Journey’s Best Reads of 2022
As we turn the final pages of 2022, I once again offer my list of favorite reads for the year. As always, this is not a list of my favorite books published in 2022, but books read in 2022, whatever the publishing year. If a book is on the best of list, I recommend you give it a read in 2023.
As is true every year, in 2022 I read a few good books, a number of great books, some why-the-big-deal books, and a couple of why-was-this-ever-published books (I partially read these). As always, this was another great reading year with many happy hours invested in the “Big Three”: good music, good coffee and a good book.
NOTE: I am decidedly not a fad reader: fad reading breeds fat minds. Many fad books remind me of the great Ambrose Bierce quote:
“The covers of this book are too far apart.”
When people tell me, “You just have to read this latest-and-greatest book” I generally run – the other way. I am not a follower of fads when it comes to books and authors. I’ve often said I’d like to compile a list of each year’s “must read” books and then track their “must read” status in the years to come. With limited time and resources at my disposal, I wait for the dust to settle before putting my money down on a book that may be a great investment of my time and money or a waste of both.
Rather than follow the latest-and-greatest, I follow the sage counsel of C.S. Lewis, who said,
“It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one
till you have read an old one in between.”
It’s advice I follow with joy as rereads of previously read books are like visits with the oldest and best of friends. Every reading of them brings even deeper riches.
And Lewis again:
“I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.”
HOW THIS YEAR’S READING IS PRESENTED:
This year’s reading is presented in four lists:
1. The complete list of books I read;
2. Old friends I read again;
3. Books that help us better understand American culture today;
4. The most important reads of 2021.
THE COMPLETE LIST OF BOOKS READ IN 2022:
A Simple Guide to Experience Miracles by J.P. Moreland. 2021. 274 pages.
Bennington Manor: A New Dawn by Matt Fierro. 2011. 306 pages.
Bennington Manor: Sunset by Matt Fierro. 2011. 320 pages.
Engaging God’s World by Alvin Plantinga. 2002. 169 pages.
Experiencing God in Your Story by Dr. Keith G. Edwards. 2022. 169 pages.
Fan the Flame by Jim Cymbala. 2022. 240 pages.
Fool’s Talk by Os Guinness (reread) 2015. 270 pages.
Head-On by Larry Csonka. 2022. 344 pages.
Hebrews (Commentary) by Ray Stedman. 1992. 168 pages.
Helps to Holiness by Samuel Brengle. 1896. 145 pages.
How Should We Then Live by Francis Schaeffer. 1976. 288 pages.
How to Keep the Pastor You Love by Jane Rubietta. 2002. 190 pages.
John (Commentary) by Rodney A. Whitacre. 1999. 526 pages.
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. 1974. 337 pages.
Killing Reagan by Bill O’Reilly. 2015. 285 pages.
La Vallée de la Loire by James Bentley, 1986. 216 pages.
Lead by Paul David Tripp. 2020. 222 pages.
Left Behind in a Megachurch World by Ruth Tucker. 2006. 224 pages.
Live Not By Lies by Rod Dreher. 2020. 256 pages.
Not The Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary on Sin by Cornelius Plantinga. 1995. 202 pages.
Pensées: A 40-Day Devotional for Pastors by D. Alan Baker 2022. 118 pages.
Popular Religion in the Middle Ages by Rosalind and Christopher Brooke. 1984. 170 pages.
Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
(Re)Thinking Worldview by Mark Bertrand. 2007. 256 pages.
Robert E. Lee: A Life by Robert Guelzo. 2021. 608 pages.
Robinson Crusoe (original unedited text) by Daniel Defoe. 1719. 355 pages.
Romans by Grant R. Osborne. 2004. 447 pages.
Soul Keeping by John Ortberg. 2014. 144 pages.
Spiritual Mentoring by Keith Anderson and Randy Reece. 1999. 185 pages.
The American Spirit: Who We Are & What We Stand For by David McCullough. 2017. 176 pages.
