Books

Review: Jonathan Edwards And the Psalms by Barshinger

December 20, 2016 by wagraham Leave a Comment

Books At a Glance recently published by review of Jonathan Edwards And the Psalms. In my review I conclude:

“Any serious student of Jonathan Edwards must read this study. Barshinger has rehabilitated Edwards’ reputation as a Biblical exegete. The Bible, not philosophy or theology, constitutes his focus. Barshinger illustrates this well by detailing Edwards’ engagement with the Psalms. Additionally, Edwards’ theology will interest pastors who too would like to interpret the Psalms within an historical-redemptive framework. I heartily recommend this work for those with the drive to read a dense, academic, and yet fruitful work on Jonathan Edwards and the Psalms.”

For the full review, click here.

4 Reasons Why Books Are Better Than Video Games

December 3, 2016 by wagraham 33 Comments

I cannot live without books
– Thomas Jefferson

By Raúl Ruano Ruiz, without change, license

Video games are fun diversions, a good way to connect with friends and family, and a marvel of technology. They also pale in comparison with the human mind, are lonely, often have weak stories, and cannot communicate grand ideas nearly as well as books. Books are simply much better.

4 Bad Reasons to Avoid Reading Old Books

November 12, 2016 by wagraham Leave a Comment

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. If that is too much for you, according to Ritu Bhasin you should at least read one old one to every three new ones.

C. S. Lewis

Picture by Albert Bridge — By Albert Bridge without alteration. License.

In his introduction to Athanasius’ On The Incarnation, C. S. Lewis engages in something of an apologetic for reading old books. Lewis felt reading old books was essential, even though the wisdom of reading old books is not always self-evident. But it is a good idea to read old books, and you should value reading them for they will benefit you in numerous ways.

There are a number of bad reasons to avoid reading old books, which you should never use as an excuse to avoid reading old works of literature. I list four of them here, quoting Lewis liberally to make the point. [Read more…] about 4 Bad Reasons to Avoid Reading Old Books

Review: Women in the Church

November 2, 2016 by wagraham 3 Comments

Women in the Church: An Interpretation and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15. Edited by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Thomas R. Schreiner. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016.

Women in the Church has gone through three editions (1995, 2005, 2016), showing that the issue of women in the church still excites intense debate. If anything, the discussion of how women serve in the church has increased in its intensity over the last twenty years. Two sides have emerged, each attempting to articulate how women serve among the congregation. One side affirms that women can function in the church as pastors (egalitarian), while the other side maintains that women cannot serve as pastors (complementarian). 1 Timothy 2:9 -15, the topic of this book, sits in the centre of the debate.

1 Timothy 2:12, for example, reads: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” Situating itself on the side of the complementarian position, the authors of this work undertake a massive effort to understand 1 Timothy 2:9–15 from nearly every angle. [Read more…] about Review: Women in the Church

How to Read A Book

July 4, 2016 by wagraham Leave a Comment

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.

– Francis Bacon

Reading a book seems like a simple task. You open up a book/turn on your kindle, then read. Done. And yet: it is not that simple. At least Mortimer Adler didn’t think so when he wrote a 426 page book on the subject.

I also don’t think it’s as simple as opening and reading. All sorts of books exist, and each sort of book should be read in a different sort of way. In fact, I once read an article on precisely this at Art and Interior. There are at least three categories of books: Books to Taste, Books to Be Swallowed, and Books to Be Chewed and Digested. Let’s take a look at each. [Read more…] about How to Read A Book