Original Blessing by Matthew Fox. Fox dismantled the concept of original sin and the idea that humanity is totally depraved. He looks at how this theology distorted Christian history and the message of Jesus. Fox then offers a theology based on Genesis 1 and the goodness of all creation. What if we truly believed we are created in the image of God is the starting point of theology?
Todd, you beat me to it with the first comment! I love conversations that dig deeply into the concept of original sin. It's become such a ubiquitous concept in Western Christianity that most assume that's just the way it has always been, but there's such a rich history of dialogue around the concept that we miss out on. Looking forward to giving this a read!
Yes, Vic! Surrender to Love is a wonder. It's been a long time since I read it, but it's one I feel like you could read at different stages and get something new from it every time.
Yes, Vic! Anything by David Benner is a worthy read! I especially found The Gift of Being Yourself transformative. In the opening chapter he quotes John Calvin “there is no deep knowing of God without a deep knowing of self and no deep knowing of self without a deep knowing of God”. He goes on to write “Christian spirituality involves a transformation of the self that occurs only when God and self are both deeply known”. I have highlights and notes and underlines throughout this book!
I was trying to tag you in notes, but it wasn't working. You read my mind. What happens when a pastor, chaplain and psychologist read a Catholic monk silenced for heresy?
Yes, and Fox brought a balance of starting with via positiva, finding the Divine in the beauty of creation, and via creativa, exploring our God-given creative impulse.
LETTING GO: THE PATHWAY OF SURRENDER by David R. Hawkins. One of my top five life-changing books because it offers a practical, grounded technique for letting go of what's blocking love and all that is good in life. Hawkins reveals the deeper meaning of surrender and how it can be a powerful force of transformation and healing in our lives.
FALLING UPWARD: SPIRITUALITY FOR THE TWO HALVES OF LIFE by Richard Rohr.
In 2008, on a Marine base in Virginia, I experienced myself for the first time as the me inside of this matrix of identity and personas I'd built up around me to protect me. For three years, I didn't really have a language to describe the experience. Then, in 2011, Richard Rohr published Falling Upward and called these two versions of us the soul and the ego, and everything made sense.
Since then, much of my life and writing has been about how to love both of those versions of us, and live from both of them too.
Richard Rohr has influenced my life, too! I also loved EVERYTHING BELONGS, as it fostered a more contemplative way of embracing all of life. Thank you for your post, Kelly!
This has been on my reading list FOREVER. I really need to clone myself so I have one of me that has time to do nothing but read all the things I want to read. 🤣
THE ART OF UNCERTAINTY by Dennis Merrit Jones. My husband and I sold our house in Maine in 2016 and traveled in a tiny camper for 16 months, enjoying the adventure and wondering where we were going to live next. It was a wonderful and scary time and I thought about writing a book about loving uncertainty—and then I went into Barnes and Noble and this book fell off the shelf and onto my foot and I felt relief as I realized that someone else had already written the book. I have underlined and dog-eared more in this book than any other.
That sounds like an amazing book. Thanks for posting about it. I lived nomadically for three years without a home base. Two months of that were spent in a small motor home. Uncertainty was a constant theme during that time. I wish I had known about this book then.
I think I'd enjoy reading THE ART OF UNCERTAINTY. My hubby and I ended up being forced out of an apartment we'd enjoyed renting for three years. My hubby had just retired and we were heading out on a three week vacation when this happened. We sold all our big items, donated or gave away what we could and put the little stuff and boxes of memories in storage. No time to find a place to call home so we made the choice to remain unhomed for 11 months. We spent time reconnecting with friends and family. It was great! We stayed in Airbnbs most of the time and I enjoyed the challenge of making each place "home" for however many nights we were there. I thought we might end up doing the tiny camper living but that's not something my hubby cares to do. We've settled down back in Greenville SC and absolutely love our Apartment Home community!!
THE MEASURE by Nikki Erlick. It's fiction of the maybe sci-fi variety. But it basically boils down to how will you choose to live when you know you're going to die. People in the book answer the question very differently. I read it at a pivotal time in my recovery from a major medical crisis and it inspired me to make the most of the time I'm given, no matter how long or short.
