Guite is taking up the task of the Inklings—and of Lewis and Tolkien in particular—who not only sought to ‘repair the ruins’ of forgotten Christian literary traditions but also ‘re-redeem’ the spiritual imagination of contemporary readers.
Many of us may consider music an enjoyable accessory to our daily lives. We view it like a good movie or an engrossing novel. For those of us who enjoy Christian music, certain artists’ music may speak to our hearts in profound ways. But the influence in my life of one Christian singer goes well beyond personal edification. I believe, without exaggeration, that he changed the course of my life. His name is Keith Green, and if you have never heard of him, I’d love to introduce you to his life and legacy. First Exposure: Wednesday Night Youth Group I...
Mahalia’s four grandparents were born slaves, and her parents were unmarried when she was born in 1911. Given that slaves had been denied the right to marry for generations, this was not at all uncommon in her time. A preacher’s daughter who grew up in a family deeply devoted to Christ and the gospel, she began singing in church at the age of 4. Her talents did not go unnoticed from then on. She had little opportunity to study. After losing her mother at age 16, she moved to Chicago, where she worked as a domestic helper. She joined the...
The best songwriters do more than know their audience, they join them. And Kyle Hume does just that in his recent song. The first time I heard Where We Are was a month ago, thanks to an AI algorithm. As a millennial (born between 1981-1996), I follow the norm in discovering new songs on apps like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music. But if I was Gen Z (born between 1997-2012), I would have been far more likely to hear Kyle’s music on TikTok. Kyle Hume has 156,000 subscribers on YouTube. But on TikTok, he has almost fifteen times that number...
As a teenager, I made fashion choices based on three principles: first, comfort. Second, what was most well-suited to the activities I enjoyed, such as basketball. And third, perhaps predictably, whatever would impress others. I didn’t value appearances, whether in hoodies, art museums, front lawns, or church buildings. It didn’t seem good to look good, except as a means for some other end. I thought beauty didn’t matter. I was wrong. As a young adult, I began to take my Christian faith more seriously, and at first, my views of beauty and appearance were only reinforced. Because I struggled with...
