The One Book Meme Thing

John Smulo has tagged me to take part in the one book meme. So, here goes,

One book that changed your life – The Secular City by Harvey Cox
In so many ways this book is a template for the kind of work I believe theologians should be writing. A surprisingly prescient treatment of globalisation and urban faith.

One book that you’ve read more than once – The Consumer Society by Jean Baudrillard
This is the book that clarified postmodernity for me, helping me understand why so much of the postmodern shoptalk in church circles seemed facile and simplistic. My books have been in storage for only 3 months and I’ll already missing it!

One book that you’d want on a desert island – Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes
And in the old Castellano please. A book that takes time to read and I’ve never managed to finish it in Spanish, let alone in the old language. On a desert island I would have the time.

One book that made you laugh – Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Not for the faint-hearted (or the easily-offended), Bourdain’s view of the underbelly of the food industry is revealing, dark and very funny.

One book that made you cry – Uhu by Annette Rosemary MacArthur-Onlsow
One of the first books I read as a child, this story made me weep big fat tears. I was totally unprepared for the emotion that well chosen words and images could evoke. Uhu set the bar pretty high in terms of what I expected from books (and art in general).

One book that you wish had been written – Systematic Theology by Colin Gunton
Colin was personally welcoming and encouraging to me, even though our views on theology and theological method were worlds apart. His sudden death came before he was to write a full systematic theology; something that would have made sense given his approach and would have contributed to the world of theology.

One book you wish had never been written – Left Behind by Tim LaHayeAs a work of escapist quasi-fiction – fine. But as a world-view – toxic.

One Book you are currently reading – The Rebel Sell by Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter
Brilliant stuff; cutting, critical, intelligent, thought-provoking. If it was written with more reflection on spirituality and faith, it would be very close to perfect. As it is, I’m engrossed.

One book you’ve been meaning to read – Releasing the Imagination by Maxine Greene
I keep seeing this book referenced in a lot of interesting places. I’m interested in creativity, in education and in the how art changes our way of seeing the world. Needs to move from the wishlist to the shopping list.

Footnote: For a number of questions, the answer could easily have been – The Bible, but for the sake of interest, I went for other options.

I’ve love to see Mary at Tensegrities, Duncan at Pacific Highlander, Frank at tobefrank, Roy at Thin Places and Rudy at Urban Onramps respond to this but ,of course, that is only a start, If you want to go have a go, either on your blog or in the comments here, please feel free.

In the meantime, you can check out some other good responses to the one book meme, like Greg at Consequently, Kyle at Vindicated, Andy at Andygoodliffe, Mark at Way Out West, Michelle at Reformed Chicks Babbling and Tyler at Codex.

Also, check out the one book meme analysis at Righteous Judgement.
[tags] one book meme [/tags]