(Part 2) Best christian leadership books according to redditors

• For dogma: On The Incarnation by Athanasius of Alexandria (c.318 AD). The single most influential thing I've ever read.
  
• For insight into the early beliefs on the role and Person of Christ: Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity by Larry Hurtado.
  
• For understanding of Christian worship across twenty centuries: The Study of Liturgy edited by Cheslynn Jones
  
• For both theory and practical application of Orthodox understanding of salvation: Bread & Water, Wine & Oil by Meletios Webber
  
• For practical pastoral perspective: The Other Side of Pastoral Ministry by Daniel Brown (no, not that Dan Brown :-) The book's premise can be summarized in a trite sentence or two but its content was a significant game-changer in my ministry.
  
  

Great book I'm reading right now and many in my church.

God Space by Doug Pollock. It's super helpful for post-Christian ares of the country, but it would also work in still Christianized parts of the country, too.

Basically, it goes over how to create a space where people (unbelievers) feel comfortable talking about spiritual things.

Freedom and Boundaries by Kevin DeYoung is a good place to start.

Women in the Church: An Analysis and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 by Andreas Köstenberger and Thomas Schreiner (two PhDs from Southern) is good for an in depth examination of that specific passage.

Jesus, Justice, and Gender Roles by Kathy Keller comes from the perspective of a woman who wrestled through this issue and examined all the relevant Biblical texts closely.

Women's Ministry in the Local Church by Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt, is good for exploring the positive side of a woman's role in the church, while sticking with the orthodox position on ordination.

My favorite books have been where both sides of an issue are able to write out their beliefs, and then critique others. If that kind of book interests you, I highly recommend Two Views on Women in Ministry. There are four authors that first present their side and reasoning for their position, and then the others critique them. They then rotate. I also found Women in Ministry: Four Views. I haven't read this one, but if it's anything like the first book, it ought to be right down your alley.

Karl Barth

Thanks for the input. I just remember my professor stressing those points, I guess. I'm blurry on the details though!

Here's a good study on the role of bishops: http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Bishops-Late-Antiquity-Transformation/dp/0520242963/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3FYTYH2RZQ1J8&coliid=IWMQ6FPOHJQ50

Regarding Adrianople, we have to keep in mind that the Roman army in the West was tasked with defending a vast frontier, whereas Constantinople was flanked by two seas and extremely difficult to invade. The West was geographically screwed, and with a constant flow of barbarian settlers thanks to Valens's folly I imagine the army was largely incapable of handling the situation. Plus the practice of intermarriage was so widespread in the frontier outposts that the distinction between barbarian and Roman was quickly fading.

But once again, I don't know the specifics. Was the army along the Western frontier actually capable of stemming the tide of invasions? I really don't know!

Two quick thoughts:

1. Your large space can be a ministry all unto itself. There are many creative ways where that space can be used either for your surrounding community or neighbors or used/rented by them.
   
   
2. Check out Eddie Hammett's book "Reaching People Under 40 While Keeping People Over 60".