Being a disciple means constantly following, keeping one’s mind open, and always learning. This page is regularly updated with those books I have found to be especially helpful in the life of faith – either serious academic works, provocative books on the faith, or fun stuff that’s worthy of restful enjoyment.
2009
The Gospel-Driven Life: Being Good News People in a Bad News World by Michael Horton.
Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church by Michael Horton.
Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism by Joel R. Beeke.
Justice: Rights and Wrongs by Nicholas Wolterstorff.
Praying at Burger King by Richard J. Mouw.
Letters and Papers from Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Following Jesus in a Culture of Fear by Scott Bader-Saye. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2007.
2008
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N. T. Wright. New York: HarperOne, 2008.
Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008.
Above All Earthly Pow’rs: Christ in a Postmodern World by David F. Wells. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005.
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller. New York: Dutton, 2008.
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 2007.
The Last Word: Scripture and the Authority of God – Getting Beyond the Bible Wars by N. T. Wright. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2005.
Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic Sketch by John Webster. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church by Kenda Creasy Dean. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004.
unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity…and Why it Matters. Groundbreaking Research from the Barna Group. by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007.
Hope in Troubled Times: A New Vision for Confronting Global Crises by Bob Goudzwaard, Mark Vander Vennen, and David Van Heemst. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.
2007
Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 2003.
Klassen, Norman and Zimmermann, Jens. The Passionate Intellect: Incarnational Humanism and the Future of University Education. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006. An excellent history of the university and how Christians can be a redeeming influence while a student.
Wolfe, Tom. I am Charlotte Simmons: A Novel. Toronto: Harper Perennial, 2004. A shockingly raw story about the first year transition of a small town girl who graduates from high school and goes off to the big, nationally-recognized university.
Martel, Yann. Life of Pi: A Novel. Toronto: Vintage Canada, 2001. The life story of a Christian-Jew-Muslim who survives months stranded at sea while en route to immigrating to Canada from India.
Rowlings, J. K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York, Scholastic, Inc., 2007. (Read the first six books first, though!) The delightful conclusion to the Harry Potter phenomenon.
2006
The God of Hope and the End of the World by John Polkinghorne. A quantum physicist and Anglican priest looks at both the scientific predictions of the world’s terminus and Christian hope.
Religious Nuts, Political Fanatics: U2 in Theological Perspective by Robert Vagacs. A theologians analyses the lyrics of the world’s most popular stadium rock band.
Who’s Afraid of Post-Modernism: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church by James K. A. Smith. A perceptive analysis of primary writings in the Continental philosophical tradition and how they can provide guidance for the church in the 21st century.
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense by N. T. Wright. The Anglican Bishop of Durham, UK, looks at why almost everyone desires beauty, justice, community, and spirituality.
The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything by Brian D. McLaren. If Brian is right (and, I think he is), rediscovering the central message of the Gospel could revolutionize your life and faith.
2005
A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-Yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished Christian by Brian D. McLaren. Besides being a mouthful of a title, this book is an excellent example of today’s post-denominational culture.
Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott. Anne is a wonderfully honest Christian who doesn’t take any rough edges off her struggle to follow Jesus.
A New Way to Be Human: A Provocative Look at What it Means to Follow Jesus by Charlie Peacock. I grew up listening to Charlie’s music and now, as a musician, he explains beautifully what being a disciple looks like.
The Crime of Living Cautiously: Hearing God’s Call to Adventure by Luci Shaw. Only a poet like Luci can convincingly show us that self-preservation isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Bono: In Conversation by Michka Assayas. Longtime friend and journalist Assayas spends time with a loud-mouth, Irish rock star to see what runs through his heart and mind. Hear Bono for yourself, in his own words.
2004
The Luminous Web: Essays on Science and Religion by Barbara Brown Taylor. This collection of essays navigates the rough waters between these two complex (and strongly defended) topics well.
A Beautiful Risk: A New Psychology of Loving and Being Loved by James Olthius. A Christian theologian, philosopher, and counselor takes a deep look at what it means to be human.
A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews. A beautifully written book about growing up in a religious sub-culture in a small town.
A Wisdom of Pelicans: Finding Healing at the Water’s Edge by Donald McCollough. An influential and prominent Christian leader finds the path to wholeness and healing in an unexpected place.
The Short Sweet Dream of Eduardo Gutierrez by Jimmy Breslin. A heart-breaking, captivating story of what one man will endure to pursue a better life in America.
