Several years ago I started setting a reading goal for myself. I had found myself struggling to read anything other than what I had to read in my study for sermon and teaching preparation, and I hoped that by challenging myself, I could jump start my reading. I have averaged just over 72 books per year since and finished just that many in 2021. Some books are memorable, helpful, and leave a lasting impression; others are less so, and some are downright disappointing. Some books I read simply for entertainment, while others are intended to broaden my thinking or at least give me insight into other perspectives on life, history, and the world. Here are a few of my favorites from this past year:
Providence by John Piper. 2021 Crossway Books. This book was a joy to read. While some might balk at the sheer size of a volume like this (752 pages), it didn’t feel that long. And even though Pastor Piper delved into some of the deeper waters of sin and suffering in light of God’s sovereignty, he did so with a tender heart toward those who are hurting. Over and over I was led to worship God as I was brought back to Scripture and reminded of the greatness of God’s wisdom and glory displayed against the backdrop of my own human limitations. While I do not agree with Piper on every point of doctrine, his writing here is excellent.
Black Fundamentalists by Daniel Bare. 2021 NYU Press. Fundamentalism is part of my spiritual heritage, specifically, the Northern Baptist variety, and so I enjoy learning more about the men and women who helped lay the foundation on which I stand. This book introduced me to black ministers, churches, and schools which embraced the fundamentalist label in the decades prior to WWII. This is an area that has been overlooked by historians of fundamentalism, and Bare sought to fill in a gap in the scholarship. This book helped me to appreciate how the social issues which faced the black community influenced their approach to separation and contributed to the largely segregated church we see in America today.
The Yugo by Jason Vuic. 2010 Hill & Wang. Q: What makes a Yugo go faster? A: A tow truck. This is a fascinating history of the car built by a communist regime in Yugoslavia and sold to American consumers. Doomed almost from the start, the Yugo was a dream which would never become reality and became instead a kind of national joke. Is it the story of an entrepreneur with grand, but ultimately unreachable dreams or a slick con-man who managed to convince otherwise sane bankers to loan him millions on little more than his word? I’m not sure, but I learned some things about the auto industry and economic forces of the 1970s and 80s and had a few good laughs along the way.
Amillennialism and the Age to Come: A Premillennial Critique of the Two-Age Model by Matt Waymeyer. 2016 Kress Biblical Resources. Don’t let the title fool you, this book was an excellent treatment of a somewhat controversial theological topic. Is Christ going to reign physically on the earth for 1,000 years sometime in the future? Or is he currently reigning in a spiritual kingdom through the church? Waymeyer demonstrates that the whole testimony of Scripture points to a literal 1,000 year kingdom of Christ on earth, and he answers objections that are commonly raised by amillennial authors. What becomes clear after reading this book is that one’s view of the kingdom of Christ is determined by your method of interpreting Scripture more than anything else.
The Pastor’s Wife by Sabina Wurmbrand. 2005 Living Sacrifice Books. This book was recommended to me by Dr. Doug McLachlan when I ran into him at the WFBC Annual Meeting in September. Mrs. Wurmbrand’s testimony of surviving the Nazi occupation of Romania during WWII followed by the horrors of the communist takeover is powerful and gripping. Her faith and faithfulness were displayed throughout as she endured several years’ imprisonment and the seizure of everything she owned in the world. Her husband also suffered terrible torture and deprivation as a political prisoner for more than a decade. When they were finally able to escape to the West, they became outspoken opponents of the atrocities committed under communism and founded the Voice of the Martyrs ministry to bring awareness and support for persecuted Christians around the world.
How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil by D. A. Carson. 1991 Baker Academic. I read this book while on vacation in Wyoming last summer and was moved to tears and also to praise many times. Dr. Carson very helpfully deals with questions which are raised by Christians and skeptics alike. How can we explain the origin and existence of evil in a world made by a good and all-powerful God? How can we cope with suffering which appears to be purposeless and unnecessary? What about innocents who are victimized through no fault of their own? These and many other issues are addressed from the pages of Scripture. This book isn’t so much for those who are presently suffering, but it can help you build a foundation and theological framework to face suffering that is sure to come.
Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible by Mark Ward. 2018 Lexham Press. How much has the English language changed since 1611, when the King James Version was first produced? How much change does it take for a translation to become unintelligible to modern readers? Ward demonstrates that there are many words and phrases in the KJV which are misunderstood even by people who have used it for decades. If this is true in even just one place, then it at least opens the discussion of just how much misunderstanding is too much. And if it is possible for a translation to become too antiquated (whether you believe the KJV is currently or not), then we ought to consider the potential for updating it now or in the future. This is Ward’s modest goal, and I think he does an excellent job of making his case. The book is short (168 pages) and non-technical, and I think it will benefit everyone who cares about understanding the Bible they read.