The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher. 2018. 304 pages.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, 2009, 800 pages.
The Civil War State by State by Chester G. Hearn, 2011. 448 pages.
The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier. 2016. 227 pages.
The Five Masculine Instincts by Chase Replogle. 2022. 208 pages.
The Mentor Handbook by J. Robert Clinton and Richard W. Clinton.1991. 393 pages.
The Resilient Pastor by Glenn Packiam. 2022. 272 pages.
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, 2019, 304 pages.
The Soul of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by Gene Veith. 2005. 218 pages.
The Valley of Vision by editor Arthur Bennett. 1975. 405 pages.
The Vision of the Anointed by Thomas Sowell. 1995. 306 pages.
Waterloo: The Decisive Victory, edited by Nick Lipscombe, 2014, 400 pages.
Why Johnny Can’t Preach by T. David Gordon. 2009. 108 pages.
Winning the War In Your Mind by Craig Groeschel. 2021. 256 pages.0
OLD FRIENDS READ AGAIN
This year I reread these old friends. Most would make my “Best Reads of the Year” list in any year. Because these are re-reads, they will not be considered for my 2022 “Best Reads” list.
Fool’s Talk by Os Guinness
Helps to Holiness by Samuel Brengle
How Should We Then Live by Francis Schaeffer
Lead by Paul David Tripp
Spiritual Mentoring by Keith Anderson and Randy Reece
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Five Masculine Instincts by Chase Replogle
The Soul of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by Gene Veith
The Vision of the Anointed by Thomas Sowell
UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES BOOKS
These are uniquely challenging times for pastors and churches. Churches continue to hemorrhage attenders and churches continue to lose pastors. For many, the church is either failing to understand its times or to adequately address them from a Christian worldview perspective It is for this reason that I am earnestly encouraging Journey members to read in the area of worldview, Christian and otherwise.
Several of the books I read this year focus on worldview directly or indirectly, and so, address our times and culture. They deal with the foundational issues that help us understand the changes taking place in America and how we as Americans should address them. Books by Os Guinness, Nancy Pearcey, and Francis Schaeffer are always essential reads on church and culture. Read anything by them you can find. Books by Sowell are essential reads on culture; I reread at least one Sowell book every year.
Fan the Flame by Jim Cymbala
Fool’s Talk by Os Guinness
How Should We Then Live by Francis Schaeffer
Live Not By Lies by Rod Dreher
(Re)Thinking Worldview by Mark Bertrand
The American Spirit: Who We Are & What We Stand For by David McCullough
The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher
The Vision of the Anointed by Thomas Sowell
THE BEST READS OF 2022
In alphabetical order, A “Baker’s Dozen” of favorite reads for 202. Each title is followed by the author’s name and a brief description of the “what” and the “why” that lead to the book making our list. Enjoy.
You can always find our list of recommended books online in the Journey Library. Check out our shelves at journeypastoralcoaching.com/the-jpc-library/
Experiencing God in Your Story by Dr. Keith G. Edwards
Publisher: Everyone has a story to share.
If we are open, God can use our stories to teach us about himself. In this 40-day devotional, Experiencing God in Your Story, author and pastor Keith Edwards shares his story and scriptural insights to draw you closer to Jesus. Throughout this book, you will be encouraged to revisit your story, acknowledge God’s presence in the plot, and in turn share your God story with others.
Note: Many devotionals are formulaic, removed from daily life and experience. “Experiencing” uniquely blends the truth of God’s Word, application, and the reader’s own life. The reader is lifted to look on the God who is Creator and Savior, the God who is also Immanuel, “God with us” in our every day.
Fan the Flame by Jim Cymbala
Publisher: Over the past few years, we’ve all seen how quickly circumstances can change, and many of us have experienced firsthand how church growth trends and popular models fail us. Churches across the country are struggling, and many pastors are deeply discouraged. We work hard and with great sincerity, but our efforts don’t seem to be helping our churches flourish.
