Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Recent and Current Reading
If anybody has read any of this, I'd love to hear your impressions or objections.

Recently read:
Above All Earthly Pow'rs by David Wells
Powerful (and readable) analysis of Evangelicalism's drift away from Truth into post-modern fog.
The Dangerous Duty of Delight by John Piper
A little book with a huge chapter on worship that (rightly) contradicts much of what you hear on that subject.
Becoming Conversant with Emergent by D.A. Carson
Makes our emergent friends twitch. Money quote: "Damn all false antitheses to hell." (refuting the notion that for Christians the only alternative to cultural irrelevance is to sail off into the fog of subjectivism with the rest of the culture)
A Series of Unfortunate Events, A Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
Trying to figure out why these were so popular with my daughter and others. Sort of figured it out.
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Must read every few years for me. I heard again recently how some anal-retentive self-appointed societal minders managed to get this removed from yet another school reading list on the charge of racist language. On the contrary, anybody who has encountered HF and does not emerge from every reading with increased sympathy and respect for American blacks, and with exponentially increased contempt for Southern white arrogance and the evil stupidity of racism is dull indeed.
Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen 1923
Deja Vu. Mainline protestantism in the early years of the last century introduced the same subjectivism and the same deadly errors for essentially the same reasons as the left wing of Evangelicalism (including but not limited to our emergent friends) finds those disastrous compromises attractive today. A perfect 84 year old counterpoint to last weeks theological news. In the process, Machen sets forth a crystal clear explanation of the Gospel that could be a Doctrine I textbook. Wonderful quote:
"Light may seem at times to be an impertinent intruder, but it is always beneficial in the end. The type of religion which rejoiced in the pious sound of traditional phrases, regardless of their meanings, or shrinks from 'controversial' matters, will never stand amid the shocks of life. In the sphere of religion, as in other spheres, the things about which men are agreed are apt to be the things that are least worth holding; the really important things are the things about which men will fight."
Currently reading:

Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher
I like a lot of it, jury is still out. He's big on home-schooling...for the right reasons...so I give him credit there. Not sure on his economics.
The Pilgrim's Regress by C.S. Lewis
Every few years on this one. It's making more sense this time around. He really nails Freud and the Spirit of the Age in the 1900s. He's about to have fun with some theologians up on the dry, barren plateau they inhabit.
Aristotle the Barnes and Noble edition
I'm told you have to understand Aristotle to understand Augustine, Thomas Aquinas and early Catholic theology. I don't understand any of them, but I'm going to give this one a go. Just barely started.
Life as a Vapor by John Piper
A series of sweet, succinct meditations that always leave you with something to ponder and/or obey.




1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I didn't know you were reading A Series of Unfortunate Events - I liked the first one, but I have yet to get into the others.