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Author Interview with Steve Hoppe

Posted on by Kim

This week’s author interview is with Steve Hoppe. He is the author of Marriage Conflict: Talking as Teammates in the 31-Day Devotionals for Life series. It releases May 6th.

  • Tell us a little bit about yourself

I’m a born-and-raised Midwesterner from Glen Ellyn, Illinois—a suburb just outside of Chicago. I have an identical twin brother, Bryan, and a big sister, Michelle, who both live in the Chicago area. My dad passed away about five years ago and my mom Gail and stepdad Phil live in the house that I grew up in. I’m married to my best friend, Abby, and we live in New York City (the Upper West Side of Manhattan, to be exact) in a tiny-yet-quaint apartment with our puppy Mabel (a 4-lb. ball of fur). For work, I’m the Executive Director of Crosstown Counseling—a brand new biblical counseling practice in Midtown Manhattan. Abby and I are members of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, where Abby serves as a deaconess and I do a bit of teaching and serving in a range of capacities. As far as hobbies go, my #1 passion is running. I’ve run a couple of marathons, but those days are long over, as my body (and schedule) are no longer able to handle a 26.2-mile race. I now run about 3-4 times a week in my favorite place in the world, Central Park. I’m also a huge sports nut, rooting for all Chicago teams (minus the Cubs!) as well as Notre Dame football (don’t hate!). I love going to the gym, studying the Bible, writing, playing with Mabel, hanging out with Abby, and obsessively checking ESPN on my phone.

  • When did you first want to write a book?

2012. It was my first year as a full-time biblical counselor. I had zero clients, a ton of time on my hands, and a sufficient level of naivete as to how hard writing a book would be. So I decided to give it a shot. I had an idea from a sermon that I wrote while attending seminary, so I started writing. When I was 100 pages in, I pitched the manuscript to a publisher. They liked it, and after a year-long, back-and-forth editing process, Sipping Saltwater, my first book, was published!

  • Have you always enjoyed writing?

Not at all. In fact, English was my least favorite subject in school. I even majored in engineering in college to avoid having to read and write for my classes. I only started enjoying writing when I became a Christian at 21 and found something that I was passionate to write about—my faith.

  • Which writers inspire you?

Tim Keller, C.S. Lewis, and really any clear, succinct, humble, transparent, down-to-earth, Gospel-centered author speaking about matters of the heart.

  • What inspired you to write this book, about this topic?

I’ve counseled hundreds of married couples and done hundreds of premarital counseling sessions. The one common denominator to every couple? They struggle with conflict—and specifically how to communicate through it in a holy and helpful manner. I figured that if marriage conflict was so prevalent, and godly conflict management was so rare, I should write a Scripture-based book to help couples grow in this area.

  • Do you have a favorite author? Who is it and why?

Tim Keller. I love his ability be an apologist, theologian, pastor, historian, and cultural guru all in one. Plus, he was my pastor for years and my mentor for one of them, so I’m kind of biased.

  • What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

Toughest criticism: “Your writing is too simple.”
Best compliment: “Your writing is too simple.

  • Do you have a favorite quote?

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” ―C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

I love this quote particularly because it has helped me in my greatest moments of grief in life—my father’s death, my mom’s cancer diagnosis, the death of my dog Beatrice, etc. Whenever I am crushed by the reality of sickness and death in the world, I am tempted to shut down and harden my heart, lest it become broken again. But Lewis reminds me that love requires vulnerability to the loss of that love. It’s a part of life on this side of paradise. The alternative is a life without love. And who wants that?

  • What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Don’t write to make money. Unless you write a book in the top 0.001% in terms of sales, you probably won’t make enough money to make the effort worthwhile. Instead, write because you love it, and write about things that you’re passionate about.

  • How do you deal with writer’s block?

I go running in Central Park. It clears my head and often opens up a floodgate of ideas

  • What book are you reading now?

I’m taking this unique time in quarantine to immerse myself in Scripture, not books. So at this precise moment I’m studying Daniel, James, 1-3 John, and Psalm 119. I’ll get back to books in June, at which point I plan on reading a few academic books on Old Testament theology (yes, I’m a nerd).

  • Do you have a specific spot where you enjoy writing most?

I love to transition between the couch in my office (where I write by hand onto a large yellow legal pad), and my office desk (where I type what I wrote on my couch). I rarely start with a keyboard—I almost always start with a pen and paper.

  • Do you have an interesting writing quirk?

I do. I like to use alliteration. If you’ve read either of my two books, you’ll see that many of my lists contain words starting with the same letter. That’s intentional. I think it adds a poetic/artistic touch.

  • What famous person (living or dead) would you like to meet and why?

