This Week’s Book Notes
By Matthew Barrett
Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books. By Tony Reinke. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011.
If I had to choose a handful of books that I would classify as some of the most helpful resources for 2011, Tony Reinke’s Lit! would be on that list. I do not say this lightly. I am always skeptical of books about books. “How to” books, whether it be on reading or writing, can often times leave the reader never wanting to read or write again. Not so with Tony Reinke’s little book with Crossway. To begin with, Tony does something unconventional. He begins by giving us a theology of books and reading. Yes, I said a “theology.” Next, he gives us practical advice on how to read books, both fiction and non-fiction. Personally, I benefitted from Tony’s advice: if you are having trouble finding time to read books, then you need to read more books all at once. Tony explains, very insightfully by the way, that different books are meant to be read at different times during the day and in different places. Some books are meant for the coffee shop. Others are meant for the early morning hours. And others just before bedtime. Etc. Also, Tony has wise counsel about reading and the internet. He helpfully explains how our reading habits on the internet and on kindles (you could throw ipads in there too) can harm our reading habits when it comes to hard copies. I will let you find out why! Finally, I was very relieved to see Tony give an apologetic for writing in books, explaining that this is a trait of someone who is thinking through the material. I have gone back and forth on whether to mark up my prized reading possessions. But Tony removes any guilt and reminds us of the temporality of books in the first place. This is a book I plan on recommending to many, especially to college students.
Thinking. Loving. Doing. A Call to Glorify God with Heart and Mind. Edited by John Piper & David Mathis. Contributions by Rick Warren, Francis Chan, R. C. Sproul, R. Albert Mohler Jr., and Thabiti Anyabwile. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011.
It is hard to imagine anyone going wrong with a John Piper book, for so many have benefited from his ministry, conferences and books. They are biblically centered and always focused on God’s glory. One conference that ignited attention (perhaps because of the variety of speakers, particularly Rick Warren) was “Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God.” Controversy aside, the messages from this 2010 Desiring God conference have now been turned into a book. Needless to say, the book comes out of Piper’s heart as he challenges us to be thinkers who seriously engage knowing God. The book aims at showing that Christianity, holistically comprised, consists of not only knowing God with our heart, but with our mind as well. This proves to be another helpful book from the Desiring God ministry.
Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work. Tom Nelson. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011.
One of my favorite aspects of the Reformation was the emphasis the reformers placed on the ordinary man and his work. In his new book, Work Matters, Tom Nelson makes a similar point. The ordinary worker matters to God and whatever he does as a profession should be done for God’s glory. Moreover, work is biblical and existed before sin entered the world. No doubt, sin has had devastating consequences on work. Nonetheless, Nelson shows how vocation is not meaningless but is God-honoring.
Matthew Barrett (Ph.D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the executive editor of Credo Magazine. Barrett has contributed book reviews and articles to various academic journals. He is married to Elizabeth and they have two daughters, Cassandra and Georgia. He is a member of Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.
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