Jim Cymbala— long-time pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle—has been watching the pressing need for back-to-the-basics spiritual leadership among Christians, and he’s seen so many churches come to defeat because so many leaders forget this one truth: Your church is not your church. It’s Christ’s church. In order for his church to flourish, we have to minister his way.
With this posture of humility and a refreshing return to the model of Paul’s church leadership and philosophy of preaching shown in the book of Acts, Cymbala has written an urgent message for all those in ministry that:
Identifies the many pitfalls that church leaders can fall into.
Reasserts the need for total confidence in the Gospel.
Preaches complete dependence on the Holy Spirit, while showing you how to see the new things that the Spirit can do through your work.
Offers practical guidance on inevitable leadership challenges, such as money, division, and priorities.
With honesty and clarity, Jim Cymbala has written Fan the Flame to ministers, church leaders, staff members, and any Christians serious about God’s church. He’s written this book in order to help you face these difficult times in the name of the Lord…
He’s written so that our prayer, as God’s people with God’s mission, might be: Lord, show us how to do your work so that in the midst of dark times we can still see you fan the flames of your power and Spirit. Lord, use us to that end. Amen.
Note: This is a must-read for every pastor and church leader. For decades, the church has given itself ton all kinds of fads and technique in a misguided attempt to “grow the church,” when Jesus never told His church to grow itself He said He would build His church as we give ourselves to His mission – making disciples. Our mission is discipleship; our power source is the Holy Spirit. Pastor Jim takes us back to the source, back to basics, in what it means to be a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led pastor of a church on mission. Reading this is a revisit to the fire of God.
How Should We Then Live – Francis Schaeffer
Publisher: As one of the foremost evangelical thinkers of the twentieth century, Francis A. Schaeffer long pondered the fate of declining Western culture. Profoundly aware of the similarities modern culture shares with societies that came before, Schaeffer embarked on a journey to uncover the movements that gave rise to modern culture and resulted in the decline of the Christian worldview.
Forty years later, his classic book How Should We Then Live? is as relevant today as it was when it was first published. Schaeffer argues that the erosion of society begins with a shift away from biblical truth. To support this claim, he walks readers through history, beginning with the fall of Rome, through the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment, and up to the twentieth century. This latest edition analyzes the reasons for modern society’s state of affairs and presents the solution: living by the Christian ethic, fully accepting God’s revelation, and affirming the morals, values, and meaning of the Bible.
Note: The church today finds itself drifting in ministry and purpose, partly because it has lost touch with reality as described by God, replacing it with relevance to American culture. The problem with an overemphasis on cultural relevance is that we seek to make ourselves (and the church) relevant to the culture instead of making the Gospel relevant to culture: we want to fit in with the world instead of bringing the world to Jesus. Schaeffer takes us on a historical journey, one so old it is eternal as he reminds the church that our first task is not being attractive to our culture, but being attracted to God, and so, living life as He has defined it. Culture will always have its causes, but the cause of Christ is timeless, and its relevance to life permanent. Schaeffer helps the church come back to its historic moorings in reality, its eternal being in Christ.
Live Not By Lies by Rod Dreher
Publisher: For years, émigrés from the former Soviet bloc have been telling Rod Dreher they see telltale signs of “soft” totalitarianism cropping up in America–something more Brave New World than Nineteen Eighty-Four. Identity politics are beginning to encroach on every aspect of life. Civil liberties are increasingly seen as a threat to “safety”. Progressives marginalize conservative, traditional Christians, and other dissenters. Technology and consumerism hasten the possibility of a corporate surveillance state. And the pandemic, having put millions out of work, leaves our country especially vulnerable to demagogic manipulation.
In Live Not By Lies, Dreher amplifies the alarm sounded by the brave men and women who fought totalitarianism. He explains how the totalitarianism facing us today is based less on overt violence and more on psychological manipulation. He tells the stories of modern-day dissidents–clergy, laity, martyrs, and confessors from the Soviet Union and the captive nations of Europe–who offer practical advice for how to identify and resist totalitarianism in our time. Following the model offered by a prophetic World War II-era pastor who prepared believers in his Eastern European to endure the coming of communism, Live Not By Lies teaches American Christians a method for resistance:
• SEE: Acknowledge the reality of the situation.
