Here’s Some of Our Problem

by | Oct 8, 2006 | General Theology, Reading

Enjoying the 50th anniversary of Christianity Today? Me too. It explains a lot – just check out the list of influential books for evangelicals over the past 50 years: The top 50 books that have shaped evangelicals – Christianity Today Magazine Rarely am I on the cutting edge of evangelical reading lists. I’m normally quite behind (I am just now reading David Wells, God in the Wasteland – I have some catching up to do). However, I felt completely out of touch when I read CT’s list. Let me rephrase that, I felt completely and thankfully out of touch. If Christy is one of the top 50 books that have shaped evangelicals, I’m not sure I have any more affinity for the term. There are a few books on the list I have not read but wish I had and one day plan to. In fact, out of the 50 list, I think I’ve only read 11 of them. Wow – what a evangelical wimp! The more I contemplate my lack of involvement with the 50 most impactful books on evangelicalism, the more I find myself thankful for God’s providential preservation of my fragile mind. What makes the list so terrible is the placement of some of the more biblically substantive books in relation to the Christy‘s of the list. For example, Darwin on Trial (# 40), Desiring God (# 39), The Gospel of the Kingdom (# 44) and The Knowledge of the Holy (# 49) all placed behind such Scripturally deep texts such as Left Behind (#36), This Present Darkness (# 34), and Late Great Planet Earth (33)....

MacArthur Banned

by | Oct 7, 2006 | Culture

Pulpit Magazine » Blog Archive » Secularist Censorship Phil Johnson chronicles some of the recent secularist censorship going on recently, including John MacArthur’s book, Safe in the Arms of God. MacArthur’s book examines the biblical response to the question, ‘what happens to children when they die.’ Intolerance is on the rise, cloaked in the garb of supposed tolerance. Mein Kampf can no doubt be quickly checked out without the yellow-stickered tolerance warnings, but Safe in the Arms of God is just downright dangerous. Perish the thought that someone might find solace in one of life’s most tragic losses in the Bible. What’s the next level of the secularist’s expressions of tolerance toward...

What Your Library Reveals About You

by | Oct 6, 2006 | Reading

By Their Books We Shall Know Them Dr. Mohler has a great response to an essay written by Jay Parini, a poet and professor of English at Middlebury College, entitled, “Other People’s Books.” Mohler’s comments are great – especially in light of his own collection. Mohler notes, How serious a Bible scholar is this preacher? The books will likely tell. Are the books all old or all new? If so, the reader is probably too contemporary or too antiquarian in focus. Are the books read? If so, the marginalia of an eager and intelligent mind adds value to the book. It becomes more a part of us. I decided that I would give a little thought to my own library and what it says about my preaching and general reading. I store most of my books at the study in my church office. I do most of my study at home, however, so there are two libraries of books for me to keep up with. Just behind my desk at the office are three floor to ceiling sections of books that contain nothing but commentaries. I tend to read the commentaries that are more technical in nature. I would do well to parouse other commentaries or collections of sermons and so would probably be more well rounded in my expositions and use of illustrations. It is a telling weakness in my preaching. The commentaries are all arranged according to the particular book of the Bible and then Author’s last name. I’m not big on putting all the commentaries from a set into one section – not very functional for...

Read Old Books

by | Oct 6, 2006 | Reading

I’ve tried to adopt C.S. Lewis’ suggestion – noted by Justin Taylor in the link. Between Two Worlds: Read the Old Books