People often ask us for books that we would recommend to learn and grow. So here are few:
Biblical Study:
Bible for Everyone Series, by N.T. Wright
Inspired, by Rachel Held Evans
What is the Bible?, by Rob Bell
How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, by Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart
The Africana Bible, edited by Hugh R. Page Jr.
- The Bible Tells Me So, by Peter Enns
- Womanist Midrash, by Wil Gafney
The Blue Parakeet, by Scot McKnight
Prophetic Lament, by Soong-Chan Rah
Short Stories by Jesus, by Amy-Jill Levine
Fire By Night, by Melissa Florer-Bixler
- Bible of the Oppressed, by Elsa Tamez
Christian Theology:
Surprised by Hope, by N.T. Wright
- Mere Christianity, by CS Lewis
- The Cross and the Lynching Tree, by James Cone
- Mujerista Theology, Ada-Maria Isasi-Dias
Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, by Brian Zahnd
Strength to Love, by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Practicing Christian Doctrine, by Beth Felker Jones
Cross Vision, by Greg Boyd
The Divine Dance, by Richard Rohr
The Powers that Be, by Walter Wink
Stand Your Ground, by Kelly Brown Douglas
The Very Good Gospel, by Lisa Sharon Harper
Reconciling All Things, by Emmanuel Katongole & Chris Rice
Creation Care:
Serve God Save the Planet, by Matthew Sleeth
What are People For, by Wendell Berry
Discipleship:
Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard
Making All Things New, by Henri Nouwen
The Cost of Discipleship, by Deitrich Bonhoeffer
Community and Growth, by Jean Vanier
Flee, Be Silent, Pray, by Ed Cyzewski
Reconstructing the Gospel, by Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove
Long Days of Small Things, by Catherine McNiel
Wearing God, by Lauren Winner
Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster
Emotional and Mental Health:
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero
Listening for God, by Renita Weems
Boundaries, by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Glorious Weakness, by Alia Joy
- I’m Still Here, by Austin Channing Brown
- Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church’s Mission, by Amy Simpson
Faith Shift and Doubt:
Know Doubt: The Importance of Embracing Uncertainty in your Faith, by John Ortberg
The Sin of Certainty, by Peter Enns
Benefit of the Doubt: Breaking the idol of Certainty, by Greg Boyd
Learning to Walk in the Dark, by Barbara Brown Taylor
How to Survive a Shipweck, by Jonathan Martin
Out of Sorts, by Sarah Bessey
Finding God in the Waves, by Mike McHargue
Water into Wine, by Brian Zahnd
Forgiveness:
Free of Charge, by Miroslov Volf
No Future Without Forgiveness, by Desmond Tutu
Beyond Retribution, by Christopher D. Marshall
The Little Book of Restorative Justice, by Howard Zehr
Forgiving As We’ve Been Forgiven, by L. Gregory Jones & Celestin Musekura
Roadmap to Reconciliation, by Brenda Salter McNeil
Heaven and Hell:
Reviving Old Scratch, by Richard Beck
The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis
Incarceration:
The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander
Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson
Rethinking Incarceration, by Dominique Gilliard
Executing Grace, by Shane Claiborne
Immigration, Asylum and Refugee Resettlement:
Welcoming the Stranger, by Matthew Soerens
Seeking Refuge, by Stephan Bauman
The God Who Sees, by Karen González
- Love Undocumented, by Sarah Quezada
LGTBQ+:
Us versus Us, by Andrew Marin
A Letter to my Congregation, by Ken Wilson
God and the Gay Christian, by Matthew Vines
Oriented to Faith, by Tim Otto
Torn, by Justin Lee
Changing Our Mind, by David Gushee
Outside the Lines, by Mihee Kim-Kort
Marriage:
Beyond Companionship: Christians in Marriage, by Diana S. Richmond Garland & David E Garland
The Mystery of Marriage, Mike Mason
Marriage at a Crossroads: Couples in Conversation about Discipleship, Gender Roles, Decision Making & Intimacy, by William & Aida Spencer and Steve & Celestia Tracy
Boundaries in Marriage, by Henry Could & John Townsend
Sex and Love in the Home, by David Matzko McCarthy
Materialism and Simplicity:
7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker
The More of Less, by Joshua Becker
- Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, by Ron Sider
- Just Eating? Practicing Our Faith at the Table by Jennifer Halteman Schrock
Mission and Evangelism:
The Open Secret, by Lesslie Newbigin
Faithful Presence, by David Fitch
Toxic Charity, Dr. Bob Lupton
Making Neighborhoods Whole, by John Perkins & Wayne Gordon
Dangerous Presence: Following Jesus into the City, by Jason Butler
In the Name of Jesus, by Henri Nouwen
A Public Faith, by Miroslov Volf
Parenting and Caregiving:
How Children Raise Parents: The Art of Listening to Your Family, by Dan B. Allender
Habits of a Child’s Heart: Raising Your Kids with the Spiritual Disciplines, by Valerie E Hess & Marti Watson Garlett
Wouded Children, Healing Homes, by Jayne Schooler, Betsy Keefer Smalley and Timothy J. Callahan
Elevating Child Care, by Janet Lansbury
Living Simply With Children, by Marie Sherlock
Relationship Empowerment Parenting, by Judy and Jack Balswick
Raising White Kids, by Jennifer Harvey
Adopted: The Sacrament of Belonging in a Fractured World, by Kelley Nikondeha
Boundaries with Kids, by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Politics:
The Myth of a Christian Nation, by Greg Boyd
Jesus for President, Shane Clairborne
Resident Aliens, by Stanley Hauerwas & William Willimon
Still Evangelical?, edited by Mark Labberton
Left, Right and Christ, by Lisa Sharon Harper
Race:
The Soul of Black Folk, by W.E.B DuBois
Race Matters, by Cornell West
Divided by Faith, by Michael Emerson & Christian Smith
Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys, by Richard Twiss
Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, by Beverly Daniesl Tatum
- Disunity in Christ, by Christina Cleveland
- The Color of Compromise, by Jemar Tisby
- Women, Race and Class, by Angela Davis
Sabbath:
24/6, Dr. Matthew Sleeth
The Sabbath, Abraham Joshua Heschel
Sabbath as Resistance, Walter Brueggemann
Keeping the Sabbath, by Marva J. Dawn
Singleness:
Singled Out: Why Celibacy Must be Reinvented in Today’s Church, by Christine Colon and Bonnie Field
Party of One, by Joy Beth Smith
Spirituality:
Glory Happening, by Kaitlin Curtice
Jewish Spirituality: A Brief Introduction for Christians, by Lawrence Kushner
Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life, by Richard Rohr
The Way to Love, by Anthony DeMello
Life of the Beloved, by Henri Nouwen
The Ragammufin Gospel, by Brennan Manning
Love Does, by Bob Goff
Suffering and Grief:
Everything Happens for A Reason (And Other Lies I’ve Loved), by Kate Bowler
Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope, by Joan D. Chittister
Praying our Goodbyes, by Joyce Rupp
- Walking Through Twilight, by Douglas Groothuis
- The View from Rock Bottom, by Stephanie Tait
Vocation:
Let Your Life Speak, by Parker Palmer
Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert
Women:
Jesus Feminist, by Sarah Bessey
The Year of Biblical Womanhood, by Rachel Held Evans
Discovering Biblical Equality, by Ronald W Pierce & Rebecca Merrill Groothuis
Good News for Women, by Rebecca Merrill Groothuis
Half the Church, by Carolyn Custis James
Worship:
The Next Worship, by Sandra Maria Van Opstal
The Dangerous Act of Worship, by Mark Labberton