....after my last post I felt the need to get away. Get away from religion. Not that I'm renouncing my faith or anything like that but RELIGION. I found myself in a situation that I don't normally get to or enjoy being in. I found myself so wrapped up in the politics of the SBC that I could not see Christ! That is a horrible place to be and it isn't a place I venture very often. Matter of fact it isn't normally religion that takes me away from my focus on Christ but normally worldly things such as family, garden, and music to name a few. So I sat back a few nights ago after reading Crystal's blog about re-gaining her focus and it helped me. I realised I needed to get back to the one goal I was very serious about.....reading! Reading scripture and reading books!
Referencing back to my reading post from a number of months ago I am behind. I finished Unchristian and will post a brief review of it soon but then I feel off the wagon. I started to read 2 different books and for someone like me that was a mistake. I am back to reading one book but the one I picked up was honestly the last one I wanted to read 6 months ago. I have picked up and started reading a book at the request of my Brother-in-Law called "Calvinism: A Southern Baptist Dialog". Honestly I thought I was through with this topic a year ago when I investigated the scriptures for myself and came to my own belief about salvation. I will save that for another post if anyone actually cares else I will leave it alone. But it is amazing that I started reading this book because the point of the book is how can we put down a lot of the things that divide us and help get us back on track of working together for the Gospel. I am very thankful that God placed my family at Sojourn Community Church because it has helped me to be more open to differing theology. Also it is hard to have an opinion on a matter if you don't know all sides of the issue. So for the first time in as long as I can remember I am approaching a book and The Book with an open heart asking God to teach me and not me going in to it with my own motivation.
Am I always going to be successful at this goal....No! But that doesn't mean that I can't and shouldn't try. Here is my list now and if you have any suggestions I am definitely open
Original list:
Unchristian(reading right now)
UnChurced
Whats so Amazing About Grace
Calvinism - A southern baptist dialog
New list
Unchristian (complete)
Calvinism - A Southern Baptist Dialog (reading)
UnChurched
The Shack(I gotta konw what all these people are screaming about)
(another book - any suggestions and it doesn't have to be religious in nature)
4 comments:
Back a couple years ago, when I also went through the entire Calvinism/Arminism decision myself, I found Roger Olson's, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities extremely helpful and fair. I don't define myself as either option, but am very comfortable with traditional Reformed theology now. I particularly think its important for me, at least, to be defined in such a manner; I do find it necessarily to rejoice with other Christians of different theological backgrounds on those points that we do agree on.
A book on my own reading list for the summer is N.T. Wright's Surprised by Hope. After meeting the man, I'm now obligated to suggest at least one of his books all the time. ha
For non-theological reading, I agree that it's necessary to time off of theology. I can suggest George MacDonald's Phantastes, a fantasy fairy-tale. As well if you haven't read pretty much anything by Orson Scott Card, you should. At the least read Ender's Game which has been the best fiction book that I've read in a long time.
I agree with Josh. NT Wright's "Surprised by Hope" has been a tremendous read. It is thick and often a labor to read, but it is the best book on the "last things" or "eschatology".
Also, Piper's "Don't Waste Your Life" is great. And "Total Church" by Timmis and Chester is the best book on the church I have read, hands down. We have gleaned sooo much from it.
To take a strike at Josh since it has been so long. I would much rather have met Alister McGrath or John Stott if I were to chose an English theologian. wink...
Well, well, well now. A swipe at me? A swipe back at thee!
I find it funny that one should mention John Stott without also picking up his unique varieties in scholarship. After all, he is one of the few annihilationists out there, a view I myself am drawn to if not entirely persuaded by just yet. If however anyone is interested, I do suggest Edward Fudge's Consuming Fire as a good introduction to the issue. I do this only because the libraries around me do not have Essentials where Stott lays out his tentative considerations.
As well with Alister McGrath, another scholar I had the fortune of meeting (although at the time I had the misfortune of being sick as a dog). If one should pick up his Dawkin's Delusion from Regent College Bookstore, there is the chance you will get the audio lecture he gave there presenting his book. As well you can hear me fumbling through a question at the end.
So I shall see your Stott and McGrath and raise you a J. I. Packer, of whom I've had the pleasure of class and as a companion on the bus. I actually used his recent book Praying the Lord's Prayer as a devotion for Lent, and it was very good.
Brandon, you are so lucky to know us both with so much theology-cred. We can give you so much to read that you'd probably never find much fun time anymore. Take it easy, both of you. :)
One cannot suggest Lewis' Mere Christianity enough. I've read it almost annually and each time find new insights and new perspectives.
J.I. Packer and N.T. Wright are amazing scholars and we can learn a huge amount from them, but they are first scholars who must sit down next to the normal person (like me) and explain what they they've learned. After reading Packer and Wright, a person says, "ah, that makes sense."
Lewis is a more like a person who is already sitting down next to his friend. He leans over and explains what he knows in such a way that after reading, a person says, "yeah, you're right; that's the way it is."
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