Best of 24': Formative bits from my Year

Books

Like you, I have been doing many retrospectives of 2024—tis the season, right? Part of what I have looked back on was the media I consumed that in some way shaped my preaching, teaching, and spiritual direction. One reason I write this substack is to reflect on ways of “holy communication” during our time of increasing “secularity,” and decline in religious observance (at least institutional observance). So, it is important for me to find things that influence me, directly and indirectly, so that my communication remains fresh, insightful, and reflective of an ever-widening world. What follows is just a list of things I have found helpful in shaping my imagination, ideas, style of communication, personal habits, thought processes, critiques, and so on. Therefore, the connection between me and the artefact may not be obvious, but if it is listed it most definitely caught my imagination this year. Also, these are not only things that just appeared in 2024—some are older, but the influence they had upon me took shape this year. This first post will be only of the books that rise to the top of my mind during the writing of this. In future posts, I’ll list films, television shows, music, podcasts, etc.

Books:

-The End of Theological Education by Ted Smith- This book is a must read for theological educators, clergy, and scholars. Ted’s work pairs well next to Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age and Andy Root’s application of Taylor in his incredible trilogy: Ministry in a Secular Age. Smith’s work is more data driven and less philosophical in tone than Taylor’s. His uses sociological reflection to think through the altering landscape of religiosity. It helps us to see what was, is, and where theological education is going; and broad church observance is focused upon as well.

-Camping With Kierkegaard: Faithfulness as a Way of Life by J. Aaron Simmons- This book takes a plain spoken approach to existential philosophy and shows that great ideas should be lived….especially given your finitude (surprise, you are going to die, so are you ok with how you are living?). It is moving especially after we all languished during a global pandemic, Simmons himself, used this book to exorcise some “get ahead,” workaday demons out of his philosophical life coming out of the pandemic….it is a refreshing read.

-The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride- Place-based storytelling at its best! Thinking through cultural dynamics, social conditions, compassion, and the mystery of humanity’s inner life. This is a book where I can hear the characters speak in my head as I read it!

-A Course Called Scotland: Searching the Home of Golf for the Secrets to Its Game by Tom Coyne- Golf, pilgrimage, memoir…good stuff for me!

-The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt- Think through data and Haidt’s ideas on technology, screen time, and phone usage for kids. There is good stuff here, but there is also a lot to ask deeper questions about.

-The Dark Night of the Soul by Gerald May- Spiritual Direction and Psychology meet ancient spirituality!

-The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowler- 100 honest blessings and prayers!

-The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America by: Jeffery Rosen- Self Government requires Self Mastery…need I say more?

-Enchiridion by Epictetus

-A Thousand Mornings: Poems by Mary Oliver

-The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom by L.S. Dugdale- Thinking with a hospice care chaplain about dying, acceptance, memento mori, and ancient wisdom.

-The Prophet by Khalil Gibran- the bits about sorrow and joy being held together are exceptionally poignant, true, and profound.

-The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism by Ben Myers

-The Apostles’ Creed: For Today by Justo Gonzalez

-Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson

-Immersion: The Science of the Extraordinary and the Source of Happiness by Paul Zak- This will make you want to tell better stories, and think more about the experiences you curate for others!

-Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living by Krista Tippett- This book makes me want to ask, “what kind of world do we want to build together?” It also makes me ask how spirituality can be a tool for the common good…and actually, I have tried to follow that question into creating a podcast of my own: Complex Creatures.

-Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to Women of the Torah and the Throne by Wilda C. Gafney- This text explodes open well known texts with deeper meaning. Simply put, it woke me up from many a familiar and dogmatic slumber!

-The Conquest of Cool: Business, Culture, Counterculture, and the Rise of Hip Consumerism by: Thomas Frank- This is a practical look at the development of coolness and youth culture as it was exploited by advertising giants. Pairs well with the “age of authenticity” sections in Charles Taylor’s work on Secularity!

-Being the Body of Christ in the Age of Management by Lyndon Shakespeare- If you need deep theology and philosophy to expose you to the why the “church is a business” language and practice is itself bad theology, then read this.

-Having Nothing and Possessing Everything: Finding Abundant Communities in Unexpected Places by Mike Mather

-The Way of Zen by Alan Watts

-Faith, Hope and Carnage by Nick Cave and Sean O’Hagan

-Call It Grace: Finding Meaning in a Fractured World by Serene Jones- I am currently obsessed with theological memoir and other examples of lived theology…as another theological memoirist, Stanley Hauerwas says, “we are story formed creatures” thus it makes sense to do theology within the bounds of a story, narrative, memory and experience.

…Check back later for other best of 24’ artefacts that have shaped my thinking, communicating, and ideas!