Recommendations in Autumn (again)

A beautiful beach sunset in Hiratsuka

It's autumn again! Someone recently explained to me that autumn and fall are regional language preferences, with Americans generally preferring fall and friends using British English preferring autumn.

Hisashiburi (Long time no see)

There have been too many fascinating books and encouraging podcasts so far in 2024 for me not to share a few great ones with you today.

Please pardon my post a year on this blog. If you're interested in my wife and I's more frequent personal ministry updates, you can opt-in to those updates here: https://sethquant.epistle.org/subscribe

The podcast recommendation

My primary motivation for posting today is this podcast, which I only finished listening to a few hours ago: Near Death Experiences & the Bible: Do They Align?

Here is a sample from the official Remnant Radio podcast blurb:

We’re sitting down with bestselling author John Burke to discuss his fascinating book Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises, and the Exhilarating Future That Awaits You. Burke delves into over 100 stories of near-death experiences (NDEs) and compares them to what the Bible says about Heaven. From questions about our identity and relationships in Heaven to what God is like and what we'll do for eternity, this conversation explores it all.

Here are some of my takeaways from this podcast:

There is research on thousands of official reports on NDEs, so we can verify stories and trends with popular anecdotes
The Bible is confirmed as completely reliable
We have an impactful, unique opportunity to work with Jesus in this life
Teaching a visiting Sunday school child something as simple as "Jesus Loves You" can be used by the Holy Spirit even during adulthood
God reveals himself in love and light faithfully, consistently across all the nations of the world

The book recommendation

During our visit to Australia in July, our trip to the Christian bookstore chain Koorong was a special treat. It was even more magical because they were also having a sale on Australian author John Dickson's newest book. Bullies and Saints is a balanced, historical take on church history that I had long wanted to read. Dickson's diligent academic work in history and his passion for the church are on display.

I highly recommend this book if you are interested in the church, foundational Western values, or church history.

Here is a bit of the introduction section on Zondervan Academic for the book:

Combining narrative with keen critique of contemporary debates, author and historian John Dickson gives an honest account of 2,000 years of Christian history that helps us understand what Christianity is and what it's meant to be.

To say that the Christian Church has an "image problem" doesn't quite capture it. From the Crusades and the Inquisition to the racism and abuse present in today's Church--both in Catholic and Protestant traditions--the institution that Christ established on earth has a lot to answer for. But the Church has also had moments throughout history when it has been in tune with Jesus' teachings--from the rise of charity to the invention of hospitals.

My highlights for this one are:

The first true abolitionist was an influential Christian in the 4th century, Gregory of Nyssa (tragically, his solid Biblical argumentation didn't catch on until much later)
The Christian church has three tools at its disposal - prayer, persuasion, and suffering
Dickson does a great job consulting original documents and advocating for the many bright events in the so-called "Dark Ages."
The book covers all the glaring evil spots and the common objections hurled at church history (Including tragic scandals in our time.)
This book's ending paragraph and phrases are incredibly satisfying to read after a nuanced journey through the song of the church. They tie the whole theme together perfectly. (The quote is also too good to spoil here.)

Well, I pray you have a great autumn. The harvest is plentiful.