Derek Rishmawy, “Lamb of the Free: A Critical Review” (Mere Orthodoxy)

“Reading and reviewing Andrew Rillera’s Lamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Understandings of Jesus’s Death has been on my ‘to-do’ list for probably eight months. But ministry, a dissertation defense, and various other commitments have kept me from it. I’ve long been interested in atonement theology (a small section of my dissertation is devoted to it), and when a book comes along that promises to undermine the fundamental exegetical foundations of penal substitution atonement (PSA) and a number of scholars I respect agree to blurb it, I am interested. But when the recent Comer Kerfuffle happened, like many, I bumped it up the list. (As in the entertainment business and in atonement theology—there’s rarely such a thing as bad press for book sales.)”

Matthew Bingham, “The Problem with Comer’s Cafeteria Approach to Spirituality” (The Gospel Coalition)

“Insofar as the Reformed tradition has rightly understood Scripture, Practicing the Way represents a serious deviation from a biblical understanding of spiritual formation. As evidenced by Comer’s downplaying of regeneration and union with Christ, an approach to spiritual formation that isn’t anchored to Scripture will drift with whatever theological currents seem attractive at the moment.

“Perhaps Comer and others are dissatisfied with evangelicalism’s Reformation heritage and wish to reject it. That’s their decision. But they should clearly identify and own that decision.”

Andrew Spencer, “Pagans and Paranormal-Seekers Need the Unchanging Gospel” (The Gospel Coalition)

“The popularity of spiritualism makes it more likely we’ll encounter people willing to accept Christianity’s supernatural claims without objection. Yet the individualistic nature of contemporary spiritualism, where people often adopt contradictory ideas they’ve acquired from internet influencers, means differentiating Christianity from other forms of spirituality is more important than ever.

“There’s some value in trying to learn about alternative spiritualities. Books like James Sire’s The Universe Next Door are still valuable for highlighting big themes in diverse worldviews. But it’s more important to be able to articulate the truthfulness and exclusivity of Christianity.”

Tim Challies, “10 Ways to Keep Your Reading Fresh” (Challies.com)

“Most of us want to read more than we do. Many factors can interfere, whether the busyness of life, the allure of our devices, or the limitations of our budget. But I find that as often as not, we stop reading because of our habits have grown stale. We have grown tired or bored with our usual patterns and have turned our attention to other things. For that reason, let me offer 10 suggestions on keeping your reading fresh.”

Rhitu Chatterjee, “Kids Who Use Social Media Score Lower on Reading and Memory Tests, A Study Shows” (NPR)

“Preteens using increasing amounts of social media perform poorer in reading, vocabulary and memory tests in early adolescence compared with those who use no or little social media.

“That’s according to a new study that suggests a link between social media use and poorer cognition in teens.”