My Top 10 Reads of 2017
This past year I made it a goal to pump out 2 books a month
for a minimum of 24 books read in 2017. I posted a "reading list" at
the beginning of the year of the 25 or so books that I wanted to read--which I
quickly deviated from. No surprise there. But, I still got over my goal of reading at
least 24 books for the year, which was surprisingly not too difficult a feat. I
know of some readers who can do around 100+ books a year, but that is not my
style!
As I reflect back on 2017 it is quite clear to me that I
read some deeply meaningful titles over the course of the year. I mixed in some classics, some
Christian thought and theology, and some of my favorite genre: history. Here are
my top ten reads in 2017:
10. Heresy of Orthodoxy. Before reading this book I had
virtually no knowledge of "how we got the Bible." And while most of
the objections to Biblical Christianity today are due to its "restrictive
morality" there is a very real intellectual threat that looks to assault
the Bible's textual/historical foundation. Many have heard of Bart Ehrman's
claims that we do not have the original manuscripts of the Biblical writings,
but only copies of copies of copies...etc. It is then figured that the Bible we
have today could be vastly different from the Bible that was originally
written--in fact, they claim we can never really know what was in the
originals! Kruger and Kostenberger lay a definitive answer to the predecessor
to Ehrman's views: the Baur thesis. After reading Heresy of Orthodoxy I feel
supremely confident that what we possess in our Bibles is indeed the true words
of God
9. The Whole Christ. Sinclair Ferguson shines the light on
legalism and the subtle forms it lurks beneath--and illuminates some ways in
which I have unknowingly espoused a "legal" frame of mind. Telling
the story of the Scottish "Marrow Controversy" this book reminds us
that the gospel essence is something that needs to be rediscovered in every
generation.
8. Experiencing the Presence of God. This book is a shorter
collection of sermons by Martyn Lloyd-Jones on some select Psalms. What I
appreciate about Lloyd-Jones, and this work in particular, is his unique way of
speaking directly to the heart--to those deep longings and needs that we all
have and only God can satisfy. This book also speaks to something fundamental
that is offered all the Saints in Christ Jesus: Joy unspeakable, full of glory.
Do you have that? It is yours for the taking.
7. Thomas Jefferson: Art of Power. Had I lived during the
Presidency of Thomas Jefferson, I probably would not have supported him. He was
a progressive, liberal in his ideas, sexually loose, and a Unitarian to boot!
But there is no denying Jefferson was a genius. He was both an idealist who
knew where he wanted to go, as well as a realist who could take the steps to
get there--even if the "there" was not yet what he had envisioned in
full. What I appreciated most in this book was how Jefferson catered his
leadership to his personality. He was not a good public speaker, and he was
incredibly sensitive to conflict--and yet he found ways to cast a nation in his
vision for the next fifty years after his Presidency. That is what you call
leadership.
6. The Weight of Glory. I read this Lewis gem for the first
time this year, and its broken down essay format makes it an easy and
enjoyable read. Each chapter is an independent bite sized portion--each
individually full of unique insights of the quality only C S Lewis is capable
of. Many of his most popular quotes derive from this volume; and as always,
Lewis compels us in his special way to long for that far off country which
awaits those who are in Christ.
5. The Vanishing American Adult. This is the only book
listed that was actually written in 2017. Senator Ben Sasse writes a
nonpartisan book about a very big problem in our country. Our kids are no
longer growing up. Adolescence is being extended and responsibility is be
eschewed. How do we right the ship? Senator Sasse writes of several principles
we need to recover in the American spirit if we are to indeed pass the baton of
freedom to the next generation. He calls us to embrace work pain, consume less,
travel, create a bookshelf, and to break generational barriers--among others.
This is a desperately important read.
4. Orthodoxy. Chesterton is a lot of fun to read. An early
20th Century writer, this guy is not pulling any punches with the philosopher
of his day. Unfortunately Chesterton's Catholicism makes some of his
argumentation a little more difficult to sustain, but there is still so much to
glean from his witty writings. Chesterton is a helpless romantic, and his love
for humanity is contagious--which was something I desperately needed to
recapture in 2017.
3. Moby Dick. Melville is perhaps the best pure writer I
have ever read. Yes, there are some universalistic, anti-creedal strands
throughout Moby Dick; yes, Melville can meander for pages on rabbit trails in
his flowery style--but there is no denying that this book is just plain
awesome. For about a month, Moby Dick took me away from my desk job and
transported me to emerald seas, to do the lucrative but threatening task of
spearing the largest mammals on earth: Sperm Whales. But Moby Dick is not just
a book about boats and whales, it is at its core a book about man; and
particularly what happens when mankind goes bad (represented in the character
of Ahab). The warning given to him is the same warning we need to heed:
"Beware of thyself old man.
2. Holiness of God. 2017 contained the sad passing of one of
my favorite modern theologians: R. C. Sproul. His teaching ministry has had a
profound effect on my life, and his legacy remains. In fact, if there is a book
that I could get every Christian to read Holiness of God may be the
book. Modern Evangelicalism today centers around God's attributes of love and
grace, while his more "terrible" attributes are curiously glossed
over. Sproul reminds us that only one word is repeated thrice to describe the
Godhead. God is not love, love, love. He is not mercy, mercy, mercy. No. God is
holy, holy, holy. If we are to understand anything of who God is, we
emphatically have to understand what that means. And we are going to find that
God's love and grace only makes sense in light of this ultimate backdrop of His
holiness. This book is a must read.