(Ir)religiosity

Last year I came up with a number list of all the books I read.  I’m not doing that this time mainly because I’ve read too many good books this year and trying to order them all would be too hard and unfair.  What follows is a list of most of the books I read this year.  I think it is almost exhaustive.  It was harder to remember than I anticipated.

How (Not) to Speak of God & The Fidelity of Betrayal - (5/5 Stars) I have to list both of them together because they complete each other.  They are by far the best books I read this year, forcing me to rethink my ideas about God.  I’m a huge fan of Rollins’s work now and all my future theological and philosophical reflection will be done in the aftermath of these important books

Jesus for President – (4/5 Stars) The ideas in this book are hardly new (I’m thinking here of Hauerwas, Yoder, et al) but as always, Shane Claiborne’s way of putting things very refreshing, iconoclastic, and deeply relevant.  I loved the design of the book.  The visual imagery transmitted the message in a way that mere words could not.

Jesus Wants to Save Christians – (4/5 Stars) This is Rob Bell’s third book and, in my opinion, it is his best.  I enjoyed Velvet Elvis, and I guess in a way it had to precede anything else he would write, but the themes and subject of matter of this one were very poignant.  Bell and Golden begin with Genesis and work through the scriptures tying everything together within a “new exodus” paradigm (And apparently, there is something the pattern on the book cover.  I don’t think I’m smart enough to figure it out).

The Great Emergence – (4/5 Stars) This was my first Phyllis Tickle book to read.  She is a wonderful writer, I almost wish the book had been longer.  The overall argument — that every 500 or so years the church has an identity crisis and has to reform itself and that we are living in the midst of such a crisis right now — is fascinating.  For that reason, I think this will be an important book for years to come.

The New Christians - (4/5 Stars) I’ve heard Tony Jones speak before and I follow his blog, but this was the first of his books for me to read.  It is the best history/description of the emerging/gent church to date in my opinion and it was badly in need of being written.  I will be referencing this book often when persons ask me what the emerging church is all about.

Good News to the Poor:  John Wesley’s Evangelical Economics – (5/5 Stars) This book blew my mind; and did a pretty good job of making me feel guilty, which isn’t a bad thing at all.  I think Wesleyans and Methodists should read this book every year around this time to remember where we came from and how we’ve betrayed Wesley’s economic ethos.

A Community Called Atonement – (4/5 Stars) I should have read this book when it came out over a year ago.  It would’ve saved me, a person who struggles with atonement theology, a lot of grief.  Scot McKnight does a great job of describing each theory, and its downfalls, while arguing that the heart of the matter lies in praxis not dogma.

Philosophy and Theology – (4/5 Stars) This little book by John Caputo, which is really an extended essay, was a quick and very helpful read.  If you you’re interested in postmodern thought, or just the convergence of theology and philosophy, I would highly recommend it.

A Short History of Nearly Everything – (4/5 Star)  It literally is a history of just about everything.  Bill Bryson takes on the enormous task chronicling the history of natural science for those of us who aren’t scientists.  He does a wonderful job.  Informative and funny.

Surprised by Hope – (4/5 Stars)  I must admit that up until now, I hadn’t read a full N.T. Wright book.  I picked this one up because it seemed to be making some pretty big waves in the blogosphere and I was interesting in what Wright had to say on the subject.  I wasn’t disappointed.  While I may disagree with some of his assertions, his generous reevaluation of heaven and salvation is great.

The Essential Writings of Gustavo Gutierrez – (5/5 Stars) All the best writings of the father of liberation theology complied into one volume.  It doesn’t get much better than that.  And for the overworked graduate student it sure beats reading all the other volumes!

Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? – (5/5 Stars)  This was one of the most helpful introduction-level books on postmodern philosophy I’ve read thus far.  Jamie Smith provides a great overview of Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault, while still finding time to add a section on his proposed “radical orthodoxy.”

God of the Oppressed – (3/5 Stars)  This was a good book, but as I read it I kept thinking that I should have read some of James Cone’s previous work prior to picking this one up.  And, it seemed a little repetitive.  But still, I book every serious liberation theologian must read.

On the Justice of Roosting Chickens – (4/5 Star) Whatever you may think of Ward Churchill, he speak the truth in this book.  And the chronology of US military action since the Revolutionary War is worth the price of the book itself.

Wesley and the People Called Methodists – (3/5 Stars) This is a good book; one of the best histories of Methodism written to date.  My only complaint is that Richard Heitzenrater fails to engage in proper citation.  This book would be even more important, perhaps invaluable, if it list

Responsible Grace – (5/5 Stars) I’ve read bits and pieces of this book before, but reading it all at once was worthwhile.  Randy Maddox took on a huge project of presenting the theology of John Wesley (who wasn’t a systematic theologian) in a coherent and systematic way.  This is required reading for all Methodists/Wesleyans.

The Prophetic Imagination – (5/5 Stars) My first Walter Brueggemann book.  It’s short, sweet, and to the point.  A great introduction to what he calls the “prophetic consciousness” viz. the royal consciousness.  Brueggemann demonstrate why it is imperative that one both criticize and energize within a particular community.  I highly recommend it.

A Short History of Progress – (5/5 Stars) This little book by Ronald Wright both describes and demythologizes the false narrative of “progress” by tracing the history of civilization.  His conclusions are both provocative and stark, but we must understand where we’ve been in order to hope toward the future.

So that’s snapshot of what I read over the past year. 

What were your favorite books this year?

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