...in the outer...: Unhappy Secrets of the Christian Life

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Ethics: The Heart of Leadership
Edited by Joanne Ciulla. An important collection of essays by philosophers, leadership and management thinkers considering the role of ethics in leadership

Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness
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Warranted Christian Belief
By Alvin Plantinga. Third in a trilogy of works on the issue of warrant - the basis of the rationality of Christian beliefs written by arguably the most important philosopher of religion alive today

Renovation of the Heart
By Dallas Willard. A philosopher and quintessential Christian teacher relates and reflects on what it means to put on the character of Christ.

Foreign Bodies
By Hwee Hwee Tan. An impressive first novel by young new author from Singapore acclaimed as an up and coming Pulitzer Prize winner

Mammon Inc.
By Hwee-Hwee Tan. Second novel by this very important young new author from Singapore applauded the world over, including The Times in London and the New York Times

Three Philosophies of Life
By Peter Kreeft. Three life philosophies presented through the works of three of Scriptures most beautiful poetry books, Job, Ecclesiastes and Songs of Solomon

Horrendous Evil and the Goodness of God
By Marilyn McCord-Adams. A seminal response to the age-old problem of evil which attempts to take seriously the theological ramifications of the character of God

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Linked
By Albert-Laszlo Barabasi. An engaging treatise about the fundamentals of interconnectedness and complexity that underlies neurology, epidemiology, Internet traffic, and many other fields.

The Peaceable Kingdom
By Stanley Hauerwas. A clear explication of a Christian ethic based upon the meaning of the gospel, highlighting virtues and character, and narrative as a mode of ethical reflection.

The Goldsworthy Trilogy: Gospel & Kingdom, Gospel & Wisdom, Gospel & Revelation
By Graeme Goldsworthy. A collection of masterful works expositing on the centrality of the Scriptures: the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Grace and Law: St. Paul, Kant, and the Hebrew Prophets
By Heinz Cassirer. A Kantian scholar looks at the Old Testament Law, and Paul's understanding of it, concluding that Kant's delimma is answered by the gospel of grace.

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Saturday, March 05, 2005

Unhappy Secrets of the Christian Life

As some of you might know, I am desperately looking for a job at the moment. When putting together my resume, I decided to add a section on books or professional programs that have impacted my life both personally and professionally.

As I reflected on this, I found that the list was just too long, and decided to move it over to the right column of this blog. I soon realized that there were many other books that I had read over the years that impacted me in different ways.

One of these was Unhappy Secrets of the Christian Life by Tim Stafford and Philip Yancey. As a teenaged Christian, I picked this non-descript book up at the local bookstore and found within its pages filled with gems of truth and practical advice. It dealt with legalism, faith, doubts, fears, racism, sex, and a multitude of other "unhappy secrets" that can confront a Christian.

Most of all, it underscores that authentic Christianity means not having to put on any masks. Reading the book has helped to shape much of my faith and helped me to understand what it means to take my faith seriously and apply it to all areas of my life.

One story that stuck in my mind from the book is a description of a Bible Study group where the author (I think it was Stafford) was the leader. The group went round describing what they understood to be a Chrsitian. Each group member used words like, "justified believer", "regenerated", "disciple" and so on to try to distill their understanding of what it means to be a Christian.

One of the group's members was a non-Christian who had been coming along to the study for several weeks. When it was his turn to answer the question, he said something to the effect of,

"I don't know why you guys make such a great deal about what it means to be a Christian. I thought the only difference between you and me is that you know you are a sinner and I don't!"

Interspersed between the chapters of the book are short excerpts and photos laid out like a magazine. I was thinking the other day, how much that book would be of help to my teenagers but then they may not relate to the 70's look and feel of the book and its photos/stories. I wonder if there an equivalent book with as powerful a message about authentic faith that is appropriate to Gen-X'ers and Gen-Y'ers of today.

Oh by the way, do you have a book that has impacted you in a special way that you would like to share?