My Reading List: 2021

Most of the books I devoured this year were well worth the read. I’ve noted them below, bunched in certain categories.

Category: Biographies (and somewhat similar)

Biographies, both Christian and other, proportionally constituted a larger percentage of my 2021 reading than in previous years.

Oswald Chambers by David McCasland (8/10) tells the story of the man who authored ‘My upmost for his highest’. It’s a sweet and gentle retelling of his life (1874-1917) and the people in it. Above all it broadcasts God’s work in and through Chambers, with good fodder for thinking about the Christian life, the Holy Spirit, preaching, prayer, service and sacrifice. Part of the sweetness comes from integrating so many of Chamber’s poems, prayers and correspondence into the biography.

Out of the Black Shadows by Stephen Lungu with Anne Coomes (8/10) popped onto my reading radar because Lungu, perhaps familiar to some via African Enterprise, died this year. His story is rich and Damascus-like: The message of Jesus captures him while he’s about to firebomb an evangelistic tent meeting. The Southern Africa setting was bonus.

How can man die better by Benjamin Pogrund (9/10) sat on my to-read-list for the last 5 years. It’s the biography of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, the first leader of the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) formed in 1959 as a break away from the ANC. The story and life of Sobukwe grips, and Pogrund, a close friend of Sobukwe, tells it excellently. Easily one of my favourite South African biographies particularly within the Apartheid era.

Pastor Hsi by Mrs Howard Taylor (9/10) so spurs me on to prayerful holiness and kingdom living that I read it for the second time. Hsi, a Confucius scholar and opium addict in 19^th century China, came to faith in Christ through the work of missionaries. It’s such a beautiful story of God’s grace setting him on fire for loving God and others. The book recounts the story sans skirting over Hsi’s weaknesses.

Forerunner of the Charismatic Movement by Arnold Dallimore (7/10) details the life of Edward Irving. I’ve wanted to read more on Irving due to his influence on Colin Gunton. While I’m convicted we (those in my closest theological circles) often have an impoverished view of the Holy Spirit, Irving’s life and doctrine highlight the dangers of unmoored hankerings for new revelation and so-called works of the Spirit. It’s a tragic and sobering tale.

I enjoyed Ahmed Deedat by Goolam Vahed (8/10). Deedat is one of Durban and South Africa’s most well know, and at times controversial, Muslims. I still find his polemics used (either directly or indirectly) by some of the Muslim friends we engage with. All the more reason to read a bio on him.

Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe: New Reflections, edited by Ben Pogrund (6½/10) became my follow up after Pogrund’s Sobukwe biography (see above). Not strictly a biography, it collects ‘new reflections’ from people deemed ‘significant and interesting’ by Pogrund. I love the idea but some weak or off topic submissions removed some of the shine. In my opinion, four of the chapters, ones by Gqubele-Mbeki/Gqubule, Verryn, Kondlo, and Mbhele were notably excellent! Seven other reflections likewise added strength to the volume. So, overall, a decent collection.

A new name by Emma Scrivener (8/10), subtitled ‘grace and healing for anorexia’ provides a valuable story and resource related to eating disorders. Think strands of gospel, theology and discipleship woven around her biographical story. I’d guess that a significant portion of the local Christians and ministries I know in South Africa are ill-equipped for loving and serving in something like anorexia.

Sobukwe, the making of a Pan Africanist Leader by Thami Ka Plaatjie (8/10) completed my 2021 Sobukwe books. A valuable volume, I didn’t find it reading quite as easily as Pogrund’s in terms of narrative. But the heaviness (at points) links to the strength of the book: the research and historical insights are fascinating and well done, as is the holistic African context. (One small disappointment: some editing errors)

Category: Training books

Every January, our ministry team have workshops giving a foundation or a boost to basic ministry (and Christian life) areas like prayer, evangelism, 121 discipleship and small groups ministry.

Our prayer book was The praying life by Paul Miller (8/10). I read through Miller’s book in my devotional times over December 2020, finishing in January 2021. Twas a welcomed encouragement to growth and perseverance in prayer and good enough that I encouraged my wife to read it, gave away several copies, and bought a bunch for students to buy.

Evangelism in a sceptical world by Sam Chan (7½/10) was a rich and stimulating read, containing a wonderful breadth of insights around sections of the good news we might have become too familiar and bland with. We actioned his ‘Telling our story as a story’ for staff and even some students. In hindsight, the level was probably too high for some of our team, especially the first-year ministry apprentices.

