Let's start a resolution!
Tearing away the final calendar page for 2008 uncovers my resolve to trod more literary ground this year than any annum previous.
In order to stir up the requisite tenacity, I am making a public list of textual targets, hoping thereby to induce a sense of accountable commitment. 2009, I am resolved... to resolve!
Tearing away the final calendar page for 2008 uncovers my resolve to trod more literary ground this year than any annum previous.
In order to stir up the requisite tenacity, I am making a public list of textual targets, hoping thereby to induce a sense of accountable commitment. 2009, I am resolved... to resolve!Should the Lord bless my progress, I intend to check off the volumes as completed and perhaps write little reviews or commendations.
Thanks to Ryan Thompson, whose post for December 1st was my primary inspiration. If he was able to read a pile extensive as his gangling limb (while in college and married, I might add) then surely a working bachelor can tackle half that? Why am I yet single, if not to read indefinitely?
Not in particular order, nor definite:
*Date Completed
5 Jan.* The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard
11 Jan.* Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God, David McCasland
12 Jan.* The Sovereignty of God, A. W. Pink
13 Jan.* Augustine for Armchair Theologians, Stephen Cooper
15 Jan.* On Christian Doctrine, Augustine
21 Jan.* Holiness, J. C. Ryle
25 Jan.* Truth for All Time, John Calvin
9 Feb.* Not for Sale, David Batstone
12 Feb.* The Life of A. W. Pink, Iain Murray [review]
15 Feb.* He is There and He is Not Silent, Francis Schaeffer
15 Feb.* Truth for All Time, John Calvin (Re-read)
18 Feb.* The Holiness of God, R. C. Sproul
19 Feb.* How Shall We Then Live, Francis Schaeffer
23 Feb.* Coral Island, R. M. Ballantyne
4 Mar.* Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald S. Whitney [review]
6 Mar.* All of Grace, C.H. Spurgeon
30 Mar.* Desiring God, John Piper
31 Mar.* The Loveliness of Christ, Samuel Rutherford [review]
13 Apr.* Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennet
15 Apr.* The Reformation for Armchair Theologians, Glen Sunshine
16 Apr.* A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards, George Mardsen
17 Apr.* Made for His Pleasure, Alistair Begg
22 Apr.* The Ten Commandments, A. W. Pink
23 Apr.* Justification and Regeneration, Charles Leiter
29 Apr.* The Sovereignty of God, A. W. Pink (again)
13 May* Foxe's Book of Martyrs, John Foxe
16 May* Martin Luther for Armchair Theologians, Steven D. Paulson
17 May* John Calvin for Armchair Theologians, Christopher Elwood
20 May* The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges
30 May* Baptism, Election, and the Covenant of Grace, R. Scott Clark
2 June* The Reformed Confessions (WC, HB, BC)
11 June* Sailing Alone Around the World, Joshua Slocum
12 June* Plato in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern
13 June* Aristotle in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern
8 July* In Living Color, Daniel Hyde
9 Aug* Recovering the Reformed Confession, Dr. R. Scott Clark
17 Aug* The Christian's Great Interest, William Guthrie
19 Aug* Missionary Patriarch: The True Story of John Paton, John Paton
26 Aug* Infant Baptism and the Covenant of Grace, Paul Jewett
27 Aug* Didache, Anonymous, c. AD 90-180
30 Aug* Jesus Loves the Little Children, Daniel Hyde
5 Oct* Body of Divinity, Thomas Watson
5 Oct* Just Courage, Gary Haugen
6 Oct* Treatise on Predestination, Augustine
10 Oct* Mystery of Godliness, John Calvin
10 Oct* Plato in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern (again)
11 Oct* Aristotle in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern (again)
14 Oct* The Crook in the Lot, Thomas Boston
17 Oct* Calvinism in History, Loraine Boettner
18 Oct* The Glory of the Christian Dispensation, Robert Murray M'Cheyne
20 Oct* The Doctrine of Justification, Arthur W. Pink
23 Oct* Attributes of God, Arthur W. Pink
26 Oct* Pisgah Views, Octavius Winslow
29 Oct* The Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life, John Calvin
8 Nov* Infant Baptism and the Silence of the New Testament, Bryan Holstrom
15 Nov* Temptation, Resisted & Repulsed, John Owen
22 Nov* Letters of C. H. Spurgeon
30 Nov* Satan Cast Out, Frederick Leahy
9 Dec* A Reformed Baptist Manifesto, Sam Waldron
9 Dec* The Ten Commandments, Arthur W. Pink
23 Dec* Politics, Aristotle
Charles Spurgeon commented on theological reading,
Thanks to Ryan Thompson, whose post for December 1st was my primary inspiration. If he was able to read a pile extensive as his gangling limb (while in college and married, I might add) then surely a working bachelor can tackle half that? Why am I yet single, if not to read indefinitely?
