More recently I’ve noticed a series of books that have piqued my interest more than normal. Below I’ve listed out a number that I think people should know about and will also add a few of the old favourites that I think are worth reading. I’ve picked a few topics to categorise them base don my interests.
Nationalism
I voted for Brexit and the last few years have been an exploration in seeing how the reaction to that has been responded to and articulated both at home and abroad. These are some of the books that look the most promising and accessible on the topic.
The Virtue of Nationalism by Yoram Hazony
The Virtue of Nationalism by Yoram Hazony. I had been aware of this book for a while but this has jumped to the top of my ‘to read’ stack after listening to an interview with the author on Peter Leithart’s Theopolis Podcast. The intersection of the Old Testament idea of the Jewish nation arising out of families and tribes as a pattern for the later Western nation-states who after the Reformation looked to the Scriptures for an idea of how to conceive of themselves in a context devoid of imperialism had me hooked.
National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy by Matthew Goodwin
National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy. I’ve been following Matthew Goodwin for awhile on Twitter and think he, more than most, really understands the pushback against Liberal Internationalism. He had a really great interview with the guys over at Triggernometry outlining his ideas and I’m really encouraged that a voice like his is being taken seriously in the public sphere in such an accessible format.
The New Authoritarianism: Trump, Populism, and the Tyranny of Experts by Salvatore Babones
The New Authoritarianism: Trump, Populism, and the Tyranny of Experts by Salvatore Babones. This book is different from the previous two in that it doesn’t so much seek to explain or justify nationalism or localism but rather casts doubt on the countervailing idea of International Liberalism as something that is progressively and fundamentally undermining democracy around the world.
Architecture and Urban Planning
Over the last few years, I’ve become progressively more interested in the idea of place and space. I live on a Council Estate and I’ve spent a long time thinking about why it was built the way it was and the benefits and failings of its design. This has gotten me thinking about how people use space more generally, why our buildings look the way they do, and why our approach to architecture and planning seemed to change so much after the second world war.
The Architecture of Community by
The Architecture of Community by . This seems to be a foundational introductory text for those interested in traditional or classical architecture. Krier designed the Poundbury estate which was something I was initially a detractor of but have since come to admire greatly.
Architecture and Theology: The Art of Place by Murray Rae
Architecture and Theology: The Art of Place by Murray Rae. This is a newer book but I’ve been looking for one like it since I read a selection of writings of John Ruskin on the social and religious context of architecture. Plenty can be read on buildings generally but less space exists for the role and design of buildings specifically designed for the exercise of religious worship. Which this promises to address.
Making Dystopia: The Strange Rise and Survival of Architectural Barbarism by
Making Dystopia: The Strange Rise and Survival of Architectural Barbarism by
History
I’ve always been interested in History and believe it contains answers to many questions we are asking today. Certainly for me anyway. So here follows a selection of books that I’ll sub-categorise into general history and specifically Church history.
General History
The Unknown Warriors by Nicholas Pringle
The Unknown Warriors by Nicholas Pringle. I first heard about this book after seeing several excerpts posted online. The book details the views of the last generation of those who fought or participated as adults in WW2 in the cause of the British state and what was left of its Empire. On one hand, it is an anthology of wartime memoirs, on the other, it is a reflection on their view of British society since the war and at the start of the 21st century. What I’ve heard seems to mirror my own experience with these veterans, namely that the way the country has changed since the war has left many feeling alienated and displaced, they ask the question “is this what we fought for?”. It’s a legitimate question in my mind.
Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England by
Centuries Of Childhood Paperback by Philippe Aries
Centuries Of Childhood Paperback by Philippe Aries. Since becoming a father I’ve been really curious about how people understood children in different centuries. Were they little adults? Something separate? When travelling I’ve been struck by how distinct my own anglophone culture is in raising children. What should I take or reject in raising my own children? What was positive? What was negative? That is something I hope this book will help inform my views on.
Church History
The Ransom of the Soul: Afterlife and Wealth by Peter Brown
The Ransom of the Soul: Afterlife and Wealth by Peter Brown. I read Peter Brown’s written summary of his lectures detailing the rise of the cult of the saints and found it thoroughly engaging. In it, he hints to the role of the increased income of the church leading to changes in practice over time. In this other book, he looks at how the beliefs of the Church regarding the Afterlife changed as it became richer (and how its changing beliefs enabled it to become richer). Something I’ve always considered objectionable but can’t help but be curious about.
The Manly Eunuch: Masculinity, Gender Ambiguity and Christian Ideology in Late Antiquity by Mathew Kuefler
The Manly Eunuch: Masculinity, Gender Ambiguity and Christian Ideology in Late Antiquity by Mathew Kuefler. I’ve been reading a lot on masculinity in general and this book seems one of the most recommended books on early Christian conceptions of masculinity. The early church seems to buck most trends of masculinity in the world, in some ways, but in others seemed to double down. This book looks at the interplay between the role of celibacy in the church, masculinity, and Christian theology. This article on the masculinity of the early church is also worth reading and sources the text in question extensively.
