October Books

Sermons on the Beatitudes, John Calvin

5 sermons on the Beatitudes. Nicely translated and good food for the soul. I bought this little book thinking it would be helpful as I prepared for my series through the Sermon on the Mount. While it wasn’t particularly helpful, I don’t regret the purchase. Neither, however, do I recommend that you spend your time on it.

Federal Husband, Doug Wilson

A nice, short, and eminently readable bit of work on the covenant responsibility of husbands and fathers. Expands on work Wilson has already done in his essential Reforming Marriage. A recommended book for every husband out there. Ignore the stupid cover art.

 

The Elements of Style, Strunk & White

I’d heard enough about this little book to know that I finally needed to read it. You told me so, and you were right. Essential reading for every wannabe writer.

 

The Beatitudes, Thomas Watson

Most excellent. Beautiful. Overflowing with practical application and helpful illustrations. The Puritans spin gold in their books, and Watson is the best I’ve read. He understands the weight of sin and the glory of grace and is able to make you taste them both. He’s creative, imaginative, and poetic in ways that C.S. Lewis could only dream of being. I’d make it my business to read everything he’s ever written if I were you.

Mother Kirk, Doug Wilson

A very insightful compilation of essays. If nothing else, Wilson will make you think and rethink your approach to the church. This is not a sustained argument. It’s a mosaic of what the life of God’s people should look like. You are guaranteed to disagree with Wilson at multiple points. However, I think it’s well worth your time—especially if you are a pastor, elder, or aspire to be.

Family Update & February Books

First, let me point out that Amanda’s first post on the ClearNote Fellowship Ladies’ blog was published this week. She also contributed an article profiling CNPC’s program for pastor’s wives in the latest edition of the CNF Newsletter. If you want a copy of that you can drop us a note in the comments and we’ll sign you up for the mailing list.

Second, I know it’s been awhile since pictures have gone up. February may have been the busiest month we’ve had since we started the Pastor’s College. I expect Amanda will get some new stuff up for you in the next week or two.

Finally, here’s what I finished reading in February:

Life Together – Dietrich Bonhoeffer (for class)

A good read on Christian community. Maybe one of the best.

2000 Years of Christ’s Power, Vol. 3: Renaissance & Reformation – N.R. Needham (for class)

The third volume in this series, and maybe the best.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Arthur Conan Doyle (for fun)

Good fun.

Darkness & Light – Martyn Lloyd-Jones (for study)

Skimmed and surfed this one for Fold preparation. Didn’t give it as much time as previous volumes on Ephesians.

Calvin: A Life - Emanuel Stickelberger (for class)

I’ve never read anything quite like this before. Profitable and enjoyable at the same time. Will read again.

Persuasions – Doug Wilson (for class)

A small apologetic that tries to be C.S. Lewis meets John Bunyan: “Evangelist” encounters men on the road to destruction and tries to turn them around. It’s a light, easy, fun, and helpful read.

The Puritan Hope – Iain Murray (for… class supplement)

Read this one on my own at our dean’s suggestion. Very good. Very helpful if you want to understand the roots of the dispensational prophecy craze and if you want to understand the view of prophecy that preceded it, how it was displaced, and why it’s never returned. And, as a rule, you should read everything Iain Murray has ever written. I’m serious.

What I Read This Summer

(Jake) I thought it might be fun to start sharing some of my reading with you guys and a one line review or so. Plus, I figured you’d rather read that than see the pictures of Amanda’s awesome pregnant-on-Halloween costume (not).

I’ll start with this past summer (June-August), but first a word about C.S. Lewis.

Lewis is one of those authors I have a visceral reaction to just because so many people love him–especially evangelical Christians. I know, I know… how pretentious, right? However, I loved reading The Chronicles of Narnia as a kid, and I jumped into rereading them with Amanda. So, as an act of faith (repentance, maybe?), this summer became what might best be called “The Summer of C.S. Lewis.”

The Chronicles of Narnia:

Prince Caspian – C.S. Lewis

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – C.S. Lewis

The Silver Chair – C.S. Lewis

The Horse and His Boy – C.S. Lewis

The Magician’s Nephew – C.S. Lewis

 

If you haven’t read these, you should. These books are fun and fun is good.

 

Everything That Rises Must Converge – Flannery O’Connor

 

Excellent. O’Connor gets at the heart of southern hypocrisy. These short stories are somewhat morose and depressing, but always in a good, wholesome way–if you ask me.

 

A Brief History of Time – Stephen Hawking

 

Brilliant, accessible, humble, and often funny. Very good writing from a very brilliant dude. He’s clearly one of the most strident worshipers of the Cosmos you’ll ever find. If you ever thought reading theoretical physics could be fun, this is the book for you.

 

Lectures to My Students – C.H. Spurgeon

 

Perhaps the best and most helpful book I read this summer–although I stopped reading it when I realized it was in my fall curriculum. Spurgeon is a hero.

 

The Man Who Was Called Thursday: A Nightmare – G.K. Chesterton

 

Exhilarating. Chesterton is always a ton of fun. Read everything he’s ever written.

 

Outgrowing the Ingrown Church – Jack Miller

 

Not ground-breaking by any stretch, but certainly helpful.

 

How to Read a Book – Mortimer Adler

 

Helpful. Very intuitive. Everyone should at least skim it once. It convinced me to mark up my books.

 

The Mortification of Sin – John Owen

 

Killer good, and a must read.

 

Shepherding a Child’s Heart – Tedd Tripp

 

A helpful guide to getting at the root of your kid’s behavior.

 

God the Redeemer – James Boice

 

Eh… Just read Calvin.

 

Sermons on Ephesians – John Calvin

 

Good, but not as helpful as I’d hoped. Probably because I rarely sat down and gave it the time I should have. Oh yeah, and never actually finished…

 

The Great Divorce – C.S. Lewis

 

Overrated. But not without merit.

 

A Wrinkle in Time – Madeline L’Engle

 

Read this one as a kid and wanted to reread it. Kind of gross, actually–not nearly as fun as I remembered.

 

The Space Trilogy:

Out of the Silent Planet – C.S. Lewis

Perelandra – C.S. Lewis

That Hideous Strength – C.S. Lewis

 

Absolutely brilliant. Adult fiction that couldn’t be farther removed from Narnia in terms of writing style and content. If you don’t read anything else I read this summer, read That Hideous Strength. Very insightful. Lewis’ strengths in fiction lie largely in integrating cultural commentary into the plot, and this book is masterful.

 

Defending the Faith – D.G. Hart

Biography of J. Gresham Machen, Princeton professor at the turn of the last century. Pretentious author, helpful content. Wasn’t able to finish, but definitely intend to when things slow down. Probably not worth your time, though.