• JUDGE: Assess reality in the light of what we as Christians know to be true.
• ACT: Take action to protect truth.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn famously said that one of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming totalitarianism can’t happen in their country. Many American Christians are making that mistake today, sleepwalking through the erosion of our freedoms. Live Not By Lieswill wake them and equip them for the long resistance.
Note: Dreher documents the recent history of Christianity behind the Iron Curtain of Communism, taking Christians into a world they do not want to see or even admit possible – in the former Soviet Union or, most certainly, in America. His book is, in large part, the written record of his conversations with those who survived those dark decades, an undeniable eye-witness account of imprisonment, persecution, and even martyrdom. As dark as this sounds, the book is both uplifting and deep in that it describes in human terms just how powerful the Gospel is, even, or especially, in times of suffering – Christians testify again and again how they “came alive” in security, hope, peace, and love under the blows of the communist hammer and sickle; and the depth of their walk with Christ comes through in breathtaking ways. A most unique book in that it blends the terrible record of Communist persecution of the church with incredible overcoming spirit that marked the church of Jesus Christ in that persecution.
Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
Publisher: Take on the character of Christ through the transformation of your spirit.
We aren’t born again to stay the way we are. But how many times have we looked around us in dismay at the lack of spiritual maturity in fellow believers? It is evident in the rising rate of divorces among question couples. We find it in the high percentages of questions, even pastors, who regularly view pornography. And we face it each time a well-known leader in the Christian community is found in sexual sin or handling finances dis honestly. Perhaps you have struggled with your own character issues for years, even decades, to Little avail.
There is good news. You can experience significant growth in your Christian walk, shed sinful habits, and increasingly take on the character of Christ. In Renovation of the Heart, best-selling author Dallas Willard calls it the “transformation of the spirit,” a divine process that “brings every element in our being, working from inside out, into harmony with the will of God or the kingdom of God.” In the transformation of our spirits, we become apprentices of Jesus Christ.
Willard suggests that many questions today are crying out, “Lord, I want to be a question in my heart.” If that is your hearts cry, this book is the tool to take you to the next level in your quest for true, inward Christ likeness.
Note: Do you want to grow in Christ, really grow in Christ? Not just feel good about yourself or God, but take on and see deep, soul-transforming growth in Jesus? Here is meat for your soul. You won’t be able to skim through this on Audible or read it while on your phone or watching TV. This is a “cave or cloister” read, one to take away with you to your secret place with God to meet with Him in sacred altar time. Others are writing lighter, pop versions of this classic theme, but if you want meat, this is the one to read.
(Re)Thinking Worldview by Mark Bertrand
Publisher: Everyone has a worldview. How did we get it? How is it formed? Is it possible by persuasion and logic to change one’s worldview?
In Rethinking Worldview, writer and worldview teacher J. Mark Bertrand has a threefold aim. First, he seeks to capture a more complex, nuanced appreciation of what worldviews really are. Then he situates worldviews in the larger context of a lived faith. Finally, he explores the organic connections between worldview and wisdom and how they are expressed in witness.
Bertrand’s work reads like a conversation, peppered with anecdotes and thought-provoking questions that push readers to continue thinking and talking long after they have put the book down. Thoughtful readers interested in theology, philosophy, and culture will be motivated to rethink their own perspectives on the nature of reality, as well as to rethink the concept of worldviews itself.
Note: Bertrand’s text is a great tie-in to Schaeffer’s “How Should We Then Live?” as he explores Christian worldview. American culture finds the church and its gospel less and less palatable as time goes on. Translated: American culture finds the church and its gospel less and less founded in reality or offering reality. This is disturbing when we consider that reality’s Creator, God Himself, is the definer of reality. Has God lost control of reality? No. Has the culture lost sight of reality? Most certainly? Has the church let go of reality? Evidently – no longer are we proclaiming that reality with assurance as we buy into the cultural values of our day. “Rethinking” helps Christians understand reality, i.e., worldview, so we can live lives of eternal meaning and offer real eternal life to our world.
