This is quite possibly a slightly crazy idea, but we were staring at our collective bookcases recently and realised that we have quite a few books between us that other people might be keen to read. So here's how it works: judge any of the books below by their covers, and if one takes your fancy, pop it in your cart like you're purchasing it, and follow the prompts. When you've finished reading it, simply get it back to us.
Cultural Intelligence, David A. Livermore
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Only a few left!
This is an interesting and important book for anyone who works, volunteers or engages cross-culturally. Livermore makes the strong case for strengthening your 'CQ' - your cultural intelligence, which involves being able to better understand the peculiarities of your own culture and that of the people you engage with. The reality is that we are all culturally-shaped beings, and understanding how our culture shapes our thinking, actions and preferences is helpful for communicating in any context!
Please note: item can only be borrowed, and must be returned after reading.
*Pick-up is in Fremantle area or at an Amos event.
Our Mob, God's Story
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This is a beautiful - and rather comprehensive - collection of art and reflections by Christian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. It's the kind of book that you settle in with for an evening with a large pot of tea on a comfortable couch.
Please note: this item can only be borrowed, and must be returned once read.
Pick-up is in the Fremantle area or at an Amos event.
Shalom and the community of creation: an indigenous vision - Randy S. Woodley
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This fascinating book comes out of Randy's study of Native American relationships with creation, which led to him looking at the way that other indigenous peoples view themselves in relation to the environment - and he's found some very interesting themes that have strong parallels to the Jewish concept of shalom.
Please note: this book can only be borrowed, and must be returned once read.
Pick-up is in the Fremantle area or at an Amos event.
Creation care and the gospel: reconsidering the mission of the church
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This is a collection of essays broadly looking at where the Gospel and creation care intersect. The wonderful thing about a collection of papers is that you hear a range of perspectives and voices, and each chapter makes for a relatively short and engaging read. The chapters are interspersed with interesting case studies on creation care.
Please note: this item can only be borrowed, and must be returned once read.
Pick-up is from the Fremantle area or at an Amos event.
Ideas for development - Robert Chambers
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Robert Chambers is a very engaging writer, and a wonderfully humble and creative, deep thinker on all things relating to community development. He has been writing about community development since the 80's, and this book looks back at some of the learning to date while offering some ideas going forward.
Please note: this item can only be borrowed, and must be returned once read.
Pick-up is from Fremantle area or at an Amos event.
Why O Lord? Praying for our sorrows - David Cohen
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This is a short but helpful book regarding the role of lament in our relationship with God, in particular how lament helps us to 'hold' grief for situations when we can't resolve it. Lament is a necessary tool for anyone who meaningfully engages with issues of poverty and injustice; you cannot genuinely exercise empathy for those who are suffering without crying in lament with them. This book covers some of the why and how of lament.
Please note: this book can only be borrowed, and must be returned once read.
Pick-up is from the Fremantle area or at an Amos event.
Introducing cultural anthropology: a Christian perspective - B.M. Howell & J.W. Paris
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This book covers contemporary thinking on cultural anthropology from a Christian perspective. It's a very helpful reader for those who work cross-culturally and covers some of the ethical considerations that arise in that setting. It's a solid read, but a good one :)
Please note: this book can only be borrowed, and must be returned once read.
Pick-up is from the Fremantle area or at an Amos event.
Exclusion and embrace - Miroslav Volf
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This is heavy reading, but it's worth the thought provoking that happens. Volf essentially argues that 'exclusion' is a primary sin, and writes about salvation through the paradigm of 'embrace'. Along the way though, he explores the challenges and 'risky' but redemptive space that opening ourselves up to one another - including our enemies - creates.
Cross-cultural servanthood -Duane Elmer
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This is a very accessible and practical book that examines what a biblically-shaped engagement with other cultures might look like. A desire to serve cross-culturally is fantastic, but if it's done without self-awareness and a gospel-shaped posture, our attempts at serving can be very damaging. A great, short, important read for anyone who works with people with a culture different than their own.
Aid for the Overdeveloped West - Bob Goudzwaard
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A very short, but very insightful book that is still highly relevant.
God doesn't do waste - Dave Bookless
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This is a somewhat autobiographical account of the journey that Dave and his family have been on as they've discovered and attempted to live out the implications of God's delight in creation and the inclusion of the rest of creation in the redemptive story.
Engaging globalization, Bryant Myers
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This is Bryant Myers' latest book - and we haven't read it yet, but we have been heavily influenced by his walking with the poor, so we're looking forward to reading this.
Subverting global myths, Vinoth Ramachandra
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Ramachandra unpacks six global issues with his typically refreshing and engaging style. Ramachandra is one of those people who seems to be able to see things with a different eye, offers a counter to an Anglo-centric understanding of history, all while being theologically thorough and biblically grounded.
Radical reconciliation - Allan Boesak & Curtiss DeYoung
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This is a short but excellent book about what a biblically-shaped reconciliation looks like. The authors call for us to go beyond 'political pietism' (where we attempt reconciliation without addressing power imbalances) and 'Christian quietism' (where we ignore injustice), to a 'radical reconciliation' that addresses the root injustices as part of its response.
Crowned with glory and honor - Christopher Marshall
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A small and short book that looks at the biblical basis for human rights and how they relate across six key theological concepts; creation, the cultural mandate, covenant, Christ, Church and consummation. An excellent introduction to the intersection between theology and human rights.
