Reflecting on Rest

I’ve recently read the very thought-provoking and helpful book Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang (Penguin, 2016). Pang is building on much work that’s recently shown that, beyond 40-50 hours, we become less productive during the time we work. It’s not just that we are less productive in the extra hours—we’re actually less productive in (e.g.) 60 hours than we would have been in 40 hours. This is a timely argument in the midst of a crazy-busy lifestyle for Continue reading →

Kristen Padilla’s helpful book for women considering Christian ministry

Kristen Padilla Now That I’m Called: A Guide for Women Discerning a Call to Ministry (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018) ISBN 978 0 310 53218 7 My friend Kristen Padilla has published (out on 12 June) a very helpful new book aimed at young women from an evangelical tradition considering Christian ministry. It’s well-written, engaging and highly readable. Each of the chapters includes thought-provoking teaching and issues, questions for review of the chapter, questions for reflection with a mentor, and areas to dig deeper, plus the Continue reading →

(pre-)Order this book and get some good extras!

  My friend Kristen Padilla has written a valuable short book for young women considering a call to Christian ministry, and it’s published soon (12 June). I’ll write a longer review when it’s published—but suffice for now to say that I think it’s a clear, well-written and very helpful book, full of practical wisdom and sound biblically-based teaching. If you pre-order the book, you can get some specials in advance—a study guide for the book, and a pdf of the introduction to the book. You Continue reading →

Two helpful recent productivity and writing posts

  Here are two recent posts which I’m finding helpful. The first is from patter (Professor Pat Thomson) about a new collection of short essays critiquing bad ideas about writing (which mostly seem to be US-based and derive from Strunk and White’s key book). Her summary is both clear and helpful (and a model of how to do so), and there is also a link to the book, which is freely available in digital format. The other is from the Nozbe team, and gives seven Continue reading →

John Nolland’s Festschrift—bravo and congratulations!

     Thanks to Aaron White, one of the editors, for this helpful summary and overview of the recent Festschrift for Professor John Nolland. I was delighted to contribute an essay to this on the ascension of Jesus. Aaron White, David Wenham and Craig A. Evans (eds), The Earliest Perceptions of Jesus in Context: Essays in Honour of John Nolland, Library of New Testament Studies 566 (London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2018) These essays  have been written by a number of friends, colleagues and students, to mark Continue reading →