Mark’s Scribbles

Downloadable Talks:

From the All Souls Archive

(NB you will need to register with just an email and password – it is FREE and simply the way we put a ceiling on monthly downloads).

• REGULAR PREACHING
• JESUS THE ONE & ONLY – 3 talk-overview of Paul’s letter to the Colossians (April 2007)
• ASK AN HONEST QUESTION, GET AN HONEST ANSWER! – a 3-talk overview of Habakkuk (July 2009)

Some Apologetics

• What gives you a monopoly on truth? (from the series In the Hotseat, Sept 08)
• What is Real Tolerance? (March 08)
• Why Easter Matters (2 sermons on 1 Corinthians 15 – April 08)
• Has God failed? 1 – Why is religion oppressive? (Jan 08)
• Has God failed? 2 – Where is the ‘peace on earth’? (Jan 08)
• I’d like to believe that there’s too much suffering in the world – a short lunch-time talk (Sept 07)
• Can you trust the Bible? – a short lunch-time talk (Oct 09)

Some Book Overviews

• Introduction to the Psalms – All Souls Fellowship Group Leaders
• Introduction to 1 Thessalonians – All Souls Fellowship Group Leaders
• Introduction to Galatians – All Souls Fellowship Group Leaders

Free iTunes podcasts

• EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING – a day seminar seeking to understand Postmodernism and how it affects Christians (recorded 30th September 2006)
• THE GREATEST STORY not usually EVER TOLD in one day – a one-day whistle-stop tour of the whole Bible (Also on All Souls site)
• REVELATION unWRAPPED – an introduction and overview of that much debated, feared and obsessed over book, the Book of Revelation.

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Writing:

• CROSS-EXAMINED (with Study Guide)

written in 2001 and revised in 2005 – aimed primarily at university students but hopefully useful for anyone wanting to understand the significance of Jesus’ death on the Cross. Was also hoping for it to be a book that one could lend to a thinking enquirer. But the proof of the pudding is in the reading of course. If you have comments or questions, please do email.

• THE NEW TESTAMENT & SLAVERY - Approaches & Implications

A Latimer Study out in August 2007 and based on my Masters Thesis – done ages ago and recently revisited to coincide somewhat belatedly with the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade bill of 1807 (see below). Christians disagreed very strongly about what the Bible actually says about slavery (with vehemence from proponents as well as abolitionists). The issue today though is not so much what that says about slavery per se, but what difference abolition makes for other more controversial contemporary debates.

• The Good Book Guide to COLOSSIANS

published in Oct 2008, a little contribution to the Good Book Company’s great little series of introductory bible studies from different books and topics. Comes with a leader’s guide for group use, as well as formatted for easy personal use. A billy bargain at only £3!

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Articles & Reviews:

Here are various bits and bobs

• VERBAL REALITY IN RETAIL PARK PURGATORY - A review of Douglas Coupland’s recent novel, The Gum Thief.
• THEY WILL BELIEVE YOU: YOU ARE A WHITE MAN – A review of Kevin Macdonald’s film, The Last King of Scotland starring James McAvoy and Forest Whitaker.
• THE FOLLY & FATALITY OF USURPING GOD – A review of Robert De Niro’s film, The Good Shepherd, starring Matt Damon.
• THE SLAVE TRADE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN – A review of Bernardine Evaristo’s book, Blonde Roots.
• GRACE BREAKS INTO A SOUND – Review of U2’s No Line on the Horizon

• AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CROSS – helping students to get into the issues surrounding the Bible’s doctrine of the Atonement (alternatively download pdf here)
• U2: Stadium Psalmists & Prophets – started life as a talk at the ELF, and now written up properly for Theology Network.

• PREACHING TO IMPRESS OR TO SAVE? (1Corinthians 1-2) – first given at a preaching conference in Uganda in 2004 – now posted on the Beginning With Moses website
• THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD FOR A SIN-RAVAGED WORLD – some personal (and fairly random) reflections on some of the big debates that have been going on in the UK & USA over the last few years. Again posted on Beginning With Moses

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Reading & Watching Lists:

Here are a few reading lists for fun, interest, to while away the hours. More will get added in time I suspect! Totally personal choices and purely a matter of prejudice, preference and subjectivity. Not suggesting you buy them on Amazon at all, either, but it seemed a cunning way of getting the lists online. To check out individual book reviews, click HERE. Otherwise go to the individual lists:

Holy Books!

• Christian Foundations – some suggestions for where you might start
• The Good Book – suggestions for how to get into the big book
• Favourite Commentaries – there are various lists out there, but these are some of my faves
• Christian books that really make you think – does what it says on the tin

Being Alive in Today’s World

• U2 Books – for religious nuts and political fanatics
• African Addiction – novels, histories, journalism
• Postmodernism – novels, introductions, texts
• Being English – history and profiles showing us what we are

Those Alive in Yesterday’s World – Historical Fact & Fiction

• History like wot you’ve never read before – a rather quirky list of books that tackle history in a very unusual or inspiring way
• Historical Novels – my favourite type of novel
• 2WW – accounts, challenges, horrors of the 2nd World War
• Cold War Shivers – John Le Carre etc – atmosphere and spies aplenty
• 20th Century Lives that affected the world

DVDs to get one thinking or living

• VIRTUAL WORLDS – films to make you reevaluate the real world
• HUMAN LIVES – films that understand people, warts and all
• Favourite Documentaries on DVD

Multimedia:

• Slavery Abolition anniversary – we put together this video montage for our church service on 25th March 2007 (200th anniversary), so I thought it might be of interest.