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Following the lead of a few others, I figured I would make a few “2007 lists” as we move into the dawn of 2008, one of books and one of podcasts. Books first.

In some ways this is a very eclectic list, most of the books weren’t even published this year; but in some respects they’re all very closely related. I attribute that to my intense research throughout the year in preparation for this. For what it’s worth here are the top 5 or so books I read this year. I’m not going to number them because it would be too difficult. They’re all outstanding. They are simply listed in the order I thought of them.

The Secret Message of Jesus & Everything Must Change - Brian McLaren. I think these two books must be read together consecutively. Each is a companion to the other and both are, in my opinion, McLaren’s best works to date. In The Secret Message of Jesus, McLaren places Jesus in his context, takes a step back, and lets the gospels speak for themselves, illustrating and emphasizing how imperative Jesus’ socio-political contexts are to understanding his life and teachings. In Everything Must Change, McLaren picks up where he left off, asking some very penetrating questions, in his usual iconoclastic and provocative manner, about the implications of Jesus’ teachings for the actions of our society (both personal and collective). He correctly diagnoses the “suicidal, societal machine” of which we are a part of and in which we remain complicit and remedies it with the ever revolutionary examples and teachings of Jesus. Two of the most influential books of the year.

The Powers that Be & Engaging the Powers - Walter Wink. I had to put both of these together because to me they are truly inseparable. At some point this year, I’d like to take the time to read Wink’s entire trilogy of which The Powers that Be is a digest. Other than the stuff coming from the various emergent authors, these two books have influenced my thought and theology more than any others. Wink’s work on the domination system and the myth of redemptive violence are truly remarkable.

God and Empire - John Dominic Crossan. This is the first work from this provocative Jesus Seminar fellow and co-founder that I’ve actually read cover to cover and it was well worth it. Crossan uses his characteristic inter-disciplinary approach to dissect what he and others call the “normalcy of civilization.” He traces the biblical alternative to this normalcy, a remedy of nonviolent peacemaking and “radical egalitarianism” from Genesis to Revelation arguing that “normalcy is not inevitability.” Perhaps Crossan’s best and most provocative work.

Jesus and Empire - Richard Horsley. Whereas Crossan focuses his discussion on the biblical narrative at large in response to imperialism, hegemony, and jingoism, Horsley limits his approach to Jesus and his subsequent subversion and resistance to the empire. Specifically, Horsely addresses the American Empire, its outright rejection of Jesus’ teachings, and the American Church, who remains comfortably complicit with American imperialism and militarism. This is a poignant book. A must read–especially the introduction and epilogue sections.

War is a Force the Gives us Meaning - Chris Hedges. I’ll be honest, this is a very depressing book. But it is also a very important book. Too often we are deceived into thinking that as we safely sit in affluence on our couches watching spoon-fed, government censored news entertainment (oops…I mean, media) we are somehow watching and seeing the true picture of “war.” Chris Hedges soundly destroys that assumption. And he does so with biting veracity and credibility. As a war correspondent, Hedges as seen the truth of the effects of war and he tells of those experiences without reservation. A sobering, yet revealing book.

The Politics of Jesus - John Howard Yoder. Yoder’s seminal work has quickly become a primer in Christian social ethics, heralded as the foundational work on which contemporary Christian nonviolence and pacifism as been built. I’ve heard people mention this book many times in my coursework at OCU. After growing very tired of hearing people drop his name, I broke down and bought the book. A true masterpiece. I can now see why Yoder’s magnum opus has influenced some of the most influential theologians of our time. I will be dealing with this books for the rest of my life.

Honorable Mentions: Liberating the Future - Ed. Joerg Rieger, The Sorrows of Empire - Chalmers Johnson, The Irresistible Revolution - Shane Claiborne.

Now for the podcasts; a much shorter list. And a numbered list. Three cheers for hierarchy. Anyway, earlier this week, Nick tagged me in his list of the top podcasts of 2007. So here we go:

1.) The Nick and Josh Podcast - best discovery of the year by far. Exceptional interviews. The best kept secret in the emerging podcastosphere.

2.) Philosophy Bites - short and sweet talks about various philosophical topics from well-known contemporary philosophers.

3.) The Emergent Podcast - great interviews, reflections, and best of all, the audio from all the emergent conferences.

4.) NPR: Fresh Air - some of the best podcast interviews out there.

5.) Napkin Scribbles - thoughts and reflections from Leonard Sweet. He tends to ramble, but other than that, pretty good.

Honorable Mentions: Parody of the President’s Weekly Radio Address, ALLELON Roxburgh Journal, Democracy Now!, The Tony Campolo Podcast.

~bh ><>