The following books, articles, videos, and audio recordings were selected as helpful resources as we fast and pray for seven important sectors of society, asking God to bring cultural revolution to America.

Arts & Entertainment

ARTICLE (4 pages): “Why should we care about the arts?” by Richard B. Hays
Christians should be attentive to the ways in which the character of our community is shaped by the imaginative spaces we inhabit, says the dean of Duke Divinity School.

BOOK (176 pages): Refractions by Makoto Fujimura
A collection of essays, thoughts, and prayers from award-winning artist Makoto Fujimura, Refractions brings people of all backgrounds together in conversation and meditation on culture, art, and humanity.

VIDEO (10:50): FolkPsalm
Charles Pettee and FolkPsalm perform psalms and other Old Testament Scripture set to folk and bluegrass music. In this video, Pettee talks about his spiritual journey and the creative process of presenting old texts in a new way.

BOOK (568 pages): How to Succeed in Hollywood (Without Losing Your Soul) by Ted Baehr
This practical guide shows Christian screenwriters, actors, producers, directors, and more how they can use their faith to change the culture of Hollywood and mass media entertainment by using their God-given talents to make significant creative contributions to the entertainment world.

BOOK (229 pages): Contemporary Art and the Church edited by W. David O. Taylor and Taylor Worley
In spite of the church being the primary patron of the arts for nearly eighteen hundred years artists for the past two centuries have largely been estranged from the church.  In particular the church and the contemporary art world often find themselves in an uneasy relationship in which misunderstanding and mistrust abound. On one hand, the leaders of local congregations, seminaries, and other Christian ministries often don't know what to make of works by contemporary artists. On the other artists regard religion as irrelevant to their work.  This book acts as a conversation between these two worlds.

BOOK (192 pages): God in the Gallery by Daniel Siedell
A critic and curator Seidell offers a framework for understanding and interpreting art from a theological framework and argues that art is not in conflict with faith but rather is in conversation with it.

Business

BOOK (96 pages): Business for the Glory of God by Wayne Grudem
This biblically-based book is a thoughtful guide to imitating God during interactions with customers, coworkers, employees, and other businesses. See how your business, and your life in business, can be dedicated to God's glory.

BOOK (256 pages) Business As Calling by Michael Novak
This book explains the meaning of work as a vocation - that it should be more than just a job, it should be a calling.  Novak argues that business is a profession worthy of a person's highest ideals and aspirations, fraught with moral possibilities both of great good and of great evil. He takes on agonizing problems, such as downsizing, the tradeoffs that must sometimes be faced between profits and human rights, and the pitfalls of philanthropy as well as examines the daily questions of how an honest day's work contributes to the good of many people, both close at hand and far away.

BOOK (235 pages): Making the Grass Greener on Your Side by Ken Melrose
The book tells the real-life story of how one company adopted and implemented a model of "servant-leadership" in his organization. He tells how, by working for and serving the rest of the organization, he cultivated an environment for individual growth, creating a win-win situation for the company and its employees.

BOOK (207 pages): Redeeming Capitalism by Kenneth J. Barnes
In this book Barnes explores the history and workings of this economic system, and unpacks biblical-theological teachings on work and wealth. The book pushes the reader to consider a more just and flourishing capitalism for the good of all.

BOOK (290 pages): Redeeming Law: Christian Calling and the Legal Profession by Michael P. Schutt
The finest work to date on the integration of a Christian worldview and the legal profession. Schutt is a former lawyer and current legal scholar who has devoted himself to addressing the overlap between law and faith. This is vocational integration of the highest caliber and essential reading for Christians pursuing law school and various legal professions.

AUDIO (58:00): Faith and Work in Finance
Bob Doll is Chief Equity Strategist and Senior Portfolio Manager at Nuveen Asset Management. Christian Union hosted a salon in New York City in 2017, at which Doll discussed the intersection of Christian faith and finance. He shares observations about careers and attitudes of those in finance, with a focus on money, and makes further observations about capitalism.

