Editor's Bookshelf

David Neff

David Neff

David Neff was editor in chief of Christianity Today, where he worked from 1985 until his retirement in 2013. He is also the former editor in chief of Christian History magazine, and continues to explore the intersection of history and current events in his bimonthly column, "Past Imperfect." His earlier column, "Editor's Bookshelf," ran from 2002 to 2004 and paired Neff's reviews of thought-provoking books and interviews with the authors.

Good Boundaries Make Good Christians
Good Boundaries Make Good Christians
The difference between welcome and inclusion
Thugs in Jesus' Hometown
Thugs in Jesus' Hometown
A Season in Bethlehem shows how the city lost its historic harmony
The Erosion Continues
The Erosion Continues
Joshua Hammer talks about the implications of Christians' Holy Land exodus
Ground Rules
Ground Rules
The Creed defines the game of faith without exhausting its excitement
'We Live What We Believe'
'We Live What We Believe'
Luke Timothy Johnson talks about the importance of the creed—even for non-creedal Christians
The Church's Hidden Jewishness
The Church's Hidden Jewishness
Hebrew thinking in a Greek world
'Normalizing' Jewish Believers
'Normalizing' Jewish Believers
How should Christianity's Jewish heritage change how Gentiles relate to their faith?
Thanks for the Memoirs
Two authors write about pain and God's elusive presence
"Editor's Bookshelf: Choosing a Partner, Not a Future"
"Margaret Kim Peterson, author of Sing Me to Heaven, discusses her marriage to a man dying of AIDS and the theological lessons she learned"
Getting Western Civ Right
"Christian theology is the catalyst, not the brake, for progress in Western history"
Progress Through Theology
"An interview with Rodney Stark, author of For the Glory of God: How Monotheism Led to Reformations, Science, Witch-hunts, and the End of Slavery"
American (and Un-American) Idols
Sacrificing community at the altar of freedom
Avoiding Rights Talk
An interview with David Koyzis, author of Political Visions & Illusions
Connecting Colson's Dots
Connecting Colson's Dots
Being the Body ties together Charles Colson's varied strands of advocacy
Survival Through Community
An interview with Charles Colson, author of Being the Body
Life After Life After Death
"The Resurrection of the Son of God" is a ground-clearing exercise of historiographical obstacles.
Interview: N.T. Wright on the Resurrection
You Can't Keep a Justified Man Down
An interview with N.T. Wright, author of The Resurrection of the Son of God.
Converting ‘Amazing Grace’
Converting ‘Amazing Grace’
The story behind America's most beloved song shows the God-centered vision with which it was written
An Interview with an ‘Amazing Grace’ Historian
An Interview with an ‘Amazing Grace’ Historian
An interview with Steve Turner, the author “Amazing Grace: The Story of America's Most Beloved Song.”
Paradox Lost
Blessed Are the Cynical shows what happened to sin.

Top Story March 29, 2024

A Theologian’s Vision of ‘Peasant’ Politics Is Surprisingly Lordly in Scope
A Theologian’s Vision of ‘Peasant’ Politics Is Surprisingly Lordly in Scope
Ephraim Radner’s “narrow” concern for protecting the mundane goods of earthly life isn’t so narrow after all.

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