Books That Influence Your Spirituality

[adam3000]

a warning about Blue Like Jazz

Elevating Experience Over Doctrine

I borrowed Blue Like Jazz from a friend and read it in an evening. In love I say that which will most probably offend: This is not a book to be educated on Christianity.

Donald Miller's relateable story is personal with all the doubts and struggles of Christians, but here is the word of warning to believers and unbelievers alike: his Christian beliefs are conclusions of human experience, and not derived from the foundation of Christianity -- the Bible.

The prime example of this statement is that it takes him until the last five pages of the book (236 of 242) to realize maybe he should actually read the Bible, as in -- all of it!

As Christian author and speaker, Miller does irresponsible disservice to unbelievers who might be curious about Christianity and Christians who may read the book to deepen their faith. Misleading them to glorify and romanticize fallen man's experience and worldly wisdom to determine Christian belief for 235 pages before introducing the possibility that maybe a Christian should read the Bible.

My recommendation instead of this book? The KJV Bible. You can buy a good copy for seven bucks and if you can understand Blue Like Jazz you'll have no trouble reading it in a year. Read it from Genesis to Revelations. Take notes, ask questions and pray that God will help you know him. Scrub out all the preconceived notions of Jesus, hypocrite Christians and televangelists and do the hard work -- read the Bible. When you are finished with that. Do it again.

 

[The Disciple]

The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning, as well as "Relentless Tenderness", I think is the title, by him as well.

The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zaccharias

 

[coemgen]

adam3000 — I respectfully disagree with your post. I read Blue Like Jazz a while back and found it VERY refreshing for my faith. I think he does Christianity a huge service by bringing it down to that personal level. He's not afraid to show his faults and shortcomings. That book is like poetry to me. Plus, it's refreshing to hear something Chrisitan that's not soiled by Right Wing flavor. It's more personal. Now, should Blue Like Jazz be a substitute for the Bible — of course not. That'd be silly. Every Christian should read the Bible daily.

I also would suggest not reading the KJV. It has a lot of problems, the language is lofty and out of date and heck, its the version Mormons use.
I recommend the NIV. It's the most used translation and its a good one. The Message is great for helping to see the texts in a new light, but I'd use the NIV for study.

Oh, FYI, Donald Miller is actually writing his own interpretation of parts of the Bible, similar to The Message and he's working with scholars to get it right. I bet he reads it more than you think.

 

[coemgen]

The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning, as well as "Relentless Tenderness", I think is the title, by him as well.

The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zaccharias

What a list!

 

[The Disciple]

And I have 2 correct the title... Brennan did write a book called the Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, which I've yet 2 read, and another called Ruthless Trust, but the one I mean 2 list was The Wisdom of Tenderness: What Happens When God's Fierce Mercy Transforms our Lives. Amazing book...

 

[coemgen]

I haven't heard of that one. I'll have to check it out. Thanks.

 

[adam3000]

I think (Donald Miller) does Christianity a huge service by bringing it down to that personal level. He's not afraid to show his faults and shortcomings. That book is like poetry to me. Plus, it's refreshing to hear something Chrisitan that's not soiled by Right Wing flavor. It's more personal.

Miller's "honesty" is really just selfishness. He glories in all the world has to offer and mocks Christians.

To the preacher who warns of the danger of television, he mocks him and goes the other way. To the camp worker who advises him he should take a bath, he mocks her in condecension. His final conclusion is basically he can put up with bible believing christians because he knows they are just drones. "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now." - 1 John 2:9 KJV

Not only does he spit on christians, he loves everything about the world. Glorifying it's books and music. Longing to be like them. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15 KJV

I also would suggest not reading the KJV. It has a lot of problems, the language is lofty and out of date and heck, its the version Mormons use.

The KJV is not out of date. The language is very readable save for a few words which anyone can learn. It is based on the majority Greek and Hebrew texts unlike most modern versions which use a pick-and-choose method to their Greek texts for translation. Also to discard the KJV because the Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses grabed and changed it to lend authority to their cults is not a valid reason for discarding it.

I recommend the NIV. It's the most used translation and its a good one. The Message is great for helping to see the texts in a new light, but I'd use the NIV for study.

I would not recommend the NIV. I have read through the whole NIV in college, but upon doing some research about both the NIV and KJV found the NIV to be lacking because of the texts it uses for translation, because of the universalists who had a hand in translating it, and because of what it leaves out:

http://www.hissheep.org/kjv/a_comparison_of_the_kjv_niv.html

Oh, FYI, Donald Miller is actually writing his own interpretation of parts of the Bible, similar to The Message and he's working with scholars to get it right. I bet he reads it more than you think.

