It's always fun to do a little round-up of the year, keeps me aware of what I've given my time to which, as Annie Dillard says, is an indication of how I'm spending my life - how we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. True, and also, scary.
2024 was a year of variety. From overseas trips to months of incapacitation and back surgery. In January I discovered the endorphin joy of sea swimming - as long as it's accompanied by a sauna, I had the privilege of speaking at the newday youth festival and I completed 31 days of 5k a day which, oddly, didn't make my back injury any better...
This year I also watched, read and enjoyed some really interesting things, many of which have lived in my head for quite a while after. Here's a snapshot of some of the things that have shaped me this year. I've already published my articles, clips and memes here, and my facts and quotes here. Below is a round up of all other media, books, film, TV shows, podcasts and more...
Let me know what you discovered in 2024.
📖 Books. 📖
I read more books this year than any other year before which given that I'm a slow reader, and have the attention span of gnat, feels like a genuine achievement. Partly this was due to reading some small books(!), and partly it was due to my back injury.
There's so many I'd love to highlight, here's just a few...
Firstly a great little booklet/essay on the importance and power of initiative, written in 1899 and given to all US military recruits. I read it with Riley and again with our dads group, and again with a lad I'm mentoring. The essay "A Message To Garcia" takes just 15 minutes to read but will give you a great phrase to encourage proactivity in your home 'do me a favour, take a message to Garcia would you?' Seriously, read it with your kids - particularly your sons.
Carole Hooven's book 'Testosterone' was really interesting (see quotes from it here) and Jonathan Heidt's book 'The Anxious Generation' is really important and it's been great to see it gaining influence among policy makers too. I was inspired by two stories of women who encountered Christ out of a world of drug abuse, psychedelics and new age spirituality. Ashley Lande's 'The Thing That Would Make Everything Ok Forever' and Sister Anastasius' 'You Are Mine'. I was most moved by Charlie Cleverley's commentary on Song of Songs and this year I continued to make my way through some classics, really enjoying Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It's really good and quite moving. The popular iconography about the Halloween monster doesn't do justice to the heart of the book. Speaking of iconography, Timothy Ware's 'History of the Orthodox Church' was a really helpful read, filling in some major gaps in my understanding and broadening my church family.
Top 5 books
Inspiring and right about many things Rod Dreher diagnoses the ills of our age and opens our hearts to consider the healing quality of wonder. His chapter on aliens and AI were eye-opening and his insights into totalitarianism and the west were chilling.
I wrote a full list of quotes from much of the book here. A quote, however, that sums up much of the appeal of the book is this one:
The universe and everything in it is sacramental - it is a symbol of a spiritual reality that both points to transcendent reality and participates in it.
2. How to See Life, A Guide in 3-2-1 - Glen Scrivener
When it comes to communicating the essence of Christianity and its appeal to people unfamiliar with its ideas this is one of the most helpful, easy to read, original and creative books I've read in a long long time.
Curious about Christianity? Trying to make sense of life? This short book is well worth your time.
Such an incredible book. Written as a series of diary entries across a lifetime the novel follows the life of a character during the 20th century. Boyd is a genius but all the same, some people's talent and imagination seems so utterly beyond what I could ever conceive of creating myself, it's incredible.
4. Feminism Against Progress - Mary Harrington
I couldn't keep to just mentioning my top 3. This book is amazing. It makes a case for the impact and importance of sex differences between men and women and, as with 'The case Against the Sexual Revolution' points out how much of the 'progress' focused feminism denies essential differences between men and women and tragically is peddling to women a less satisfying vision of what it means to live well.
5. Christianity's Dangerous Idea - Alister McGrath
This book is ambitious and brilliant. McGrath sketches a history of Protestantism from the late medieval period to present day. It's easy to read, generous and charitable in its all sides of the debates and issues but also really inspiring. Two surprises to me were that (1) it's truer to speak of reformations (plural) than The Reformation (singular) since there was always, from the very beginning of the Protestant project, multiple visions for reform. Alongside this I'd never realised that it's truer to speak of (2) pentecostalisms (plural) than singular since there were several examples of spiritual renewal similar to what happened at Azusa street in 1901.
My complete list of books read (and listened to) this year is below:
Fiction
- Empire - Conn Iggulden
- Any Human Heart - William Boyd
- The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
- Sense & Sensibility - Jane Austin
- Munich Wolf - Rory Clements
- The Idiot - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
- Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
- Return to Roar - Jenny McLachlan (with Toby)
- The Battle For Roar - Jenny McLachlan (with Toby)
- Nero - Conn Iggulden
Non-Fiction
- A Brief Theology of Periods - Rachel Jones (I interviewed her about it here)
- Dominion and Dynasty - Stephen Dempster
- Three or More, Grove Booklets - Andrew Bunt
- 3-2-1 - Glen Scrivener
- The Truth About Lies - Mack Stiles
- Visible Grace - Caleb Butcher
- The Making of Biblical Womanhood - Beth Allison Barr
- Politics On the Edge - Rory Stewart
- Like or Follow - Mike ??
