INTERESTING BOOKS FOR GIFT GIVING OR HOLIDAY READING...

With the gift buying/giving season now in full swing, a good BOOK is always a great gift. For the individual who seeks to delve into some serious spiritual topics, it can really be a source of inspiration. Likewise, if you find yourself with post Holiday time to read, you may even wish to ask for a book as a gift. KEEP CHECKING...I may be updating....

Here are a few of my recommended books. Some of them you have seen suggested by me in print before...Others are new to the list. If the theme's not obvious, I make a comment:

When Bad Things Happen to Good People- Harold Kushner
The Heart of Christianity-Marcus Borg
Amish Grace----a fascinating story about the school shooting in Lancaster County
Love and Death- Forrest Church- meditations on life and death by a minister in NYC
The Great Awakening- Jim Wallis ( Moving beyond Left/Right debates)
Christ and Culture- H. Richard Niebuhr's classic
God's Politics-Jim Wallis
God in the White House- Randall Balmer
Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism- John Shelby Spong
Religious Literacy- Stephen Prothero
American Jesus- Stephen Prothero
Who Needs God? Harold Kushner
In the Beauty of the Lilies- a powerful novel by John Updike, an interesting look at American religion among other things
Abide with me-a novel by Elizabeth Strout
Christianity for the rest of us-Diana Butler Bass
Congregation-Gary Dorsey
The American Creed-Forrest Church
Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed- inspirational story about World War Two and Christians in France
Silent Night- I preached about this two Christmases ago- the wartime truce in WWI...
Dreams From My Father- Barack Obama~ Written before he ever sought political office---
The Last Campaign- re the 1968 Bobby Kennedy campaign- Thurgood Clarke
Crusade-James Carroll
American Gospel-Jon Meacham, editor, Newsweek
What Jesus Meant-Garry Wills....Outstanding!
An American Requiem-James Carroll- Magnificent book about a father, son, Vietnam , and Catholicism
Steeplejacking----A book that documents what many Christians have tried to do w/ mainline churches!
Caesar's Coin- Richard P. McBrien
Jesus for the Non Religious-John Shelby Spong
Liberation Theology-Gustavo Gutierrez
If you wish to do a SERIOUS study of Catholicism and Protestantism, I recommend:

Catholicism- Richard P. McBrien
The Spirit of Protestantism- Robert Mcafee Brown
Luther: The Reformer- James Kittelson
Luther's Theological Writings- Timothy Lull
Protestant Christianity-John Dillenberger
The Renewal of American Catholicism-David O'Brien


PB

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS

I saw an amazing movie last night at Cinema City in Hartford. Don't let the cute title fool you. If you go to see it, be ready to be emotionally jarred. It is a story about the Holocaust in which one sees the horrors revealed by witnessing the relationship of two children within the framework of the other relationships within their lives.

Over sixty years removed from the end of World War Two, it's sadly all too easy to be emotionally removed from the reality of The Holocaust. Yet we cannot allow this to happen for The Holocaust stands as example of the human being's capacity for EVIL and how readily 'good' people can be ensnared in its grasp.

I admit to being an idealist and an optimist and believe, when all is said and done, that it is good to have ideals and to believe in the power of HOPE.............BUT........We must NEVER FORGET the horrors that human beings have imposed upon other human beings and, in the case of the Holocaust, how peoples' Christian faith had such little influence on their lives and how their religion was USED for the purposes of the Third Reich.

If you get a chance, see this film.......I don't promise entertainment here, but it's a marvelous piece of work.

You can read and see more at the link below:

http://www.boyinthestripedpajamas.com/

TOPICS OF INTEREST

It is important to me that this BLOG be of use to you in your personal religious faith and journey.

Please feel free to use the COMMENTS section below this posting to raise a question or suggest a topic you'd like me to address.

Pastor Bob