I feel like not answering this question “Jesus” would be idolatrous. So I’ll just go with Jesus. Plus, ya know, he is the Savior of the World who performed miracles regularly . . . so there’s that.

  • At what time of day do you write most?

First thing in the morning. My mind is clear. My thoughts are fresh. My body is calm. It only goes downhill from 8am until my head hits the pillow at night.

  • What is your favorite food?

Kugelis. It’s a Lithuanian potato-based dish that my family makes for holidays. Yum.

  • The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia?

Books—Narnia. Movies—Lord of the Rings.

  • If you have a favorite book of the Bible, what is it and why?

Genesis. It’s a book filled with screwed-up people who screw up consistently, yet are saved by grace through faith in the promised Redeemer.

  • Favorite sport to watch? Favorite sport’s team?

Favorite sport to watch: college football. By far the most exciting (and unfortunately anxiety-inducing) televised or in-person sporting event on the planet.
Favorite sports team: the Chicago White Sox—the “second team in the second city.” Notre Dame football is right behind the White Sox.

  • Favorite animal?

A puppy. They’re cute, clumsy, rambunctious, rebellious, innocent, and unconditionally loving. We just got a new one who sleeps on her momma’s face. Love ya, Mabel!

  • Favorite flavor of ice cream?

Vanilla with chunks of Rice Krispies Treats mixed in. That’s a flavor, right?

  • Do you have a favorite movie? What is it and why?

The 2005 World Series, an epic DVD walking through the greatest team of any sport in the history of the world, the 2005 Chicago White Sox. And I’m not biased at all ;)

  • Tea or coffee?

Coffee. Black. French Roast. Freshly brewed. The more it tastes like dirt, the better.

  • How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Facebook: Steve Hoppe
Facebook: Crosstown Counseling
Website: stevehoppe.com

Pre-order Marriage Conflict: Talking as Teammates

God’s Faithful Care

Posted on by Kim

Let’s meditate on Jesus’s faith-building words concerning God’s faithful care (see Matthew 6:25-34). Counsel yourself with the Christ-centered truths below that are based on Jesus’s words in this passage. One useful hint: try reading them out loud so that they enter your eyes and ears at the same time.

— God commands me, “Do not be anxious.” I need to repent of worry (see vv. 25, 34).
— The essence of life is far more significant than material things (see v. 25).
— Birds don’t worry, fret, or hoard, and yet their needs are met (see v. 26).
— God feeds the birds, which are not even made in his image (see v. 26).
— Since I am made in God’s image, I am more valuable to him than all the birds in nature (see v. 26).
— Worry will not help me to live longer (v. 27).
— Flowers are clothed by God. God will clothe me too (see vv. 28-30).
— Worry grows unbelief — not faith (see v. 30).
— Worry is characteristic of unbelievers and worldly-minded people (see vv. 31-32).
— My heavenly Father knows my needs (see v. 32).
— All my material cares will be taken care of by God when I pursue Christ and his agenda above all (see v. 33).
— Anxiety borrows from tomorrow but never pays back the favor. It only doubles today’s trouble (see v. 34).
— Tomorrow has enough trouble of its own. I shouldn’t add to it by worrying (see v. 34).

There. That’s how to mine a portion of Scripture, pick out nuggets of ore, and forge them into daggers of truth that you can use to kill worry.

— Paul Tautges, Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace

Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV)

25 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. .

JAZZ, BLUES, AND SPIRITUALS preface by William Edgar

Posted on by Kim

Jazz music leaves few people indifferent. When it first appeared, in the early twentieth century, some, especially white Americans, published screeds with titles such as “Unspeakable Jazz Must Go” or the racist “Why ‘Jazz’ Sends Us Back to the Jungle.”1 Others, including notable musicians and composers such as George Gershwin and Igor Stravinsky, embraced it with enthusiasm, finding it fresh and authentic. Maurice Ravel said he liked it better than high opera.

When it first appeared in 1960, Hans Rookmaaker’s book, written in Dutch, was a publishing event. It was a defense of this music before a public either hostile, or largely unaware of its beauties. Though his official position was professor of art history at the Free University of Amsterdam, Rookmaaker had already distinguished himself as an expert on the music of African Americans. He was the editor of the European edition of the great Riverside Records. The liner notes on these albums is worth their price in gold.

His work is scholarly and thorough, but it stems from his personal love for the music. He was once in our living room, and we only had a harpsichord, no piano, yet he requested I play “Honky Tonk Train Blues” by the great Meade Lux Lewis. When I was a student we had a jazz band and Hans was our mentor. His beloved wife, Anky, once told me he never studied or did much of anything without jazz music being played in the background on 78s or vinyls. He traveled often to the United States and there was able to meet with some of the greats, including Mahalia Jackson. His first meeting with his life’s colleague, Francis Schaeffer, was motivated by a hope to learn about jazz from an American.