I read that online too. God help us from a Donald Miller paraphrase. He doesn't even like the Bible. For the longest time he didn't read it because he thought it would turn him into Pat Robertson! In his book he say's there's only a thousand and one shot that any of his theology is right. I say this not out of mean spiritedness, but out of warning: He is the last person anyone should be listening to for what the Bible means.

My suggestion instead? Get time tested preachers like Charles Spurgeon and George Whitefield and John Edwards. Google them to find their texts. Some of their sermons are even online in mp3 format at places like http://www.sermonaudio.com/ . Great resources for solid Bible understanding!

 

[BonosSaint]

Reaching for the Invisible God--Philip Yancey.

 

[coemgen]

Hey Adam3000. I'm enjoying this debate we have going on here. I myself find the KJV language to be annoying. That's just me. In my own studies, I also have found it to have added text that other translations don't have. This scares me. Check out http://www.ibs.org/niv/mct/14.php for examples. One should never add to the word of God.

As far as "Blue Like Jazz" — like I said before. In no way is it a substitution for the Bible. That's where all of us should start in our relationship with Christ. I'll have to go back and read the examples you mentioned. However, I suspect they were laced with sarcasm and humor, and not meant to be taken seriously or in a negative manner. I remember a lot of self-depricating humor and humility in the book. That's what the book was meant to be anyway, one person's account of the faith from their own, personal perspectives. Not a "great resource for solid Bible understanding." The one thing you can't debate with me is how that book helped me in my faith. It helped me better see my relationship with Christ as just that — a relationship. Maybe that's not what you got out of it and that's fine. I'm sure the books you've read are great too.

God bless,

coemgen

 

[pax]

Christian spirituality (besides the Bible):

She Who Is, Elizabeth Johnson
Letters and Papers from Prison, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Either/Or, Soren Kierkegaard
Traveling Mercies, Anne Lamott
Socrates Meets Jesus, Peter Kreeft

Other good books on other faiths/spirituality in general:

Living Buddha, Living Christ, Thich Nhat Hanh
The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran

I haven't read What's So Amazing about Grace? yet, but I really want to.

 

[stammer476]

I haven't read What's So Amazing about Grace? yet, but I really want to.

You must. That, and Ragamuffin Gospel, are the two best books on God's amazing grace I've ever read. I tear up just thinking about them.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

I've found the following books very helpful in gaining a more circumspect understanding of Christianity. None of them are very “easy” or “lite” reading and all require a willingness to work the muscle we call the mind. But it’s worth the exercise.

Suspicion and Faith - The Religious Uses of Modern Atheism by Merold Westphal

Graven Ideologies - Nietzsche, Derrida and Marion on Modern Idolatry by Bruce Benson

The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind by Mark Noll

 

[new_craic_girl]

I am a new member here, and really enjoying this thread. Bare with me if any of this has already been posted...


If you are a Brendan Manning fan, "Your God is Too Safe" is a good one. It really makes you ask the hard questions and go further in your faith. See who God is, rather than who we make Him out to be.

I really enjoyed the discussion on Blue Like Jazz. Great points. I did like the book. I loved the confessional story. I loved his struggles and eventual conclusions. I think it reflects where many of us have been on our walk.

Question for you Adam3000 - what are the flaws in the NKJ? I bought one a couple of months ago and use it alongside my NIV for Bible Study. I really like it.

 

[coemgen]

Welcome new_craic_girl! I like your view on Blue Like Jazz.
I have to admit, I haven't read any Brendan Manning stuff, but it's on my list.

 

[new_craic_girl]

thanks! Brendan Manning is great. Max Lucado is always good too.

 

[BOYO3221]

The Grace Awakening by Charles Swindoll

he book that revolutionized modern Christianity THIS BOOK IS THE BEST MIND BLOWING.

will destroy all forms of religiosity

 

[Dr. Lemonseed]

Tao te Ching by Lao Tzu

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Confessions by St. Augustine

The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda

The Gospel of Thomas

 

[clifedge]

Besides The Bible itself, the book that has influenced me the most has been Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper. I think it gave me a better view of the bigger, global picture of the church and my role in it.

 

[aislinn]

The Bible (New Living Translation and the Message are my favorites)
When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado
Mere Christianity by CS Lewis
The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
He Did This Just for You by Max Lucado