Friday, February 10, 2012

10 Books That Make Me Who I Am...


#10. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (by Judith Viorst) - This book taught me that life is full of bad days no matter who you are, what you do, or where you go.

#9. The Velveteen Rabbit (by Margery Williams) - This book taught me that love is the deepest, most real way of being. Love makes us alive.

#8. Life of Pi (by Yann Martel) - This book taught me that life is all about stories and the best story always wins the day.

#7. Surprised by Hope (by N.T. Wright) - This book taught me that the story of Jesus abolishes body/soul dualism and sanctifies life here and now.

#6. The Idiot (by Fyodor Dostoyevsky) - This book taught me that the way of love is to be a fool - no matter the person(s), no matter the context.

#5. Fear and Trembling (by Soren Kierkegaard) - This book taught me that the way of faith is to relinquish all certainty and (again) to be a fool to the world.

#4. The Coming of God (by Jurgen Moltmann) - This book taught me that all of life is oriented toward the future and, thus, toward the Advent of the Coming One.

#3. Jesus and the Victory of God (by N.T. Wright) - This book convinced me that Jesus of Nazareth is God.

#2. Include Me out: Confessions of an Ecclesiastical Coward (by Colin Morris) - This book continually reminds me that religious debate is utterly vacuous compared to the hands-on mission of Jesus.

#1. Life of the Beloved (by Henri Nouwen) - This book taught me that I am taken, blessed, broken, and given.

2 comments:

  1. Nice, a few to add to my reading list. Just finished my first Moltmann book...feeling the same thoughts toward the future.

    You've got a few older authors there that I still have yet to brave their door, I'm nervous about the amount of time it will take and me not understanding most of what is said.

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  2. Thanks Nathan. What "older" authors are you talking about?

    Which Moltmann work did you read? I absolutely love the guy. He gives me life. I am going to read The Crucified God for Lent if you'd like to join me on the journey.

    Never enough time to read it all...

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