I had a wedding last weekend, which threw me off my normal schedule for the Week in Review posts. Not sure anyone missed it, but we’re back, baby!
Some good book deals were on for this week. The best was probably Michael Bird’s Evangelical Theology which was $7.19 a for Kindle. Another great deal is Greg Allison’s Historical Theology ($5.99). One of the best books on prayer, A Call to Spiritual Reformation by D. A. Carson , is just $3.99. Challies also highlighted a ton of deals, and best of all, Ligonier is giving away three new books by R. C. Sproul: How Can I Develop a Christian Conscience?, What Is the Church?, and What Is the Lord’s Supper? Finally, if you’re just getting started or wanting some advice on building a theological library, Daniel Akin has produced an updated version of his helpful guide.
The big news for pop culture this week (at least on Facebook and the blogs) was the comments made by Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty and Duck Commander fame. Russell Moore weighed in on the issue, showing the hypocrisy of our culture. Albert Mohler rightly issues a warning about what we should expect in the future when believers give an accurate description of sin in pubic. David Mathis (of Desiring God) took a different approach and said the whole thing wasn’t worth quacking about. Once his comments on homosexuality began making a ripple, his comments on his past experience of African-Americans were also brought into public view. As usual, Joe Carter offered some good thoughts. Finally, the Duck Commander team issued an official statement on the whole matter.
Perhaps more important were two others stories. First, was the announcement of Pope Francis as Time Magazine’s man of the year. Albert Mohler gave us some direction on how to think about this decision. The other was the Utah judge’s ruling that the part of the State’s laws regarding polygamy were unconstitutional. The Gospel Coalition’s FAQ’s post broke down the important details of this ruling.
Turning to matter related to the Christian life and ministry, Jared Wilson wrote–in my opinion–the most helpful post Re: Mark Driscoll. It comes from Wilson’s appreciation for Driscoll, but offers clear thinking on his recent shifts in ministry and ghost-writing/plagiarism issues. The Bible Mesh blog helped us think though what the Doctrine of the Trinity has to do with Christmas. Though a little older than this week, I only this week saw that Baptist 21 had posted a link to all of Jonathan’s Akin’s Christ-centered sermon series on Proverbs. Finally, The Church at Brook Hills gave a trailer and description for the much-anticipated Secret Church 14. Called, “The Cross and Everyday Life,” David Platt will lead an intensive Bible study showing “how the gospel affects our lives on a day to day basis, whether we’re doing the apparently spiritual things like praying and helping people in need, or whether we’re busy doing the things we’re tempted to deem routine, monotonous, or unimportant.” Here’s the trailer:
MAGNIFY CHRIST 