Not in particular order, nor definite:
*Date Completed
5 Jan.* The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard
11 Jan.* Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God, David McCasland
12 Jan.* The Sovereignty of God, A. W. Pink
13 Jan.* Augustine for Armchair Theologians, Stephen Cooper
15 Jan.* On Christian Doctrine, Augustine
21 Jan.* Holiness, J. C. Ryle
25 Jan.* Truth for All Time, John Calvin
9 Feb.* Not for Sale, David Batstone
12 Feb.* The Life of A. W. Pink, Iain Murray [review]
15 Feb.* He is There and He is Not Silent, Francis Schaeffer
15 Feb.* Truth for All Time, John Calvin (Re-read)
18 Feb.* The Holiness of God, R. C. Sproul
19 Feb.* How Shall We Then Live, Francis Schaeffer
23 Feb.* Coral Island, R. M. Ballantyne
4 Mar.* Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald S. Whitney [review]
6 Mar.* All of Grace, C.H. Spurgeon
30 Mar.* Desiring God, John Piper
31 Mar.* The Loveliness of Christ, Samuel Rutherford [review]
13 Apr.* Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennet
15 Apr.* The Reformation for Armchair Theologians, Glen Sunshine
16 Apr.* A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards, George Mardsen
17 Apr.* Made for His Pleasure, Alistair Begg
22 Apr.* The Ten Commandments, A. W. Pink
23 Apr.* Justification and Regeneration, Charles Leiter
29 Apr.* The Sovereignty of God, A. W. Pink (again)
13 May* Foxe's Book of Martyrs, John Foxe
16 May* Martin Luther for Armchair Theologians, Steven D. Paulson
17 May* John Calvin for Armchair Theologians, Christopher Elwood
20 May* The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges
30 May* Baptism, Election, and the Covenant of Grace, R. Scott Clark
2 June* The Reformed Confessions (WC, HB, BC)
11 June* Sailing Alone Around the World, Joshua Slocum
12 June* Plato in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern
13 June* Aristotle in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern
8 July* In Living Color, Daniel Hyde
9 Aug* Recovering the Reformed Confession, Dr. R. Scott Clark
17 Aug* The Christian's Great Interest, William Guthrie
19 Aug* Missionary Patriarch: The True Story of John Paton, John Paton
26 Aug* Infant Baptism and the Covenant of Grace, Paul Jewett
27 Aug* Didache, Anonymous, c. AD 90-180
30 Aug* Jesus Loves the Little Children, Daniel Hyde
5 Oct* Body of Divinity, Thomas Watson
5 Oct* Just Courage, Gary Haugen
6 Oct* Treatise on Predestination, Augustine
10 Oct* Mystery of Godliness, John Calvin
10 Oct* Plato in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern (again)
11 Oct* Aristotle in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern (again)
14 Oct* The Crook in the Lot, Thomas Boston
17 Oct* Calvinism in History, Loraine Boettner
18 Oct* The Glory of the Christian Dispensation, Robert Murray M'Cheyne
20 Oct* The Doctrine of Justification, Arthur W. Pink
23 Oct* Attributes of God, Arthur W. Pink
26 Oct* Pisgah Views, Octavius Winslow
29 Oct* The Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life, John Calvin
8 Nov* Infant Baptism and the Silence of the New Testament, Bryan Holstrom
15 Nov* Temptation, Resisted & Repulsed, John Owen
22 Nov* Letters of C. H. Spurgeon
30 Nov* Satan Cast Out, Frederick Leahy
9 Dec* A Reformed Baptist Manifesto, Sam Waldron
9 Dec* The Ten Commandments, Arthur W. Pink
23 Dec* Politics, Aristotle
Charles Spurgeon commented on theological reading,
As the apostle says to Timothy, so also he says to every-one, 'Give yourself to reading.' ... He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves that he has no brains of his own... You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers, and expositions of the Bible... the best way for you to spend your leisure is to be either reading or praying.
Now, let's swallow that advice and hop to it!
5 comments:
I, too, have Holiness on my list (the only place where our lists coincide surprisingly...same authors different books for everything else) for this year. Tell me when you start it and I think it would be greatly beneficial to talk about it as we go. We might could od the same thing for the section on Providence in Calvin when you get there. I am contemplating reviewing that section and some brief discussions on it would help me clear my head.
I may add True Spirituality after reading Lep's review again. Compelling no doubt.
I still want you to review a book for me. I think a solid 3,000 word review of J&R by Leiter would benefit us greatly AND it isn't like trying to review 1500 pages of Calvin. Maybe? Please?
(Pretty please?)
R.D.
You'll love Matthew Henry on the Torah - I've been in it for a year and it's completely regenerated my view of the those books. I'm 1/2 way through Numbers right now.
J&R is fantastic (or course), and so is Pink's 'Attributes of God'. It was packed with an insane amount of scripture. I would say 50% of all the text in the book was scripture.
The Ernest Reisinger book is also on my 'to read' shelf.
To Ryan Thompson and Graemerson Pitbury,
Ryan, I began "holiness" in 2008 and am halfway through. It's one of the best books I've ever read, in terms of practical exhortation and experiential insight. I believe the chapters were originally written as individual tracts and essays. For this reason, picking up the book at random will still deliver a cogent punch.
As for Calvin, I'll keep you posted on that. I may start as soon as February or as late as March.
I bought True Spirituality largely because there were no other decent theological books at a certain bookstore for which I had a gift card, besides City of God, which I also took away.
Now, "Jefferson", I'm excited about all of these books. If you read Reisinger, make sure to start at "Tablets of Stone." They progress in subject matter, so to miss that one is to be out of step.
Mike,
Would you mind sharing, how you were able to go through some of these books in a matter of days-what kind of a reading plan or structure did you have that allowed you to finish the material then move on throughout the course of the year?
Hello, Devin, and thanks for stopping in. I've posted some tips here:
http://theopenlife.blogspot.com/2009/03/making-time-to-read.html
Basically, start with a good reason to read. Then remind yourself often of how important that reason is to you. You'll start finding time. A big help to me was that I had some friends that wanted me to read to them aloud, which got me into the habit of sitting still for a while.
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