Believe it or now, June is National Audio Book Month.  In celebration, we at ChristianAudio.com thought we ought to make a really really great audiobook available for free download.  So we chose to give away The Pilgrim’s Progress unabridged.  You can download John Bunyan’s classic in either MP3 format or M4B format, which is optimized for the iPod.

Many more exciting things will be happening over the next couple of weeks.  So check back and check your emails if you are signed up for our enewsletter.  Deals await…

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This month’s free audio book is Martin Luther in His Own Words.  Simply add the download format to your shopping cart and then use the coupon code MAY2008 during checkout.  And enjoy!

Just out of curiosity, in 2-3 sentences describe your thoughts of Martin Luther in the comments section below.  I’d like to know your thoughts on his importance for Christianity as well as how his writings have influenced your own faith.

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Is it an April’s Fool’s Joke? Or is it really the Free Audiobook of the Month from ChristianAudio.com. Well, you’ll just have to log into your account and attempt to download The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton using the coupon code APR2008 to find out. Of course, if it’s not a joke and you do happen to listen to Simon Vance’s incredible narration, you might still feel like joking afterwards.

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We are so excited to be able to offer Paradise Lost by John Milton as the Free Audiobook of the Month to kick off 2008.  Paradise Lost is one of the greatest pieces of Christian literature.  What better way to begin your New Year than to read (or re-read) this Christian Classic?

To receive your free version, simply add the Download Version to your cart and then use the coupon code JAN2008 during checkout.  And of course, enjoy!

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At ChristianAudio our publishing agenda emphasizes bringing thoughtful Christian audio to listeners. We want to publish audiobooks that encourage Christians and religious seekers to reflect on Christ and his kingdom. It is our belief that thoughtfulness mixed with Christian practice can produce happiness for individuals and blessings for our world.

But “thoughtful” does not always mean agreement. Not always - yet often enough for us humans to take pause, vital growth blossoms where arguments tilled the soil. Gardeners know the effort required to produce good yields. And they also appreciate that other hands than theirs are involved in any good corp. Gardeners do not cause the sun to shine nor do they make the seeds that grow. Theologians today are much the same. Theologians did not write the Holy Scriptures nor did they determine which theological seeds would sprout. Today theologians merely work the land to harvest what others created and planted and tended.

Two “theological gardeners” today are John Piper and N. T. (Tom) Wright. ChristianAudio thinks you would benefit from getting to know them. Both are theologians, and both are pastors. Both have defended historic Christian orthodoxy, and both have been criticized by orthodox Christians. Presently John Piper and Tom Wright are in a theological discussion centered on Paul and the doctrine of justification. They have differences of opinions. Yet both have approached the other with respect and grace, even in the midst of earnest disagreement. Their discussion can be read and listened to in several places. The two most visible sources are their respective books on the subject, Tom Wright’s Paul and John Piper’s response The Future of Justification. Piper and Wright also have spoken on this subject in interviews. You can read Trevin Wax’s interview of Wright at Kingdom People. And you can read Brian Mathis’ interview of Piper at Desiring God. (Note: I’ve linked to part 7 of the Piper interview because they way they posted the seven parts makes it easier to read backwards, as there are no links to future parts of the interview on earlier posts.)

ChristianAudio would appreciate your thoughts on Wright, Piper, and their discussion.  Feel free to comment here or provide a link to a valuable resource on the subject of Paul and justification.

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Do you feel the “Christmas rush” yet? Each year come the first Sunday in December when our family begins celebrating Advent, I resolve to slow down and reflect on Christ’s birth. And every year it’s tough. I’ve not been to a mall in months. Though I avoid malls, it is difficult to escape the rush of Christmas. And if you are at all like me, you know it can be hard to avoid wanting and hoping - wanting to spend money on gifts for others and hoping others spend money on gifts for, well, me. In my better times, though, the rush of Christmas fades away and the glory of Christ’s Advent - “God with us” - lightens my thoughts and expectations. If you celebrate Advent by lighting candles then you know what I mean. All the lights in the house are turned off and only the candles are lit. And by the fourth Sunday the house is surprisingly bright to the eyes of us who mostly rely on electricity. Christ is the light of the world.

This year we’ve replaced the white candle that we normally put in the middle of our advent ring with a jar full of money. It’s not much. But we’ve designated the money for helping others. It helps our family remember that we can be the light of Christ in the world. Money is not the only way. This year a kind neighbor knitted our three children sweaters. And we all know that a kind word is often more valuable than money or gifts. Yet for many people around the world who live in poverty, a small gift of money can go a long way in helping to bring necessities and joy to their lives.

