Tag Archives: Books

The Darker Nations – Tuesday Book Recommendation

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The Third World today faces Europe like a colossal mass whose projects should be to try to resolve the problems to which Europe has not been able to find the answers.

- Frantz Fannon, 1961

I would add to Fannon’s words that in this pivotal point in time, the Third World-The Darker Nations not only faces Europe but it faces the West and the North with the power and hope to be able to find the solutions that not only Europe never found, but also the solutions to the many problems caused by hundreds of years of occupation and colonialism by Europe and USA.

Darker Nations: A People’s History of the Third World (New Press People’s Histories) (Vijay Prashad, The New Press) is a compilation of events seeing from the perspective of the people from the Third World. It is said that there is no history but only interpretation of events. So called historical events do not have significance on themselves, their importance and meaning is given one. Same with the authority of such historical event. For centuries history have been viewed as a the world meta-narrative through the skewed lenses of Europe and the U.S.A. at the center of humanity. The events in this book shift the narrative to the see life through experience of people of color and their fight for liberation, land, work and their right to live with dignity. This is history (the interpretation of past events) in the light of creating a new alternative world – The Third World. While a full of hopeful accounts, Prashad is no fanatic, he presents the painful reality of power struggles and distorted patriotism and the atrocities of some political regimes. 

This is a good “history” primer for people interested in issues of multiculturalism, post-colonialism and missions. 

 

The Becoming of G-d: What the Trinitarian nature of God has to do with Church and a deep Spirituality for the 21 Century

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My friend and fellow Anglimergent Fr. Ian Mobsby just announced the launched of his second book. Ian’s community -Moot- is a sister to one of my communities here in Seattle, Church of the Apostles.

Here is what Ian says about his new book-

The Becoming of G-d: What the Trinitarian nature of God has to do with Church and a deep Spirituality for the Twenty First Century
I explore the importance of this understanding of God in the context of our postmodern culture driven under the logic of consumption and information technology, which drives a new form of cultural mysticism. In this brave new world, the importance of church reflecting the Trinitarian nature of God as ‘mystical communion or community’ becomes an imperative. Finally, I explore the difficult challenge of building community in a culture which is loosing its interpersonal skills to the cult of the individual.

So it should be a good read!!

To Order A Copy
To order the book directly, click here, to printout more info, click here

To Order from a Bookshop
For bookshops only, you can order the book directly, click here.
To printout more info for bookshops click here

My Beautiful Idol – Tuesday Book Review

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This weekend while I was not feeling too sociable I picked up the copy The Ooze.

This is yet another book in the recently popular line of spiritual memoirs. If you read some of Dan Miller, you might enjoy this one. I’m not a fan of Miller, but this one I like.  It is a quick easy read, but that does not mean that is as quick to digest or process. This is a book about setting up idols of what we think God, ministry and life are. These Idols and desires are motivated by our own skwed ideas of God and spirituality. Peter Gail touches close to home to the broken hearts of many of us whom while try to be in ministry and live a life of service to God, do it for the wrong motives. Because I have had (still have) some idols of my own, the authors have my respect for the honest and open manner he tells his story. Not many of us are willing to hang outside our dirty underwear of selfish motives for everyone to see. 

This book might not be at the level of Kathleen Norris or Anne Lamott (even though Phillip Yancey seems to believe so, according to the endorsement he does of the book) it is still a great read.

Read more about this good book at My Beautiful Idol official website.

 

 

 

The New Conspirators – Tuesday Book Review

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The New Conspirators : Creating the Future one Mustard Seed at a Time by Tom Sine

“In spite the fact that our world is changing at blinding speed and the church is going through some very tough times, God is still at work in ways that aren’t always immediately apparent. For some reason, God seems to delight in conspiring through the small, insignificant and ordinary to renew the church and transform the world.”

This book was long due. Tom Sine spent 3+ years collecting stories, interviewing people, bugging friends and collecting the data that end up in this fantastic book.

You might have heard authors talk about books taking a life of their own, and that is true of this one. As a friend of Tom I was fortunate enough to be around while the book was taking shape. Originally it was meant to be a reincarnation of a his book The Mustard Seed Conspiracy, published in the mid-80′s. But that would not hold up to the amazing stories of creativity and faith that Tom was listening. Tom later decided that this was meant to be an entire different book about the God’s new conspirators in the here and now.

While many of the current books in the Christian circles cover one topic – Tom have ventured to explore what he calls in the book the 4 streams of renewal for the church and the world: The Emerging Church, The Missional Church, New Monasticism and The Mosaic (Multi-Cultural) Church. Lots had and is written about the Emerging Church and Missional church. New Monasticism is a hot topic these days. So I am glad Tom included what the multi-cultural church is doing as a fresh and challenging expression in contemporary Christianity.

In this book Tom engage us in five conversations:

  • Taking the New Conspirators Seriously
  • Taking the Culture Seriously
  • Taking the Future of God Seriously
  • Taking the Turbulent Times Seriously
  • Taking our Imaginations Seriously

I think it is very important to point out that this is a book on a global expression of the new conspirators. The stories and examples does not come from the western hemisphere alone. This is not an American book. Though the book you’ll read stories of ordinary people confronting the powers and living out God’s Kingdom values in Africa, UK, Latin America, Australia, USA and all over the world.

The New Conspirators is a primer in the global conversation on how God is creating the future one mustard seed at a time. You can read the introduction of the book at www.thenewconspirators.com.

A must read definitely.