Without a doubt my life changing book is The Cure by Bill Thrall, John Lynch and Bruce McNicol. I heard John Lynch, at a summer staff conference for CRU in 2005, give a talk now called the Two Roads message; you can find it on YouTube. The message, which is told in the first chapter of the book, shares two roads which contrast the believers journey in following Jesus. One road is the road of “pleasing” God, which leads to the Room of Good Intentions; the other road is the road of “trusting” God, which leads to the Room of Grace. There is much more to the message, but it moved me to purchase a dozen copies of the book, then titled Trueface, share it with my wife, and go home and gather a group to study further. We’ve been walking in grace, free from the law, with others ever since…seeing God, ourselves and others from the reality of our changed lives, His work not ours…new creations in Christ, new identity in Him, free to be ourselves.
I’m so glad you posted this! I remember seeing that talk this somewhere, but I don’t have this book. I appreciate the reminder to get this book as my life keeps bringing me back to trust as the central principle of my faith and action.
UNTETHERED SOUL by Michael Singer. For years, I lived near the Temple of the Universe where Mickey Singer taught, but I never got interested in his work until later in life. His books have shown me what true surrender to divine will looks like in practice. They have been deeply influential in releasing me from a rule-bound, perfectionistic-oriented-spirituality
I currently have a quote from UNTETHERED SOUL as the epigraph to the manuscript I'm working on: "Don't let anything in life be important enough that you're willing to close your heart over it." ❤️
Co Dependents Guide to the 12 Steps, by Melodie Beattie. This book rescued me from an unsatisfying life by helping me to understand that I do not have to fix everything, nor make things more comfortable for others at my expense. I grew up with a mother who taught us girls how to treat a man (alcoholic). She sacrificed, took care of things, excused or father and his behavior, told us he loved us, etc. I married two alcoholics in a row. My third marriage is where all of my healing happened. I met a man who was capable, in and of himself.
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. I listened to this audiobook with my children on a summer car trip. It was truly a healing balm for my children and my own struggling “inner child.” Surprising choice, right? I was surprised that it was the first book that popped into my head. ❤️
Haha! I am not the best at following directions, am I? (I just reread the directions for this post at top and had a good chuckle.) Blissfully unaware, I sometimes take a couple of wrong turns and come in the back way, sometimes even ending up right where I need to be, by the grace of God. Thx for the encouragement. 🥰
A recent read for me that was life-changing was The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I heard about it for years and never read it, but I am glad I finally did. I han't thought of myself as a creative person before reading that book and it helped me orient my writing with my spirituality. As well as unlock more ways of channeling art.
I’ve read several transformational books but this book is the most recent. It’s a book that walks through the 32 weeks of St. Ignatius spiritual exercises and is not for the faint of heart. I committed to these prayers with a group of 12 other people with a seasoned spiritual director facilitating it. The first 6 weeks helped me know deep in my heart how much I’m loved by God; I experienced Him in scripture like never before. The remaining exercises taught me how to be with Jesus in prayer practices like contemplative and imaginative prayer. It has changed the way I love and serve others, love and serve God, and listen and notice his activity in, through and around me!
RUTHLESS TRUST by Brennan Manning showed me how radical trust in God truly can transform us. He loves us as we are, not as should be. "Scarred and screwed-up as we are..." being vibrantly alive in Christ overcomes so much of the heaviness of living in this human body. I can trust God with ALL of my story and have learned to fully integrate the good and the bad, the honorable and the shameful. I can give it to Him to transform for His purposes - and I can trust Him ruthlessly because He is so faithful.
STILLNESS IS THE KEY by Ryan Holiday has been very helpful for me to reframe serentiy. I have been going on a lot more walks not for exercise or steps but rather peace
What a timely and wonderful question Kelly…Great Suggestions too!! I recall that amazing stunning graphic your daughter made last year?
My life changing book was ‘When Bad Things Happen to Good People’ by Harold Kushner. I love his honesty and his expansive definition of Faith and how to find God’s love and grace in the grief and pain of life’s inevitable journey.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl is a fascinating book about finding our Purpose in every situation we encounter… even the unimaginable. Neither are light Summer reads, but for me..Both unforgettable and life changing insights galore!
