What have you been reading in June?

It’s been a good month for reading and so here are some brief summaries of what I have paged through this month. I hope you check some of these books out.

 The Gospel According to Job by Mike Mason : While not intended to be an academic commentary, the author does a better job than most commentators in dealing with the questions and answers we find in the Biblical narrative of Job.  A rich, thoughtful and deep journey into the text of the book of Job where we learn that there are no easy answers to suffering, especially suffering due to one’s relationship with God. Now available from VOMC.

The Christians: A Glorious Disaster by SEARCH. The seventh volume of the church history series The Christians dealing with the years 1100-1300, with a specific focus on the Crusades.  A great edition to a great series but I felt that it was not as strong as previous volumes especially in terms of illustrations, depending too much on engravings by Dure (which may be a reflection of the publisher’s budgetary constraints). I hope that this excellent series will eventually be completed (there are 12 projected volumes) but I dare not hope that it will take place in my lifetime.

Sudan: Race, Religion and Violence by Jok Madut Jok. By far the best examination of the history and conditions facing Sudan today.  I wish that this book had been written when The Voice of the Martyrs had started its work there.  Should be required reading for anyone who works there or plans to.

Inside the Revolution by Joel C. Rosenbug. Was a timely read, given recent events in Iran.  Well-balanced and helpful in understanding the Middle East and the three movements (as he calls them) that are influencing events there (the Radicals, Reformers, and Revivalists). While I don’t agree with all of his points (his brand of eschatology, in particular), I am still glad that I read this book at this time in history, given its particular focus on Iran.

So what have you been reading this month?