Here's a couple of books that have caught my attention and provided stimulating reading time:

1.  The Good Society - The Humane Agenda,   byJohn Kenneth Galbraith.  New York, Houghton Miflin Company, 1996.   ISBN 0-395-7138-5

Not exactly a current book, but one well worth re-reading or reading for the first time.   Galbraith is not a Christian theologian, of course, but an economist of international standing, born in Canada.  For anyone who roots their social and economic values in faith-based convictions or a lofty utopian vision , this small volume  describes an agenda worth pursuing.

Compassion, realistic economics, just relations, universal well-being are elements of a "good society" agenda that Galbraith unfolds with readable and profound eloquence.    For people who pursue libertarian and individualistic socio-political ideals, Galbraith will readily be dismiss-able.   But for Christians who take seriously Jesus' words about relating to others with "kindom" values, Galbraith provides a contemporary compass for the life-long journey towards God's universal shalom.

A 143-page read, on which to spend a couple of stimulating hours and, if convicted, a life-time of implementing .

2. The Theology of The United Church of Canada.  Don Schweitzer, Michael Bourgeois, Rob Fennell, eds.  Wilfrid Laurier University Press. 2019.  ISBN 978-1-77112-395-2.

Long overdue, this collaborative effort by thirteen United Church of Canada (UCC) theologians -  educators and pastors - offers welcome critical reflection on the theological substance of the UCC.  Four "subordinate standards" (scripture being the foundational standard) expressing UCC beliefs during the life of the denomination since 1925 provide the writers with a base from which to reflect on key theological concepts and other aspects of the denomination's core theology.

The four are:   Twenty Articles of Doctrine in the Basis of Union (1925),  A Statement of Faith (1940),  A New Creed (1968 & revisions),  A Song of Faith (2006).   Other documents approved by successive General Councils find their way into the reflections, readily indicating that the UCC is not a "confessional" denomination requiring strict adherence to its formally adopted subordinate statements - notwithstanding the requirement prior to ordination that candidates be in "essential agreement" with the Church's formal theological statements.

It may be too much to state that the UCC "is awash" in theology, as one observer claimed in 2005, but the 390-page volume reveals that there is a richness to the Church's theological heritage account.  Traditional theological concepts like:  the triune God, sin and redemption, christology, the Holy Spirit, sacraments, and eschatology are covered.   But less significant other topics with contemporary appeal like "what are people for?", "the good creation: from classical theism to ecotheology", and the impact of mission work on indigenous and ethnic minority communities -  indicate clearly that theology is an ongoing "work in progress" in the context of life's experiences and the discernment of the Church.

The book is worth reading.   

I'm wondering to what extent it has been or is being read.   I haven't noticed any great effort to make it a study/conversation document for UCC folks and beyond.    It would be a shame if the book were only  discussed in classrooms of theological schools and religious studies departments, or, worse still, just gathering dust on book shelves alongside too many Bibles.

One surprising gap for me:   I could not find a single reference to the successful union of the UCC with the Evangelical United Brethren denomination in 1968, even though the failed proposed unions with Anglicans and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are reported.