Orville Jenkins Thoughts and Resources
Orville Jenkins Ideas and Interests

Books I Read in 2013
Orville Boyd Jenkins
Last edited 28 May 2015

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This reading list is one way of providing resources to others who may be interested in the topics I study, and this public list helps motivate me to meet my personal goals.  I have lowered my reading goal for 2013 to 135 books.  I barely made last year's goal of 145, but the schedule was crowded.

Finished (96)

Adeney, Frances S.  Graceful Evangelism:  Christian Witness in a Complex World.  Grand Rapids:  Baker Academic, 2010.  204p.  Bought 4 June 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 31 October - 3 November 2013.  Church and Culture

Bailyn, Bernard.  To Begin the World Anew:  The Genius and Ambiguities of the American Founders.  NY:  Vintage (Random House), 2003.  183p.  Bought 27 April 2013 in Pantego, Texas.  Read 28-30 April 2013.  American Politics and Culture

Ballentine, Jack.  Murder for Hire:  My Life as the Country's Most Successful Undercover Agent.  NY:  Thomas Dunne (St Martin's Griffin), 2009.  300p.  Bought 8 December 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 12-19 January 2013.  Biography

Barry, John M.  Rising Tide:  The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America.  NY:  Touchstone, 1998.  524p.  Bought 25 April 2009 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 22-24 January 2013.  History (Politics)

Beiswenger, John.  Link.  Haverford, Pennsylvania:  Infinity Publishing Co, 2003.  365p.  (A Sci-Fi novel looking at the link between quantum physics concepts of time and space and the unseen world of spirit and Divinity.  The plot moves pretty well, but I found my interest flagged due to the heavy didactic tone at points.  The approach seems to be to lay a theoretical foundation for digitizing the Divine.  To put it another way, the story proposes that we can document through empirical science the non-empirical, non-physical nature of human consciousness and its connection to the core of the universe in the Divine.  They discover that an ancestor's memories can be recovered and experienced by a descendant.  The researchers posit a universal single "particle" that resides in all cells of a single person's body simultaneously, (supportable on the basis of Quantum Physics).  They then draw the logically unsupported conclusion that this physical - quantum - particle is equivalent to the traditional pre-Christian Greek-Western idea of the individual "soul."  The existence of such previous ancestor-life memories in a genetic descendant would still be only a physical phenomenon, since the detection and transmission mechanisms are empirical, genetic and physical.  It may provide a strong intuitive support for such a metaphysical conclusion, but in the procedures of experimental science, I don't see how it can yield a valid metaphysical conclusion.  It is still a leap of faith from materialistic physical phenomena to the metaphysical conclusion.  An argument to that end could be constructed through deductive reason.  This would be a philosophical justification for such a belief, drawn from such experimental data.  The scientific grounds for it, however, seem slim if supported at all.  The novel's conclusion also conflicts with the biblical view of life and individual identity, and the goal of physical restoration of individual bodies on a new earth, though most people ignore this biblical perspective and think in terms of the culturally traditional disembodied existence in some sort of "heaven."  Read my review of this book on Amazon.  Read my review of this book on GoodReads.)  Read 26 April - 17 May 2013.  Sci Fi

Bell, Rob.  Love Wins:  A Book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.  NY:  HarperOne, 2011.  202p.  Bought 16 August 2012 from Amazon.  Read 1 July 2013.  Church and Culture

Belleville, Linda L, etal, Jim Beck ed.  Two Views Women in Ministry.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2005.  359p.  (A volume in the excellent critical series Counterpoints.  This is a new edition of the topic originally published in 2001.  Four scholars give a biblical study on the topic of Women in Ministry, classified in two categories, though there are quite a range of views on the various considerations and applications of these.  Cultural considerations then and now with references to historical perspectives make this a stimulating study.)  Bought 11 August 2012. Read 7 -12 February 2013.  Church and Culture (Bible)

Boyd, Brady.  Fear No Evil:  A Test of Faith, A Courageous Church, and an Unfailing God.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2012.  267p.  (This is the story of a shooting attack at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, written by the pastor.  He reviews the experience and how it affected the church and how they dealt with it.)  Bought 7 January 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 28-29 March 2013.  Faith and Life

Bradshaw, Timothy, ed.  The Way Forward?:  Christian Voices on Homosexuality and the Church.  Grand Rapids/Cambridge UK: William B Eerdmans.  242p.  (Essays by Anglican pastors and theologians in  response to the 1995 Anglican document "The St Andrews Day Statement" of 1995, promulgated as a basis for discussing the topic of Homosexuality in regard to church members and clergy.  Reference is also made the 1998 Lambeth Conference where the topic was emotionally discussed.)  Bought 29 April 2010 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 8-14 December 2013.  Theology (Faith and Life)