- Feminism Against Progress - Mary Harrington
- 'Tis Mercy All - Natalie Williams
- The Jesus Prayer - Timothy Ware
- On the Acquisition of the Spirit - St Seraphim of Sarov
- The Orthodox Church - Timothy Ware
- You Are Mine - Sister Anastasia
- A Brief History of Thought - Luc Ferry
- One - Clive Bowsher
- Thank God It's Monday - Mark Greene (I interviewed him about it here)
- Christianity's Dangerous Idea - Alister McGrath
- Dethroning Race - Ryan Saville
- Living In Wonder - Rod Dreher
- Practising the Way - John Mark Comer
- Metamorphosis - Matt Hatch (I interviewed him about it here)
- The Thing That would Make Everything Ok Forever - Ashley Lande
- If You Want to Change the World (start by making your bed) - William McRaven
Bible commentaries
- The Message of Hosea - Derek Kidner
- Song of Songs - Charlie Cleverley
Audible- Testosterone - Carole Hooven
- Sure I'll Join Your Cult - Maria Bamford
- 4000 Weeks - Oliver Burkemann
- Bad Therapy - Abigail Shrier
- The Anxious Generation - Jonathan Heidt
- Everything Sad Is Untrue - Daniel Nayeri
- Billy No Mates - Max Dickens
- The Parasitic Mind - Gad Saad
- Jesus of Nazareth - Joseph Ratzinger
- Fully Alive - Elizabeth Oldfield
On the above audible list. The book 'Billy No Mates' is a must. It's a book about male friendship and loneliness; it's poignant and hilarious in equal measure.
Insights from it include: - Prior to freud male friendship was much more physically intimate (and non-sexualised) than it is now.
- Feelings of loneliness operate like hunger reminding us of our need for contact and intimacy with others.
- There are now businesses that offer services such as 'rent a friend' and 'rent a hug'. Their services are used almost exclusively by men.
"The best way to have a friend, is to be one." Ralph Waldo Emerson
🍿 Films 🍿
Audible
- Testosterone - Carole Hooven
- Sure I'll Join Your Cult - Maria Bamford
- 4000 Weeks - Oliver Burkemann
- Bad Therapy - Abigail Shrier
- The Anxious Generation - Jonathan Heidt
- Everything Sad Is Untrue - Daniel Nayeri
- Billy No Mates - Max Dickens
- The Parasitic Mind - Gad Saad
- Jesus of Nazareth - Joseph Ratzinger
- Fully Alive - Elizabeth Oldfield
On the above audible list. The book 'Billy No Mates' is a must. It's a book about male friendship and loneliness; it's poignant and hilarious in equal measure.
- Prior to freud male friendship was much more physically intimate (and non-sexualised) than it is now.
- Feelings of loneliness operate like hunger reminding us of our need for contact and intimacy with others.
- There are now businesses that offer services such as 'rent a friend' and 'rent a hug'. Their services are used almost exclusively by men.
"The best way to have a friend, is to be one."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
We watched some great movies this year.
Some highlights this year include King Richard, Ford V Ferrari, The Beautiful Game, Coda, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Ex Machina and Wicked Little Letters. All of them are superb and worth watching. It was also the year that Gladiator II came out, and honestly I was just relieved it wasn't terrible. My reflections on the world of Gladiator, The Romans and why they seem to have such an abiding appeal can be read here. My winners for favourite films I've seen this year however are: 
1. Leaving the World Behind
I loved this film. The soundtrack, cinematography, acting and themes combined to create an eerie and constantly-on-edge experience.
It's charming and disturbing and keeps you guessing as to what's really going on and whether or not anyone can be trusted throughout. For me it's what Civil War should have been. That film was grotesque and (in my opinion) dangerous considering the unsettling times we're in, this one was intriguing and scary.
2. The Great Debaters
Follows the true story of Melvin Tolston who inspired students at his school to form a debating club that eventually takes them to Harvard. Shows the horrors of the racism in the US during the 30s as well as the incredible spirit of brave men and women who refused to be subdued by it.
3. Guardians of the Galaxy 3
Heart warming, funny and held my attention throughout. A great franchise within the Marvel universe.
2. The Great Debaters
📺 TV Shows 📺
Shogun
I read the book over ten years ago, which meant I'd forgotten almost everything that happened making every episode a nice surprise! An incredible show. Beautiful, slow moving and character driven, it made ancient Japanese culture look incredible and also brutal. The glassy-eyed love of all things Japanese culture and custom, evident in the show and in parts of our media reveals a longing in us for a world of meaning, a world where we believed that how we lived and who we are truly matters.
Masters of the Air
I know I'm late to the party on this, but - wow! This is amazing, and harrowing, and makes me forever grateful both for the heroism of the young men of 1940s Britain and also, that I haven't had to go to war!
