I found out my thesis proposal for my BA was officially approved, so I’ll be trying to get as much done in the few months before we leave for Amsterdam and the FIS begins. ‘Thesis’ isn’t really the right word-it’s not a research paper. It’s more like a ‘creative project’-a collection of personal essays reflecting on my experience in missions over the past eight years. I think I’m really going to enjoy it. The tentative title is Following Christ Across Cultures: Reflections on Faith, Culture, and Mission. I might have to revise that later, but I’m pretty happy with how broad it is. I’m supposed to be putting in 50 hours a week of reading and writing. The writing part is definitely the more challenging side of the project. I feel like I have plenty of ideas of what to write about, but actually putting them into coherent and readable essays is another story. The reading, of course, is the fun part (the guy in the picture above is obviously having the time of his life). I get to revisit some books that have influenced me in the past few years, and read a bunch of books that I’ve been looking forward to reading. Here’s my working bibliography (for the one or two of you out there who are actually interested-feel free to offer suggestions if you think something is missing):
Review
Boyd, Gregory A. The Myth of a Christian Nation: How Political Power is Destroying the Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005.
Boyd, Gregory A. Repenting of Religion: Turning from Judgment to the Love of God. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004.
Brueggemann, Walter. The Prophetic Imagination. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2001.
Chandler, Paul Gordon. Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road: Exploring a New Path Between Two Faiths. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers Inc., 2007.
Crouch, Andy. Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008.
Hiebert, Paul G. Transforming Worldviews. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008.
Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Jenkins, Philip. God’s Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe’s Religious Crisis. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Jones, E. Stanley. The Christ of the Indian Road. New York: Grosset and Dunlap Publishers, 1925.
Kruger, C. Baxter. The Great Dance: The Christian Vision Revisited. Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 2005.
Kruger, C. Baxter. Jesus and the Undoing of Adam. Perichoresis, Inc., 2007.
Newbigin, Leslie. The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1989.
Raschke, Carl. GloboChrist: The Great Commission Takes a Postmodern Turn. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008.
Torrance, James B. Worship, Community, and the Triune God of Grace. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
Torrance, Thomas F. The Mediation of Christ. Helms and Howard, 1992.
Volf, Miroslav. Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996.
Willard, Dallas. The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.
Wright, N.T. Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. HarperOne, 2008.
Projected Reading
Chandler, Paul Gordon. God’s Global Mosaic: What We Can Learn from Christians Around the World
Frost, Michael and Alan Hirsch. The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21 Century Church
Hirsch, Alan and Leonard Sweet. The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church
Hughe, Richard T. Myths America Lives By
Hunter, George G. III. The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West…Again
Kingsolver, Barbara. The Poisonwood Bible
Kurlansky, Mark. Nonviolence: The History of a Dangerous Idea
Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Mellis, Jim. Latest book (This is my boss, who is writing a fantastic book on intercultural relationships)
Miller, Darrow L. Discipling Nations: The Power of Truth to Transform Cultures.
Newbigin, Lesslie. Foolishness to the Greeks: The Gospel and Western Culture
Niebuhr, H. Richard. Christ and Culture
Noll, Mark A. The New Shape of World Christianity: How American Experience Reflects Global Faith
Peterson, Eugene H. The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways That Jesus Is the Way
Rah, Soong-Chan. The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity
Smith, James K.A. Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Cultural Liturgies)
Stier, Jim and others. His Kingdom Come: An Integrated Approach to Discipling the Nations and Fulfilling the Great Commission.
Torrance, Thomas F. Incarnation: The Person and Life of Christ
