You may have noticed that a sizable proportion of books carried by bookstores (Christian and non-Christian alike) are very poor in quality. The reason, of course, is that cheap easy books sell better than more demanding titles. As Donald Stauffer wrote in The Nature of Poetry, “A debased currency will always drive out the genuine article, and there are plenty of ways today to get others to do our thinking and our feeling for us.”[1] We all struggle from time to time with wanting to take the easy way out. However, to be good stewards of our minds we must avoid intellectual laziness at all costs. We hope that the titles we have recommended for this quarter will be an encouragement for all of us to stretch ourselves in our next reading selections. Some of these titles are well known, while others are more obscure. Yet, all demand that we look in the mirror. Each title requires us to shoulder our responsibility in doing the hard work of thinking and feeling.
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Peter Berger, The Many Altars of Modernity: Toward a Paradigm for Religion in a Pluralist Age (Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, 2014), 147 pages.
Secularism, secularization, pluralism, modernity: Any person who has dealt in these topics in a sustained manner knows the name Peter Berger. Even many who don’t know the name, have probably been shaped by his ideas in ways they may not be aware of. The aging sociologist’s most recent book is his latest attempt to clarify and add to the ongoing discussion about how best to understand religion in the context of late modernity, and more specifically, pluralist societies.
Berger was among many sociologists to abandon the conventional secularization thesis in the late 1990s, and ever since has been continuing to shape scholarly thinking on the nature of religion in pluralist societies. I found Berger’s candor, wit, and erudite explanations to be stimulating as I think about my work as a pastor in an increasingly post-Christian society. Though this volume does assume some background in this literature, its brevity and clarity make it accessible to a wide audience.
—Recommended by W. Jackson Watts
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John Donne, The Complete English Poems ed. A.J. Smith (1971, repr. New York: Penguin Books, 1996), 667 pages.
John Donne was born into an English Catholic home in 1572. However, his early life was a rowdy, unregenerate example of excess. Donne eventually repented of his ways, rejected his family’s Catholicism, and was ordained in the Anglican Church. Over his life he wrote a tremendous wealth of English poetry. Much of it is romantic and comes from his early life when he was known as a womanizer. However, the greater treasure comes from his divine poetry. In his later life, Donne wrote poems of meditative depth that are unparalleled in the English language in my estimation. Not only do his poems reflect the complexity of his deep meditation on Scripture and the person of God, but it also draws the reader into new, deeper mediations on these same subjects.
Selected quote:
Father, part of his double interest
Unto thy kingdom, thy Son gives to me,
His jointure in the knotty Trinity
He keeps, and gives me his death’s conquest.
—Recommended by Phillip Morgan
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Timothy J. Keller, Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism (New York: Viking, 2015) 309 pages.
Not everyone can preach like Tim Keller. Quite frankly, not everyone should preach like Keller, and his newest book on preaching is not a manual on imitation. In Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism, Keller, who holds a high view of the authority and inspiration of Scripture, instructs readers on how to engage both the heart and the mind of “(late) Modern” men and women when preaching God’s Word. He contends that a sermon’s effectiveness is ultimately determined by the Holy Spirit’s work, but he also reminds the reader that this is not an excuse for inadequate preparation. Part of that preparation is determining the way in which a given passage exposes a culture’s idolatry (power, sex, prestige, or security), and shows Christ as more glorious and more fulfilling. Keller is an able guide in this area. The Church needs thoughtful, biblically faithful preaching, and this work is a useful tool towards that end.
—Recommended by Jesse Owens
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Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird (New York: Warner Books, 1960), 281 pages.
With the release of Harper Lee’s new novel Go Set a Watchman creating equal parts excitement and anxiety, I would highly recommend Lee’s classic novel. Various news outlets have stated that contentions have followed the publication of this new novel. Written around the same time, but published decades apart, Go Set a Watchman further develops some of the most beloved characters of her 1960 classic.
But this should be all the more reason for us to read To Kill a Mockingbird. Not only does the book reference foot-washing Baptists (Primitive, not Free Will), but it also captures a wonderful theme throughout. In a flesh of fiction, Lee interweaves southern culture and a Christian ethic. She writes of the childish escapades of young Scout and Jem, and their friend Dill. Yet the book is far from a simple children’s book. It deals with heavy themes of justice and human dignity. It also shows a profound moral compass in the person of Atticus Finch. We’ve certainly not grown past the need for a reminder of these important motifs, and for that reason I highly recommend this book.
