Summer Reading

Book Reviews by Jeremy Williams

The season of holidays and heatwaves is upon us! For many of us, it’s also the reading season, when we check out bookshops and websites for the perfect paperback to read by the pool.

Here are six books we recommend this summer. Whether your taste is fiction, biography, academic tome or inspiring devotional, there’s a book on this list for you!

Surprised by Hope by Tom Wright Yes, it’s the bright and bearded Bishop of Durham again, with a powerful challenge to the idea that the Christian hope is to go to heaven when we die. A thoughtful but not too scholarly book; it will get you thinking! Read this if: You want a biblical understanding of the afterlife. Don't read if: You think it’s all about C S Lewis and that American woman he fancied.

Adventures in Missing the Point by Brian D McLaren & Tony Campolo This is a feisty book: two bald guys who live on the edge of evangelicalism, tackling a whole host of topics. You may end up agreeing or disagreeing with McLaren and Campolo at various stages, but it’s a great journey… Read this if: You like controversy and honesty. Don't read if: You have fixed views on, well, everything.

The Shack by William Paul Young The book that got everybody talking in 2008, The Shack is part-thriller, part-theological argument about the nature of God’s relationship with broken humanity. At times harrowing, at times emotionally uplifting, the book cannot fail to confront the way you see God, suffering, mercy and restoration. Join the conversation! Read this if: You want your picture of God to be rocked. Don't read if: You’re still not over the end of Bambi.

The Lion & the Lamb by Tony Ling From a prophetic giant: the first in a two-part series unlocking this most mysterious New Testament book. Tony Ling’s writing is rich in imagery and metaphor, yet beats with a pastoral heart, much like Revelation itself. If you feel you’ve never made any sense of the Book of Revelation, this is a must! Read this if: You love prophecy and want it unpacked. Don't read if: You thought it was about zookeeping.

The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind by Bill Johnson A high-octane book, which is packed not only with theory but with stories of people living in a supernatural dimension of healing and miracles. Bill Johnson in fine form. Dare to read this book and expect God to use you in powerful ways to unlock the lives of those you meet. Read this if: You want more than a holiday novel. Don't read if: You’re unwilling to pray for the person in the next seat on the plane…

The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne Shane Claiborne is becoming well known as a believer devoted to simplicity, peace and justice. Living in community called ‘The Simple Way’ in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Shane and others demonstrate the radical call of the Sermon on the Mount. Hippy but hard-hitting, too. Read this if: You feel called to rethink your life and priorities. Don't read if: You can’t bear the thought of leaving behind the Rolex watch.

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