Thanks David Houston for nominating me. In your status, list 10 books that stayed with you in some way. Then tag ten people so that they can do the same (I have left out the Bible). In no particular order: 1.) The Nazarene, Sholem Asch. A hefty historical fiction by a 1930s Yiddish novelist who was famous in his day but has since fallen into obscurity. This expansion on the gospel accounts of Christs life reintroduced me to the Jewish Jesus in a powerful way. Ill never forget it. 2.) The Road to Serfdom, F. A. Hayek. Obviously a foundational libertarian/classical liberal critique of central planning. Sorted my thinking out on a lot of things. 3.) How Christianity Changed the World, Alvin J. Schmidt. A massive and well-organized overview of how Christianity transformed ancient life, from human rights, the role of women, the sanctity of marriage, unborn life, politics and warfare, Schmidt shows how things Westerners take for granted today are the result of Christian conviction. 4.) The Joy of Calvinism, Gregg Forster. A little book with a powerful punch that Ive used to turn more than one heart from Arminianism. Dispels some of the most persistent myths about the Doctrines of Grace and presents them in a compelling and joy-filled light. 5.) Perelandra, C. S. Lewis. Easily one of the best novels Ive read. While the other two entries in the Space Trilogy are superb, this one stands out as the most thrilling confluence of spiritual and sci-fi elements. The structure of a high myth but so many aha! moments connecting to our world make this a true page-turner. 6.) The Law, Frederic Bastiat. Easily the most concise case for libertarianism on the market. Originally a pamphlet, this short and almost lyrical attack on the abuse of government gets right down to core principles (such as non-aggression), uses powerful analogies and coins one of the most memorable phrases in political discourse: legal plunder. A true and succinct classic. 7.) The Silmarillion, J. R. R. Tolkien. Not only does this work give the backdrop for the universe of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, but its a commentary on the nature of evil and the ultimate ends of all beings, besides being a library of some of Tolkiens best poetry, prose, and general overflow of imagination. 8.) Chosen by God, R. C. Sproul. Its difficult to choose between this and A. W. Pinks Sovereignty of God as the best medium-sized work focusing on the biblical basis for the Doctrines of Grace. I prefer this because Sprouls tone is vastly better than Pinks, he is slightly more accessible to modern readers, and he focuses on answering objections ordinary men and women will have. (Also, hes a Presbyterian, Pink was a Baptist). 9.) Paradise Lost, John Milton. Epic. The scale and power of this classic book-sized poem are difficult to overstate. Most people dont even realize its second only to the Bible in its influence over our perception of the Creation-Fall narrative, and so much of what we think is biblical is actually Miltons speculation. No English work outside of Shakespeare boasts words arranged so providentially and flawlessly. When I read Paradise Lost, I feel almost as if my language exists because of this work, not the other way around. 10.) The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis. Lewis at his most brilliant, satirical and insightful. The depth of wisdom he offers by teaching the Christian life in reverse (from the demons point of view) is legendary. Lots of laughs, lots of goosebumps, and lots of classically Lewis lines that stick with you forever. (Must-include extra): Pilgrims Progress, John Bunyan. The bestselling English novel of all time (though lately eclipsed by Harry Potter, Im told). Enormously encouraging, enormously Scripture-filled Puritan literate at its best. St. Paul would have loved it, I have no doubt. Id like to challenge Justin Michael Hester, Mark Narankevicius, Timothy Cook, Gabriela Astrid Morris, John Fechtel, Trina Michelle Narankevicius, Tim Dukeman, Noelle Chew, Travis McSherley and Devin Platt.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 15:43:11 +0000
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