Christmas is days away. I want to share a few thoughts on the incarnation, inspired by the writings of some of my favorite of the early Church Fathers. Since I first discovered the early church fathers and mothers when I was in seminary, my faith has been enriched by reading them. God Became Human = Humans … Continue reading Christmas, the Incarnation and Our Union with God
#4 – What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey (My 100 Favorite Books)
This book changed my life. Throughout my teenage years, I mostly read Star Wars novels. Eventually I got into fantasy. At some point, I decided to move out of the realm of fiction and read some books that might help my faith. I had been a Christian as long as I remembered and had read … Continue reading #4 – What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey (My 100 Favorite Books)
#9 – Mere Christianity by CS Lewis (My 100 Favorite Books)
CS Lewis is definitely one of my favorite authors of all time. His Narnia series was one of the first books I remember reading that gripped me and instilled a love of reading in me. Over the years I've read many of his books and am impressed by how wide-ranging the subjects are that he … Continue reading #9 – Mere Christianity by CS Lewis (My 100 Favorite Books)
#13 – The Crucified God by Jurgen Moltmann (My 100 Favorite Books)
Growing up, I was taught that Jesus had died for my sins so I could go to heaven when I died. As for what to do once you believed and were assured your spot on the other side of the pearly gates? Well, that was a bit more hazy beyond reading the Bible and praying … Continue reading #13 – The Crucified God by Jurgen Moltmann (My 100 Favorite Books)
#14 – The Beauty of the Infinite by David Bentley Hart (My 100 Favorite Books)
When I read this book, I described it to someone as a symphony where there is more going on then the average listener is getting. I recall asking my friend who recommended it if he understood what Hart was saying in the first 150 pages. In those pages, Hart is going deep into philosophy and … Continue reading #14 – The Beauty of the Infinite by David Bentley Hart (My 100 Favorite Books)
#23 – The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard (My 100 Favorite Books)
Dallas Willard is one of my all-time favorite authors, though I suppose any author in the top 1/4 of my list could be assume to be one of my all-time favorites! Recently I have thought long about how many Christians appear to want Jesus for essentially selfish reasons. We like the idea of going to … Continue reading #23 – The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard (My 100 Favorite Books)
#24 – Propaganda by Jacques Ellul (My 100 Favorite Books)
Jacques Ellul was a brilliant thinker, writing in both sociology (The Technological Society) and theology (The Presence of the Kingdom). His works are not fun to read, if anything, they nearly leave you hopeless. Some writers will paint a dark picture of the world and then end on a hopeful note, listing what we can … Continue reading #24 – Propaganda by Jacques Ellul (My 100 Favorite Books)
#29 – Crucifixion of the Warrior God by Greg Boyd (My 100 Favorite Books)
One of the biggest questions Christians face is how to square the message and life of Jesus with the portrayal of God in the Old Testament. Jesus taught nonviolence. Jesus chose to lay down his life and die on a cross rather than fight back. Christians believe Jesus was not just a great teacher, but … Continue reading #29 – Crucifixion of the Warrior God by Greg Boyd (My 100 Favorite Books)
#31 – The Experience of God by David Bentley Hart (My 100 Favorite Books)
How do you picture God? Who, or what, is God? Whatever people may say they believe, the way people talk about God points to a sort of God who is just a bigger or more powerful version of a human. This is common between both Christians and atheist. In common parlance, when God is spoken … Continue reading #31 – The Experience of God by David Bentley Hart (My 100 Favorite Books)
#33 – Paul and the Faithfulness of God by NT Wright (My Top 100 Books)
NT Wright is one of my favorite writers and his work has influenced me more than nearly any other theologian/bible scholar. He has written extensively on both Jesus and Paul. This is perhaps his magnum opus on Paul - two volumes clocking in at about 1500 pages. The good thing is that Wright is not … Continue reading #33 – Paul and the Faithfulness of God by NT Wright (My Top 100 Books)