Brittle, Gerald.  The Demonologist:  The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren.  NY:  St Martins, 1980.  253p. Bought 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 14-28 June 2013.  Science (Psychokinesis, Metaphysics)

Brody, David.  The Teavangelicals:  The Inside Story of How the Evangelicals and the Tea Party are Taking Back America.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2012.  267p.  Bought 7 March 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 20-22 March 2013.  American Politics & Culture

Burk, Richard E with William and Marilyn Hoffer.  The Senator:   My Ten Years With Ted Kennedy.  NY:  St Martins, 1992.  328p.  Borrowed 30 November 2012. Read 12-16 January 2013.  Biography

Burke, John.  No Perfect People Allowed:  Creating a Come as You Are Culture in the Church.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan/Willow Creek, 2005.  328p.  Bought December 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 16-20 March 2013.  Church and Culture

Carey, Diane.  Chainmail.  NY:  Pocket Books, 2001.  334p.  (A book in the Gateways Series of Star Trek Challenger.)  Read 5-8 January 2013.  Science Fiction

Carter, Anthony J, with Kenneth Jones and Michael Leach.  Experiencing the Truth:  Bringing the Reformation to the African-American Church.  Nashville:  Thomas Nelson, 2009.  361p.  (This author's answer to the problems facing the African-American church is to systematically reintroduce classic Calvinism as a dominant teaching.  He lays out very well some of the social and family dynamics that he feels need Gospel attention.  He calls American Christians and the African-American church in particular to renew and reclaim a focus on the sovereign Grace of God.  Chapter 4 on Christian Worship is excellent and discusses the questions of style and purpose, cultural preferences and so forth.  The closing chapter is a paeon to Grace and so a good positive note to end on.  But as the second chapter emphasizes the historical Creeds and Confessions, the writers seem unaware that the early Creeds and the Reformation Confessions were also culture-bound, arising at a particular time in response to particular questions or problems out of the worldview of that particular period and society.  See this book with my review on GoodReads.  See this book with my review on Amazon.)  Bought 6 July 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 10-12 August 2013.  Bible

Charles, J Daryl.  The Unformed Conscience of Evangelicalism:  Recovering the Church's Moral Vision.  Downer's Grove, Illinois:  InterVarsity Press, 2002.  277p.  Bought 13 August 2009 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 21-22 January 2013.  Church and Culture

Chandrasekaran, Rajiv.  Imperial Life in the Emerald City:  Inside Iraq's Green Zone.  NY:  Alfred A Knopf, 2007.  320p.  Bought 12 January 2011 in Ruidoso, New Mexico.  Read 4-11 March 2013.  American Politics & Culture

Claiborne, Shane and John M Perkins.  Follow Me to Freedom:  Leading and Following as an Ordinary Individual.  Ventura, California:  Regal (Gospel Light), 2009.  239p.  Bought 10 November 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 11-15 April 2013.  Faith and Life

De Blasi, Marlena.  The Lady in the Palazzo.  Chapel Hill, North Carolina:  Algonquin Books, 2007.  317p.  (This is a memoir travelogue by an American author married to an Italian, about her living in northern Italy. DeBlasi has a way of turning the dynamics of a normal encounter into a hilarious event.  The writer has a great sense of humor, even when the joke winds up being on her.  The mountain village setting in Northern Italy provides a rich source of opportunity as she unfolds this biographical tale of cross-cultural experiences.  This was my first book by DeBlasi, and it was a satisfying experience.  The visual picture arising from her vivid and reflective narrative drew me into the cultural and political system she had to deal with, and the problems entailed.  This is funny and very insightful.  See this book with my review on Amazon.  Read my notes on this book on GoodReads.)  Bought 17 March 2013 in Arlington Texas.  Read 2-28 June 2013.  Peoples and Cultures

Devitt, Michael and Kim Sterelny.  Language and Reality:  An Introduction to the Philosophy of Language.  Cambridge, Mass:  Bradford/MIT Press, 1995.  274p.  Bought 14 August 1995 in Dallas, Texas.  Read 28-29 January 2013.  Linguistics (Philosophy of Language)

Dressler, Craig W.  Heart of Terror.  Mustang, Oklahoma:  Tate Publishing, 2012.  130p.  Received as a review copy from the author January 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 19-28 February 2013.  Fiction

Eldredge, John.  Beautiful Outlaw:  Experiencing the Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality of Jesus.  NY:  Faith Words (Hatchette), 2011.  225p.  Borrowed 6 January 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 11-12 January 2013.  Faith and Life

