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 …
Jim Wallis
Top 10 Books of 2019 (#1840)
In 2010, I started publishing a list of my top books of the year each year here at So What Faith. The 2019 edition (aka the 10th Annual) of the best books of the year follows. Author Title Chris Arnade Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America Claire Brown and Michael T. McRay Keep Watch with Me: An Advent Reader for Peacemakers Bruce Deel Trust First: A True Story About the Power of Giving People Second Chances Lenny Duncan Read More …
Book Recommendations – November 2019 (#1832)
Over the last several weeks, I've read a wide variety of new books. The list below features the ten best books I read in the last month that were published in 2019. (5.0) Christ in Crisis: Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus by Jim Wallis (HarperOne, 2019)(5.0) How to Lead When You Don't Know Where You're Going: Leading in a Liminal Season by Susan Beaumont (Rowan and Littlefield Publishers, 2019)(4.5) Miracles and Other Reasonable Things: A Story of Unlearning and Relearning God by Sarah Read More …
Top 12 Authors: 2009-2019 (#1791)
Over the last 10 years, I've reviewed, recommended, or rated more than 600 books here at So What Faith. Starting in 2011, I have provided a list of the top ten books I reviewed that year that were published during that year. To date, only 12 authors have appeared on more than one Top 10 List: Diana Butler Bass, 2012, 2015, 2018Marcus Borg, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017Joan Chittister, 2011, 2017John Dominic Crossan, 2010, 2012, 2015Lillian Daniel, 2013, 2016 Tenzin Gyatso (the 14th Dalai 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 …
Recent Reading: Politics & Bible (#1611)
Politics are everywhere; I have yet to spend more than a few seconds scanning my social media feeds before encountering a political remark. Political experts are everywhere; 99% of the political remarks I read and hear are communicated as though the communicator is a subject matter expert. In reality, of course, most are simply people who have strong feelings about their particular perspectives. Political writing is particularly popular. As a non-expert, I have Read More …
Completing the Dream (#1605)
More than fifty years have passed since Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I have a dream" speech in 1963. While there are many signs of progress toward racial equality that progress is inadequate, incomplete and inconsistent. Far too much work remains yet unfinished. Next Steps The work of moving our nation forward requires everyone's involvement. As a white male I need to become more intentional about knowing who I am and how I can help. Over the weekend I Read More …
Review of On God’s Side (#1092)
Meet the Author Jim Wallis is president and CEO of Sojourners where he is editor-in-chief of Sojourners magazine. He has written ten books including two New York Times bestsellers: The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post–Religious Right America (2008) and God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It (2006). Wallis regularly teaches a course on “Faith, Social Justice, and Public Life” at Georgetown Read More …
Glenn Beck the Spiritual Leader? (#0138)
Glenn Beck is best known as a conservative news commentator and host of The Glenn Beck Program. In recent months, he has made comments and taken actions that lead many to believe he is seeking or has assumed a new role as a religious leader. During his March 2 radio program he said: I beg you, look for the words "social justice" or "economic justice" on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Read More …