Last July (2025) I received an email from the Long Beach Church Collective that was sent to church leaders around the Long Beach area. It asked what we were reading this summer. What follows is a lightly edited version of my emailed response:
Here’s an article by Diana Butler Bass entitled Homeland Ambiguity that I read today. Really quite excellent. I also read a seriously excellent article yesterday called American and wrote about it. I’ve read a bunch more articles, but I’ll stick to books below.
How Migration Really Works by Hein de Haas – This is the best book considering movement of people from place to place that I have yet read.
New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis by John Walton and J. Harvey Walton – This book is kind of mind bending and often helpful at the same time. There is much to think about in this.
The Forge of Christendom by Tom Holland – This is an historical work that covers the spread of Christianity across Europe and what is today the UK around the turn of the first millenium. It is often kind of horrifying to a Christian – at least to me. Christian Nationalism? Nope.
Preparing for War by Bradley Onishi – Onishi is a distant acquaintance from his time at Rose Drive Friends Church. He is pretty disillusioned as he writes this book, certainly about evangelicalism and perhaps about Christianity itself. I can see why even as I think he lacks some perspective and disagree with many of his conclusions.
Becoming the Pastor’s Wife by Beth Allison Barr – Yikes. Documenting more difficult times among patriarchal American Southern Baptists.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving – A number of people said I should read this. Entertaining, perhaps somewhat profound? Worth the read, particularly since so many folks with whom I have dialog recommended it.
Island of the World by Michael D. O’Brien – This book by a really excellent Catholic writer is about the development of deep faith in one man’s tragic(?) life history through wartime and post-war experiences around WW II in the Balkans. This was a truly excellent read!
The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey – This is the first book in a new series by the Science Fiction writing duo who wrote The Expanse novels. I recommend it if you enjoyed The Expanse.
Ghosted, an American Story by Nancy French – This memoir by a former right-wing ghost writer for Republican national political figures dropped like a hot potato into the American religio-political scene. Written from the perspective of developing her Christian faith over her lifetime, it is interesting, horrifying, and encouraging all at the same time.
The Sparrow, and Children of God by Mary Doria Russell – These two novels are classic SF that consider the topic of theodicy in the context of interaction with intelligent alien life forms and culture. It is superbly well written, a deep consideration of the life of a faithful priest who encounters an alien civilization. (I wrote briefly reacting to these books at https://www.oaks2b.com/category/science-fiction/ .)
The Lighthouse by Michael D. O’Brien – This is another deeply spiritual consideration of a man’s life growing in faith from a Catholic perspective. It is quite excellent, encouraging, and much shorter than Island of the World (see above).
For what it’s worth….
