Rector’s Book Club 2020
Join Father Matt Burdette in reading one or more of these books this year. Invite a friend to read along. Meet with Father Matt to talk about what you discovered.
Download the 2020 Rector’s Book Club reading list here.
Let’s read a book together
When I think about my closest friends, what is common to all of them is that they are the people who understand me, and the people who have allowed me to understand them. This experience of mutual understanding exceeds having sympathy or someone to rely on. When I think of my friends, I think of people who live in the same world that I live in—who are able to see what I see, feel what I feel. My friends and I belong to one another because we share a life. For people to belong to one another because they share a life is, I think, what friendship finally means. Moreover, if this is so, then friendship is at once the basis and goal of family, and that gift which holds together our communities. A community is the common life of persons who belong to one another. When I think of Saint Christopher’s, I think of community in this sense—the one shared life of all kinds of people who belong to one another, who live in the same world. One of the ways that we can strengthen the bonds of our friendship is to read together. We can come to understand one another more deeply, share a world more fully, and so become a community more perfectly.
Warmly, Father Matthew Burdette
P.S. The books in this list are from a variety of genres and are different levels of difficulty, but are all—in my humble opinion!—worth reading. I’ve tried my best to select books that are also available as audiobooks.
The Art of Bible Translation
Robert Alter
An account of what an award-winning biblical translator learned about the art of Bible translation when completing his own English version of the Hebrew Bible.
Confessions by Saint Augustine
Translator Sarah Ruden
A fresh, dynamic translation of Confessions. It puts a glaring spotlight on the life of one individual to show how all lives have meaning that is universal and eternal.
Jesus of Nazareth
Pope Benedict XVI
In this bold, momentous work, the Pope seeks to Jesus’ true his true identity as discovered in the Gospels. One of the best books I have ever read. Available on audio.
In One Body through The Cross
Braaten & Jenson, eds.
Drafted by sixteen theologians from various church traditions, this document seeks to promote to the chief goal of the ecumenical movement. An inspiring, faith-changing book.
A Room Called Remember
Frederick Buechner
A collection of Buechner's finest writings on faith, love, and the power of words in the form of essays, addresses, and sermons.
The Kingdom
Emmanuel Carrère
Genre-defying author Carrère tells the story of the early Church, narrating his own conversion and loss of faith. Challenging to faith. Some sexually explicit content. Available on audio.
The Everlasting Man
G. K. Chesterton
An artful meditation on the utter uniqueness of Jesus among philosophers and other religious figures. Difficult at times; always worth it. Available on audio.
Martin & Malcolm & America
James H. Cone
Written by one of the great theologians of the last century, a must-read for anyone who wants to understand race, religion, and Christianity in the United States.
Almost Christian
Kenda Creasy Dean
Dean investigates why American teenagers are at once so positive about Christianity and at the same time so apathetic about genuine religious practice.
The Story of Christianity
David Bentley Hart
Distinguished theologian Hart provides a broad picture of Christian history. Presented in 50 short chapters, his magisterial account does justice to the range of Christians.
A Theology in Outline: Can These Bones Live?
Robert W. Jenson
Based on an undergraduate course taught at Princeton University, these transcribed lectures offer a concise and accessible overview of Christian theology.
The Seven Storey Mountain
Thomas Merton
One of the most influential religious works, it tells of the growing restlessness of a young man whose search for peace and faith leads him, at the age of twenty-six, to take vows in one of the most demanding Catholic orders—the Trappist monks. Available on audio.
A Good Man is Hard to Find
Flannery O’Connor
These stories show O'Connor's unique, grotesque view of life— infused with religious symbolism, haunted by apocalyptic possibility, sustained by the tragic comedy of human behavior, confronted by the necessity of salvation.
Inwardly Digest
Derek Olsen
Daily spiritual practice takes dedication and discipline, and we often wonder where to start and how to keep it from feeling like yet another task on our to-do list. In this grounded, practical book, Olsen uses The Book of Common Prayer for a template to a deeper spiritual life.
Love in the Ruins
Walker Percy
Dr. Tom More has created a stethoscope of the human spirit. With it, he embarks on an unforgettable odyssey to cure mankind's spiritual flu. Available on audio.
The Gospel and the Catholic Church
Michael Ramsey
Examining Scripture, doctrine, and history, former Archbishop of Canterbury Ramsey paints an intricate portrait of the church as an example of Christ s death and resurrection.
Gilead
Marilynne Robinson
An intimate tale of three generations, from the Civil War to the 20th century: a story about fathers and sons and the spiritual battles that still rage at America's heart. Available on audio.
You Are What You Love
James K. A. Smith
Smith shows that who and what we worship fundamentally shape our hearts. And while we desire to shape culture, we are not often aware of how culture shapes us. Available on audio.
Being Christian
Rowan Williams
In this simple, beautifully written book, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams explores four essential components of the Christian life: baptism, Bible, Eucharist, and prayer. Available on audio.
The Lord and His Prayer
N. T. Wright
In this book of pastoral reflections Wright explores how the Lord's Prayer means within the historical life and work of Jesus, and allows the prayer's devotional application to grow out of its historical context. Available on audio.