These may or may not be distinctively Christian, but they have in some way helped me grow in my faith.
10. Between Two Worlds – John RW Stott
This is Stott’s work on the history of preaching. Well written and inspiring, this is a must read for anyone interested in the foolishness of proclamation.
9. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and Confrontation with the World – DA Carson
This Calvinistic biblical scholar has for years been a great influence on me. Though I disagree with the general theological leanings, I am always challenged when I read this text – and I believe I’ve read it at least 4 times.
8. Live to Tell – Brad Kallengberg
This is the only Kallenberg text I’ve ever read. He suggests alternative evangelism strategies that are not locked in the shackles of modernity. Accessible to laypeople.
7. The Covenanted Self – Walter Brueggemann
This was my first Brueggemann text and will, therefore, always be one of my favorites. It is a series of essays Brueggemann wrote on Covenant and community. It can be a bit academic at times, but is always challenging…you have to dig to find diamonds, after all!
6. Let the Nations Be Glad – John Piper
Once upon a time I was a Calvinist and John Piper showed me that Missions was still central to Calvinistic theology. Now that I’ve thrown off my afore-loved Calvinism, I still maintain that this book still challenged me to grow in ways I would have neglected otherwise.
5. Savage Systems – David Chidester
Chidester is a Religious Studies scholar who does a lot of work in South Africa. He catalogues the “progress” of Christianity as it became/is a bedfellow with Colonialism there. This book was the first to bring to my attention the atrocities committed in the name of Christ during the Colonial years – atrocities we are yet to apologize for or set right.
4. Peculiar People – Rodney Clapp
This is Clapp’s version of Hauerwas’ Resident Aliens. He challenges Christians to break free from the Constantinian mold and be a distinctive, peculiar culture which is irrelevant to the world.
3. The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind – Mark Noll
This text kicked my *bleep* when I was a junior in college. It showed me all the ways I was failing to take my faith seriously by ignoring the intellectual side of Christianity. To this day I cringe when I confront the anti-intellectualism and pseudo-intellectualism of American Evangelicalism. This book is single-handedly responsible for me attending the University of Missouri.
2. Exclusion and Embrace – Miroslav Volf
Volf uses the metaphor of Exclusion and Embrace as he wrestles with ethnic, gender, and religious conflict. How can we forgive and love our enemies? Tis not an easy task – but Volf has the best answer I’ve ever encountered. A must read for everyone!
1. The Prophetic Imagination – Walter Brueggemann
Brueggemann taught me to envision alternative worlds where the church’s identity and imagination were not held captive by the Empire. If I have a prophetic voice at all, it’s because of The Prophetic Imagination.
What are your top books?
Later I will make a list of my top 10 Classic works.