El-Faizy, Monique.  God and Country:  How Evangelicals Have Become America's New Mainstream.  NY:  Bloomsbury, 2006.  262p.  Bought 7 December 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 3-4 January 2013.  Church and Culture

Estleman, Loren D.  The Book of Murdock.  NY:  Forge (Tom Doherty Associates), 2010.  310p.  Bought 16 June 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 28 August - September 1 2013.  Fiction (Western)

Ford, David F and Graham Stanton, Eds.  Reading Texts, Seeking Wisdom:  Scripture and Theology.  London:  SCM Press, 2003.  287p.  (A collection of essays on the philosophical concept of Wisdom and how it has been used and developed over millennia in human cultures and writings, and how this figure developed in Hebrew and Christian writing and thought.)  Bought 2 January 2010 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 14-17 November 2013.  Philosophy

Foster, Charles.  The Jesus Inquest:  The Case for and Against the Resurrection of the Christ.  Nashville:  Thomas Nelson, 2010.  370p.  (The author is a barrister (trial lawyer)and a professor in medical law and ethics at the University at Oxford, and author of over 30 books.)  Bought 3 May 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 24-27 August 2013.  History (Law, Theology)

Foster, Charles.  The Sacred Journey.  Nashville:  Thomas Nelson, 2010.  225p.  (A volume in the series The Ancient Practices.)  Bought 5 June 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 15-17 July 2013.  Faith and Life

Fraser, Peter and Vernon Edwin Neal.  ReViewing the Movies:  A Christian Response to Contemporary.  Wheaton, Illinois:  Crossway Books, 2000.  187p.  Bought 5 July 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 9-11 July 2013.  Music

Frazee, Randy. The Connecting Church:  Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2001.  254p.  Bought 3 December 2010 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 15-19 February 2013.  Church and Culture

Gaffney, Frank J and Colleagues.  War Footing:  10 Steps the US must Take to Prevail in the War for the Free World.  Annapolis, Maryland:  Naval Institute Press, 2006.  301p.  Bought 16 June 2012 from Amazon.  Read 4-9 July 2013.  American Politics and Culture

Galli, Mark.  Chaos and Grace:  Discovering the Liberating Work of the Holy Spirit.  Grand Rapids:  BakerBooks, 2011.  203p.  Bought 3 May 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 5-6 May 2013.  Church and Culture

Gasque, Laurel.  Art and the Christian Mind:  The Life and Work of H R Rookmaaker.  Wheaton:  Crossway Books, 2003.  192p.  Bought 15 August 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 19-21 August 2013.  Philosophy (Biography)

Goeglein, Timothy S.  The Man in the Middle:  An Inside Account of Faith and Politics in the George W Bush Era.  Nashville:  Broadman and Holman2011.  241p.  (This is an excellent and readable review of the dynamics of the W Bush presidency from an insider.  Goeglein was deputy director of the White House Office of Public Liaison.  He is now vice president of External Relations for Focus on the Family)  Bought 17 March 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 1-3 August 2013.  American Politics and Culture

Goode, Erich.  The Paranormal:  Who Believe, Why They Believe and Why It Matters.  Amherst, New York:  Prometheus Books, 2012.  335p.  Bought 28 May 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 7-8 June 2013.  Sociology (Philosophy, Metaphysics)

Grady, J Lee.  10 Lies The Church Tells Women:  How the Bible has been misused to keep women in spiritual bondage.  Lake Mary, Florida:  Charisma House, 2006.  232p.  Bought 14 May 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 20-22 May 2013.  Church and Culture

Graham, Bob (Senator).  Keys to the Kingdom.  NY:  Vanguard (Perseus), 2011.  310p.  Bought 7 April 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 9-13 May 2013.  Fiction (American Politics and Culture)

Grossman, Tom, Sr.  The Praying Church:  It Happens Every Sunday.  Praying Church Institute:  http://prayingchurchinstitute.org, 2013.  304p.  Gift from the author 30 September 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 30 September - 1 October 2013.  Faith and Life

Grudem, Stanley A, gen ed.  Are Miraculous Gifts for Today:  Four Views.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 1996.  368p.  (A volume in the Counterpoints Series.  Four biblical interpreters and theologians present four differing views on the role of miraculous gifts described in New Testament documents, and their validity for today.  I was impressed by the unfeigned respect and collegiality each of the writers expressed for the other participants.  But none stinted on the clarity and pointedness of their distinctive views.  This could be classified as Theology or Bible Study. because so much of this focus revolves around interpretation of events or discussions in the New Testament writings.  There is not much if any focus on the radically different worldview of the society in which the early Christian documents arose.  The factors that are mentioned are basically coopted into the modern western worldview.  And there is no acknowledgement of non-Western forms of Christianity, and their more dynamic, less analytical worldview.  The Pentecostal/Charismatic representative, Douglas A Oss, highlighted the variety of perspectives within the broad Charismatic or Pentecostal streams.  See this book with my review on Amazon.  Read my review of this book on GoodReads.)  Bought 5 April 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 5-10 August 2013.  Bible

