An August respite…and some good reads

Hey everyone,

I’m taking a brief break from writing and podcasting during the month of August. Between school starting back up for our kids and my day job going haywire, I need a few weeks to recalibrate some things elsewhere in my life and make some preparations for an excellent Fall for markhackett.com.

But I don’t want to leave you hanging! Here are five thoughtful things I’ve read or listened to recently that I think you’ll find interesting, encouraging, and maybe even challenging.

Of Course Church Will Hurt Us: When Abuse Isn't Personal

Professor Myles Werntz of Abilene Christian University wrote this helpful piece back in January as part of a series on church abuse. The title is a little cold-blooded for my taste, but the content is full of good points about intentions, how we live them out, and how harm sometimes comes from a community, not so much an individual. Super interesting.

The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It

If I got a nickel for every time I’ve heard “Well, the Bible says...” in my life I’d likely have a lot of them. But I’ve neither gotten nickels nor much comfort in the saying. Whatever is attached to the next part of that statement is usually cringy and even authoritarian. Biblical scholar and theologian Pete Enns wrote a fantastic book about why this approach to Scripture leaves a lot to be desired and shows a better path forward for engaging with the Bible. Grab your copy here.

Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness.

There’s plenty to criticize about American models of masculinity, past and present. What I’ve often found frustrating is that very few good people —men and women— can articulate what they expect of men today. The far-right promotes a tyrannical, misogynistic approach to masculinity, but there is a huge reluctance in the mainstream and more progressive bubbles to define or speak up for men. Christine Emba eloquently writes here that the bad has to be replaced with something good and helpful, or the bad will just become the cultural default again. I really appreciate her voice in this.

Oppenheimer is an audacious inquiry into power, in all its forms

Vox’s Senior Culture Writer Alissa Wilkinson wrote this solid review exploration of the summer blockbuster Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s latest film. Side note: I saw the movie in IMAX and walked away thinking Robert Downey Jr.’s performance really stole the show (Cillian Murphy was great too, don’t @ me). Wilkinson cuts right to the heart of the film’s focus on power and why the atomic detonation scene is neither the climax nor point of the film, and why that works so well. An excellent and somewhat short read.

The Ezra Klein Show: What Tom Hanks Thinks of America

This conversation is pure delight on steroids. Be sure to give it a listen.

Feel free to drop a comment below! I’ll be back in September. Until then, take care.

I explore faith and American church culture from Memphis, TN. Never miss an article by signing up for my free newsletter or becoming a member to keep this site free and open to all. You can also subscribe to the podcast.