2012 Book of the Year
Each year since I started blogging, I’ve chosen a “book of the year” from one of the books that I’d read for the first time during that year.
This year, I’m doing something a little different. I’m still choosing a “book of the year,” but I’m not choosing a book that I read for the first time during 2012. Instead, I’m choosing a book that I re-read during 2012. (I first read this book before I started my blog, so I’ve never chosen it as “book of the year” before…)
So, I’m choosing Paul’s Idea of Community: The Early House Churces in Their Cultural Setting by Robert Banks as my “book of the year” of 2012.
Like I said, I re-read this book in October 2012, and I wrote a few posts reflecting on a few of the chapters. Here are those posts:
- “For Paul, freedom means independence, dependence, and interdependence“
- “The ekklesia that actually gathers in a location“
- “The ekklesia as a heavenly reality“
- “The Body Metaphor in Paul: Familiar and yet unique“
- “A structure that emerges naturally based on the people involved“
I read this book at a time when I was trying to decide whether or not to continue my academic pursuits. This book helped me see that my views of the church could be expressed in a scholarly way. (Interestingly, the book was recommended by a professor who does not share my views of the church…)
So, if you haven’t read this book, I would definitely recommend it!