'Tis The Season To Be Reading

Some Essential Reads For Your Shelf

I’ve been saving my reviews for just this weekend. Whether you’re looking for last minute gifts or picking up something for yourself with all those gift cards, these are books from authors whose work is worth the purchase price.

For “The Expert” — Kingdom of Rage by Elizabeth Neumann

To kick things off, I want to recommend

Elizabeth Neumann

’s excellent book Kingdom of Rage. It’s ideal for those who always want to dig a bit deeper or read a little wider— the kind of person who builds a library. It’s a great read for those looking for a bit more in-depth expertise on the practices of national security and the problem of radicalization among Christians. And honestly, there’s no one better to write this book. Elizabeth is a national expert in extremism, radicalization, and national security. She’s also a former Trump administration official and practicing Christian. The book brings the most up to date research on extremism together with reflections on what it means to face this world as followers of Jesus.

For “The Leader” — Disarming Leviathan by Caleb Campbell

This award-winning book by

Caleb E. Campbell

is a great gift for faith leaders and really anyone serving in a church-context in the US. Disarming Leviathan is a primer on Christian nationalism. But it’s unique. Campbell sketches how to think and talk about a term that is so overloaded with meaning that we struggle to even clarify what we’re talking about. But more than that, the book models a way to contend with some of the damaging elements of Christian nationalism in a way that emerges from personal and pastoral experience. This book could be a “peace offering” for relationships that have become strained, or it could be a “in your corner” resource for pastors and leaders in your life.

For “The Seeker” — Othered by Jenai Auman

What I love about this book from

Jenai Auman

is how she models truth-telling in a moment where publishers and platforms risk reducing trauma and pain to a commodity. Stories that go under the label #ChurchToo are not entertainment. They aren’t meant for consumption. And what Jenai does best in Othered is offer her story for the good of others. Good writing always does this. And what this book does is (among other things) provide orientation and, most importantly, language for people who’ve been pushed to the margins of their faith communities and maybe even family or friend circles.

For “The Academic” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Last Eight Days by John McCabe

I’m deep into this work I picked up a few weeks ago. McCabe does us all an incredible service by tracing the final few days of Bonhoeffer’s life, rescuing his legacy from distortion and myth making. What makes this book stand out is the heavy emphasis on broader historical context — as Nazi Germany collapses and the post-War order emerges, McCabe invites us to see how the broadest strokes of history swirl around the lives (and surprising intersections) between 8 human beings, one of them being Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

For “The Historian” — Pacific War Trilogy by Ian Toll

I’ve spent the last few years working my way (slowly) through this magisterial treatment of the Pacific theater in World War II. It may not necessarily appeal to those looking for some immediate insight into our present time, but what Toll does is weave together an incredible tapestry of personal stories, after action reports, and the weighty decisions of leadership. It’s worth a purchase for the reader devoted to history of all periods.

For “The Armchair Historian” — The Wager by David Grann

Look, not everyone is going to love three 500 page volumes on the Pacific War. If you’re looking for something more accessible but gripping, I’d recommend Grann’s The Wager. Based on a true story about a mutiny gone wrong in the 18th century Royal Navy, this is really one of those “truth is stranger than fiction” tales. This story is the subject of Scorsese’s next film.

For “The Pulp Fiction Reader” — Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

I try to read a few pulp fiction books each year. Something light. Something gripping. And since his breakout book The Martian, Andy Weir has been that for me. His latest, Project Hail Mary, combines the best of his first book, the Martian with Christopher Nolan’s film, Interstellar. It also is going to be a feature film soon, so why not get ahead of the trend?

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There’s a lot more I could add here. I want to do a dedicated theology book review list soon, maybe after the holidays. Meanwhile, I’m hard at work on Holy Paranoia, looking at the ways conspiracism is entangled in evangelicalism and how to find a way forward.

Thank you to all of you who read and share The Homeward Dispatches. Wishing each of you who are practicing Christians a meaningful and joyful Advent, and to those of other faiths, a happy holidays and joyful season.