Books

Here are some suggestions of books that I am currently reading or have found helpful.

What I am reading now...

A Down and Dirty Guide to Theology, Donal K. McKim

Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer - Palmer is an educator by trade.  He has written several books about the topic.  This small book is a great one if you are struggling with questions about calling and vocation.  I keep copies of this book on my shelf at work so that I can give them away to people who are asking those deep questions.

Letters to a Young Doubter, William Sloane Coffin - this is a wonderful little book on faith, doubt and life written in the form of letters from a professor to a college student who is struggling with belief and identity.  William Sloane Coffin is the former pastor of Riverside Church in New York City and chaplain at Yale.  He was a Freedom Rider in the civil rights movement.  This book is an easy read but is also challenging and relevant. 

Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, in the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation, Eboo Patel - Eboo Patel is a leader in interfaith dialogue.  He started the Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago, IL.  This book is his story and vision for interfaith work in our country.  If interfaith conversations are an area of interest to you, then this book is a must.

Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann, Walter Brueggemann - This is a collection of prayers offered by Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament professor at Columbia Theological Seminary.  These prayers are thought provoking and faith enhancing.  This is a great book to use as a part of your devotional life.

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith, Rob Bell - This is an intriguing look at the Christian faith through a post-modern lense.  At times controversial and times just down-right funny, Bell has offered a new look at what Christians believe and how it intersects with the world in which we live.