What is the best Christian book you read in 2012? If you like you can put your pick in a category like (ministry) or (leadership).
For me it was Mike Breen’s Multiplying Missional Leaders followed up by Alan Hirsch’s Forgotten Ways Handbook.
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Matt Dabbs
April 10, 2024
15 Responses
“Faith Without Illusions: Following Jesus as a Cynic-Saint” by Andrew Byers. Easier to underline what I disagreed with than what I agreed with. My heart needed this book. I’d recommend it for you, also.
Soundalike a great book. I may well order that. Thanks! Hope you had a great Christmas
Rachel Held Evans’ Year of Biblical Womanhood. Evans continues to explore what it means to be an evangelical or post-evangelical, this time exploring from the ramifications of being a women who takes the Bible seriously, Her “concrete” interpretations flesh out realities of faith.
I haven’t gotten around to reading that yet. What was it about the book that made it one of the best for you?
The Cultural Church by F. LaGard Smith
The Circle Maker, by Mark Batterson, hands-down. I knew a little something about prayer before the series Tim Whipple preached from this book, and then from reading it, itself, but this has transformed my praying.
It’s not at all the name-it-and-claim-it that some — who’ve evidently not read the book — accuse it of being. Instead it’s dedicated to the proposition that “God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God.”
That sounds really good Barry, especially coming from you.
Conjectures of A Guilty Bystander by Thomas Merton. Actually, its probably my sixth read since I obtained the book 25 years ago; and I confess that I skim and browse it often
A wonderful book in which Merton, with no apologies, proclaims the powerful and gentle Kingdom of Christ as first and foremost before politics, culture and country. He asks questions that makes those who overlap culture and country with the Kingdom of Christ very uncomfortable.
That sounds super relevant right about now.
Kingdom Ethics by Glen Stassen and David Gushee. Stassen and Gushee present a method of interpreting the Sermon on the Mount that was new to me, and one in which I am still working through. However, if you need a book on the sermon on the mount, or on ethics, or both, this is the volume for you.
BTW – I am seriously intrigued by the book on Merton – thanks for the tip!
Paul
I really enjoyed D.A. Carson’s book on it. I will have to add that to my list.
I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t read any Christian books recently…. or many books at all actually. But I’ve added several of these to my to-read list so thank you!
Currently I’m reading The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs and although it isn’t a Christian book, it has made me think about how much I really live according to the Bible. The author is a liberal agnostic and he goes on a one year quest to follow all of the Biblical “rules” as literally as possible. Obviously it isn’t a deep book like the others mentioned but it does provide some insight into what a non-Christian thinks about the Bible and Christianity and provides a bit of entertainment as well.
It’s hard to choose just one. I found several books this year that really challenged my thinking and caused me to take a hard look at all the preconceptions that I grew up with. Some honorable mentions include “A New Kind of Christian” by Brian McLaren, “Speaking of Jesus” by Carl Medearis, “The Feast” by Joshua Graves, and “Who Is My Enemy” by Lee Camp.
However, the best book I read this year may be Kyle Idleman’s “Not a Fan.” It’s hard not to walk away from that book without feeling like you’ve spent most of your life living as a fan offering lip service instead of a completely committed follower of Jesus.
I liked “ReFocus” by Jim Daly and “Embracing Obscurity” by Anonymous.
I was blessed to be able to see my favorite book, The Screwtape Letters by C.S.Lewis, comes to life on stage this year.Although I have read it many times before, I re read it again after seeing the play making it my favorite Christian book read in 2012!