Old and new books of all kinds have made my life rich in countless ways.
It can’t be overstated how much the wide variety of people, experiences, and subjects has expanded my understanding; supported and grown me.
So, I thought I’d share some favorites from this year. Not all were published this year, but a few were. I should add that I don’t agree with every single thought in these books, but overall — yes.
No fiction made it to “favorite.” I read a few, but nothing stayed with me. To be fair, my preference is non-fiction. I have a hard time staying with a made up story without there being a strong character to relate to and a purpose such as exposing injustice or trying to correct societal problems which is why I do like classic works of fiction — stories that have stood the test of time like “To Kill A Movkingbird.” I’d love to know the favorites that have stuck with you.
Some picks would likely only be of interest to Christians of a certain kind. Those who can handle (and appreciate) hearing the truth about the state of our own camp.
Here are my favorites in no particular order, with a few words about why I liked it, and the description given from each books web page.
- Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call For Evangelical America by Russell Moore (2023)
It’s extremely encouraging to have someone at the top — once so opposed to the idea that much of the organized church has drifted far from looking or being like Christ; that it’s rampant with unchecked corruption and abuse — to now seeing it’s undeniable, being willing to walk away and call it out. Russell Moore had a lot to lose and he was willing to for his Lord and the church. He does so with honesty (though it may hurt), grace and hopefulness. And THAT is what being called “Christian” should look like. Refreshed my soul INCREDIBLY!! There ARE a few good shepherds out there. 🙌
Here’s the description:
Former Southern Baptist pastor and Christianity Today editor-in-chief Russell Moore calls for repentance and renewal in American evangelicalism
“American evangelical Christianity has lost its way. While the witness of the church before a watching world is diminished beyond recognition, congregations are torn apart over Donald Trump, Christian nationalism, racial injustice, sexual predation, disgraced leaders, and covered-up scandals. Left behind are millions of believers who counted on the church to be a place of belonging and hope. As greater and greater numbers of younger Americans bleed out from the church, even the most rooted evangelicals are wondering, ‘Can American Christianity survive?’
In Losing Our Religion, Russell Moore calls his fellow evangelical Christians to conversion over culture wars, to truth over tribalism, to the gospel over politics, to integrity over influence, and to renewal over nostalgia. With both prophetic honesty and pastoral love, Moore offers a word of counsel for how a new generation of disillusioned and exhausted believers can find a path forward after the crisis and confusion of the last several years. Believing the gospel is too important to leave it to hucksters and grifters, he shows how a Christian can avoid both cynicism and complicity in order to imagine a different, hopeful vision for the church.
The altar call of the old evangelical revivals was both a call to repentance and the offer of a new start. In the same way, this book invites unmoored and discouraged Christians to step out into an uncertain future, first by letting go of the kind of cultural, politicized, status quo Christianity that led us to this moment of reckoning. Only when we see how lost we are, we can find our way again. Only when we bury what’s dead can we experience life again. Only when we lose our religion can we be amazed by grace again.’
- How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide To Human Nature And Happiness by Russ Roberts (2015)
Holy cow was I thrilled to learn that I think very much like the Scottish philosopher, Adam Smith, after all!! This, despite being led to believe all my life by political propaganda (and an extreme-right-winger father) that Smith belonged solely to the right. Wrong. I’m not at all a leftist, but I don’t believe that the right or all businesses are infallible and beyond needing accountability. Just as absolute power corrupts absolutely in government — absolute power can corrupt in business and any other institution made up of human beings.
Do I love & appreciate capitalism? You bet. Do I believe that the free market will correct everything and the ONLY problem is government interference and regulation? No, and neither did Adam Smith, contrary to what we’ve been led to believe. It’s not that black & white. But greedy and dishonest businessmen, politicians and news organizations are protecting big profits and securing positions by keeping us in that extreme— by half truths that trap us.
Smith warned about cronyism, corporate corruption of politics, imperialism, the exploitation of workers, materialism and more.
Capitalism is great, but not infallible, especially when we go to the extreme of lawlessness (wanting no accountability from anyone.) It comes much easier for people at the top to get away with that. But there’s an “invisible hand” alright — and I think it’s more severe than what economists and politicians preach. The unchecked abuse of freedom causes us to lose it in devastating ways. In other words, we reap what we sow.
