10 Books

Okay, since Becky gave me the HT and posted her 10 books, I thought I’d add my 10. I too have this habit of reading at least 4-5 books at the same time. Here is what I’ve either recently read, am in the middle of, or hope to read real soon…

1. too good to be true by Michael Horton. This is an easy read, as far as the intellect goes, but it speaks directly to the heart, reminding us not to reinvent God in our own image.

2. Political Visions and Illusions by David Koyzis. I give credit to Bob Robinson for recommending this one. I like it so much we are using portions of it for our Sunday morning discussion/thinking class called the Lava Lounge (yes hot topics are discussed in a safe place). Koyzis strips the red/blue out of the political discussion, exposing the underlying ideologies (used in the negative sense) and evaluates these ideologies through the lense of the Christian worldview.

3. Thy Kingdom Come by Randall Balmer. Don’t waste your time. Thought not quite as acerbic nor scantily clad, he’s the Ann Coulter of the left. Light on arguement and heavy on rant. Read Koyzis instead. Scot McKnight blogged on this book and the comments that followed contained the substance that was missing in Balmer’s book. Save the cash and catch McKnight’s review.

4. Getting Things Done by David Allen. Organization (especially managing the paper piles) is an art at which I’ve failed miserable. I prefer writing papers, coding software and having dental work done compared to sorting through stacks. After a glowing report at Between Two Worlds, I did the Amazon “one-click” and was reading the book 2 days later. I poured over it quickly and yes, it’s a system that even I can stick too. Though… sadly I still have not quite caught up on sorting the “collection” box. Maybe I’ll finish over the Christmas break.

5. Evangelicalism Divided by Iain Murray. History explains so much about current trends and dynamics. I’m halfway through the book and it is definitely filled with facts and thorough research. Regardless of where one falls on the issue of ecumenicalism, this is an insightful read.

6. What Can We Know? by Louis Pojman. Okay, the bottom line is that I want to understand Becky’s posts and engage her ideas at a more informed level. Oh yea, and I plan to take Epistomology in the spring. I figured I’d get a leg up on the various theories of knowledge. (Hey, Becky, what do you think about the Amazon reviews of this book?)

7. Repentance by Edward Anton. I borrowed this from a dear neighbor who I love and respect. Repentance is not a word I hear often. And yes, I have not started the book yet. Perhaps I’m avoiding the topic …

8. The Missing Gospels by Darrell Bock. I love to learn about and teach on the topic of the historical reliability of the Gospels. This is the latest tome from a respected and informed theologian. I look forward to any new insight that he might provide.

9. God Up Close by Doug McIntosh. My autographed copy came from by brother’s, wife’s, Mom. Doug is the pastor of her church and he wrote a lot of the OT commentaries for CBS. I’ve read portions and have to respect him for graciously and in a true Christ-like manner (he began with sincere compliments) noting that some of the teachings from Richard Foster on mediation are “terribly misleading” (p. 36). After I finish Horton’s book, I’ll dive back into this one (so hold me accountable).

10. Getting Lost: Survival, Baggage, and Starting Over in J. J. Abrams’ “Lost” by Orson Scott Card. Okay, not only have I become utterly addicted to this show in the last month and half, but I have read two books on the topic and this is my favorite. Several essays are a waste of time – but several are very thought provoking. I won’t comment further other than to say, borrow the DVDs for the first two seasons and watch the show tomorrow. It’s worth the investment in time. I watch few movies and little TV. This is indeed an entertainment option that is worth the time and moreover can be an excellent spring board for watercooler evangelism. Moreover, it kicked me of my L&O addition (which includes SVU and CI).

Wow – two posts in one day after a period of sparse posting… So what are you reading? In particular I need a few good novels to stick into the queue..