After posting my reading strategy for 2013 I discovered some of you wanted to read along – even after seeing the kind of books I intend to read. Glory – I found my tribe! So I agreed to convene a book club based on my growing reading list.
The idea of reading in community makes me giddy. Reading and learning are tandem passions, the opportunity to do that alongside kindred spirits exponentially heightens the excitement and, I believe, the experience.
So I announce the reading in transit book club! I believe we all are in transit when it comes to our understanding of spirituality and praxis, the Biblical text and our global context, our embodiment of the revolutionary Gospel of Jesus in our communities. So let’s read, learn, converse and engage together.
Here’s the plan:
1) At the end of the month I’ll announce the book for the up-coming month’s collective read.
2) While we read, we can tweet! We’ll use a common hashtag to attach to tweets so we can find each other out there. This is our way to converse as we read, to share in real time our observations, ah-ha moments, connections and questions. It’s going to be great sharing knowing we have friends plowing through the same ideas with us!
3) For those who blog, we will link up the last Thursday of the month to share our responses to the book. This need not be a book review so much as a response to the reading, ideas and our learning. (I’ll generate some questions – you can respond to all, one or none!) This will be a way to share our learning with one another and those in our circles.
Here’s the proposed reading list:
February: Inspiration & Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament by Peter Enns
March: The Politics of Jesus by John Howard Yoder
April: The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann
May: Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire by Brian Walsh
June: No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam by Reza Aslan
July: Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography by John Dominic Crossan
(Books for the next set of months will be determined later.)
And one other programming note is in order; we will read Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey whenever it is available in 2013. We will re-organize any scheduled read to jump in and support our friend and engage with her revolutionary ideas!
So, are you in?
Let me know by leaving a comment below and a link to your blog so I can visit! And I have an added incentive… a give-away. I mistakenly ordered 2 copies of Inspiration & Incarnation, but my error is your gain. I will send the book to one of the ‘early adopters’ who voice their participation by Sunday at noon.
Please join us for a year of reading, learning and sharing together. A learning community is so energizing and transformative…especially with books like this to spark our conversations!
NOTE: Give-away for early adopters closed at noon today (Sunday). A copy of our February read, Inspiration & Incarnation by Peter Enns, will be sent to Krista Dalton this week. Congrats and happy reading!
I’m in
This looks great! I already shared you strategy idea but like the idea of a virtual club and the challenge and commitment to read in community – I’ve recently experienced this style of community experience for advent and it was really motivating and kept you accountable- I will set up a whole page for the Reading In Transit Book Club 2013 on my blog- looking forward to it!
Books! Theology! Community! Yup – I’m in. So glad you decided to do this.
I’m in too 🙂
That looks like a great book list! And they are books that beg to be discussed. Count me in!
I got Prophetic Imagination for Christmas, so I’m definitely in for April. I’d love to join in other months, too, if I can make it work. Glad you’re doing this.
i’m so in. i don’t know if i will be blogging/tweeting along, but i will be utilizing your blog as a catalyst for my own processing. i already know i am going to be stretched in fabulous ways 🙂
I’m in….I love accountability!
brueggemann and yoder are on my to-read list already. love it.
I’m in!
Happy dance! I am all in!!
I’m in as much as I can be this roller-coaster spring! Can’t wait!
Love this idea. Just stumbled onto your blog and I’m in!
I’m in! So encouraged by this. Praying wisdom for you as you lead us, and quiet for me so I can have time to read! 🙂
Hi Kelley,
So cool! I’m in for as long as I can, given my studies and new job!
I was so excited when I say your reading list, I’ve already shared it with two friends, both of whom I might invite to read along with us.
Can’t wait for the fun to begin.
This just makes me so, so happy. I can’t wait!!
Sounds like a great idea. I’m in!
If its ok, I’d love to join in with this! Love the reading list – all things I’ve had on my radar for a while but never quite got around to reading…
I’m so excited about reading my first Brueggemann, it’s ridiculous. This kicks ass.
I’m so in!
I’m in. I have a tough work load this semester, but I would like to participate anyway!
Sounds fantastic 🙂 I’m in!
Definitely in. Love this.
I’m not alone… I am so excited you’re all in! We are already such a diverse group from US, Canada, South Africa and… wow. This is going to be such great fun. Can’t wait till February.
I’m excited! What a great community of thoughtful readers this will be 🙂
YOU WON THE GIVE-AWAY!!! Congrats! DM (twitter) or email me your address and I will post tomorrow!
I’m in. Excited to be in a reading group. Looking forward to your list! Some were already on my reading list, so this is a great chance to “have at it,” along with some others. Thanks so much!
Yes! Totally in. I love this idea. 🙂
I’m in, and look forward to reading along with all you fine ladies.
