“Bad Teacher” is not worth your time. Now, the easy thing would be just to leave it at that. It’s a comedy and it isn’t funny. But the self-respecting critic buried deep within demands a fuller explanation. What makes “Bad Teacher” so bad?
Edited by Nicholas Perrin and Richard B. Hays InterVarsity Press. 294 pages.
reviewed by David Renwick
N.T. (Tom) Wright, formerly bishop of Durham and presently at St. Andrews University, Scotland, is undoubtedly the most prolific New Testament scholar of recent years, and arguably the most important.
“I’ve written this book for all those, everywhere, who have heard some version of the Jesus story that has caused their pulse rate to rise, their stomach to churn, and their heart to utter those resolute words, ‘I would never be a part of that.’”
The story line in this film might sound way too agenda-driven to be enjoyable: adult son’s mother dies of cancer, then his father announces that he is coming out of the closet.
by Gregory A. Love Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books. 259 pages.
reviewed by DIETER U. HEINZL
In a time when the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) continues to debate what might be causing the decline in membership in American mainline denominations, Gregory Love takes a page from Karl Barth’s playbook to remind us of the Christian’s vocation: pointing to the risen Christ who reconciled all creation (which happens to include us human beings) to God’s self through his death on the cross.
edited by elizabeth Steele halstead, Paul Detterman, Joyce berger and John witvliet grand rapids, mich. william b. eerdmans. 288 pages.
Reviewed by Roy W. Howard
This extraordinary biblical commentary is like no other. What kind of commentary combines poetry, art, prayer, exegetical comments and theological reflections along with liturgical insights that strengthen communal worship?
The great thing about prequels is that it includes everybody. You don’t necessarily have to be a big fan of the “X-Men” comic book series to understand what’s happening – and, hopefully, it doesn’t disappoint the die-hard fans too much if the backstory doesn’t meet all their high expectations.
It’s easy to see why this film was an Oscar nominee for best foreign film this year. It packs a real wallop. But it will probably suffer lack of exposure in the United States.
The fourth installment of this series recovers some of the swagger and fun of the earlier versions, perhaps because of the welcome addition of Penelope Cruz.
“Last Night” spends a lot of time building up the tension….is it gonna happen or not…..finally offers some incomplete resolution, then invites the viewer to finish the story.
Most of us men are socially incomplete. We have certain insecurities, some of which we can name and compensate for, and of course, some days are better than others.
When Disney produces a documentary about cheetahs and lions in the wilds of Africa, you’d expect a lot of cute “awwww” shots of cubs cuddling and playing. And we get those. But we also get the realism of hunting to eat. And the honesty of the law of the jungle, that only the strong survive.