Robinson Crusoe (original unedited text) by Daniel Defoe
Publisher: One of the most widely published novels in history, Robinson Crusoe tells the story of a young Englishman shipwrecked in a storm and forced to fend for himself on a remote island, alone…or so he thinks. Fighting to build a life — and rebuild a society — Crusoe must rely on his wits, resilience, and will to survive. With slavers, cannibals, and mutineers, this quintessential castaway story is a harrowing page-turner and a salient reflection on humanity’s state of nature. This is an epic tale of determination, adaptation, and the triumph of the human spirit against catastrophe, isolation, and danger.
Part memoir, part allegory, part fable, and written so convincingly as an autobiography that readers were convinced it was a true account, Robinson Crusoe continues to shock, fascinate, and entertain readers of all ages. The novel reshaped the literary world, spawning a new genre of realistic fiction — the “Robinsonade,” introducing into popular culture the concept of “his man Friday,” and inspiring a plethora of written works, radio plays, and films. Provocative and reflective, this piece of historical fiction not only provides an intricate snapshot of 18th-century sensibilities and civilization but also unapologetically delves into poignant universal truths that resonate to this day.
Note: While the publisher’s notes are helpful in understanding the plot of this 17th century classic, they completely neglect the essential meaning of Defoe’s work: the sovereignty and goodness of God. Not here and there, but throughout this book, Defoe examines the sovereignty and goodness of God, exploring their meaning in all of life’s circumstances: the heights of achievement and the depths of despair. A work of fiction with non-fiction truth to teach.
Soul Keeping by John Ortberg
Publisher: When is the last time you thought about the state of your soul? Bestselling author John Ortberg guides you through practical steps to restoring your soul so you can finally experience a life of wholeness, balance, and hope.
In an age of materialism and consumerism where many people try to buy their way to happiness, many souls are starved and unhealthy, unsatisfied by false promises of status and wealth. We’ve neglected this eternal part of ourselves, focusing instead on the temporal concerns of the world–and not without consequence.
Including reflections from his decades-long relationship with his friend and mentor Dallas Willard, Ortberg presents another classic that will help you discover your soul–the most important connection to God there is–and find your way out of the spiritual shallow-lands to true divine depth.
Join Ortberg as he guides you through the three distinct aspects of Soul Keeping:
- Discovering what the soul is
- Learning what the soul needs
- Experiencing the joy of a restored soul
With his characteristic insight and an accessible, story-filled approach, Ortberg will help you connect more deeply every day with the God who gave you life to bring more meaning, hope, and abundance to that life.
Note: Read this tome in tandem with Willard’s book, “Renovation of the Heart” for a great soul workout. These two books should be required reading for every minister of the Gospel.
Five Masculine Instincts – Chase Replogle
Publisher: Don’t trust your instincts—there is a better path to becoming a better man. It’s no secret: today’s men face a dilemma. Our culture tells them that their instincts are either toxic or salvific. Men are left with only two options: deconstruct and forfeit masculine identity or embrace it with wild abandon. They’re left to decide between ignoring their instincts or indulging them. Neither approach helps them actually understand their own masculine experiences nor how those experiences can lead them to become better men of God.
The Bible doesn’t shy away from the reality of masculine instincts nor all of the ways those instincts can lead to destruction. Examining the lives of five men of the Bible, The 5 Masculine Instincts shows that these men aren’t masculine role models or heroes but are men who wrestled with their own desires and, by faith, matured them into something better.
Through this book you’ll discover your own instincts are neither curse nor virtue. They are the experiences by which you develop a new and better instinct—an instinct of faith. By exploring sarcasm, adventure, ambition, reputation, and apathy, The 5 Masculine Instincts shows you how to better understand yourself and how your own instincts can be matured into something better. This is the path by which we become better men.
