As we move toward mid-June many people are creating or actively revising their summer reading lists. Wherever you may be in your planning (even if your plan is not to plan at all), I encourage you to consider picking up some of my recent reads. The following ten books have all been published in 2017. I have rated them on a 1-5 scale allowing for the top of the scale to be extended to a 5+ for the best of the best. (5+) The Witness of Religion in an Age of Fear by Michael Read More …
Books
Review: Days of Awe and Wonder (#1674)
Marcus Borg (1942-2015) was one of the wisest sages and clearest voices in progressive Christianity. His work has greatly influenced my understanding of the Way of Jesus. Since I have been publishing an annual list of the top ten books published each year, only a handful of authors have appeared on the list more than once. Marcus Borg is the only author to appear four times 2010 – Putting Away Childish Things, 2011 – Speaking Christian, 2012 – Evolution of the Word, and 2014 – 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 …
Shaping the Future of Christianity (#1647)
Dying Some say Christianity is dying. I won't argue with them. If Christianity is defined narrowly and if it should be replicated in every time and place in identical ways then we can rest assured Christianity is dying and will soon be dead. Living Christianity, inasmuch as I understand what the Way of Jesus is about, is living. The only way any person or group of people can authentically live as followers of Jesus is to do so within their time and Read More …
Summer Reading: Changes Ahead (#1639)
In recent days I have heard the three words "back to school" enough times to know that summer is drawing to a close for many of my readers. With the change of seasons in mind, I offer the ten best books I read this summer: (5+) The End of White Christian America by Robert P. Jones (Simon & Schuster, 2016) (5) Raising the Floor: How a Universal Basic Income Can Renew Our Economy and Rebuild the American Dream by Andy Stern (Public Affairs, 2016) (5) Vital Read More …
Farewell to White Protestant America (#1637)
Last week I noted how old Mainline Protestantism has become here in America. Back in 2011 I reflected on a group of pastors from one Mainline denomination that labeled their own tradition "deathly ill." Today, I recognize that death has come not only for that denomination or Mainline Protestantism but also for the Protestantism I have known and lived that is broader yet: White Christian America. Obituary Robert P. Jones', CEO of Public Religion Research Institute, new book 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 …
Top 10 Books of 2015 (#1600)
Welcome to the sixth annual edition of my top books of the year. To qualify for the list, the book must be published in 2015, I must have read the book, and the content of the book resonated with and significantly enriched me and/or my understanding of the subject. Diana Butler Bass Grounded: Finding God in the World - A Spiritual Revolution Ron Clark Move Your Bus: An Extraordinary New Approach to Accelerating Success in Work and Life John Dominic Crossan How to Read the Read More …
October Book Recommendations (#1596)
After years of writing hundreds of book reviews, I shifted to monthly book recommendation lists some time ago when my life responsibilities made the work of full length book reviews difficult. In response to a more recent life shift, I present this month's list as the final edition in this format. (5+) Grounded: Finding God in the World-A Spiritual Revolution by Diana Butler Bass (HarperOne, 2015) (5.0) Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome: A Memoir of Humor and Healing by Reba Riley Read More …
August Book Recommendations (#1575)
During the month of July I went through what had become a rather large pile of physical books and list of electronic books I had intended to read by mid-year. I managed to read 16 such books and gave away around an equal number. The top ten I read that were published last year or this year follow. (5+) Beyond Resistance: The Institutional Church Meets the Postmodern World by John Dorhauer (Exlporation Press, 2015) (5) Move Your Bus: An Extraordinary New Approach to Read More …