—Recommended by Christopher Talbot
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George MacDonald, At the Back of the North Wind (1871), 228 pages.
I recently posted an article on “Augustine and the Problem of Evil.” If God is all-good, all-knowing, and all-powerful, why does evil exist? Is He malevolent or just impotent? All kinds of people, Christians and non-Christians alike have attempted to answer these questions in various ways through history, whether through theology, philosophy, ethics, or something else. In his book, At the Back of the North Wind, George MacDonald explores the question through the medium of fiction.
This story, a fantasy set against an agrarian backdrop, follows the protagonist Diamond, who sets out on adventures with North Wind, a character who represents God’s actions through the weather. Through Diamond’s eyes, we observe North Wind’s actions. Since God is sovereign over all things, including the wind, then the wind becomes an instrument of both good and bad. Though the wind can blow a cool breeze against a hot face, it can also sink ships, destroying families. Indeed, we see these very scenes take place in Back of the North Wind. However, MacDonald doesn’t leave us simply to wonder; he uses these scenes and the narrative contained within them, as well as the overarching metanarrative to explore and explain the question of theodicy.
This book may strike those unaccustomed to reading Victorian-era, agrarian, fantastical fiction as unique, to say the very least—and indeed it is! But I think it’s a worthwhile and interesting read as MacDonald probes these questions honestly, theologically, and imaginatively.
—Recommended by Matthew Bracey
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Colin Marshall and Tony Payne, The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift That Changes Everything (Kingsford: Matthias Media, 2009), 167 pages.
This book by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne was a re-read for me this summer. The authors use the word picture of explaining the difference between a trellis and a vine to different methodologies and philosophies for ministry. The trellis is described as the structure of the church and its various events, programs, and ministries. The vine-work involves preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to see people converted, and grow to maturity in that gospel. This book may question some of your most cherished ministry assumptions and lead you into a mindset that focuses on gospel ministry and the maturing of the church. This is an excellent book for any church staff to read as they evaluate their philosophy for ministry.
—Recommended by Zachery Maloney
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Jonathan T. Pennington, Reading the Gospels Wisely: A Narrative and Theological Introduction (Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, 2012), 258 pages.
One important task for those interpreting Scripture is to treat the Gospels with the reverence they deserve. In other words, it would be inconsistent to hold to the inerrancy of the Bible and not interpret the Scriptures in light of each book’s genre, authorial intent, or cultural background. Jordan Pennington provides a scholarly, yet humble, approach to answering this question: how do we read the Gospels wisely? Pennington points this out: “[O]ur canonical Gospels are the theological, historical, and aretological (virtue-forming) biographical narratives that retell the story and proclaim the significance Jesus Christ, who through the power of the Spirit is the Restorer of God’s reign.” This book will help remind any ministry leader to give careful attention to God’s voice through the Gospels.
—Recommended by Zachery Maloney
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Stephen Prothero, American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2003), 376 pages.
Stephen Prothero’s American Jesus describes how Jesus became the most versatile character in contemporary America. Prothero claims that Americans, beginning with Thomas Jefferson, have been consistently removing Jesus from the context of Scripture. He argues that we can make Jesus into anyone we want Him to be when we do this. This explains how wildly different groups (such as Mormons, Hindus, Buddhists, and the Jesus Movement) can all claim that Jesus would be part of their movement.
Prothero’s analysis is from a secular perspective and thus holds several problems. For example, he doesn’t view the separation of Jesus from Scripture as problematic, but simply as evidence that religion is an embodiment of culture. However, his description of how Americans have separated Jesus from Scripture so that they can make Him into something they like as opposed to His actual person is fascinating. This description may also be convicting. Prothero shows that some of the more extreme examples of late nineteenth and early twentieth century revivalism participated in decontextualizing Jesus much like Jefferson. In addition, he makes the point that the Jesus Movement and its eventual birthing of the contemporary Christian music scene also followed in this line. This book is a good reminder that it is absolutely essential that we remain faithful to all of Scripture.
