Fri 28 Dec 2007
This is where it all happens. The blogosphere all centers on Colossians Three Sixteen, you just didn’t realize it. This is where I collect for you things that, for one reason or another or another, interested me over the past week. Just because I link something here, that doesn’t mean I necessarily endorse it, just that it made me think. Hopefully it will make you think as well.
See what I hear at Last.fm.
Sign up for eMusic, find lots of DRM-free downloads and help me earn free downloads in the process. Everyone wins!
Read as The Economist compares the Bible and the Koran.
Read about Latin Pentecostals in L.A.
Read as the Wall Street Journal examines the presidential candidates choices of background music.
Browse Stereogum’s compilation of 2008 album release dates.
Read about Chuck Norris suing about some of the “facts” about him.
Read about former British Prime Minister Tony Blair converting to Catholicism.
Browse the week in photos from Yahoo.
Read about candidates trying to understand N.H. evangelicals.
Read about Huckabee’s critics in both parties.
Read about one of the sure “signs of the season:” lawsuits regarding the church-state issues.
R.I.P. jazz pianist Oscar Peterson.
Visit the “Origins” page at DC comics, which gives the original storyline for several DC characters.
Read about women voters “cooling” to Hillary in Iowa.
No cash? No problem! Give online at some churches.
Read as Alan Jacobs shares some of his thoughts, as an Anglican, on some of the issues facing Anglicanism.
Read as Books & Culture considers the new memoir by Frank(y) Schaeffer, Crazy for God.
Read as Ronald Sider considers nonviolence for Christianity Today.
Read as Ben Witherington reminds us that Mary and Joseph were not going to an inn at all.
Browse as the editors of Christianity Today consider the “top ten stories” of 2007.
Read as Eugene Peterson reminds us to fill life with wonder.
Browse Time’s top ten “religious” stories of the year.
Read Christianity Today’s review of Steven Delopoulos’ wonderful Straightjacket. Read my review here and read my interview with Steven here.
Read as Christianity Today finds “glimpses of God” in Hanson’s newest album, The Walk.
Read as this piece examines the state of Christianity in Canada.
Read as Reuters says that Catholicism is now Britain’s most “popular” faith.
One last time, browse the updated list of Year-End Lists:
- Browse the Fimoculous list of year-end lists.
- Browse Christianity Today’s list of year-end favorite albums..
- Browse Christianity Today’s 2007 Reader’s Choice results.
- Browse Amazon’s list of their favorite music of 2007.
- Browse Paste’s list of their favorite albums of 2007.
- Browse Boomkat’s list of their picks for the best albums of 2007.
- Browse Large Hearted Boy’s list of favorite 2007 albums.
- Browse the Christian Science Monitor’s favorite 2007 fiction.
- Browse Boston.com’s selections for nonfiction.
- Browse Josh Kidwell’s reflections on 2007.
- Browse Steve McCoy’s top 30 albums of the year.
- Browse Josh Brown’s 10 favorite albums of the year.
- Browse as the Village Voice picks their favorite books of the year.
- Browse as the Times Online picks the 100 best movies of the year.
- Browse Mojo’s list of the best albums of the year.
- Browse VH1’s albums of the year.
- Browse Pitchfork’s year in photos.
- Browse All Songs Considered’s songs of the year.
- Browse Time’s top 10 albums of the year.
- Browse Time’s top 10 nonfiction books of the year.
- Browse Time’s selections for the best scientific discoveries of the year.
- Browse Esquire’s picks of 5 recommended books.
- Browse eMusic’s top selling albums of the year.
- Browse eMusic’s favorite overlooked albums of 2007.
- Browse “Relevant’s” top 25 albums of the year.
- Browse the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures’ picks for the best movies of the year.
- Browse the NY Times‘ top 10 books of the year.
- Browse Books & Culture’s favorite books of the year.
- Browse Christianity Today’s picks for Christian history books.
- Browse the LA Times‘ favorite books of 2007.
- Browse Glide’s top 20 albums of the year.
- Browse the Allmusic’s editors’ picks of the year.
- Browse Rough Trade’s top 100 albums of 2007.
- Browse PopMatters’ list of the best “singer-songwriter” albums of the year.
- Browse Slate’s favorite books of the year.
