Style: Pop/rock and American folk; compare to Ron Sexsmith, Dylan, Springsteen
Top tracks: "The Curse," "Change of Time," "Another New World"
Josh Ritter's latest record sprang forth from a song called "The Curse," which tells the tale of a 19th century anthropologist who falls in love with the mummy she unearths. The two characters quickly find themselves in the midst of a timeless, cosmic collision between love and death; Ritter, the not-so-objective narrator, seems troubled by the outcome. Death haunts the whole album, making his grip on love tentative, and inspiring a Job-like shouting match with the Almighty that's not exactly pious, but is nevertheless soul-stirring in its honesty.
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
Jude has strong words for immorality in the church. Yet he advocates for mercy for those who doubt.
Our picks for the books most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture.
