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Pastor John's 2021 Reading Challenge - April & May Update

Posted by John Gardner on June 12, 2021
Pastor John's 2021 Reading Challenge - April & May Update

Like last year, I’m using Tim Challies’ reading challenge to help guide my reading for this year. I’ll post monthly updates this year for those interested in following along and/or looking for book recommendations. My goal for 2021 is to complete at least 80 books (somewhere between Challies’ “Committed” and “Obsessed” categories). A couple of the usual caveats:

  1. A book appearing on this list is not an endorsement. I (intentionally) read a lot of stuff by authors with whom I do not agree, and/or books that I don't recommend.
  2. Each year I like to have a secondary reading goal to further help refine my selection of books. This year I intend to focus much of my reading on topics of "social justice" and biblical responses to the progressive narrative surrounding them. For related reasons, I am choosing to read as many books as possible by female and/or BIPOC authors.
  3. I provide Amazon links for most books, not because I expect you to purchase them, but primarily so that you can have easy access to other reviews and publishing info. Virtually all books I read and review are in my personal library (from which FBC members are welcome to borrow) or in the Spokane County Public Library. If you do decide to purchase books from Amazon, be aware that I receive a VERY small commission when you click the link, which helps to feed my reading habit and does not affect the price you pay.

April's Reading List

A Book About a Current Social Issue

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

by Isabel Wilkerson
rating: 4/5
There are many reasons to commend this book, which received accolades from nearly every major media outlet in 2020. If nothing else, it is worth checking out as it is quickly becoming one of the most influential books in the ongoing cultural conversation about racism in America. But it has value far beyond its ability to inform.

The metaphor Wilkerson uses in the beginning of the book is apropos: the general discontentment of American citizens—and particularly as it is highlighted among groups with different amounts of melanin in their skin—is analogous to rot in the structural foundation of an old house. Just as the current owners of a Victorian-era home are not responsible for mistakes that may have allowed water to seep into their foundation long before they were born, no one alive today is directly responsible for the African slave trade or the passing of Jim Crow laws. But we have inherited a problem which, if ignored, will only get worse until the consequences are catastrophic.

Given Wilkerson's distinguished career as a journalist, it is no surprise that she is at her best in this book as an investigative storyteller. Her research and presentation of our country's long history of abuse and subjugation of groups of people based on something as subjective as the color of their skin is riveting. While difficult to read, it is vital that we know the worst parts of our nation’s history, as it provides important context for our present struggles. She presents this story in a manner that moves the reader to empathy without being heavy-handed.

In fact, one of Wilkerson’s stated goals for this book is to move readers toward “racial empathy,” a term by which she means “putting in the work to educate oneself and to listen with a humble heart to understand another’s experience from their perspective, not as we imagine we would feel… it is the kindred connection from a place of deep knowing that opens your spirit to the pain of another as they perceive it.” This is a worthy goal, and a concept that will be crucial moving forward if there is to be healing for our country’s deep cultural and political divides. Listening to understand (rather than merely to respond) and sincerely striving to see things from differing points of view are not just good ideas—for Christians they are biblical mandates (Col. 3:12-14). Unity does not imply or require conformity; we can and should aim to better understand and empathize with one another without necessarily agreeing with one another, and this book helps in that regard.

For all the positives this book contains, however, Wilkerson only partially convinced me of the book’s central thesis: that race relations in the United States are best characterized as a caste system, which she compares to caste systems in India and in Nazi Germany. I do not argue with her contention that there are systemic problems resulting in disadvantages (and often outright persecution) for people of different ethnic backgrounds which have existed for the entirety of our national history. And I appreciate the care she takes in acknowledging that these problems are rarely the result of actual hatred or conscious prejudice: “Caste is insidious and therefore powerful because it is not hatred; it is not necessarily personal. It is the worn grooves of comforting routines and unthinking expectations, patterns of a social order that have been in place for so long that it looks like the natural order of things.” Undoubtedly, there are “unthinking expectations” which can lead to misunderstanding or hurt in our interactions with one another, and I do not pretend that I am immune to this myself. Sadly, Wilkerson leaves the reader with little hope for real change.

