What I’m Reading – 8/19/16

Below are some of the articles and books I’ve read recently that you may enjoy checking out.

• Evidence Not Seen: A Woman’s Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II (Darlene Deibler Rose) — This summer I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story of the remarkable missionary Darlene Deibler Rose. If you have never heard of her, pick up this book!

• “Many Americans Hear Politics From the Pulpit” (PEW) — According to a recent survey, “Nearly two-thirds of recent churchgoers say their clergy have spoken out about at least one social or political issue.”

• “‘God Made Me for China’ – Eric Liddell Beyond Olympic Glory” (Albert Mohler) — Eric Liddell is one of my favorite missionaries, and Mohler helpful reminds us of his amazing life and death.

• “Why do so many ‘nones’ believe in life after death?” (Simon Davis, RNS) — Even as the number of atheists and agnostics continue to rise, many of these “nones” still hold onto some kind of belief about life after death, raising interesting questions about what it means to be a “none.”

• “Goodbye to Sex: A Short and Heartfelt Eulogy” (Eva Wiseman, The Guardian) — As young people become more and more attached to their phones and other forms of entertainment, it turns out they are having less and less sex.

• “White Christian America Is Dying” (John Sides, WP) — An interview with Robert P. Jones, whose recent book The End of White Christian America explains that “The American religious landscape is being remade, most notably by the decline of the white Protestant majority and the rise of the religiously unaffiliated. These religious transformations have been swift and dramatic, occurring largely within the last four decades.” There are many lessons and opportunities gospel-believing and mission-minded believers should recognize in this trend.