I don’t have a blog and don’t tweet, but I’m in! So excited to learn together.
Laura, glad you’re part of the tribe!
!!!!!!!!
Can’t wait to get started.
I’d like to join too! Already love WB, am a Mennonite so of course, I like Yoder, and want to read the other books.
Thank you for organizing this!
I’m in! I’m excited to be stretched and encouraged spiritually…
Hi Kelley – I’m definitely in! I’ve read one and a half of them already *breathes a sigh of relief* but so excited to get going with the rest…
Jenny – this is going to be great! What have you read thus far? You and Andy coming to Amahoro this year???
I’ve read Colossians Remixed and half of the Brueggemann (I bought it for Andy a year or two ago).
Would love to find a way to come to Amahoro, but Tf will only fund Sean, so it’s harder to make work!
Looking forward to connecting with you somehow this year…
i’m in — hurrah.
I’m in for sure. This, indeed, kicks ass.
love that we’re saying ‘kick ass’ about books!!!
I’d love y
Yay!! Count me in!!
I’m in! I gave my husband a copy of Inspiration & Incarnation for Christmas, so the February pick is perfect timing!
how wonderful the timing – and what a great gift-giver!
Sounds great! Will be joining the conversation!
I have never heard of any of those books, but I totally love reading and the idea of a book club where others are reading the same thing and chatting about it is awesome so though I’m not sure how to get the books if I can them I’m in 🙂
Brueggemann was already on my to-read list for the year. and as a Mennonite, I love to hear yoder getting broad recognition!
What a moment right here–the day in which your tribe is rallying. What. A. Day.
I’ll be honest: the books scare me. You might need to hold my hand now.
But this–this is “exponential” and I am rejoicing.
I’m in! As an English major, I love to read but rarely find time to read works outside of the assigned class texts. But this semester will be my last and light at that, so I’m excited to jumpstart the “read for fun” move that so many of us hope for when life quiets down a bit.
I am so, so excited for this! Thank you for welcoming all us stragglers and faraway wanderers to your fire!
I am in! Sounds great! Thanks.
I don’t tweet (or blog, my goodness, what’s wrong with me?) but these books sound very interesting, and I’d love to see what others think about them as well.
WOW – Kelley – look at this response!! I’ll do my best, but I doubt I’ll be able to keep to the monthly pace….thanks for stepping out on this limb.
I’m in. Can’t wait!
Really looking forward to this. Not sure if I will be able to keep up but will do the months I can. What a great idea. Thanks.
This book list is right up my alley! Can’t wait to participate! JB Richarhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Miriamne-the-Book-First-in-the-Series-of-the-Yeshua-Miri-Novels/206903979347028?ref=hlds, Author
I’m in. Can’t wait to get started!
Very excited. Considering seminary fairly soon. The company will be a joy and the material will be a great way to gauge my affinity for such. Many of these titles are already on my list to read.
Kim, I went to Fuller Seminary and it was like intensive spiritual formation for me, I loved it! I look forward to reading together and maybe even discussing seminary here and there! Blessings in the reading and considering!
Looking forward to it!!
Looking forward to it!
The hubs (he should be posting any time now) & I are going to try to join in on this together. I haven’t done much deeper reading since my health has gotten so bad (I have fibromyalgia & suffer from a foggy brain a lot of the time), but I really want to try & having Russ do it along with me will definitely help. Looking forward to this.
C.C.
C.C., glad to have both you and Russ join us! Reading together makes us all stronger, so we’re glad to be in this with you.
I’m in. My wife showed me this and we are trying out the reading together – the first four books on the list hooked me. I’ll have to work this into my normal reading schedule/rhythm (so many books, so little time) … but I don’t mind. 🙂
A few of these books have been on my reading list (umm, “Ambitious” category!) for awhile now — maybe reading along with other smarty-smarts will help me keep going when things start going over my head. I’m excited to follow along with y’all!
Charity – that’s the great thing about collaborative reading, we can engage others when we have questions, need context/clarity, have insights to share or connections between ideas. So glad you are in!
Great, creative way to engage many people and promote the reading and wrestling with so many modern thinkers of faith and Kingdom-living, Kelley. I will probably take it on a month-by-month basis, and am still not on Twitter, so perhaps there could be a monthly update or so on your blog as to what has been addressed and what main themes emerged in the Tweets and responses…along with a teaser for the next month’s book? Happy reading and wrestling, everyone!
Sean, great idea to add a twitter summary to keep everyone involved in the conversation! Love it!
What a splendid idea and I am so in! Looking forward to February’s book.
I’m in!!!! So excited for the opportunity to read and share with people! Thank you so much!