Baptism and Change in the Early Middle Ages, c.200-c.1150 by Peter Cramer
Baptism and Change in the Early Middle Ages, c.200-c.1150 by Peter Cramer. I’ve read sections of this book and was really caught up in the descriptions of how baptism changed in practice and the beliefs surrounding it. Prior to reading into the topic myself was subject supporting various non-compatible doctrinal positions but the writings of Cramer et al seem to cut through that and give a clear and often holistic outline of the changes to the practice over time with extensive historical support. Reading this stuff, to me, is empowering and educational.
Pagans and Christians: In the Mediterranean World from the Second Century AD to the Conversion of Constantine by Robin Lane Fox
Pagans and Christians: In the Mediterranean World from the Second Century AD to the Conversion of Constantine by Robin Lane Fox. This looks at the side-by-side relationship between Christians and Pagans as a people. So many works of history focus on the leaders or speakers for a various community but Fox’s work attempts to look at the people writ large, which I think lends itself to giving a better picture of the broader context of the Church during its earliest centuries.
Travel writing
I don’t really read fiction but find the accounts of people travelling through lands at various points in time really engaging. This is what serves as fiction for me.
The Crossway by Guy Stagg
The Crossway by Guy Stagg. I heard an interview with the author of this book on the Spectator’s “Holy Smoke” podcast. Stagg despite being an Atheist decides to undertake a pilgrimage to Rome, Constantinople and Jerusalem. He recounts his experiences but also his reflections on the practice as something in itself and his reaction to it as an atheist. He remains an atheist throughout the experience but found his description intriguing.
Ibn Fadlan and the Land of Darkness: Arab Travellers in the Far North
Ibn Fadlan and the Land of Darkness: Arab Travellers in the Far North. This is the account of an Arab Trader amongst the Vikings. I’ve been curious about this for a while given its so far removed from my own culture and time. What would a medieval Arab make of Viking culture exactly? What will it tell me about the Arab mind? What was the Viking way of life like?
Honourable Mention: Sir Roger Scruton
Poor Sir Roger Scruton has been subject to a bit of unwanted attention recently given his appointment to the head of a housing commission here in the UK. Labour MP’s have been quick to provide the suitable quotations to journalists looking for a story concerning Scruton’s conservative views, particularly on topics around Islam, Homosexuality and claims of Anti-Semitism. Something Scruton has responded to here. I figured I’d point to a few books of his worth reading.
Where We Are: The State of Britain Now
Where We Are: The State of Britain Now. This book looks at recent changes in British culture, especially in the wake of globalisation, a loss of faith and rapid social change. It deals fundamentally with the question of what it means to British, both now and in the future.
The West and the Rest: Globalization and the Terrorist Threat
The West and the Rest: Globalization and the Terrorist Threat. Scruton has asked for those who want to know his views on Islam to read this book in particular in relation to the Western nations. You can read a response to the accusations against him here.
Culture Counts: Faith and Feeling in a World Besieged
Culture Counts: Faith and Feeling in a World Besieged. This is one of Scruton’s most recent works asking how does the West live on after the collapse of faith? What’s the point? In it, Scruton argues that traditional culture is the accumulated wisdom of the ages that we are poorer without.
Conclusion: Old Favourites
These are all books I’ve come to relatively recently. To close out I’ll mention a couple of my favourite books that I keep coming back to.
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. This book is probably my favourite ever, its a deep meditation on God and the natural world during a year Dillard spent living by a creek alone in her 20s. Its part memoir, part nature writing, but ultimately a work of theology I think. It’s also a book which you could almost jump into at any point too broken as it is into a series of scenes or images which encapsulate her thoughts and reflections.
Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. This can be understood as travel writing but is really a reflection on human nature, especially in relation to creation and mans struggle against it. Saint-Exupery was one of the earliest pilots and mapped out a lot of the earliest flight routes during a time when planes engines weren’t anywhere near as reliable as they are today. Some of the moments in this book are serene and detached, others viscerally immediate and engaging.
News from Tartary by Peter Fleming
News from Tartary by Peter Fleming. Peter Fleming, in this book, walks across China on the eve of civil war. Its a picture of a strange country during a time that is transitioning between history and the modern age. Parts of this are recognisable, parts of this are totally alien, and the pictures from his travels are incredible. Fleming is an incredible writer and really captures the moments he describes. There is a sense of foreboding and adventure that permeates the entire work that makes it a real classic for me.
The Temple by George Herbert
The Temple by George Herbert. The Temple is a collection of poems written as a reflection on Herbert’s relationship with God, doctrine, creation, and the church. I love reading them because of the vulnerability with which Herbert writes and his ability to simultaneously draw the reading into that whilst pointing to heavenly truths. Written in the 17th century they come across as distinctly Protestant and of the period and yet saturated with inferences and reflections on scripture and Mans place before God. Incredible.
The Violence of Love by Oscar Romero
The Violence of Love by Oscar Romero. I read this book as a teenager whilst backpacking. My copy is incredibly well worn and dirty and has been all over the planet with me but its a foundational text with regard to my Christian faith. The first time I read this I was of two minds regarding my faith but that of Priest and Martyr Oscar Romero drew me into my own. This is a collection of homilies preached by Romero before his assassination and a lot of them cover points of theology but frequently make social commentary on the state of El Salvadore during its civil war. Romero doesn’t so much tell people about his faith but shows it to you in his homily.
On The Ruin Of Britain 