Written By Alexis Faubel

Important things require time, attention, and a platform. I know for me, every time I hear someone is speaking on any matter of social justice, or has a spicy take on relationships, I’m down to hear truth and be challenged…. Well, I mostly just want to hear truth. I’ve found myself consuming mass amounts of articles and videos exploring subjects varying from race, to dating, to our justice system and singleness. I’ve had hours worth of conversations with my friends on these topics alone, and could probably host a whole channel dedicated to my own thoughts on these themes.

But while the idea of hosting a platform to spill all of my opinions is very appealing, I’ve come to understand that there are folks who have dedicated years of their lives curating and pouring out the results of God-given discernment, understanding, and life-experience that I will never obtain, into books! A lost art in our easy-to-access digital world, but man have I benefited from reading books by numerous different authors if I just… yep... humble myself, take a seat, open their book, and absorb the words they have chosen to share.

The people represented in this list each carry a different weight. They shoulder differences in race, gender, nationality, relationship status, trauma, platform, level of education, and daily struggles. I encourage us all to take the time to pause and take in what these authors have to say about the world around them, and their experiences, and what it means for us, and our lives. As we take the time to listen to them, just as they have spent time listening to our God, I pray that our hearts are softened, our eyes opened, and that our ability to love others and ourselves well, is abundant.

Women in Ministry & Gender Roles

Troubling Her: A Biblical Defense of Women in Ministry - Jessica Faye Carter

God's Women Then and Now - Dr. Deborah Gill and Barbara Cavaness

Powerful and Free: Confronting The Glass Ceiling For Women in The Church - Danny Silk

Race & Reconciliation

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness - Austin Channing Brown

Heal Us, Emmanuel: A Call for Racial Reconciliation, Representation, and Unity in the Church - Various Authors (Essays)

Prophetic Lament - Soong-Chan Rah

In Our Backyard: Human Trafficking in America and what we can do to stop it - Nita Belles

Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores - Dominique DuBois Gilliard

Roadmap to Reconciliation: Moving Communities into Unity, Wholeness and Justice - Brenda Salter McNeil

White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White - Daniel Hill