I am in! Newcomer from Georgia here. This is so exciting to me, can’t wait to get started & follow along in what is sure to amazing growth experience for me.
I’m in!!
By the way, I’m new to your blog and so excited to be reading these books! thanks!
I’m in if you will take great grandmothers :-).Loved your reading list – tried to teach the Prophetic Imagination many years ago– think I lost (mentally if not physically) half the class. Sounds like a great stretching thing, different than my British mystery series addictive reading.
Absolutely! Where did you teach Prophetic Imagination?
“Tried” to teach it many years ago – it would have been the First Edition – probably early 80’s to a small adult group in northern MI. It was a tough slog for them, and for me :-). Not the usual Sunday School fare. I don’t remember it at all, but remember liking it. Excited to read a later edition with others.
I’m in and am so excited about it! I just recently restarted blogging, mostly because I wanted space to write about and discuss my own progressive (and often reluctant) Seventh-Day Adventist faith, along with my other passions. I’ve been inspired by you, Sarah Bessey, and Rachel Held Evans among others – you gals have truly blessed me this past year. Thank you!
Someone else who has recently restarted blogging–and ventured into the Twitter world for the first time.
I also want to wrestle with the larger question of how reading shapes us (not always positively…). http://jbbsmusings.blogspot.com/2011/01/too-many-books-note-following.html
So, I join an online book club!!
Please accept my apologies for needing to bow out. All the best.
no blog, but on twitter and facebook. Was just thinking this past week that I need to find some new spiritual and inspirational books!
I don’t have a blog or a website, but I would love to read along. This sounds exactly like my cup of tea! Thank you.
Les
Hi Les,
Laura also signed up. Maybe we can arrange northern Mi spring teas around one of the books.
Mick
WOW – love the idea of taking this local over a cup of tea! I hope you do… and then share the gleanings with the rest of us!
You don’t need to have a blog, by the way. I just want to encourage those that do to take advantage of that venue to share their learnings with the rest of us. We’ll have all the bloggers link to my page so you can find them all easily and read through. Also plan on offering a twitter summary (thanks to Sean’s recommendation) so you don’t miss out on those threads of conversation either!
Blessings from Arizona.
Are you kidding. A dear friend connected me to your site and I absolutely love it and this whole idea. Count me in
Hi Laura,
I think this will be fun and stretching. I wonder if there is a way to see all respnses in a big long line?
Hi Mickey
I have ordered the first two books on the list and I think a gathering of readers for tea and sunshine and discussion is excellent. After all we live in the most beautiful place in America.
Maybe a short twitter tutorial too. Do we follow youor a special account?
Mickey, I’ll create a hash tag ( # ) that we will use when making twitter comments, thn you just search for the hash tag to bring up all the threads of comments. More details the last week of January when we prepare for our first read. I promise!
Thanks. I feel smug as an oldster even knowing the term. Where are you in AZ? We lived there for 10 years — about 100 years ago.
I’m in Surprise, NW part of Phoenix.
Laura,
You are so far ahead of me. Gonna order it tomorrow.
Mick
You will have to teach me how to twitter. I know you can. It will be interesting to see how many people are in our area.
Thanks.
Many of these books were on my 2013 reading list, so I would love to join the journey.
I’m a friend of Esther Emery, who recommend this site. I’m a slow, but thorough reader and have read some of the authors listed. I’m new at Tweeting (I’m almost 70) but did attend seminary at Princeton for 3 semesters before settling on composing operas, then doing solidarity work in Nicaragua
Did you, by any chance, grow up in Glendale CA? I used to know a guy by your name in the 60s. My maiden name is Gold.
That’s me. I’d love to hear more of your life since 1965.
I’m in, but a disclaimer–I may be the book club member who shows up without reading the book, just so I can learn from others (and maybe get motivated to read the book). I’ve already read Inspiration and bits of Yoder (required reading at my Mennonite college). I am excited to be able to read others’ thoughts though. I listen so much better with my eyes than with my ears. 🙂
Yes, Glendale Presbyterian Church. Tell me more of yourself
I’d love to be part of this!
Would also love to be a part of this
Love the idea and the books you picked. I’m going to give it my best shot!
I look forward to learning with/from everyone. Thank you for the opportunity. (@JanusToo)
This is so exciting for me–I am looking forward to the books and to hearing about them from everyone. Thanks so much for letting an ordinary reader listen in.
Considering joining for sure! Seems a lot to swallow (as a new convert), but with this kind of community and linkups and conversation is hard to resist! Plus I know my husband will devour the books too….
I am in! bonus I already own some of the books but haven’t read them yet- great incentive to get cracking!
I just found this recently, and I’m in. I am really excited about these books!
Great! Welcome…and let the reading begin!