Gratifying reviews of Culture Making continue to appear, and two recent ones are especially great to see. Karl Johnson, who directs the marvelous program at Chesterton House in Ithaca, New York, has posted an in-depth review, mostly positive but also including some judicious expansion on themes I treated too scantily in the book. Karl writes,

Culture Making is an exceptional book. It is a manifesto of sorts, challenging Christians to live differently in the 21st century than we have in the 20th. It is a clarion call to stop whining, to stop uncritically imitating and consuming, and above all to stop pretending that we are not part of the problems we perceive in “the Culture.” What would it take, he asks, for Christians to be known primarily as creators—“people who dare to think and do something that has never been thought or done before, something that makes the world more welcoming and thrilling and beautiful?” Great question! My hope and prayer is that this book might accomplish for a generation of young Christians what Walsh and Middleton’s Transforming Vision accomplished a quarter of a century ago—inspiring and motivating them to lead more faithful and culturally meaningful lives.

But even more unique and therefore valuable is today’s review of Culture Making by Guinness in Comment magazine from Cardus, who is (to judge by the accompanying photographs) a black Labrador of uncommon intelligence.

For all his enthusiasm, though, Guinness does make the strong case that the book falls short in one crucial respect:

Food is not just an adequate analogy for culture making; in fact, food is the highest form of culture making. If I were to ask you how you contributed to making culture, what response could possibly make me happier than if you said, “I prepare food”?

Fair enough. Many thanks to Karl and to Guinness (and whoever among his human pets helped to transcribe his review). Keep cultivating and creating!