The year in books: 2012

Jeremy Myers pointed out on his blog that if you were to read a book a week, you could only read 4000 books in your lifetime.  That's a pretty generous estimate for a depressingly small number of books. It made me especially sad when I consider that I average more like a book every three weeks :(  It's a good reminder to choose my books well.  Do you have any reading ambitions this year?

Here's the roundup of books read this year.  Perhaps my comments on them will help you decide what to read this year!

• The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  An enjoyable read (this is a children's book)
• The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.  This little book of letters is a spiritual classic worth pondering.  See my two posts on the book here on suffering and daily wisdom.
• Desiring God's Will by David G. Benner (finished April 29 - or before!?
• The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, by James Martin, SJ.  This is a good introduction to Jesuit spirituality.  Easy to read.  (Perhaps a little too easy?) Here's a post drawing on this book.
• Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper.  This a good devotional-type book about the attributes of Christ.  Here's a related post  in which I talk about how we begin to believe and one about how Christ will not be put in a generational box.
•  Tale of Two Cities, by Dickens - If you read any book by Dickens, read this one.  It is SO good!  Here's my post on it.
• Life Together by Bonhoeffer.  I've read this one twice this year.
• King's Cross by Timothy Keller (TFA*)
• The Call by Os Guinness (TFA*).  This book refutes the idea that some people are called by God and other's aren't, and helps people think about God's call in their lives.  Personally, I found it too anectdotal, but if you can get past that there's a lot of good stuff to think about.  Here's a post on the practical implications for of understanding calling for our work. 
• A Free People's Suicide by Os Guinness (TFA*).  I struggled with this book some, as the writing is dense and the audience somewhat ambiguous.  I also felt that Islam was not adequately addressed (thus weakening his argument).  That being said, if you get a chance to hear Guinness speak, or to talk with him, do it!  He is a fabulous speaker.
• The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis.  Yet another good book by Lewis.
• The Fall by Albert Camus (TFA*).  This book gets into your head.  A fascinating reflection on the darkness of the human heart.  We read this in conjunction with Augustine's Confessions (one of my favorite books!). 
• Candide by Voltaire (TFA*).  A humorous but unpleasant read.  If you've read it, you'll know what I mean.  Philosophy to ponder.
• The Freedom of a Christian by Martin Luther (TFA*).  A short but brilliant look at the Christian life, and the role of grace and works.
• Unchristian by David Kinnaman.  I read this book for background on my study of the church.  It was helpful, although I felt that it was difficult to sort through what the research was really saying.
• The Tangible Kingdom by Halter and Smay
• Quarks, Chaos and Christianity by Polkinghorne.  A fascinating look at matters of faith and their relation to physics.  He deals with such questions as prayer, miracles and free will, among other things.  As always, it is refreshing to read someone so knowledgeable in both areas.
• Seeking God (The Way of St. Benedict) by Esther de Waal (TFA*).  This book is a gem.  Read it.  She challenges us learn from St. Benedict in very practical ways.  Although there is much to be learned about the rule in this book, her clear desire in writing is really that we learn about seeking God.

*books marked TFA indicate that they were required (or strongly suggested) reading for the program I am in this year

work and calling

You may have noticed that my posts have been few and far between lately.  Hopefully this will not last, but at the moment I am in the midst of a move and life is very full (good, but full).  So this evening I thought I'd share with you a snippet out of what I've been reading for you to ponder.

A Tale of Two Cities

I just finished reading A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens.  I have to say I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.  I have a new appreciation for Dicken's writing, which combines humour and wonderful descriptions with a good story and a thoughtful portrayal of human life.

Starting to Believe

How does one become a "Christian"  - one who is committed to following Christ? Is there some point between not being a Christian and being one, a space of time where the crossover is made?  For some perhaps this happens rapidly, for others more slowly.  But how does it happen?  (Isn't that what we'd really like to know?)

