Five Recommended Summer Books (For the Theologically-Oriented Type)
By Brian Nixon, Special to ASSIST News Service
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO (ANS – June 20, 2016) -- Summer officially began today (Monday, June 20th); with summer comes vacations, and hopefully with vacations comes reading.
Though
most of these book recommendations are theologically oriented (all
released this year), I think a few can be read, digested, and enjoyed by
any reader interested in the Christian life. I highly recommend all
five.
You Are What You Love,
James K.A Smith. This may be my favorite book of the year. It’s a well
written summary of what it means to pursue God. Part spiritual
disciplines premier, part passionate pursuit of the good life, Smith has
done us a great favor in writing this gem. Tim Keller calls it a
“proactive” read.
The Death of Humanity,
Richard Weikart. Whereas Smith has given us a thoughtful and friendly
read with You Are What You Love, Cal State, Stanislaus, professor,
Richard Weikart, has given us a meaty and timely feast. Concerning the
book, Ravi Zacharias states, “Weikart demonstrates the impoverishment of
philosophies that reject the Judeo-Christian worldview -- but ‘still
retain some of the vestiges of the Judeo-Christian morality that they
claim to spurn’ -- and shows how Christianity uniquely makes sense of
our questions of meaning, purpose, morality, and dignity. His book will
sober and challenge you.”
Modern Art And The Life of a Culture,
Jonathan Anderson and William Dyrness. If you like art (and Christians
should), then this is the book for you. Using the classic book by Dutch
theologian, Hans Rookmaaker -- Modern Art and the Death of a Culture, as
its springboard, Modern Art And The Life of a Culture discusses how
Christians can -- and should -- approach modern art. Christian
philosopher, Nicholas Wolterstorff, says, “This is a book we have needed
for a long time.”
Taking Pascal’s Wager: Faith, Evidence and the Abundant Life
by Michael Rota. Another jewel of a book! If you’re interested in
apologetics, science, and living a full and meaningful life (yes, the
three can exist harmoniously), then this is the book for you. William
Lane Craig calls it “an unusual book” that “challenges the mind while
appealing to the heart.”
The Apostle Paul and The Christian Life,
Scot McKnight and Joseph Modica. If you enjoy the New Testament (with
the Apostle Paul writing 1/3 of it), then this book is a must. Taking
modern scholarship concerning Paul and placing it in a real-world
context, The Apostle Paul and The Christian Life is both practical and
penetrating. Michael Bird calls it “A stimulating and stirring read
about what Paul means today.”
According
to the Pew Research group, “The number of book readers has dipped a bit
from the previous year and the number of e-book readers has remained
flat” [1].
With
news such as this -- reading, particularly for Christians -- should be
high on our priority list. If it’s not one of the books on this list,
then do yourself a favor, find a book you’ll enjoy and read it!
Photo captions: 1) The Death of Humanity. 2) Modern Art And The Life of a Culture. 3) The Apostle Paul and The Christian Life. 4) Brian Nixon.
About
the writer: Brian Nixon is a writer, musician, and minister. He's a
graduate of California State University, Stanislaus (BA) and is a Fellow
at Oxford Graduate School (D.Phil.). To learn more, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Nixon.
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