Books That Have Shaped Us
At Common Thread, we read not just to learn—but to grow, to heal, and to be transformed.
These books have helped many of us untangle harmful beliefs, reimagine faith, deepen our contemplative lives, and stay grounded in love through it all.
Books Referenced in Our Teachings
These are books that Sue has quoted in recent sermons or reflections – books that keep showing up in our community’s spiritual conversations.
Mystical Hope – Cynthia Bourgeaul
Making All Things New – Ilia Delio
The Human Phenomenon – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
The Mysterion – Kabir Helminski
Faith Beyond Resentment – James Alison
The Universal Christ – Richard Rohr
The Wild Edge of Sorrow – Francis Weller
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene – Jean-Yves Leloup
Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus – Neil Douglas-Klotz
Let Your Life Speak – Parker Palmer
The Awakened Brain – Lisa Miller
Stages of Faith – James W. Fowler
The Wisdom Pattern – Richard Rohr
Do I Stay Christian? – Brian D. McLaren
Lament for a Brother – Sue Kemple
How to Change Your Mind – Michael Pollan
Deconstructing & Reconstructing Faith
Books for those rethinking their faith, language, and spiritual frameworks – without giving up on the sacred altogether.
Breathing Under Water – Richard Rohr
A New Kind of Christian – Brian McLaren
Everything Must Change – Brian McLaren
Do I Stay Christian? – Brian McLaren
The Great Emergence – Phyllis Tickle
Emergence Christianity – Phyllis Tickle
Christianity After Religion – Diana Butler Bass
A People’s History of Christianity – Diana Butler Bass
A New New Testament – Hal Taussig
Contemplative & Mystical Wisdom
Books that invite us into stillness, presence, and the unfolding of the deeper self.
Open Mind, Open Heart – Thomas Keating
The Meaning of Mary Magdalene – Cynthia Bourgeault
On the Brink of Everything – Parker Palmer
The Showings – Julian of Norwich (tr. Mirabai Starr)
The Practice of the Presence of God – Brother Lawrence (tr. Carmen Acevedo Butcher)
Inner Work & Psychology
These books helped shape our Self-Awareness practice, conflict work, and understanding of the human psyche.
Nonviolent Communication – Marshall Rosenberg
Living Nonviolent Communication – Marshall Rosenberg
The Dark Night of the Soul – Gerald May
The Willpower Instinct – Kelly McGonigal
The Lost Art of Listening – Michael P. Nichols
Lost Connections – Johann Hari
The Awakened Brain – Lisa Miller
Justice, Equity & the Common Good
Books that challenge and inspire us to build a more loving, equitable world.
So You Want to Talk About Race – Ijeoma Oluo
Me and White Supremacy – Layla Saad
The New Jim Crow – Michelle Alexander
White Fragility – Robin DiAngelo
Stamped from the Beginning – Ibram X. Kendi
Cassandra Speaks – Elizabeth Lesser
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee – Dee Brown
Completing Capitalism – Bruno Roche
Big Questions, Big Ideas
Books that help us reframe God, evolution, consciousness, and human potential.
The Evolution of God – Robert Wright
A History of God – Karen Armstrong
Eternal Life – John Shelby Spong
Integral Christianity – Paul R. Smith
How the Irish Saved Civilization – Thomas Cahill
What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality – Daniel A. Helminiak
Daily Inspiration & Slow Living
Small, beautiful books that remind us to breathe, pay attention, and live well.
When Things Fall Apart – Pema Chödrön
The Places That Scare You – Pema Chödrön
Books by Our Founder
Doug Hammack led Common Thread through its earliest seasons of transformation. His books reflect that journey.
Rethinking Our Story: Can We Still Be Christian in the Quantum Era?
Rethinking Sex Ed: The Wisdom of Religion… Without the Crazy