Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places - Eugene Peterson
In Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, author Eugene Peterson (famous for penning The Message, his modern day paraphrase of the Bible) explores what he deems the three spheres of God's work: creation, history and community. Rather than taking a systematic approach to theological dialogue, Peterson draws from his personal experience as a pastor and from his reading of Scripture and other forms of literature. This is creative non-fiction at its best.
Reimagining Spiritual Formation - Doug Pagitt
Thankfully this book is not yet another abstract theological treatise. Instead, Reimagining Spiritual Formation follows the journeys of six different people from Pagitt's Solomon’s Porch. Each wrestles with various approaches to spiritual formation. This makes for an interesting read and the introduction of some compelling questions regarding the topic at hand. Pagitt says, "this book is primarily about one community and the practices of spiritual formation in it."
Cadences of Home: Preaching to the Exiles - Walter Bruggemann
In Cadences of Home, Brueggemann writes, "I have elsewhere proposed that the OT experience of and reflection upon exile is a helpful metaphor for understanding our current faith situation in the [west], and a model for pondering new forms of ecclesiology." Brueggemann's approach, making our contemporary context an exhilic one, provides a profound and insightfully fresh perspective on mission.
The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is - N.T. Wright
If there's one thing that author, New Testament theologian and Anglican clergyman N.T. (Tom) Wright is known for, it’s his emphasis on the importance of seeing Jesus from the perspective of the earliest believers. Many raised both in the church and in secular western society of today, may be surprised at the figure we find at the center of the Way in 1st century Palestine.