AUDIO (1:26:35): Panel Discussion: Law
This panel discussion about the confluence of faith and law was recorded at the Christian Union Nexus Conference 2016. Nexus is an annual conference that equips students and professionals to seek God and to live out their faith and change culture. The panelists were Cristina Martinez Squires, Third Year Law Student at Southern Methodist University, Michael P. Schutt, Director of CLS Law Student Ministries and of the Institute for Christian Legal Studies (ICLS), and Lori Windham, Senior Counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

AUDIO (1:21:22): Panel Discussion: Science And Engineering
This vocational panel discussion was recorded at the Christian Union Nexus Conference 2016. Nexus is an annual conference that equips students and professionals to seek God and to live out their faith and change culture. The panelists were Mr. John Lin, Design Engineering Manager at ILC Dover in the field of Aerospace Engineering, Ms. Lauren Casper, Project Engineer with Turner Construction, Dr. Jim Williams, Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Education

BOOK (180 pages) The Lost Tools of Learning by Dorothy Sayers
Sayers observed that although we often succeed in teaching our pupil’s subjects, we fail in teaching them how to think - that they learn everything but the art of thinking. She recognized that a culture’s disinterest in learning had profound implications. In this short book (often combined with another short book, The Mind of the Maker) Sayers argues for a return to developing a “passionate intellect” in ourselves and our children.

AUDIO (1:03:08): The Challenge & Opportunity of Gene Editing: Scientific and Ethical Considerations
Christian Union New York's February 2017 Forum speaker was Stanford University Medical School professor, Dr. William Hurlbut. Dr. Hurlbut addressed what MIT Tech Review calls the "biggest biotech discovery of the century," the new gene editing technique CRISPR/Cas9. This gene editing breakthrough provides dramatic new powers to manipulate genetics at every level of life—and raises numerous difficult ethical questions when applied to direct interventions in human life.

ARTICLE (33 pages): “I Believe in Nature: An Exploration of Naturalism and the Biblical Worldview” by Kirsten Birkett
Birkett challenges the widely held belief that natural forces and laws are the only means by which human existence and the universe itself can be understood. Appealing to the Bible’s own response to such notions, Birkett shows the limitations of materialistic constructions and formulates an integrated framework of faith and science in its place.

BOOK (384 pages): Redeeming Science: A God-Centered Approach by Vern Poythress
This book attempts to kindle our appreciation for science as it ought to be - science that could serve as a path for praising God and serving fellow human beings. Through examining the wonderfully complex and immutable laws of nature, author Vern Poythress explains, we ought to recognize the wisdom, care, and beauty of God.

BOOK (208 pages): Redeeming Mathematics: A God-Centered Approach by Vern Poythress
What does God have to do with mathematics? Everything. In this book, Vern Poythress argues that the harmony of abstract mathematical truths, the physical world of things, and the personal world of our thinking depends on the existence of the Christian God.

BOOK (352 pages): Redeeming Sociology: A God-Centered Approach by Vern Poythress
In their pursuit of social welfare, sociologists and everyday citizens alike have adopted a worldview that fails to account for both the nature of God and the depravity of humankind. Ignoring God and sin has resulted in misguided analyses and ineffective solutions to societal issues. The time has come to rethink the study of sociology as those faulty assumptions have clearly affected the discipline as a whole.

Family

AUDIO (1:15:33): Responding to the Transgender Moment
This seminar by Ryan T. Anderson, Ph.D., was recorded at the Christian Union Nexus Conference 2018. Nexus is an annual conference that equips students and professionals to seek God and to live out their faith and change culture. Anderson, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, and the founder and editor of Public Discourse, the online journal of the Witherspoon Institute of Princeton, New Jersey.

AUDIO (1:23:30): Understanding and Honoring Marriage in a Hook Up Culture
This seminar by Sherif Girgis, research scholar at the Witherspoon Institute and co-author of the book What Is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense was recorded at the Christian Union Nexus Conference 2017. Nexus is an annual conference that equips students and professionals to seek God and to live out their faith and change culture.

