Blood and Fire: Revival Movements That Transformed Culture and Society
Nigel Scotland (Cascade Books)
From Northampton, Massachusetts, to Lowestoft, England, the locations where revivals erupt can feel as unpredictable as the Spirit who kindles them. In Blood and Fire, religion scholar Nigel Scotland explores 10 revivals that occurred in the United States and Great Britain, touching on familiar episodes and more obscure events alike. As Scotland explains, studying these spiritual outpourings can furnish us with a “deeper awareness of [God’s] concern and compassion for the world and its peoples.”
Theology That Sticks: The Life-Changing Power of Exceptional Hymns
Chris Anderson (Church Works media)
When it comes to varying styles of church music, Chris Anderson, a self-described “music junkie,” might check the box for “all of the above.” His great passion, though, is for hymns—he’s written dozens—and in Theology That Sticks, he unpacks their virtues. “Great Christian music,” writes Anderson, “is a means of grace. It helps you grow in your faith, delight in your God, and even combat your sin.”
Redeeming Vision: A Christian Guide to Looking at and Learning from Art
Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt (Baker Academic)
Looking at art, for some, counts as a highbrow hobby. But even those who disclaim the artsy label are deeply shaped by an array of images, from the mundane to the sublime. Weichbrodt, an art history professor at Covenant College, writes Redeeming Vision “for the museumgoers, yes, but also for the Instagram scrollers, the meme gatherers, the magazine readers, the ad watchers, the graphic novel lovers, the coffee table book flippers, and the cell phone photo editors.” The book walks believers through various tools for seeing and grappling with the world of artwork around them.