This book does a great job of introducing us to the real Adam Smith —from his own writings. At a time when our economy and our country is sinking — when we’re led to believe what politicians say will fix it— we can go back to the whole truth — to wisdom about the things that make or break an economy, a country, a life. It is individual hearts and lives transforming by Gods’s grace that begins changing the direction of a country.
Why in this world would “we the people” NOT want this message??? Are we not tired of being led on by politicians who act like the fate of all is in their powerful hands??? I’ve been over it. It’s so empowering and hopeful to know that we aren’t dependent on any elections to right this ship.
If this greatly interests you as it does me, listen to the following Freakonomics Radio podcast episodes!!
No. 525: “In Search of the Real Adam Smith”
No. 526: “Was Adam Smith Really a Right-Winger?”
No. 527: “Can Adam Smith Fix Our Economy?”
Again, HOLY COW— they are excellent. I don’t usually re-listen to podcasts but these??? — at least 5 times!! So. Very. Good!!
Here’s the book’s description:
“A forgotten book by one of history’s greatest thinkers reveals the surprising connections between happiness, virtue, fame, and fortune.
Adam Smith may have become the patron saint of capitalism after he penned his most famous work, The Wealth of Nations. But few people know that when it came to the behavior of individuals—the way we perceive ourselves, the way we treat others, and the decisions we make in pursuit of happiness—the Scottish philosopher had just as much to say. He developed his ideas on human nature in an epic, sprawling work titled The Theory of Moral Sentiments.
Most economists have never read it, and for most of his life, Russ Roberts was no exception. But when he finally picked up the book by the founder of his field, he realized he’d stumbled upon what might be the greatest self-help book that almost no one has read.
In How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life, Roberts examines Smith’s forgotten masterpiece, and finds a treasure trove of timeless, practical wisdom. Smith’s insights into human nature are just as relevant today as they were three hundred years ago. What does it take to be truly happy? Should we pursue fame and fortune or the respect of our friends and family? How can we make the world a better place? Smith’s unexpected answers, framed within the rich context of current events, literature, history, and pop culture, are at once profound, counterintuitive, and highly entertaining.”
- She Deserves Better: Raising Girls To Resist Toxic Teachings On Sex, Self, And Speaking Up by Sheila Wray Gregoire (2023)
I so appreciate the voices that are working to undo destructive messages in the Christian world. This book is packed with facts, not opinion. It’s shocking that the place we take our children in hopes to give them some kind of foundation in their faith may actually deform them spiritually, rather than actually maturing them in Christ. The drive home from church every week should not be us parents trying to UNDO harmful, legalistic, unbiblical teaching given to our children and families.
Although this book is addressed to daughters, it very much pertains to the entire body of Christ. We don’t poison one part of the body without it infecting and devastating the whole.
The only thing I found lacking was the fact that the degree to which toxic teachings can destroy people should be emphasized with an even greater sense of urgency and fear for souls trapped in lies withIN the church.
Here’s the description:
“What if the goal of raising a Christian girl was about more than keeping her virginity intact? What if it was about raising a strong, independent young woman who knows who she is, uses her voice, and confidently steps into the life God has for her?
From the authors of The Great Sex Rescue comes this evidence-based book grounded on surveys of over 28,000 women to offer moms a fresh, freeing, and biblically grounded message of sexuality and self-worth for their daughters that is less about the don’ts and more about the dos.
This isn’t your average parenting book: no pat answers or overly broad principles here. No cliché prescriptives or toxic teachings that your daughter will have to unpack and recover from as an adult, like so many of us have. Instead, you’ll find data-driven insights about how to raise a woman who is resilient, knows her strength, and has the discernment skills needed to make good choices. By reframing (and sometimes replacing) common evangelical messages to teen girls, this book will equip you to raise a girl who can navigate the difficult waters of growing up while still clinging tight to the God who created her on purpose, for a purpose.”
