Christian Theological/Philosophical Book Club discussion

What are your ten favorite books (of any genre)?

In no particular order:

1. The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky
2. The Cost of Discipleship by Bonhoeffer
3. What's So Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancey
4. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
5. Lord of the Rings by Tolkien
6. A Christmas Carol by Dickens
7. Jesus and the Victory of God by NT Wright (I gotta have something by Wright on the list)
8. Till We Have Faces by CS Lewis
9. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
10. The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning

This is awesome! Good idea David.

1) E.S.V. study Bible.
2) BattleField Earth - by L.Ron Hubbard
3) Mere Christianity - by C.S. Lewis
4) Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - by Douglas Adams.
5) Eragon - by Christopher Paolini
6) Sword of Truth series - by Terry Goodkind
7) Socrates meets Jesus - by Peter Kreeft
8) 50 People Every Christian Should know - by Warren W. Wiersbe.
9) Mustaine, a Heavy Metal memoire - by Dave Mustain
10) The Bible: A History - by S.M. Milller& R.V. Huber.

Just a quickly thrown together list. I could easily make a top 100. :D

Hey guys, no matches yet - how long will it take!
1) Crime and Punishment - Dostoyevsky
2) All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren
3) Advise and Consent - Allen Drury
4) Left Behind series - Tim LaHaye
5) The Republic - Plato
6) Any Shakespeare play
7) The Illiad - Homer
8) The Purpose Driven Life - Rick Warren
9) Storm Clouds Gathering - Winston Churchill
10) NKJV - assorted authors

Hmm. I can only list them if it can include series)

1)Nightshade (trilogy)
2) Harry Potter Boxset
3) The Twilight Saga
4) Raised by Wolves (series)
5) The Mortal Instruments Boxed Set: City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass (series)
6) The Angel Experiment (series)
7) Stainless Steal Hearts(Christian)
8)The Six-Liter Club(Christian)
9. Divergent (series)
10. The Shadow of the Bear (Christian series)

It's interesting to read other people's favorite books. I'll add my list of favorite novels (like Bryn I'm including series):

1. JRR Tolkien THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS
2. C. S. Lewis THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
3. Stephen R. Lawhead THE SONG OF ALBION Trilogy
4. Patrick O'Brien's AUBREY-MATURIN novels
5. Richard Adam's WATERSHIP DOWN
6. Robert Heinlein's TUNNEL IN THE SKY
7. C. S. Lewis OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET Trilogy
8. E. E. (Doc) Smith's SKYLARK series
9. Jules Verne MYSTERIOUS ISLAND
10.C. S. Forester's HORATIO HORNBLOWER series

... and since Rod mentioned Terry Goodkind's SWORD OF TRUTH series (which I also like), I should mention...

11.Robert Jordan WHEEL OF TIME series

For my own evaluation purposes, I choose books which I like well enough that I read them over and over again.

Great idea David!

The comment said any genre, but I'll keep it to books with at least a tangential Christian connection

1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God by Lee Strobel
3. Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis
4. The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
5. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
6. This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
7. The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life by Armand M. Nicholi Jr.
8. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
9. Sacred Marriage: Celebrating Marriage as a Spiritual Discipline by Gary L. Thomas
10. Thr3e by Ted Dekker

Thanks guys - it's great seeing your lists. It does tell us abit about you as a person.

It's great to see Stephen Lawhead and Frank Perretti on the list. Some fun stuff.
Where would some of us be without Lee Strobel.

I like this.

*I wasn't expecting people to include the Bible, as I thought it would go without saying (I mean, we're all Christians...)

*Glad to see another Dostoyevsky fan in here!

*Glad to see another Wheel of Time fan too!

This is fun. In no particular order I present my 10 favorite books (excluding the Bible):

1. The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
2. The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
3. The Frontiersmen by Alan Eckert
4. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
5. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a' Kempis
6. Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Trilogy by Tolkein
7. The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
8. Heft on Wheels by Mike Magnuson
9. Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli
10. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

I better stick with religion too, or I'll give away how I waste my time. In no particular order:

1. The Birth of Christianity, by Crossan
2. Reclaiming the Bible for a Nonreligious World, by Spong
3. Jesus, an Historical Approximation, Jose Pagola
4. War of the Jews, Josephus
5. The Days of Vengeance, by David Chilton
6. Craig Keener's two-volume commentary of the Gospel of John
7. The Bible with Sources Revealed, by Friedmon
8. Good Book, David Plotz
9. The Book of J, Bruce Chilton
10. Living The Questions (wisdom of progressive Christianity), by Felton and Murphy

These are all girly books, but they are Christian Fiction and I always learn something from them. They are in order.

1. Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz.
2. A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman.
3. A Passion Redeemed by Julie Lessman.
4. A Promise to Believe in by Tracie Peterson.
5. A love to Last Forever by Tracie Peterson.
6. A Dream to Call My Own by Tracie Peterson.
7. Treasure of the North by Tracie Peterson.
8. Ashes and Ice by Tracie Peterson.
9. Rivers of Gold by Tracie Peterson.
10. Elsie Dinsmore Series by Martha Finley.


As you can tell, Tracie Peterson is my favorite author. But my VERY favorite is the Bible and especially, the Author.

In no particular order.

G.K. Chesterton - Orthodoxy
G.K. Chesterton - What's Wrong With The World
C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity
C.S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man
C.S. Lewis - That Hideous Strength
C.S. Lewis - The Screwtape Letters
C.S. Lewis - Perelandra/Voyage To Venus
Thomas Merton - No Man Is An Island
Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Life Together
Richard J. Foster - Celebration Of Discipline

In no particular order:

Oswald Chambers-The Complete Works of O.C.
Chuck Colson-- How Now Shall We Live?
Francis Schaeffer- Francis Schaeffer Trilogy
Thomas A' Kempis Imitation of Christ
Martyn Lloyd-Jones-- Sermon on the Mount
Thomas Merton-- Thoughts in Solitude
Joel Rosenberg-- The Last Jihad series (5 books)
Khaded Rosseni-- Kite Runner and Land of a Thousand Splendid Suns
Henrietta Mears-- What the Bible is All About

First, I don't do well with superlatives. This list might change tomorrow, but these are some I really enjoyed or that have heavily influenced my thinking (aside from the bible, of course, which goes without saying.)

1. Orthodoxy
2. Dune
3. A Song of Ice and Fire
4. Stranger in a Strange Land
5. Hamilton's Curse: How Jefferson's Arch Enemy Betrayed the American Revolution--and What It Means for Americans Today
6. Chronicles of Narnia
7. Our Culture, What's Left of it -- T. Dalrymple
8. Dumbing Us Down: the Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling -- J. T. Gatto
9. Atlas Shrugged
10. The Law -- Bastiat

Let's see......
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
How Now Shall We Live by Chuck Colson
Why Won't They Listen? by Ken Ham
Hell's Best Kept Secret by Ray Comfort
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
1984 by Goerge Orwell
and anything by R.C. Sprout (if that counts :D )

Only 10?

Not in order of course:

1. The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky
2. The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu
3. Theologia Germanica
4. The World as Will and Representation by Arthur Schopenhauer (and pretty much anything else he wrote)
5. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
6. The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien
7. Till We Have Faces by CS Lewis
8. Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant
9. A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge by George Berkeley
10. Elements of Logic by Richard Whately

Rod, I have to know more about your inclusion of the Dave Mustaine autobiography.

I know this is an old thread, but I'm a sucker for lists. As someone above me said, this might change tomorrow, but here are 10 books/series I really like this evening:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, my favorite book in the series as a proxy for the whole thing.
2. The Magician's Nephew, again my favorite in the series as a proxy for the whole thing, though every time I read them to my daughters, I get more and more frustrated by the racism and sexism in them.
3. The Lord of the Rings series
4. The Stand by Stephen King
5. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
6. A Theology for the Social Gospel by Walter Rauschenbusch
7. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
9. Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament by Peter Enns
10. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – a very recent release, but man, it's so good!

This is seriously hard but... a mix of differnt kinds of books:


Orthodoxy - G. K. Chesterton
Escape From Reason - Francis A. Schaeffer
Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller
Moment Maker - Carlos Whitaker
The Gifts of Imperfection - Brené Brown
The Virtue of Selfishness - Ayn Rand
Knowledge of the Holy - A. W. Tozer
Coffee Shop Conversations - Dale and Jonalyn Fincher
Not a Fan. - Kyle Idleman
The Principle of the Path - Andy Stanley

And this is without including anything by C. S. Lewis... A miracle! How did that happen?

Fun thread.

1) Til We Have Faces- C.S. Lewis
2) An Experiment in Criticism-C.S. Lewis
3) Surprised By Joy-C.S. Lewis
4) The Sunne in Splendor- Sharon Kay Penman
5) The Welsh Trilogy-Sharon Kay Penman
6) Phaedo-Plato
7) Villette-Charlotte Bronte
8) Nicholas and Alexandra-Robert K. Massie
9) Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners-Paul Bunyan
10) Candide-Voltaire

Paul question:
"Rod, I have to know more about your inclusion of the Dave Mustaine autobiography."

I confess: i'm a music junkie. Any great guitar playing has my attention.

Dave Mustaine is an interesting mess (and yet very productive!). I've been a Megadeth fan for over 20 years (Countdown To Extinction was a masterpiece of music, philosophy and politics). Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden are also musical passions that touch on religion constantly. I love good music - I even enjoy the Gaither Family on occasion.
I would love to chat with Dave Mustaine and share some Biblical theology and apologetics - He has some pretty messed up Christian understandings, and yet he's made a stand and keeps trying. I applaud him. Most heavy metal fans HATE Dave's lyrics - I think he occasionally hits the nail right on the head.
----- He is by no means a Christian example... but hopefully a struggling brother. Good biography though. I might read it again soon. I'm just finishing Joe Perry's biography today.

Rod wrote: I confess: i'm a music junkie. Any great guitar playing has my attention."

I like the fact that Dave Mustaine was open about being a Christian. I think there are other artists that became Christians but hide that fact. That being said, I've been playing guitar for a long time, but Heavy Metal was never my cup of tea. I liked it a bit more as a kid, but not so much anymore. Classic Rock and Classic Soul is a bit more my style when it comes to guitar oriented music.

Cool Erick. (never would have guessed Classic Rock & Soul). My wife loves the soul music.

I agree - Dave Mustaine doesn't hide from anything. But i'm not exactly sure what he stands for. He sure is against anyone attempting to dominate the planet. We agree on that. Unless it's the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that is. I hope Dave is ready for that.

I'm a big country and Southern Rock fan. But metal and blues are enjoyed almost as much. Lately my son and I listen to a lot of punk music.

Rod wrote: "Cool Erick. (never would have guessed Classic Rock & Soul)... I'm a big country and Southern Rock fan. But metal and blues are enjoyed almost as much. Lately my son and I listen to a lot of punk music. "

I'm a fan of Blues as well. More Country/Folk Blues than Chicago Blues though. John Lee Hooker, Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, Lightnin' Hopkins etc. That's more my style. Classic Rhythm & Blues is nice on occasion too. I'm also a big fan of Classic Black Gospel. That's about the only Christian music I listen to.

My goal in life is to explore more Gospel Music... as soon as i'm done fully ingesting the entire Rolling Stones catalogue. Keith Richards telecaster is one of my favorite instruments on this planet.

I'm a Megadeth fan, too, Rod. I've found Mustaine's conversion fascinating, although it's had a whiff of the self-serving about it at times. It certainly hasn't changed the content of his lyrics much, if at all (not that it should, but still, you'd think maybe it would). In fact, Megadeth's most overtly Christian lyrics occurred in albums that pre-dated his conversion!

I'm also a Metallica fan, and have followed with interest the evolving relationship of James Hetfield with his Christian Science upbringing. The few times he writes about God/spirituality have shown an interesting evolution from outright hostility to uneasy struggle.

1) Mark of the Lion Trilogy (Francine Rivers)
2. Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston)
3) Redeeming Love (Francine Rivers)
4) A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Houssini)
5) Midnight (Sister Souljah)
6) Slam (Walter Dean Myers)
7) A Walk To Remember (Nicholas Sparks)
8) The Other Boleyn Girl (Philippa Gregory)
9) The Hunger Games Trilogy
10) The Rose Trilogy (Beverly Lewis)

Only Ten, huh? Tough.

Anna Karenina
Our Mutual Friend
Lord of the Rings
Surprised by Joy
The Four Loves
Jane Eyre
Hunchback of Notre Dame
Les Miserables
O, Pioneers!
North and South

I'm slated to go through Anna Karenina soon! I am a little intimidated by the size but excited. I just finished his "Resurrection."

David wrote: "What are your ten favorite books (of any genre)?

In no particular order:

1. The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky
2. The Cost of Discipleship by Bonhoeffer
3. What's So Amazing About Grace by Phi..."

I had to comment, David, because your list looks quite a bit like mine! You have great taste in books. :-) In no particular order:

1. The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky
2. Till We Have Faces by CS Lewis
3. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
4. Ethics by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
5. The Great Divorce by CS Lewis
6. God, Freedom and Evil by Alvin Platinga
7. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
8. The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant
9. Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross
10. Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

A few on your list would probably make my top 20 (Great Divorce, Les Mis, Dark Night).

In no particular order.

