Ten Books That Shaped My Faith

(Image shamelessly swiped from Sarah Bessey)

Sarah Bessey did it. So did Suzannah Paul. I guess it's my turn now.

Ladies and gentlemen, here are the Ten Books That Shaped My Faith (in no particular order):

1. A New Kind of Christianity by Brian McLaren. While not my all-time favorite McLaren book (that would be a tie between A New Kind of Christian and Everything Must Change), this was the book that first introduced me to a Christianity different from the evangelical one I only knew up to that point.

2. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. While not as radical as A New Kind of Christianity, Miller reassured me that I was not the only evangelical that wanted something more out of life and faith.

3. Evolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans. Ever since I read one of her articles on Burnside Writers Collective, I knew that Evans was something special. This book gave me permission to ask questions and be at peace with not always having an answer.

4. The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. This book challenges my self-imposed legalism, and boggles my mind with God's love.

5. The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. Like Manning, Nouwen also challenges me to give up my futile attempts to try to win God's favor and just accept that God actually loves me.

6. Reading the Bible Again for the First Time by Marcus Borg. Although I don't always agree with Borg, this book did change the way I view scripture. Instead of asking, "Did this really happen?" I know ask, "What does this story mean?"

7. The Politics of Jesus by John Howard Yoder. While not the easiest read in the world, Yoder's ideas made me rethink a lot of my previously held assumptions about the Christian's relationship to the State.

8. The Kingdom of God is Within You by Leo Tolstoy. Christian anarcho-pacifism for the win!

9. Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright. Prior to reading this book, I always assumed that Jesus' resurrection was just some magic trick. After reading this book, I now know that it's much more than that.

10. Process Theology: A Guide for the Perplexed by Bruce Epperly. Tripp and Bo at Homebrewed Christianity may have gotten me interested in process theology, but Epperly got me hooked.