But while I acknowledge and condemn the tragic history and continuing menace of racism in America, I remain unconvinced that “caste” is the best way to think about and address the racial divide in our nation. While there are definitely some superficial similarities to caste systems in 1930s Germany and the last few millennia in India, Wilkerson did not seem to give more than a cursory survey of the points of resemblance, rather than an academic comparison of German and Indian systems with that of America. This is more than just an issue of semantics, as the term “caste” seems to convey a sense of inevitability that I don’t feel is supported by Wilkerson’s work.

One glaring difference that is not sufficiently explored in the book is the fact that there has never been a time in our country’s history when the subjugation/oppression of black people was an uncontested, near-universally held position. Unlike in India and the Third Reich, where internal resistance to the oppressive treatment of the lower castes was rare, race-based subjugation has always been a major point of contention in our country. For all our national sins and failures in this area, there have always been those who vehemently opposed slavery, segregation, and racism; always rejected the inherent superiority or inferiority of groups of people based solely on the color of their skin. To then imply that “whiteness” itself is the source of the problems we’re facing today seems to undercut her own argument that skin color is a terrible reason to judge an entire group of people.

I don’t mean to minimize the reality that—to return to the opening illustration—there is rot in our system that needs to be addressed. And I don’t want to spend a lot of time criticizing the book for what it is not. I truly appreciate the perspective she provides, and am largely sympathetic to her cause. I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically endorse her call to “radical empathy” and am committed to such myself, for many reasons. To a point, I can even understand the pessimism expressed in the book. From Wilkerson’s perspective, there has not been a lot of reason for optimism lately. I get that! I just wish that the book had more hope to offer to readers of all skin tones who genuinely want to see societal change in this area but who don’t believe that this requires buying into the narrative of modern secular Progressivism and the entire political agenda it entails. Still, I am grateful for this valuable addition to the conversation, and for the way it has helped to continue shaping my own thinking.

a book about business or poverty

The Birth of Loud: Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll

by Ian S. Port
rating: 5/5

I loved this fascinating dual biography of Leo Fender and Les Paul, which was really more of a history of Rock 'n' Roll and the innovation, entrepreneurship, and marketing of the sound that has shaped generations of American music. Super fun!

a book about relationships or forgiveness

Tying the Knot: A Premarital Guide to a Strong and Lasting Marriage

by Rob Green
rating: 4/5

Recently finished going through this book with a couple for their pre-marital counseling. While I wouldn't want it to be the only resource used for pre-marital, it definitely provided a good starting point for conversations between themselves and in our counseling sessions, which opened the door for deeper discussion. Each chapter is presented with the goal of keeping Jesus at the center of every aspect of the marriage. There's nothing groundbreaking or new here, but it is a clear and succinct presentation of biblical content from a complementarian viewpoint.

a book with a person on the cover

Indian Sun: The Life and Music of Ravi Shankar

by Oliver Craske
rating: 4/5

It's not hyperbole to suggest that Ravi Shankar may have been the most influential musician of the 20th century. Though many (particularly younger) folks in the West may not be familiar with him directly, it would be hard to avoid having heard music from those who studied with him, including George Harrison, John Coltrane, Philip Glass, and his own daughter Norah Jones. He had a knack for showing up at portentous and monumental occasions, ranging from the Weimar Republic to Prohibition-era NYC to Soviet Russia to Woodstock. As an instructor, influencer, cultural ambassador, political activist, humanitarian, composer, and virtuosic sitarist, Shankar's 92 years were filled with significance... enough to fill nearly 700 pages of a biography! A fascinating read, if a little long-winded at times.

a book about psychology or philosophy

You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit

by James K.A. Smith
rating: 5/5

This is maybe the best book I've read on worship service planning (and I've read a ton of them). Smith argues convincingly that the patterns and practices of corporate worship are deeply formative in the lives of those Christians who attend them. While most congregants may never make an explicit connection between the various liturgical actions in which they participate on the Lord's Day and their own personal spiritual habits and affections throughout their daily lives, the reality is that planning and executing the liturgy (whether or not a church chooses to use the "L-word") is one of the most critical ways in which the church exercises its disciple-making role. So often, "musical style" is the start and end of the conversation when it comes to what a church values in the planning of its services, which is a shame, as well as a tremendous missed opportunity. Whether it's done well or done poorly, service planning contributes immensely to the spiritual lives of our people. We need books like this which help us to think well about this great responsibility borne by people in my position. 

