Recommendations based on A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/calvinist, anabaptist/anglican, incarnational, depressed-yet-hopeful, emergent, unfinished Christianby Brian D. McLaren

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith

    by Rob Bell
    A fresh perspective on Christianity, challenging traditional beliefs and practices. Encourages a more personal and authentic faith.

    In Velvet Elvis, Rob Bell frees us to consider God beyond the picture someone else painted for us in order to find an authentic understanding of the Christian faith. God doesn't have boundaries, and ... (Goodreads)

  2. The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical

    by Shane Claiborne
    A call to action to live a life of radical love and compassion, challenging the status quo.

    Many of us find ourselves caught somewhere between unbelieving activists and inactive believers. We can write a check to feed starving children or hold signs in the streets and feel like we’ve made a ... (Goodreads)

  3. Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived

    by Rob Bell
    Exploring the ultimate fate of humanity, challenging conventional expectations of Heaven and Hell.

    Millions of Christians have struggled with how to reconcile God's love and God's judgment: Has God created billions of people over thousands of years only to select a few to go to heaven and everyone ... (Goodreads)

  4. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth

    by Richard J. Foster
    A guide to spiritual growth through various disciplines, including meditation, prayer, fasting, and study.

    A newly repackaged and updated 40th anniversary edition of the timeless guide that has helped numerous seekers discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace, and a deeper understanding of ... (Goodreads)

  5. Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church

    by N.T. Wright
    Reflection on the power of hope in Christian faith, and its implications for how the Church engages in God’s mission.

    In this groundbreaking book—available in paperback for the first time—renowned Bible scholar, Anglican bishop, and bestselling author N. T. Wright argues that Christians have not distorted the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  6. Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality

    by Rob Bell
    A journey to explore the connection between sexuality and spirituality.

    From Rob Bell, the author of the phenomenal New York Times bestseller Love Wins and a Christian pastor named by Time Magazine as one of the most influential people in 2011, comes Sex God , an ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality

    by Donald Miller
    A Christian's exploration of faith and spirituality, navigating its relevance in the modern world.

    The runaway New York Times bestseller that became a cornerstone of Christian nonfiction, Blue Like Jazz is a fresh and original perspective on life, love, and redemption. ,"I never liked jazz music ... (Barnes & Noble)

  8. The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming

    by Henri J.M. Nouwen
    Exploration of the parable of the prodigal son and its application to modern life.

    A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt's painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son, catapulted Henri Nouwen into a long spiritual adventure. In his highly-acclaimed book of the same ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God

    by Dallas Willard
    An exploration of how to live a life of faith and purpose, grounded in ancient spiritual practices.

    The Divine Conspiracy has revolutionized how we think about the true meaning of discipleship. In this classic, one of the most brilliant Christian thinkers of our times and author of the acclaimed ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Practice of the Presence of God

    by Brother Lawrence
    Turning away from life's distractions, finding solace in prayer and meditation.

    Alternative cover edition of ISBN 0883681056 can be found here Brother Lawrence was a man of humble beginnings who discovered the greatest secret of living in the kingdom of God here on earth. It is ... (Goodreads)

  11. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership

    by Henri J.M. Nouwen
    Reflections on the nature of Christian leadership, using the example of Jesus Christ.

    Henri Nouwen was a spiritual thinker with an unusual capacity to write about the life of Jesus and the love of God in ways that have inspired countless people to trust life more fully. Most widely ... (Goodreads)

  12. Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People

    by Nadia Bolz-Weber
    An exploration of faith, grace, and redemption through the stories of ordinary people.

    What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?,...And what if that's the point?, In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling au­thor Nadia Bolz-Weber invites ... (Barnes & Noble)

  13. The Cost of Discipleship

    by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
    A theological exploration of the cost of taking up one's cross and faithfully following Jesus.

    One of the most important theologians of the twentieth century illuminates the relationship between ourselves and the teachings of Jesus in this classic text on ethics, humanism, and civic duty. What ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Problem of Pain

    by C.S. Lewis
    Exploration of the philosophical and theological implications of pain and suffering.

    For centuries Christians have questioned why, if God is good and all-powerful, he allows us to suffer pain. C.S. Lewis sets out to disentangle this knotty issue, but adds that, in the end, no ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society

    by Henri J.M. Nouwen
    Examining the role of the healer in society and exploring its implications for our lives.

