What Are You Reading This Summer?

It’s still summer, so you have time to finish reading a few extra books waiting in your TBR (to be read) pile. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.

As a doctoral student, I am compelled by my professors to read about theology, methodology, interpretation, and biblical studies. To stay sane, I intersperse the heavy stuff with historical novels and the occasional witty-banter romance. Over the last two months, these six theologically-minded books have made me think, question, exclaim, and even shout.

I will highlight the two “fun” books that were not part of any school curriculum but which will absolutely find their way into many Bible college and seminary syllabi quite soon.

Tell Her Story, by Nijay Gupta (professor at Northern Seminary): With an emphasis on the socio-historical context in which Bible women lived, Gupta shows what women were actually doing in first-century Rome rather than dissecting the related biblical passages in-depth. He challenges us to consider Deborah, the Old Testament Israelite judge who surpassed all the other judges in character and national success, as a model of what God calls some women to. A refreshing, readable work, Tell Her Story does what its title implies—it tells the stories of women doing God’s work in the times during which the Bible was written in order to shine a light on what women can do now.

In a surprising affirmation of my childhood fascination with Greek mythology, Sandra Glahn (professor at Dallas Seminary) illustrates how some New Testament theology hinges on a correct understanding of Artemis. In Nobody’s Mother, which earned a starred review at Publishers Weekly, Glahn examines the literary record with exceptional thoroughness, arguing that Artemis was the patron goddess, not of fertility as we may have heard in the past, but of childbearing and virginity, as odd as that combo sounds. And because Artemis worship was so important to the ancient city of Ephesus, we must understand her in order to correctly interpret certain New Testament passages related to that city (Paul’s letters to the Ephesians and to Timothy). Specifically, anyone who uses 1 Timothy 2 as a defense of male authority in the church must now grapple with Nobody’s Mother.

Now, on to my TBR pile!

It’s a blessing and a curse to know so many incredible writers. Friends and respected authors I follow continue to churn out books that look freaking amazing! What am I supposed to do—not read them?! And so, my late summer weeks will be filled with a few extra “fun” books, along with a box of novels I’ve committed to reading. And… another round of scholarly reading is coming my way as I prepare for a fall seminary class.

Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America

I have already started reading Russell Moore’s semi-memoir/semi-call to action. With a clever play on words, the former Southern Baptist leader leverages the phrase “losing our religion” to urge “conversion over culture wars, truth over tribalism, the gospel over politics, integrity over influence, and renewal over nostalgia.” This book will not win friends within the SBC leadership, but Moore is beyond caring about their opinions. Instead, he points faithful evangelicals to reclaim the essence of their faith beyond mere regional politics.

To Be a Woman: The Confusion Over Female Identity and How Christians Can Respond

In our current world where the definition of woman is up for debate, where one’s biological sex and one’s gender are divorced, where the meaning of gender itself is a constantly moving target, McCoy offers a clear and helpful perspective to questions such as: What is the relationship between biological sex and gender, and why is this relationship so crucial? What is the truth about gender transitioning, including the irreversible damage of hormone therapy on the female human body? What are common myths and misunderstandings in the gender debate? What do Scripture and science have to say on the matter? How can we respond in a Christlike way to loved ones struggling with gender identity? Don’t miss her excellent podcast conversation about it here.

The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here

Kaitlyn Schiess, in yet another starred review from PW, brings her political and theological expertise together in her second book, answering such questions as: How do Bible passages written thousands of years ago apply to politics today? What can we learn from America’s history of using the Bible in politics? How can we converse with people whose views differ from our own? She unpacks examples of how Americans have connected the Bible to politics in the past, highlighting times it was applied well and times it was egregiously misused.

She Deserves Better: Raising Girls to Resist Toxic Teachings on Sex, Self, and Speaking Up

The subtitle says it all: “Raising girls to resist toxic teachings on sex, self, and speaking up”

“This research-based, biblically informed book helps parents reject harmful teachings from the church about sexuality in order to raise strong, independent daughters who know who they are, use their voices, and confidently step into the lives God designed for them.” I’m looking forward to learning new ways to approach the conversation of what a healthier perspective on sex looks like in the church.

Next, I will be taking a peek at some philosophical works. I can’t say I’m going to read them all cover to cover, but these will help me get a grasp on a few doctoral classes I did not get to take. Even a skimming will do before I get rolling on my fall classes.

How (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor

So, first we must know who Charles Taylor is (I didn’t—now I know he wrote A Secular Age, a groundbreaking work on post-Christian pluralism). Then we must be able to understand his teaching/perspective, which appears to be quite weighty in the philosophical realm. To make things easier on us mere mortals, James K. A. Smith offers his shorter, more accessible work as “a compact field guide to Taylor’s insightful study of the secular, making that very significant but daunting work accessible to a wide array of readers.” Even more, though, Smith’s book is being touted as a practical philosophical guidebook, a kind of how-to manual on how to live in our secular age. If it’s short enough, I might read the whole thing . . .

Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution

If you’ve spent the last couple of years, or more, thinking “What in the world has the world come to?” you are not alone. In many ways the 2020s would be unrecognizable to those living in the 1990s. Analyzing cultural trends is the work of historians, and Trueman has shown how influences ranging from traditional institutions to technology and pornography moved modern culture toward an era of “expressive individualism.” He asks, on our behalf, “How did the world arrive at its current, disorienting state of identity politics, and how should the church respond?”

If I can make it through these six books (and a bunch of novels) before Labor Day, somebody send me some gold stars! Once September gets here, I’ll have to turn my attention to reading for class (final week of September) . . .