Grudem, Wayne.  Voting as a Christian:  The Economy and Foreign Policy Issues.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2012.  332p.  Bought 12 August 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 9-13 October 2013.  Faith and Life

Hanegraaff, Hank.  Christianity in Crisis 21st Century.  Nashville:  Thomas Nelson, 2009.  427p.  (An update of the earlier Christianity in Crisis.  An expose and refutation of the Word of Faith or Prosperity Gospel cult, also known as Name it and Claim It, that has become so popular in recent years.  This was very enlightening and made me aware of some names I did not know and some with which I was only vaguely familiar.  He also points up some of the specific teachings and underlying philosophies of some of the TV preachers of this ilk.  While the author exposes the extra-biblical sources and reasoning and the fundamentalist mishandling of the Scriptures, his own reductionist arguments from an ideological perspective suffer the same rationalist errors in some cases.  See this book with my review on Amazon.  Read my review of this book on GoodReads.)  Bought 5 April 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 28 February - 3 March 2013.  Theology

Hanna, Jon.  Faces of Faith:  Powerful Truths for Victorious Living.  Gainesville, Florida:  Bridge-Logos, 2006.  291p.  Bought 10 November March 2012.  Read 10 November - 8 December 2013.  Faith and Life

Hauser, Tom.  Breaking Free:  To Live the Promise of Abundant Life.  Shippensburg, Pennsylvania:  Destiny Image Publishers, 2012.  169p.  Bought 8 October 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 13-14 October 2013.  Faith and Life

Herzog, David.  Glory Invasion:  Walking Under An Open Heaven.  Shippensburg, Pennsylvania:  Destiny Image, 2007.  179p.  (I classify this loosely as Theology, while it might be considered more personal Faith and Life.  The writer writes in the charismatic stream but uses a lot of concepts and terminology from New Age and Hindu perspectives, such as astral bodies.  See this book with my review on Amazon.  Read my review of this book on GoodReads.)  Bought 17 March 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 3-4 May 2013.  Theology (Charismatic/New Age)

Hilburn, Robert.  Corn Flakes with John Lennon:  And Other Tales from a Rock 'N' Roll Life.  NY:  Rodale, 2009.  280p.  Bought 16 June 2012 from Amazon.  Read 4-9 July 2013.  Music

Hill, Randy.  Encounters:  Stories of Healing.  Haverford, Pennsylvania:  Infinity Publishing Co, 2003.  365p.  (A novelized collection of stories from the New Testament of people who met Jesus.  The author provides some helpful insights and perspectives.  I was distracted, however, by overplayed and somewhat obtuse developments of some of the characters or their fictional situations.  And I was most surprised at the anachronisms and historical, geographical, cultural and even religious errors and a general confusion about some important aspects of the political and religious situation in Judea at the time.  He has several of the characters make reference to Israel, though there was no country or territory called Israel at that time.  Jairus, a synagogue leader, confuses Temple and synagogue and confuses priests with Pharisees.  Levi reflects on his "bar mitzvah," a ceremony that did not exist until the 14th century in European Judaism.  See this book with my review on Amazon.  Read my review of this book on GoodReads)  Bought 3 May 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 7-9 May 2013.  Fiction

Honeycutt, Frank G.  The Truth Shall Make You Odd:  Speaking with Pastoral Integrity in Awkward Situations.  Grand Rapids:  Brazos Press, 2011.  188p.  (Honeycutt writes for pastors nad church leaders, on maintaining integrity in both relationships and communication in the modern society, to enhance the relevance of the pastor and the church in today's society.)  Bought 5 April 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 4-5 August 2013.  Faith and Life