This love comes across eloquently in these pages. And as we would expect from such a devotee his judgments are also abundant. Rookmaaker constantly reminds the reader not to evaluate the music according to the Western standards of “classical” music. He rails against sentimental “pseudo-jazz.” He believed there was a kind of “fall” from the purity of New Orleans jazz, as played by King Oliver in the early 1920s, to the more individualistic jazz of Chicago style, exemplified by Louis Armstrong. Rookmaaker has little time for modern jazz, as he thought it had been tainted by “Existentialism” and other humanistic philosophies.

The most authentic jazz is inspired by the Christian faith of many of its performers. Jazz originates in the church. It was there that spirituals were generated, inspired by the hymns of Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley. A high point in such music is the quartet styles, such as the Spirit of Memphis Quartet, with its close harmonies and biblical allusions. Duke Ellington wrote three sacred concerts to the glory of God. Even the blues, which are not played in church, carry a message of protest congenial to biblical prophecies. Before dismissing these views as wishful thinking, we need to read these pages respectfully and generously, humbly examining the evidence adduced. Rookmaaker has left few stones unturned. The book is a remarkable piece of ethnomusicology, and an even more remarkable piece of intellectual history.

We may be deeply grateful to the Rookmaaker family for giving us the green light on this republication. And very special thanks are due to the Case Family Properties Foundation for their support of this standalone volume. May it be an inspiration to many, in an age when music is so often anything but exquisite.

Jazz, Blues, and Spirituals: The Origins and Spirituality of Black Music in the United States, New Edition by Hans Rookmaaker

Author Interview with Mike McKinley

Posted on by Kim

This week’s author interview is with Mike McKinley. He is the author of Engagement: Preparing for Marriage in the 31-Day Devotionals for Life series. It releases May 6th.

  • Tell us a little bit about yourself

I’m from the suburbs of Philadelphia, but for the past 15 years I’ve lived in Northern Virginia, where I pastor Sterling Park Baptist Church. I have been married to Karen for a couple of decades, and we have 5 kids (ages 8-17). I love sports, so I spend a lot of time coaching my kids’ baseball and softball teams. I’m also an avid reader.

  • When did you first want to write a book?

As someone who loves to read, I’ve always wanted to be able to write a book. I am in awe of (jealous of?) people who can write brilliant fiction and poetry. It’s such an amazing gift to be able to move people and make them feel something with images and stories and carefully chosen words. The Lord didn’t give me those gifts, though, and so I figured that I wasn’t cut out to be an author. But as a pastor, I have had a lot of opportunities to think and to write about the church and the Bible. So even though the books I’ve written aren’t the ones that my 15-year old self would have thought to write, it’s been a great blessing.

  • Have you always enjoyed writing?

To steal a line, I enjoy having written! I find that it takes a lot of effort to write a sentence that is clear and compelling. But the wonderful thing about writing is that you put the work in once, and the book lives on for quite a while. It’s so exciting to hear the occasional report of how the Lord used work I did some years ago in the life of someone who lives on the other side of the world.

  • What book are you reading now?

The Mirror and the Light by Hillary Mantel. It’s the long-awaited third installment in the “Wolf Hall” trilogy. I’m loving it, but am also kind of sad that the series is coming to an end.

  • Do you have an interesting writing quirk?

I’m not sure if it qualifies as interesting or as a quirk . . . but i LOVE ellipses.

  • The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia?

This is probably not a popular opinion, but give me The Chronicles every time!

  • Favorite sport to watch? Favorite sport’s team?

My wife sardonically refers to the Philadelphia Eagles as “our other religion”.

  • Tea or coffee?

I’m suspicious of people who don’t drink coffee.

  • How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Facebook: Sterling Park Baptist Church

Website: You can find my books here

Pre-order Engagement: Preparing for Marriage

Focus: John Frame

Posted on by Kim

John M. Frame (AB, Princeton University; BD, Westminster Theological Seminary; MA and MPhil, Yale University; DD, Belhaven College) holds the J. D. Trimble Chair of Systematic Theology and Philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and is the author of many books, including the four-volume Theology of Lordship series.

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief

Systematic Theology is the culmination and creative synthesis of John Frame’s writing on, teaching about, and studying of the Word of God. This magisterial opus—at once biblical, clear, cogent, readable, accessible, and practical—summarizes the mature thought of one of the most important and original Reformed theologians of the last hundred years. It will enable you to see clearly how the Bible explains God’s great, sweeping plan for mankind.

