Books I am Reading

One of the cutting edge books on "new movements within the American church" is "Why we're not emergent" - it is helpful in sorting out some of the new trends in "seeker sensitive' and attempts to reach PostModerns (without becoming PM) A student I meet with grew up in Calvary Baptist (his parents are still active) and he went through Christian school. He is now an agnostic who sees no need for God or Religion. He has been influenced by Ayn Rand & "Objectivist Philosophy" I had read an essay by her called "The Virtue of Selfishness" (says it all - doesn't it? She strongly argues laissez-faire Capitalism) but she is better known for her novels - Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead. Since I know two others who are Objectivist Randians - including a Cave guy (a.k.a. "hair Mike") and my best friend since Junior High (Bret is an Obama-lovin' Democrat and Captain in the Army J.A.G.) thought it was time for me to slug through one of these 700+ page novels. I am almost halfway into the Fountainhead (which identifies the human ego as the "source" of motivation and progress) getting to know protagonist Howard Rourke, architectural genius who got kicked out of Tech school for always wanting to do things "his way" and was never willing to bow to social convention. It is thought-provoking. I also recently read "Irresistable Revolution" by Shane Claiborne - also thought-provoking and much more edifying - challenging and convicting even. So there you have it - a couple of book reviews, sort of.