Minds friends - will especially appreciate it. This is not a literary memoir written only for its own sake, really, but it is also not just a self-help book of practical guidance, either. It is a lovely mix of story and suggestions. It narrates the authors ups and downs, sharing her insights along the way, learned often the hard way. She tells of her marriage and kids but also episodes with life-long friends -- she importantly has a group of women who gather yearly for intentional times of support and life-sharing (and a bit of shopping.) Hearing about those times of retreat was very inspiring to me. I think you will be glad to learn what she learned and will take courage in your own life as you hear how she coped with her own struggles and perplexing opportunities and reliable relationships.

Ms Lyons' unique voice as a woman struggling to "fly" but feeling like she is in a dangerous freefall, is a major feature of this book. As a male reader, I really, really liked it, and appreciated her good writing and her relevant faith and her revealing candor. This makes for a meaningful, poignant book that is both enjoyable and helpful. I realize it is written primarily for women, but I do hope guys read it; men can learn about their own anxieties and fears of flying from this sister who has been there.

And also there is this quiet subtext of how women navigate their faith journey and discern various facets of their callings when the navigation and discernment is tied to homemaking and child rearing. Most decent married men know of the profound calling they have to be active in their families involved as husbands and dads, but most are also clear about their vocations in the world, that they might make a difference here or there, for God's sake. It may be otherwise for many women. Alas, unless married men talk about these things with their wives and women friends, many wives themselves will feel like they may not be able to adequately pursue their own dreams, their own callings, their own network of friends and mentors. This book isn't directly about gender roles in Kingdom ministry, but learning the art of navigating the complexity of calling and career and home and children and community is certainly a part of Lyons' story. Learning to support and encourage one another in times of despair and hurt, too, is part of this story. (Again, how many of us long to be better spouses or friends to those who are emotionally distraught, struggling, or in chronic pain?) I am grateful to learn from her, and hope many will appreciate her vulnerability in sharing her story of loneliness and frustration and hope and deeper faith.

The lovely cover of Freefall to Fly is done by a chalk artist that was befriended by Ms Lyons and in many ways that little touch speaks volumes about the vision of this book. The Brooklyn-based woman did chalk art for local projects, serving social initiatives with her talents, and was encouraged by others to pursue this not as a small side project but as a calling, perhaps a career. The side hustle can become the dream, and Rebekah getting the publisher to use this artist's work shows not only how Rebekah encourages others to pursue their passions, but how this leads to beautiful collaboration, to friendships, to really "flying" in life. Yes, flying fully may feel like a freefall. It can be terrifying; it can even be devastating - to say yes to some possibilities means to necessarily say no to some other possibilities. Plans can be derailed and there are seasons when we simply don't know what we should do next. Can we let go of our preconceptions of what our life should be like? As men and women, can we take risks, stepping out in faith to find a life of purpose and coherence and significance? And what does it look like to do that?

Rebekah gives some very useful guidelines which you can use in your own discernment process but is perhaps best captured in this epigram, from chapter 9, a line from Kobi Yamada: "She took the leap and built her wings on the way down."

Or maybe it is captured in this lovely blurb from Ann Voskamp,

Rebekah Lyons writes a vulnerable story of her unexpected winging into the light and dark of mothering, womanhood, and visionary living, only to discover what it means to find the full hope of the sky.

"The full hope of the sky." Now that's a book you gotta love!

This is a book of raw, real hope for women about letting go of fear, learning to surrender to God, finding courage to embrace new realities, to be self-aware about one's own talents and passions, to nurture friendships and supportive community, to find contentment and strength to pursue dreams and vocations. It is a book about motherhood, about marriage, about making sense of faith and life amidst crippling anxieties. As the back cover colorfully says, it is about "the dark night of the soul in the city that never sleeps." It is a book you will enjoy, that you will want to talk about, that you will learn from. We are happy to feature it, glad to offer it here, on sale. Happy reading -- and may you experience freedom to fail, freedom to fall, and freedom to fly.

BookNotes

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