Jeffrey, Grant R.  The Global Warming Deception:  How a Secret Elite Plans to Bankrupt America and Steal Your Freedom.  Colorado Springs:  Waterbrook Press, 2011.  217p.  (A counter=perspective to the now common dogma of Global Warming, or better known now as Climate Change.  The author presents some statistics and studies, featuring quotes from various scientists, to disprove the common view.  He develops a conspiracy theory, though more measured and moderate, as well as more scholarly, in reference to authorities.  He does not abandon the environment s some radical so-called "Christian" speakers and writers have done, but claims that Christians do have a responsibility to care for our environment.  He claims, however, that the advocates of "Global Warming" have falsified or cherry picked data to support their view, which he claims s based on a worldwide political-economic agenda.  While I appreciated some of his cautions and his presentation of skeptical scientists, I had trouble feeling convinced of his thesis.)  Bought 22 July 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 22-23 July 2013.  Science (Politics, Economics)

Jenkins, John Major.  The 2012 Story:  The Myths, Fallacies, and Truth Behind the Most Intriguing Date in History.  NY:  Jeremy P Tarcher/Penguin, 2009.  482p.  (An analysis of the Maya culture, calendar and culture, and a debunking of all the misconceptions and misunderstandings of 2012 in current popular culture.)  Bought 17 May 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 17-22 July 2013.  Faith and Life

Johnson, Paul.  Churchill.  NY:  Viking, 2009.  181p.  Bought 13 March 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 16-19 April 2013.  History (Goal Category 13)

Kendall, R T.  Unashamed to Bear His Name:  Embracing the Stigma of being a Christian.  Minneapolis:  Chosen (Baker Publishing), 2012.  203p.  Bought 8 October 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 4-5 November 2013.  Faith and Life

Kesner, J W, Sr.  The Prophecy of Ezekiel:  A True Story of Faith Resurrected.  Texarkana:  Bogard Press, 1968.  512p.  (This book was in an estate from which I was invited to choose books of interest.  I knew Dr Kesner when I was in College.  I had never read this book.  Dr Kesner states in his introduction that he will interpret Ezekiel from a Premillennial point of view, that is, will read it as though it is speaking of a time at the end of the whole world after Jesus has returned, and will rule in peace upon the world, but for only 1000 years.  It is difficult to see that Ezekiel was talking about the unseen end of the world, when the whole prophecy is directed toward the Judeans in their exile in Babylon, and deals with the restoration of Judah in their homeland, which did happen.  Judea was even an independent nation for about 100 years before the Romans came and subjected them again.  This Premillennial view arose in the late 1800s through the Plymouth Brethren in London and spread to the colonies with their leader.  A perspective called Dispensationalism had developed and had become popular among the group of churches with which I was associated while in high school and into college.  Dr Kesner was regaled as a teacher and authority on the Bible and prophecy.  I was thus surprised when I read this book to find how he mixes and confuses information from history, seems confused about the political and cultural factors in the biblical story and the background history of the region.  However, he was honest enough to note areas of Ezekiel which could not be easily molded in to this recent idea of a "rapture" of the believers and a literal rule of Jesus.  One aspect of this perspective hard to understand from that point of view is that all the Jewish sacrifices and rituals will be reinstituted as described in Ezekiel.  Why would this happen, when for centuries the general Christian view (though perhaps questionable) has been that faith in Christ supersedes and abrogates the previous ritual Temple worship of the Jews.  As far as I know this group of churches in whose realm Dr Kesner worked and taught profess to believe that the New Covenant of Christ abrogated the previous Hebrew covenant.  Why would he then expect that God would reinstitute that after all these centuries of the Gospel.  There has also been a broader underlying Christian view that the covenant of Yahweh with the nation of Israel and continuing in Judah after the destruction of Israel in the 700s BC was a national covenant, not a universal one with all humanity.  This is plainly stated and affirmed throughout the biblical writings.  I think that ought to be our interpretive reference point.)  From as a gift an estate library in Lindsay, Oklahoma, March 2011.  Read 18-28 November 2013.  Bible

Key, Eileen etal.  A Door County Christmas:   Four-in-One Collection.  Chattanooga, Tennessee:  AMG Publishers, 2004.  373p.  (A set of short stories set in Door County, Wisconsin, at Christmas time.)  Bought 2012. Read 27-30 January 2013.  Fiction

Kirk, J R Daniel.  Jesus Have I Loved, But Paul?:  A Narrative Approach to the Problem of Pauline Christianity.  Grand Rapids:  Baker Academic, 2011.  214p.  Bought 12 August 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 6-8 September 2013.  Bible

Kostenberger, Margaret Elizabeth.  Jesus and the Feminists:  Who Do They Say That He Is.  Wheaton, Illinois:  Crossway Books, 2008.  253p.  (A survey and analysis by an evangelical female theologian, critiquing several major feminist theologians and presenting their positions.  She focuses on the role of Jesus for these theologians in their theologies and social-academic settings.  This volume was very enlightening and objective in representing and interacting with the representative theologies.) Bought 5 July 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 24-26 July 2013.  Theology