AUDIO (1:29:47): The Meaning of Marriage
This talk was given by Ryan T. Anderson at the Christian Union Conference 2014. Mr. Anderson argues that marriage is based on the truth that men and women are complementary, the biological fact that reproduction depends on a man and a woman, and the reality that children need a mother and a father.

VIDEO (1:31:52): It is not Good for the Man to be Alone by Anthony Esolen
In this lecture from the Love and Fidelity Network’s 2016 Conference: Sexuality, Integrity, and the University, Dr. Esolen, professor at Providence College in Rhode Island, offers thoughtful perspective on God’s design for male/female relationships, in contrast with the modern ideas so popular today.

ARTICLE (34 pages): “Sexuality” by Christopher Ash
So often in discussions about sex, we move immediately into issues of practical boundaries and moral commands. In this helpful article, a respected Christian scholar, lays a foundation for talking about sex from a Biblical perspective. Ash considers why God created sex, for what reason it’s meant only for marriage and (only) then moves into issues of these principles’ application in the life of a believer.

ARTICLE (10 pages): “Making All Things New: Restoring Pure Joy to the Sexually Broken” by David Powlison
Assuming that many, if not most, believers have experienced some sort of damage in the area of sexuality, one of the Church’s leading Biblical counselors offers hope for the road ahead. Addressing sexual hurt that’s both been perpetrated upon us and things we’ve willingly embraced, Powlison demonstrates how the Gospel can cleanse us from any and all of the stains and lingering effects of sexual brokenness.

E-BOOK (30 pages): Sexual Detox: A Guide for the Single Guy by Tim Challies
An honest consideration of the complexities and challenges of following Christ as a single man in our time. Challies doesn’t hold any punches in this practical guide to facing the temptations of the dating world, online pornography and lust. Challies’ advice is straightforward and yet offers hope that is firmly grounded in the Gospel.

BOOK (152 pages): What Is Marriage?: Man and Woman: A Defense by Sherif Girgis, Ryan T. Anderson, and Robert P. George
Until recently, no society had questioned whether marriage would be anything other than a male-female union. What Is Marriage? identifies and defends the reasons for this historic consensus and shows why redefining civil marriage is unnecessary, unreasonable, and contrary to the common good. What Is Marriage? answers common objections: that the historic view of marriage is rooted in bigotry; that it is callous to people’s needs; or that it can’t show the harm of recognizing same-sex couplings.

BOOK (352 pages):  The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller
This book shows everyone—Christians, skeptics, singles, longtime married couples, and those about to be engaged—the vision of what marriage should be according to the Bible. Modern culture would have you believe many false assumptions about marriage and romance. Keller, with insights from his wife Kathy, shows marriage to be a glorious relationship that is also misunderstood and mysterious, and offers instruction on how to have a successful marriage.

BOOK (272 pages): Real Marriage by Mark Driscoll
In Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, and Life Together, Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife, Grace, share how they have struggled and how they have found healing through the power of the only reliable source: the Bible. They believe friendship is fundamental to marriage but not easy to maintain. So they offer practical advice on how to make your spouse your best friend – and keep it that way.

Government

ARTICLE (2 pages): The Role of Government--and Christian Citizens by John Stonestreet
John Stonestreet, president of The Chuck Colson Center and BreakPoint Radio Co-Host, writes a succinct and salient article related to the questions many American Christians ask today. What is the role of the government and how should Christians live today and interact with their governing officials?

AUDIO (1:04:26): Christian Leadership in Government and Politics
Mark Tooley, President of the Institute on Religion and Democracy and editor of IRD's foreign policy and national security journal, Providence gave this seminar at the Christian Union Nexus Conference 2017. Nexus is an annual conference that equips students and professionals to seek God and to live out their faith and change culture.

AUDIO (1:31:41): Vocational Panel on Government
This panel discussion was recorded at the Christian Union Conference, 2014. The panelists were Fernando Cabrera, New York City Councilman and Senior Pastor of New Life Outreach International in the Bronx, Marlise Streitmatter, who served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and previously worked at The World Bank and the U.S. Department of Defense, and Scott Turner, businessman, motivational speaker and former Texas state representative.