I found something Piper said regarding how one comes to trust in the truth of the Bible to be helpful.    He distinguishes between God "'telling us' that the Bible is true" and "enabling us to see what is really there."  He writes,

The practical effect of this path is that I do not ask you to pray for a special whisper from God to decide if Jesus is real.  Rather I ask you to look at the Jesus of the Bible.  Look at him.  Don't close your eyes and hope for a word of confirmation.  Keep your eyes open and fill them with the full portrait of Jesus provided in the Bible.  If you come to trust Jesus Christ as Lord and God, it will be because you see in him a divine glory ad excellence that simply is what it is - true. (Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, p.121)

This does not diminish the work of the Holy Spirit, who helps us see this truth.  It does speak against the idea that we should pray for some sign or magical change in ourselves that will make us all of a sudden believe in something that a logical person would find unbelievable.  You don't trust and follow someone unless you know them; you don't know them unless you take the opportunities to do so.

art credit:http://www.omsc.org/art-at-omsc/huibing/jesus-opens-eyes-slide.html

This applies to those of us who already profess to follow Christ.  Are we truly looking at Christ, and expecting to see ever more?  The Holy Spirit does the work of helping us see, but do we allow Him to do so?  This is a challenge to me to really hunger to know Christ more.

Does this resonate with you?  Is what Piper says helpful?

Jesus of no generation and all time

"The glory of Jesus Christ is that he is always out of sync with the world and therefore always relevant for the world.  If he fit nicely, he would be of little use. The effort to remake the Jesus of the Bibles so that he fits the spirit of one generation makes him feeble in another.  Better to let him be what he his, because it is often the offensive side of Jesus that we need most."

grace & housecleaning [of your life]

In The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, James Martin writes:

God can [...] meet you at any time, no matter how crazy things may seem.  You don't have to have a perfectly organized daily life to experience God.  Your spiritual house does not need to be tidy for God to enter.

It is a good reminder to me, so I thought I'd share it as some encouragement to you.  It's funny how easy it is understand the concept of God's grace in a literal, definition-sort of way and yet not apply it to our own personal spiritual lives.

wisdom from Brother Lawrence

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence is a book I have been meaning to read for some time.  Written in the 1600's, this little gem consists of conversations with and letters by Brother Lawrence, a Carmelite in Paris.

Here is a profound thought I read this week that I want to share with you, partly to help me remember it.  

Brother Lawrence explained "that our sanctification did not depend upon changing our works, but in doing that for God's sake which we commonly do for our own."  (Fourth Conversation)

Now I'm sure you can think of exceptions to this, but that is not the point.  Applying this truth to our daily lives is a challenge, and one well worth undertaking, I think.

2011 in Books

My "2011 in Books" post is long overdue, I know.  To be honest, I've been having a hard time remembering the books I read this past year.  Here's the list that I could come up with.

• Praying, by Packer.  I have to confess I was slightly disappointed by this book.  It has good content, but sometimes it is slow going and I wish they had been a little more ruthless in the editing process.  But overall I did learn some things about prayer, which is the reason I read it in the first place.
• Surprised by hope, by N.T. Wright.  This is one of the more influential books I have read recently.  By influential, I mean influential on my spiritual life and thinking.  I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to seriously answer the question - what is the central Christian hope?  I have already written 4 posts on this book.  See them here. 
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by Rowling.  Yet another booksale purchase.  To answer your questions - no, I haven't read any of the others in the series (odd as this may seem).  I plan to read the rest of the series soon!
• The Circle of Seasons: Meeting God in the Church Year, by Kiberlee Ireton.  This short book is one of my resources for my posting on the topic of the Church calendar.  
• The Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard.  A re-read, read with a young adult small group I am a part of.  See my posts on Willard's books here.
• Taliesin and Merlin, both books in the Pendragon Cycle, by Stephen Lawhead.
• Davita's Harp, by Chaim Potok Intense and well written, as most of his books are I think.  Slightly disturbing.  I liked the other books I've read by Potok better.
• Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan  I can't believe it took me this long to get around to reading it! (I read an abridge version when I was younger but that doesn't really count.) This is a must-read classic, as many people will tell you.  There are a few strange points of theology, but still so much to learn from.  I will probably re-read it again next year.
• Living the Resurrection, by Eugene Peterson.  This is the first book (other than the Message paraphrase) which I have read by Peterson.  He focuses on three ways of living out the reality of the resurrection: Sabbath, Mealtime, and Baptism.  He expands each of these three to include not just the usual definition, but to encompass every part of our lives.  For example, in the third section (baptism) he speaks of how the resurrection reality is experienced in the company of friends.  He argues that we cannot really experience the fullness of resurrection living in isolation, but that we are designed to experience it with other people (in the church).  His writing style didn't grab me like some other authors, but this is still a good book and has some things to say that are definitely worth thinking about.  Here are some posts relating to this book.

