5 Books That Shaped My Faith

   It's been a minute, hasn't it? I know. I'm sorry. I'm still figuring stuff out. My life is a bit of a mess at the moment. So much is going on and I've been trying to stay on top of it all as well as take care of myself. I don't have the words to explain it yet, but when I figure it out, I'll let you know. In the meantime, however, I wanted to share some books with you guys that have shaped my faith and, in many ways, changed my life. I've been having a hard time with my personal beliefs lately because they've been changing so much, but sometimes you just need to take a step back to remember where you started.

   My faith in Jesus Christ has changed over the last couple years, which is an amazing thing. But change is always hard. I've had enormous doubts and had to wrestle through some issues. So if you have doubts, if you're not on the whole "Jesus" bandwagon and have no idea what its about, if you're seeking to grow in your faith, or if you're just philosophically curious, I recommend these books.


   5. No More Faking Fine - Esther Fleece
   This one I actually read because one of my blog followers recommended it after reading one of my posts. It was beautifully honest and I couldn't have agreed more. The book explores the meaning of the word "lament." (a word that, even before reading this, held tremendous meaning for me.) She discusses the issue Christians tend to have of pretending things are fine and challenges the belief that you're suffering negates God's goodness or belittles your faith. It was refreshing to read a book that told me it was okay to be in pain, because I spent years of my life learning that lesson the hard way. I wish someone had told me earlier that I was allowed to hurt and I didn't have to pretend to be fine. I learned that I don't always have to sing the happy-go-lucky worship songs because sometimes it hurts too much. And that's okay.

   4. Troubled Minds - Amy Simpson
   This book blew my mind. It talks about how the church needs to respond to issues of mental health versus how it's actually treated by people in the congregation. It gave a lot of really solid, practical ways we as a body can be involved in helping individuals who are struggling with mental illnesses. For once, someone wrote that faith wasn't going to cure depression. Simpson uses her own personal life as an example frequently, since her mother has schizophrenia. It was eye opening and inspiring. This is a must read, but especially for anyone who works in the church.


   3. The Inescapable Love Of God - Thomas Talbott
   Now, this is where my books get more theological and less practical. I just finished this book last night and it took my breath away. There were several points I physically screamed because I was so blown away. In this book, Talbott makes the strong case for universal reconciliation. (Essentially, eternal damnation isn't real.) This was a topic I never thought much about, but a friend lent me the book and I read it on a whim. By the 30th page I was in tears because I had never heard someone speak so accurately about the problems in the theology our Western culture holds to. Talbott exposed the abuse in the church and showed how God's love is greater than it all. It's a bit of a hard read. I had to read it in complete silence, and do so reallllll slow. But its worth every page. Even if you don't agree, there is a ton of truth in what he says, and its worth looking into. I haven't found any other theological argument that would account for the plot holes I see in scripture like this one does.


   2. Silence - Shusaku Endo
   This book is actually a work of fiction written by a Japanese Roman Catholic that was published in 1966. It chronicles the lives of 2 Jesuit priests who go on a dangerous journey to Japan when they receive word that their mentor has apostatized. Let me tell you, I have never cried so hard reading any work of literature more than when I read Silence. It's a slow read, but intriguing and beyond worth it at the end. The implications made in this book cemented a brand new understanding of God that I had been seeing for a while prior. Endo asks questions about sin, doubt, and the vastness of God's love. He does an incredible job of answering the biggest question of why God is silent in the midst of suffering. Read this book. Or, if you're not into that kind of thing, it was just adapted into a movie directed by Martin Scorses and starring Adam Driver, Andrew Garfield, and Liam Neeson.








   1. The Theology Of The Book Of Revelation - Richard Bauckham 
   Surprised to see this one as number one? Me too. As many of you know, I struggled with severe anxiety all my life. 99% of it was because of false teachings about the end times. (Another story for another time.) Last summer my brother handed me this book and told me if I read it, I would never be afraid again. Of course, I was skeptical. I didn't think one book could undo 19 years worth of psychological damage. And you know what? By God's grace, it freaking did. Bauckham takes apart the most feared book in the biblical canon and reveals the truth. He shows Revelation as a book of redemption and love and ultimate victory. He doesn't neglect its place historically either, which gave me a new perspective on the book; I am now able to see it as a beautiful piece of Jewish apocalyptic literature. He doesn't use fear tactics to explain parts of it away either. Again, its a bit of a tough read because its more theological and scholarly, but worth it. No book has changed my life more significantly than this one has. It opened my eyes to the actual intention of that book and gave me courage and actual hope. Not a hope based on fear. Real hope. It was the best gift anyone had ever given me.


   So there you have it.

   My list of best books to inspire faith and philosophical and theological thinking. Let me know if you read any of them and what you thought. (Especially if you read one of the last two. Hit me up real fast.)

   What about you? What books have significantly changed your life? Books that taught you to be more open minded? Books about religion, theology, philosophy, or any of those things. Fiction or not. Let me know. I'm always down for recommendations.

Comments

  1. dude I have to read all of these, like, asap. they all sound so incredible.

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  2. I love this SO MUCH and I want to read every one of these now. I'm so glad you put "No More Faking Fine" on here, because I had heard about it and wanted to read it but couldn't remember the title or the name of the author. Oops!

    One of the books that's shaped my faith is "Stepping Heavenward" by Elizabeth Prentiss. It reads like a novel/journal but it has so much spiritual truth in it. <3

    P.s. I'm glad you posted, I love your blog!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the recommendation! I'm going to look it up :)
      Thank you for the kind words as well. It felt good to be writing again after such a long hiatus

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  3. I need these books, especially the revelations one. I would like to not worry about that anymore either.

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    1. Yes! Please read it. I seriously recommend it to everyone. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that it saved my life. It's a beautiful book.

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  4. I've never heard of any of these books! I'll definitely need to get my hands on them! Thanks for the recommendations!

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  5. I haven't read or heard of any of those before, but they all sound intriguing. That's interesting that Stephanie up there mentioned Stepping Heavenward - I just finished reading that book! I really enjoyed it for the most part, and there are a ton of parts I would have highlighted if I owned the book! Before that, though, I read Passion and Purity by Elizabeth Elliot, which is one of the best books I've ever read. Very eye-opening, and hugely relatable and applicable for me, as I am going through a break-up. I HIGHLY recommend it.

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    1. I'm sorry to hear that you're going through a breakup. I hope you're okay.

      Thank you for the recommendation <3

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  6. WOW thanks so much for sharing all of these!!! library, here i come! xD
    xx

    sophy

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