This collection of the finest contemporary Christian writing is "a prime example of diverse beliefs among Christians." ― Los Angeles Times This year's volume brings together an elegant and engaging array of essays by Christian luminaries tackling relevant issues. These writers distill the riches of belief into lucid explorations of faith and truth, reflecting the many dimensions of today's Christianity. Includes contributions from a diverse group of distinguished writers: David Batstone J. Bottum Andy Crouch Scott Derrickson Jennifer Holberg Philip Jenkins Douglas Jones Jeremy Lott Frederica Mathewes-Green Wilfred M. McClay Kathleen Norris Julie Polter The Preacher James Calvin Schaap Lewis B. Smedes John D. Spalding Tim Stafford James R. Van Tholen Lauren F. Winner Albert Louis Zambone Wendy Murray Zoba Unaccountably skipping a year in its title (the third was dated 2002), the fourth edition of this annual challenges and entertains, at least once within the same piece, J. Bottum's "Dakota Christmas." Bottum's rehearsal of mid-twentieth-century High Plains holidays evokes smiles aplenty but draws us up short with its self-questioning, regretful ending. Differently challenging is Douglas Jones' "Just Wood," which alternates, with never a line's space between them, long paragraphs on rendering trees into lumber and long paragraphs on a family encounter with giant redwoods, and conveys much botanical and religious lore about trees in both expository streams. John D. Spaulding's "Shocking Truth about John Wesley" is a delicious addendum to the weighty studies celebrating the tricentenary of Methodism's founder, and James Calvin Schaap's "Dancing with Ghosts: A White Man at Wounded Knee" is as somberly powerful as its title promises. If the representative sermon seems condescending, one biographical piece seems out of place, and two critiques of business seem soft, they may not seem so to every reader. Ray Olson Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Chosen by Christianity Today editor Wilson, this eclectic treasure trove, on subjects as diverse as repentance, being an unmarried believer, and the evangelical Christian Book Association convention, contains some truly extraordinary writing. Notable essays include a wide-ranging interview with German filmmaker Wim Wenders, a spare but haunting recollection of a trip to Wounded Knee, and a wonderfully contemporary and demanding sermon on the Old Testament Book of Daniel. Wilfred McClay's subtle and keenly honed meditation on what it means to be an American Christian after September 11 is timely, theologically acute, and likely to be very challenging to some readers. Although some authors, like Frederica Mathewes-Green, Philip Jenkins, and Kathleen Norris, are famous, others edit religious journals, pastor churches, or teach in colleges. Rich in whimsy, overflowing with gentle wonder, and laced with both irony and anguish, these pieces by and large live up to their rather audacious billing, as the best of the best. (Oct. 24) ( Publishers Weekly , August 25, 2003) This is the fifth anthology in this most worthwhile series from Jossey-Bass (the first was Best Christian Writing 2000), and like any good anthology it provides a mixture of the sublime and the accessible. Of particular interest to the general reader will be Jennifer Holberg's amusing and touching "SWF Seeking King," James Calvin Schapp's achingly candid "Dancing with Ghosts: A White Man at Wounded Knee," or Albert Louis Zarnbone's striking "Technology As If the Incarnation Actually Happened." Overall, the essays in this year's edition are shorter and less challenging to the mind and soul than the previous years' have been-but this alone is no blot on the escutcheon for editor Wilson or his very fine series. For most collections. ( Library Journal , October 1, 2003) Praise for The Best Christian Writing This collection of the finest contemporary Christian writing is a prime example of diverse beliefs among Christians. - Los Angeles Times This year's volume brings together an elegant and engaging array of essays by Christian luminaries tackling relevant issues. These writers distill the riches of belief into lucid explorations of faith and truth, reflecting the many dimensions of today's Christianity. Includes contributions from a diverse group of distinguished writers: David Batstone J. Bottum Andy Crouch Scott Derrickson Jennifer Holberg Philip Jenkins Douglas Jones Jeremy Lott Frederica Mathewes-Green Wilfred M. McClay Kathleen Norris Julie Polter The Preacher James Calvin Schaap Lewis B. Smedes John D. Spalding Tim Stafford James R. Van Tholen Lauren F. Winner Albert Louis Zambone Wendy Murray Zoba Praise for The Best Christian Writing This collection of the finest contemporary Christian writing is "a prime example of diverse beliefs among Christians." – Los Angeles Times This year's volume brings together an elegant and engaging