Short stuff

Christianity Today magazine has announced their 2004 book awards, given to the top books of the year that bring understanding to people, events and ideas that shape evangelical life, thought and mission. Winners include:

• Apologetics/Evangelism – Going Public with Your Faith: Becoming a Spiritual Influence at Work by William Carr Peel and Walt Larimore.
• Biblical Studies – The Resurrection of the Son of God by N.T. Wright.
• Christian Living – My God and I by Lewis B. Smedes
• Fiction – A Bearer of Divine Revelation by Lawrence Dorr
• History/Biography – Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George M. Marsden
• Spirituality – Searching for Home: Spirituality for Restless Souls by M. Craig Barnes

—CTI news release

After seeing a 4-minute trailer of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, John Piper, pastor, best-selling author and conference speaker was convinced that the most important question surrounding Christ’s death was “why” Christ died. He wrote The Passion of Jesus Christ, giving 50 biblical reasons. The book sold nearly 2 million copies within 8 weeks of release, and has been translated into Danish, Chinese, Japanese, German, Korean, Spanish and Italian.

Mennonite Brethren Herald received a number of awards at recent press conventions. “Nailed Death” by Esther Regehr won a fourth place at the Evangelical Press Association convention in Minneapolis. At the Canadian Church Press convention in Toronto, designer Lorie Mayer won a first for the cover of “Who’s Calling?”, Pierre Gilbert received honourable mention for his theological reflection, “The Person of God and the relevance of the gospel,” and honourable mention was given to the issue on mental illness.

A new website to check out: theseer.org, featuring the book, The Seer, by Jake Friesen, reviewed in the Jan. 16 MB Herald.

Casting Crowns lead singer Mark Hall won “Songwriter of the Year” at the 35th annual Gospel Music Awards ceremony for “If We Are the Body.”

—Beach Street Records release

“McJob” is a word that’s here to stay according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. It’s defined as a “low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement.”

—Winnipeg Free Press, AP