Since launching this blog in 2009, I have reviewed over 150 books and recommended nearly 100 more. Starting in 2010, I have published annual lists of my top books published each year (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014).
Each year, I have concluded alphabetical top ten lists with the two books that had the greatest impact on my own faith journey during that year. Together these ten volumes create a list of my Top 10 Recently Published Faith Enriching Books:
| Diana Butler Bass | Christianity After Religion: The End of the Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening | 2012 |
| Mark Chaves | American Religion: Contemporary Trends | 2011 |
| Galen Guengerich | God Revised: How Religion Must Evolve in a Scientific Age | 2013 |
| James Davison Hunter | To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, & Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World | 2010 |
| David Kinnaman | You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church . . . And Rethinking Faith | 2011 |
| John R. Mabry | Faithful Generations: Effective Ministry Across Generational Lines | 2013 |
| Scot McKnight | One.Life: Jesus Calls, We Follow | 2010 |
| John Philip Newell | The Rebirthing of God: Christianity’s Struggle for New Beginnings | 2014 |
| Efrem Smith | The Post-Black & Post-White Church: Becoming the Beloved Community in a Multi-Ethnic World | 2012 |
| Paul Taylor | The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown | 2014 |
Note: All top books link to my original reviews, except for the 2014 books. During 2014, I provided only book recommendations (the top two scored a 5+ on a scale of 1-5) rather than reviews.
So What?
Many books serve to enhance my life and enrich my faith. In recent years, I have come to appreciate the importance of reading in community. Toward that end both formal “classes” and book groups have been mixed with less formal online and in person conversations about these and other books. Reading + intentional conversation + time + implementing ideas (that arise from reading & conversation) = faith enrichment. Together the books on this top ten list have contributed a great deal to my own growth as a follower of the Way of Jesus.
- Share a recent meaningful conversation you had about a book or an idea from a book that enriched your faith and/or provided helpful new perspective.
- Share the title of one or more books that have contributed to your identity as a follower of the Way of Jesus.