Gents, we’re winding down another year, and whether 2019 was a beating or a delight, let me just say: I’m glad to have you around these parts, and we at AW are grateful for the voice you give us in your life.
Now then– I thought I’d puke out a little article on my favorite reads from the past year. This puke will bless you: it’s full of chunky wisdom in the thin watery gruel of entertaining excellence. Also your nose won’t sting when it’s over.
You’ll note that these aren’t necessarily books that came out in 2019; I’m just not on top of the trends even nearly enough to know what the best content produced this year may have been. (Trying to be on top of recent releases is not now, nor will it ever be, on my to-do list. We’re pretty cool around here… but not like that.) No, this list is simply the best stuff culled from my reading selections over the past 8 months (because, let’s be honest–I don’t really remember what I read in the first 4 months of the year). Shall we dive in?
Yes. We shall.
The Household and the War for the Cosmos, by C.R. Wiley
This was probably my favorite read of the year, and it’s so quick I read it twice in one weekend! Mr. Wiley entirely jives with our Abrahamic belief that every home is intended to be built up and fortified as a Kingdom outpost. In The Household and the War for the Cosmos, Wiley reminds us what the word Piety means using a picture that was a common meme in the ancient Roman era – the hero Aeneas carrying his father on his shoulder whilst leading his entire family out of a burning city. The question becomes: “Which image seems more conducive to a Christian way of life to you: the modern American ‘free man’, who has no debt but to himself, or… Aeneas with his father on his back?” A man after our own hearts, Wiley then takes this image and compares it to Abraham’s journey, showing us how piety is at the root of a strong, well-ordered household. And a well-ordered household is just the smallest molecular unit in a well-ordered and kingdom-bringing cosmos.
Gospel Patrons, by John Rinehart
Another quick read, Rinehart set out to tell three stories of people whom the LORD entrusted with (often very large) sums of money in order that they might aggressively push the kingdom forward in this world. You’ll likely be familiar with the “frontman” in each story – but you might be surprised to hear that there was a background player who funded the whole deal. For example, William Tyndale was the well known bloke who translated the scriptures into English for the first time. You may not know that this really ticked off the religious leadership, who ended up burning him to death. But before these deceived pyromaniacs could snuff out the flame of the now-available-in-your-home-language Word of God, Tyndale’s benefactor Humphrey Monmouth, who had been paying all of the bills for this project, used his fortune and connections to send copies of the English Bible to all corners of the kingdom – making it impossible to quell the spread of this new text. Two years later, there was an English Bible in every parish in the nation. What a stud.
This book is a fantastic way to remind yourself that, while the LORD may indeed call you to exhaust your resources at any given moment, he may also call you to steward more than you ever dreamed possible.
Endurance, by Alfred Lansing
Endurance was published in 1959 and is the absolutely gripping story of Edward Shackleton’s expedition attempting to cross the antarctic in 1914. Spoiler alert, they didn’t achieve their initial goal. However, the grit on display in this book will blow your mind. I’m not big on extreme cold so two years in Antarctica with just the clothes I can carry sounds particularly rough, especially when snack time only happens if you chance upon a penguin between (literally) hopping from ice chunk to ice chunk. Did I mention this was life for two years? Sheesh. Five stars.
The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell
This was my fiction read for the year and it’s another oldie, written way back in 1996. For those of you who need a cultural touchpoint for that era, Michael Jordan was halfway through his second three-peat run with the Bulls in 1996. So. The Sparrow is the story of humankind, in the year 2060, receiving definitive proof that aliens exist. As I’m certain we would do, the politicos commence arguing about what to do next, but the Jesuits do what they’ve always done and sneak a missionary crew out into the next galaxy intent on bringing the gospel to this new people. What happens next is disturbing and intensely well-written. I’m not a Sci-Fi kind of dude but The Sparrow was both gripping and eerily accurate in its portrayal of life in the future. Read it! It’s both fun and instructive.
Into Africa, by Martin Dugard
Can you tell I’m a sucker for pain-filled adventure narratives? Well this one tracks Dr. David Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley as they slog through the malaria-infested swamps of Africa sharing the gospel, fighting cannibals and impregnating tribal princesses (which of course led to more fighting). They finally did meet up (this is the moment in which “Dr. Livingstone, I presume” was uttered), but the reunion is as heartbreaking as it is victorious. The whole time I was reading this book – similarly to how I felt while reading Endurance above – I was just saying to myself, “if ONE of the many hundreds of obstacles these guys are facing was in my way I’d be throwing the gear in the back of the truck and calling it right there”. If you pick this one up, I’d love to hear whether you think Livingstone was a saint or a psychopath by the time you’re done. I’m still undecided.
I am a Field: Becoming a Place Where God Grows Great Things, by Jeff Davenport
Could we make a 2019 reading list without including our good buddy Jeff Davenport’s first full-length effort? In I am a Field, Jeff welcomes you into the metaphorical living room of his metaphorical farm house and shows you how he’s making room for the LORD as he works through fatherhood, career choices and discovering his identity as a man. Don’t take my word for it – just hop over to the podcast episode we recorded with Jeff and you’ll be hungry to get your hands on some more of his witty and honest guidance for men who want to understand how God is working in their lives. I’m in on that!
Bonus, un-announced movie reco courtesy of Steven Manuel: Go see A Hidden Life as fast you can while it’s still in theaters. I’m sure it’ll be gone soon–critics don’t know what to do with it, but YOU will–as it’s an inspiration tale of a TO THE KING!-style life. Go. Go. Go.
And that’s it’s fellas! Six great reads and a great movie thrown in for free! There it is. But now that I gave you what you came for, allow me a friendly bait-and-switch, wheretofore I give you a different kind of recommendation:
But first a confession.
I did the same as you, this past year: I read a bunch of quick, eye-candy junk that ran across my feed, buzzy articles that either reinforced my prejudices or gave me new ones, wasted time examining photos of people I knew 5 years ago, and intermittently tuned in to the sports of politics and current events as if they actually matter in the long run. (They don’t.) My hours have been frittered away and thrown to the wind as if they’re worthless. (They’re not.) I don’t do these things to the degree that I have in the past… but I do partake from time to time.
Noble (read: godly and God-oriented) ideas that shape my character and behavior into Christlikeness are worth pursuing. They’re worth time and investment. Having my soul conformed into responsible, bold, sensitive-to-the-Spirit manliness is worth the trouble, and… reading (the kind of reading that takes time, requires sustained consideration, and expands your horizons) is the most important time you can give to this endeavor of mind-shaping. Yes, first and foremost the Bible, but reading other writers who buttress that Abrahamic worldview is also important.
So men, I charge you in the coming year to THINK! And to that end, to READ! Shape your soul and mind and vision with the thoughts and stories of other great men! Put forth this effort! Reduce your ability to get distracted! Expand your attention span! Develop the ability to think long and hard on one thing! Fight your modern bent toward bubblegum entertainment, saccharine thinking, and cotton-candy opinions. Be a Kingdom man this year… and READ!
*Mark Parrett is one of the founders of Abraham’s Wallet. When not blogging for you here, he’s raising a family in Salt Lake City, UT and working as a financial planner at Outpost Advisors.
