Reading 2009

This is what I have read, am reading and hope to read in 2009:

1. The Mission of God: Christopher J. Wright- still reading

2. Discovering Truth in a Postmodern World: Lesslie Newbigin – 8/10 vintage Newbigin, transcripts of a series of talks given at Holy Trinity Brompton’s School of Theology (1994-5).  The chapters on “Knowing” and “The Church” are brilliant.

3. The Dark Mirror: Juliet Marillier – 6/10 if fantasy is a preferred genre for you, then you will enjoy this one.  Not the best fantasy ever read (Eddings, Tolkien or Gemmel) but solid, enjoyable storyline with few drastic twists in the story (ala Gemmel).  Hoping that the rest of the series will shed some light on a few unanswered questions.

4. Post-Christendom:  Stuart Murray -  6/10.  Not a bad read.  Nothing terribly new if you are familiar with this field of reading.  I found the  writing style to be a bit jerky, not always flowing easily.  In this age of transparency regarding our starting position it is good to make your position clear upfront, but I must admit I found Murray a bit bias regarding Anabaptist history and practice.  But I did enjoy the historical snapshots of dissenting movements throughout Christendom.

5. Borderless Church: David Lundy – 6/10.   A helpful if not awe-inspiring, change your whole paradigm type book.  The concept of borderless church being two-fold both in terms of local and foreign mission (glocal) and between church and community (missional).  The chapters on “Postmodern Culture” and “Soft Apologetics” were particularly helpful.  The snapshots of borderless churches were a mixed bag and generally of those (larger) churches who are operating effectively within traditional structures.

6. Christ and Culture Revisited: Don Carson – 8/10. This is almost a great read.  Carson interacts with Richard Neibuhr’s classic Christ and Culture.  Neibuhr proposes 5 different paradigms for interacting with culture.  Carson rightly says that Niebuhr is too simplistic in his distinguishing of paradigms.  Cultural interaction is more complex and multi-layered than Niebuhr allows.  Biblically we see that the attitudes to culture depend on situation and context (i.e. sometimes it is right to be against culture but it must never be absolutized into the only position always and vice versa).  Where I found the book really heavy going was when Carson looked at some examples of cultural interaction (e.g. democracy), which were I found overly long, complicated and North American (which fair enough is his context).   Other than this a helpful read that will make your brain work hard but worth it!

7. Renegades Magic: Robin Hobb – 6.5/10 enjoyable, well resolved, clever without being the best fantasy literature I have ever read.  Not even the best Hobb trilogy I have ever read.  Book 1 was really good, after that the pace was a bit slow.  But an enjoyable read without being dynamic.

8. More Than Equals: Racial Healing for the Sake of the Gospel: Spencer Perkins and Chris Rice – 9/10.  A really great book to read alone or in a group.  Makes a very important distinction between racial integration and racial reconciliation.  Tackles the issue from both the white and the black viewpoint, dealing well with both their grievances and their blindspots.  Even though this is a book written from a US viewpoint, it makes essential reading for any post-apartheid South African.  Many of the issues and struggles are very similar to where we find ourselves in 2009 SA, even if the details are different.  Read this book, but more imporantly start an inter-racial discussion with or because of this book.

9. Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending Church of North America: Darrell Guder – 7/10.  Guder’s basic idea is that the church has been captured by a reduced gospel – in our day that is largely the individualistic, saving souls gospel with little social impact now.   And this reductionism has happened and will continue to happen throughout church history.  Unless their is a continuing conversion of the church.  A continuing conversion that happens as the church engages with Scripture and is called to mission.  I had a few questions about Guder’s doctrine of Scripture and the role of the Incarnation as a unique event rather than primarily as a model for us to follow.  But this may just be fuzzy articulation rather than actual theological problems.

10. Fatherhood – Tony Payne – 8/10 – great book, theologically strong, practically helpful. What was of interest to me of course was that the theological justification which consistently underpins the book, does not apply to adoption.  See my fuller review for more info.

11. Shroud for a Nightingale – P.D. James – 6/10. Tried some American crime novels last year.  It felt like I was reading an action movie script!  P.D. James is the a true whodunnit novelist, slower, more character depth, better writing.  And does not try to be overly clever with dramatic plot surprises that do not work and instead become predictable and superfical.  If you enjoy whodunnit crime novels James is the best I have read so far.

With Nathan’s arrival I have found myself reading a lot more fiction, easier on the brain… but trying to find time and energy to continue engaging with more thought-provoking and challenging material.  But I am not going to do more than list and rate most fiction I have read.

12. Devices and Desires – P.D. James 5/10

13. Original Sin – P.D. James 7/10

14. Death in Holy Orders – P.D. James – 6/10

15. Culture Making – Andy Crouch – 9.5/10 – brilliant! Already one of my best reads this year.  Part 1 helps us define exactly what it means when we talk of culture, culture-making etc; Part 2 provides a biblical theology of culture; and Part 3 considers what does it mean to be Christian culture-makers- actually part 3 is the best part of the whole book.  This may surprise you if you are still in part 1 or 2.  But a thoroughly Christian and missional understanding of culture and the call to be culture-makers.  A good anti-dote to some of the truimphalistic Christian culture making talk out there.

16. Lion of Macedon – David Gemmell – 7/10 – classic Gemmel.  Strong characters, fast-moving plot (although got a bit slow in the middle) and a catch at the end.

17. The Unexpected Adventure – Lee Strobel and Mark Mittleberg – read my full review here.

18. What St Paul Really Said – N.T. Wright – 8/10.  When Wright is busy placing Paul within his Jewish context and refuting those who say Paul as any other than a thoroughly Jewish man, who has become convinced that Jesus is the promised Jewish Messiah he is brilliant – the book then is worthy of a 10/10.  I give it an 8 because even though Wright is convincing and well researched I am not convinced of his equating justification with church membership.  What I do agree with him on is that the doctrine of justification is a doctrine that breaks down walls and brings people together.  I find it ironic that in reading Galatians for years in SA, never have I heard Galatians being taught as refuting racism, division and economic separation from others on gospel grounds.  This I agree with Wright is the real thrust of Galatians.  This is the reason why Paul retells the gospel, as faith alone, Christ alone, grace alone so strongly and compelling.  If your gospel brings division and fails to bring people together – then you are believing another gospel.  Definitely one of my favourite reads of the year so far.

19. The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver – 9/10.  As a work of fiction, really great, gripping read.  The story kind of pulls you in.  Because the story is set in a evangelical Christian missionary setting it does hit hard at some of the faults of the foreign missions movement.  It is a one-sided story but if we are honest, there is much truth to this side of the story.  Read it with some great missionary biographies and you will be richer and more nuanced in your understanding of missions in Africa.

20. Justice, Mercy and Humility: Integral mission and the poor - Tim Chester (ed) – 7/10.  A series of essays on mission, justice and the poor.  As with any collection it is a mixed bag.  Some deserved a rating of 9 0r 10 on their own, whilst others perhaps lack a punch and deserve a 5 or 6 rating.  But a good read, especially if you pick and choose.

21. Fall of Kings – David and Stella Gemmel – 7/10.  I must admit I always find the last book of a trilogy a bit disappointing.  Especially when the characters and the storyline is as strong and engaging as Gemmel’s always are.  Somehow the end can never live up to the brilliance of the build up.  This is also David Gemmel’s last ever book.  He actually died when writing it and his wife finished it off from the notes, but it did not feel any less of a Gemmel book for me.  Gemmel’s different take on the Troy story is refreshing with Gemmel’s usual strong characterization, fast-moving storyline with a twist that you never see coming, and a sudden, never happily ever after end.  If you are a Gemmel fan you will not be disappointed, I wasn’t.

