Who’s Reading What? is a monthly feature at LifeWay Pastors. We survey a few pastors, business leaders, theologians, professors, writers, and other culture shapers with these four questions:
What are you currently reading?
Who is the author?
Which genre is it?
Why are you reading it?
No reviews. No summaries. It is a quick list to help expand the borders of your intake.
Enjoy!
Sharon Hodde Miller, author
What: How to Survive a Shipwreck
Who: Jonathan Martin
Which: Christian Living/Spiritual Growth
Why: I kept hearing great things about it, and I have not been disappointed. Jonathan writes about deep theology with incredibly beautiful prose. Jesus hides just behind every page, an ever-present hope in darkness, and it truly ministered to me.
Chris Martin, author development specialist, LifeWay Christian Resources
What: 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
Who: Charles C. Mann
Which: History
Why: On a trip to Niagara Falls last year, I was discouraged by how commercialized it was. I wondered about how cool it would have been to be one of the indigenous people groups to stumble upon it before white people colonized it. This led me to want to study what the Americas were like before white people got here, so I was told to start with 1491. It’s been great so far.
Amy Lowe, manager, Adult Ministry Publishing, LifeWay Christian Resources
What: Missional Motherhood Bible Study Book
Who: Gloria Furman
Which: Bible Study
Why: I’m leading a moms small group through it at my church.
What: The Checklist Manifesto
Who: Atul Gawande
Which: Medicine
Why: I’m going through the book with a group of fellow leaders at LifeWay.
Alex Gonzales, pastor, field ministry strategist SBTC
What: Pastoral Leadership Is…
Who: David Early
Which: Pastoral Ministry
Why: Refocusing my thinking on the basic necessities of being a pastor, especially related to being a man of God, intentional praying, teaching, equipping, and shepherding God’s church.
What: Onward
Who: Russell Moore
Which: Religion/Christian Life/Social Issues
Why: Learning how to reengage the culture with the Gospel as we see culture shifting away from the way things once were.
Daniel Darling, vice-president of communications, ERLC
What: The Return of The Prodigal
Who: Henri Nouwen
Which: Christian Living
Why: We read this as an executive team recently. What Nouwen does with this story is interesting and helpful in getting us see both the prodigal and the elder brother in ourselves and the need for us to be like Christ in being a father to both the prodigals and the elder brothers we encounter.
What: Orthodoxy
Who: GK Chesterton
Which: Christian Living
Why: I love this classic from Chesterton. It helps us see that in our own desire to run away from truth we end up pursuing a beauty that ironically brings us back to the very thing we ran from. I also really appreciate his concept of “wandering virtues”—this idea that Christian virtues, isolated from other Christian virtues, become almost dangerous.
Marty Duren, executive editor, LifeWay Pastors
What: White Trash
Who: Nancy Isenberg
Which: History
Why: After reading Hillbilly Elegy I’m interested in learning more about the history and circumstances of poor whites in America.
What: Contagious Disciple Making: Leading Others on a Journey of Discovery
Who: David L. Watson and Paul D. Watson
Which: Spiritual Growth/Discipleship
Why: I’m doing a review of discipleship material
Currently I’m reading “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. This book been around awhile, but it’s new to me. The chapters on egoless leadership are worth the read for any Pastor or church leader.
Great book.
What: Designed to Lead
Who: Eric Geiger & Kevin Peck
Which: Leader and discipleship
Why: To be more strategic at leading other to Glorify God through the Great Commission
I am not a Pastor but I lead a Sunday School class and a small group of men.
I have that one in waiting. Great outline, btw. ;^)