Elsewhere: Worship Music, Redeeming Culture, Beck, MMA, etc.

Rich
Over at Paste, CaPC writer Luke Larsen put together this list of 10 Indie Games That Matter, and did a pretty great job.

This is one of the best things I’ve read about worship music in a long time, and it doubles as an unflinching expose. BONUS: Ronnie Martin from Joy Electric fame provides some intermittent perspective!

My pastor, Greg Gilbert, wrote a book about the mission of the church. I’m going to plug it now, because he’s my pastor but also because this book looks kinda awesome. I would also say it probably has some implications for how the church approaches culture, popular and otherwise.

Ed Setzer wrote an great article on “Legalism, The Help, and a Woman’s Place.” Personally, I think it would have been better with The Help left out of it. If you’ve been thinking about women’s roles a lot lately (or if you haven’t, especially), this is a must read.

Here are four movies no one thinks of as 9/11 movies.

If you have an iPhone, read my review of Jetpack Joyride, then go get it!

Drew
If you have ever attempted or thought about attempting to “redeem the culture” you should read this post by Jon Acuff. And you should probably also read this one about arguing about theology over Twitter.

Matthew Lee Anderson on homosexuality, the church, and the controversy surrounding Sojourners and Believe Out Loud.

The average church size is probably smaller than you think it is.

Literature and the Psychology Lab. Does reading fiction increase knowledge, clarify emotions, deepen sympathy?

Apparently Philosophical counseling is a thing.

Kirk
Interesting critique of current academia’s publish or perish culture.

Apologetics may be make their way into your local youth group soon… nicely done.

Loved Donald Miller’s brief celebration of J.R.R. Tolkien’s life on the recent anniversary of his passing.

Few weeks old, but the Pitchfork interview with Beck is a wonderful read.

Alan
African migrant workers jailed as “mercenaries” by rebel forces in Libya.

A thorough, but readable critique of the “Gold Standard” that seems to be popular now, written by UC Berkeley Economist, Barry Eichengreen.

Carl Trueman (who is fast becoming my favorite Reformed thinker) has released a book discussing his stance as a theological conservative and a political moderate (sort of).

Is Islamic law seditious? What about Mosaic law? This New York Times piece points out the similarities, although the author does trivialize the differences.

Jason
Matt Morin, a former mixed martial arts fighter, has written an interesting and thought-provoking piece on MMA (and St. Augustine) and its increasing popularity amongst Christians.

Christianity Today on the “existential contentment” in the latest Death Cab for Cutie album.

My friend Jake has posted a list of books that help explain why he still considers himself an evangelical Christian. You won’t find many “apologetic” titles in his list, but you will find a lot of great literature.