- All My Knotted Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore (2023)
This is a great individual example of exactly what happens when someone grows up with the toxic teachings described in “She Deserves Better.” People find it hard to understand how someone can paint a beautiful picture of their home & upbringing when they are young, only to grow up and be awakened to the fact that it was abusive and should’ve never been silenced and covered up. We are taught to hide and suppress the truth. Many other toxic and destructive thought patterns and behaviors that are labeled “Christian” but aren’t Christian at all emerge in Beth’s story. These serve abusers and predators.
Beth’s story shows us what it looks like to overcome the toxic teachings in her own camp and fully stand in who she is in Christ. I’m thankful to God for Beth Moore- a true model of what it means to be a godly woman clothed in strength and dignity— not silenced, shamed and kept infantile by her own.
Here’s the description:
An incredibly thoughtful, disarmingly funny, and intensely vulnerable glimpse into the life and ministry of a woman familiar to many but known by few.
“It’s a peculiar thing, this having lived long enough to take a good look back. We go from knowing each other better than we know ourselves to barely sure if we know each other at all, to precisely sure that we don’t. All my knotted-up life I’ve longed for the sanity and simplicity of knowing who’s good and who’s bad. I’ve wanted to know this about myself as much as anyone. This was not theological. It was strictly relational. God could do what he wanted with eternity. I was just trying to make it here in the meantime. As benevolent as he has been in a myriad of ways, God has remained aloof on this uncomplicated request.”– Beth Moore
New York Times best-selling author, speaker, visionary, and founder of Living Proof Ministries Beth Moore has devoted her whole life to helping women across the globe come to know the transforming power of Jesus. An established writer of many acclaimed books and Bible studies for women on spiritual growth and personal development, Beth now unveils her own story in a much-anticipated debut memoir.
All My Knotted-Up Life includes:
- 8 pages of photos
- An exploration of Beth’s childhood, love, marriage, and motherhood
- Insights on what it was like when she was “waist-deep in a season of loss”
- A discussion of her 2018 break with the Southern Baptist movement
- Details on the origins of Living Proof Ministries
All My Knotted-Up Life is told with surprising candor about some of the personal heartbreaks and behind-the-scenes challenges that have marked Beth’s life. But beyond that, it’s a beautifully crafted portrait of resilience and survival, a poignant reminder of God’s enduring faithfulness, and proof positive that if we ever truly took the time to hear people’s full stories . . . we’d all walk around slack-jawed.
- Unspeakable: Surviving My Childhood and Finding My Voice by Jessica Willis Fisher (2022)
This is another personal example that proves the harm of false teaching — predators twisting the Bible and the devastation it causes to daughters and families that “She Deserves Better” addresses.
I couldn’t put it down— though a very heavy story —it needs to be heard. I cursed this monster of a man repeatedly as I read. But I also celebrated sweet victory in her finding freedom, her voice and justice. This is what far too many men do under the cloak of “freedom of religion.”
Here’s the description:
“Using the written word as her witness statement, Jessica Willis Fisher gives a lacerating portrait of a girl finding her voice after years of being silenced and an unforgettable story of risk and faith.
Growing up the eldest daughter in a large, highly controlled, fundamentalist Christian household, Jessica Willis was groomed to perform, and to conform to her father’s disturbing and chaotic teachings. Cut off from anything unapproved by her father, Jessica was persistently curious about the outside world, always wondering what was normal or potentially dangerous about her upbringing.
When the Willis family rocketed into fame after their appearances on multiple televised talent competitions in 2014, Jessica and her family landed their own reality TV show and toured across the globe, singing and dancing for millions. The world loved this beautiful family of kids; young and vivacious, the Willis’s presented themselves to be extraordinary and happy. But the older and wiser Jessica got, the more she had to face that what was going on behind closed doors would forever be escalating. In this elegant, harrowing story of the manipulation and codependency that defines abusive family relationships, Jessica Willis Fisher lets us see the formative moments of her childhood through her eyes. Fisher’s haunting coming-of-age memoir captures the beauty and ugliness of a young woman finding her way—filled with longing, fear, confusion, secrecy, and most importantly, hope for the future.
- An unflinching look at the manipulation and codependency that defines abusive family relationships
- The formative moments of Jessica’s childhood through her eyes
An unforgettable story of courage and strength. Beautifully written and monumental in its bravery, Fisher’s story is proof that we can all become so much more that the things that happen to us.”
