theology for real life

Here are some books you should read…

I used these three books in the intro theology courses I taught at Lee (one for each member of the Trinity):

1. J.B. Phillips Your God Is Too Small In this very short book, Phillips lays out the standard misconceptions we have of God and why God is bigger than any of the boxes our thoughts try to put God in.

2. Jaroslav Pelikan Jesus Through the Centuries It may come as a surprise, but the prevailing understanding of Jesus has changed through the course of history. Pelikan does a wonderful job of showing how the church has regarded her Lord down through time. Comparing your own mental picture of Jesus to these variations helps you recognize the cultural trappings you have on the Jesus you envision.

3. Karl Barth The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life You will find this title mentioned here on my blog. I like this short book so much I translated it myself from the German (and you can have an e-book of it for free by clicking on the title). Barth takes a Trinitarian approach to his account of the Holy Spirit, offering the most balanced account I have read of the Spirit’s role in human history. Barth is also critical of the shortcomings of the Reformation (in places where they did not reform enough). He offers an understanding of the Holy Spirit that is a better beginning point for Pentecostal or charismatic reflection than many accounts that are claim to come from those perspectives.

…to be continued…