Books Read in 2018

(Yes, I realize I published this a year late.)

For a number of years now, I have challenged myself to try and read 52 books a year.  This year, I did not meet that goal.  And, I think that in 2019, I may intentionally scale back to focus on a different reading pattern, or set different goals.

That being said, here is the list of books read in 2018.

1. Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Naht Hanh – This is a book by a Buddhist about his understanding of Christianity and the way the two world religions overlap.
2. Karl Barth and Radical Politics by George Hunsinger – I had Hunsinger as a professor at Princeton, this book is a great introduction to the political ramifications of Barth’s theology.
3. The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Bruggemann – This one blew me away.  It took me too long to get around to this classic.  It was one of the few books in my life that left me thinking, “This changes everything.”
4. Why Do I Do That?  Psychological Defense Mechanisms and the Hidden Ways They Shape Our Lives by Joseph Burgo – A fantastic read.  Every human alive should read this.
5. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook:  Practices That Transform Us by Adel Calhoun – A decent successor of a book to Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.
6. Merton’s Place of Nowhere by James Finley – Anything with Merton in its title has my attention.  Finley is a master here, and dives deep into the way each of us harbor falsehood and masks to hide behind.
7. Putting on the Mind of Christ: The Inner Work of Christian Spirituality by Jim Marion – This was interesting, but not sold on it completely.  I enjoyed the first half of this book.
8. A Brief History of Everything by Ken Wilber – More of a philosopher than a theologian, but this has changed my perspective of how the universe fits together.
9. Integral Meditation: Mindfulness as a Way to Grow Up, Wake Up, and Show Up by Ken Wilber – This was a game changer on the role and goal of spirituality.
10. Franciscan Prayer by Ilia Delio – I have been a fan of Fransiscanism for a while.  Here is a great read on prayer.
11. Compassion: Living in the Spirit of St. Francis by Ilia Delio – Again, I have high regard for Fransiscanism.
12. Meister Eckhart, from Whom God Hid Nothing: Sermons, Writings and Sayings – I cannot say that I understood everything, but Eckhart might have been a genius.
13. Intimacy with God: An Introduction to Centering Prayer by Thomas Keating – For anyone interested in Centering Prayer, this shows how life is lacking without it.
14. How to Read Lacan by Slavoj Zizek – I felt smarter having read this, but also more confused at the same time.
15. The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard – This was a reread, but the introduction is a classic, and its opening line is something I have quoted many times this year.
16. The Rebirthing of God by John Philip Newell – A change is coming in Christianity, God is being rediscovered, and Newell connects it to celtic Christianity.
17. Cinders by Jacques Derrida – First book I’ve read from Derrida.  It was almost a case study of sorts on “deconstructionism.”
18. The 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss – Not so much about a 4 hour work week, but very much about strategizing the impact of the time when you do work.
19. Animal Farm by George Orwell – Haven’t read this since middle school.  I quickly remembered why it is considered a classic.
20. The Sinthome: The Seminar of Jacques Lacan – Lacan was a post-modernism for certain, I gleaned some things from this book, but I’ll admit it was not quite my jam.
21. The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of Christianity by Cynthia Bourgeault
22. The New Spiritual Exercises: In the Spirit of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
23. Paul and the Faithfulness of God (Vol. 1) by NT Wright
24. How to Be Here: A Guide to Creating a Life Worth Living by Rob Bell
25. 30 Covert Emotional Manipulation Tactics by Adelyn Birch
26. The Dark Knight: The Master Race by Frank Miller
27. Lacan on Love by Bruce Fink – This was great.  Fink distilled some of the best comments from Lacan and leaves it to you to take what you like.
28. 12 Rules for Live by Jordan Peterson
29. Original Blessing: Putting Sin in its Rightful Place by Danielle Shroyer
30. When to Jump: If the Job You Have Isn’t the Life You Want by Mike Lewis
31. Green Lantern: Earth One
32. The Path Between Us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships by Suzanne Stabile
33. Richard Rohr: Essential Teachings on Love by Richard Rohr
34. Enduring Love by Peter Rollins
35. How to Be Here: A Guide to Creating a Life Worth Living by Rob Bell
36. The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God by Dallas Willard
37. Echoes of Exodus: Tracing a Biblical Motif by Bryan Estelle
38. Batman: White Knight by Sean Gordan Murphy
39. Hildegard of Bingen: A Saint for Our Times by Matthew Fox
40. The Zimzum of Love: A New Way of Understanding Marriage by Rob and Kristen Bell
41. The Religion of Tomorrow: Vision for the Future of the Great Traditions by Ken Wilber
42. A Hunger for Wholeness: Soul, Space, and Transcendence by Ilia Delio
43. Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation by Jurgen Moltmann
44. The New Copernicans; Millenials and the Survival of the Church by David John Seel Jr.
45. Church Dogmatics 4.3.1 by Karl Barth
46. Christianity and Evolution by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
47. Modern Man in Search of a Soul by C.G. Jung (Unfinished)
48. North by Scott Jurek (Unfinished)
49. The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson (Unfinished)
50. Kingdom, Grace Judgement: Paradox, Outrage, and Vindication in the Parables of Jesus by Robert Capon (Unfinished)