This book was given to me by Family Christian in exchange for an honest review.
When I received Books That Change Lives I immediately sat down with my highlighter, as if it was a test, with the hopes of marking off the majority of the books on this list. I mean after all I’m a self-proclaimed professional reader. Books are my calm, my quiet place, my friends.
I soon discovered that while I have a lot of Dr. James Dobson, Jonathan Edwards, Phillip Yancey, and C. S. Lewis in my back pocket. More Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Elisabeth Elliot are needed in my life. One thing I quickly noticed was the absence of some of my favorite authors: Leonard Sweets, Cynthia Ruchti, Madeline L’Engle (just to name a few). As with any list there will always be important ones left out. In this list there seems to be a lack of female authors with a lean towards conservative complementary evangelical literature. So my question fell to who created this list and the criteria behind who made the cut.
On the back cover it states that “These lists were compiled by Christian retail book experts, members of The Parable Group.” The Parable Group is a data-driven marketing agency that connects retailers, products and services to Christian consumers. Here’s a video about who and what they are. After watching I have to say that I would enjoy working there.
Marketing, prayer, and creative space: it doesn’t get much better then that. It sounds very similar to the environment I work in now at First Presbyterian Church. But I’m still left confused by their list. If they are data driven that means this list was compiled by what “Christians” are already purchasing. Does the fault lie with us for not being more supportive of women theologians? Where are Kay Arthur, Priscilla Meyers, Barbara Brown Taylor, and Beth Moore? Or is the definition of Christian being offered limited to a very narrow set of theology?
So I went to the publisher, CLC Publications. I found that “the purpose of CLC is to make evangelical Christian literature available to all nations.” Suddenly, I realize my issue isn’t with the list, the data, or even the publisher. It’s a great list given the parameters. My issue lies with the title of the book Books That Change Lives: Recommended Reading Lists for Christian Readers. I am left wanting to rename the book Recommended Reading Lists for Conservative Evangelical Christian Readers. Why? Because our faith community is larger then complimentary conservative evangelicalism.
Our faith community is larger then complimentary conservative evangelicalism. Click To TweetDon’t get me wrong. I have nothing against evangelicals, I was raised in the Bible Belt and received my theological training at Dallas Theological Seminary. But I’ve had the door slammed in my face in an attempt to be faithful to my calling so often that I’ve been pushed from the community (Read: Ministry, my calling). In the process I’ve discovered that there is a much bigger world out there. A world God loves. A world God is saving.
John 3:16 is the verse we cling to as Christians to claim acceptance into this faith community. Yet, each denomination wants to mold and shape the word Christian to be more narrow then it already is. We’ve made the table of communion so small that only the “best” of us are welcome to sit at it.
In Matthew 22:36-40 Jesus was asked an important question:
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
In our faith communities we have added so many rules and regulations, just as the Pharisees did, in order to be a part of the community. Christ said to love the Lord your God and to love your neighbor. The rest should pretty much just fall into place (Read more: Who is your neighbor? and Like A Good Neighbor - Love Well).
So yes. It’s a great list. Apparently it struck a nerve before I ever opened it.
Because I can’t change the title I would like to suggest a few more books, some I’ve read just this year and some on my reading list for 2016.
Books I’ve Read This Year, Reviewed & Recommend
Small Talk: Learning From My Children About What Matters Most by Amy Julia Becker
Tattered and Mended by Cynthia Ruchti
Grace in the Middle: An Imperfect Journey to God’s Perfect Plan by Wendy Duke
Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better by Brant Hansen
Finding Your Way Back to God by Dave and Jon Ferguson
Runaway Radical: A Young Man’s Reckless Journey To Save The World by Amy and Jonathan Hollingsworth
Halo Found Hope by Helo Matzelle
Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor (currently reading this book)
Books I Want to Read in 2016
Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey
Everything ever written by Barbara Brown Taylor
From Tablet to Talk by Leonard Sweets
Sky Lantern and Into the Fray by Matt Mikalatos
Coffee With Calvin by Donald K. McKim
A few of the ones I did not highlight in Books That Change Lives: ones by Philip Yancey, C. S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, W. Ian Thomas, and A. W. Tozer. Like I said, great list wrong title.
There’s a whole different list of fiction I would like to tackle. Of course I’m anxiously waiting on a few of my favorite authors to release their next ones.
What were some of your favorite books that you’ve read this past year? What’s on your reading list for 2016?
I just finished Out of Sorts by Sarah Bessey and it was amazing and wonderful. I also have Jesus Feminist on my mental to-be-read list.
This was a thoughtful post and I like your take on the inclusion of women writers in the list. Jesus thought it was important that women learn and share, and He gave the opportunities to do so.