Moving forward via Women Talking
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Moving forward via Women Talking

Sarah Polley’s adaptation of Miriam Toews’ novel Women Talking was recognized for its powerful screenplay in the recent Academy awards. In her acceptance speech, Polley said: “A young woman delivers the last line of our film to a new baby, and she says: ‘Your story will be different from ours.”’ “It’s a promise, a commitment…

An immigrant family camping adventure
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An immigrant family camping adventure

Author, outdoors activist and founder of @BrownPeopleCamping (brownpeoplecamping.com), Ambreen Tariq relates the fictional narrative of the Khazi family, Indian immigrants to the United States who go camping for the first time. The youngest child, Fatima, has had a hard week at school. Her classmates teased her about the food she ate for lunch and the…

An overview of a worrying development
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An overview of a worrying development

The Flag + the Cross is a short primer on what Christian nationalism is and how it operates in the United States today. Drawing on its deep roots in American history, the authors explain central themes, such as beliefs that the United States is uniquely a Christian nation, a chosen people, blessed by God, with…

Is your Bible study biased?
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Is your Bible study biased?

This is a rigorous, concise and entertaining book for anyone interested in the history and function of Scripture, and how the current approach to study and interpretation of the Bible can be improved. Hahn and Wilker pull you into history to show how apparently old theological and political disputes are relevant to Biblical studies today….

The symbolism that surrounds us
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The symbolism that surrounds us

The Symbolic World is a podcast hosted by Canadian Orthodox icon-carver Jonathan Pageau. It explores “symbolism in all its forms, from its source in sacred stories and images to contemporary culture and ultimately how it shapes the very world we encounter.” The symbolism explored is not merely about religious images. Instead, the podcast unpacks what…

An examination of recent religious thought
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An examination of recent religious thought

When does healthy patriotism slip over into destructive nationalism? When is Christian social action unjust to others? Are Christians saving democracy in North America or destroying it? These are important questions at this particular moment in the history of the church, democracy, and good governance globally. Paul Miller’s answers to such timely questions are a…

Rich reflections for our tech-saturated world
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Rich reflections for our tech-saturated world

In the mid-90s, students studying engineering at Dordt College (now Dordt University) took three semesters of physics using a textbook authored by David Halliday, Robert Resnick and Jearl Walker. As one of those students, I loved how each chapter started with a puzzling question that drew me into engaging the material, like “What size is…

New life for 120-year-old words
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New life for 120-year-old words

How did Princeton Theological Seminary’s community and wider Reformed enclaves receive Abraham Kuyper as a person and theologian during his extended sojourn in the United States in 1898? What became of Kuyper’s hope to establish Calvinism as a spiritual guide for not only Dutch, but also other nations’ public life, without establishing an official state…

Sweet songs under Alberta skies
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Sweet songs under Alberta skies

“Forget about Eddie Van Halen, forget about what the idiots on YouTube say. Learn your chords. Learn C, G and F – it all starts from there, the rest comes later.” Most amateur guitar players will chuckle at this comment made by Ray Mitchell (played by Alberta country singer-songwriter Corb Lund) to his 15-year-old guitar…

Getting into some holy trouble
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Getting into some holy trouble

When it comes to books addressing the themes of home and homelessness, it is not surprising that memoir seems to be a pervasive genre. Home is, after all, rooted in story. The memories of significant events, foundational relationships, celebrations, the feel of the familial abode, the landscape of our youth, conjure up the feelings of…

Escaping fame’s false promises
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Escaping fame’s false promises

To prepare for Reign of Christ Sunday – a day to celebrate Jesus’ universal sovereignty – my Bible study group focused on Luke 23:33-45. Jesus’ crucifixion was a heavy passage to ponder at this time in the church year, on the cusp of Advent’s slow lean into the light of his birth. And yet, what…

Exploring baptism through stories
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Exploring baptism through stories

As the pastor of Granite Springs Church in California, Kevin Adams engaged in a yearlong study of baptism with the members of his church community. Much of what they discovered is included in Adams’ compelling narrative in which he invites readers to enter into the mystery of the sacrament: “Baptism tells us we are beloved….