recommended

I thought it might be useful to post a more comprehensive list of recommended books than I’ve offered until now as a sidebar. So here they are, updated periodically as I meander through my own current reads.

Devotional

selections from Nouwen’s works, always generating contemplative moments.	fantastic resource for deep scriptural study free from denominational bias.
using inclusive language where easily manipulative language has before excluded many.	excellent resource to study the Pentateuch in its developmental stages.

General Christian

exploring how religion is still relevant in a contemporary world where scientism dictates discourse.	a look into how a fringe minority has taken over the dialogue of Christianity, exchanging the love of Jesus for the law of dogma.
whether you agree or not, a must & challenging read, looking into ways the Bible has been interpreted, and suggesting alternative readings.

Christian & Gay

DVD a sympathetic look into a variety of Christian families and their response to having a gay child.	challenging, this book encourages one to see a gay orientation as a spiritual gift to be offered to God with humility and gratitude.
a careful and honest exploration of church doctrines, scripture, and history regarding the treatment of gays.	a selection of essays by leading Christian leaders (incl. evangelicals) about how the Church should respond to gays in their midst.
essays by gay Christians who were accepted by the church until they came out.	How a Pentecostal minister reconciles his life as a gay man.

 

History

very careful history of the rise of fundamentalism, evangelicalism, and the doctrines they espouse.

oral histories of the American gay rights movement by those involved since 1945.

Philosophy & Theology

when did sodomy become a sin? how did this term come to its current meaning? a historical, literary, and philosophical analysis.	arguing why God isn’t just for the great unwashed masses, how theological apologetics is relevant even for academics
the shame of evangelicalism is anti-intellectualism. A diagnosis and prescription.

Spirituality

leave dogma behind and rediscover faith in all its facets. Profound and challenging.	contemplation, mysticism, and intimacy with God.
essays on Christianity in the 21st Century, a movement towards deep relationships both with Christ and with each other.	three ways a Christian should reach out.
using Rembrandt’s painting as icon through which the layers of Jesus’ parable is revealed and meditated upon. Profound.	moving from pre-critical naïveté through critical thinking, and into post-critical naïveté, with profound personal effects.
taking Jesus out of the dogma box and offering a profound reintroduction.	Jesus came for ragamuffins—a profoundly moving look into God’s abounding grace.
moving from “servant leadership” to dedicated friendships. What does it mean to be God’s friend? For Jesus to be our friend?	what it means to have the signature of Jesus on one’s life.