- Counting The Cost: A Memoir by Jill Duggar (2023)
Yet again, another daughter (and whole family) trapped by false teaching. Jim Bob and Michelle have controlled the fake narrative for too long. Cheers for freedom for this young woman and her family. Great insight into how difficult it can be to break free. But thank God she does!! I hope her siblings are strengthened to do the same.
Here’s the description:
“For the first time, discover the unedited truth about the Duggars, the traditional Christian family that captivated the nation on TLC’s hit show 19 Kids and Counting. Jill Duggar and her husband Derick are finally ready to share their story, revealing the secrets, manipulation, and intimidation behind the show that remained hidden from their fans.
Jill and Derick knew a normal life wasn’t possible for them. As a star on the popular TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, Jill grew up in front of viewers who were fascinated by her family’s way of life. She was the responsible, second daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle’s nineteen kids; always with a baby on her hip and happy to wear the modest ankle-length dresses with throat-high necklines. She didn’t protest the strict model of patriarchy that her family followed, which declares that men are superior, that women are expected to be wives and mothers and are discouraged from attaining a higher education, and that parental authority over their children continues well into adulthood, even once they are married.
But as Jill got older, married Derick, and they embarked on their own lives, the red flags became too obvious to ignore.
For as long as they could, Jill and Derick tried to be obedient family members—they weren’t willing to rock the boat. But now they’re raising a family of their own, and they’re done with the secrets. Thanks to time, tears, therapy, and blessings from God, they have the strength to share their journey. Theirs is a remarkable story of the power of the truth and is a moving example of how to find healing through honesty.”
- Spare by Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex (2023)
I’ve never closely followed the royals. I know the basics. I did watch Harry & Meghan’s beautiful wedding. 😍 And I catch the random accusations that fly across the pond. Kate did this .. Meghan said that.. William did this.. Harry did that.., blah blah.. but I pretty much swat it all away knowing just how news sources sensationalize, make a mountain out of a mole hill or completely fabricate something out of nothing.. There is much money to be made at the expense of this family and Harry’s grief is largely poured out in this memoir about just that.
I had no real opinions about any of them before beginning this book. I was just curious about it all. Could he be lying? Exaggerating? Sure. He could be telling the truth too. It was very interesting and to me, it rings true. People don’t often give up positions, money, opportunity etc.. without good reason. Aside from the drama, I loved just vicariously experiencing another culture through Harry. 🏴 😃
Here’s the description:
1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the global phenomenon that tells an unforgettable story of love, loss, and healing.
“Compellingly artful . . . [a] blockbuster memoir.”—The New Yorker (Best Books of the Year)
It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.
For Harry, this is that story at last.
Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.
At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.
Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .
For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
- Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I am Today by Valerie Bertinelli (2022)
The title says it all. It’s beautiful to see a woman finally stop struggling with societal expectations and live comfortably happy in her own skin.
I also just happen to really like Valerie Bertinelli. I watched her on tv as a kid and now on Food Network. I enjoy following her on Instagram for her refreshingly honest posts.
Her memoir was just more of that — an interesting life — much of it with Eddie Van Halen— whose beautiful friendship continued after divorce. Plus, some good recipes were thrown in I gotta try!
Here’s the description:
“A #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Beloved actress, Food Network personality, and New York Times bestselling author Valerie Bertinelli reflects on life at sixty and beyond.
Behind the curtain of her happy on-screen persona, Valerie Bertinelli’s life has been no easy ride, especially when it comes to her own self-image and self-worth. She waged a war against herself for years, learning to equate her value to her appearance as a child star on One Day at a Time and punishing herself in order to fit into the unachievable Hollywood mold. She struggled to make her marriage to Eddie Van Halen — the true love of her life — work, despite all the rifts the rock-star lifestyle created between them. She then watched her son follow in his father’s footsteps, right up onto the stage of Van Halen concerts, and begin his own music career. And like so many women, she cared for her parents as their health declined and saw the roles of parent and child reverse. Through mourning the loss of her parents, discovering more about her family’s past, and realizing how short life really is when she and her son lost Eddie, Valerie finally said, “Enough already!” to a lifelong battle with the scale and found a new path forward to joy and connection. Despite hardships and the pressures of the media industry to be something she’s not, Valerie is, at last, accepting herself: she knows who she is, has discovered her self-worth, and has learned how to prioritize her health and happiness over her weight. With an intimate look into her insecurities, heartbreaks, losses, triumphs, and revelations, Enough Already is the story of Valerie’s sometimes humorous, sometimes raw, but always honest journey to love herself and find joy in the everyday, in family, and in the food and memories we share.”
