Influencers: A Summer Reading List
At Arapaho UMC, we believe faith is not something we inherit and protect, but something we live, wrestle with, and grow into. This summer, our worship series Influencers: Voices That Shape Our Journeys invites us to listen to the theologians, poets, activists, and prophets who have helped many of us reconstruct faith after seasons of doubt, disillusionment, or change.
These voices don’t offer easy answers. Instead, they teach us how to ask better questions. They remind us that following Jesus often means challenging the status quo, showing up at the margins, and learning to see the sacred in everyday life. Their words have shaped how we understand justice, belonging, love, and what it means to be faithful in a complicated world.
To help you engage more deeply with this series, we’ve put together a summer reading list. Each section highlights one of the voices we’re lifting up in worship and offers a few book suggestions along with why their work matters. Whether you’re looking for your next book club pick or simply want to sit with a thoughtful voice on your porch this summer, we hope these resources stir your heart and expand your understanding.
James Cone — Speaking Truth to Power
What to Read:
The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone
Black Theology and Black Power by James H. Cone
Why It Matters:
James Cone is often called the father of Black Liberation Theology. His work helps us understand how Christian faith speaks to the reality of racial injustice. Cone shows us that God is always on the side of the oppressed, and that real faith requires confronting the systems and stories that sustain inequality. His books are bold, prophetic, and deeply rooted in the liberating message of the Gospel.
Dorothy Day — Love at the Margins
What to Read:
The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day: Dissenting Voice of the American Century by John Loughery and Blythe Randolph
Why It Matters:
Dorothy Day co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement and lived a life shaped by hospitality, justice, and peace. Her story challenges us to bring our faith into the gritty, real places of hunger, homelessness, and poverty. She teaches that love of God and love of neighbor are inseparable, and that we often meet Christ most clearly in those the world forgets.
Wendell Berry and Annie Dillard — Grounded Faith and Sacred Attention
What to Read:
Wendell Berry
Jayber Crow (a beautiful novel about small-town life and vocation)
The Art of the Commonplace (a collection of essays on community, place, and sustainability)
Sabbath Poems
Annie Dillard
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Teaching a Stone to Talk
Why It Matters:
Both Berry and Dillard invite us to pay attention—to the natural world, to our communities, and to the present moment. Their writing helps us reconnect with the earth and remember that spiritual wisdom often grows in ordinary soil. Their work is quiet and contemplative, offering a slower pace and deeper insight into God’s presence all around us.
Rachel Held Evans — Faith Reimagined
What to Read:
Searching for Sunday
Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again
Faith Unraveled
Why It Matters:
Rachel Held Evans gave voice to a generation of people who loved Jesus but struggled with the church. Through personal storytelling and deep engagement with scripture, she made space for doubt, curiosity, and authenticity. Her work is full of grace and invites us to stay rooted in our faith even when our beliefs shift or fall apart. If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t fit the mold, her words will feel like coming home.
John Wesley — The Unfinished Revolution
What to Read:
A Plain Account of Christian Perfection
The Journal of John Wesley
Why It Matters:
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, didn’t set out to start a movement. He simply wanted to take faith seriously. Through his theology of grace, his passion for justice, and his desire for holy living, he inspired a faith that was both deeply personal and boldly public. Wesley’s vision still invites us to grow in love, serve our neighbors, and keep our hearts open to transformation.
LGBTQ+ Saints — Hidden Histories and Holy Lives
What to Read:
Queer Virtue by Rev. Elizabeth Edman
Our Lives Matter: A Womanist Queer Theology by Pamela R. Lightsey
Transgender Warriors by Leslie Feinberg
Black on Both Sides by C. Riley Snorton (for historical context on Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera)
Queer As All Get Out: 10 People Who've Inspired Me by Shelby Criswell
The Stonewall Riots: Making a Stand for LGBTQ+ Rights by Archie Bongiovanni & A. Andrews
Why It Matters:
The lives of LGBTQ+ saints and activists have often been left out of the church’s story. But their courage, faith, and pursuit of justice reflect the heart of Christ. These books offer insight into the struggles and triumphs of queer Christians, as well as the movements they helped lead. Their stories challenge us to expand our vision of who belongs in the kingdom of God—and remind us that God has always worked through those who live at the edges.
A Final Invitation
Whether you’re deconstructing, rebuilding, or just asking new questions, these voices can offer guidance, challenge, and comfort. Read one or read them all. Let them stir your imagination, open your heart, and help you follow Jesus more fully in a world that needs justice, compassion, and courageous love.