All this is a long introduction to some ChristianAudio “giving recommendations” this Christmas. Strange as it sounds, we’re not recommending you give audiobooks. That would be fine. But truly and honestly we’d be glad if you looked over our “alternative” giving recommendations and considered giving to those less fortunate than most of us. We know there are many places to give charitably. This is only a small list of trusted and recommended sources.

Merry Christmas!

MarkMakers.org - Allows children to “make a mark on the world” by giving to charitable causes in a fun and safe way.

Floresta.org - Healing the Land and its People.

International Justice Mission - Protecting people from violent forms of injustice.

Kiva.org - Loans that change lives.

Please feel free to offer recommendations of additional charitable organizations in the comments of this post.

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This month’s free audiobook is Dark Night of the Soul by Saint John of the Cross. Is this a strange title for Christmas time?? Not at all! The “dark night of the soul” is a feeling many Christians have had when it seems like God is not present in their lives. It can almost seem like God is not there at all. But that feeling is not true. And Christmas - Christ’s Advent - is the time of year when Christians reflect on “God with Us”.

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Two reviews of George MacDonald’s The Wise Woman have appeared on ChristianAudio.com in recent days. In fact, these are not reviews at all but accusations berating MacDonald’s theological position of Universalism. Neither reviewer indicates if she has read The Wise Woman. One of them gives the book five stars, but only in an attempt to lure ChristianAudio.com customers into reading, not her impressions of the book, but her opinions about MacDonald’s theology. Two responses come to mind.

First about the actual story of The Wise Woman. Please know that it in no way delves into MacDonald’s opinions about eternal damnation. Instead, The Wise Woman addresses the earthly side of grace, forgiveness, virtue, and the right relationship of parent and child. The story explores these important topics from an orthodox Christian perspective. And it does so quite well! I’ve heard one person comment that The Wise Woman might very well be the best parenting book ever written. Maybe. It certainly is a book that every Christian parent ought to read. And it also would do well for those who often find their heart troubled or their perspective skewed when they consider their own relationship with our loving Father in heaven.

Next about MacDonald’s theological Universalism. We might consider C. S. Lewis’ response to MacDonald here. Lewis considered MacDonald his spiritual father. It was the writings of MacDonald that awakened in Lewis his spiritual sensitivities, which then turned into a vital Christian faith. In Lewis’ book The Great Divorce, MacDonald is a character who learns that his theological Universalism is wrong. And yet, in The Great Divorce Lewis pictures MacDonald as a Christian sage. C. S. Lewis felt that a Christian might have certain theological points wrong and yet still be a Christian. Moreover, a Christian who is wrong on one point might be able to offer insight and instruction on other points. C. S. Lewis held that George MacDonald’s Universalism was wrong. Lewis also believed that MacDonald was one of the most gifted Christian writers of all time, and Lewis gladly sat under the instruction of MacDonald’s words.

Is it possible to be instructed by those with whom we disagree? A Christian of all people should answer resoundingly yes! We receive instruction both in the context of the world and the church from people who are, alas, only human. If we believed that instruction can come only from those who are completely right, we would require divine qualities of our teachers. That seems blasphemous. Moreover the implications of such an opinion in relation to our own self-awareness seem more troubling still.

Let me end with a suggestion. For orthodox Christians, MacDonald’s position of Universalism is troubling. If you are an orthodox Christian and worry about reading his arguments for Universalism, please do not. Of course, we do need some orthodox Christians to read MacDonald and others so that, graciously, they can defend a traditional Christian theology. If the task of defense is not for you, it is best for you to avoid it and rely on the instruction of others. And yet, please do not hesitate to consider the message of The Wise Woman. It is a valuable Christian message. One surprisingly relevant and even prophetic for today’s often battered relationships between persons and God.

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For the first time ever we are offering back-to-back Free Audiobooks by the same author.  Jonathan Edwards was America’s greatest theologian.  He pastored through the First Great Awakening.  His classic work, The Religious Affections, is his answer to critics of that great revival.  Challenging throughout, this is not light reading.  But it very well might be life changing for those who give it time and consider Edwards’ words well.

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Just a quick note to let you know that we will be having a sale for All Saints Day - November 1 through November 4.  This sale is on digital downloads only.  Please read our plea for mercy on our servers so that you can help everyone enjoy this sale!

Listen Enjoy Think Grow

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