- Finding Me by Viola Davis (2022)
Man. Talk about rags to riches. And not just outwardly, but inwardly too, it seems. I will always cheer for women who grow out of false identities and mature into feeling confident, strong and comfortable in their own skin — especially with so much baggage from the past. It’s an inspiring story she tells well. One of the things I find most compelling in stories like hers is how the solution to self acceptance can never come from any outward achievement. We can all be reminded of that again & again.
Here’s the description:
“OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • A HARPERS BAZAAR BEST BOOK OF 2022 • A PARADE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK • A MARIE CLAIRE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK
“It’s clear from the first page that Davis is going to serve a more intimate, unpolished account than is typical of the average (often ghost-written) celebrity memoir; Finding Me reads like Davis is sitting you down for a one-on-one conversation about her life, warts and all.”—USA Today
“[A] fulfilling narrative of struggle and success….Her gorgeous storytelling will inspire anyone wishing to shed old labels.”—Los Angeles Times
In my book, you will meet a little girl named Viola who ran from her past until she made a life-changing decision to stop running forever.
This is my story, from a crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the stage in New York City, and beyond. This is the path I took to finding my purpose but also my voice in a world that didn’t always see me.
As I wrote Finding Me, my eyes were open to the truth of how our stories are often not given close examination. We are forced to reinvent them to fit into a crazy, competitive, judgmental world. So I wrote this for anyone running through life untethered, desperate and clawing their way through murky memories, trying to get to some form of self-love. For anyone who needs reminding that a life worth living can only be born from radical honesty and the courage to shed facades and be . . . you.
Finding Me is a deep reflection, a promise, and a love letter of sorts to self. My hope is that my story will inspire you to light up your own life with creative expression and rediscover who you were before the world put a label on you.”
- Cured: The Life Changing Science Of Spontaneous Healing by Dr. Jeffrey Rediger (2020)
It’s always refreshing to hear voices who refuse to just go along with a program they know is hurting people. No matter what institution or organization we find ourselves in— healthcare, education, religion, government —there must be some individuals within it who are willing to address and stand against practices that are hurting people. Checks and balances. Dr. Jeffrey Rediger humbly does just that, while also exploring the fascinating instances of healing that science cannot easily explain. Modern medicine is good but it should never be seen as the end all be all.
I especially love the conclusion of this book — things MUCH deeper than whether or not our food is organic or we exercise enough affect our health for good or bad. An intriguing read I want to listen to again!
Here’s the description:
“When it comes to disease, who beats the odds ― and why?��When it comes to spontaneous healing, skepticism abounds. Doctors are taught that “miraculous” recoveries are flukes, and as a result they don’t study those cases or take them into account when treating patients.��Enter Dr. Jeff Rediger, who has spent over 15 years studying spontaneous healing, pioneering the use of scientific tools to investigate recoveries from incurable illnesses. Dr. Rediger’s research has taken him from America’s top hospitals to healing centers around the world―and along the way he’s uncovered insights into why some people beat the odds.��In Cured, Dr. Rediger digs down to the root causes of illness, showing how to create an environment that sets the stage for healing. He reveals the patterns behind healing and lays out the physical and mental principles associated with recovery: first, we need to physically heal our diet and our immune systems. Next, we need to mentally heal our stress response and our identities.��Through rigorous research, Dr. Rediger shows that much of our physical reality is created in our minds. Our perception changes our experience, even to the point of changing our physical bodies―and thus the healing of our identity may be our greatest tool to recovery.��Ultimately, miracles only contradict what we know of nature at this point in time. Cured leads the way in explaining the science behind these miracles, and provides a first-of-its-kind guidebook to both healing and preventing disease.”
