Recent Reads: Unholy Night

This week I offer you just one review of Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith.  

What the book's about: This book is a retelling of the Christmas story, featuring the wise men as it's central characters.

Why I read this book: Oddly enough, I read this book for research I'm doing for a master's project on Jesus. As part of this project, I'm studying what influences the Christology of teenagers. To better understand this, I read a variety of books about Jesus, some non-fiction, as well as some fiction; Some written by Bible scholars, others not.  

Thumbs up or thumbs down? Two thumbs up. I loved this book. Grahame-Smith is someone who does his homework and as a result, produces a well-researched finished product. Unholy Night is also just plain well-written. It's fast-paced and highly engaging. As a Christian, even though this book is irreverent in many ways, I found that reading the Christmas story from a fresh perspective breathed new life and imagination into a story that's critical to our faith. I also loved how Grahame-Smith incorporated scripture (usually not from the Gospels) into the start of every section.

Who I'd recommend this book for: Anyone who enjoys reading, regardless of your religion. The book is honestly that good.

Jen Bradbury on Youth Ministry

Jen serves as the Minister of Youth and Family at Atonement Lutheran Church in Barrington, Illinois. A veteran youth worker, Jen holds an MA in Youth Ministry Leadership from Huntington University. Jen is the author of The Jesus Gap: What Teens Actually Believe about Jesus (The Youth Cartel), The Real Jesus (The Youth Cartel), Unleashing the Hidden Potential of Your Student Leaders (Abingdon), and A Mission That Matters (Abingdon). Her writing has also appeared in YouthWorker Journal, Immerse, and The Christian Century. Jen is also the Assistant Director of Arbor Research Group where she has led many national studies. When not doing ministry or research, she and her husband, Doug, and daughter, Hope, can be found traveling and enjoying life together.

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Jen's Books

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A Mission That Matters: How To Do Short-Term Missions Without Long-Term Harm

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Unleashing the Hidden Potential of your Student Leaders

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The Real Jesus

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The Jesus Gap

What Teens Actually Believe About Jesus

Based on National Research

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