Christianity in Blue: How the Bible, History, Philosophy, and Theology Shape Progressive Identity by David A Kaden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A really good, quick intro to progessive theology.

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Abundant Lives by Amanda Udis-Kessler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I highly recommend this new book from our denomination's publishing house (Pilgrim Press). It's a quick read that is very thoughtful and good. It presents a clear, comprehensive vision of the good life as envisioned from our theological perspective. I kept wishing I had written the book, or something very like it. I'll have to figure out how and when to develop this into either a sermon series or a class or some combination of both.

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A Darkly Radiant Vision: The Black Social Gospel in the Shadow of MLK by Gary Dorrien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A good book to finish on the eve of Juneteenth.

The three volume journey through the Black Social Gospel has been deeply informative and inspiring. I've learned a lot and identified other books that I need to read.

This particular volume focused on the era after the assassination of Dr. King. First he covers Andy Young and Jesse Jackson in their efforts to live into Dr. King's vision through their political activities. Then he dives into detail discussing Black theology in its various forms--liberationist, womanist, liberal, feminist. Dorrien gives thorough presentations on various thinkers and major works. Then he discusses the celebration and challenge of the Obama years for the Black Social Gospel, including the relationship between Obama and Jeremiah Wright. Finally, he brings the topic into the current moment, with the impacts of Black Lives Matter and the prominence of Traci Blackmon, William Barber, and Raphael Warnock, with Warnock largely representing the drawing together of the political and theological efforts post-King.

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Christianity as a Way of Life: A Systematic Theology by Kevin W. Hector
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

At times I wondered why he felt the need to give such an extensive argument for some point. Some times the understanding being developed was more traditional than I currently am. Some times it felt like aspects that should be left to metaphor and imagination were being over-analyzed. And then, some parts were profound, innovative, practical, preachable.

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God Is a Black Woman by Christena Cleveland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fascinating and creative exploration of the Sacred Black Feminine.

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Learning about Metamodernism for the first time, watching this video.

God's Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible by Esther J. Hamori
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thought this was going to be a fun read. It wasn't. More harrowing. Intense. Disturbing.

And deeply thought provoking. Compelling one to reassess some fundamentals.

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The Weakness of God: A Theology of the Event by John D. Caputo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fascinating, fun, provocative exploration of how we postmoderns might think about God.

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Christianity and the New Spirit of Capitalism by Kathryn Tanner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tanner brings a profound Christian critique to current finance-based capitalism. And it's not at the points where such a critique would be most obvious (such as exploitation of workers or the Earth). Rather, she takes issue with fundamental ideas that underpin contemporary capitalism--how it marks time, how it views the past and the future, how it views individuals and their relationships to the whole--and in each case demonstrates how contemporary capitalism runs counter to what Christianity believes on each of these points. A worthy read that will prompt deep thought.

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The Angry Christian: A Theology for Care and Counseling by Andrew D. Lester
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"I believe that our capacity for anger is one of God's good gifts, intentionally rooted in creation and serving important purposes in human life."

As a pastor, I've had quite a few congregants come to me over the years wanting help with their anger. And I too, especially in the couple of years after my divorce, have wrestled with the healthy expression of anger (my therapist and I were just discussing it yesterday even).

This book was excellent. Smart, well-researched, compassionate. You come away with both a better intellectual understanding of anger and tips for pastoral care and counseling. Now, I only wish there were a shorter, more popular-style version that I could recommend to laypeople.

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