Tracesoffaith

These aren't your typical commentary books. I compiled a list of books to read as companions with books of the Bible. They might include narrative or context or citations, but not in an overly scholarly way. I hope you find this list helpful. You'll notice a few blanks. If you know of books that fit this category, feel free to reach out.

Whole Bible – The Book of God (Walter Wangerin Jr)

Old Testament – The Christ Key: Unlocking the Centrality of Christ in the Old Testament (Chad Bird)

Old Testament

Genesis – The Genesis Trilogy (Madeleine L’Engle), Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters (Carmen Joy Imes)

Exodus – The Tender Commandments (Ron Mehl), Defiant: What the Women of Exodus Teach Us About Women (Kelley Nikondeha), One in a Million (Priscilla Shirer), Fire by Night: Finding God in the Pages of the Old Testament (Melissa Florer-Bixler), Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters (Carmen Joy Imes)

Leviticus – Leviticus as Literature (Mary Douglas)

Numbers – Out of Step With God: Orthodox Christian Reflection on the Book of Numbers (Patrick Henry Reardon)

Deuteronomy – The Rational Bible: God, Blessings, and Church (Dennis Prager)

Joshua – Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua (Barb Roose)

Judges – Hearts of Iron: Feet of Clay: Practical and Contemporary Lessons from the Book of Judges (Gary Inrig); There Are No Strong People (Jeff Lucas)

Ruth – Gospel of Ruth (Carolyn Curtis James), Finding God in the Margins (Carolyn Custis James)

Samuel – Men Behaving Badly (John Goldingjay); The Making of a Man of God (by Alan Redpath)

Kings – King David and the Kings of Israel: Lessons from Their Lives by Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen

Chronicles – Chronicles of History and Worship (Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon)

Ezra/Nehemiah – A Great Work: A Conversation With Nehemiah For People (Who Want To Be) Doing Great Works (Jon C Swanson); Nehemiah For You: Strength to Build for God (Eric Mason)

Esther – Faith Among the Faithless (Mike Cosper)

Job – The Trial of Job (Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon), The Stars Beneath Us (Paul Wallace), Answer to Job (C.G. Jung)

Psalms – Christ in the Psalms (Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon), Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life (W. David O. Taylor), A Long Obedience in the Same Direction (Psalms of Ascent), Praying the Psalms (Walter Brueggemann), Reflections on the Psalms (CS Lewis), Finding Jesus in the Psalms: A Lenten Journey (Barb Roose)

Proverbs – The book of Proverbs in Social and Theological Context by Katharine J. Dell

Ecclesiastes – Recovering Eden: The Gospel According to Ecclesiastes (Zack Swine)

Song of Songs – The Sexual Reformation: Restoring the Dignity and Personhood of Man and Woman (Aimee Byrd)

Isaiah – The Prophecy of Isaiah (J. Alec Motyer), Stump Kingdom (Dale Ralph Davis)

Jeremiah – Run With the Horses (Eugene Peterson)

Lamentations – Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times (Soong-Chan Rah)

Ezekiel

Daniel – Daniel: Servant of God Under Four Kings (Geoff Thomas), Daniel the Prophet (Noah Hutchings)

The Minor Prophets by Charles L. Feinberg

Hosea – Reedeeming Love (Francine Rivers)

Joel/Amos/Obadiah

Jonah – The Prodigal Prophet (Tim Keller), Under the Unpredictable Plant (Eugene Peterson)

Micah

Nahum – Piles of Slain, Heaps of Corpses: Reading Prophetic Poetry and Violence in African Context (Jacob Onyumbe Wenyi)

Habakkuk – Habakkuk: Faithful Doubt (Travis Scott)

Zephaniah/Haggai/Zechariah/Malachi

New Testament

Matthew – The Divine Conspiracy (Dallas Willard), Matthew and the Margins (Warren Carter)

Mark – Jesus: A Theography (Leonard Sweet/Frank Viola)

Luke – The Return of the Prodigal Son (Henri Nouwen), Come With Me Devotional (Suzanne Eller)

John – Jesus: A Biography (Leonard Sweet/Frank Viola

Acts – The Mission of the Triune God (Patrick Schreiner)

Interpreting the Pauline Epistles (Thomas R. Schreiner); Paul and the Power of Grace

(John M. G. Barclay)

Romans – Lutheran Theology: Doing Theology (Steven D Paulson), The Normal Christian Life (Watchman Nee); When in Romans: An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel According to Paul (Beverly Roberts Gaventa)

1/2 Corinthians – Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural Studies in 1 Corinthians (Kenneth E. Bailey; The Cross and Christian Ministry: Leadership Lessons From 1 Corinthians (D.A. Carson); Paul Decentered: Reading 2 Corinthians with the Corinthian Women (Arminta M. Fox)

Galatians – Galatians Re-imagined (Brigette Kahl)

Ephesians – Practice Resurrection (Eugene Peterson)

Philippians – Think Good (JL Gerhardt); Lydia (Paula Gooder)

Colossians – Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire (Brian J. Walsh)

I/2 Thessalonians – The Practice of Hope: Ideology and Intention in 1 Thessalonians (Nestor O. Miguez

1/2 Timothy – Nobody’s Mother (Sandra Glahn)

Titus/Philemon

Hebrews – An Unshakable Kingdom: The Letter to the Hebrews for Today (David Gooding)

James – Radically Whole: Gospel Healing for the Divided Heart (David Gibson)

1/2/3 John – Maximum Joy (Dave Anderson)

Jude

Revelation – Hallelujah Banquet (Eugene Peterson), Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple (Scot McKnight), The Joy of Hearing: A Theology of the Book of Revelation (Thomas R. Schreiner)