- Effortless: Make It Easier To Do What Matters Most by Greg McKeown (2021)
His book, Essentialism was good, but I liked Effortless even more! As someone who can easily feel & unhealthy degree of anxiety, I have to be very mindful about how I’m choosing to live life. I so appreciate the folks who uncomplicate our existence. His perspective & advice is gold.
Such a great read to begin the new year with. I plan to listen again.
Here’s the description:
“NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A Times (UK) Best Book of the Year • From the author of the million-copy-selling Essentialism comes an empowering guide to achieving your goals. It all starts with a simple principle: Not everything has to be so hard.
‘In a world beset by burnout, Greg McKeown’s work is essential.’ —Daniel H. Pink, author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human
‘At a time when fear, uncertainty, and our ever-growing list of responsibilities have come to feel like much too much to handle, Effortless couldn’t be timelier, or more necessary.’—Eve Rodsky, author of Fair Play
Do you ever feel like:
- You’re teetering right on the edge of burnout?
- You want to make a higher contribution, but lack the energy?
- You’re running faster but not moving closer to your goals?
- Everything is so much harder than it used to be?
As high achievers, we’ve been conditioned to believe that the path to success is paved with relentless work. That if we want to overachieve, we have to overexert, overthink, and overdo. That if we aren’t perpetually exhausted, we’re not doing enough.
But lately, working hard is more exhausting than ever. And the more depleted we get, the more effort it takes to make progress. Stuck in an endless loop of “Zoom, eat, sleep, repeat,” we’re often working twice as hard to achieve half as much.
Getting ahead doesn’t have to be as hard as we make it. No matter what challenges or obstacles we face, there is a better way: instead of pushing ourselves harder, we can find an easier path.
Effortless offers actionable advice for making the most essential activities the easiest ones, so you can achieve the results you want, without burning out.
Effortless teaches you how to:
- Turn tedious tasks into enjoyable rituals
- Prevent frustration by solving problems before they arise
- Set a sustainable pace instead of powering through
- Make one-time choices that eliminate many future decisions
- Simplify your processes by removing unnecessary steps
- Make relationships easier to maintain and manage
- And much more
The effortless way isn’t the lazy way. It’s the smart way. It may even be the only way.
Not every hard thing in life can be made easy. But we can make it easier to do more of what matters most.”
- The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism (2023)
This book is one of my favorites of all but man is it hard hitting. This dude is gonna take a LOT of heat, but that’s what happens when you tell the truth.
He addresses the biggest concerns I have for the church. It explains much of why I had to quit attending a couple of years ago.
From the time the Lord saved me, the Holy Spirit began undoing the twisted cross I’d grown up with. There was a check in my spirit every time I heard political talking heads mixing Christianity into their speeches and rallies as though the Lord was on their side, fighting for this earthly kingdom.
I knew that the way the Lord had met me & saved me was the only way to truly transform a country— through one individual heart & life at a time. Law and grace have nothing in common. It’s as though many (most?) American evangelicals don’t really believe in the power of the cross — instead we’ve been led to fear the world and enemies — to isolate from and condemn the world. We’re literally pushed to gather around politicians to save us. If you don’t think we’ve turned these men into idols as though they’re the hope of Christianity try to speak up with truth against it.
Politicians, news media and destructive shepherds are leading with nothing but fear, hate and anger. It’s all about profits, power & control.
The church has become corrupted by being one of the biggest businesses in our capitalist economy with no checks & balances. It’s too big to fail. There is no accountability. The head is not Jesus. No doubt, the Lord would flip these tables.
I don’t ever fear the loss of His love, but I know that His love for us doesn’t mean we won’t greatly suffer. Because the organized church is so big, so cold, corrupt, hard of hearing and blind— I’m afraid a violent shaking will come just as it has in history. The corruption must be exposed, cleansed and God’s Name restored.
While it causes much grief to hear the wretched state of the church and Christianity addressed in this book — it’s also hopeful to learn of the few within the church who are faithful to Jesus Christ and calling out the corruption at a great cost to themselves — some of them right here by me at Liberty University.