Frankl’s book helped me through a hard time - thank you for mentioning … it showed me how we never lose our inner power no matter what external circumstance and also the inherent beauty that exists - sunset, dawn, song. Thank you
Ah yes! I was thinking the same thing when this post came to mind. Interestingly, I don't think a Nouwen book has been mentioned, even though he was our top author!
Catcher in tne rye - showed me how even more cool it is to be authentic and trust one’s view rather than drink the kool aid along with others
The razors edge - showed me how seeking for that unknown may be more deeply satisfying even if not totally answered compared to surface riches and comforts , got me wondering what it was that the character sought and found
LIFE CHANGING BOOK
Original Blessing by Matthew Fox. Fox dismantled the concept of original sin and the idea that humanity is totally depraved. He looks at how this theology distorted Christian history and the message of Jesus. Fox then offers a theology based on Genesis 1 and the goodness of all creation. What if we truly believed we are created in the image of God is the starting point of theology?
Todd, you beat me to it with the first comment! I love conversations that dig deeply into the concept of original sin. It's become such a ubiquitous concept in Western Christianity that most assume that's just the way it has always been, but there's such a rich history of dialogue around the concept that we miss out on. Looking forward to giving this a read!
I've heard of this book and have not yet read it, but I think it would have a huge impact on how people view/relate to God!
Thanks Todd! This book needs to go on my book list. I have Surrender to Love by David Benner on the top of my list right now. Has anyone read it?
Yes, Vic! Surrender to Love is a wonder. It's been a long time since I read it, but it's one I feel like you could read at different stages and get something new from it every time.
One of my students was just talking about how life-changing this book was for her, so it's now on my list too!
Yes, Vic! Anything by David Benner is a worthy read! I especially found The Gift of Being Yourself transformative. In the opening chapter he quotes John Calvin “there is no deep knowing of God without a deep knowing of self and no deep knowing of self without a deep knowing of God”. He goes on to write “Christian spirituality involves a transformation of the self that occurs only when God and self are both deeply known”. I have highlights and notes and underlines throughout this book!
Thanks Rhonda, I’m getting all three of his books in this little series. Can’t wait!
I can't believe I have yet to read Matthew Fox. Will definitely read this soon!
Christine, maybe we should do a book discussion group on Original Blessing on Substack.
Count me in!
I was trying to tag you in notes, but it wasn't working. You read my mind. What happens when a pastor, chaplain and psychologist read a Catholic monk silenced for heresy?
Hahaha! Probably: revelation.
Amazing! The heretical substack book club! 😂
Here's another great book: THE ORTHODOX HERETIC by Peter Rollins.
I have read this book more than 30 years ago. If I recall accurately, my take away about "via negativa" was valuable.
Yes, and Fox brought a balance of starting with via positiva, finding the Divine in the beauty of creation, and via creativa, exploring our God-given creative impulse.
LETTING GO: THE PATHWAY OF SURRENDER by David R. Hawkins. One of my top five life-changing books because it offers a practical, grounded technique for letting go of what's blocking love and all that is good in life. Hawkins reveals the deeper meaning of surrender and how it can be a powerful force of transformation and healing in our lives.
I can remember the summer car trip I was on when I listened to that book, Victoria. So good!
FALLING UPWARD: SPIRITUALITY FOR THE TWO HALVES OF LIFE by Richard Rohr.
In 2008, on a Marine base in Virginia, I experienced myself for the first time as the me inside of this matrix of identity and personas I'd built up around me to protect me. For three years, I didn't really have a language to describe the experience. Then, in 2011, Richard Rohr published Falling Upward and called these two versions of us the soul and the ego, and everything made sense.
Since then, much of my life and writing has been about how to love both of those versions of us, and live from both of them too.
Richard Rohr has influenced my life, too! I also loved EVERYTHING BELONGS, as it fostered a more contemplative way of embracing all of life. Thank you for your post, Kelly!
My only problem with EVERYTHING BELONGS is that it's the best title ever and I wish I could write a book with that title. 😂
😂 I know what you mean!
I just received this book as a birthday gift! I’m looking forward to digging into it!
You will LOVE it!