Salvation Belongs to the Lord: An Introduction to Systematic Theology

Beginning students of theology and church leaders looking for a theological refresher or teaching tool will welcome this remarkably clear introduction to the doctrines of Scripture. In an almost conversational style, Salvation Belongs to the Lord explores all the major biblical truths, explains key terms of systematic theology, and reflects on their implications and connections under the lordship of Christ.

A Theology of Lordship: 4 Volume Set

John Frame’s Theology of Lordship series explores theology as the application of God’s word to our lives in all situations. Frame speaks to the whole of the Christian life: God’s relationship to us, faith, apologetics, theology and philosophy, science and ethics, sexuality, Christ and culture, God’s personal communication to us in his Word, and more. 

A Theology of Lordship includes:

A History of Western Philosophy and Theology

Christians should evaluate philosophy by biblical criteria. This will shed greater light on the developments in the history of philosophy and better prepare us for the intellectual challenges of our time. The fall of Adam brought intellectual as well as moral corruption on the human race, and the effects of the fall can be seen in the work of philosophers, most of whom try to understand the world autonomously—through reasoning apart from God’s revelation. Some philosophers have appealed to God’s revelation, but their work has often been compromised with the wisdom of the world. Revelation should inform reason, and not the other way round. In the past, even Christian theology was corrupted by the movement toward intellectual autonomy, creating the tradition of liberalism, which has unhappily dominated academic theology down to the present day. But there is hope—a new generation of Christian thinkers take God’s Word seriously. Frame’s unique new contribution augments that process.

Apologetics: A Justification of Christian Belief

Renowned theologian John Frame sheds much-needed light on the message and method of genuinely Christian apologetics in this landmark title. He insightfully examines apologetics in terms of proof, defense, and offense and clarifies the relationships of reason, proofs, and evidences to faith, biblical authority, and the lordship of Christ.

Two subjects of particular note are Frame’s fresh look at probability arguments and a stimulating investigation into the problem of evil. 

Some of the most valuable elements of this book are Frame’s extensive use of Scripture and his presentation of specific lines of argument. There is also a model dialogue in the concluding chapter that shows how these lines of argument work in conversation.

This is an extensively redeveloped and expanded version of Frame’s previous work, Apologetics to the Glory of God.

Worship in Spirit and Truth: A Refreshing Study of the Principles and Practice of Biblical Worship

This fresh, practical study of worship throws needed light on questions about worship content, music, atmosphere, structure, freedom, clarity, recent trends, and much more. Study groups, church leaders, and all seeking to enrich their experience of worship will profit from this insightful look at the kind of worship that pleases God.

Contemporary Worship Music: A Biblical Defense

John Frame answers objections to contemporary worship music by noting its biblical strengths and benefits in worship.

Cornelius Van Til: An Analysis of His Thought

The insights of Cornelius Van Til have generated intense discussion among friends and foes alike. Until now nearly everything written about Van Til has come from either uncritical followers or unsympathetic critics.

This volume, marking the one hundredth anniversary of Van Til’s birth, combines deep appreciation with incisive critical analysis of the renowned Westminster apologist’s ideas. John M. Frame offers warm personal reflections on Van Til’s life and a close examination of his thought, including his interaction with prominent figures in the Reformed, evangelical, and secular communities. In terms of its spirit, scope, clarity, and profundity, this volume is must reading for serious students of apologetics and theology.

No Other God: A Response to Open Theism

The theological movement known as open theism is shaking the church today, challenging the Reformed doctrines of God’s sovereignty, foreknowledge, and providence.

In this timely work, John M. Frame clearly describes open theism and evaluates it biblically. He not only answers open theist arguments but goes on to sharpen our understanding of the relationship between God’s eternal plan and the decisions or events of our lives. 

John Frame’s Selected Shorter Writings: In 3 Volumes

Short, pointed essays summarize some of John Frame’s central (and a few peripheral) ideas on theological method, apologetics, and ethics, beginning with Frame’s shortest and clearest presentation of his signature concept of triperspectivalism—the need to read Scripture from various perspectives, especially threefold perspectives that reflect the nature of the Trinity.

Theology in Three Dimensions: A Guide to Triperspectivalism and Its Significance

Because God created all things with coherent unity, everything can be understood from the perspective of everything else. We experience the world in the context of our own bodies, but every day we broaden our understanding through the perspectives of others. Meanwhile, our omniscient God is also omniperspectival. Through his revelation, he allows us a glimpse of his own divine perspective.

What does this mean for us? One valuable dimension of this reality is that theological issues can also be helpfully viewed from multiple perspectives without compromising their unity and truth. In this accessible introduction to his Bible study and theological method, John Frame teaches us to approach doctrine with situational, normative, and existential perspectives modeled on the Trinity.