10 Books That Have Shaped My Thinking

I was challenged this last fall by a cherished mentor of mine on Facebook to list ten books that have had an exceptional impact on me and my thinking. I posted the list on Facebook, but I figured I should share it here as well. The idea here is identifying ten books that have really impacted me and brought me to where I am today intellectually. Being the intense book nut that I am, I jumped at the chance to go through my bookshelf and think about what I've been reading over the last few years.

These ten books are in no particular order, and are subject to change as soon as I finish future books. Here we go.

1. "Truman" by David McCullough: I'm nuts for presidential biographies, and this is the one that cemented Harry Truman as my favorite president. McCullough really highlights the Midwest attitude and personality of Truman and how that shaped his exceptionally virtuous and public life, including the many difficult decisions he had to make in office. Truman is undoubtedly the most "regular guy" and relatable president we had in the 20th century, and it shines forth in this great book. A must read for Presidential history buffs like myself.

2. "The Dark Side" by Jane Mayer: I read this book right after I started the
political science program at OCU and began becoming more politically aware. It is a detailed and engrossing account of the Bush Administration's war on terror, and specifically how they decided to pursue and treat those they identified as terrorists. The passages describing torture and those within the administration who pushed back against the immoral actions are particularly harrowing. This book really is the one that woke me up to the real-world consequences and nature of politics.

3. "Jesus for President" by Shane Claiborne: This book totally blew my mind. I
read it about three years, as I slowly began my journey into a more theologically-tinged political awareness. Shane asks the really hard questions, and makes really tough points about patriotism, American exceptionalism and Christianity, points that would never be tolerated from a political candidate, or a preacher in many churches, but which are nevertheless true. In the end, the book explores how to really, really follow Jesus while being politically aware and involved.

4. "Saving Jesus from the Church" by Dr. Robin Rex Meyers: another book that blew my mind as I matured theologically. The way I approach my relationship to Jesus and what I expect the church to be is deeply indebted to this book. I learned a lot, and also developed a lot of questions that caused me dig even deeper, as a result of reading this book.

5. "Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky" by Noam Chomsky:  Along with "The Dark Side", this is a book that really woke me up to the real world consequences and effects of American foreign policy. Chomsky still has, and always will have, a strong effect on my thinking. Passages of this book were required reading for a Political Philosophy course I took at OCU.

6. "Love Wins" by Rob Bell: My wife Arianna read this book aloud to me as we drove to Las Vegas last summer. I was at a point in my faith where I was really struggling with the idea of a loving, merciful God who would send people to Hell to suffer eternally. Rob lays out a great argument in this book about why this idea of a "punishing hell" is in no way Biblical and how we should view our faith in a way that keeps us accountable to God without eternal punishment. For further reading on this subject, Benjamin L. Corey has been much help on his blog.

7. "Rubicon" by Tom Holland: I'm slightly obsessed with Roman history, and especially the era around Marius, Sulla, Caesar, Pompey, and Augustus. I love learning about the fall of the Republic, the rise of the Empire and most of all, the fascinating personalities who powered the biggest political shake-up in classical history. Tom's book is a great place to start that learning. Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" series (which I'm currently re-reading) is another great source.

8. "A Black Theology of Liberation" by Dr. James Cone: I actually just finished this book recently. If there is any one book that has both challenged me and infuriated me and educated me all at the same time, this is the one. (Arianna can confirm that series of reactions.) I certainly don't agree with everything Dr. Cone says, but I definitely sympathize with his arguments, and I found my own thinking continually challenged and changed as a result of reading this, especially in light of current events around race and authority in the United States. I love anything Liberation Theology, and along with Gustavo Gutierrez and Oscar Romero and Howard Thurman, James Cone will always been prominently placed on my bookshelf as a minister.

9. "Social Principles of the United Methodist Church" No, I'm serious. Don't laugh, this counts as a book. At a time when I was feeling that there was no church that addressed the issues important to me in a way that embodied justice and mercy, the Social Principles knocked me onto a collision course with ministry. I was so relieved to find a church that not only held these things important, but also took the time every four years to think about and discuss and debate and pray and write them down. As long as we have our Social Principles, and we work hard to live them, I will always be a United Methodist.

10. "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien: The only piece of fiction on my list. I first read it in the 5th grade. Our library at Benton Grade School had a large, hard-bound copy with big, painted illustrations by Michael Hague that I must have checked out most of the year and read over and over. From hence came my love of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and all the other fantasy books I reread over and over and over again.






