The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

Retro Album of the week 14 - Hopes and fears


Hopes and Fears is one of few albums that our whole family would appreciate. The debut studio album of Keane, it came out in 2004 and was the second best-selling British album of that year and was still popular the following year, becoming the 11th best selling album of the 2000s and the 9th biggest-selling album of the 21st century (in 2011). Some five singles were taken from the album ("Somewhere Only We Know"; "Everybody's Changing"; "Bedshaped"; "This Is the Last Time" and "Bend and Break") and it is these that we have listened to rather than the album itself to be truthful, although the whole thing is not without merit. It came along with Coldplay and Snow Patrol at a time when white guitar bands were knowing something of a renaissance (although uniquely Keane have no guitarist). The band were unable to keep up their initial success but have produced good material since.

No comments: