TEN BOOKS OF RECENT INTEREST

I thought I had been asked on FaceBook to list ten of my most recently read books which have had an impact on my life and thinking. However, now that I've put this together, I re-discovered that it was supposed to be ten books overall which have had an impact. 

Sigh.

Okay. I'm going to do the most recent thingy for now and will put the bigger picture up later. So, for the record, these are ten significant books MOST RECENTLY READ. The list is in no particular order other than when each book came to mind.

(1) The Rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark. Operating from the premise that Christianity rose and survived on its merits alone without any miraculous dots to connect, Stark is to the study of history what non-religious advocates of Intelligent Design are to the study of biological origins. The primary service of the book is the exposure of the Enlightenment Myth which governs the “accepted” outline of the history of the West in general and of the Church in particular. I do not agree with his premise, but I applaud his honesty regarding historical facts.

(2) Anxiety: Anatomy and Cure by Charles Stanley. A worthwhile book for the bookshelf of anyone who wants to be an encourager.

(3) The Story Book by David Baboulene. Although not written with a Christian agenda, this book is one of the best I have read on the dynamic of storytelling. Frankly, I think it should be required reading for anyone entering ministry. If you know the Bible well you will marvel at the degree to which his analysis of narrative is found in the flow of God’s revelation concerning the epic of the ages.

(4) The Consequences of Ideas by R. C. Sproul. While I would disagree with the author’s enthustiasm for Thomas Aquinas, this book is an excellent overview of various philosophical pace setters.

(5) Emotions: Confront the Lies by Charles Stanley. Again, this is an encouraging book for encouragers as well as for those who struggle with the roller coaster of their own feelings. Actually, I often find those to be the same person.

(6) When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself by Corbett and Fikkert. Helpful counsel against knee-jerk efforts of compassion which can do more harm than good. Speaks to individual care as well as missionary agency paradigms. I wish it had been written before 2009.

(7) Relational Apologetics: Defending the Christian Faith by Michael C. Sherrard. Couching the presentation of the Gospel in a relational context without compromising Truth. Mr. Sherrard is not promoting a so-called “seeker-sensitive” approach. Rather, he underscores what I would call a seeker-available model in which the drawing ministry of God’s Spirit is discovered in the questions which people pose and their responsiveness to the answers of Scripture. Think 1 Peter 3:15-16 here.

(8) Found: God’s Will by John MacArthur. A well-written summary of basic God’s-will issues which we face. It drives home the point that we cannot excuse ignorance on the basis of mystery.

(9) The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard. This book, written in the 1950's, exposed the psychological manipulation emerging in advertising in light of the growing shift to a consumer based economy. It is fascinating how prescient Mr. Packard was in light of our present day of economic health based on how much people are spending or borrowing to spend. The moaning merchants of Revelation 18 should be read from time time time while going through this book.

(10) Best Friends, Worst Enemies by Thompson and Grace. This is a study of relationships among children in the various stages of their lives all the way up to adulthood. It highlights core characteristics of friendship and alerts the reader to warning signs of bullying. I do not always agree with conclusions and solutions offered, but I find the observations to be helpful. Lewis' section on philos (friendship) love in The Four Loves would be a good read before reading this book.