Any recommendations for 2012?

2010 in Books

Reading Room

Inspired by last year's post, I will take the time to think about the books which I have read this year.  Since books shape the way I think so much, this is an excellent way to look back on the past year.

In roughly chronological order (starting with the books I listed as currently reading last year):

• The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, by Tolkien. This was a re-read.
• What the Best College Teachers Do, by Ken Bain. I read this book, recommended by a friend who is a graduate TA at Eastman, and definitely enjoyed it.  It was helpful to think about teaching methods and ideals, especially before I plunged into teaching my first course that summer.
• Hinduism, by H.L. Richard Recommended by my Dad, this book is a brief look at that many-faceted religion.  A good starting place for understanding Hinduisum and those who follow it.  
• One World: The Interaction of Science and Theology, by John C. Polkinghorne. This was one of the better 25 cent book sale purchases I made.  I'll have to look for more Polkinghorne!
• Knowing Christ Today, by Dallas Willard.  If you like Willard, you should read this.  If you haven't read any of his books, start with the Divine Conspiracy, and then read this one. It is a good look at what it means to know God, and in typical Willard style, asks excellent questions and gives good answers.  For more on this book see a this post.  
• Art for God's Sake: A call to Recover the Arts, by Phillip Graham Ryken.  A quick read, but thought-provoking.  See my two posts on this and other art-related topics here.
• The Geurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer.  I recommend this interesting historical fiction book, which gives a glimpse of life on the channel islands during the war.  It is written as a series of letters.
• Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God, by Francis Chan.  I read this book as part of a study group.  Chan's passion for God is wonderful to see, but due to certain attitudes expressed and potentially shaky theology I can't really say I recommend this book.   Perhaps I am simply not the target audience, but I found myself insulted and/or upset by quite a few sections in the book.  On the more positive side, from studying the book I did gain (I hope) a better understanding of God's incredible love for us.
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain.  This was a long overdue read of this classic.  The middle section was a bit slow I confess, but overall it was an interesting look at that part of history.  
• The Princess and the Goblin, and The Princes and Curdie, by George Macdonald.  A girl at my church was interested in these books, so I read them too (I think they were read aloud to me as a child).  If you haven't read any books by Macdonald yet, you are missing out. :)
• Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation, by Isaac Asimov.  As you can see, I diverged from my usual reading to read this 'hard-core science fiction' series.  Set in the distant future but inspired in part by The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbon, these books tell of the rise of an empire which has been planned out by the genius of a farsighted 'psychohistorian', who hopes to shorten the inevitable period of chaos following the fall of the previous galactic empire. 
• The Samurai's Garden, by Gail Tsukiyama.  Another book sale buy.  Certainly not the best book I've read, but it did provide a glimpse at life in Japan during the first half of the last century.
• Silas Marner, by George Elliot.  After I got through the first couple chapters, I enjoyed this book (the first I've read by Elliot).  I noted, however, that she seems to have a rather bleak view of humanity.
• Sorcery and Cecilia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, by Wrede and Stevermer.  This book is not high quality reading, but it did provide an entertaining one-day read while on Christmas break.  

Books I'm reading (or hoping to get back too soon)

• Surprised by hope, by N.T. Wright.  I have already written 4 posts on this book.  See them here.
• The Circle of Seasons: Meeting God in the Church Year, by Kiberlee Ireton.  This short book is one of my resources for my posting on the topic of the Church calendar.  
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by Rowling.  Yet another booksale purchase.  To answer your questions - no, I haven't read any of the others in the series (odd as this may seem).  
• How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth, by Fee and Stuart.  I highly recommend this book.  The only reason I haven't finished it is that it is one of those books that needs to be read in stages, when the passages discussed can be studies alongside, and the techniques practiced.  
• Praying, by Packer.  I have to confess I was slightly disappointed by this book.  It has good content, but sometimes it is slow going and I wish they had been a little more ruthless in the editing process.

