I haven’t been a regular blogger for some time now, but I am hoping to change that. With that said, here are my latest readings from the past two months.
Talking About God: Exploring the Meaning of Religious Life with Kierkegaard, Buber, Tilich, and Heschel
by Daniel F. Polish | 4 of 5 stars
This was a fascinating look at four theological and philosophical giants who had a profound and lasting impact on the way in which we think about and interact with God. Polish did a great job of juxtaposing the Jewish faith of Buber and Heschel with Kierkegaard and Tilich and finding their common ground in the story of Abraham. This is a great primer and introductory book on the thought and position of each of these men who have had an important and lasting imprint on our culture and the church.
Finally Comes The Poet
by Walter Brueggemann | 4 of 5 stars
Every so often it does my heart good to read a good ol’ fashioned book about preaching (teaching). This isn’t your normal preaching book, however. This is a book that challenges, exhorts the preacher/teacher to not only accept his/her role as preacher/teacher but to reclaim the importance of this role within a community. Brueggemann challenges the teacher/preacher to elevate the role within the community for the sake of the community.
Preaching/teaching is a pretty interesting subject today, especially as we continue to cloud it up with our own preferences/stylistic hopes. We have done a good job of devaluing preaching/teaching and devaluing the preacher/teacher within our community and our society. Brueggemann challenges and encourages the preacher/teacher to step up to that challenge, meet it head on and push through because of how important preaching/teaching is to the community. However, at the same time Brueggemann also concludes that we must recapture preaching/teaching as an art form and each message as a work of art that is to be presented as such. It with this artistically crafted presentation that the community is allowed to exhale and proclaim, “Finally comes the poet!”
In The Name of Jesus
by Henri Nouwen | 5 of 5 stars
This has been and continues to be a tremendously formative book for me. In fact, it is one of the few books that I make sure to read every single year. Nouwen has a way of communicating the important aspects of spiritual formation and what centering your life around Jesus looks like, that truly causes you to pause and spend time introspectively examining yourself. Every time I read this work I am challenged and forced to reflect on new aspects and areas of my life that have either laid dormant or previously untouched.
Nouwen is a spiritual father for me, I was first introduced to this book in college and have never been able to wiggle away from the concepts and ideas that he presents that challenge my faith, my humanity, and my relationship with Jesus. Although this is a short book, you would do well to read it slowly and allow his words to soak in to your heart.
Love Wins
by Rob Bell | 3 of 5 stars
This is perhaps one of the most controversial books in the Christian realm in quite some time. In fact, it is so controversial that a pastor in North Carolina was fired for talking positively about the book on Facebook. So, here’s my two cents:
- It’s not an extremely well written book. It’s a tall order to make 4 major doctrinal positions accessible to the masses in under 200 pages. Rob Bell is an extremely gifted communicator, but even this was too big a task for him to accomplish
- This book does not, in my opinion, have staying power. It will simply be a flash in the pan as a book. However, my hope is that the conversation it sparked will remain. That in some way this book will serve as a course correction for the American Church away from the apocalyptic imagery we so quickly embraced with the Left Behind series and into a more biblical mode of understanding
- Perhaps if we learn anything from this book, we will ultimately heed the title and understand and live out the premise that Love Wins in our every day lives and in our everyday interactions. That could truly create a world where the Kingdom of God is seen.
Related posts:
- the tangible kingdom: creating incarnational community (introduction)
- manifesto of frustration./// (a rant)
- preaching Jesus.
- The Tangible Kingdom (a review)
- the way of Jesus.