That's my list. Share yours below!

The Sermon on the Mount in Our World, Part 5: Blessed are the Merciful

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy." -Matthew 5:7

The wing and hand of the angel with the cross symbolize the act of Mercy and represent those giving mercy as shown with the bandaged hand. The Caduceus represents the medical profession. The Chi Rho represents Christ and the bottomost symbol represents sickness and healing.

There were very few ways to die in the ancient world that were more painful, humiliating, or excruciatingly drawn out than crucifixion. It was generally a punishment by Rome for political enemies or military traitors. They were strung up on a beam and crossbar by hand and foot, and than left until they died from exposure or wild animals. While they waited for death, they had to endure the agony of intense muscle exertion and cramping, as well as hunger and thirst. The depictions of Jesus being hung with no support under his feet are wrong; that would anatomically impossible to do to a person, and would defeat the purpose anyways of a long, drawn out death.

They were often crucified in public places, such as roadsides, so serve as an example to other would-be revolutionaries. In the 2nd century BC, after the Spartacus uprising, the gladiators who followed Spartacus were crucified all along the road from Tuscany to Rome, one every 100 meters. The public aspect was intended to bring great shame on the prisoners. To not have one's body anointed and buried upon death was the ultimate humiliation, as the people of Rome believed  that you could not pass over to the afterlife with a proper burial.

And crucifixions were very, very ordinary. Hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions, of people were crucified during the extent of Roman Empire. People knew that the punishment for treason was generally crucifixion. It was a fairly convincing deterrent.

And, needless to say, it was very, very inhumane. That was kind of the point. It was to degrade their enemies, to shame them and bring them down to the lowest level of humiliation, that Rome did this. It was a particularly intense form of torture, and the death penalty, all rolled into one terrible act.

Jesus was crucified in this way. The man who had been declared King of the Jews, in direct contradiction to the Roman Emperor and King Herod, was strung up on a beam and left to die. He was shamed and humiliated and displayed publicly. It was a way for the Roman to deter future Messianic claimants, and by the Jewish leaders to mock the supposed prophet and Messiah. What Messiah suffers so long and so publicly? What Messiah allows himself to be exposed to nature and hunger and thirst and torture? What Messiah would allow his body, his personal Temple for the Lord to dwell in, to be degraded in such a way?

And yet, as He hung up there, Jesus asked for forgiveness for the one's who did this to him.

He didn't call out for vengeance. He didn't curse them. He didn't charge his followers with avenging his humiliating end.

He forgave. He asked for mercy for his tormentors.

Just as he did in His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus instructed, "Blessed are the merciful." He continuously commanded his followers to love their enemies, to forgive them, to show mercy to those who commit wrong or persecute them.

If Jesus commanded our mercy, then what does it say about us as a nation that has executed 1,364 people since 1976? A nation that, in some places, makes no regard for minors or the mentally handicapped when it comes to death penalty punishments. A nation that has exonerated 143 death row inmates since 1973. How many innocent men and women have we wrongfully executed?

Did we learn nothing from Jesus' example? Jesus really did, under Roman and Jewish law, commit a crime. He got the punishment prescribed by the authorities for his treason to the Roman emperor. Why would we, as a nation, take on the retaliatory role of the empire, rather than the merciful role of Christ?

Jesus demanded mercy from us. He was able to forgive those who persecuted him, people who hounded him and tortured him and humiliated him and ultimately killed him. Can we not find it in us to show mercy to those who commit crimes here, in our time? Not to release them and act as if it never happened. But what right to we have to play God, to determine when someone's time on this earth is done. But taking that person's life, we are taking away any and all opportunity they may have to find redemption. We take away the opportunity for them to show remorse and ask for forgiveness. We lose our chance to follows Christ's example.

Jesus said, "Forgive them, they know not what they do." He was speaking of those who could find no mercy in themselves. He was speaking of those who felt that the best answer to violence was more violence. He was talking about us.

For a really good discussion and meditation on crucifixion, check out Robin Meyer's excellent book, Saving Jesus from the Church. This blog post draws heavily from the ideas in Chapter 3.

Read Part 1: Blessed are the poor in spirit. 
Read Part 2: Blessed are those who mourn.
Read Part 3: Blessed are the meek 
Read Part 4: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness