Friday, January 6, 2012

Best books I read last year

Books that I read this past year that I recommend:

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas: An outstanding work on the German pastor and theologian who stood up to Hitler and paid with his life. Metaxas shows Bonhoeffer's deep faith in Jesus and the Bible and how, trying to save the Jews in Nazi Germany, he put his faith into action.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent: Burpo's four-year-old son Colby, during a near-death experience, is shown heaven, later describing what he saw to his family in a way only a child could relate details. A book that is sure to encourage your faith.

The Shack by William P. Young: A novel about a man who endures a gruesome tragedy in his family, who is invited by God to revisit the place of his daughter's apparent murder. The meeting transforms the man's life--and will transform your thinking about God's overwhelming love and grace.

Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola and George Barna: Notwithstanding Viola's simplistic "solutions" to returning to true early church worship, and fuzziness about a few historic facts, this book is still an eye-opener about common church practices that are accepted as "Christian"--but which are not rooted in the New Testament at all. A clarion call for discerning what church practices and teachings are mere adaptations from non-Christian culture.

1 comment:

Jon Zens said...

I think it needs to be kept in mind that "Pagan Christianity" was never intended to provide solutions.It is not a stand alone book. It only deconstructs and offers no filled-out constructive alternative. This is intentional. The NT perspectives are unfolded are in the follow-up constructive sequels, "Reimagining Church" and "Finding Organic Church" - you can view them here with descriptions: www.ReimaginingChurch.org