Books I hope to read:

Rather than make another list -- do you have any recommendations?

epistemology strikes again

As is often the case, my thinking has been dominated by what I am reading. This week it is Knowing Christ Today, by Dallas Willard.

One of the central points of the book (so far) is the inseparable link between knowledge (primarily of God) and our life as a follower of God - and our life as a human being, for that matter! It struck me that the study of the world through physics is at its heart very similar to the study of God through theology (and living as a Christian): both are a means of seeking truth. Knowledge of the first is important, practical and fascinating; knowledge of the latter is something absolutely crucial to the life of our soul, and thus our whole being. Perhaps that is why I find the two so compelling. It is also interesting to consider that, while science cannot tell us who God is, or in any way provide moral knowledge, it can draw us to him and make us aware of his glory.

That is really all my thoughts for today, but I'll leave you to ponder some questions that Willard asks and discusses at length in his book. Try asking one of them to a friend this week (in the context of a meaningful conversation, of course!).

1. What is reality?
2. Who is well off or blessed?
3. Who is a truly good person?
4. How does one become a truly good person?
5. Finally, how do we know which answers to these questions are true?
   

A Year in Books

As I was trying to figure out what would be appropriate for the first post of the year, I thought about the important role of books. Books tell a lot about a person, and for a moment I wasn't sure I could be vulnerable enough to make this list. But for lack of a better idea, I thought I'd share. I'd appreciate your recommendations at the end.

In roughly chronological order (since I am usually reading more than one book at a time, this was pretty much impossible to figure out), here is a list of the books I read this year, with a few comments:

• Orthodoxy, by G. K. Chesterton. I enjoyed this, especially some of the earlier chapters. Chesterton has a delightful sense of humor.
  
• Philosophical Problems of Quantum Physics, by Werner Heisenberg. I think more practicing scientists should seriously reflect on the philosophy of the science. I don't think I actually finished this book due to end of year business, but it was interesting while it lasted.
  
• Blue like Jazz, by Donald Miller. Thought-provoking and a good read. Can't remember exactly when I read it.
  
• Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech. I'm glad I finally got around to reading this, upon recommendation of a good friend.
  
• The Same Stuff as Stars, by Katherine Paterson. Young adult book about a girl in a struggling family. Another good read, and not as depressing as it sounds.
  
• Everything Must Change, by Brian McLaren. You should read this if you want to be involved in discussion concerning the emerging church. See my posts on this book for further comments.
  
• The Soul of the American University: From Protestant Establishment to Established Nonbelief, by George M. Marsden. I learned so much reading this book that has stuck with me. Especially highly recommended to those who are in academia.
  
• My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok. Intense but very good. I expected no less from this good author. If you've never heard of him, you have some good reading ahead of you.
  
• The Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard. This is my all-time favorite of the year (probably of the decade!). Tremendously encouraging. Read it, if you haven't already.
  
• Persuasion, by Jane Austen
• The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien. I picked this up to help me get through finals week. I think this was the third time through, but I hadn't read it since high school, so I really enjoyed the richness that I'd forgotten about.
  
• Also some poems by Emily Dickinson and Wendell Barry
• Of course, I have also spent quite a bit of time with physics and math textbooks,mostly regarding but not limited to quantum mechanics.
  

Books I'm reading (yes, this habit of mine does make my bedside table rather top-heavy):

• The Two Towers, by Tolkien. Once again, this is a re-read.
  
• What the Best College Teachers Do, by Ken Bain. (Upon recommendation by my housemate)
  
• Hinduism, by H.L. Richard (upon recommendation by my Dad)
  
• One World: The Interaction of Science and Theology, by John C. Polkinghorne. I picked this up at a used book sale for reading on the bus (because it was relatively light-weight) and found myself not wanting to put it down when I got off the bus.
  

Here are some books that I hope to read in the near future (hopefully in the coming year)

• Knowing Christ Today, by Willard
• The Spirit of the Disciplines, by Willard
• Shakespeare's Sonnets
• The Return of the King, by Tolkien

This last list is shorter than it should be: partly because I am tired right now and can't think of any others, and partly because I need some recommendations!