—Recommended by Phillip Morgan
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Alvin Reid, As You Go: Creating a Missional Culture of Gospel-Centered Students (Carol Stream: TH1NK, 2013), 240 pages.
In many ways, youth ministry books are a-dime-a-dozen. Often times, they present a critique of antiquated ministry models only to propose a new way that is itself quickly slipping behind the trends. While Alvin Reid, professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has his own critiques of current youth ministry, he goes one step beyond. He articulates a youth ministry that is deeply centered and driven by the Gospel.
If youth ministries do anything right, it is that they are focused on evangelism. Out of any arm of the church, it is most often the youth group that is doing service projects, going on mission trips, and trying to bring their friends to enjoy the fellowship of the church. Yet Reid encourages youth pastors to keep going. Not only should we do Gospel activities, we should long for a Gospel culture in our youth ministries. Everything we do should find its foundation in the Good News of Jesus Christ. Thankfully, Reid has written a wonderful book to point us in the right direction.
—Recommended by Christopher Talbot
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Gary Scott Smith, Religion in the Oval Office: The Religious Lives of American Presidents (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015), 664 pages.
The religiosity of American presidents has been a subject of great interest among historians, political scientists, religion scholars, and lay persons alike. I always appreciate sound, historical research that tries to understand presidents contextually, taking into account the whole breadth of their lives and not merely select quotations. Gary Smith of Grove City College has produced a magisterial work that surveys the religious lives and beliefs of 11 presidents, beginning with John Adams, and ending with Barack Obama.
In some ways this latest book is a follow-up volume to his 2009 Faith and the Presidency from George Washington to George W. Bush. Yet it stands on it its own in terms of readers being able to pick it up, and read about any particular president who interests them. Smith has done a great service to those genuinely interested in this topic.
—Recommended by W. Jackson Watts
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Lee Strobel, The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014), 336 pages.
With popular works like The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for a Creator, Lee Strobel is a familiar name to Christian teenagers and adults alike. If you’re anything like me, perhaps you read the student editions of these books a decade ago or more. Well, in one of his more recent books, The Case for the Real Jesus, Strobel offers another work of apologetics. And he does not disappoint.
As Christians, what do we do with claims that other so-called gospels have been found, like the Gospel of Thomas or the Secret Gospel of Mark? Are these on par with the canonical Gospels? What about the eccentric pictures that they paint of Jesus? Or what do we do with claims that the Church has tampered with the original Biblical texts? Are they even trustworthy—really? Or what about the claim that archaeologists have found Jesus’ lost tomb? Or what about the assertion that Christianity’s beliefs were simply copied from older, pagan faiths?
In The Case for the Real Jesus, Strobel investigates these questions and others. In so doing, he interviews world-renowned scholars such as Drs. Craig Evans, Daniel Wallace, and Paul Copan, among others. Additionally, Strobel does an excellent job presenting complicated ideas in an simple understandable way. For anyone who questions some of these developments in archeology and Biblical studies, I highly recommend Strobel’s most recent book. Or perhaps you’re a church leader who has a congregational need that this book would fill. Perhaps this book could serve a Sunday school need or small-group study need. In whatever case, if you’re interested in critical questions that have arisen in Jesus scholarship in the past 20 years, I recommend this book—a thoroughly enjoyable and educational read.
—Recommended by Matthew Bracey
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Robert Louis Wilken, The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity (Yale University Press, 2012), 388 pages.
Few historians write with the clarity and precision of Robert Louis Wilken. Unlike most historians, in The First Thousand Years Wilken explores the global rise of Christianity along with the rise of Islam. He includes Islam because it drastically changed the global religious landscape. Wilken also considers the theological and social contributions of Eastern (Greek speaking) and Western (Latin speaking) Christianity prior to their split (“the Great Schism”) in 1054. This is a fantastic introduction to Church history for any pastor, student, or layperson. Pick it up. Read it. Be shocked by the depravity of man. Take note of the Church’s successes and failures. Be amazed by the diligence of Christians throughout the world throughout the ages. But most of all, be amazed by the faithfulness of God Who preserves His Church in the most unlikely circumstances.
—Recommended by Jesse Owens
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[1] Donald A. Stauffer, The Nature of Poetry (New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1946), 12-13.
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