Annual disclaimer: I read about 60 books this year, some newly published, some quite old. As always, these aren't necessarily the best books published this year. They aren't even necessarily the "best" books I read this year. They are simply the ones that I found most interesting, entertaining, edifying, enlightening, challenging, and/or simply enjoyable. I would recommend them all, even if I wouldn't agree with everything in all of them (some I read to help me understand perspectives VERY different from my own).
TheologyESV Reader's Bible, 6 Volume Set - Crossway
- This is the Bible I've been using for my devotional reading since I got it a couple months ago. Designed to remove anything on the page that would distract the reader and produced at a high quality that seeks to highlight the beauty of the written word, I have been looking forward to this for a while. Similar to Bibliotheca, which raised well over $1.4M on Kickstarter, this seeks to help people read larger portions of the Bible at a time, as well as present the Bible as a book, not a reference manual. See Glenn Paauw's book below.
- I've had this on my shelf for a while and finally got around to reading it. I'm so glad I did. It's a wonderful exploration of the person and work of Christ. Jones is careful to unpack as much as can be known about Christ from Scripture and goes no further. Although heady stuff, he is able to explain things at a very understandable and almost devotional level. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will come back to it many times in the future.
- A classic that I think every Christian ought to read (and which I hadn't until this year...). Tozer writes short (mostly 3-4 page) chapters on different aspects of God's character and packs a ton into those short pages. I took a group of guys at church through this and was so blessed by the discussion it stimulated.
Commentary on Hebrews (Biblical Theology for Christian Proclamation) - Tom Schreiner
- My favorite teacher I've ever had expounding the book of Hebrews. Tom has an ability like I've never seen to take complex, difficult ideas from the Bible and present them in simple, understandable ways that makes you want to read your Bible more. This book is no exception. I'm leading a small group through Hebrews right now, and this has been an immensely helpful guide.
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit - James K.A. Smith
- You are what you love. You become that which you behold. You take on the characteristics of that which you worship. These are all ways of essentially getting at the same idea. Smith's book was a joy to read and caused me to evaluate the "liturgy" of my life, the habits, patterns, and routines, and what those reveal about what I really love.
The Temple and the Tabernacle: A Study of God's Dwelling Places from Genesis to Revelation - J. Daniel Hays
- A wonderful (illustrated!) guide to the idea of temple throughout the whole Bible. It's really a biblical theology of that theme, with lots of historical background and other pieces added on. I have been studying the idea of temple and God's presence a lot more in recent years, and this is probably my favorite thing I've read on the idea.
In the Arena: The Promise of Sports for Christian Discipleship - David Prince
- A short but brilliant examination of sports from a Christian perspective. Prince not only makes a great case for why sports aren't a waste of time, but actually shows how sports are uniquely valuable in shaping Christian character. Also, he's a Braves fan and articulates why baseball is clearly the greatest sport. Win.
Progressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course Between Dispensational and Covenant Theologies - Ed. Stephen Wellum
Don't Fire Your Church Members: The Case for Congregationalism - Jonathan Leeman
Saving the Bible From Ourselves: Learning to Read and Live the Bible Well - Glenn Paauw
Other Non-Fiction
For the Glory: Eric Liddle's Journey from Olympic Champion to Modern Martyr - Duncan Hamilton
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion - Jonathan Haidt
Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age - Sherry Turkle
Hillbilly Elegy - J.D. Vance
Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates
Fiction
Hannah Coulter - Wendell Berry
The Great Divorce & The Last Battle - C.S. Lewis
The Martian - Andy Weir
- A series of really helpful chapters by various authors from the Progressive Covenantalism perspective, which is gaining ground as a theological system right now. The chapters on the Israel-Christ-Church relationship (Brent Parker), the Mosaic Law (Jason Meyer), and sabbath (Tom Schreiner) are worth the price of the book alone. But all the chapters are really helpful, even where everyone might not agree fully.
Don't Fire Your Church Members: The Case for Congregationalism - Jonathan Leeman
- I love the Church and I love ecclesiology (the study of the Church). And I love how Jonathan Leeman writes about ecclesiology. In this book, he makes the best case I've seen for congregationalism, but he does so in the broader context of what the Church is and how leaders should think about what we're doing. Very helpful, as is anything Leeman writes.
Saving the Bible From Ourselves: Learning to Read and Live the Bible Well - Glenn Paauw
- There has been a renaissance of simplicity in Bible publishing lately. See the ESV Reader's Bible 6-volume set above. In this book, Paauw makes a fantastic argument that how our Bible has been formatted has shaped how we read it and engage God through it. We tend to see the Bible as more like a reference manual than a book to be devoured. I found many helpful thoughts throughout this book, even though I would come down in different places theologically at points.
Other Non-FictionFor the Glory: Eric Liddle's Journey from Olympic Champion to Modern Martyr - Duncan Hamilton
- I've been fascinated by Eric Liddell since I saw the movie Chariots of Fire. But that's where he story starts, not ends. Hamilton tells his whole story in this fantastic biography, focusing on Liddell's commitment to being a missionary to the people of China, where he was born. I'm not even sure if Hamilton is a Christian, but Liddell's faithfulness and commitment to God clearly affected him, and his book exudes warmth and admiration for this remarkable saint.
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion - Jonathan Haidt
- A fascinating look at what divides people when thinking about morality from a sociological and psychological perspective. In a year where we've seen this divide more clearly than at any other recent time, I found this book extremely helpful in understanding why people behave the way they do when it comes to political and religious issues.
Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age - Sherry Turkle
- I read this book because of an article Turkle wrote for the New York Times. She spent years studying the ways in which technology is changing the way we communicate. Not just the medium we use, but the actual ways our brains interact with other humans. A little repetitive sometimes, but nonetheless immanently helpful in understanding especially younger people who have grown up amidst these technological advances.
Hillbilly Elegy - J.D. Vance
- This book received a lot of attention in connection to this year's election. Dealing with issues of race and economic inequality, Vance describes his life in moving from Appalachia, where most families have very little, up through graduating from Yale Law School. There is quite a bit of difficult language and some painful descriptions, but a helpful cultural study to understand a group very different from what I have known.
Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Speaking of which, I read this book for similar reasons to Hillbilly Elegy. Coates' reflections on the black experience in our country are difficult, painful, and I would argue not always completely fair. And yet I really appreciated his book for the honesty it contains, and for the small glimpse into something I can't fully understand. Because I believe God requires empathy towards my neighbor, I'm seeking to listen and understand better, even where that makes me feel uncomfortable. I hope to read much more from those I seek to love better than I have.
FictionHannah Coulter - Wendell Berry
- I have many friends who love Berry, but I had only read 1 of his books in the past. I decided to start with Hannah Coulter, which seems to be almost universally regarded as one of his best novels. It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I did, I absolutely loved it. Berry writing feels like sitting on a comfortable chair in front of a fire on a cold night. It feels like my grandparents' on Christmas Eve as a child.
The Great Divorce & The Last Battle - C.S. Lewis
- I've read a lot of Lewis, but had never gotten around to these two. If you like C.S. Lewis, you'll love these and they have everything I love about him. His ability to portray truth through fiction is amazing.
The Martian - Andy Weir
- This was a really fun novel, despite some rough language at times. The movie was good, but doesn't really do justice to either the story or the scientific aspects of the book. Very worth reading, even if you've already seen the movie.
