In 2008, several rose to the top and separated themselves. Here are 10 (in no particular order):
1.The Reason for God by Tim Keller - A presuppositional, apologetic defense of the Christian faith for those with "postmodern" qualms. A great text for common Western world "defeaters" which support unbelief. This book was on the NYT Bestseller list for many weeks.
2. Home: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson - A synoptic sequel to her Pulitzer Prize winning Gilead, though written from the perspective of Glory Boughton, daughter of Robert Boughton (best friend of Gilead's protagonist John Ames) and sister of Jack Boughton, the prodigal. Equally as prosaic, chilling, sad, and glorious as Gilead.
3. The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis - This book is a classic and it had been high on my "must read" list for quite some time. I was glad to have read it. As always, Lewis gives us a unique perspective on heaven and hell not often respected in discussions on the matter.
4. The Road by Cormac McCarthy - Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this apocalyptic novel gripped me in a way few novels ever have. I didn't have time to read it and yet I simply could not put it down. Look for a movie version coming out in 2009. But read the book first.
5. Solomon Among the Postmoderns by Peter Leithart - Using Ecclesiastes, Leithart shows how postmodern philosophy is "nothing new under the sun." Similar to what Francis Schaeffer does in Escape from Reason and He Is There and He Is Not Silent.
6. Silent Wounds: The Hidden Cost of War by Kuhlbars, Howden, & Daniels - These chaplains and clinicians study the holistic affects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and propose that a vital component of the disorder is in the soul, a spiritual wound called Post-Traumatic Soul Disorder (PTSoulD). This part must be treated if healing and reintegration are ever to occur.
7. Ike: An American Hero by Michael Korda - A sympathetic, yet definitive biography of Dwight Eisenhower, the supreme commander of the Allied forces in WWII and later president of the United States. Korda's treatment is both highly detailed and anecdotal. The story of Ike's visit to the troops on the afternoon before D-Day is worth the lengthy read.
8. Sin and Salvation in Christ (Volume III of Reformed Dogmatics) by Herman Bavinck - No surprise here. The section on sin as a non-thing is absolutely critical in shaping a distinctively Augustinian/Reformed worldview. Also, Bavinck's exposition of the pactum salutis between God the Father and God the Son is as doxological as any theological article ever written.
9. The Future of Justification by John Piper - Few would deny that Piper is a pastor par excellence, but here he shows his prowess for highly scholarly work. He answers N.T. Wright's proposal for a new understanding on justification with balance and grace, appealing ultimately to the biblical literature. A textbook on how a Christian ought to make scholarly rebuttals toward another Christian.
10. Theology and the Philosophy of Science by Wolfhart Pannenberg - Have you ever wondered how theology fits with other disciplines of human knowledge? Is it unique or one among many? How should it function at a university level? Or more basically, what is theology? Pannenberg has done us all a service in writing a book which harnesses historical data and great foresight to answer these questions.
** Another work deserves mention and praise, even though it does not really fit this list. That is the English Standard Version Study Bible (ESVSB). Released in October, this has become my study Bible of choice and one of the best (if not the best) study Bibles ever produced.
2. Home: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson - A synoptic sequel to her Pulitzer Prize winning Gilead, though written from the perspective of Glory Boughton, daughter of Robert Boughton (best friend of Gilead's protagonist John Ames) and sister of Jack Boughton, the prodigal. Equally as prosaic, chilling, sad, and glorious as Gilead.
3. The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis - This book is a classic and it had been high on my "must read" list for quite some time. I was glad to have read it. As always, Lewis gives us a unique perspective on heaven and hell not often respected in discussions on the matter.
4. The Road by Cormac McCarthy - Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this apocalyptic novel gripped me in a way few novels ever have. I didn't have time to read it and yet I simply could not put it down. Look for a movie version coming out in 2009. But read the book first.
5. Solomon Among the Postmoderns by Peter Leithart - Using Ecclesiastes, Leithart shows how postmodern philosophy is "nothing new under the sun." Similar to what Francis Schaeffer does in Escape from Reason and He Is There and He Is Not Silent.
6. Silent Wounds: The Hidden Cost of War by Kuhlbars, Howden, & Daniels - These chaplains and clinicians study the holistic affects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and propose that a vital component of the disorder is in the soul, a spiritual wound called Post-Traumatic Soul Disorder (PTSoulD). This part must be treated if healing and reintegration are ever to occur.
7. Ike: An American Hero by Michael Korda - A sympathetic, yet definitive biography of Dwight Eisenhower, the supreme commander of the Allied forces in WWII and later president of the United States. Korda's treatment is both highly detailed and anecdotal. The story of Ike's visit to the troops on the afternoon before D-Day is worth the lengthy read.
8. Sin and Salvation in Christ (Volume III of Reformed Dogmatics) by Herman Bavinck - No surprise here. The section on sin as a non-thing is absolutely critical in shaping a distinctively Augustinian/Reformed worldview. Also, Bavinck's exposition of the pactum salutis between God the Father and God the Son is as doxological as any theological article ever written.
9. The Future of Justification by John Piper - Few would deny that Piper is a pastor par excellence, but here he shows his prowess for highly scholarly work. He answers N.T. Wright's proposal for a new understanding on justification with balance and grace, appealing ultimately to the biblical literature. A textbook on how a Christian ought to make scholarly rebuttals toward another Christian.
10. Theology and the Philosophy of Science by Wolfhart Pannenberg - Have you ever wondered how theology fits with other disciplines of human knowledge? Is it unique or one among many? How should it function at a university level? Or more basically, what is theology? Pannenberg has done us all a service in writing a book which harnesses historical data and great foresight to answer these questions.
** Another work deserves mention and praise, even though it does not really fit this list. That is the English Standard Version Study Bible (ESVSB). Released in October, this has become my study Bible of choice and one of the best (if not the best) study Bibles ever produced.
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