This has been on my reading list FOREVER. I really need to clone myself so I have one of me that has time to do nothing but read all the things I want to read. 🤣
THE ART OF UNCERTAINTY by Dennis Merrit Jones. My husband and I sold our house in Maine in 2016 and traveled in a tiny camper for 16 months, enjoying the adventure and wondering where we were going to live next. It was a wonderful and scary time and I thought about writing a book about loving uncertainty—and then I went into Barnes and Noble and this book fell off the shelf and onto my foot and I felt relief as I realized that someone else had already written the book. I have underlined and dog-eared more in this book than any other.
That sounds like an amazing book. Thanks for posting about it. I lived nomadically for three years without a home base. Two months of that were spent in a small motor home. Uncertainty was a constant theme during that time. I wish I had known about this book then.
I think I'd enjoy reading THE ART OF UNCERTAINTY. My hubby and I ended up being forced out of an apartment we'd enjoyed renting for three years. My hubby had just retired and we were heading out on a three week vacation when this happened. We sold all our big items, donated or gave away what we could and put the little stuff and boxes of memories in storage. No time to find a place to call home so we made the choice to remain unhomed for 11 months. We spent time reconnecting with friends and family. It was great! We stayed in Airbnbs most of the time and I enjoyed the challenge of making each place "home" for however many nights we were there. I thought we might end up doing the tiny camper living but that's not something my hubby cares to do. We've settled down back in Greenville SC and absolutely love our Apartment Home community!!
THE MEASURE by Nikki Erlick. It's fiction of the maybe sci-fi variety. But it basically boils down to how will you choose to live when you know you're going to die. People in the book answer the question very differently. I read it at a pivotal time in my recovery from a major medical crisis and it inspired me to make the most of the time I'm given, no matter how long or short.
I'm going to order it from Shawn and pick it up on the way through in August!
Oh I saw this in my libbby app the other day as a recently added library book and wondered about it. With your rec I'll add it to my holds list!
Without a doubt my life changing book is The Cure by Bill Thrall, John Lynch and Bruce McNicol. I heard John Lynch, at a summer staff conference for CRU in 2005, give a talk now called the Two Roads message; you can find it on YouTube. The message, which is told in the first chapter of the book, shares two roads which contrast the believers journey in following Jesus. One road is the road of “pleasing” God, which leads to the Room of Good Intentions; the other road is the road of “trusting” God, which leads to the Room of Grace. There is much more to the message, but it moved me to purchase a dozen copies of the book, then titled Trueface, share it with my wife, and go home and gather a group to study further. We’ve been walking in grace, free from the law, with others ever since…seeing God, ourselves and others from the reality of our changed lives, His work not ours…new creations in Christ, new identity in Him, free to be ourselves.
I’m so glad you posted this! I remember seeing that talk this somewhere, but I don’t have this book. I appreciate the reminder to get this book as my life keeps bringing me back to trust as the central principle of my faith and action.
UNTETHERED SOUL by Michael Singer. For years, I lived near the Temple of the Universe where Mickey Singer taught, but I never got interested in his work until later in life. His books have shown me what true surrender to divine will looks like in practice. They have been deeply influential in releasing me from a rule-bound, perfectionistic-oriented-spirituality
I currently have a quote from UNTETHERED SOUL as the epigraph to the manuscript I'm working on: "Don't let anything in life be important enough that you're willing to close your heart over it." ❤️
I put down books that first changed my life as a teenager but so many books after that and Michael singers is up there - wish I had read it as a teen
Me too, though I suspect it would have seemed insane. Keep my heart open to that which I don't want to happen? No way! 😂
One of my favorite books as well. It's the kind of book that's worth reading many times because you can always find new gems within it.
This book has been on my list for a while now and recommended by Kelly before! I guess it should go in my cart! 👍
Co Dependents Guide to the 12 Steps, by Melodie Beattie. This book rescued me from an unsatisfying life by helping me to understand that I do not have to fix everything, nor make things more comfortable for others at my expense. I grew up with a mother who taught us girls how to treat a man (alcoholic). She sacrificed, took care of things, excused or father and his behavior, told us he loved us, etc. I married two alcoholics in a row. My third marriage is where all of my healing happened. I met a man who was capable, in and of himself.
