Book Tag

I was tagged by Paul Littleton and asked to share about some books that have impacted me along the way. Without further ado, here's my list:

1. One book that changed your life.
The Extension Movement in Theological Education: A Call to the Renewal of the Ministry, by Ross Kinsler. I took a course on Theological Education by Extension with Dr. Justice Anderson toward the end of my M.Div. work at SWBTS. It profoundly affected my outlook on leadership training, to the point that when we looked at requests for missionaries from different fields of service, I prioritized a TEE request even above a position at a residential seminary, despite having also felt led to pursue a PhD in order to teach. After our first term of service doing TEE and pastoring as well as planting a new church, I did agree to serve at the International Bapt. Theological Seminary in Buenos Aires, but only after inquiring about TEE and being given the chance to revive a program that had functioned well many years earlier under Dr. Anderson.

2. One book you have read more than once.
The Anabaptist Story by William Estep. I was privileged to study under Estep at SWBTS, serving for awhile as his grader and taking a trip to Europe with him to study the sites of the Reformation and the Radical Reformation.

3. One book you would want on a desert island.
Most have opted for a practical survival manual. I think I’d like a dictionary to expand my word power.

4. Two books that made you laugh.
I haven’t read anything very funny of late I have to confess. My son received Stephen Colbert’s I am America (and so can You) recently and I’d like to read that soon.

5. One book that made you cry.
I don’t remember if I actually shed tears reading it or not, but it did impact me very much emotionally – Lord of the Flies.

6. One book you wish you'd written.
Leon McBeth’s, The Baptist Heritage. Dr. McBeth was my supervising professor for my doctoral dissertation and I always appreciated his writing style and command of historical information.

7. One book you wish had never been written.
I could think of several-—The Book of Mormon comes to mind, but closer to our time, I suppose Pressler’s A Hill on Which to Die would be a strong candidate.

8. Two books you are currently reading.
Unchristian by Kinnaman; Dan Kimball’s They Like Jesus but not the Church.

9. One book you've been meaning to read.
Brian McLaren’s Everything Must Change.

10. I’ll pass on tagging anyone else, but if you’re reading this and want to participate, feel free to do so.