BOOK (625 pages): Politics According to the Bible by Wayne Grudem
This is a massive work that comes as a great blessing to the Church in the 21st century. Grudem leaves few topics out of his broad-ranging discussion of how Biblical truth informs the political process and issues of our time. The text is best used as a reference and can be consulted on a case-by-case basis as questions arise.

Media

BOOK (192 pages): Communicating for Life: Christian Stewardship in Community and Media by Quentin Schultze
This book offers a holistic Christian view of communication, showing the vast array of implications for using this gift to responsibly work toward peace and justice.

AUDIO (1:15:45): Thought Leadership in Media
This talk by Alissa Wilkinson, staff writer and critic at Vox.com, and associate professor of English and humanities at The King's College in New York City, was recorded at the Christian Union Nexus Conference 2017. Nexus is an annual conference that equips students and professionals to seek God and to live out their faith and change culture.

AUDIO (1:20:14): Media And Journalism
This vocational panel was recorded at the Christian Union Nexus Conference 2016. Nexus is an annual conference that equips students and professionals to seek God and to live out their faith and change culture. The panelists were Lela Gilbert, author or co-author of more than sixty books, Christina Crook, author of The Joy of Missing Out: Finding Balance in a Wired World, and Don Gates, founder of The Gates Group, a literary agency working with pastors and ministry leaders across the country on a variety of literary and ministry endeavors.

BOOK (264 pages): Faith in the Spotlight by Megan Alexander
Megan Alexander is a national correspondent for Inside Edition and a special correspondent for Thursday Night Football on CBS. In Faith in the Spotlight she shares her practical advice for achieving excellence in career, faith, and family and gives us an honest look at thriving in a secular industry as a believer.

The Church

AUDIO (56:56): Seeking God
Drawing near to God takes effort, and the Church is stronger when it intentionally seeks God. In this seminar from the Christian Union Nexus Conference 2016, Matt Bennett, Founder and CEO of Christian Union, lays out the need to proactively seek God and ways to do this. Nexus is an annual conference that equips students and professionals to seek God and to live out their faith and change culture.

AUDIO (1:27:58): The History of Revival
Dr. Garth Rosell spoke at the Christian Union Conference, 2014, about America’s historical legacy of spiritual awakenings. Dr. Garth M. Rosell is professor of Church History at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

AUDIO (50:27): George Otis on Revival
In this talk from the Christian Union Cities Conference, June 2018, in New York City, George Otis, Jr. gives an overview of the history of revivals in the United States. Mr. Otis is the founder and president of The Sentinel Group, a U.S.-based Christian research, media, and training agency dedicated to helping revival-hungry communities discover the pathway to societal transformation.

ARTICLE (3 pages): “Prayer: Rebelling Against the Status Quo” by David Wells
In this brief essay, a leading evangelical theologian argues–as the title suggests–that prayer is the primary means by which we state our disapproval and dissatisfaction with the current state of the world. Wells uses Christ’s parable of the persistent widow to illustrate this crucial and oftentimes ignored aspect of prayer.

BOOK (304 pages): Church in Babylon: Heeding the Call to Be a Light in the Darkness by Erwin Lutzer
How do we live faithfully in a country becoming more and more hostile to our faith in Christ?
Like the Israelites in Babylon, we must find a way to maintain our faith in the midst of a pagan culture. In this book, Dr. Lutzer addresses the questions of “How did we get here?” and “How do we prepare for the dark and difficult days ahead?”

BOOK (400 pages): Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City by Tim Keller
Today many pastors are struggling to adapt to a post-Christian culture without abandoning orthodox theology. How do we communicate the concepts of grace and substitutionary atonement in our globalized culture and context? In this book, Keller offers challenging insights and provocative questions based on over twenty years of ministry in New York City.

BOOK (220 pages): The Wake-Up Call by John Mulinde
Many of us desire to break through the darkness - to see revival and an awakening of God in our nation - but we can't even break through the system that is holding us captive. This makes it vital for us to surrender ourselves fully to God, to be set apart for him, and to allow him to work in us so that we can rise up and be carriers of revival in our nations. This is the wake-up call that is going all across the earth in this day and time.