The Big Picture Magazine 11 (2024) on Politics

The latest issue of The Big Picture, a magazine produced by the Kirby Laing Centre, has recently been made available.

According to the blurb:

‘Politics is a contentious and divisive topic, but it is integral to public life and public theology. With so many significant elections happening in 2024, we invited our community to think together about this topic… The articles we have chosen represent a wide range of perspectives, not all of which are compatible with one another. It was not our goal to find and promote one Christian political position but rather to provoke fruitful thought and conversation.’

More information is available here, and the issue can be downloaded as a pdf here.

Dan Strange on Making Faith Magnetic

Every month, The Good Book Company make available digital versions of one of their books at no charge. This month (October 2024) it’s Making Faith Magnetic: Five Hidden Themes Our Culture Can't Stop Talking About… And How to Connect Them to Christ, by Dan Strange, which is available in exchange for an email address here.

Andrew Perrett and Louise Robinson on Chronic Pain

Cambridge Papers are published once a quarter and address a wide range of topics, offering ‘Christian reflection on contemporary issues’.

The latest paper is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded here):

Andrew Perrett and Louise Robinson, ‘A Christian Response to Chronic Pain’, Cambridge Papers 33, 3 (September 2024).

Here is the summary:

‘The chances are that you know someone who lives with chronic pain, whether you are aware of it or not. Chronic pain is a specific type of suffering which is invisible, unpredictable and long-lasting. We discuss how this presents a particular set of challenges and hurdles to the sufferer, their loved ones and the wider church family, and we also share a personal example of living with chronic pain. Chronic pain demands a response; here we seek to bring biblical light to help people of faith who are seeking to respond well.’

Theos Report on Productivity

A new report from Theos has been published:

Nick Spencer, Hannah Rich and Nathan Mladin, More: The Problem with Productivity (London: Theos, 2024).

According to the blurb:

‘There is a relentless emphasis on improving productivity today – and with good reason. Productivity is, economically speaking, extremely important. But productivity is an unexamined idea, one of those words that “think for us”.

‘The challenge posed at the heart of this report is: Productivity of what? What are we trying to produce more of, and why?

‘Productivity at its deepest and most profound level is not a matter of creating more stuff but of forming better “persons”. Improving productivity levels can enable that, but it may not. In particular, when it comes to activities in which the human dimension is central, improving productivity can be counterproductive.

‘As developed economies become ever more service-based, this can become a serious issue. Encouraging people to become productive in such service interactions can undermine the personal, human good inherent in the activity itself.

‘And although AI can boost productivity in many sectors, including the service sector, it is not a solution to the problem of productivity outlined in this report and poses risks to essential human goods and values.

‘Ultimately, as we seek to solve our “productivity problem”, we need to avoid idolising productivity or allowing it to corrode what is most precious to us.’

A pdf of the full report is available here.

Mission Catalyst 1 (2024) on Theologies of Space and Exclusion

The current issue of Mission Catalyst, published by BMS World Mission, is now available.

This issue is devoted to ‘Theologies of Space and Exclusion’.

Here’s the blurb:

‘This issue of Mission Catalyst celebrates 75 years of the International Baptist Theological Seminary. Mike Pears addresses questions of space and exclusion, David Burau, Kieryn Wurts and Matt Norman think about why we need theology, and Marion Carson shares a story of grounded theology in a pastoral context. There’s shelf awareness from Ingeborg te Loo and Natalia-Nana’s regular column examines othering, while Malky Currie’s page designs expand your exploration of all these themes.’

Mission Catalyst is available as a free subscription, or this issue can be downloaded as a pdf here.

Christopher J.H. Wright

Chris Wright – noted biblical scholar, author, and speaker – now has a dedicated website, containing many resources: information about publications, links to sermons, videos, articles, and more besides.

Check it out here.

Adam Mabry on When God Seems Gone

Every month, The Good Book Company make available digital versions of one of their books at no charge. This month (September 2024) it’s When God Seems Gone: Finding Hope When Nothing Makes Sense by Adam Mabry, which is available in exchange for an email address here.