I look forward to giving this book a second, more thorough read this summer as I go through it with some members of our team. As good as it was, I feel I wasn't able to give it the full attention and thought it deserves due to several other ministry obligations happening as I was working through this one the first time.

a book with two or more authors

Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference

by Timothy Keller & John Inazu, editors
rating: 3/5

I loved the premise of this book, and parts of it lived up to expectations. No one on the evangelical landscape today is better than Tim Keller at getting people with different viewpoints together for a civil, respectful conversation around difficult topics. This collection of essays provides a good example of the kind of discourse we need in an increasingly fractured society, but the disparity in writing quality combined with the lack of a single unifying theme made this book a bit of a disappointment.

a book based on a true story

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

by Daniel James Brown
rating: 5/5

Absolutely loved this "local" story about a group of Washington boys who came together to challenge the greatest rowers in the world, overcoming all odds (including blatant cheating designed to display the dominance and superiority of the Third Reich) to win gold at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Some nice material in there about living in Spokane and northern Idaho in the early 20th century, too!

a memoir or autobiography

I Am Restored: How I Lost My Religion but Found My Faith

by Lecrae Moore
rating: 4/5

The last few years have produced a number of prominent "deconversions" and "exvangelical" stories from some of my favorite artists and authors, all of which have been difficult. Lecrae's apparent wandering from Christianity seemed destined to wind up in the same place. That's why this read, while difficult in many ways, was also refreshing. After a childhood spent in poverty and abuse, Lecrae went on to experience a very different set of challenges that come with celebrity status. This is the story of how he hit rock bottom, made some bad life choices, and "lost his religion." Thankfully, it's also the story of how God used the ministry of biblical counseling to help him reconstruct a faith that is strong, even if he differs in some important areas from the Reformed evangelical circles in which he spent much of the last decade. His is an important story, particularly for those of us who hold different theological and political convictions.

May's Reading List

A Book About Christian Living

Glimpses of the New Creation: Worship and the Formative Power of the ARts

by W. David O. Taylor
rating: 5/5
There are surprisingly few books focusing on the role of the arts in worship, so this book was a delightful read despite its somewhat academic tone. It focuses on the "formative power" of the arts and their uses in the worship of the Church. For each type of art (including musical, poetic, visual, kinetic, theatrical, and architectural arts), Taylor investigates the "singular powers" of that art; in other words, what can this kind of art uniquely teach us that we can't get from anything else? While Taylor writes from an Anglican perspective, his insights will benefit pastors and artists from any stream of Christianity. Written shortly before COVID-19, his thoughts on the "singular powers" of video and other technological arts are particularly interesting given how nearly every church in the world suddenly became reliant on video. As someone who wholeheartedly believes that the Church (specifically: local churches) should reclaim its former place as patron, curator, and cultivator of the arts, this was a great encouragement as Taylor also proposes similar "powers" for other art forms which I hope to see better and more thoughtfully utilized in local churches in the near future. Starting with my own!
a book set during WWII

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

by Erik Larson
rating: 4.5/5

I've read and enjoyed several biographies of Winston Churchill, but this one was quite a bit different. Not so much about Churchill himself as it is about the Battle of Britain, The Splendid and the Vile is set in the volatile first year of Churchill's premiership. Entering office only two weeks before the evacuation of British forces at Dunkirk, the Blitzkreig was already in full effect. The ensuing 12 months brought a relentless bombing campaign from the Luftwaffe which left more than 45,000 Britons dead. This book tells the story of Churchill's remarkable efforts to rally the morale of the British people, maintain the development and production of British aircraft and defenses, and convince Franklin D. Roosevelt to commit American supplies and troops to the war. I particularly enjoyed the parts of the book which focused on technological innovation and espionage. Perhaps less enjoyable but no less fascinating was how much the Churchill family dynamics played into the diplomacy of the era. Larson is a masterful storyteller, and this account of England's darkest hour is well worth your time.

a book with a one-word title

Gathering: A Theology and Spirituality of Worship in Free Church Tradition

by Christopher Ellis
rating: 2/5

This book was assigned for a seminary class, and was about as dull as anything I've ever read on the topic of worship (and I love reading books about worship!). Ellis' research may be of interest to academicians specifically studying the history of Free Church worship, but is so dense that it's going to have very limited appeal to the rest of us.

