The Annual Best Of Post

Best Books of 2011

As usual: this is a list of the best books that I’ve read this year, not books published this year (also applies to the below Best of Music).

  • Heavenly Participation: Reweaving the Sacramental Tapestry by Hans Boersma. Enjoyed this book because of the oddity of trying to combine Protestant theology with non-Thomist medieval Catholicism in order to recover a fuller, truer view of the cosmos that God has created. Not entirely convinced, but Boersma has some right visions of what Christian theology and life should be like (you can read my petered-out blog series here and here).
  • The Myth of Religious Violence by William Cavanaugh. Easily the most provocative thing I’ve read in a long time. In prepping for a class at BCS on the Wars of Religion, I read thru this book which totally convinced me that the modern state and the modern idea of religion is incredibly false, and thus incredibly damaging. I wish every churchman, politician, and commentator would read this book. 
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. What can I say? This book moves me to tears every time I read it, and it has, more than nearly anything else in my life, illuminated the humanity of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for me. This, despite the fact that harry is not an allegory of Jesus—he is portraying a good Christian life of love for us to see. These 7 books will likely be an annual event for me, much like The Lord of the Rings has been.
  • Tree and Leaf by J. R. R. Tolkien. A lovely collection of some of my favorite shorter items from my good friend Dr. Tolkien: Mythopoeia (a poem about humanity, creativity, and the image of God in us), “Leaf by Niggle” (a short story concerning the comedy of being a niggling artist with a limited number of years to live), “The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth” (one of many ‘re-constructions’ of Anglo-Saxon poem fragments that Tolkien wrote; this one focusing on death as equalizer), and “On Fairy-Stories” (a lecutre in defense of the fairy-tale genre against its cultured despisers; it has not been refuted even though literary types still poop all over his work as ‘escapist,’ ‘simple,’ and ‘childish’).
  • Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics by Jonathan Wilson. So much fun, and a great learning experience since I know nothing of soccer history and strategy. Caveat: after reading this and then watching Liverpool this season, my blood pressure is substantially higher than last year.
  • J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey. Incredibly insightful and knowledgable defense of Tolkien against his detractors. Tons of insanely interesting discussion of English grammar, words, place-names, and other nerdish stuff that I love so much. Shippey, however, could use a good systematic theology refresher so that some of his conclusions could be strengthened.
  • The Word Exchange: Anglo-Saxon Poems in Translation edited by Greg Delanty and Michael Matto. More Old English nerditty! A set of excellent translations done in teams of linguists and English poets that really bring out the sound and sense of (most of) these poems. “The Seafarer” and “The Vision of the Cross” are worth the price of the book.

Best Music of 2011

I KNOW I’M A HIPSTER DOOFUS. You don’t have to tell me. But: these artists and their work have really impacted me, and this indie folk/rock/post-rock stuff is the only popular music that doesn’t irritate the crap out of me. 

  • Love and War and the Sea In Between by Josh Garrels. I can’t say how much this album has meant to me in this 2011 full of trial and tribulation. Musically diverse and lyrically rich, Love and War tells the story of the hope of “that far country” beyond the blue to which Christ has brought and will bring us fully one day. In the interim, we struggle and are sustained by grace, hope, and love that come to us in so many varied forms. He’s even giving it away for free for another 5 months. “Farther Along” kept us going this year.
  • Sigh No More by Mumford and Sons. Yes, up for multiple Grammys. Yes, top seller on iTunes. Tons of folks love it. I just don’t care. There is so much depth in the writing, so much feeling poured into the music that these boys are our favorites. I think the reason Mumford are so popular is because the biblical illiteracy in the West is so pervasive, that all the deeply Christian lyrics and narratives in their songs go totally unnoticed. I pray my kids keep listening as they get the Bible into their bloodstream. Even though he doesn’t know what it means, I love hearing our youngest sing while doing dishes: “So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light, ’cause O they gave me such a fright. And I will hold as long as you like, just promise me we’ll be alright.” 
  • The Head and the Heart by The Head and the Heart. First heard these guys when they opened up First Ave. for Iron & Wine (which greatly disappointed). They blew the lid off of it, and we were hooked. Lots of stomping and driving guitars, while the harmonies are wonderful. Plus, they mention Oklahoma in one track so we have to love them.
  • Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes. The texture of this new album is incredibly detailed, and still sounds like it was made 35 years ago (in a good way). You need about 10 listens to let it really begin to sink in and work its magic, but you should let it. Good, good stuff.
  • Bon Iver by Bon Iver. Again, my tiny, North-Woods-of-Wisconsin-esque indie secrets like Justin Vernon have been discovered by the mainstream of American (and European) music. This is up for multiple Grammys this year as well. While I enjoy Bon Iver, and do so in spite of its difference from Justin’s first release For Emma…Forever Ago, it is mainly the sounds themselves that have affected me. Such delicate landscapes are painted here it almost doesn’t matter that you can’t understand over half of the lyrics. Different, but good.