I’ve asked a few more friends to contribute to my Readers on Reading series. I’ll post them as their answers roll in.
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My friend Rich Johnson is the church planter of Sanctuary Columbus Church and a seminary student at North Park Theological Seminary. He also consults churches and Christian organizations on developing a biblical view multi-ethic community. As you might imagine, his reading centers around church, theology, and racial reconciliation.
What books are you currently reading?
My current reading list (recently finished or recently began) includes Surprised by Hope, N.T. Wright; Redeeming Mulatto, Brian Bantum; An Introduction to Theology, Gonzales and Perez; A Biblical History of Israel, Provan, Long & Longman; Exploring Worship, Bob Sorge. For light reading my eight year old son and I plan to start C.S. Lewis fantasy The Space Trilogy.
Where is your favorite place to read?
I like to read anywhere – the car, oversized chair in the living room, as well as a coffee shop.
E-reader or codex?
A few months back I committed to doing all my reading via Kindle. Over time I found myself finishing fewer books so I’ve returned to paperback editions. Books take up so much space, but at least I’m more likely to finish what I started.
What book have you recommended the most in the past 12 months?
I’ve recommended A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards and One Tribe, Many Churches by Richard Twiss the most in the last 12 months. A very close second is The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.
What is most enjoyable about your reading life?
What is most enjoyable about my reading life is that I started writing a two page summary of the book for my personal recollection. When seminary professors started asking for summaries (particularly for books I’ve read previously) it was an easy transition for me. As with most books I read, there are two or three chapters that stick with me the most and my summary reflects that impression. I wish I was better about posting my book responses to my blog but at times I simply want to keep ruminating on these thoughts before sharing incomplete thoughts with the world.
David W. Swanson 