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