By Norris Burkes, Sept 1, 2024
Labor Day weekend is the time I share my annual book recommendations as well as shamelessly plug my own four books. So if you read only one book this year, read all four of mine.
But after that, please read “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism” by Tim Alberta. (Harper Books, 2024.)
The title may sound a bit like a political argument, but it recounts the heartfelt struggle by a journalist who suddenly loses his beloved pastor dad. He’s honored to preach his father’s funeral, but he’s soon lambasted by family friends for his journalistic coverage of the political machinery that has crept into the church.
The situation sends Alberta on a journey to understand the tension between his professional responsibilities as a journalist and his deeply personal, conservative, Christian faith.
The book’s main strength is Alberta’s storytelling. Each chapter employs biblical insight and shares stories of everyday pastors who struggle to understand their role in contemporary politics.
Spoiler alert: Alberta deeply believes that God calls his followers to obey Jesus, not politicians. His conclusions are so biblically-based that I read the last chapter aloud as my sermon a few months back.
Also mentioned in some of my past sermons is the book “An Immense World,” by Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist, Ed Yong.
The book challenged my human-centric perspective, the tendency to limit my views to only what I personally can make out with my own eyes.
Yong bases his book on the Umwelt Concept, a theory that differentiates how creatures perceive their environs in ways that are often unimaginable to humans.
For example, bats use echolocation to navigate in complete darkness, while certain fish can detect electric fields in the water. These abilities demonstrate the vast diversity of sensory experiences across the animal kingdom.
By simplifying complex scientific concepts, Yong makes them understandable for readers of all backgrounds. Anecdotes and interviews with researchers bring the science to life, highlighting the astonishing diversity of perception in the animal kingdom.
Whether you’re a science enthusiast or simply curious about the natural world, “An Immense World” is a must-read that will leave you marveling at the unseen wonders of God’s world.
The next book on my list, “The Demon of Unrest,” by Erik Larson, may evoke images of the Jan. 6 attack on the nation’s capital and those who sought to circumvent the certification of the electoral college.
Well, not quite. But almost.
This insurrection began 164 years ago, November 6, 1860, after congress peacefully certified the election results for Abraham Lincoln.
Drawing on diaries, secret communiques, slave ledgers and plantation records, the book focuses on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor: Fort Sumter.
The fort becomes a helpless pawn, as South Carolina leads one state after another to secede from the Union. Within six months of the election, the Confederacy opens the Civil War by shelling the U.S. garrison of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861.
At the heart of this battle is Major Robert Anderson, Sumter’s commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union.
In the middle of it all, the overwhelmed Lincoln must deal with his double-dealing Secretary of State, William Seward, as he tries to avoid a war that will eventually kill 750,000 Americans.
Erik Larson’s sharp prose and keen insights have caused me to read all his books. But “Demons of Unrest” is a definite read for anyone interested in how history can repeat itself.
After reading these, I hope you’ll consider reading one of my books: “Tell it to the Chaplain,” “Thriving Beyond Surviving,” “Hero’s Highway” and “No Small Miracles.” (On sale at Combie Mail 10566 Combie Rd. Suite 6643 Auburn.)
Finally, if you happen to be the romantic type, check out Davalynn Spencer’s books. This award-winning Christian romance writer has edited my column for 15 years and is clearly a good judge of great writing.
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For an autographed copy of one of my books, order on my website or send a $20 check to 10566 Combie Rd. Suite 6643 Auburn, CA 95602. ($65 will get you all four books.) Email comments to comment@thechaplain.net or by text or voicemail to (843) 608-9715.
