Bibliography – by Murray Richmond, 07/25/2020
Spiritual Growth
Celebration of Discipline; The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster
If I could only recommend one book to read on spiritual growth, it would be this one. Don’t be put off by the word “discipline.” This is a book of spiritual practices. Forster gives a pretty decent summary of ?? spiritual practices. He does not dive to deep into any of them, but gives you enough to go on.
Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard Foster
Here Foster digs deep into the practice of prayer, which is at the heart of all the other disciplines.
The Spirit of the Disciplines : Understanding How God Changes Lives by Dallas Willard
Willard dives deeper than Foster into spiritual practices, and the reasons why they are so important.
Shaped By the Word; The Power of Scripture in Spiritual Formation by Robert Mulholland
Mulholland shows us how to read the Bible, not for information, but for spiritual growth. H teaches us how to meditate on the Word, and hear the voice of God.
Centering Prayer; Renewing an Ancient Christian Prayer Form by M. Basil Pennington
Prayer is much more than talking to God–it also involves listening to God. Pennington teaches us to slow down, and stay quiet in prayer so we can hear God. He gives practical advice for praying.
The Good Life; Genuine Christianity for the Middle Class by David Matzko McCarthy.
David was a classmate of mine at Duke. In this book he looks at the ways and rhythms of a typical middle class life, and helps us integrate our life into the life of the Kingdom of God. This will challenge you, but then COVID has challenged our middle-class assumptions of life.
Life on the Vine: Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit in Christian Community by Phil Kenneson
Phil was another classmate of mine at Duke. In this book he looks at the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and show how we can bring love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control into our lives.
Social Engagement
Church and Society
Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony by Stan Hauerwas and William Willimon
Dr. Hauerwas was one of my seminary professors and the main reason I went to Duke. He and Willimon say that the the church is like an outpost of the people of God. Our primary task is to create a Christian community that can be a witness to the world.
Beyond Homelessness: Christian Faith in a Culture of Displacement by Steven Bouma-Prediger
Bouma-Prediger looks at more than just the problems of the people we call homeless. He looks at the different ways people are displaced and where they can find a true home.
A Peculiar People: The Church as a Culture in a Post-Modern Society by Rodney Clapp
Clapp was the editor of Christianity Today, the flagship magazine for Evangelicals. Here he helps us distinguish between church and culture, and encourages us to live by the culture given us in our faith.
Creation Care
For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care by Steven C. Bouma-Prediger
What if the the earth is the Lord’s, as the Psalmist says, and we are caretakers of it? How are we to treat it? Bouma-Prediger walks us through why caring for the earth is important, and what we can do.
Hunger and Homelessness Issues
Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by Ron Sider
My first job out of college was to work for Ron Sider in an organization he was just getting off the ground–Evangelicals for Social Action. This book has done more to change me and inform me than almost any other book. I read it before going on a mission trip to Haiti, so I was able to understand hunger issues there with much more clarity.
Racial Reconciliation
Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation by Latasha Morrison, Daniel Hill
Be the Bridge presents a compelling vision of what it means for every follower of Jesus to become a bridge builder–committed to pursuing justice and racial unity in light of the gospel.
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Racism is an incredibly complicated issue. No one wants to admit they are racist. Oluo takes us behind some of our deeply embedded perceptions of race, and helps us understand how the issue of race has affected our national identity.
Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving.
How much time do you spend thinking about what it means to be white? If you are like me, hardly any. But if you are a person of color in our society, it is something you have to deal with almost every day. Irving had an “aha!” moment, and starting looking at issues of race that surrounded her.
The New Jim Crow; Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
Did you know the War on Drugs started when drug usage was on the decline? And did you know the response to the rise of crack usage in our cities was met with the stringent drug laws, and automatic prison sentences, while the rise of methamphetamines in rural areas was greeted with a the demand for more treatment? This book is ten years old, but is still relevant. It was because of the issues this book raised that President Trump supported the FIRST STEPS Act which changed the way sentencing is handled, and what happens to people after they are released.