For all who were praying for my family and me during the last three months- thank you!  We are officially done with our sabbatical. It was a great time of rest, growth, family, and unforgettable memories. Thank you for your love and support during this time!  We are so excited for what God has in store for the Ethnos family.

 As we get back into the swing of all things Ethnos, I thought I’d share with you the books I read during this time. My hope in doing so is that you might be encouraged in your journey of loving Jesus more with both heart and mind.  The titles reflect the history of some of the places I stayed in, the issues I believe God wanted me to wrestle with, and more.  In the meantime, expect a restart in the blog entries here on this site!

Family

1. Brave Girl Eating, by Harriet Brown. A mentor of mine recommended this book when a family member struggled with anorexia. A good, helpful, and heart-wrenching read. One disappointment was that the family did not consider the spiritual dynamics of the struggle.  Definitely worth thinking through.

2. The Pastor’s Kid, by Barnabus Piper. Helpful insights for a family like ours. Written by one of John Piper's children who is now in his 30s.

Leadership and Spirituality

3. In the Name of Jesus, by Henri Nouwen.  Every Christian leader needs to read Nouwen. A discussion on the temptations of leadership including popularity and relevance.  Much needed.

4. Lectures to My Students, by Charles Spurgeon (excerpts).  The great protestant British preacher of the 19th century writes with clarity, humor, and conviction. Lots to chew on.

5. Out of Solitude, by Henri Nouwen.  Another needed Nouwen work.  One of the main points: in ministry, care must come before cure.

History and Biography

6. All God’s Children Have Traveling Shoes, by Maya Angelou. I picked this to read because a good friend identified this as one of the top 3 influential books in his life/spiritual journey. A fascinating glimpse into some great minds of the 20th century and how they thought.

7. Cesar Chavez, by Jacques Levy (excerpts).  Every Californian- and every American- needs to know and understand the journey of Chavez and those he lived for.

8. John Calvin, by Herman Selderhuis. I picked this up because of my time in Switzerland and France. Based on an extensive knowledge of primary sources, Selderhuis gives a unique look into the life and times of one of the great Protestant founders. Lots of questions arise on how following Jesus should look in communal and public life. 

9. Let Justice Roll Down, by John Perkins.  If you don't know about Perkins, you need to get to know him. A great leader and example from the civil rights era.  This is the story of his early years.

10. Night, by Elie Wiesel. My sabbatical included time at a concentration camp and other sites where the horrors of 20th century Europe ensued.  Re-engaging Night was of great importance.

11. The Story of Christianity: Reformation to the Present, by Justo Gonzales. If you're looking for one book to read on the history of the church, go to Gonzales. 

12. William Booth, by Janet and Geoff Benge.  The founder of the Salvation Army, Booth's story is highly instructive on issues of faith, justice, and courage.

Theology

13. Fabricating Jesus, by Craig Evans. Written by one of the experts in the Dead Sea Scrolls, a clear and compelling debunking of recent alternative Jesus theories.

14. Jesus, the Temple, and the Coming Son of Man, by Robert H. Stein.  Does Mark 13 predict the destruction of the Jewish Temple, the return of Jesus in the future, or something else? Markan scholar presents a compelling exegetical case that it refers to both events.

15. Surprised by Hope, by NT Wright. One of the greatest protestant theologians of our modern era writes on the the most life-changing event in history.  

Science

16. The Language of God, by Francis Collins. I had an opportunity to visit the Galapagos Islands during my Sabbatical, and so decided to brush up on Darwin and evolution. Collins is the director of the NIH right now, and a proponent of what is called theistic evolution. A good introductory read for both scientists and non-scientists.

17. On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin (excerpts).  Instead of just knowing about this work, I decided to read it (I got through most of it but skimmed a few sections that were a little tedious/outdated). Darwin is eloquent and clear.  

18. Why Evolution is True, by Jerry Coyne.  Coyne is a professor at University of Chicago and is an atheist. This is a good introduction not to atheism, but to evolution (the two are obviously different, but sometimes that needs to be explicitly stated!). Coyne is helpful in that he recognizes the limits of science, and (like Collins) notes that there are some things science simply is not meant to address.  

Note: with the science/evolution/faith debate, the spectrum of understanding is wide.  While there are four general camps (young earth creationists, intelligent design advocates, theistic evolutionists, atheistic evolutionists), it's important to approach the subject and the search for truth with an open mind to the possibility of truth in the various views on the continuum. Collins addresses this, as does his subsequent work through BioLogos. 

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