Larsson, Goran.  Bound for Freedom:  The Book of Exodus in Jewish and Christian Traditions.  Grand Rapids:  Baker Academic, 1999.  334p.  Bought 3 September 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 22-24 September 2013.  Bible

Lee, Harold B.  Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:  Walking Under An Open Heaven.  Salt Lake City:  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 2000.  242p.  (This is a volume in a series collecting the teachings and key life and ministry experiences of the presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Lee was the 11th president of this church.)  Bought 17 March 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 20-25 April 2013.  Religions (Latter Day Saints)

Logan, Samuel T, Jr.  Confronting Kingdom Challenges:  A Call to Global Christians to Carry the Burden Together.  Wheaton, Illinois:  Crossway Books, 2007.  251p.  Bought 22 August 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 1-8 October 2013.  Church and Culture

Lockyer, Herbert.  All the Divine Names and Titles in the Bible:  A Unique Classification of All Unique Classifications of the Three Persons of the Trinity.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 1975.  253p.  (This is part of a reprinted series from an older era.  Though it seems the author meant this to be a thematic Bible study, it is written is an older poetic, highly stylized devotional style.  It seemed flighty at points.  It is rather oriented to theological concepts and personal devotion, rather any real look at the Bible passages in their context.  I found it frustrating at points, boring in places, and yet periodically some real meaningful insights came out.  The depth and thought was uneven across sections.  He flattens out distinctions between the old Hebrew scriptures and the Christian scriptures, the New Testament, appropriating pages from anywhere and everywhere to collapse them into his theological schema.  Unsophisticated readers may be unaware of some of the coopting going on here, which in my opinion does violence to the integrity of the scriptures.  The author did have some good comments on word usages that went beyond the traditional circular translation approach so common in western word studies.  See my review of this book on Amazon Read my review of this book on GoodReads.)  Bought 28 July 2010 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 26 July - 3 August 2013.  Devotion

Lockyer, Herbert.  All the Parables of the Bible:  A Study and Analysis of the More than 250 Parables in Scripture.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 1963.  381p.  Bought 28 2013 on Christian Book Discounters.  Read 29 November - 6 December 2013.  Bible

Luttrell, Marcus.  Lone Survivor:  The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10.  NY:  Little, Brown and Company, 2007.  447p.  Read 12-21 September 2013.  Biography

McClure, Tony Mack.  Cherokee Proud:  A Guide for Tracing and Honoring Your Cherokee Ancestors.  Somerville, Tennessee:  Chunnanee Books, 2003.  308p.  Bought 30 June 2004 in Sallisaw, Oklahoma.  Read 4-10 April 2013.  Peoples and Cultures

McGowan, A T B, Ed.  Always Reforming:  Explorations in Systematic Theology.  Downers Grove, Illinois:  IVP Academic, 2006.  365p.  Bought 10 January 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 14-20 October 2013.  Theology

Meyer, Carolyn.  Where the Broken Heart Still Beats:  The Story of Cynthia Ann Parker.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.  196p.  Bought 16 August 2012 from Amazon.  Read 29 June - 1 July 2013.  Peoples and Cultures

Miller, Calvin.  Life is Mostly Edges:  A Memoir.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2012.  267p.  Bought 7 January 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 23-28 March 2013.  Biography (Faith and Life, Theology)

Morrow, Jonathan.  Think Christianly:  Looking at the Intersection of Faith and Culture.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2011.  301p.  Bought 5 April 2012. Read 1-6 February 2013.  Church and Culture

Moseley, Ron.  Yeshua:  A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church.  Clarksville, Maryland:  LedererBooks (Messianic Jewish Publishers), 1996.  218p.  The author looks at the social and religious dynamics of the cultural and political backgrounds of Jesus' time.  This book was particularly helpful for specific details and helpful insights that have been missed in the many other sources I have read on this topic and era.  He especially provides important perspectives on the character and relationship between the various Jewish factions and movements of the time.  He discusses more about the actual mechanics of synagogue operation than I have been able to find from other specialists, and his focus is how the synagogue pattern was carried over to become the church pattern.)  Bought from Amazon 16 May 2013.  Read 3-4 June 2013.  Biblical Backgrounds (Peoples and Cultures)

Myers, Kenenth A.  All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes:  Christians and Popular Culture.  Wheaton:  Crossway Books, 1989.  213p.  Bought 15 August 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 16-18 August 2013.  Church and Culture

