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Alright…as promised a (book) junkie’s list of best hits (reads)…
Due to popular demand…my top 10–the first five. I’m an avid reader. I read probably 10-20 books at a time, probably several hundred in the last year…I read fast and furious…I belch out content and trade in the currency of used books and Border’s Book store credit…seriously I’m a fanatic (ick…it’s almost embarrasing just admitting how much I read)…But there are a few books that have arrested my attention and furthered my development. They are deeply personal…but also deeply applicable to a broad spectrum of living. Other’s have gained tremendous enjoyment from them as well…so I feel pretty good about passing on the recommendations.
Like every Rolling Stone List– which mistakenly emphasizes the new music simply because it’s the current flavor of the week–you will find that some of my selections are part of my new reading…I don’t know what to say about that…but they are great…truly! I hope you read some of them!.
Number 10: The Divine Romance by Gene Edwards–When I read this first, over ten years ago, my life was changed. I had never seen the Bible as more than history and suddenly I was being invited into His Story…the greatest love story ever told. What an amazing and full vision of God’s Eternal Purpose–from everlasting to everlasting (with you and me at the center of His heart).
Number 9: The Complex Christ by Kester Brewin–In December a friend recommended this. I was dreading the book to be honest–it looked like a dummy’s manual “how to guide” to emergence…and I really had no interest in reading it…But then I opened it…I was wrecked. The words were prophetic. They were inspirational. They were centered on the person of Jesus Christ and offered a deep vision of God and humanity working in concert together in His Kingdom. Truly awesome.
Number 8: Christ the Sum of All Spiritual Things by Watchman Nee–8 yeas ago an church planter and Christian worker suggested this. I had just met the Lord in a “knock you off your ass (donkey–in reference to Paul’s road to Damascus experience)” sort of way. He thought that this might inspire an even deeper appreciation for Christ as all and in all…He was right. It became the language I spoke for 7 years. Very formational.
Number 7: Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell–there’s no doubt that this book was all about timing for me. My faith needed repainting. I was on the verge of mental breakdown, I was immersed in a system of thought that had led me to pride–exclusivity–and absolutism, I was numb to God and closed to anything but the narrow vantage I found comfortable…Then I read this book. It forced me to confront all of those demons and acknowledge my own brokenness…I really can’t recommend it highly enough.
Number 6: The Indwelling Life of Christ by Major Ian W Thomas–it’s not like I hadn’t heard the deeper Christian Life message before…this wasn’t a revolutionary book per se…but I’ve still not found a more artful and articulate synthesis of the theme of “All of Him for all of me”…I can’t help but wonder if this writing and thought process set me up for a significant embrace of the kingdom reality in my life–the kingdom gospel which speaks of a heavenly invasion into my livingess claiming my head, heart, and hands. I would say that’s what Major Ian W. Thomas was talking about all those years ago…
Number 5: The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann–this book took me off guard. It’s a recent addition in my life. I knew of Brueggy baby (that’s Mike’s nickname for him) but thought of him merely in terms of dry scholasticism and theology. This book couldn’t be further from dry. It reads with the language of an intellectual giving voice to the preaching of a pentecostal apostle. He envisions the Scriptural reaction to the Empire/current dominant regime…he traces the continuity of how God’s people always respond the culture of competition and competence…guess how (and I hate to spoil it)…as dreamers…as believers in a better reality…as artists and poets and suffering grieving lovers…as a compassionate people–which the empire can never co-opt! Brilliant! Brilliant!
Alright…check em out…buy em, borrow em, read em…
if you’ve already read any of them let me know what you thought. I’d love to hear your feedback.
Filed under: Book Review | Tagged: deeper christian life, emergent, Eternal Purpose, gene edwards, kester brewin, major ian w. thomas, reading list, rob bell, spiritual formation, top ten books, walter brueggeman, watchman nee
I definitely had a similar experience with both Christ the Sum of All Spiritual Things, and velvet elvis, but I’ve always kind of harbored a secret dislike for The Divine Romance. Dan Schmidt recommended …The Sum of All Spiritual Things to me a bit after I moved to Jax, and it knocked me off my socks.
Velvet Elvis came into my life at exactly the right time. I’d been experiencing similar things, and it really altered my christ-view.
So, while I’m listing books here I thought I might as well list my top 10 most influencing books, at least when it comes to spiritual matters.
10. The Secret to the Christian Life – Gene Edwards
Not much to say about this one, just came at the right time and said the right things.
9. The Silas Diary – Gene Edwards
Introduced me in a very real and tangible idea that the bible isn’t a set of rules or a “owner’s manual” for living on earth, but a living story that we are a part of.
