The Five Books You Would Take to Prison

Almost two weeks ago I wrote about the new Bureau of Prisons policy that is removing all religious books except for a government-approved list (original story here). I could say something smarmy and passive-aggressive like, "Boy, I am so glad we elected a true religious conservative to the White House." Or possibly I could ask, "How did someone so publicly aligned with the One who spoke against fear come to be so ruled by fear?" But I will avoid those thoughts as they might cause controversy.

According to an article in this morning's NY Times, the government plans to continue with this policy, despite calls for its end from both the left and the right. But, I did learn in the article that each prisoner was allowed to keep five books for themselves.

This got me wondering: If I were imprisoned during the Bush Administration and had my religious liberties taken away in the name of fighting terror, what five books would I want with me? This is not a list of my five favorite books, just those I would want during this time of Orwellian religious political structure. Below is my list; please feel free to add your own in the comments section:

1. The Bible

2. The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

3. Following Jesus in a Culture of Fear, Scott Bader-Saye

4. The Myth of a Christian Nation, Greg Boyd

5. The Politics of Jesus, John Howard Yoder

Comments

[Dustin]

I too am a bit disturbed by this most recent attempt at censorship in the name of safety. What is our world coming to!

Here's my list:

1. The Bible (w/ Apocrypha) :)
2. The Cost of Discipleship (a book which requires numerous readings to really "get," and even then I'm not sure I "got" it)
3. Silence (by Shusaku Endo)
4. The Politics of Jesus (fantastic work by Yoder)
5. Dammit, I can't decide on a fifth book and narrow it down. I would be so lost without my books if I were in prison.

Oh, I do have a question. Did you really find Boyd's book all that helpful? I am reading it now, and at the end of almost every chapter, I find myself thinking and wishing he had went much deeper. I also must admit that he is probably playing to an audience which doesn't read the same works as me, so I can give some leeway there. But, man, he could have done so much more.

[Mark Olson]

An attempt:
1. The bible (which?! yikes).
2-5. The Philokalia (alas four volumes which means I'm done).

[Rob Witham]

Five makes for a tough list but here are my choices.

1. Bible (NRSV or WEB)
2. Epic by John Eldredge
3. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
4. Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand
5. I'm still working on this one - tough choice!

Good thoughts Will. I posted my list on my own site as well and linked back here.

[John D. Palmer]

Exhaustive Dictionary(current)
Enclosure, by Andy Goldsworthy
Living in Prison (an ecology of survival) by Hans Toch
Doing Time:Prison Experience and Identity Among First time Inmates
The Prison Letters of Fidel Castro(mainly because if I get put in Prison I will be working on my own plan to take over the world or at least a small chunk of it)

[Brent Underwood]

First time commenter here. This is my stab at it:

1. The Bible (Because everyone is doing it!)
2. The Powers that Be by Walter Wink
3. The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann
4. The Resurrection of the Son of God by N.T. Wright (the book has been sitting on my self for awhile now and I think prison would give me ample time to read it.)
5. Colossians Remixed by Walsh & Keesmaat

[John D. Palmer]

Could you guys coordinate and at least get three different versions of the bible. I prefer the NRSV in case your interested. I'll be trading 10 Dictionary reference's for 10 pages of whatever you got.

[Jordon Cooper]

The Bible
Church Dogmatics: A Selection by Karl Barth
Politics of Jesus: Yoder
The Merton Reader
The Hauerwas Reader

[Sam Andress]

1. Holy Scripture

2. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society (Newbigin)

3. The Hauerwas Reader

4. The Crucified God (Moltmann)

5. Letters and Papers (Bonhoeffer)

[s.o]

here's what comes to mind:
1. Bible (message?)
2. Walden & Civil Disobedience (thoreau volume where they come together!)
3. The Way of the Heart (Nouwen on Desert Fathers)
4. Letters to a Young Poet (Rilke) - to spur on writing
5. Wendell Berry Essays - Maybe "Citizenship Papers" to think upon our rights & responsibilities...

[Dan Morehead]

Will...nice list.

[lisa]

1. The Bible
2. The Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis
3. The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer
4. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
5. The Dark Night of the Soul, St. John of the Cross

[bob carlton]

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Giver by Lois Lowry
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright

i'd want my imagination nurtured

[John D. Palmer]

Bob thanks for not leaving me hanging as the only poor sinner that was willing to go into the joint without his bible. I give you free access to my Dictionary.

[cheryl]

i've thought about this a bit - i've spent a bit of time in prisons, doing worship with men who are in maximum security for a long period of time. i'd want books that never fail to offer me moments of grace and transcendence. Rumi, Rilke, books of lyrics by Paul Kelly and Leonard Cohen, To Kill A Mockingbird.

[lisa]

Oh, I thought they had to be religious books due to the censoring. If it was five books period, I'd definitely throw in more fiction, My Name is Asher Lev first pick.

[Heather]

Will - Call me old fashioned, but I'd have to add a hymnal.

[John D. Palmer]

So they were supposed to be religious in nature? Ok I'll do that list too.

The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
The Divine Hours-Phylis Tickle
John Wesley-edited by Albert Outler
The Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1
Devotional Classics- Richard Foster