I’ve been a writer for over two years now, and as I’ve paid attention to the craft, I’ve made an observation: Every act of writing is an act of spiritual formation. And if every act of writing is an act of spiritual formation, isn’t every act of reading? In The Thread, we’re exploring how spiritual themes run through our everyday reading (and writing) using the books I’ve read to prove the point.
Sign up for The Thread—a monthly newsletter highting the books I read—then grab one of the books I read this month* and explore the themes with me.
Books from June 2019:
Surprised by Paradox: The Promise of And in an Either-Or World, [THREAD CERTIFIED PICK] Jen Pollock Michel (Category: Spiritual Formation; Spiritual Formation Theme: Mystery)
The Heavens, Sandra Newman (Category:Novel; Spiritual Formation Theme:Death of the False Self/Ego)
A Darker Shade of Magic, V.E. Schwab (Category:Fantasy; Spiritual Formation Theme:The Power of Icons/Objects)
Books From May 2019:
The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction, Justin Whitmel Earley (Category: Spiritual Formation; Spiritual Formation Theme: Silence, Solitude, and Stillness)
Silence In the Age Noise, Erling Kagge (Category: Personal Growth, Creative Non-Fiction; Spiritual Formation Theme: Silence, Solitude, and Stillness)
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski (Category: Self Help, Personal Growth; Spiritual Formation Theme: Overcoming Injustice )
The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life, David Brooks (Category: Personal Growth; Spiritual Formation Theme: The Community)
Books From April 2019:
Invitation to a Journey: A Roadmap for Spiritual Formation, Robert Mulholland (Category: Spiritual Formation; Spiritual Theme: The Journey to Truth)
The Bird King, G. Willow Wilson (Category: Fiction; Spiritual Formation Themes: Love, Sacrifice, and Finding Belonging)
The Fellowship of the Rings: Being the First Part of the Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien (Category: Fiction; Spiritual Formation Themes: The Inner Journey; The Journey to Truth)
Books From March 2019:
True You: Letting Go of Your False Self to Uncover the Person God Created, by Michelle DeRusha (Category: Spiritual Formation; Spiritual Theme: The Journey to Truth)
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear (Category: Personal Growth/Self-Help; Spiritual Theme: Self-Control)
The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare, by G.K. Chesterton (Category: Novel; Spiritual Theme: The Journey to Truth)
Wabi Inspirations, by Axel Vervoordt (Category: Design/Art Book; Spiritual Theme: Simplicity)
*All links are affiliate links, though of these book recommendations are sponsored.