📚📖 Books for Summer 🌞⛱

May 30, 2019

The Book Drop: Biweekly reflections on books and reading by TGC’s books editor

Dear Reader,

Summertime is around the corner, which for some of us means we’ll have extra time to read what we’d like or explore genres outside of our common literary diet. I asked my editorial colleagues at The Gospel Coalition to share what they’ll be reading this summer. Maybe you’ll be provoked to add one or two to your own list.

I want to draw attention to three exceptional reviews: Jaclyn Parrish movingly writes about a vocabulary for life’s dark days; Ray Ortlund has a bracing word on how evangelicals coddle porn; and Bruce Ashford draws out insights for today from an obscure Dutch historian.

Happy reading!

Ivan Mesa

Editorial Director

New from TGC

Book Review

A Vocabulary for Life’s Dark Days

Jaclyn S. Parrish

The framework Vroegop proposes is remarkable for its sheer versatility. Anytime we feel the tension between the world we inhabit and the world we’re promised, we can turn to lament. It can shape our prayers in the wake of tragedy. It can shape our conversation amid conflict. We can use it to cry out for forgiveness amid our sin, or for justice amid someone else’s. From a bad day at the office to the downfall of nations, there’s no pain too great (or small) for lament. Every complaint is validated, and every ache, pain, and tragedy becomes an opportunity to glory more fully in the gospel of Christ. Read the review.

Book Review

How to Move Away from an Attractional Church Model

Steve DeWitt

‘The Gospel-Driven Church’ is a one-stop critique of the attractional church and a guide out of the theological ideologies underpinning it. . . . If you’re exhausted by the attractional church or sense something is missing within it, this book will hit all the key points and give you wise counsel for implementing change. Read the review.