Each of these four books will end up on the Book Review page, but I have found them to be of such quality, value, and insight that I want first to make sure as many people as possible are aware of (and encouraged to actually read and/or listen to) these four recent titles.
American Struggle edited by Jon Meacham
This isn’t a book by a left-leaning historian to persuade more conservative folks to rethink their platform, policy, and agenda. This is a marvelous collection of actual historic documents from all across the cultural and political spectrum that aid in understanding who we are, who we have been, and what our founders actually tried to create. Ranging across the past four centuries inclusive of our own to date, these historic artifacts reveal the best and the worst of us since our birth. I feel certain that you will learn more about our history through this fine book than you knew before.
The Separation of Church and Hate by John Fugelsang
This book is written by a layperson who is much more theologically astute and biblically literate than the majority of ordained clergy. It is the book I wish I had written. Fugelsang answers in a humorous but respectful way the questions raised by Christian nationalism, faith-based hate groups, fundamentalists, and the neo-Christoservative (a word I just invented) wing of the Republican Party. Fugelsang redeems and reclaims a Christian witness based in peace, justice, social concern, generosity and sacrifice.
While I deeply appreciate the approach of Separation of Church and Hate, and deeply celebrate the fact that it comes from a lay person, I do have a couple quibbles. Fugelsang does not seem to be a big fan of the Apostle Paul. There is some Paul-bashing, disregard of the best scholarship about the authentic Pauline and the pseudo-Pauline epistles, and some unhelpful proof-texting along the way. This is one of the best descriptions of faithful discipleship and stewardship (the author uses neither of these words or concepts) I have found. It is a powerful picture of what we could be if we wanted to.
Christ in the Rubble by Munther Isaac
There are (at least) two sides to every story, and the majority of people in the United States have gotten primarily one side in a complex, volatile, and entangled situation. We hear about Israel all the time. We pledge our support to Israel all the time. To ask even the most innocent of questions threatens the label “anti-Semitic.” Yet, Palestine’s story is important for a better understanding of what has happened in Gaza. This is an exceptionally well-researched work, written in an inclusive and welcoming voice, challenging readers to expand their perceptions of the struggle in the Middle East.
The Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter Isaacson
Spoiler: it is the second sentence of The Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. A brief but compelling glimpse of the hearts and minds of those who drafted the Declaration. Who are we? Who are we intended to be? What should be the priorities of our collective vision? What does it look like when we actually live up to hopes and dreams of our founders?
I cannot recommend these four books enough. My simple concerns about Separation of Church and Hate are above, and I simply have nothing to warn about in the other three. If you are looking for meaningful and helpful reads, any of these should suffice!
FaithQuest Revisited 
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