Want new recommendations for books, podcasts, or other resources that will nourish your soul? Check each issue to see what the LIM team has been reading and listening to.
Joel Gordon:
The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race by Willie James Jennings
This book provides a deep dive into how Christian doctrines and ideologies were twisted to justify racism throughout history. It sheds light on how colonialism, land use, spirituality, displacement, and belonging have shaped the Christian imagination around the world.
Here’s the question I’m wrestling with after reading this book: To what extent do our current beliefs justify a Christian hierarchy that upholds power and blessing by some at the expense of others?
Katie Pezzutto:
The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan
This book is a valuable tool for unpacking what the Lord says about stillness and how we can act on it in our own lives. Its invitation is not to add something else to our to-do lists, but to remind us that the goal of Sabbath is to give us freedom to heal, eat, rescue, celebrate, and relish life. Mark Buchanan is a talented storyteller who reminds us, “Stillness as a virtue is a foreign concept in our society, but there is wisdom in God’s own rhythm of work and rest.”
Mark Stewart:
Twenty Four by Jonathan Ogden
In these days of working from home and being stuck in my own head, I’ve found creative yet calming music to be a good antidote. Let me introduce you to Jonathan Ogden’s new beat tape with 24 tracks to accompany you for each hour in a day. The album was made as a way of learning to be present with God through the unique moments that each hour and day offers. Listen and learn more here.
Ilana Reimer:
The Word on Fire Show with Bishop Robert Barron
In the midst of overwhelming opinions and voices demanding our attention, it can be difficult to decipher cultural trends wisely. This podcast has been helpful to me in that struggle. Coming from a Catholic perspective, it offers a reasoned and intelligent way of processing topics like social media, postmodernism, evangelism, and politics.
Bishop Robert Barron brings a wealth of knowledge of history and past thinkers that give insight to the present day. But even when he’s quoting philosophers I’ve never heard of, he’s still accessible and enlightening.