Note: Though I included this book in my 2021 list of “Best Reads,” I must do so again this year due to its unique depth of content and readability. Released March 1, 2022, I was privileged to read it in 2021 due to my relationship with the author: he is a friend and member of Journey Pastoral Coaching. However, I do not recommend this book because of this. I highly recommend it because of the content. Christian book shelves are filled with sugary feel-goods, self-help therapy, theology-light, and even attacks on biblical doctrine. Five Masculine Instincts is the kind of content and writing that must come back to Christian publishing and Christians’ bookshelves. It is a solid, biblically-based examination of a desperately needed topic, one that Christian publishers are often afraid to talk about in this current climate. This book is not only an essential read for every man and woman, but for the church.
Special Note: FMI is available now for preorder on Amazon. You can learn more about FMI at masculineinstincts.com
The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher
Publisher: In this controversial bestseller, Rod Dreher calls on American Christians to prepare for the coming Dark Age by embracing an ancient Christian way of life.
From the inside, American churches have been hollowed out by the departure of young people and by an insipid pseudo–Christianity. From the outside, they are beset by challenges to religious liberty in a rapidly secularizing culture. (Political activism) will not stop the West’s slide into decadence and dissolution.
Rod Dreher argues that the way forward is actually the way back—all the way to St. Benedict of Nursia. This sixth-century monk, horrified by the moral chaos following Rome’s fall, retreated to the forest and created a new way of life for Christians. He built enduring communities based on principles of order, hospitality, stability, and prayer. His spiritual centers of hope were strongholds of light throughout the Dark Ages, and saved not just Christianity but Western civilization.
Today, a new form of barbarism reigns. Many believers are blind to it, and their churches are too weak to resist. Politics offers little help in this spiritual crisis. What is needed is the Benedict Option, a strategy that draws on the authority of Scripture and the wisdom of the ancient church. The goal: to embrace exile from mainstream culture and construct a resilient counterculture.
The Benedict Option is both manifesto and rallying cry for Christians who, if they are not to be conquered, must learn how to fight on culture war battlefields like none the West has seen for fifteen hundred years. It’s for all mere Christians—Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox—who can read the signs of the times. Neither false optimism nor fatalistic despair will do. Only faith, hope, and love, embodied in a renewed church, can sustain believers in the dark age that has overtaken us. These are the days for building strong arks for the long journey across a sea of night.
Note: With the increasing cultural onslaught against God, His truth, and His Church, many signs say there are difficult days ahead for the church in America. The current attractional model of individualized consumer church has been proven a failure (and worse, non-biblical). The church must return to its roots in Christ: the prioritization of hardcore confessional discipleship; living out the faith in real, functioning relationships; and living not to be relevant to the world, but to embody Jesus to the world, and so, attract people not to us, but to Him. I do take exception with Dreher on several minor issues, but overall, find his diagnosis, prognosis, and prescriptions compelling.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Note: What is left to be said about this literary Hall of Fame classic? Seven books that will transport you out of this world and into the world of Aslan (and Jesus). Just read them. The only real decision is how to read them: chronologically or according to publishing date.
The Valley of Vision – edited by Arthur Bennett
Publisher: The strength of Puritan character and life lay in prayer and meditation. In this practice the spirit of prayer was regarded as of first importance and the best form of prayer, for living prayer is the characteristic of genuine spirituality. Yet prayer is also vocal and may therefore on occasions be written. Consequently, in the Puritan tradition there are many written prayers and meditations which constitute an important corpus of inspiring devotional literature. Too often ex tempore prayer lacks variety, order and definiteness. The reason for this lies partly in a neglect of due preparation. It is here that the care and scriptural thoroughness which others found necessary in their approach to God may be of help. This book has been prepared not to ‘supply’ prayers but to prompt and encourage the Christian as he treads the path on which others have gone before.
