One for you Lovers of Books and Theology

Last weekend I finished up a 2-week residency for my Doctor of Ministry program at Lipscomb University. As one who loves books, though the reading requirements are heavy, I also find them a bit energizing. As we discussed ideas in class, a number of new book recommendations came up in class that I hope to find time to start reading soon. For what it's worth, I thought I'd pass on a list of some books that I'm interested in exploring. If you've read any of these,

The 2012 and 2013 LU DMin Cohorts

tell me what you thought.

• James W. Sire, Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept
• Lesslie Newbigin, Missionary Theologian: A Reader
• Brian M. Howell, Short-Term Mission: An Ethnography of Christian Travel Narrative and Experience
• Dwight Zscheile, Cultivating Sent Communities: Missional Spiritual Formation
• John H. Walton, The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority
• G.K. Beale, We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry
• Jerram Barrs, Echoes of Eden: Reflections on Christianity, Literature, and the Arts
• Emily P. Freeman, Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live
• Michael Goheen & Craig Bartholomew, The True Story of the Whole World: Finding Your Place in the Biblical Drama
• Shane Hipps, Selling Water By The River: A Book About The Life Jesus Promised And The Religion That Gets In The Way
• Mark Scandrette, Practicing the Way of Jesus: Life Together in the Kingdom of Love
• Kyle Idleman, Gods at War: Defeating the Idols that Battle for Your Heart
• Joe Rigney, Live Like A Narnian: Christian Discipleship in Lewis's Chronicles
• Paul Ricoeur, Time and Narrative, Volume 1
• Bryan P. Stone, Evangelism After Christendom: The Theology and Practice of Christian Witness
• Edwin Friedman, The Myth of Shiksa and Other Essays
• Edwin Friedman, Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue
• Don Edward Beck, Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership, and Change
• Scot McKnight, Embracing Grace: A Gospel For All of Us
• Richard Rohr, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life
• Stanley Hauerwas, Cross-Shattered Christ: Meditations on the Seven Last Words

Below are most of the books that I had to read for this residency. If you want my opinion on any of these, feel free to inquire. For the ones I have in physical, non-ebook format, I'd be glad to loan them out. I have put in bold the ones that I liked best.

• Michael Goheen, A Light to the Nations: The Missional Church and the Biblical Story
• Carl Savage and William Presnell, Narrative Research in Ministry: A Postmodern Research Approach for Faith Communities
• John Swinton and Harriet Mowat, Practical Theology and Qualitative Research
• David Fitch, Prodigal Christianity: 10 Signposts into the Missional Frontier
• Graham Hill, Salt, Light, and a City: Introducing Missional Ecclesiology
• Andy Crouch, Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power
• Leonard Sweet, I Am A Follower: The Way, Truth, and Life of Following Jesus
• Lawrence Golemon, Finding Our Story: Narrative Leadership and Congregational Change
• Timothy Keller, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work
• Alan Roxburgh, Missional: Joining God in the Neighborhood
• J.R. Woodward, Creating a Missional Culture: Equipping the Church for the Sake of the World
• The Arbinger Institute, Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out Of The Box
• Richard Beck, Unclean: Meditations on Purity, Hospitality, and Mortality
• Charles Campbell, Preaching Jesus: The New Directions for Homiletics in Hans Frei's Postliberal Theology
• Charles Campbell, The Word Before the Powers: An Ethic of Preaching
• Charles Campbell and Johan H. Cilliers, Preaching Fools: The Gospel as a Rhetoric of Folly
• Will D. Campbell, Brother to a Dragonfly
• Tian Dayton, The Magic of Forgiveness: Emotional Freedom and Transformation in Midlife
• Charles Marsh and John Perkins, Welcoming Justice: God's Movement Toward Beloved Community
• Christian Smith, The Bible Made Impossible
• Peter Steinke, Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times: Being Calm and Courageous No Matter What
• Desmond Tutu, No Future Without Forgiveness
• Miroslav Volf, Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation
• Simon Wiesenthal, The Sunflower: On The Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness

I am very grateful to my church for giving me the freedom to participate in this program. I know it is hard having me unavailable for several weeks at a time. The program has been challenging and shaping me in meaningful ways.