Napolitano, Judge Andrew P.  Dred Scott's Revenge:  A Legal History of Race and Freedom in America.  Nashville:  Thomas Nelson, 2009.  288p.  (An excellent legal and social analysis of the topic, from a former Supreme Court Justice.  It is very helpful to have this detailed but flowing story of the key events and people involved in the US.  It was particularly helpful to understand the pervasive and perverse system of systematic persecution and victimization in post-Reconstruction South until the 1960s.)  Bought 1 September 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 2-4 September 2013.  American Politics and Culture (Goal Category 7)

Niven, Larry.  Protector.  NY:  Del Rey (Random House), 1973.  218p.  Bought from Amazon 16 May 2013.  Read 23 May - 2 June 2013.  Sci Fi

Olasky, Marvin.  Standing for Christ in a Modern Babylon:  Who Do They Say That He Is.  Wheaton, Illinois:  Crossway Books, 2003.  160p.  (The author of the editor of World Magazine.  Though he writes knowledgeably on world events on some scores, I was frustrated by what I felt were simplistic portrayals of political and religious forces, movements, personalities and institutions.)  Bought 5 July 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 27-28 July 2013.  Church and Culture

Olsen, Gregg.  A Twisted Faith:  A Minister's Obsession and the Murder that Destroyed a Church.  NY:  St Martin's, 2010.  304p.  Bought 13 March 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 24-30 September 2013.  Biography

Parsons, Mikeal C.  Luke:  Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist.  Peabody, Mass:  Hendrickson, 2007.  230p.  Bought 3 May 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 29-31 May 2013.  Bible

Patterson, James A.  James Robinson Graves:  Staking the Boundaries of Baptist Identity.  Nashville:  Broadman and Holman, 2012.  238p.  Bought 7 March 2011 in Ruidoso, New Mexico.  Read 8-10 March 2013.  History (Biography, Theology)

Phillips, Richard D.  Turning Back the Darkness:  The Biblical Pattern of Reformation.  Wheaton:  Crossway Books, 2002.  192p.  Bought 22 July 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 1-2 September 2013.  Church and Culture

Pinson, Matthew, ed.  Four Views of Eternal Security.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2001.  334p.  Read 5-8 January 2013.  Theology

Ramsey, Dave.  The Total Money Makeover:  A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness.  Nashville:  Thomas Nelson, 2009.  259p.  Borrowed 12 August 2013.  Read 12 August - 26 September 2013.  Business and Finance

Reasoner, James.  Chickamauga.  Nashville:  Cumberland House, 2002.  394p.  Bought 17 August 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 20-27 October 2013.  Historical Fiction

Rees, Martin.  Just Six Numbers:  The Deep Forces that Shape The Universe.  NY:  Perseus Books, 2000.  195p.  Bought 16 August 2012 from Amazon.  Read 2-4 July 2013.  Science

Rendel, David.  The Eye of the Needle.  London:  Vernon and Yates, 1967.  86p.  Bought 20 November in Nairobi, Kenya.  Read 28 May 2013.  Philosophy

Ripken, Nik.  The Insanity of God:  A True Story of Faith Resurrected.  Nashville:  Broadman and Holman, 2013.  322p.  Gift from the Author 17 November 2013 in Irving, Texas.  Read 28-29 November 2013.  Faith and Life

Rosenblum, Bruce with Fred Kuttner.  Quantum Enigma:  Physics Encounters Consciousness.  NY:  Oxford Univ Press, 2011.  287p.  Bought from Amazon 16 May 2013.  Read 10-13 June 2012.  Science (Theory of Mind)

Russell, Mark et al.  Routes and Radishes:  And Other Things to Talk About at the Evangelical Crossroads.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2010.  246p.  Bought 8 June 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 28-30 October 2013.  Church and Culture

Scarborough, Lee Rutland.  Endued to Win.  Nashville:  Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1922.  267p.  Gift from an estate library in Lindsay, Oklahoma, March 2011.  Read 29-30 November.  Faith and Life

Smith, James K A and Henry Isaac Venema, eds.  The Hermeneutics of Charity:  Interpretation, Selfhood, and Postmodern Faith.  Grand Rapids:  BrazosPress, 2004.  272p.  Bought 8 July 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 12-16 March 2013.  Philosophy

Spiegel, James S.  The Benefits of Providence:  A New Look at Divine Providence.  Wheaton:  Crossway Books, 2005.  255p.  (This author is a critical thinker and analyst, reviewing and sorting the implications of various concepts of determinism and free will, to define and clarify a concept of Divine Providence.  He is concerned to account for the overwhelming biblical affirmation that God feels, relates and interacts with his creatures and his creation.  He thus provides a corrective to the Aristotelian concept of a static God which is only a principle or ideal, the basis of the Augustinian model of God in his superintendence of the universe.  I was surprised that he draws upon, or separately develops, concepts of universality vs particularity characteristic of Process Philosophy.  See my review of this book on Amazon Read my review of this book on GoodReads.)  Bought 22 July 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 21-24 August 2013.  Philosophy

