A confession: History has always been my least favorite subject. In college, for example, I took, "Religion in the U.S." and "History of Psychology" -- two classes connected with my majors -- so that I wouldn't have to take general world history survey courses. When I think back on my seminary courses on Christian history, I'm embarrassed to say that I mostly just remember snoozing through lectures about popes, power struggles, and profoundly uninteresting (to me, at least) theological disputes.

Every so often I come across a gem of a series or book I wish I had discovered sooner. My latest find is the "Conversations with Scripture" series, published by Morehouse Publishing (an Episcopal church imprint.) The most recent (sixth) book in the series, which came out in July, is Conversations with Scripture: The Gospel of Mark, by Marcus Borg. 

Each book in the series contains an in-depth but accessible study of a biblical text, with an emphasis on the historical and critical background. Borg's 140-page book (each book in the series has a slightly different length) contains 5 chapters plus a series introduction, an autobiographical note, and an introduction to the book -- all of which are worth reading. The biblical text itself is not included, so the presumption is that the reader will first read that text, and then read and discuss the chapter's text. Extensive study questions are found at the back of the book for each chapter, along with various notes and recommendations for further reading. 

EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE: JESUS, GLOBAL CRISES, AND A REVOLUTION OF HOPE. By Brian McLaren, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2007, 301 pp.

I suppose if the books on emergent/emerging church were compared to “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” then Brian McLaren’s text would be the “just right” version. Not too simple, not too complicated. The essential via media book on this era. But in light of some of the other texts reviewed, this one might need to be re-titled “Everything has changed” or “Everything is changing.”

Adult education classes have started up in many churches and will start up soon in thousands more. And, undoubtedly, many of them have not yet chosen their curriculum - or will change their plans in a few weeks. Downloadable curricula can be a great last-minute option for a class to consider as a regular or occasional option.

Two options I think are worth considering are The Thoughtful Christian and Infusion. Let's do a comparison, shall we, and see the benefits of each!

Click the Read More link for the comparison chart - and details of how to pick up a special free bonus worth $8!

If you have ever given a children’s sermon (or listened to one) you realize that although the children’s message is addressed to children, the adults listen in. Children’s messages, with their (hopefully) simplified language, short duration, and (usually) fun approach, appeal to all ages. (This is not to say that adults should have a steady diet of children’s messages only, but rather that they can be a beneficial supplement to sermons.)

The same argument can be made for many children’s books. Fewer (and simpler) words and the addition of pictures make children’s books easier for adults to read than books that are written for adults. (Again, this does not mean that children’s books should be the only literature ready by adults…) Some children’s books even seem to be written more for adults than for children. Why War is Never a Good Idea is a book that falls into this category.

Today's blog entry is not so much a review as it is a plea: I'm looking for some great religious fiction, and I'm hoping the readers of The Daily Voice will give me some great suggestions. More on that in a bit...

Three novels took their place in my backpack during my vacation. First, I read Alive Day: A Story of Love and Loyalty by Tom Sullivan (with Betty White), a recently-released Christian novel about a blind psychiatrist and an injured war veteran. Next, I polished off (in one sitting) the delightfully offbeat Mr. Dixon Disappears, the second novel in the quirky "Mobile Library Mystery" series. I finished up with a political thriller, Sam Bourne'sThe Last Testament, a Davinci Code-ish book with great detail about the religious and political realities of contemporary Palestine and Israel and an intriguing (though far-fetched) archeological context.

Which one can't I recommend? The Christian novel.

I am drawn to books with interesting titles. Four Feet, Two Sandals was a title that immediately made me pick up the book and read it. I was not disappointed. (And then I felt the need to buy it.) This children’s book by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed was inspired by a refugee girl who wondered why there were no books written about children like her.

There are a number of Bible reference books that are essentially dictionaries of biblical names. The most famous of them are probably the two books by Herbert Lockyer, All the Men of the Bible and All the Women of the Bible, neither of which I'd especially recommend to you if you have a good, recent Bible dictionary. Books like these are notorious for lacking the best in contemporary biblical scholarship, and they are usually far from being friendly for progressive leaders.

Fortunately, there's a superb option for those looking for a more recent book that describes every person in the Bible: All the People of the Bible: An A-Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture, by Richard R. Losch (Eerdmans, 2008, 578 pp.) This is a reference book I now keep on my "favorite references" shelf.

Since it is Thursday, it must be time for a book review! Today’s review is a 4-for-1 special. Dawn Young (Director of Christian Education for the Louisiana Conference) has reviewed four fiction series for us. These series are all appropriate for book club reading, and Dawn offers suggestions for using each series for this purpose. If your church doesn’t currently have a book club, consider starting one. You can find information about starting a book club here. Although not church-specific, the process is easily adaptable to the church setting. One benefit of reading a series of books is that it spares you the process of choosing a new book every month!

Happy reading and discussing! ~Sally

ATTENTIVE TO GOD: THINKING THEOLOGICALLY IN MINISTRY. Charles M. Wood and Ellen Blue. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2008, 138 pp

You are probably thinking, “Well, I can just skip over this one; certainly a book about thinking theologically isn’t for me.” Which is precisely who this book may have been designed for, those who don’t think theological thinking is for them. And there is much to frighten you away from this book. Begin with the theological pedigree of the two authors; both are professors at seminaries. The topic of theology is generally left to the purview of those that attend seminary, often because those that don’t attend seminary have enough sense to avoid it whenever and wherever possible. Admittedly, the authors intend this work to be for those learning to become theologians and to “empower the people to be in ministry themselves.”