The Best Periodicals

by Joe Thorn on April 30, 2008

I am looking to sign up for a few more periodicals, but thought I would get some recommendations from my readers. From The Founders Journal to Fast Company there is some great stuff out there for the thoughtful Christian engaged in ministry. So, here’s the question: if you could only get three periodicals (magazines, journals, etc.) regularly delivered to your home, which ones would they be?

About Joe Thorn

I am the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in Saint Charles, IL, and author of Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself. Jen is my wife, and Katherine, Elias, Madeline and Kilian are my kids.

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  • http://www.conqueringthirst.com James Gordon

    Joe,

    I have really enjoyed my subscription to Relevant. They keep very up to date with the most recent bands and cultural stuff. Occasionally a good article by Piper or Driscoll will pop up, but a lot of the writing is more for engagement than encouragement; however, overall I have benefited from the magazine (especially since it is a very cheap subscription).

    For my second pick I would get Faith and Philosophy.

    I would have a hard time deciding between Time and Wired for my third pick.

  • http://jrobertlancaster.wordpress.com Robert

    That’s a good question. At this time I would say:

    1. Touchstone
    2. The Economist
    3. Paste

  • jody

    Discipleship Journal

  • http://www.inlightofthegospel.org James Grant

    Touchstone & First Things

  • http://www.inlightofthegospel.org James Grant

    By the way, I would also subscribe to Mars Hill Audio. That one is a must.

  • Mark

    Joe,
    Which ones do you currently get?

  • http://aubuchon.wordpress.com Bob

    1. Leadership
    2. Discipleship Journal
    3. ?

  • James

    books and culture

  • http://www.provocativechurch.com Bill

    1. Wired
    2. Fast Company
    3. Modern Reformation

  • http://www.cookiesdays.blogspot.com/ David Cooke

    1. Prospect

    2. Economist

    3. Spectator

    4. Sunday times Books and Culture section (available on line)

  • http://www.shkoder.blogspot.com 68guns

    You really need to take a look at “The Briefing” from the UK.

    It is Church of England based, but some very , very good, stimulating articles!

    ….and for a Rest of the World subscription of only £20 for a year – where can you go wrong?!

    http://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/the-Briefing/readmore

    or for online resource ( this month – “Let’s do church”) see…

    http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au/briefing/issues/current/

  • http://www.byfarthersteps.com Tim Etherington

    1. Books and Culture
    2. Christianity Today
    3. (Probably) Wired

  • http://matt-mitchell.blogspot.com/ Matt Mitchell

    The Journal of Biblical Counseling
    The Journal of Biblical Counseling
    The Journal of Biblical Counseling

  • Rob Freire

    Us Weekly
    People
    OK Magazine

  • Rob Freire

    OK, here’s my real list…

    NY Times (available online, but prefer the paper)
    Christianity Today
    The New Yorker

    There are probably better periodicals out there, but these are the ones I read most and would probably limit myself to if I had to choose.

  • http://www.claytonius.com Claytonius

    Assuming I read the news online…

    Paste
    Christian History and Biography
    Books and Culture

  • http://www.stevekmccoy.com Steve McCoy

    Because I know Joe better than his wife, here are my thoughts on most of the above suggestions and a few others. Not trying to pick on anyone. We all have different needs and tastes. My top 3, based on what I think would be best for my best friend, are starred.

    *Fast Company: get it, best in category, well worth the money
    Inc.: new to me, I like it
    Leadership: I find some of it very helpful, some not so much
    Wired: only partially helpful because some is unpractical, but some is really good
    *Christianity Today: I like it quite a bit, helpful for the broader Christian discussion
    *Journal of Biblical Counseling: a gem, everything is good, applicable far beyond counseling
    Modern Reformation: like, I don’t read enough of it, but has shelf life
    Books and Culture: never really read it, shame on me?, I might subscribe
    Paste: “music is the new pornography” – Jimmy Swaggert
    Christian History and Biography: “I tried it, I didn’t inhale, I didn’t like it” – William Jefferson Clinton, good-ish if you are into it
    The Economist: love it, very expensive, great world news source
    Touchstone: it’s ok, but I lost interest in it
    First Things: same as Touchstone
    Discipleship Journal: it can be very helpful for the average Christian, but I don’t find it all that helpful personally anymore
    Relevant: fun-ish, not all that interesting to me personally anymore, sometimes I disagree on how they read the culture
    Sports Illustrated: Joe no understandy the sporty
    The Writer: may want to pick up a writing mag. I’m always reading something on writing.

    Sheesh.

  • http://heathlloyd.blogspot.com Heath Lloyd

    Wall Street Journal

    Free Grace Broadcaster from the folks at Mt Zion

  • http://www.buzzardblog.typepad.com Justin Buzzard

    1. Wired
    2. World
    3. New York Review of Books

  • Jared

    OK so I went to find out some info on The Journal For Biblical Counseling and it sounds as they though they are suspending the print format and are considering going digital. Here’s the link: http://ccef.org/product_display.asp?pl=8

    Maybe I’m looking at the wrong “Journal” Is this the one that you are all referring to?

  • Jared

    I say all that because it looks like I couldn’t subscribe even if I wanted to…. the little. That page that said the print version had been suspended was dated September of 2007

  • Chad Flinn

    top three
    1) Paste
    2) Relevant
    3) Macleans (sorry but I am canadian)

  • http://www.kaleo.ws Erick C.

    1. Seed
    2. Wired
    3. The Economist

    BTW: Not a periodical but listening to This American Life (NPR Podcast) is very helpful.

  • http://parkchurchdenver.org Brian Brown

    1) Good Magazine

    2) The Economist

    3) Credenda and Agenda

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  • http://rvanneste.blogspot.com/ Ray Van Neste

    Touchstone magazine is really good.

  • http://www.theservantsbookstore.com Shelley

    1. WORLD
    2. WORLD
    3. WORLD

    The only magazine I subscribe to. The only one I have subscribed to (and usually read cover to cover) for the last ten years.

  • Phil Taylor

    The Briefing
    Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
    Journal of Biblical Counseling
    Reformed Baptist Theological Review
    HOW (magazine about design)
    Journal of biblical manhood and womanhood
    IEEE Software
    Communications of the ACM
    <>

  • http://toddpruitt.blogspot.com Todd Pruitt

    Touchstone, First Things, Modern Reformation

    honorable metion:
    Table Talk
    The Economist
    Books and Culture
    The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
    By Faith

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