Originally published on CULTURESHOCK. Since the publication of his 2009 Desiring the Kingdom, James K.A. Smith has been developing his anthropology of the human being as lover. That the first part of that book was subtitled “We Are What We Love”–almost exactly the title of his latest book–shows the continued focus of his work. With You Are […]
Category archives: Reviews
Kelly R. Iverson & Christopher W. Skinner (eds.), “Mark as Story: Retrospect and Prospect”
When Mark as Story by David Rhoads and Donald Michie came out in 1982 it wasn’t received well at first but two decades later it has become clear that the book helped lay the foundation for a new approach in biblical studies: stepping away from the historical-critical approaches to focus on the literary aspects of […]
E.T. Alii, “Godsdienstpedagogiek: Dimensies en spanningen”
A group of Dutch scholars focusing on religious pedagogy compiled this work, showing the current state of affairs in their field and pointing towards the future. The book had a lot of promise but it didn’t deliver entirely. This review was published in the Nederlands Dagblad on Oct 13, 2009.
N.T. Wright, “Surprised by Hope”
N.T. Wright is know for his “new perspective” on Paul but also is playing a major role in challenging contemporary thinking about the eschaton (the end of times). He points towards the new earth (and not heaven) as the end point and focuses a lot on the practical implications of taking care of this world […]
Jan Masschelein (ed.), “De lichtheid van het opvoeden”
More and more the field of education is flooded by instrumental approaches: a lot of talk on how to educate, but not on what to educate and by whom. Masschelein wants to challenge readers to understand the need for an inner drive for teaching and the importance about thinking about content. For this fresh and […]
Jan Krans, “Beyond What Is Written” (unpublished)
For a seminar in Historical Theology we had to choose a scholarly book. I choose to look at Jan Krans’ PhD dissertation on the different approaches Beza and Erasmus, two contemporaries, had towards conjectures in the New Testament; alternative readings of the Greek text that have no backing in original manuscripts, but that make more […]