Doughnut economics - Kate Raworth
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Raworth argues for a new way of looking at economics, using the metaphor of a doughnut - suggesting that we need to measure the value of our economic systems on whether they can work 'within the doughnut'; where we don't exceed the 'ecological ceiling' on the one hand, and that we also ensure that we have enough for a safe 'social foundation'. A very easy to read introduction to economics, with some very plausible, possible and needed new thinking about economics beyond perpetual (and unsustainable) growth.
Compassionate community work - Dave Andrews
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This is a must-read for any Christian who wants a quick, accessible and very practical guide to good community development practice that is theologically grounded. If you're interested in serving or starting something in your local community, or if you're already involved somehow, we strongly recommend this book.
Affluenza - Clive Hamilton & Richard Denniss
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This cheekily titled and provocative book makes an excellent and repeated point: that the evidence clearly shows that despite having more stuff, it hasn't improved much on many of the fronts that matter most in our lives.
The wounded healer - Henri Nouwen
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This is a brief but excellent counter to many books regarding leadership and 'ministry', and calls for a starting place of weakness and suffering, arguing that if we follow Christ's pattern, then healing in the world must necessitate suffering and woundedness on the part of those seeking change.
Good news to the poor - Tim Chester
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Tim Chester has written some excellent and accessible books about what it means to 'be church', and in this one he argues that evangelism and social action must go hand-in-hand if we want to proclaim the whole gospel - he invites conservatives and those involved in social action to ensure they are sharing the whole gospel.
Where spirituality and justice meet - Steve Bradbury & Lynn Jackson (eds.)
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This is a collection of essays from the Masters of Transformational Development course that our EO, Clinton Bergsma helps facilitate. Each essay looks at a different aspect of spirituality and/or spiritual practices for transformational development work.
The God of intimacy and action - Tony Campolo & Mary Albert Darling
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The authors argue that the spiritual practices in the Christian tradition can be very important and useful tools for those who are involved in social action and evangelism - but that the reverse is also true: that our involvement in the world will (and should) shape our spirituality and understanding of God. This is a great read for anyone who struggles to find a balance between sabbath rest and serving.
For the beauty of the earth - Steven Bouma-Prediger
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There is much discussion around the world regarding the environment, and unfortunately the Christian community has lagged in its response - perhaps because we have underdeveloped theologies of creation. This is an excellent contribution to that discussion, bringing together theology and scientific evidence to argue that creation care very much needs to be included in a Christian response to the gospel.
Ministries of Mercy - Tim Keller
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This helpful book argues that Christians must respond to those people we meet 'on the Jericho road' - that it is an inevitable outcome of being moved by the gospel. Keller also covers some of the practical challenges that arise when we attempt to do this.
When helping hurts - Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert
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This is a very readable book that addresses a very important question for those wanting to help vulnerable people - how do we help them without making their situation worse? How do we help without getting hurt?
Hope in troubled times - Bob Goudzwaard, Mark Vander Vennen & David Van Heemst
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This book unpacks some of the biggest issues our world is facing, and offers a very different, gospel-shaped response to those that are often seen. A very encouraging and insightful read for anyone who feels overwhelmed by current global issues.
Living gently in a violent world - Stanley Hauerwas & Jean Vanier
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This book comes out of the many years that the two authors have spent living with and serving people living with disabilities, arguing that we have much to learn from vulnerable people about the Gospel.
Faith and struggle on smokey mountain - Benigno Beltran
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This is a beautiful story about a priest who went to help a community of rubbish pickers in the Philippines, and who himself transformed as he sought to transform their lives. A very encouraging and insightful read for anyone who has attempted to serve the vulnerable in a setting that seems impossible to change - it's not a necessarily optimistic read, but a very empathetic one.
Walking with the poor - Bryant Myers
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This is widely recognised as a key text on biblically-based community development, and has been very influential for the work of Amos Australia. It's comprehensive, and a solid read, but an excellent and important reading for anyone who is interested in community development.
Jesus and non-violence - Walter Wink
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Walter Wink has written extensively on Jesus and non-violence - on how the sermon on the mount offers a radically different way of dealing with conflict. While his other books (such as engaging the powers) are much more comprehensive, this is a very brief overview, and an excellent introduction to the topic of non-violence for anyone who is interested in addressing issues of power imbalances without simply flipping the tables and oppressing the oppressor.
Comfortable compassion? - Charles Elliot
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This is an oldy but a goody. Elliot argues that secular development approaches are not sufficient, and that the gospel needs to shape this realm too - but he simultaneously challenges Christians to broaden their understanding of the gospel, and then act.
Awed to heaven, rooted in earth - Prayers of Walter Brueggemann
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Brueggemann is an Old Testament scholar, and this is a collection of prayers that he has written through his many years of lecturing. We often use these prayers during our events or times of staff devotions, as they seem to help keep our love for God, the scriptures and the world together.
Transforming society - Melba Maggay
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This is a reflection on where the kingdom of God and politics intersect.
Prophetic imagination - Walter Brueggemann
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This is the revised version of one of Brueggemann's most well-known books. He calls for 'prophetic imagination' by the Christian community - one that is able to see what is wrong with the world, and lament it (including our own complicity), while also offering a visionary alternative that is grounded in hope rather than optimism.
Born from lament - Emmanuel Katongole
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This is a new addition - we haven't read it yet, but with a title like that...