- Read the comparison of iTunes best sellers of the year vs. eMusic’s best sellers.
- Browse Salon’s favorite coffee table books.
- Browse Andreas Köstenberger’s favorite books of the year.
- Browse Spin’s top 40 albums of the year.
- Browse NPR’s All Songs Considered’s top World albums of the year.
- Browse the Oregonian’s top 10 albums of the year.
- Browse Pitchfork’s top 50 albums of the year.
- Browse eMusic’s top ten of 2007.
- Browse this list of the top ten “Bewilderingly Lame Gadgets.”
- Browse MSNBC’s year in review slideshows.
- Browse Harp’s top 50 albums of the year.
- Read as the New York Observer reflects on all these lists.
- Browse Glide’s compilation of “Best Of” lists from artists.
- Browse a bunch of lists from PopMatters.
- Browse the year-end lists from Tiny Mix Tapes.
- Browse this list from All The Trees of The Field Will Clap Their Hands.
- Browse Crawdaddy’s “Very Fantastical 2007 Year End Extravaganza.”
- Browse Acoustic Cafe’s picks for the best in-studio performances.
- Browse Delusions of Adequacy’s picks of the year.
- Browse The Silent Ballet’s top 50 albums of the year.
- Browse the iTunes editors’ picks for 2007 (link launches iTunes).
- Browse People’s collection of the most shocking moments of the year.
- Browse the Post-Gazette’s list.
- Browse NPR’s list of the top ten artists you didn’t hear in 2007.
Read as The Atlantic asks if poetry can still matter.
Read about the fact that, as many states place moratoriums on the death penalty, for the first time in the history of the death penalty, 60% of executions took place in one state (can you guess which one?).
Read about the CA “anti-discrimination” bill that has many conservatives up-in-arms: “Warning that boys soon will be able to use girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms.”
Read the USA Today editorial piece that wonders just how close some churches come to telling congregations how to vote.
Read the piece which notes that: “When high school freshman Dawn Sherman learned that Illinois had a new law requiring public schools to provide a moment of silence each day for “reflection and student prayer,” she was outraged.”
Find out more about Blue Like Jazz the movie.
Read about the underground hairdressing movement in Iraq.
R.I.P. Benazir Bhutto.
Read the new Gallup Poll which found that an overwhelming 82% of Americans “identify” with Christianity.
Read this report which claims that many within the “clergy” are actually supporting Democrats now more than Republicans.
Read about Evangelical funding of Jews departing from Iran.
Read as The National Post considers the growing influence of world music on indie rock, looking at, among others, obviously, Beirut.
on 28 Dec 2007 at 11:33 am 1.Jim said …
I’m starting to think we need a list of the top ten yearly “top” lists.
One more thought… Why would we say R.I.P. about someone if they were not a follower of Christ?
on 29 Dec 2007 at 3:01 pm 2.Josh said …
Good question.
R.I.P. = Rest in Pieces, you know, because we’re all going to be worm dirt some day.
on 03 Jan 2008 at 12:13 pm 3.Jake T said …
I just finished Crazy for God. It’s dark, disturbing, challenging, hysterical and really really good.
It’s typical Frank Schaeffer, which means it’s a bit inflammatory.
but the narrative voice is so clearly conflicted and honest while still clearly being self-decieving that it’s really a challenge to read.
Great stuff.
on 03 Jan 2008 at 1:36 pm 4.Jake T said …
What’d you think of that poetry article, Brent?
I thought it was really good, really interesting, and suprisingly limited and “good ole days-y” in its scope.
It didn’t talk at all about slam poetry, nor about the potential that new media has poetry, which seem (to me) to be integral to how poetry could change and be part of a wider cultural interest.
It also didn’t seem to want to acknowledge that some art IS very popular (some indie music and some independent film, for example), and that perhaps film at this turn of the century is where jazz was at the last one (I might be overshooting my dates there, but my point is simply that some forms of art, particularly newer ones, find waves of popularity and obscurity).
Overall, I thought the thing was deeply inspiring, particularly as a wanna-be poet who’s not sure that academia is the place for me.
on 03 Jan 2008 at 8:32 pm 5.Brent said …
I did think it was an interesting article. I liked that they were asking the question at all, which many people are not.