So what does a Christian geek read while on vacation? Here are the
five books I completed this week, in no particular order:
C.S.
Lewis, Yours, Jack: Spiritual Direction from C.S. Lewis
A
collection of letters from Lewis in response to correspondence he had
received from numerous sources. While one could read The
Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis,
by Walter Hooper, this shorter collection is sufficient for both
inspiration and getting to know Jack better. I wish this book had
been available when I took a class on C.S. Lewis in graduate school.
In reading many of the letters, I found myself wishing that I could
have corresponded with such a gracious author myself. One
particularly amusing quote from the book: “He that but looketh on a
plate of ham and eggs to lust after it, hath already committed
breakfast with it in his heart.”
Alister
McGrath, C.S. Lewis: A Life
McGrath seems to
cover all the important details of Lewis’s life, and he doesn’t
sugarcoat it. He brings out new information that has only been
discovered in the past few years. However, I think a good editor
could have shortened the book significantly. (A whole chapter on 1929
vs. 1930 conversion date could have been several pages shorter.) On
the whole, it is well worth reading.
Barbara
Brown Taylor, An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith
I
picked this book up because it was recommended on one of the
Christianity Today
websites. The book has some good recommendations on practical ways to
experience God in everyday life. I would caution, however, that it is
not written strictly from or for a Christian point of view. Many
illustrations are given from other religions. The author is an Episcopal priest and professor of world religions.
N.T.
Wright, Simply Jesus: A new vision of who he was, what he
did, and why he matters.
I
picked up this one because I’ve heard good things about N.T.
Wright’s books. This book provides valuable historical background
to the time of Christ and illuminates why His teaching was so
radical. However, it is pretty heavy both theologically and
historically, and I was easily distracted from reading it. It was one
of the shorter books, but took me longest to get through.
Warren Wiersbe,
Jesus in the Present Tense: The I AM Statements of Christ.
This is a
refreshing look at who Jesus claimed to be and what that means for us
who believe in Him. Jesus isn’t just a historical figure whose
teachings we follow, but He is present with us and in us today as the
Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Door, the Good Shepherd,
the Resurrection and Life, the Way, the Truth and the Life, and the
True Vine. I don’t recall reading Wiersbe in the past, but I will
look for some others to read in the future.
That was enough to keep me busy for about four days when I wasn't otherwise occupied with writing, walking and a little shopping!
