Most Canadians know about fresh-air-in-the-car day. It is that glorious day in the Spring when you can drive with the car windows open again. It is a relief from months where all the breathable oxygen comes through stale heat vents and your own foggy breath frosts up the windshield. Our vehicle has a sun roof. So …
Christianity and Catastrophe in South Sudan, by Jesse A. Zink
The short version: this excellent book is both insightful and accessible. Jesse Zink is specifically focused on the surprising growth of Anglican Christianity amongst the Dinka people of (the southern) Sudan during the conflict of the 1980s and 90s. He connects this growth to three factors brought on by the Second Sudanese civil war: increased …
Continue reading Christianity and Catastrophe in South Sudan, by Jesse A. Zink
The Mission of Apolo Kivebulaya, Emma Wild-Wood
The short version: this is an excellent book which situates Apolo Kivebulaya (c. 1864-1933) decisively within his East African context. You will get Kivebulaya’s story here, but this is more of a ‘study’ than a straightforward biography. The value of spending so much time on how we understand Kivebulaya, rather than just on the man …
Continue reading The Mission of Apolo Kivebulaya, Emma Wild-Wood
What if Covid Kills the Conference?
In a pandemic setting, a gathering of 4,200 people from just under 200 countries sounds like a terrifyingly bad idea. We have had a whole different set of opportunities through Zoom events during lockdowns, but what have we missed? What will we lose if we do not gather as we did before all this? It …
They Are Singing Paul’s Song in South Sudan
A few years back, Caleb and I took a trip to see Christiane while she was living in East Africa. There was a lot about this trip to hold onto, but our visit to the UN Refugee Camp in Kakuma stands out. This was a first step into a world that I knew only from Hollywood …
Continue reading They Are Singing Paul’s Song in South Sudan
He was Brown, Like Me
In May of 1930, Festo Kivengere is about 10 years old and has just passed his first set of school exams. The school gifts him a copy of the Gospel of Luke and he carries it everywhere, reading while he and his friends watched the cattle under their charge. There is so much to love …
Missionary of Reconciliation, by Alfred Olwa
The short version: a helpful study of the preaching of a fascinating and inspiring figure. Because this is the published version of Olwa's PhD thesis, most of it makes for fairly tough reading. The first three chapters have broader appeal but if you want a brief introduction to Kivengere, you are probably better off with …
Continue reading Missionary of Reconciliation, by Alfred Olwa
Long Term Strategy
Michael Haykin is one of my favourite Church historians and I am often encouraged and helped by what he says. Today, he posted the following call on Facebook: This kind of realization is the impetus behind our family's direction and is the reason that I am here studying in the UK. I would only add …
Global Voices: Listening with Langham
Last week I attended a fascinating online event hosted by Langham Partnership. Mark Labberton (president of Fuller Seminary and editor of Still Evangelical?) was the speaker and his topic was: Evangelicalism: Still or Not Yet? How the crisis of American (White) Evangelicalism requires the restoration of its soul by rediscovering its source and hope. An impetus …
John Stott Centenary
This is the centenary of John Stott's birth (April 27, 1921). Stott left a rich legacy of global-gospel engagement and I find myself more and more drawn to and appreciative of him. His book The Cross of Christ was a big part of my early theological development. Besides the value of the content, Stott showed …
A World History of Christianity, Adrian Hastings (Editor)
The short version: an excellent and rich resource which fills in the global gaps left by the main stream of Church History writing. It is a lot to tackle because of its size and scope, but should likely be included as foundational for any person (or church) setting up a theological library. This book is …
Continue reading A World History of Christianity, Adrian Hastings (Editor)
