Kyle Childress wrote a good overview of Berry for Christian Century. A copy can be read here: Good Work

While I do not count myself an "expert" on Mr. Berry, I am an enthusiastic reader who makes extensive use of his writing in my own work in the classroom and in my scholarship.

All reading of Berry should begin, in my estimation, with his seminal novel A Place on Earth. Brent mentioned his collected short stories, That Distant Land, which is also essential reading. And there is also a lot to be commended about his poetry, with his two most recent collections (apart from the classic "Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front" being my favorites.

Apart from the aforementioned collection edited by Wirzba, I think the single most interesting collection of essays is Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community I also think two of his programmatic essays are essential, "The Body and the Earth," and "Discipline and Hope."

I am hopeful that Places of God: Theological Voices in Conversation with the Work of Wendell Berry will be published late this year or early next.

Happy Reading,
Joel Shuman