1) Christus Victor by Gustauf Aulen
2) Doors of the Sea by David Bentley Hart (anything by him really)
3) On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius
4) Confessions by St. Augustine
5) Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
6) The Catholic Religion by Vernon Staley
7) Ragamuffin Gospel/Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning
8) The Spirituality of the Cross by Gene Edward Veith Jr.
9) Worship: Old and New by Robert Weber
10) The Celebration of Discipline by Foster

WHAT?! Nobody has had 10 favorite books since June 3? Come on Noobs - lets have it. (we need something to mock or cheer...or simply tell where your heart and interests lie (or did I mean Lay?) We'll see.

That's hard because I have more than ten. A lot of them are found on my favorites list. I don't think I could choose just ten out of even those. It would be like choosing between your children... or at least I would imagine it would be, I have never had kids.

I have kids... It's easy to pick daily favorites. (don't tell them - they assume life is fair and equal.)

Erick name 50 books if you want to. Like the PIRATE CODE - the list is more of a guideline really.

Haha. I'll keep that in mind if I have kids, which is highly doubtful at my age. As far as books, I'll see what I can come up with.

At this stage: I think we can make a list of 10 MOST HATED books. I'll start a new thread. Just to gather some chatter. (i'm sure I'll offend almost everyone here with that list.) :p

(i'm sure I'll offend almost everyone here with that list.) :p"

Maybe. You should try. ;-)

I haven't read a lot of Christian themed books (non-fiction), but I read one last year that blew me away and it's now on my top 10 list
- Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity

Otherwise I read a lot of fluff :)

I've been considering this list for a while now, but I tend to have new favorites every year. :) I'l take a stab at it though; these are the books I have read multiple times, and could happily read them again. As I most enjoy those lists where the reader has explained why he or she likes a book (because I can more easily decide if it's something I'll enjoy), I'll do the same here:

1. The Holy Bible - It might seem like a cliche, perhaps, but the Bible is my easy "desert island" choice. It has every genre --adventure, intrigue, romance, mystery, archeologically-proven history, and more-- and I find it also to be a source of great wisdom, knowledge, and comfort. Charles Spurgeon once wrote, "I am afraid that this is a magazine reading age, a newspaper reading age, a periodical reading age, but not so much a Bible reading age as it ought to be. In the old Puritanic times men used to have a scant supply of other literature, but they found a library enough in the one Book, the Bible.” 'Nuff said.

2. AMG's Encyclopedia of Jesus' Life & Time - This book contains a wealth of literary styles and works within its 800-plus pages; there are sermons of course, but also: poetry, essays, theological discourses, meditations, prayers, histories, hymns, quotations, studies, statements of faith, transcripts, councils, and catechisms (and, likely, others I have missed). It has brought me education and clarification, inspiration and confirmation, entertainment and encouragement.

3. To Live by Yu Hua - This is an amazing, quiet book filled with stunning imagery. To Live traces the life of an old peasant as he relays his surprising history, framed through decades of Chinese conflicts and the Cultural Revolution. Tragic and heartbreaking, yet uplifting and utterly unforgettable.

4. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton - Ethan Frome is probably not for everyone; it's a quiet, slowly paced book that shows the banailty of a life sacrificed, of hope lost and gained, and how dangerous that hope can be. It's hauntingly, beautifully written.

5. The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk - This is, I think, the literary equivalent to "Fast and the Furious," only with actual depth and subtext. It just makes me want to pump my fist in the air --sometimes with anger, sometimes in victory-- as a fresh-faced midshipman struggles with life aboard an obsolete WWII warship under a Captain who may (or may not) be insane.

6. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway - Like #5, this is (what they used to call) a man's book written by a man's man. Tough, terse, prose explodes off the page like the dynamite its lead character uses. Set during the Spanish Civil War, I have read no more heart rending a description of the devastation that combat causes (to both hostiles and the innocent) than this book. And, then: that unxpected romance in an unexpected place, that proves even tough guys can be sensitive.

7. Holocaust by Gerald Green - Yes, it's based on the "teleplay" for a miniseries produced in the 1970's (worth seeking out, btw; it's available on DVD), but that doesn't matter; it's literary in every sense of the word. The novel follows two young men: one, a rising officer in the Nazi regime, the other a Jewish man trying to escape back to his family. You will feel for them both, and I can think of no better compliment to the author than that.

8. Watership Down by Richard Adams - I read it as a child for its surface-level story of a group of rabbits who must leave their warren in search of a new one, in order to escape the encroachment of Man. I read it as a teenager for its thoughtful analysis of what the word "home" truly means. Now I read it for those things, but also for its smart, honest comparison of different forms of governments and class systems (Didn't know that was in there? Read it again! :) ). Not too bad, for a book about bunnies.

