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The Republic of Grace: Augustinian Thoughts for Dark Times, Charles Mathewes (Eerdmans)
St. Augustine lived in a time when the empire was crumbling and the world was convulsing with rapid change. Old values were being demolished while new religious beliefs and political ideals were gathering power. Christians were anxious. Sound familiar? “In such ages,” Mathewes says, Christians “must witness to the gospel and communicate that witness to others.” We must hope, not fear. We must love, not withdraw. Culling from Augustine’s theology and historical setting, Mathewes offers wisdom for our current moment.
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The Pastor: A Memoir, Eugene Peterson (Eerdmans)
Probably no contemporary pastor has had wider influence on pastoral theology than Eugene Peterson. This book (which he says will be his last) tells his story of how he came to be a pastor. (Not do pastoral work, mind you. But be a pastor.) Peterson speaks against the pastoral idols of our age. For instance, he laments how the church many of us expect and want stands at odds against the church God actually gives us. If you’re a pastor — or if you have a pastor or wish you had a pastor — these will be good (and challenging) words for your soul.
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Learning to Die in Miami: Confessions of a Refugee Boy, Carlos Eire (Free Press)
Eire, religion professor at Yale, won the National Book Award for his first memoir, Learning to Die in Miami, the story of his boyhood in Cuba during the years of the revolution. In this volume, Eire picks up the story after he has been airlifted to the United States. Eire’s prose will make you laugh and make you think and make you remember why we tell our stories.
Winn Collier is pastor of All Souls, a Baptist congregation in Charlottesville, Va., the author of three books and a columnist. (winncollier.com)