    What does it mean to be a healer in the modern world? In this hope-filled book, Nouwen offers a radically fresh interpretation of modern ministry. ... (Goodreads)

  16. What's So Amazing About Grace?

    by Philip Yancey
    Insightful exploration of the power of grace in our lives and its implications for faith.

    Original Cover Edition for, ISBN 0310245656, In 1987, an IRA bomb buried Gordon Wilson and his twenty-year-old daughter beneath five feet of rubble. Gordon alone survived. And forgave. He said of the ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out

    by Brennan Manning
    A reflection on the unconditional love of God, inviting readers to find healing and peace.

    Are you bedraggled, beat-up, burnt-out? Most of us believe in God’s grace—in theory. But somehow we can’t seem to apply it in our daily lives. We continue to see Him as a small-minded bookkeeper, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. I Am America

    by Stephen Colbert
    Humorous exploration of American culture, politics and history.

    Congratulations –just by opening the cover of this book you became 25% more patriotic. From Stephen Colbert, the host of television's highest-rated punditry show The Colbert Report , comes the book ... (Goodreads)

  19. Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist

    by John Piper
    Examination of the joys of Christian hedonism, finding pleasure in doing God's will.

    Scripture reveals that the great business of life is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. In this paradigm-shattering classic, newly revised and expanded, John Piper reveals that the debate ... (Goodreads)

  20. Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations

    by Alex Harris
    A call to rise above society's expectations and embrace challenge and responsibility.

    A generation stands on the brink of a "rebelution." A growing movement of young people is rebelling against the low expectations of today's culture by choosing to "do hard things" for the glory of ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University

    by Kevin Roose
    An exploration of faith and culture at an evangelical college, through the eyes of an atheist.

    The hilarious and heartwarming, respectful and thought-provoking memoir of a college student's semester at Liberty University, the "Bible Boot Camp" for young evangelicals, that will inspire ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

    by Eric Metaxas
    A biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who opposed the Nazi regime.

    Who better to face the greatest evil of the 20 th -century than a humble man of faith? As Adolf Hitler and the Nazis seduced a nation, bullied a continent, and attempted to exterminate the Jews of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  23. Wild at Heart Revised and Updated: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul

    by John Eldredge
    A guide to help men discover their true purpose and become the wild, passionate men of God they were meant to be.

    God designed men to be dangerous, says John Eldredge. Simply look at the dreams and desires written in the heart of every boy: To be a hero, to be a warrior, to live a life of adventure and risk. ... (Goodreads)

  24. Pensées

    by Blaise Pascal
    Reflections on faith, reason and the human condition, presenting a defense of Christianity.

    Blaise Pascal, the precociously brilliant contemporary of Descartes, was a gifted mathematician and physicist, but it is his unfinished apologia for the Christian religion upon which his reputation ... (Goodreads)

  25. Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence - From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror

    by Judith Lewis Herman
    An in-depth exploration of trauma and its effects on individuals and society, and strategies for recovery.

    When Trauma and Recovery was first published in 1992, it was hailed as a groundbreaking work. In the intervening years, Herman’s volume has changed the way we think about and treat traumatic events ... (Goodreads)

  26. Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution – and How It Can Renew America

    by Thomas L. Friedman
    Urges for a green revolution to combat climate change, population growth, and globalization. Provides solutions for a sustainable future.

    In this brilliant, essential book, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas L. Friedman speaks to America's urgent need for national renewal and explains how a green revolution can bring about both a ... (Goodreads)

  27. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life

    by Donald Miller
    A journey to create a meaningful life by re-imagining and re-writing one's own story.

    Full of beautiful, heart-wrenching, and hilarious stories, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years details one man's opportunity to edit his life as if he were a character in a movie. Years after writing ... (Goodreads)

  28. Miracles

    by C.S. Lewis
    Examines the existence and nature of miracles, discussing their implications for faith and reason.

    ‘The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares the way for this, or results from this.’ This is the key statement of ... (Goodreads)

  29. Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit

    by Francis Chan
    Examining the need for a spiritual revival of the Holy Spirit in modern life.

    In the name of the Father, the Son, and ... the Holy Spirit. We pray in the name of all three, but how often do we live with an awareness of only the first two? As Jesus ascended into heaven, He ... (Goodreads)

  30. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name

    by Sally Lloyd-Jones
    Reimagining of Bible stories to bring the message of salvation through Jesus to children.

    If you are a parent, grandparent, pastor, or teacher looking for a way to teach the children in your life about God’s Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love, look no ... (Barnes & Noble)