I have written occasional posts on my reading (HERE) and am posting quarterly summaries this year as last year (2021: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4). My hope is that this will encourage some to adopt a more disciplined plan of reading or help others find books they may enjoy. I only log books that I read in their entirety (not just selections from, even if I complete most of the book). This year I set goals to read a specific number of books in six categories: theology, philosophy, history, classics, biographies, and re-reads. The last category includes books I re-read yearly, others I re-read every few years, and others that I do not re-read often but only occasionally for a specific purpose. It does not include every book I have read before and re-read for some reason this year.
I finished 31 books in the second quarter of 2022, six fewer than in the first quarter of the year. This included nine books of theology, five of philosophy, four on history, two classics, three biographies, and four re-reads. The remaining seven volumes were miscellaneous reads which did not fit into any of the six targeted categories. So far in 2022 I have read 14 works of theology, 11 of philosophy, 8 of history, 5 classics, 9 biographies, and 12 re-reads. I am ahead of the planned pace both for every category except classics—I planned to read twelve this year.
Here are three books I read in the second quarter, all short works in this case, that deserve special mention.
First, Christendom and the Nations by James B. Jordan is a work of Christian political philosophy. Jordan discusses how the Bible teaches us to think about nation, State, borders, treaties, and foreign policy. He also discusses the United Nations. The essays were written before the fall of the Soviet Union and have only been lightly edited since, but the content was still relevant, thought-provoking, and helpful in working out a Christian view of nations.
Second, Josef Pieper’s In Tune with the World is a short but dense philosophical monograph by one of my favorite modern philosophers. Pieper discusses the concept of festivity, its necessary components and context, and whether true festivals are possible apart from faith in and worship of God. Pieper is always thought-provoking, but his material requires careful reading and contemplation.
Third, Gashmu Saith It by Doug Wilson is a very brief but powerful, practical introduction to transformational ministry in a local church community and beyond. I wish every member of my congregation could read it. Wilson may be viewed as Lord Voldemort in many parts of Reformedom, but his insights on this topic are very helpful, tested, and have proven fruitful over time. There are good ideas here to learn and incorporate in local ministry and witness.
--JME