This nationalism above Christ is exactly how it was in Nazi Germany. Hitler co-opted the church by telling them what they wanted to hear— by using Christian language and fueling their fears, anger and hate. He knew he needed the church and subtly had his flag in the churches, effectively replacing a need for Jesus Christ with a stronger, more important call for national identity. It was subtle— as Satan is. Only a very few had the courage to speak against Hitler using the church as his platform. One of my heroes, Dietrich Bonhoeffer could see the serious error of putting an earthly kingdom above God’s— of using the church as a means to an end. But the church largely refused to listen. They didn’t realize the deceiver they’d enabled and brought to power until it was too late.
I can no longer in good conscience even attend any organized church because i cannot even speak about the corruptions within our camp. The people are so conditioned by false teaching and political propaganda they don’t recognize how unlike Jesus the church actually is—- so many are not making or maturing disciples, but puppets of the state and / or inferior to pastors and leaders who refuse correction or accountability. You are automatically marked with derogatory terms if you dare criticize any corruption in our own camp. So I’m out. I love the people but must kick the dust off my feet and take my peace with me.
I have much compassion for people in the church, because I was there. I would have likely backed away from someone like me at one time too and I try hard to remember that.
I struggled greatly with leaving and realize that each individual walks this path in their own time- if they are to leave. Maybe God has another purpose for some within it and I have no right to judge that. But as for me, I came to the same conclusion Bonhoeffer did jwhen asked why he didn’t just join the German church and try to correct things within it. His answer.
“If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.”
Still, he was such a man of Christlike character he laid down his life for his countrymen —- believers and non-believers alike.
I pray all the time that God would open the eyes of the church to the rampant corruption within It..
🙏🙏🙏 let it be without much much greater suffering if at all possible. If the suffering does have to be great, I pray God will strengthen me to be there to continue encouraging my family in Him no matter what. ❤️
Here is the description:
“The award-winning journalist and staff writer for The Atlantic follows up his New York Times bestseller American Carnage with this timely, rigorously reported, and deeply personal examination of the divisions that threaten to destroy the American evangelical movement.
Evangelical Christians are perhaps the most polarizing—and least understood—people living in America today. In his seminal new book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, journalist Tim Alberta, himself a practicing Christian and the son of an evangelical pastor, paints an expansive and profoundly troubling portrait of the American evangelical movement. Through the eyes of televangelists and small-town preachers, celebrity revivalists and everyday churchgoers, Alberta tells the story of a faith cheapened by ephemeral fear, a promise corrupted by partisan subterfuge, and a reputation stained by perpetual scandal.
For millions of conservative Christians, America is their kingdom—a land set apart, a nation uniquely blessed, a people in special covenant with God. This love of country, however, has given way to right-wing nationalist fervor, a reckless blood-and-soil idolatry that trivializes the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Alberta retraces the arc of the modern evangelical movement, placing political and cultural inflection points in the context of church teachings and traditions, explaining how Donald Trump’s presidency and the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated historical trends that long pointed toward disaster. Reporting from half-empty sanctuaries and standing-room-only convention halls across the country, the author documents a growing fracture inside American Christianity and journeys with readers through this strange new environment in which loving your enemies is “woke” and owning the libs is the answer to WWJD.
Accessing the highest echelons of the American evangelical movement, Alberta investigates the ways in which conservative Christians have pursued, exercised, and often abused power in the name of securing this earthly kingdom. He highlights the battles evangelicals are fighting—and the weapons of their warfare—to demonstrate the disconnect from scripture: Contra the dictates of the New Testament, today’s believers are struggling mightily against flesh and blood, eyes fixed on the here and now, desperate for a power that is frivolous and fleeting. Lingering at the intersection of real cultural displacement and perceived religious persecution, Alberta portrays a rapidly secularizing America that has come to distrust the evangelical church, and weaves together present-day narratives of individual pastors and their churches as they confront the twin challenges of lost status and diminished standing.
Sifting through the wreckage—pastors broken, congregations battered, believers losing their religion because of sex scandals and political schemes—Alberta asks: If the American evangelical movement has ceased to glorify God, what is its purpose?”
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That’s all I got for now. 😊
Clearly, I could use some light, funny, uplifting reads… Whatcha got?
Hope you had a very merry Christmas, and a happy 2024 to you!!
❤️ Jamie