I’ve wanted a book to help our staff team with writing newsletters. Enjoying Newsletters by Amy Young (6½/10) is a short and decent starting point. It highlights many common but necessary writing tips but applies them to the context of newsletters. I’ll use my one-page summary for training fellow team-mates in newsletter writing next year.

Category: Other books including devotions, theology and biblical studies.

Gentle and lowly by Dane Ortlund (9/10), subtitled ‘The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers’ came highly recommended by so many people! I read the chapters slowly over 4 months without disappointment as it softened my own heart and increased my own delight in Christ.

Mighty in Word and Deed by James B. Shelton (7/10) examines the role of the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts. Overly repetitive in places, overall the book contains many good insights and take-aways. Probably Shelton’s main point: ‘the Holy Spirit and witness [to Jesus] are at the heart of Luke’s theology’. A mostly solid read.

Experiencing the Trinity by Joe Thorn (7/10) contain 50 short meditations on God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I read it devotionally for 2 months or so linked to praying for others. Edifying.

I just so happened to read two short works by Melvin Tinker before his death this year: Salt, Light and Cities on Hills (7½/10) and The First and the Last (7½/10). The former examines how evangelism and social action relate to one another. It’s a small book with 9 chapters in under 120 pages. In some sense he was preaching (writing) to the converted as I have a similar framework to this issue. But I enjoyed examining his insights and thoughts from the Sermon on the Mount, Isaiah, Acts and others. I also appreciated his critical evaluation of Tim Keller’s popular ‘Ministries of Mercy’. Then, The First and the Last looked at the Triune God in the book of Revelation. Easy to follow, it constituted good food. I wish it hadn’t had to skimp on so many sections of Revelation.

Deacons by Matt Smethurst (9/10) is very good! Smethurst ably makes the case for ‘how they serve and strengthen the church’. A great book for existing deacons, or to use in considering how to introduce local church deacons. Especially for the size (small) it was however pretty costly to get in South Africa (we’re reading it as a local church Eldership).

Africa and the Bible by Edwin M. Yamauchi (8/10) is a great academic (and yet accessible) volume providing historical and archaeological background to parts of the Bible dealing with Africa. We’re in the middle of a right promotion of the global nature of the Bible and Christianity, as well as the important Africa/African part of that story! But several of Yamauchi’s insights and conclusions should/could be used to balance some contemporary overreaches in that good cause.

Category: Books on racism related issues

Off the back of last year, I decided to deliberately ramp up reading in this area, for the good of me loving others better in my South African context. With that in mind I drew up a specific reading list of books suggested by others, some in person, but mainly from social media. I managed 7 of those titles towards the end of 2020 and followed it with another 5 in 2021. I slowed this list down when realising that the heavy USA influence of most of the authors doesn’t always connect as sharply. While common threads tie US-SA history, our contexts also stand distinct in other ways. I aim to keep at a few titles from this list for the next few years (still value to that) but will try harder to find more South African/African resources.

Linked 2020 post: George Floyd, Racism and ‘Black Lives Matter’: Loving our Image-Bearing Neighbours

This year began with the secular book Critical Race Theory by Delgado and Stefanic (7/10). CRT became (is?) a trigger word for so many Reformed Evangelicals, and I wanted to hear from the horse’s mouth. From that point of view it was well worth it, easy to digest, and good to see the genuine desire to help people that kicked off the theory. It was also helpful to be reminded of how unmoored CRT is, which makes it prone (in my mind) to endless splintering with no real standard by which to weigh them. An OK tool to point out some issues. A terrible master. That can be said of so many things though.

Linked 2021 posts: When Reformed Evangelicals disagree on contemporary secular movements & theories

Might from the margins by Dennis R. Edwards (7½/10) highlights the power of marginalised communities. And to instead show how the powerless possess a power, one especially overlooked by the dominant culture. It’s these marginalised people who can sometimes be the best teachers of what it means to follow Jesus.

Moving from the US to the SA context it’s worth considering who the ‘dominant culture’, and ‘the marginalised’ are. I don’t doubt whites ‘dominate’ areas (eg. certain suburbs, institutions, local churches, economies). But even our (S. African) sheer population distribution or Government representation means one can’t simplistically paint everything with a broad white brushstroke. And who are the marginalised? Well, certainly the poor in general – most of them South African black African! But I wondered if minority black African refugees currently best epitomise the major points Edwards makes. Food for thought and application – at least for me.

