The Sin of Certainty by Peter Enns

• Enns offers a refreshing and enlightening perspective about the impact of holding our beliefs with a mindset that is unwilling to accept questions. Rooted in his own experience, he reflects on the impact of certainty in his own Christian walk. Audiobook available.

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A Church Called Tov by Scot McKnight & Laura Barringer

• Our Western Church has been rocked by deep scandals of abuse of power and hidden sexual abuse. McKnight and Barringer reflect on the benefit of creating a church culture that is rooted in tov, goodness, and how it can benefit churches. Audiobook available.

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Pivot by Scot McKnight & Laura Barringer 

• McKnight & Barringer follow up their successful book A Church Called Tov with this work that shares some practical ways to create a goodness culture in your church. Audiobook available.

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The Other Half of Church by Michel Hendricks & Jim Wilder

• Hendricks and Wilder explore the neurological link between how we have created a logic driven church that appeals to the left side of the brain but have neglected the relational right side. They consider how we may build a church that offers a whole-brained experience.

 

The Very Good Gospel by Lisa Sharon Harper

• Relying on her family history of slavery, Harper considers how the gospels offers true shalom through different areas of life such as gender, creation and race, amongst other subjects.

 

Changing Our Mind by David Gushee

• What started as a series of blog posts grew into this book. Gushee challenges the traditional stance of the Church on gay marriage and offers Biblical, historical, and personal support as to why he changed his mind. Be sure to pick up the third edition, where Gushee responds to his critics. Audiobook available.

 

Understanding Transgender Identities: Four Views edited by James K. Bielby & Paul Rhodes Eddy

• This helpful book brings together four different Christian perspectives on transgender identities. Each scholar, from fundamental to progressive liberal, shares Biblical support for how they came to their conclusion and the other scholars respond. The wonderful thing about this book is that it demonstrates how vastly different our rooted-in-Scripture opinions can be.

 

The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions by N.T. Wright & Marcus Borg

• Two Bible Scholars, one conservative and one liberal, wrote this book together. Once again, this is a great resource to demonstrate how there can be differing views and interpretations of the Bible. What is wonderful about this book is that Wright and Borg are great friends, despite their different opinions.

 

The Great Sex Rescue by Sheila Wray Gregoire, Rebecca Lindenbach & Joanna Sawatsky

• After surveying over 22,000 Christian women, Gregoire and her team published their findings about the impact of books such as Love & Respect on the women who read them. It a heartbreaking, eye-opening look at the damage caused by the purity movement and various other teachings regarding male headship. Audiobook available.

 

She Deserves Better by Sheila Wray Gregoire, Rebecca Lindenbach & Joanna Sawatsky

• After their groundbreaking study, Gregoire and company wrote this book that corrects the damaging teaching of purity culture and male headship. Audiobook available.

 

Confronting Shame by Ilse Sand

• Sand offers an amazing resource to help us confront deep seated shame in our lives so that we overcome it and experience freedom. Audiobook available.

 

After Whiteness by Willie James Jennings

• Jennings considers the implications of how the church came to be based on how the slave trade impacted our way of life in Western culture. Many of what we take for granted today came about through white ideals and mindsets.

 

Jesus v. Evangelicals by Constantine R. Campbell

• An Australian living in the United States, Campbell critiques evangelicalism according to its own rules. Audiobook available. Audiobook available.

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Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley & Justin Humphreys

• Oakley and Humphreys help us to define spiritual abuse, how to overcome it and heal from it, and how to create a better culture in the hopes to avoid spiritual abuse.

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When Religion Hurts You by Lauren E. Anderson

• Sharing her story, along with her PhD research, Anderson discusses the harm that can be inflicted in high-control religions. You may be interested in hearing her definitions for spiritual abuse, religious trauma, and adverse religious experiences.

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The Lord is My Courage by K.J. Ramsey

• Sharing her story, as well as her knowledge of psychotherapy, Ramsey discusses leaving a toxic church environment and life with a chronic disease as she walks through Psalm 23.

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Trauma-Informed Evangelism by Charles Kiser & Elaine Heath

• While I didn't agree 100% with everything Kiser and Heath shared, I realize that the authors are trying to find an alternative way forward through the spiritual abuse that occurs in the church. Kiser shares his findings from his board game group (board games!? nice!), out amongst the community, and how he has altered his understanding of evangelism. My first critique of this is that it has the word "evangelism" in the title, and that is already a red flag for many who have left the church. I appreciate their effort, and awareness though.

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