Here are the ten best new books I read last month.
- (5+) The Ninefold Path of Jesus: Hidden Wisdom of the Beatitudes by Mark Scandrette (IVP, 2021)
- (5.0) The Tolls of Uncertainty: How Privilege and the Guilt Gap Shape Unemployment in America by Sarah Damaske (Princeton University Press, 2021)
- (4.5) Faith-Based Organizing: A Congregational Planning Resource for Addressing Poverty by Charles Fredrickson, Violetta Lien, Herbert E. Palmer, and Mary Lou Walther (Fortress Press, 2021)
- (4.5) How to Have an Enemy: Righteous Anger & the Work of Peace by Melissa Florer-Bixler (Herald Press, 2021)
- (4.5) The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline, and New Hope for Beloved Community by Stephanie Spellers (Church Publishing, 2021)
- (4.5) The Deepest Belonging: A Story About Discovering Where God Meets Us by Kara K. Root (Fortress Press, 2021)
- (4.0) The Power of Giving Away Power: How the Best Leaders Learn to Let Go by Matthew Barzun (Optimism Press, 2021)
- (4.0) Commodified Communion: Eucharist, Consumer Culture, and the Practice of Everyday Life by Antonio Eduardo Alonso (Fordham University Press, 2021)
- (4.0) How Y’all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived by Leslie Jordan (William Morrow, 2021)
- (3.5)The Art of Caring Leadership: How Leading with Heart Uplifts Teams and Organizations by Heather R. Younger (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2021)
The Ninefold Path of Jesus
Being a follower of the Way of Jesus is a journey toward living a life aligned with the path Jesus offers. While advice like be a “Great Commandment Christian” is theologically sound, it is pragmatically lacking. How does one live consistently and faithfully in a constant state of loving God and loving neighbor?
Mark Scandrette’s new book, The Ninefold Path of Jesus, offers practical “how to” level guidance for living one’s Christian faith. With a title that clearly suggests Christianity’s version of Buddhism’s Eightfold Path, readers will not be surprised to encounter nine shifts in consciousness that help followers move from first or natural instincts to new postures or responses aligned with the wisdom of Jesus:
- The Way of Trust
- The Way of Lament
- The Way of Humility
- The Way of Justice
- The Way of Compassion
- The Way of Right Motive
- The Way of Peacemaking
- The Way of Surrender
- The Way of Radical Love
The Ninefold Path is based on the Beatitudes with an understanding that these sayings “can function as a thematic guide to the teachings of Christ” (p.4).
This book is just the third in 2021 to receive a So What Faith rating of 5+ stars. The rating comes with a warning: reading this book will change the way you live out your faith.
I look forward to re-reading this book slowly, and to doing the work needed to increase my awareness, and to transform my own real life responses to ones that are more consistent with the new postures aligned with the Way of Jesus.