Categories
fun leadership life

Summer Reading List

One of the things which I relearned on vacation a couple weeks ago is how important it is for me to spend time reading. It is good for my soul. Here is what I have on my summer reading list:

What other books do you suggest? Any on this list that you think I should read first?

By Andrew Conard

Christian, husband, son, brother, homeowner

16 replies on “Summer Reading List”

I heard Dr. Abrahams speak at the World Congress on Evangelism. Whatever misgivings I had going in were magnified a 1000 times!

He wants a monolithic return to Modernistic theology and philosophy. He believes any post-Modern church is at best misguided, and at worst idolatrous.

I actually skipped lectures 2 & 3 because the content and delivery were so terrible.

Mark,

I would say your characterization of Abraham is 100 percent wrong. I suspect that basically you just didn’t fully understand what he was saying. I was at the same event, am myself a postmodern, and it was clearly not the way you are describing it. The presentation was intelligent, articulate, and while on a level that some might not have fully comprehended – brilliant. Dr. Abraham is perhaps the worlds foremost expert on religious epistemology, but he is clearly not a modernist, In fact the first lecture you reference was all about Albert Outler and the attempt to reconcile modernism with Christianity and its subsequent failure as an enterprise. He was in fact ATTACKING the tendency of the Church to wed itself to any cultural philosophical norms too completely – and illustrated that danger in reference to Modernism and Outler’s failed paradigm. I cant help but wonder if we were even in the same room…

I would strongly encourage your reading “Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky. I think it ought to be required reading for anyone seeking to make a difference in his or her setting. It is surprisingly appropriate to our current context in The United Methodist Church. Those seeking to lead change need to be intentional about what it takes to “stay alive through the dangers of leading.” The dangers are real, and the need for genuine leaders is great.

If you haven’t read it yet, Grown Up Digital by Don Tapscott might be helpful considering your new position.

Since you asked…

I highly recommend, “The Corner: A Year In the Life of An Inner-City Neighborhood.” If one of COR’s missions is extending its boundaries into more impoverished parts of Kansas City, it is imperative that church leadership attempt to understand the raw psychology of these neighborhoods. This book is an unflinching work of journalism, not speculation, authored by David Simon and Edward Burns, creators of the greatest TV show of all-time, The Wire.

For a more whimisical, yet inspiring read, I would recommend, “The Kid Who Climbed Everest” by Man Vs. Wild himself, Bear Grylls. Seems you may have mentioned in a sermon a few years back your enjoyment of his show, and this book demonstrates how his faith sustained him, as a young-man, on the most unforgiving place on earth. Very entertaining and motivational.

I thoroughly enjoyed and was challenged from reading ReJesus co-authored by Alan Hirsch.
You might wanna check it out, if you haven’t yet

I would suggest

1. Anything by N.T. Wright – Particularly the Challenge of Jesus (Which is a fairly short read).
2. Deep Change – A book on self leadership for organizational change…great stuff.

I’d second Deep Change and put Good to Great near the top of the list. The non profit supplement was more helpful to me than the book. You might read its intro first, then the book, then finish the monograph.

I agree with Chuck about N.T. Wright and highly recommend: Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. I inhaled it the first week of Easter!

Comments are closed.