A lot of political reading this month because, well, it's that time of year, and to whatever extent the Lord directs, I want to be faithful in the civic arena. I also have a growing interest in why people are opposed to the church and things of faith and have read some towards that end, and well, there's some other books that just seemed interesting thrown in:
68) Church of Cowards: A Wake-Up Call for Complacent Christians by Matt Walsh—This is a scathing rebuke for Christians, if there every was one. Yes, Walsh identifies as Catholic, and some of his writing reflects this, but much more of what he writes is about/against evangelicals. Walsh, a political commentator for The Daily Wire starts by calling out Christians as “not worth killing” because of their wishy-washy faith. He notes the obsession of the world with being tolerant, rather than being truthful, lambasts the self-centered nature of American living, and has a lot to say about the public education system (not all of which I agree with). Walsh's book is pretty doom and gloom, but as he concludes, he writes that “this has been a book about despair, not a book of despair.” He calls believers to hope, to trute religion, to a crusade of evangelism and gospel living. If this book is not convicting, maybe readers need to examine if they have true faith at all.
69) The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go From Here by Kaitlyn Schiess—We are all biased, and we all tend to proof text. Look no further than this book to be convicted about how not only politicians have proof-texted scriptures, but also how believers have used scripture to champion their personal platforms, scriptural or not. With very little bias, Schiess walks through the misuses of scripture in politics from the early days of The United States to the present. She does not favor one political party over the other, but rather challenges Christians to read their Bibles, in context, in the church, and in the community. She emphasizes neither withdrawal nor over-involvement, but rather asserts, “We should strive to build flourishing families and churches, but not at the expense of the commission God gave at the the beginning and never rescinded: to care for all of creation (Gen. 1:27-28).” This book is pretty easy to read, and it is convicting. Interested in history and politics or not, this is an important read for all of those who call themselves Christians in America!
70) Maybe Baby: 28 Writers Tell the Truth About Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence, And How They Made the Biggest Decision of Their Lives Edited by Lori Leibovich—I have watched friends and family: single, married, and in dissolving marriage, wrestle with decisions (and abilities) to have children and raise them. This book was far from what I hoped it would be in discussing those struggles. Rife with liberal values, frequent depictions of abortion and really, a lack of value of children all together, it is just a sad read overall. This is not a “maybe” read, it's a hard, “No.” Surely someone else can bring better awareness to this nuanced topic?
71) When We Were On Fire: A Memoir of Consuming Faith, Tangled Love, and Starting Over by Addie Zierman–The Christian faith is complicated. It can become cult-like. Many people leave it, and never come back. Addie Zierman tried, but found her way back, through a series of poor, some nearly disastrous decisions, the steadfast love of her steady husband, and a good EMDR therapist. This is her journey, from evangelical, to nearly ex-vangelical, and back into a non-static, struggling relationship with Jesus. Zierman's book is real and raw, with descriptions of alcohol abuse and language that would not fit in most churches. Still, it is a worthwhile, and I would say refreshing read, when the world is on fire and most people are just letting it burn, rather than wrestling with it and trying to douse the flames and forge a new way forward.
72) Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance—If there ever was an honest look at life for the white working class, this is it, and it's written by a former marine turned lawyer, US Senator, and now vice president elect. This book is rife with language, descriptions of abuse and neglect, and substance use. It raises some real issue and encourages taking responsibility for making a change, but without being able to name what that change should be. While it is helpful to know the origin story of JD Vance, this book left me with a bad taste in my mouth, more aware of the crisis for “hillbillies” such as Vance, but without much hope of it changing. The one “jewel in the rough” is Vance's grandma, aka “Mawmaw,” but even she was a bit hard to read about. How about an elegy to Jesus and his redeeming power? That's one I would want to read and from which I would gain hope!
73) God Land: A Story of Faith, Loss, and Renewal in Middle America by Lyz Lenz—Lyz Lenz grew up in the church, but began to feel distant from it as over and over again, her progressive beliefs clashed with the churches she attended. Ultimately, her beliefs led her to leave several churches, get a divorce, and study the conflictual nature of the institution of church and Christianity as a religion in Middle America. While I don’t agree with many of Lenz’s stances, and I can’t recommend this book because of its intermittent and unpredictable swearing, I do think Lenz raises some good questions. Why is the church in America so wrapped up in politics? Why is it that sports are the greatest competition for the church, often becoming a religion of their own? Why are so many Christians hypocritical, not practicing what they preach? As Lenz herself queries, “What is happening to our souls?” While I don’t agree with Lenz’s move to seeing faith more as spirituality than a saving trust in Jesus for salvation, I do think the church has work to do. I don’t think America, Middle America or anywhere, is a “God Land” anymore, and if any institution is going to change that, it is going to have to be the church of Jesus Christ made up of true believers.
74) Compassion & Conviction: The And Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement by Justin Giboney, Michael Wear, and Christ Butler—This book was recommended (and given to us) as the best current book on politics. I can’t agree more! Grounded in the gospel, this book encourages Christians to engage in politics civilly, and for the glory of God. Using biblical and historical examples, this book shows that this type of civil engagement is indeed possible. Politics, for Christians, is not ultimately about partisanship, but about people, people with whom God calls believers to faithfully engage.
75) Instead: Navigating the Adventures of a Childfree Life by Maria Coffey—Maria Coffey writes that she chose a life of adventure instead of the life of motherhood. At first, it seems as if she does not value children, but as time goes on, she reveals that she chose this life, in part, because of fear. By the end of the memoir, Maria is a mother, just not in the traditional sense, having mothered and cared for many children that have come into her path. This book contains intermittent language and morals and values which which I do not agree, but I think this subject deserves more exploration. I hope that a Christian woman someday writes a memoir about child free living, not necessarily representing its adventures, but presenting how a woman can live faithfully instead of as flippantly, as Coffey sometimes does.
76) American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church by Andrew L. Whitehead—Associate professor of Sociology at Indian University-Purdue University is a professed Christian, and in this book, he calls out fellow white believers for their idolatry. Whitehead names power, fear, and violence and idols of Christian nationalism and lays out how and where he sees the church practicing them. While he does make some suggestions for finding and listening to marginalized voices, and while he references the gospel, I think he really falls short in integrating true saving faith in the fight against Christian nationalism. Yes, Christians can be idolators. Yes, Christians can co-opt faith to serve political uses. But how do believers faithfully witness and evangelize and bring to saving faith? That has to be the basis for all change, and for even the existence of the church! Maybe Whitehead has an answer to this question, but I did not find it in this book.
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