Christopher White writes:

Henri Nouwen is among my favorite writers on the spiritual life, so it was a particular delight to read Love, Henri – a collection of over 100 previously unpublished letters to close friends, admirers, and colleagues. Nouwen’s prolific writings have rightly landed him among the ranks of the Church’s most influential communicators, yet this new collection offers insight into Nouwen’s own suffering, and a necessary reminder that one’s own vulnerabilities can ultimately be the source of redemption. Also, Nouwen’s ability to maintain correspondence and friendship with a range of individuals across the political and religious spectrum offers a much needed example for our present times….

After seeing Raoul Peck’s masterful documentary, I am not your Negro, which is based on an unfinished manuscript by James Baldwin on the civil rights era (and should be required viewing for all Americans!), I spent much of the year reading works by Baldwin. If Beale Street Could Talk is a heartbreaking tale of family dysfunction, romance, and racial tensions that provides a realistic snapshot of a bleak, but all too familiar, period of American life.

You can read his full response and recommendations from his colleagues at Crux here.