In all this, they deftly expose the shallowness of the false choice between biblical faithfulness and ethnic identity.

They are not blind to prejudice, and neither are they deaf to truth. They take identity seriously, and they also take the gospel seriously. The authors evoke themes like Black dignity and Black consciousness, and in the next breath they press the importance of the sufficiency of Scripture, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the necessity of conversion. The essays in Urban Apologetics do much more than merely debunk the myth that Christianity is a “white man’s religion.” They compellingly blend an adherence to biblical truth with an awareness of cultural trends. Urban Apologetics: Restoring Black Dignity with the Gospel Matt Reynolds, books editor Apologetics & Evangelism (To locate these excerpts, look for the links as you scroll through the categories.)Ĭongratulations to this year’s honorees-and let no one dismiss their work as a chasing after the wind. Together, we believe they represent some of the year’s most exemplary Christian thinking. That’s why we’re pleased to dedicate the bulk of CT’s January/February issue not only to our annual Book Awards (which now include a new category: Marriage and Family), but also to books themselves, in the form of excerpts from several of the finalists (and a number of the winners). Sometimes, you can’t tell the truth about the world with anything less. Recall that God himself speaks to us through a book-as does the author of Ecclesiastes. Consider the investment of mind, body, and soul involved in writing books few may read or remember, and ask yourself: Why do so many people, across so many eras and cultures, willingly empty themselves in this way?Įven so, you’ll never catch Christianity Today pronouncing “Vanity of vanities” upon the whole book-making enterprise. The “making of books” verse carries the same world-weary tone that pervades much of Ecclesiastes. (Though I can’t help wondering whether an updated version might instead remark on the relentless production of podcasts, that contemporary magnet for “everyone and their cousin” barbs.) As a books editor for a Christian magazine, I think I’m contractually obligated, every so often, to mention that verse from Ecclesiastes about there being no end to the making of books (12:12).

Urban apologetics eric mason