9. The World According to Garp by John Irving - Its many themes are universal, woven together in a skillful tapestry in such a way that each one is satifying and nothing feels rushed: lust v. love, family v. fortune & fame, aging with grace and dignity, being true to ourselves, following our dreams. It is, at times, tragic, racy, violent, and laugh out loud funny, and it elicits in me a feeling of nostalgia and melancholy for a time when I hadn't yet been born! In Henry Allen's infamous article, "The Disquiet of Ziggy Zeitgeist" (published 2013 in the Wall Street Journal), he writes, "the last novel to have must-read impact on American culture was "The World According to Garp" in 1978, 35 years ago." I couldn't agree more.

10. The Shining by Stephen King - I haven't read it in over a decade, but it's on my list because it is the first book of King's in which I realized he was an incredibly skilled craftsman, and that he didn't just write gajillion-dollar-selling campfire tales. The book is rich with symbolism, deep with subtext, and has a lot to say about the decay of the American family. You can read it just for the "BOO!s" or you can peel back layer after layer.

Jayne, fluff can be a LOT of fun. Sometimes healthy too. I too loved Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.


THanks JOhn, I loved your Spurgeon quote for the Holy Bible. Awesome.

I've been meaning to read Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus; it sounds like it's worth getting a copy.

Rod, that whole sermon ("How to Read the Bible") is great. I have it in the Spurgeon Anthology, but it's available online for free.

Also, thank you for the many interesting and thought-provoking conversations you've started in here lately. I think it's becoming my new morning routine, to make a cup of coffee and see what's on your mind. :)

Thanks John.
Guaranteed - my mind will eventually REALLY ANNOY you. Unless you are as passionate and witty as myself. (could be...you threw in THE SHINING. Just when you think you have a guy all figured out?!)

I like this comment:
" It has every genre --adventure, intrigue, romance, mystery, and more-- and I find it also to be a source of great wisdom, knowledge, and comfort."

Make the "MORE" factual history (with a touch of comedy) and I may have to post that for the world to remember.

Just so you don't think too highly of me:

I recall watching Robin Williams in the World According to Garp. Back in my youth. (only cuz that crazy guy from Mork & Mindy was in it...then of course he did the Dead Poets Society) I hate poetry. Unless you consider Iron Maiden lyrics equivalent to Hemingway.

I had no idea it was a book by Irving. I may have to read it after all these years.

I can't believe I missed that, especially since one of the few print magazines I still subscribe to is Biblical Archeology review (yes, really)!! I've fixed that to read "It has every genre --adventure, intrigue, romance, mystery, archeologically-proven history, and more--" (because there really is so much more). Thanks, Rod!

As for having me all figured out...don't even bother trying, my friend. My tastes and history are way too varied. Here's an example! :D The sound sucks, but that's me in the middle. Had this been a list of my favorite movies, some Monty Python and Shaun of the Dead would have been on it, for sure.

As for the Irving book, READ IT. Seriously, it holds up really well. The movie wisely managed to reel in Williams' penchant for improvisation, and it reflects the tone of the book, but at least a full third of the book isn't in the movie, and the one story that they showed him writing (about the piano falling) isn't in the book; instead, there are other stories. Since it is, in part, a novel written by a writer writing about another writer who writes (!), there is so much more depth on the printed page than in the film (which I also really enjoyed, on its own merits). It's also pretty quirky, so I have a feeling you'll like it.

I love the Quirky.
Christopher Moore and Dean Koontz are my fav's. Both have lots of religious content with their insane humor.

My goal this year: read Garp.

Hopefully there isn't a huge lineup of teenagers at my local library waiting for it.

I've never heard of Moore (until just now), but I'm digging his book titles and Twitter feed. My goal is to get through my "currently reading" list (which, thanks to you and your review of "Fabricating Jesus" now has another one on it) but, when I pare it down a bit, what Moore book should I start with?

Rod wrote: "My goal this year: read Garp."
*fist pump*

AS a Christian: I recommend you DON'T read Christopher Moore.

However, If you appreciate the charm and originality of the movie DOGMA - then you get the reason I said that. I love comedy, so I will allow a few bits of nasty to slip through. I understand it for what it is: Flaws and all.

"Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal."
(fun novel, Similar to Life of Brian and The Holy Grail.)

"Dirty Job" was a great tale with endless wit/comedy and Demons inhabiting San Francisco.

After so much deeply serious theology and Apologetics: I desperately need something to take my mind off the intensity of our existence.

Absolutely. And, as a Christian, I recognize God gave me a brain. :)

I went through the whole "throw out all secular things" back in my teens. Now, I know where my heart lies, and my tolerance for certain things has changed (and I'm old enough to realize that it's my approach to things that makes them worldly or liturgical). I have no problems with satire or a bit of nasty, as long as it serves a purpose.

Thanks for the recommendations.