8. Who Wrote the Bible – Richard Friedman
P and Q and some other letters and the old testament. Similar to the above, but in ways a lot more helpful. The OT is such a tangled conundrum of books it takes a lot of mental gymnastics to string it together as one cohesive story without understanding how and why some of these things were written.
7. The School of Christ – T. Austin Sparks
This, I think, is sort of Austin Sparks’ ..sum of all spiritual things. Short. Dense. Rich.
6. Christ the Sum of All Spiritual Things – See Above
5. Desire of the Everlasting Hills – Thomas Cahill
The earth groans for the return of Christ as a mother in labor. An absolutely amazing and beautiful book.
4. Climb the Highest Mountain – Gene Edwards
Still his best book.
3. The True Believer – Eric Hoffer
Anyone who is to become part of one of the smaller idiosyncratic groups outside of the mainstream must read this book. Everyone should.
2. The Powers that Be – Walter Wink
Changed my world.
1. Velvet Elvis – Rob Bell
I never thought a book written by the pastor of a megachurch in the midwest would make it to the top of my top ten, but… It came at the right place, in the right time, and it really did change everything for me.
Micah, I’m surprised Take This Bread didn’t make your list. I can’t do “of all time” but a few in recent years for me have been:
Take This Bread by Sara Miles
Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening by Cynthia Borgeault
The Revolution Will Not be Microwaved by Sandor Katz
God & Christ: A Crisis in the Life of God by Jack Miles
How (Not) to Speak of God by Pete Rollins
The Wild Man’s Journey & Simplicity by Richard Rohr
books by NT Wright
books by Brian McLaren
materials by Presence International…
Stretching back a decade, certainly the works of Gene Edwards, Frank Viola, (even) Rick Joyner–and a little book called Beholding and Becoming.
Viva la transformative reading!
I tried to read ‘The Divine Romance’ but I just couldn’t get into it.
I think by the time I opened it up, I had already assimilated Gene’s general message: “You can’t live the Christian life, the institution is evil, you need to leave and move to one of my churches”.
Sorry, but that’s a good bit of it.
It’s not that I don’t value his contribution to the Christian world, because I really do. He is capable of sharing Jesus Christ, and I appreciate that immensely. He just preaches ‘the Church’ a bit much for my own Spiritual well being.
(wow. did that sound abrasive? I’m sorry. I’m in quite a mood today.)
I’ve also read Velvet Elvis and loved it. It was a breath of fresh air.
I dunno about my favorite 10. Let’s see:
Sit, Walk, Stand: Nee
Normal Christian Life: Nee
Glories of the Cross: Dixon
Life Together: Bonhoeffer
(I think its called) Yes I AM: Norman Grubb
Surprised by Hope: Wright
The Shack: Young
In and Of: Haas (careful with this one…)
Practicing His Presence: Lawrence…
(No particular order)
And of Course..
The Bible: God (well you know…)
Of all the books listed above, with the exception of the Scriptures, I think Sit Walk Stand is probably the most valuable to me (although I know longer own a copy!).
It is short, clear, and even practical in a sense.
Thanks guys…those are awesome reads…some of them I’ve read, some of them I haven’t–some of them I can’t wait to pick up.
Johnny–I understand what you’re saying about Edwards–much of his stuff leaves me cold and unmoved today. Still…I feel Divine Romance attempts to rise above the characteristic negativity of his later years–the original messages (”The Love of God”) spoken in 1973 are incredible…seriously…They came at the height of the Jesus Movement and there is so much of that kingdom fervor that comes as young men and women radically abandon themselves to God’s purposes being worked out in their lives…Micah, I actually personally enjoy The Mission (Cllimb the Highest Mountain) better too…in our context and in the “church life” home church circles we travel it has so much greater application…very personal for me. But it’s broad appeal is less than Divine Romance in my mind.
There are so many others that I want to mention (yeah Sarah Miles–Take This Bread is awesome),,,:Divine Conspiracy’ by Willard, Sadhana by DeMello, The Kingdom and the Church by Kaung, Jesus and the Victory of God by Wright…etc…etc…later…later…
This is an old post but I’ll comment anyway since Google lead me here Huzah for Brit.
These are in no real order
10. Let Go: Francois Fenelon
(14…new Christian…mind blown)
9. Paul’s Idea of Community: Robert Banks
(continuity)
8. Prophetic Ministry: T. Austin Sparks
7. Release of the Spirit: Nee
(although I disagree with a lot of this stuff now)
6. Tale of Three Kings: Gene Edwards
(ditto)
5. Communion with God: Mark Virkler
(God used it at just the right time)
4. “Our Mission”: Edwards
Very Formative
3. Secrets of the Most Holy Place: Don Nori
Right Time, Right Place
2. 2,000 Years of Charismatic Church History
(It put missing pieces back into so many groups talked about in the Torch if the Testimony)
1. The School of Christ
(God really used this to change me)