Church on the Corner

Over the years there have been a number of books which have had a big impact on shaping who we are at Church on the Corner. Books which have inspired and challenged us, taught us and given us courage.

This list is an introduction to some of them. It is not exhaustive, but if there are any of these you haven’t read, they come highly recommended.

 Simply Christian is a really good introduction to Christianity through the wise and gentle eyes of Tom Wright. It is good not just for its apologetics – its defence of faith – but also for its subtle reframing of the essentials of Christianity. The shift of  focus from individual salvation as an end in itself towards Christianity being participation in the Kingdom of God has been really important for the Church.

 The Prodigal God is basically an extended sermon on the parable of the prodigal son. But as an insight into the radical redemptive love of God, that breaks down barriers and challenges our moralising and judgementalism it is a brilliant piece of work.  It is also helpful in its willingness to address the obvious points of division in the contemporary church. And given that few people will approach christianity free from prejudice  caused by the liberal/conservative divide this is important.

 The Great Divorce. C.S. Lewis is such an important voice, and his ability to present faith in a way which is fresh and incisive is probably still unsurpassed. He would never call himself a theologian, but he is one, and an important one, and this book on heaven and hell is an important starting point for challenging the cultural and historical imagery and error that surround the subject.
 Finding Sanctuary is a beautiful introduction to the tradition of prayer which has most shaped christian spirituality over nearly 2000 years. Most of us are too hyperactive to be good at praying, but one of the things we need to learn in order to survive in the midst of  this city is prayer. And the sort of shopping list approach to prayer we pick up along the way is not going to cut it. This beautiful little introduction to contemplative prayer is life changing.