22. Organic Church – Neil Cole. 8/10. A great provocative read displaying confidence in the power of the gospel to reproduce organically.  The problem is that we try to programme the life out of the organic nature of the gospel at work.  One reservation I do think Cole goes too far at times in downplaying the role of elders and the need not just to put anyone in charge of “pastoring a church”.

23. The Ordinary Hero – Tim Chester – I once heard Tim says that he thinks his gift as a writer is connecting theology with life.  I agree with Tim wholeheartedly.  Tim is brilliant in writing meaty, insightful, deeply theological reflections that somehow feel so simple and practical that you are amazed you never thought of it yourself.  My only criticism is that because I know Tim wants his books to be accessible and of a easily readable length I suspect that sometimes “ruthless” editing can cause a slight lack of flow in thought. 8/10

24. The Golden Compass – Philip Pullman (will evaluate the trilogy as a whole)

25. The Subtle Knife – Philip Pullman (will evaluate the trilogy as a whole)

26. The Amber Spyglass – Philip Pullman – 4/10 (and that is only because The Golden Compass is quite good!) Review to follow

27. The Busy Christians Guide to Busyness – Tim Chester – still reading

28. Out of the Black Shadows – Stephen Lungu 5/10. This was my 2nd time around reading this.  As with the first time, I loved the first few chapters, the story of Lungu’s early life and conversion.  When he begins to talk about being “civilized” (learning to eat with a knife and fork, tie a tie etc) by the missionaries I began to feel uncomfortable and loose interest in the story.  The last few chapters, feel less like a story and more like an itinerary of everything Lungu does until he becomes the director of African Enterprise.  The book disappointingly never lives up to the potential of the first few chapters.

29. The Best Idea in the World – Mark Greene 6/10 Read the full review here

30 The Thunderbolt Kid – Bill Bryson 9/10. Classic Bryson!  He seems to have a great knack for researching the most bizarre yet strangely believable stories and facts.  This account of growing up in Des Moines, Iowa in the 50’s is hilarious and yet when you finish laughing you find yourself longing for a world that will never be again… sadly enough.  As with all Bryson’s  previous work – the biggest disappoinment is his unnecessary usage of crude language.  Bryson is far too good of a writer to need to resort to cheap laughs.

31. God’s New Community – Graham Beynon 6/10. A solid, biblically sound, exposition of the church as God’s new community.  It is solid without being spectacular.  Helpful but somehow it just feels like this book lacks something…  A good book to give someone who is just beginning to understand church but I would want to supplement it with something that inspires some more heart and passion for the community of God’s people.

32. Return Policy – Micheal Snyder – when Zondervan sent an e-mail offering some books to be reviewed.  Most were Christian fiction, a genre I generally have as much affection for as razor-wire sandwhich.  But I thought, let me give it a try… Sad to say I should have gone with my gut feel.  The story was superficial and predictable.  The scenarios were unbelievable and at times rather contrived.  The characters were one-dimensional, lacked an authenticity and singularly unspectacular. The imagery was either cliched or poor, were orginality was attempted.  Sorry this gets a 2/10.

33. Foolishness to the Greeks – Lesslie Newbigin – still reading

34. Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger – Ronald Sider – 9/10.  This ought to be compulsary reading for every Christian in the western world where Christianity seldom looks any different from the values of the world around us.  We often have much to say on “spiritual” issues, but shy away from politics or worldly issues.  Sider gives us a healthy dose of Kingdom theology that is sorely needed in our day.  I heard there is an updated copy but mine is the old 1970’s version. So whilst most of the statistics are outdated, and the economic realities have changed (at times) quite drastically from when Sider writes, the spirit of the book is, the call to genuine neighbour love for the poor in our world is where the real heart of the book lies.  At times Sider’s exegesis of the Biblical texts is lacking, coloured more by his agenda than by reflection on the particular text before him.  But do not be mistaken, Sider’s ideas are mostly deeply biblical, even if he at times uses the wrong texts.

35. The Church Struggle in South Africa – John de Gruchy & Steve de Gruchy - still reading