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Challenging Times blog

Living in today's world in the light of the Bible

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David Couchman

David Couchman
David produces the Slipstream podcasts and edits the 'Facing the Challenge' courses. More...


Phil Prior interviewing David about Focus's vision

Facing the Challenge: More resources for Session 2 - Understanding the challenge

Web articles:

Web sites can appear, disappear, and change their addresses - specially on less well-established sites. If you cannot find the article you want, try looking for the title of the article using a search engine, e.g. Google.com.

Douglas Ruskhoff's book "Children of Chaos" is a stimulating analysis of current media developments, reviewed here.

The Matrix
One of the key elements in the challenge of our times is the influence of the mass media - and one of the ways the mass media influence us is by blurring the difference between reality and fantasy. A recent film that takes up this theme is the sci-fi blockbuster 'The Matrix'

For more on consumerism, see the review of the 25th June 2000 episode of SOUL OF BRITAIN, written and presented by Michael Buerk

Right and Wrong as a lifestyle choice: A key resource for understanding our moral values, and how they are changing, is the 'Mapping Britain's Moral Values' survey carried out for Nestle Family Monitor. For more on contemporary attitudes to moral questions, see the review of the 18th June 2000 episode of SOUL OF BRITAIN

For more on re-inventing yourself, see the in-depth feature article on Madonna, by Jock McGregor, exploring how the pop idol is an icon of contemporary culture.

For more on tribalism and tolerance, see the review of the 9th July 2000 episode of SOUL OF BRITAIN

For more on contemporary attitudes to beliefs, see the review of the 4th June 2000 episode of SOUL OF BRITAIN

For more on 'pick and mix' spirituality, see the review of the 16th July 2000 episode of SOUL OF BRITAIN

Books:

Meltdown, by Marcus Honeysett

Meltdown: making sense of a culture in crisis
by Marcus Honeysett, foreword by D A Carson

Highly recommended
The first half of this book looks at five 'case studies'. Each takes the example of a particular person facing a specific challenge to their faith from some aspect of postmodern theory. The second half looks more generally at how followers of Christ should respond to postmodern culture. The first half is particularly important if you are a student (or about to become a student) - especially any kind of humanities student, or if you have offspring who are students, or if you are concerned in any way with outreach to students. Students will be confronted with these contemporary theories, whether or not they are aware of them. The second half will probably appeal more widely to church members who do not consider themselves 'academic.' Having said that,any follower of Christ who is concerned with 'making sense of a culture in crisis' will benefit hugely from reading this book.
Go here to read more
Order from the UK
(not yet available in USA)

The Death of Truth

The Death of Truth

highly recommended
Dennis McCallum (Ed), Bethany House 1996
Subtitled 'What's wrong with Multiculturalism, the rejection of Reason and the new Postmodern Diversity, this book charts the change from modernism to postmodernism, and then has detail sections on how the death of truth affects areas like health care, literature, education, history, psychotherapy, law, science and religion. It ends with five 'case studies' and a look at evangelical imperatives in coming to grips with the death of truth.

If you only read one book because of 'Facing the Challenge', make this the one.
Dennis McCallum is Senior Pastor at Xenos Christian Fellowship in Columbus, Ohio.
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Order from the USA

Go here to read more about the Death of Truth book and CDROM containing five MS PowerPoint® Presentations

Guide to Contemporary Culture, By Gene Edward Veith

Postmodern Times:
A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture

Gene Edward Veith, Crossway Books 1994
(Published in the UK as 'Guide to Contemporary Culture', Crossway Books 1994)
Charts the shift from modernism to postmodernism and its impact in art, society, and religion.
Gene Edward Veith is Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and Associate Professor of English at Concordia University, Wisconsin.
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