Pure Church

(The artist of this cartoon draws for a living and wants you to hire her)

Speaking of good books, David Mathis posts an excellent list of books that help us to believe the Bible. The list is organized into three categories: the canon of the New Testament; the reliability of the New Testament; and responses to critics. A good resource for Christians and inquirers who may be thinking through this issue.

You can't come anywhere near African-American literature, history and culture without encountering the literary giant Langston Hughes. If you think you know something about African Americans and their history, but you don't know Hughes, let me assure you that you're under-educated in this area. If Alaine Locke was the intellectual architect of the New Negro movement, then Hughes was arguably the greatest literary and creative voice of that movement and the Harlem Renaissance. John Piper takes a look at his poetry and warns us not to follow the mistake Hughes made. As an aside, I want to commend John for taking up a figure from outside his own ethnic experience, treating him with biblical seriousness, and helping us all to learn in the process. I think John models, as well as anyone, a sincere interest in, serious responsiveness to, and biblical discernment about culture, ethnicity and Christ without lapsing into diversity platitudes or cultural snobbery. I'm thankful for this soldier.

Justin Buzzard has compiled his list of books in preparation for writing a study guide on the Book of Genesis.

Q recommends The Majesty of God in the Old Testament:

"Recently I picked up The Majesty of God in the Old Testament by Walt Kaiser, Jr. I have only read the endorsements (by likes of MacArthur, Packer, and Haddon Robinson) and Introduction and my soul has been lifted, challenged, and ignited toward a greater and more glorious exaltation of the majesty of God in all my thoughts.

"I already feel that this is a must read, especially for those who take up the preaching task and those who seek to hear God speak through truly biblical preaching."