Reading List
Under Construction: I’m in the process of updating this page to better reflect what’s on my shelf and in my Kindle. I’m also trying to add a brief commentary on each book. Expect this to be very slow going. Of course, if you have any questions, just add a comment below.
Ordered By Author
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Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Kelly, Geffrey B. ed. Dietrich Bonhoeffer WorksVolume 5: Life Together and Prayerbook of the Bible. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1996.
Everything written by Dietrich Bonnhoeffer is good. His principle work The Cost of Discipleship hasn’t made it to my library yet, but it is on my to-do list. Life Together can teach us a lot about spiritual community—what it is and what it isn’t. Also, Bonhoeffer says that if we pray the Psalms (the prayerbook of the Bible), we are praying the words of Christ.
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Carson, D. A. Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010.
“Nothing is more central to the Bible than Jesus’ death and resurrection… This little book is a modest attempt to summarize not only what happened but also what they mean—in short, to provide an introductory explanation of the cross and resurrection.” –Carson, D.A.
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Chan, Francis. Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2009.
“Most of us assume that what we believe is right (of course we do-it is why we believe what we believe) but have never really studied for ourselves. We were simply told, “This is the way it is,” and didn’t question. The problem is much of what we believe is often based more on comfort or our culture’s tradition than on the Bible.”
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Chesterton, G. K. All Things Considered. Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.
“Let us then, by all means, be proud of the virtues that we have not got; but let us not be too arrogant about the virtues that we cannot help having. It may be that a man living on a desert island has a right to congratulate himself upon the fact that he can meditate at his ease. But he must not congratulate himself on the fact that he is on a desert island, and at the same time congratulate himself on the self-restraint he shows in not going to a ball every night”
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Chesterton, G.K. Orthodoxy. Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.
This is a must-read classic! Although the book was written in 1908, G.K’s humorous and sarcastic approach to philosophy is both entertaining and thought-provoking. He says, “It may be, Heaven forgive me, that I did try to be original; but I only succeeded in inventing all by myself an inferior copy of the existing traditions of civilized religion… I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy.”
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Von Clausewitz, Carl. On War. Translated by Michael Eliot Howard, Peter Paret. NJ: Princeton University Press. 1976.
Carl Von Clausewitz was a 18th-19th century German philosopher of war. This book is a classic and has been taught to Western militaries for a century and a half. Clausewitz’s purpose in writing was to discover and discuss the fundamentals of war. On War goes much deeper than the impact of technology, force generation, or tactics on warfare. Clausewitz covers the basics of why nations fight, the qualities of courage, what it takes to be an effective General and much more. I’ve only made it part of the way through the book reading cover to cover, but I’ve been throughout in research. As a military professional, this book is the foundation of any good library.
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Dembski, William A., Michael R. Licona. Evidence for God: 50 Arguments for Faith from the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2010.
An excellent introduction to many Biblical, theological, apologetic, scientific, and philosophical issues. Highly recommended for an overview of current issues. Some of the articles can be a bit technical, so even those more versed in the issues can benefit as well. This is a great book to keep on the shelf so you can “brush up” on some the the latest issues in Intelligent Design and apologetics.
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Metaxas, Eric. Bonhoeffer, Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy: A Righteous Gentile vs. The Third Reich. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, this is the book to buy. Eric Metaxas does an outstanding job of bringing you to know and love one of Christ’s most faithful and courageous men. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a pastor and theologian in Germany during the Hitler’s rise and reign. Ultimately, this pacifist and warrior for Christ was hanged 5 days before the fall of the Third Reich for his participation in attempts to assassinate Hitler. He was a fascinating man, and this is a fascinating book.
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Toft, Monica D., Daniel Philpott Timothy Samuel Shah. God’s Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2011.
Many in the West have predicted that secularization will drive religion out of politics and out of the public square all together. These authors disagree. They contend, “Once private, religion has gone public. Once passive, religion is now assertive and engaged. Once local, it is now global. Once subservient to the powers that be, religion has often become ‘prophetic’ and resistant to politicians at every level.” Then they show why. This book is important for anyone interested in the strategic impact of religion in the world, or anyone involved in global politics.
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Below are some of the books that have been through my Kindle (in completely random order…I’m still learning how to edit these pages).
Have you read God’s Century, I’m guessing yes, since it is included here. I am hoping to read this soon. Would you recommend it? What was your greatest takeaway from it? (Thoroughly enjoyed your reading list…have a good amount of overlap, but see a few new ones I think I’d like to read)
Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for the comments. I’m in the slow process of improving my reading list page by adding brief reviews–correction–the very slow process. I “read” God’s Century while driving across Kansas a few months back. By “read” I mean I listened to it on my Kindle in one 7 hour drive. I really got a lot out of it–well, as much as I could get out of it anyway. Also, if you are interested I have a wish list on amazon.com of about 100 books that I would like to read in the future. The list is public. I think all you have to do is type “Robert Vicars” in the area that says something to the effect of “open someone else’s wish list.” If we have similar reading interests, there might be something there you like. God bless you, Brother.
I’ve appreciated much of what I’ve read so far from Stephen Monsma, but haven’t read “Healing for a Broken World.” Let me know what you think of it. I noticed it’s got endorsements from Sider and Gushee so that’s usually a draw for me.
It’s been over two years since I’ve read it. I remember enjoying it. It’s a good “middle-right-of-the-road” perspective. It might be a bit too introductory for you, given your education.