Spong, John Shelby.  Eternal Life, A New Vision:  Beyond Religion, Beyond Theism, Beyond Heaven and Hell.  NY:  HarperOne, 2009.  268p.  Bought 16 May 2013 on Amazon.  Read 27-28 May 2013.  Theology (Church and Culture)

Stedman, Ray.  The Servant Who Rules:  Exploring the Gospel of Mark (Vol 1).  Grand Rapids:  Discovery House Publishers, 2002.  253p.  Bought 15 August 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 9-11 September 2013.  Bible

Susskind, Leonard.  The Black Hole War:  My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics.  NY:  Back Bay (Little, Brown and Co), 2008.  470p.  (A fascinating recounting of the various Quantum theories to account for the phenomena associated with Black Holes.  Susskind provides a historical perspective as well as summing up the varieties of approach to the problem.  I especially appreciated the good detailing of String Theory, which I was only vaguely familiar with.  He Provides actual mathematical formula and their variations that illustrate the problems and solution approaches he is discussing.  We learn a lot here also about the inner workings of theoretical physics procedures and the interpersonal dynamics involved.  This was a refreshing, enlightening and rewarding volume.  See my review of this book on Amazon Read my review of this book on GoodReads.)  Bought on Amazon16 May 1013.  Read 17-20 May 2013.  Science (Quantum Physics, String Theory, Black Holes)

Sweet, Leonard, gen ed.  The Church in Emerging Culture:  Five Perspectives.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2003.  263p.  Bought 1 August 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 29 March - 4 April 2013.  Church and Culture

Sweet, Leonard.  I Am a Follower: The Way, Truth and Life of Following Jesus.  Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010.  288p.  (Sweet focuses on what it really means/would mean to follow the Jesus Way in contrast to how most people called Christians organize their life.  He emphasizes early on that Truth as the Bible speaks of it is Relational Truth, not informational, mental Truth like the modern Rationalist culture thinks and values.)  Bought 1 November 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 6-10 November 2013.  Faith and Life

Taylor, Bayard and Gary S Grieg.  Christians on the Move:  The Book of Acts.  Ventura, California:  Gospel Light.  172p.  (Explores the personalities and themes of the Book of Acts.  Has an excellent cultural and historical foundation in the introduction.  The study takes into account the latest findings from textual study, archaeology, cultural history and other contextual sources to clarify events and themes in the story of the first followers of Jesus in the Roman Empire.)  Bought 11 December 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 23-26 December 2013.  Bible

Tobymac.  City on Our Knees.  Minneapolis:  Bethany House.  223p.  (Titled after one of Tobymac's songs, the book is a collection of reflections and biographical articles about significant individuals meeting needs of people around the world.  Some entries are Tobymac's reflections about how a song came to him, the events behind a lyric, or his experiences with other ministries serving others in various situations.)  Bought 11 December 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 14-31 December 2013.  Faith and Life (Music)

Vander Laan, Ray with Stephen and Amanda Sorenson.  In the Dust of the Rabbi Discovery Guide.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2006.  185p.  Bought 4 June 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 9 June 2012.  Bible Backgrounds (Gospels, Letters)

Vos, Howard.  The AMG Concise Introduction to the Bible.  Chattanooga, Tennessee:  AMG Publishers, 2004.  373p.  Bought 1 September 2012. Read 16-20 January 2013.  Bible

Whaley, Vernon M.  Called to Worship:  The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God's Call.  Nashville:  Thomas Nelson, 2009.  361p.  (The author thoroughly investigates and analyzes all focuses on worship through the texts of the Bible.)  Bought June 2012 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 1-2 January 2013.  Bible

Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan.  The Awakening of Hope:  Why We Practice a Common Faith.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2012.  216p.  (Very good historical and social perspective on monastic or communal devotion practices in Christian Faith.)  Bought 12 August 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 4-5 September 2013.  Faith and Life

Wondra, Ellen K and C K Robertson, eds.  ATR - The Anglican Theological Review, Vol 92, Winter 2010, Number 1.  Evanston, Illinois:  ATR.  253p.  (Essays and presentations on current topics, theological and social issues, and biblical and church development issues, arising in or affecting the Anglican-Episcopal communion.  Though called "Theological," very practical issues are dealt with.)  Bought 17 March 2013 in Arlington, Texas.  Read 28-31 July 2013.  Theology

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