January Reading
Feb. 1st, 2015 03:53 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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christianreaderA bit of a disappointing beginning to my year in books, and for my first book list in this community. Just two finished this month:
Fools Rush In Where Monkeys Fear to Tread: Taking Aim at Everyone by Carl R. Trueman
Trueman is a Presbyterian minister and historical scholar who puts on something of a cantankerous persona, though from what little I've encountered of him personally (he was a guest at our church last spring), he is a delight to talk to and has a very pastoral heart. This is a collection of his essays on the intersection of the church and culture. He is especially critical of the ways that celebrity culture has infiltrated the Western evangelical church, often leading to a denigration of the importance of the local church. He's no fan of megachuch and parachurch trends, for instance, or the dumbing down of theology in favor of the pragmatic or popular. He's not all negative; he's at his best, in fact, when he writes about the importance of studying history, and the outwardly unremarkable people who make up most of the church. Trueman's prickly humor isn't everyone's cup of tea. I found his writing to be an acquired taste myself, but his emphasis on ordinary vocations and the local church have had a big influence on me over the past five or so years. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
I was inspired to read this when I read the much more recent In the Kingdom of Ice several weeks ago. It's the classic account (1959) of Shackleton's failed Antarctic venture 100 years ago, and his unbelievable voyage across the Drake Passage in a small boat in search of rescue for his stranded men. One thing that struck me about this book (and In the Kingdom of Ice) was what devoted diarists these men were, even under the worst privations. The excerpts from their journals really make the book. It's well written overall and really conveys the remoteness and desperation of their plight. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.
I'm bogged down in a couple of lengthier, more laborious books right now, but hope to have more to share next month. A question: how long do you tend to persevere with a book you just can't seem to get into?
Fools Rush In Where Monkeys Fear to Tread: Taking Aim at Everyone by Carl R. Trueman
Trueman is a Presbyterian minister and historical scholar who puts on something of a cantankerous persona, though from what little I've encountered of him personally (he was a guest at our church last spring), he is a delight to talk to and has a very pastoral heart. This is a collection of his essays on the intersection of the church and culture. He is especially critical of the ways that celebrity culture has infiltrated the Western evangelical church, often leading to a denigration of the importance of the local church. He's no fan of megachuch and parachurch trends, for instance, or the dumbing down of theology in favor of the pragmatic or popular. He's not all negative; he's at his best, in fact, when he writes about the importance of studying history, and the outwardly unremarkable people who make up most of the church. Trueman's prickly humor isn't everyone's cup of tea. I found his writing to be an acquired taste myself, but his emphasis on ordinary vocations and the local church have had a big influence on me over the past five or so years. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
I was inspired to read this when I read the much more recent In the Kingdom of Ice several weeks ago. It's the classic account (1959) of Shackleton's failed Antarctic venture 100 years ago, and his unbelievable voyage across the Drake Passage in a small boat in search of rescue for his stranded men. One thing that struck me about this book (and In the Kingdom of Ice) was what devoted diarists these men were, even under the worst privations. The excerpts from their journals really make the book. It's well written overall and really conveys the remoteness and desperation of their plight. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.
I'm bogged down in a couple of lengthier, more laborious books right now, but hope to have more to share next month. A question: how long do you tend to persevere with a book you just can't seem to get into?
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