Taskmaster
This year we started from series 1 on netflix and began working out way through it episode by episode. I haven't laughed this much whilst watching TV for a long time. Love it and great to watch together to unwind.
Documentary
Zelensky on iplayer. A fascinating insight into the stranger than fiction rise to power of the Ukrainian president, and an alarming insight into the Hitler-like proclivities of Putin.
🖥️ Youtube 🖥️
What an absolute gem of a channel this one is: The Reformed Mythologist by Nate Morgan Locke. Nate offers insights and observations about films and cultural moments, making sense of them through a Christian lense. I spent many a morning eating my breakfast whilst watching one of his videos.
Some of my favourite video essays include:
Oh and this is amusing. Painful, sadly true and funny When Peppa Pig Met the Christians
🎵 Podcasts 🎵
1. The Sacred
Fascinating conversations with people from really different backgrounds and worldviews to me. Elizabeth talks to people and draws out their core values and stories in a really gracious way. It's an invitation to listen to people you feel a bit 'naughty' enteraaining.
What I've found most impactful is the way she allows people to say and state things that she disagrees with, without then feeling the need to argue with them. Letting people 'be' is a difficult thing to do when you think that they're 'wrong'.
2. Bible Thinker
I spent almost 30 hours with this podcast working my way through Mike Winger's well researched series 'Women in Ministry'. It was good and, like I said, really well studied and fairly comprehensive.
I say 'almost' 30 hrs since I hit a bit of a wall after 21 hours. I also realised that regularly listening to 'back and forth' arguments on contentious (but also sensitive) issues was making me more argumentative (strange that!).
Like watching people scrap, I ended up just wanting to fight and to go 'toe to toe' with people who disagree with me. I learnt this year that that's not a good posture or a fruitful way forward. The truth is that whilst this issue is important, it's hardly of central importance which was the kind of importance I was giving it.
You might not be like me however, in which case, knock yourself out and give it a listen - it's well worth your time!
🎙️ Personal Podcast Episode 🎙️
This year I reached a milestone with the Life and Leadership podcast, publishing my 100th conversation.
For four years I've had the privilege of pursuing my fascinations and curiosities with some amazing people, learning from them and being inspired by them. My highlights this year include talking to Phil Fellows about the spiritual unity of the church, discussing design with Sam Arnold and interviewing Nancy Pearcey about her book The Toxic War on Masculinity (my 'book of the year' last year).
This year I reached a milestone with the Life and Leadership podcast, publishing my 100th conversation.
For four years I've had the privilege of pursuing my fascinations and curiosities with some amazing people, learning from them and being inspired by them. My highlights this year include talking to Phil Fellows about the spiritual unity of the church, discussing design with Sam Arnold and interviewing Nancy Pearcey about her book The Toxic War on Masculinity (my 'book of the year' last year).
🗞️ Personal Blog Posts 🗞️
I find that writing helps me formulate my thoughts and make sense of the world around me, and so I set a goal of writing more regularly. This year I wrote 35 blogs compared to 12 the year before and incredibly my little blog racked up 15, 000 views - although a lot of them were from Hong Kong which makes me suspect bots might be behind it... My top 4 most read were:
But probably the most important blog (for me) that helped me straighten out my thinking was this one: On Symbolism: what we do says something. It reflects a big part of how my thinking has developed/grown this year as I've come to appreciate how meaning and truth are contained within the impression that the 'things' in the world around us make on us.
My word of the year reflects this too...
💡 Word of the year 💡
Sacramental
Things that offer windows into God's goodness (my definition)
The world around us mediates and ministers to us the goodness and grace of God. This isn't the same thing as saying these things are 'sacraments' but it is to recognise the importance and value of receiving God's world as though he inhabits it. It's to re-enchant the world and live with an eye for wonder.
______________
😂 Jokes 😂
My favourite jokes of the year or tell me you're a dad without telling me you're a dad:
I used to live hand to mouth, but not any more. You know what changed my life? Cutlery
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Thanks for teaching me the meaning of the word 'plethora' it means a lot.
--
I got hit on the head by a can of Fanta the other day, luckily it's a soft drink.
_______________
🤩 Talent of the year 🤩
If you haven't seen this before prepare to be amazed. Lars Anderson's archery blows the mind.
_______________
✝️ Sermon of the Year ✝️
During a period of sick leave due to my back injury this message by Tim Keller was a balm and a comfort, drawing me onto Jesus again. So thankful for his ministry.
________________
🌸 Poem of the year 🌸
This call to encounter with Christ by John Donne blessed me this year, it's moving and direct expressing what I long for as a worshipper of Christ:
Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp'd town to another due,
Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end;
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov'd fain,
But am betroth'd unto your enemy;
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.
Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp'd town to another due,
Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end;
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov'd fain,
But am betroth'd unto your enemy;
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.