a book about a world leader

You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington

by Alexis Coe
rating: 3.5/5

This short biography of our first President--one of very few written by a woman--was a mixed bag. I typically enjoy more comprehensive and academic biographies, so the tone of this book wasn't to my liking... but I also understand that Coe was intentionally writing to a very different audience. I did find her insights about how previous biographers have tended to focus on Washington's virtues while glossing over his flaws to be somewhat refreshing; we Americans do have a tendency to romanticize the past, and seem particularly attached to a legacy in our first President which may not always comport with the facts. We (rightly) make a big deal out of how George Washington gracefully stepped down from leadership, setting a precedent for the peaceful transition of power unmatched in history. Yet, as Coe points out, history books have tended to ignore his (often brutal) treatment of his slaves, his many failures as a leader, and his unwillingness to apply his vast influence to make America a place of freedom and justice for all.

I'll admit to worrying initially that this book would turn out to be merely a "hit piece" focusing on Washington's worst qualities. Thankfully, Coe's approach is well-balanced, and a welcome corrective to the many paeans already on every library's bookshelf. For me, however, the lighter tone of the book took away from its merits as a scholarly work, which is a shame, as Coe certainly possesses the academic chops. Of course, my wanting to read a different book than the one she wrote is no fault of the author! I'll be interested to see more of her work in the future.

a book by a female Christian author

Singing the Congregation: How Contemporary Worship Music Forms Evangelical Community

by Monique M. Ingalls
rating: 4/5

This study of how evangelicals are formed by the worship music they listen to and sing together was quite interesting. Dr. Ingalls' status as an outside observer--she is an Episcopalian herself--gives her a unique vantage point for her research. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the book is how she compellingly redefines what it means to be a "congregation." Typically we have thought of this as the gathered body of believers in a local church; Ingalls argues that this is but one of five significant "modes of congregating" in which contemporary worship music forms evangelicals, and not necessarily the most formative. In addition to singing in their local churches on the Lord's Day, evangelicals also congregate to sing at conferences, worship concerts, praise marches (i.e., singing outside in public spaces), and in front of screens. Prior to COVID I might have argued that this final mode should qualify as "congregating," but even before the pandemic, the engagement with contemporary worship music on screens certainly had a significant formative effect on evangelicals. This book may not have much appeal outside of the academic study of worship music, but for those of us engaged in such things, this is a worthwhile resource.

a book by your favorite author

Mistborn: The Final Empire (Book 1)

by Brandon Sanderson
rating: 4.5/5

Having first read the first four installments of the Stormlight Archives last year, I wanted to check out Sanderson's earlier work. It's definitely a great story and a fun read, but early in the series I think I prefer the grander narrative arc and epic world-building of SA. Still, that's a crazy high bar for comparison! Looking forward to the rest of the Mistborn series.

a book about theology

The Beauty of God: Theology and the Arts

by Daniel J. Treier, editor
rating: 3.5/5

As with most books made up of collections of essays (these from the 2006 Wheaton Theology Conference), this one is of variable quality. As with most things he writes, Jeremy Begbie's chapters ("Created Beauty: The Witness of J.S. Bach" and "Beauty, Sentimentality, and the Arts") are worth the price of the book by themselves. I also really appreciated the essays by Roger Lundin ("The Beauty of Belief") and Edward Oakes ("The Apologetics of Beauty"). The rest of the chapters were good, but not riveting. Will make for a good shelf reference, however!

Up Next...

That's it for April & May! Hopefully I can get back to monthly updates at the end of June. Here's what's up next on my reading list:

  • Mistborn: The Well of Ascension (Book 2), by Brandon Sanderson
  • Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism's Looming Catastrophe, by Voddie T. Baucham, Jr.
  • The New Reformation: Finding Hope in the Fight for Ethnic Unity, by Shai Linne
  • Art + Faith: A Theology of Making, by Makoto Fujimura
  • The Stranger: Poems, by Ben Palpant
  • Beauty: A Very Short Introduction, by Roger Scruton
John Gardner

John is the pastor over Music Ministry at Faith Bible Church. He is a coffee aficionado who loves most kinds of music, but has a particular fondness for big band (especially when he's playing trumpet in the band). He and his wife, Laurie, have 3 kids who enjoy reading, hiking, and the symphony.

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