In addition to the other storylines I am currently living, I have been reading like crazy. I’ve finished the following books recently, but probably won’t write substantial reviews of them:
- “Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church” – Harry Crocker III (This is an incredibly exhaustive account of the Church from its inception through the modern day. I was woefully ignorant of much history before about the 16th century, but after reading this I feel empowered by all of the great men and women who have ushered the faith of Christ along to me today. I now see that it is quite difficult to have a firm understanding of Christianity without delving into its past history and traditions. I thought the title was rather elitist, but what it really says is that despite all of the past tragedies, abuses, and attacks, the Church has still survived, just as Jesus said it would.)
- “The Great Divorce” – C.S. Lewis (As I’ve said many times before, he is one of my two favorite authors to read. This books describes a dream in which C.S. Lewis is ushered through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven and paints some incredibly imaginative images of what all three are like. He continues to sanctify my imagination.)
- “It Came From Within” – Andy Stanley (The lighter version of Dallas Willard’s book “Renovation of the Heart”, but with a similar concept: all instances of sin and regretful actions actually stem from the heart. If you start yelling at someone, you don’t have a ‘yelling’ problem, you have an anger problem which originated at the heart level. Your actions are only manifestations of your heart. He explains the four core vices of the heart (anger, greed, guilt, and jealousy) and gives ways to combat each one. Lighter reading, but some solid teachings on conversion at a heart level; his section on jealousy has removed some of it in my own heart.)
- “Breakfast with Benedict” – Pope Benedict XVI (Put together by one of my closest friends, Bert Ghezzi, this is a devotional book of the Pope’s sayings collected from a variety of sources. Though sometimes his words are quite heavy, Benedict’s depth of understanding is phenomenal. Sometimes his words seem detached from every day experiences, but once you understand what he is trying to communicate, his words are clearly relevant, especially in regards to ethics and morals.)
- “Caritas In Varitate (Charity In Truth)” – Pope Benedict XVI (This is the latest encyclical written by the Pope, which is a letter he writes to the world every year or two. It dealt specifically with the relationship between justice and truth, which was interesting, to say the least. His main point was that all acts of justice and progress are intertwined, and must be based on the truth of the value and dignity of every living thing: your concern for the environment is directly related to your value of unborn life, your care for developing nations is directly related to your belief in the gifts that the poor have to offer the world. This is a very challenging read, but well worth it.)
- “Cloud of Witnesses” – Jim Wallis (A collection of short biographies of a couple dozen heroes of social justice. From familiar people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Dorothy Day to relative unknowns like modern foreign martyrs, this book really encouraged me that it is possible for each of to live a great and worthy life. Almost all of these people started life in ordinary, mundane situations but then transcended those roles to make a gigantic difference in the world.)
- “Helping Guys Become Men, Husbands, & Fathers” – Dr. John King (As I’m trying to grow in all three categories found in the title, this book gave many tips to help embrace each role. It also affirmed the importance of good men in our society. If only the majority of men valued their roles as husbands and fathers above all else, a tremendous amount of pain and distortion in our society would be avoided. If every father told their daughter how worthy and captivating she was, and every son’s authentic masculinity was developed, many future relational problems would be prevented. I’ve read some other books on these subjects that have had a bigger impact on me, namely “Wild At Heart” by John Eldredge.)
I also have at least three books on tap to review right now, with more to come in the mail. It may take a little bit of time, but I will get to each of them. Here are a few reviews to expect in the near future:
- “A Million Miles In A Thousand Years” – Donald Miller (After finishing, I can honestly say that this is most impactful book I have read in a long while. I’ll explain why soon.)
- “The Fathers of the Church” – Mike Aquilina (There is so much depth in the writings and stories of these men; this book is so very rich. I have just recently begun diving into Church history and it is a deep, deep well of inspiration.)
- “Notes From The Tilt-A-Whirl” – N.D. Wilson (A wild, imaginative look at God’s world. Check out the video trailer for a glimpse.)
I will post some deeper reviews as soon as I finish these sure-to-be-good books!