It's really one of the many books that I love.
I agree, Melodie Beattie's book have been a Godsend to me as well growing up in an alcoholic family.
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. I listened to this audiobook with my children on a summer car trip. It was truly a healing balm for my children and my own struggling “inner child.” Surprising choice, right? I was surprised that it was the first book that popped into my head. ❤️
I LOVE that it was the first book that popped into your head. A different question could have been: What books was most healing to your inner child? 😊
Haha! I am not the best at following directions, am I? (I just reread the directions for this post at top and had a good chuckle.) Blissfully unaware, I sometimes take a couple of wrong turns and come in the back way, sometimes even ending up right where I need to be, by the grace of God. Thx for the encouragement. 🥰
I'd rather you come in the back way than not at all! 😂
A recent read for me that was life-changing was The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I heard about it for years and never read it, but I am glad I finally did. I han't thought of myself as a creative person before reading that book and it helped me orient my writing with my spirituality. As well as unlock more ways of channeling art.
Love that book. It truly is life-changing!
Likewise, finally read it for the first time this year. Pure genius!
THE IGNATIAN ADVENTURE by Kevin O’Brien SJ
I’ve read several transformational books but this book is the most recent. It’s a book that walks through the 32 weeks of St. Ignatius spiritual exercises and is not for the faint of heart. I committed to these prayers with a group of 12 other people with a seasoned spiritual director facilitating it. The first 6 weeks helped me know deep in my heart how much I’m loved by God; I experienced Him in scripture like never before. The remaining exercises taught me how to be with Jesus in prayer practices like contemplative and imaginative prayer. It has changed the way I love and serve others, love and serve God, and listen and notice his activity in, through and around me!
I love the way you PRACTICE what you read too, Rho!
It's going on my "To Read this Summer" book list! Thanks for sharing, Rhonda!
You’re entirely welcome! Would be interested to hear more during or after your experience with it! It’s a great book for discussion!
RUTHLESS TRUST by Brennan Manning showed me how radical trust in God truly can transform us. He loves us as we are, not as should be. "Scarred and screwed-up as we are..." being vibrantly alive in Christ overcomes so much of the heaviness of living in this human body. I can trust God with ALL of my story and have learned to fully integrate the good and the bad, the honorable and the shameful. I can give it to Him to transform for His purposes - and I can trust Him ruthlessly because He is so faithful.
This was a HUGE one for me, Sue.
Yes! 🙌 Brennan Manning wrote the words and God brought them to life inside me. What a great book! Thanks for sharing! ❤️
STILLNESS IS THE KEY by Ryan Holiday has been very helpful for me to reframe serentiy. I have been going on a lot more walks not for exercise or steps but rather peace
Great call, Mitch. Walking not for exercise or steps but for peace. That got me.
What a timely and wonderful question Kelly…Great Suggestions too!! I recall that amazing stunning graphic your daughter made last year?
My life changing book was ‘When Bad Things Happen to Good People’ by Harold Kushner. I love his honesty and his expansive definition of Faith and how to find God’s love and grace in the grief and pain of life’s inevitable journey.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl is a fascinating book about finding our Purpose in every situation we encounter… even the unimaginable. Neither are light Summer reads, but for me..Both unforgettable and life changing insights galore!
Frankl’s book helped me through a hard time - thank you for mentioning … it showed me how we never lose our inner power no matter what external circumstance and also the inherent beauty that exists - sunset, dawn, song. Thank you
Ah yes! I was thinking the same thing when this post came to mind. Interestingly, I don't think a Nouwen book has been mentioned, even though he was our top author!
LIFE-CHANGING BOOK
Catcher in tne rye - showed me how even more cool it is to be authentic and trust one’s view rather than drink the kool aid along with others
The razors edge - showed me how seeking for that unknown may be more deeply satisfying even if not totally answered compared to surface riches and comforts , got me wondering what it was that the character sought and found
THE LIFE OF MOTHER MATHILDE. https://www.chij-sisters.org/writeups/ABOUTUS/MMBookLifeSrF.pdf
The courage and faith of this woman had inspired me to become and Infant Jesus Sister.