Over the last 15 years I've shared reviews or ratings of more than 1,000 recently published books I've read. Each year, the best of the best are featured on a top 10 books of the year list. Five years ago this month, I wrote Top 12 Authors: 2009-2019 sharing the dozen authors who had appeared on more than one top 10 list. This group has since grown to 16. The links for each year mentioned take you to that year's top 10 list. Best of the Best Only five of the top 16 authors have Read More …
Brian McLaren
Great New Books – July 2022 (#2006)
The best new books I’ve read in the last month are (5+) Scapegoats: The Gospel through the Eyes of Victims by Jennifer Garcia Bashaw (Fortress Press, 2022)(4.5) Do I Stay Christian? A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned by Brian D. McLaren (St. Martin's Press, 2022)(4.5) It's Not You, It's Everything by Eric Minton (Broadleaf Books, 2022)(4.5)The Trayvon Generation by Elizabeth Alexander (Grand Central Publishing, 2022)(4.0) Practicing the Kingdom: Essays Read More …
Top 10 Books of 2021 (#1964)
Welcome to the 12th annual So What Faith list of the top ten books of the year (books are listed in alphabetical order by author’s last name): Brian Alexander. The Hospital: Life, Death, and Dollars in a Small American Town.Diana Butler Bass. Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way and Presence.Dustin Benac & Erin Weber-Johnson (editors). Crisis & Care: Meditations on Faith and Philanthropy.Sarah Damaske. The Tolls of Uncertainty: How Privilege and Read More …
5 Star Books Published in 2021 (#1963)
Welcome to the third annual edition of all books published in the current year that received a rating of 5 or 5+ (on a scale of 1-5) from So What Faith. This year, 15% of all books rated received this honor. After Jesus Before Christianity: A Historical Exploration of the First Two Centuries of Jesus Movements by Erin Vearncombe, Brandon Scott, and Hal Taussig for the Westar Christianity Seminar (HarperOne, 2021)At the Blue Hole: Elegy for a Church on the Edge by Jack R. Reese (William Read More …
10 Most Liked Tweets in Last 10 Years (#1957)
My ten most liked tweets of the last ten years are So What? I've tweeted nearly 18,000 times in the 12 years and one month since joining Twitter. Given that volume, it is interesting to see that my top ten most liked tweets are comprised of quotes from a rather small group of seven people Barbara Brown Taylor - 2 tweets (2 of the top 3!)Brian McLaren - 2 tweetsGreg Smith - 2 tweetsRozella Haydee WhiteDiana Butler BassWilliam J. Barber IIILenny Duncan As you read Read More …
Thinking Theologically: Exploring 5 Tweets (#1931)
I've been tweeting as @SoWhatFaith since 2009. In 2021, the majority of my tweets have been quotes from new books. Interestingly, according to Twitter's built in analytics, my top tweets this year consist of four such tweets alongside one I wrote in response to a very difficult day. I invite you to read these five tweets, and select one to explore in greater depth. Carry the words of that tweet with you for a few days, then share your reflections. Brian McLaren. "Eventually, I came to Read More …
Great News Books -January 2021 (#1909)
My first post of the year focused on great new books features eight volumes published in 2020 and two published in 2021. (5.0) Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About It by Brian D. McLaren (St. Martin's Press, 2021) (4.5) The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism by Katherine Stewart (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020) (4.5) Future Church: Seven Laws of Real Church Growth by Will Mancini and Cory Hartman Read More …
Top 5 Tweets of 2020 (#1903)
The following five tweets by @SoWhatFaith generated the most impressions in 2020. These top tweets are all quotes from books or sermons by William J. Barber, II; Anna Woofenden; Brian McLaren; and Barbara Brown Taylor. I invite you to share which of these quotes you found most interesting or engaging, and why. Read More …
Blogging in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic (#1869)
After blogging for 10+ years and publishing nearly 1,900 posts here at So What Faith, writing content about matters of faith that matter has become part of my identity. COVID-19 COVID-19 has disrupted all areas of life, and impacted how people experience community, including communities of faith. In recognition of this, I shifted from wide ranging content to focus on a series of posts about differing aspects of what is happening in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic alongside a continuation Read More …
Top 10 Books of 2016 (#1660)
There are so many good books published every year. The best of the best among those I read this year follow in my seventh annual listing of my top ten books of the year. Top 10 Books of 2016 Author Title Lillian Daniel Tired of Apologizing for a Church I Don’t Belong To Robert P. Jones The End of White Christian America Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Carlton Abrams The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World Brian McLaren The Great Spiritual Migration: How the Read More …