In case you missed it here is what I read and what I thought about what I read in the last month. Included are links to all the reviews. Enjoy!
1. A Praying Life, by Paul E. Miller. I thought this had important things to say about the cynicism in our lives that hinders prayer and also very practical helps in prayer.
2. One Bible, Many Versions, by Dave Brunn. A helpful book exploring the nature and complexity of translation work, why we have different versions, and the folly of our “translation wars.”
3. Challenger: An American Tragedy, by Hugh Harris. Harris was the “voice of NASA” during the Challenger disaster and gives a concise summary of events and the investigation that followed.
4. Jesus The Sage, by Ben Witherington III. This scholarly treatment explores the evidence for the influence of the wisdom tradition in the Old Testament and extra-testamental sources in the teaching and ministry of Jesus and the early church.
5. The Inclusion Paradox, by Andres T. Tapia. Tapia argues that the best reason for inclusion is that it is just good business and provides both an overview of the diversity landscape and strategies for effective inclusion.
6. Hear My Son, by Daniel J. Estes. This monograph explores the contribution of Proverbs 1-9 to a philosophy of teaching and learning.
7. God of Liberty, by Thomas S. Kidd. This book explores the relationship between religion and the newly forming American state during the Revolution. We were neither a “Christian nation” nor a secularized state–it was far more nuanced.
8. Five Little Pigs, by Agatha Christie. The five pigs are witnesses to a poisoning sixteen years earlier. The wife was convicted. The daughter was persuaded otherwise and enlists Poirot to find the truth. Great fun.
9. Faith and Fragmentation. J. Philip Wogaman. This book explores whether the Christian faith can be framed in a way that provides an integrated perspective in a pluralistic, technologically advanced age.
10. Winter of our Discontent, John Steinbeck. One of his later novels, it explores the conflict of living with integrity and the pressures of social norms in a New England fishing village.
11. Story-Shaped Worship, by Robbie Castleman. This book contends that worship should be shaped by God’s story as we encounter it in scripture and the history of the church.
So, some theology, some fiction, history and science–a pretty good cross-section of the things I read. I hope you find something you like!