Insider Outsider by Bryan Loritts (7½/10) subtitled ‘My journey as a stranger in white evangelicalism and my hope for us all’ aptly illustrated and applied how ‘whiteness’ can become the norm, and then what can mean for those not ‘that’. I found this book valuable in application to certain white majority culture ministry spaces/methods in South Africa, and really think it could be helpful for those looking to evaluate what those spaces look and feel like for black African sisters and brothers.

White Lies by Daniel Hill (7/10). I read Hill’s White Awake (you sensing a pattern here?) in 2020, and this year tackled his next offering. My summary of WL: Hill has taken the good news of Jesus and applied it with laser like focus to racism and/or white supremacy. This is the book’s biggest strength but also carries a significant concern. Positively it means he has great depth to describe and apply. But negatively he appears to hijack mission as the eradication of white supremacy. While rightly recognising white supremacy as a manifestation of sin, at times does he make it into the ‘original sin’? On balance there are more wins than losses to this book! It caused great self-reflection, even as I gagged at his desire for politically correct terms and phrases. I enjoyed fresh lines of thoughts and repentance. I think it equipped me to love people better. But often warning bells went off and I kept asking myself: ‘is he going/pushing things too far?’ In some ways though, I had the sense of Hill’s awareness of the danger. I’m just not convinced he always keeps it at bay. I fulfil all kinds of stereotypes, I’m sure, by saying that.

Whither South Africa? by B.B. Keet (8/10) is one of many anti-Apartheid books written by Christians during Apartheid. I was glad to find a second-hand copy, albeit bora damaged. This English translation of an Afrikaans original was published in 1956. Keet begins by examining the origin of colour prejudices before taking to task the dubious OT and NT texts used to support Apartheid (ch 2). And then moves to show how the separation of saints based on colour ‘shows a failure to understand aright the nature of the church’ (ch 3). Chapter 4 has some very quotable portions, including this:

Apartheid in all its forms is an evasion of our Christian calling, which requires us to not only live in harmony with people of the same outlook and development, but also, and primarily to intercede at all times for those who are underprivileged, to bear their burdens and to help them achieve an existence worthy of human beings.  

Whither South Africa? p. 45

He also makes a stunning observation that total apartheid will in the end destroy whites – a good example of sin inverting on self towards destruction. We know this to be true in so many other ways. Negatively he carries a paternalistic tone in places, as well as an elevated view of “white” (his inverted commas) civilisation. But in so many other places he shows such a keen love for the welfare of all men and women, promoting their genuine equality in humanity, coupled with some cutting critiques of the evil/s of apartheid from a Christian perspective.

Category: Islam

Islam is a major interest area for me, related to actual evangelism as I live in a city and work on a campus with Muslims. I try read at least 2 Islam related books each year. This year it was meant to be books by Mustafa Akyol (The Islamic Jesus) and Richard Shumack (Jesus through Muslim eyes). But I got distracted and ended up reading two shorter works.

I first read My neighbours faith by John Azumah (7/10) in 2015, but getting my hands on second-hand copy meant a re-read. It’s an easy and clear introduction to Islam for Christians, mostly in the context of Africa (yay!). Azumah’s interaction with Islam stresses the differences between Islam and Christianity where it matters, and makes sure not to take cheap shots at the points that don’t matter – I appreciated that! My one critique is that he mostly presents a very orthodox Islam that won’t often match what it’s like on the ground in terms of either cultural Islam, or blends of syncretism particularly with more ‘African’ beliefs. But that gap could be filled with Lamin Sanneh’s, or Cedric Kanana’s biographies. Overall, a good gift to people interested in a solid introduction.     

Simple Ways to Reach Out to Muslims by Carl Medearis (7/10). This is an ‘Ebook short’, emphasis on the short. This… pamphlet (?) encourages us to reach out to Muslims with friendship. Medearis gives some practical advice, coupled with a bunch of stories, and makes good points about loving people as individuals. You could probably read it in an hour or two. Digest and action what’s helpful.

Category: Novels

Time to read is pressed and the books (especially Christian) on the to-read-list pile up. And I did read a bunch of biographies which are basically quasi novels, right? In the end I cracked open two guilty pleasures, namely Jack Reacher.

No middle name (Jack Reacher) by Lee Child and Past tense (Jack Reacher) by Lee Child. The former is a collection of short stories, whereas the latter is Child’s typical fuller length thriller/action. Both books were easy to get into and harder to put down – which for me equals a good novel.

But beyond these, my son, be warned:

there is no end to the making of many books,

and much studying wearies the body.

Ecclesiastes 12:12