In her fifth chapter, Aimee Byrd helpfully offers some qualifications (and/or exceptions) to what she has been generally arguing for. She makes the important general point that temptation and sin in this area is devastating and really bad. And she also says some really good … [Read more...]
Gaaa! Jezebel!
Introduction So I want to begin my review of this chapter of Aimee Byrd’s book with some agreement. Although I differ strongly with her overarching thesis, I also want to make it clear that I believe she is reacting to some genuine problems in the “purity world.” I have … [Read more...]
A Rat’s Nest of a Situation
My review of Aimee Byrd’s third chapter of Why Can’t We be Friends? is going to be brief. It is going to be brief for the excellent reason that this is supposed to be a critical review, and this particular chapter contains very little to criticize. It was, in sum, an outstanding … [Read more...]
Stereotypical Manners?
Introduction: Just as in the first chapter, the second chapter of Aimee Byrd’s book on male/female friendships contains a real tension at the heart of it. And given how she states her concerns, I can’t see any way of resolving that tension. Another way of putting this is to say … [Read more...]
When Aimee Met Harry and Sally
Introduction In her latest contribution—Why Can’t We Be Friends?—Aimee Byrd has raised the question why Christian men and women have such trouble and difficulty being friends. Why are we in such a pother about it? She knows that it will be a controversial book (Loc. 155), but … [Read more...]
Book of the Month/August 2018
This small book was simply a lot of fun, and for various reasons. If I had read it the way you are likely to do, it would have been a lot of fun on its own terms. But I have had the background privilege of knowing all the principals involved in it. Every year, four gents in … [Read more...]
A Review of an N.T. Wright Book. Ta Da!
And I hardly ever use exclamation marks. As regular readers here know, I periodically review books chapter by chapter. We are now in the process of making those reviews available to you in ebook form, and the first one has now arrived on our digital shelves. Some time ago, I … [Read more...]
Book of the Month/July 2018
I just finished reading Toxic Charity, and want to commend it to every pastor and every deacon board of every church that is involved in mercy ministry. It is written by Robert Lupton, a veteran urban activist, someone who has been an urban activist for many years, and who has … [Read more...]
Jonah Goldberg: Unwitting Foe of “the Miracle”
Introduction: As I have said on more than one occasion, Jonah Goldberg is one of my favorite writers and commentators. This book (Suicide of the West: How the Rebirth of Tribalism, Populism, Nationalism, and Identity Politics is Destroying American Democracy) has done nothing to … [Read more...]
Book of the Month June 2018
I have been reading criticisms of Darwin for a long time, meaning that I know my onions (allium cepa), and House of Cards acquits itself very well in the genre, making a fine contribution to our growing library. I am very happy to commend it as my selection for June’s book of the … [Read more...]
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