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The World Is Not Ours To Save, by Tyler Wigg-Stevenson (IVP)
A number of years ago, I read an essay where Tyler Wigg-Stevenson said, “The world is not ours to save, but we do serve the mission of the God who has already done so.” It struck me deep, and I’ve never forgotten. Now, Tyler, the founder of Two Futures Project (an effort to mobilize Christians for the global abolition of nuclear weapons) has written a book echoing that very line. In an age of growing activism and mounting anxieties about the many injustices of our world, Tyler provides a thoughtful, Christian narrative of how we can work for good while also maintaining spiritual vitality. Does Christian faith undergird or merely provide rhetoric for our activism? Why do so many activists burn out or eventually jettison their faith? What is ‘Christian activism’ anyway? How can we work for concrete societal good in the power of the Spirit? Tyler Wigg-Stevenson explores these questions and more.
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The Fall of Interpretation: Philosophical Foundations for a Creational Hermenutic, by James K.A. Smith (Baker Academic)
This book does not provide breezy reading, but if you happened to be concerned with how we interpret our biblical texts (particularly in an environment where most kinds of authoritative interpretations are thrown out the window), you will likely find Smith a helpful and engaging resource. Smith navigates a wide range, from Augustine to Derrida, to arrive at his account of a “creational hermeneutic” grounded in the history of how God has spoken in the church through the ages.
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Winn Collier (winncollier.com) is author of three books, a columnist and pastor of All Souls in Charlottesville, Va.