Note: Look at the Top Ten in current Christian literature and compare them to this classic collection of “Puritan Psalms.” There is no comparison – rich, heart-searching, thought-provoking, meditations that will draw you into prayer before you even realize it. And if you have accepted culture’s assessment of the Puritans as a dry, stodgy, legalistic. “holier-than thou” people, get ready for a revelation. If “On the Imitation of Christ” by Thomas à Kempis is the Proverbs of classic Christian literature, this is the Psalms. Together, they build muscle on the soul.
The Vision of the Anointed by Thomas Sowell
Publisher: One of America’s pre-eminent economists offers a provocative critique of the failures of liberalism
In The Vision of the Anointed, Thomas Sowell presents a devastating critique of the mind-set behind the failed social policies of the past thirty years. Sowell sees what has happened during that time not as a series of isolated mistakes but as a logical consequence of a tainted vision whose defects have led to crises in education, crime, and family dynamics, and to other social pathologies. In this book, he describes how elites—the anointed—have replaced facts and rational thinking with rhetorical assertions, thereby altering the course of our social policy.
Note: Do you want to understand what is happening politically in America, just why so many politicians do what they do, and what this means for the future? This book is a must read. Written 26 years ago, it reads like prophecy, predicting in incredible detail what we see today in American politics, academia, media, and entertainment. Sowell is without peer in his in-depth analysis of culture and politics. I make it a habit to read at least one book by Dr. Sowell every year. Along with “Vision,” read Sowell’s “A Conflict of Visions” for even more truth and analysis.
FINAL THOUGHT
As is always the case, the listing of a book above is not an endorsement of all of the ideas contained in its pages. This should not be surprising: the wise minister of the Gospel makes it a point to read outside of his echo chamber.
A minister who is afraid to read outside of his own predilections remains childish in his insistence that his world be preserved, while a minister who is willing to choose carefully and read critically, even outside of his personal tastes, remains a child in his passionate pursuit of God’s truth and its application.
In his book, Under the Unpredictable Plant, Eugene Peterson describes the result of this mindset. In his case, it was the people he pastored. How much sadder, and dangerous, it is when it describes those charged with handling the Word of God and watching over the souls of God’s people (Hebrews 13.17)
“The people who gathered to worship God under my leadership were rootless and cultureless. They were marginally Christian. They didn’t read books. They didn’t discuss ideas. All spirit seems to have leaked out of their lives and have been replaced by a garage sale clutter of clichés and the stereotypes, securities and fashions…It was a marshmallow culture, spongy and without substance.”
And so, to encourage – and challenge – you to quality reading in 2023, ten quotes on the value of reading well, and thinking deeply as you do. May these quotes stir you to grow in the knowledge of God’s Word, the knowing of God, and the wisdom of living God’s Word and Ways in this world:
“At its core, early Christianity was a religion concerned with books.” Andreas Köstenberger and Michael J. Kruger
“Those who read little other than the Bible do so to the detriment of themselves and to the diminishing of the radiant glory of God who is the fount of all knowledge and truth.” James Sire
“As a medium, reading cultivates a patient, lengthy attention span, whereas television as a medium is impatient. One is therefore suited to what is significant; the other merely to what is insignificant.” T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can’t Preach
“The fight to find time to read is a fight for one’s life.” D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“If you want to stay alive to what is great and glorious and beautiful and eternal, you will have to fight for time to look through the eyes of others who were in touch with God.” John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals
“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” Mark Twain
“What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books.” Thomas Carlyle
“The real purpose of books is to trap the mind into doing its own thinking.” Christopher Morley
“In my library I have profitably dwelt among the shining lights, with which the learned, wise, and holy men of all ages have illuminated the world.” Richard Baxter
“The failure to read good books both enfeebles the vision and strengthens our most fatal tendency – the belief that the here and now is all there is.” Allan Bloom
Be sure to read our 2021 Best Reads of the year article, available here.
Here’s to more great reading in 2020, should the Lord delay His coming.
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