It's hard to know what you are trying to accomplish with this list and what ties it all together.
You plan to read one book a month for 12 months and you're making up a list of books to read?
Each of the books has "God" in the title, i.e., it is "about" God?
But there are lots of books about God that have God in the title.
I recognize two of the authors (in spite of one typo) -- Karen Armstrong and Reza Aslan -- as being ones that would fall in your thread of books that might appeal to "Progressive Christians". Also Tillich would be in that category too. But I'm not familiar with the other authors, so I can't tell if that's what you're driving at.
Or I do note a sort of theme of the history of belief about God in some of the titles (1, 3, 4, 5, 7).
So...could you be more specific as to what sort of books you are looking for?
If I'm onto the right idea regarding history of belief in God, how about:
Please note that I haven't read any of those. I just searched for books on the history of belief in God (or evolution of belief in God) and looked for ones that seemed worthy of consideration. But I might not have accurately picked up on what you were looking for. And you might be hoping for someone who has actually read such books to recommend them for your list.
So for the fun of it, because AI is the lightening rod of a lot of discussions, I asked ChatGPT:
‘What is the common theme or major points of this list of books?’ This is the output.
’The common theme of these books appears to be the exploration of the concept of God, spanning various religious traditions and historical contexts, as well as delving into theological, philosophical, and anthropological perspectives on the nature of divinity and human understanding of it.’
I am curious how close this is to MJ’s focal point of her reading list. [:)]
Then I asked:
What other books would be helpful to add to this list?
’Adding the following books to the list would provide additional perspectives on the theme of God and religious exploration:
1. "The Varieties of Religious Experience" by William James2. "The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion" by Mircea Eliade3. "The Power of Myth" by Joseph Campbell4. "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins5. "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis6. "The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason" by Sam Harris7. "The Tao Te Ching" by Lao Tzu8. "The Bhagavad Gita" translated by Eknath Easwaran9. "The Interpretation of Dreams" by Sigmund Freud (for a psychological perspective on religion)10. "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" by Christopher Hitchens
These books cover a range of perspectives, from religious texts and philosophical explorations to critiques and psychological analyses of religious belief.’
Wow! All over the map! Last, ‘Which books explore a Christian concept of God, spanning various religious traditions and historical contexts, as well as delving into theological, philosophical, and anthropological perspectives on the nature of divinity and human understanding of it’
To explore the Christian concept of God across different religious traditions and historical contexts, while delving into theological, philosophical, and anthropological perspectives, consider these books:
1. "The Varieties of Religious Experience" by William James - Offers insights into religious experiences across different cultures and traditions, including Christianity.2. "The History of Christianity" by Diarmaid MacCulloch - Explores the development of Christian beliefs and practices over two millennia, considering various cultural and historical contexts.3. "The Christian Theology Reader" edited by Alister E. McGrath - Provides a comprehensive collection of texts spanning the history of Christian theology, offering diverse perspectives on the nature of God and human understanding.4. "The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami?" by David Bentley Hart - Examines the problem of evil and suffering in the context of Christian theology, engaging with philosophical and theological perspectives.5. "Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief" by John M. Frame - Offers a systematic exploration of Christian doctrine, including the nature of God, from a philosophical and theological standpoint.6. "The Cambridge Companion to Christian Mysticism" edited by Amy Hollywood and Patricia Z. Beckman - Explores the mystical traditions within Christianity and their implications for understanding the divine.7. "God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism" by Abraham Joshua Heschel - Although focused on Judaism, this book delves into the nature of God and human understanding from a philosophical and theological perspective that can be relevant to Christianity.8. "The Crucified God: The Cross of Christ as the Foundation and Criticism of Christian Theology" by Jürgen Moltmann - Explores the significance of the crucifixion within Christian theology, addressing philosophical and theological questions about the nature of God and human suffering.9. "God in the Age of Science?: A Critique of Religious Reason" by Herman Philipse - Offers a philosophical critique of religious reason, engaging with the Christian concept of God in light of modern scientific understanding.10. "God: A Guide for the Perplexed" by Keith Ward - Explores the concept of God from a philosophical and theological perspective, considering various religious traditions including Christianity.
These books provide a broad range of perspectives on the Christian concept of God, integrating theological, philosophical, and anthropological insights while engaging with diverse religious traditions and historical contexts.’Maybe closer, but it appears we still need to use our brains!
'What About Evil: a defence of God's sovereign glory' Scott Christensen
:in Logos :Reformed
Scott Christensen
In pre-pub is his '40 Questions about Suffering and Evil'
You could put it near the bottom of your list for later perusal. Or not.
The Great Shift: Encountering God in Biblical Times by James L. Kugel God: A Biography by Jack Miles A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Karen Armstrong The Early History of God by Mark S. Smith God: A Human History by Reza Asland The Case for God by Karen Armstrong The Evolution of God by Robert Wright God the What?: What Our Metaphors for God Reveal about Our Beliefs in God by Carolyn Jane Bohler Talking about God: Exploring the Meaning of Religious Life with Kierkegaard, Buber, Tillich and Heschel by Daniel F. Polish
I love where this is going. Fantastic. My three books to add would be:
10. God and Philosophy by Etienne Gilson (it's not pure philosophy; he considers God as presented by Judaism and the intervention of Divine Revelation to Christian notions of Godhood)
11. The Edge of Words: God and the Habits of Language by Rowan Williams (Logos actually has this volume! Imagine that.)
12. The Darkness of God: Negativity in Christian Mysticism by Denys Turner. (to bridge the apophatic philosophy/Christian belief with mysticism as experience of God)
10. God and Philosophy by Etienne Gilson (it's not pure philosophy; he considers God as presented by Judaism and the intervention of Divine Revelation to Christian notions of Godhood) ... 12. The Darkness of God: Negativity in Christian Mysticism by Denys Turner. (to bridge the apophatic philosophy/Christian belief with mysticism as experience of God)
...
Both great suggestions for Logos to carry. I've added them to the Feedback site. PLEASE VOTE:
Good questions Rosie. Cannot wait to see what MJ is up to.
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