Every year I try to find a mix of books that will help my personal growth, and shape some interesting conversations with my friends outside a church context. This has been a particularly helpful combination for starting our new Deeper Questions podcast at City Bible Forum. So here are some of the books I finished this year; most of them turned into podcast episodes if you’re interested in a life-hack version of the book.
1. The Air We Breathe (Scrivener)
One of the trendier arguments we Christians have picked up in recent years is that the modern society is built on Christian values. I remember hearing Peter Hitchens use the term ‘Atheist Freeloaders’ over 10 years ago to poke that particular bear, but it didn’t seem to carry much sway back then. Well, this argument has come back in a big way since then and Glen Scrivener puts together one of its most concise and accessible versions. Part of the reason I think this book works is that the argument now has significant backing from secular academics. Scrivener draws on recent books from Tom Holland, Joseph Henrich, Louise Perry, and others to make the case that our most cherished values in the West—equality, compassion, consent, enlightenment, science, freedom, and progress—are evidently Christian values. Even the way we critique Christianity has a distinctly Christian vernacular to it.
2. The Second Mountain (Brooks)
I had heard lots of good things about this book and whenever flicking through it found the chapters real, beautifully written and evocative. I decided to pick it for a book club so I could give it a crack cover to cover and the more I read, the more it was hit and miss. It feels a bit too long and rambly at times, but is still an excellent journey spanning many of the experiences and areas that make us feel most alive and human. Some of the chapters were particularly inspiring and surprisingly practical, especially Brooks’ reflections on suffering, character, community, and his personal encounter with Christianity. The idea of the second mountain will resonate deeply with many of us, and I suspect will breathe life into men where a mid-life crisis is lurking in the shadows.
3. Raising Tech Healthy Humans (Sih)
I’m sure about 98% of us feel overwhelmed, guilty and at the mercy of our smartphones, social media and technology, and this book helps us take gentle steps in the right direction. Designed to be read in a sitting or two, this immensely practical book is one that will be easy to pick up again, particularly as my young kids start to develop more complex relationships with technology use. I really appreciate Dan’s hopeful and balanced perspectives on the place of technology, and what it does to us if left on autopilot. The good thing is that we can easily shift back to manual if we surround ourselves with the right tools, tribes and frameworks.
4. The Forest Underground (Rinaudo)
Of all the books I’ve listed, this one is undoubtedly the best coffee table book candidate. The stunning imagery immerses us in the world that agronomist Tony Rinaudo has devoted his entire life to. This book won the Australian Christian Book of the Year in 2022, and it’s not hard to see why. Tony has a remarkable story and provides real hope when it comes to climate change. His work has transformed and greened some of the driest regions of Africa, and will likely play a significant role globally over the next few decades. Tony also effortlessly weaves together a beautiful theology of nature (that we have often overlooked or underappreciated in evangelical circles) with a personal story of faithfulness, dependence on God, and gargantuan answers to bold prayer.
5. The Word Becomes Film (Matthews)
They say ‘never review a book by a friend’—but they don’t say ‘never share your friend’s book on a Christian website’, so let me share a nifty little book my colleague Russ published late last year. Russ is a movie critic and has made a career of connecting the narrative themes in movies to the most powerful narrative the world has seen: Christ’s story. His book is akin to a Chesterton-style adventure with some delightful characters and relatable conversations that could spring from film and story. Discussing a movie is probably one of the easiest, and yet underrated ways of having a meaningful conversation with a friend, and this book helps us visualise what that journey could look like while offering plenty of practical wisdom.
Discussing a movie is probably one of the easiest, and yet underrated ways of having a meaningful conversation with a friend.
6. Jesus vs Evangelicals (Campbell)
Probably the most controversial book in this list, but one I am glad was written. Con Campbell is a New Testament scholar specialising in the writings of Paul, but for this book he makes a notable departure and spends some time discussing a very real problem for the church: Christian hypocrisy within evangelicalism. He helpfully distinguishes between political, cultural and theological evangelicals, and then discusses why these all present unique problems for the ‘evangelical’ label. Having spent time on staff at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, and Moore Theological College in Sydney, Con is able to dissect which problems are uniquely American, and which problems have become wider reaching for evangelicalism. Probably a good one to read in light of the upcoming US election in 2024.
7. The Manual (Stewart)
Masculinity has been in a strange place over the last few decades. On one level it seems to be something we have talked about ad nauseam, exposing the tragic and all too common abuse and neglect that regularly leaves women and children broken, bruised and behind in most metrics. On the other hand we’ve failed to meaningfully discuss what constitutes a healthy form of masculinity—one that empowers and uplifts those we most care about and contributes to building a better world. Thankfully Christians have been having these conversations for millennia, and despite the cultural norms and milieu ever changing, there are some things that stay relatively timeless. Al Stewart has written a clear and wise book that speaks to this moment with the truths of Scripture.
We’ve failed to meaningfully discuss what constitutes a healthy form of masculinity.
8. The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner (Tame)
While I don’t tend to read biographies or memoirs all that much, I rarely regret when I do. I am often captivated by peoples’ experiences and regularly come away inspired and thankful for what God does in the lives of others. I’m also fascinated to hear from people when God is not part of their story—what makes them tick, what sort of questions bubble to the surface, and what helps them to overcome adversity. Which brings me to Grace Tame. Most people know a few titbits about Grace’s incredible journey to become Australian of the Year, but I was intrigued when I saw she had published her memoir and picked it up shortly after. A brutally confronting read, but it’s also earthy, real and honest in a way that is hard to put into words. She has lived 10 lifetimes in one and I couldn’t believe my luck when she agreed to be interviewed about her book and her life. An absolute honour.
9. The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God (Brierley)
Remember when New Atheism was all the rage in the early 2000s? They left an indelible mark on the public mood by advocating open hostility towards Christianity, which we still seem to think is the norm. But Justin Brierley makes the case that there is something fascinating happening in our culture. Just as people flocked to hear or watch Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and others of their ilk in action, there are now scores of people watching Jordan Peterson, Douglas Murray and others, who are seemingly sympathetic and nostalgic for God and the story of Christianity. Brierley shares his decades of experience talking with Atheists, Christians and everything in between to show that the cultural tide is shifting and New Atheism is no longer the force it was at its zenith. If you enjoyed the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, you can also check this out as a docu-series podcast, which adopts a similar style of investigative work, interviews and reflection.
10. A Secular Age (Taylor)
Countless books and articles have been written about this gigantic book, and it’s an immensely helpful tome for anyone wanting a rigorous account of the secularisation process. With that in mind I’m not going to share much about its content, but instead give tips for anyone that wants to tackle it. Initially I challenged myself to get through it in a year, which proved much harder than I thought with brutally long chapters (some over 100 pages) and few subheadings to give you a breather. These vast walls of text felt disorienting and very hard to retain even before digesting the subject matter. I got through about 5 chapters back then, but this year I bought the audiobook version which proved much more productive. I was able to get through 1-2 hours each city commute, and it became much easier to take notes; a deeply rewarding experience, finishing it in about 6 months. Next up… Biblical Critical Theory.
