There are a number of books I’ve read in the last couple months; here are a few with brief summaries of my thoughts on them!

“Half the Church: Recapturing God’s Global Vision for Women,” by Carolyn Custis James. I thought this is a fascinating book; it was not what I expected. I really appreciated her comments on the different experiences for women around the world, challenging readers to recognize that while our fallen world often does not give women the respect and honor they deserve, the answers are not the same worldwide – that cultures and different environments demand different next steps. Ultimately, she challenges readers to capture God’s vision for women, to see the ways in which His will is not lived out and be a part of the answer to moving the world towards His intent. In our American culture, we are not yet a place as a country, or as a church, that can claim to be treating women like the image-bearers of God that they are. I definitely recommend this book.

“Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church,” by N.T. Wright. I really, really liked this book. I read it to explore Wright’s thoughts on heaven; that it is not a place we escape to, rather, it is a resurrected earth – part of our resurrection – a world finally fulfilling the vision God desires for it and His creation. What I didn’t expect was the incredible challenge to begin practicing for that resurrection life now; in how we live, how we treat others, how we care for the creation around us. Powerful, powerful stuff.

“Adam and the Genome: Reading Scripture After Genetic Science,” by Dennis Venema & Scot McKnight. I thought Venema and McKnight took an interesting approach; Venema, a scientist who is a believer, wrote the first half of the book focusing on what the latest research has told us about the human genome. McKnight wrote the second half of the book, taking a theologian’s approach to reconciling that information with faith. I was blown away by what has been learned from the genome; Venema is right when he asserts it points to a Creator – even if that evidence might challenge some of our traditional assumptions about origins. McKnight’s half of the book was good as well; I didn’t agree with all of his approaches, and honestly, I think John Walton has handled these topics more effectively in his “Lost World” books. Either way, it’s a fascinating book, and having been released in 2017, makes use of the latest research powerfully.