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Art & Soul, Hilary Brand & Adrienne Chaplin |
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The Divine Drama, Kurt Bruner |
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An easy to read overview of the Biblical Drama from beginning to end. Simple introduction to the Christian imagination. |
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Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale, Frederick Buechner |
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A fairly easy to read guide to viewing the Bible & Christianity as dramatic as other popular forms & themes of literature. |
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The Sacred Romance
The Journey of Desire
Wild At Heart
Awaking the Dead, John Eldredge |
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These books focus on the heart of the Gospel: God rescues & redeems our romantic longings from fear & pain & shame. Eldredge provides an artistic perspective on true romance & adventure & passion in the Christian life. The books are somewhat interchangeable with first book being the most theological. Easy to read & repetitive. Take your pick. |
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Hollywood Worldviews, Brian Godowa |
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The best recent readable book of Christian perspectives on movies and Hollywood. Calls for discerned engagement. Has some provocative appendices and charts at the end of the book. |
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A Time For Truth, Os Guinness |
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Gives priority to truth-telling in this age of spin-doctor-marketing. Goes against the grain of “what sells counts most.” This short book requires some knowledge of current events & recent European history. |
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Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis |
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The most basic presentation of theology related to everyday life & aesthetics. Also distinguishes common sense Christian spirituality from extremism. Somewhat difficult for Americans to read. Theology is very British & general but refreshing. |
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Eyes Wide Open: Looking for God in Popular Culture, William D. Romanowski |
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A college level text examining Christian interaction with the pop arts (music, movies, consumption, criticism, etc.). Romanowski relates Christian discernment with willingness to engage culture as it is. Both pro- and counter-culture. |
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The Christian Imagination: The Practice of Faith in Literature and Writing, Leland Ryken (Editor) |
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An anthology of academic essays by famous Christian writers of the last 50 years on art & faith in literature. Covers 10 categories of literature genres and disciplines. For English majors, writers, and persevering aesthetes. A beautiful mishmash of ideas for the few and the brave. |
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DANCING to the Heartbeat of Redemption, Joy Sawyer |
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Explores the imaginative, poetic “creative process of spiritual growth.” The book focuses on poetry as gateway to spiritual expression & personal growth. Easy to read text sprinkled liberally with poetic examples. Really is an introduction to poetry as an art form of truth-telling, bringing clarity to complexity and significance to disparate details of life. |
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Imagine, Steve Turner |
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A polemically written vision for Christians interested in the arts. Turner wants Christians to be involved in all aspects of the arts. He wishes Christians would not have to be so secretive or apologetic in their artistic pursuits and careers. Focus is on pop culture & is easy to read with anecdotes from Turner’s own work with rock bands and pop music. |
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Dandelion Wine, Ray Bradbury |
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The story of two brothers, ages 10 & 12, living thru their last magical summer of childhood. Full of truth and wonder and the grace of life. For all ages, for all times. The sum of this book is benevolent mystery and deep joy in life & death. |
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Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury |
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One of the classic sci-fi tales of the now & near future (first published in 1953). Inspiring book for freedom & book lovers. Is also a critique of some of our cultural excesses. |
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The Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis |
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Seven book series for all ages. One of the best fantasy series for young readers. I had it first read to me at the age of 7 at bedtime, when I was just beginning to read on my own. Recommend starting with The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. |
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Out of the Silent Planet
Perelandra
That Hideous Strength, C. S. Lewis |
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A Sci-Fi trilogy that explores a Christian view of the cosmos. The best of the Trilogy is Perelandra. |
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The Great Divorce, C. S. Lewis |
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A fantastical trip from hell to heaven by misfits & misanthropes. Reveals the psychological angle to heaven & hell. A modernizing of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Celestical Railroad. |
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The Lord of the Rings (Trilogy), J. R. R. Tolkien |
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Not much need to be said about these three books. Not easy to read for those who don’t read much serious fiction. Beware of being swallowed up in a strange world that somehow rings familiar.... |
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Passion & Purity, Elisabeth Elliot |
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Classic story of the romance of Jim & Elisabeth Elliot just before Jim was martryed in Ecuador. Agonizes over issues on how to seve God best, singleness, waiting on God and romance, how God transforms tragedy into comedy. Somewhat dated but worth the reading. |
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The Four Loves, C. S. Lewis |
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Classic on human loves from a Christian perspective. Great psycholoogical insights. Very British and not so easy to read unless faimiliar with ancient classics. Has some wonderful honest pages discussing human idolatries. |
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A Grief Observed, C. S. Lewis |
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The book to read on the death of a mate. Honest, at times, frightening yet enlightening tale of recovering from loss and grief. What death is & means & why it is called “the enemy.” |
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The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis |
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Getting inside the head of the Devil regarding the impact of prayer in the Christian life. A view of effectual prayer from the enemy. Unnerving, Convicting & very readable. |
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Subversive Spirituality, Eugene Peterson |
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The author takes a Pastoral view of what the Christian life is really about in a culture that makes spirituality crass & easy. Mostly for church leaders but sections are so good that I recommend the book for anyone who wants to break thru the junk-idol spirituality of our culture. |
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Desiring God, John Piper |
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Seminal book about “desire” as necessary for living Christianly. Author applies Christian desire to marriage, vocation, missions, etc. Unrelated to art. |
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The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard |
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THE theological book on the Christian life of the last decade. Shows how expectations get turned upside down by the Gospel. Makes sense of Salvation & Redemption in this world & in the world to come. “Gird up your loins” for a few surprises. A little dense & more difficult to read than most spirituality books. |
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God’s Unfaithful Wife, Raymond C. Ortlund |
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No One Like Him, John S. Feinberg |
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The Drama of Redemption, Graham Scroggie |
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Words of Delight, Leland Ryken |
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Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, Tremper Longman III (Editors) |
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The Literary Structure of the Old Testament, David Dorsey |
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Basic Theology, Charles C. Ryrie |
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Moody Handbook of Theology, Paul Enns |
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Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem |
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Listening to the Text, John D. Harvey |
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He Shines in all that’s Fair: Culture and Common Grace, Richard J. Mouw |
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Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale, Frederick Buechner |
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