“Tolle lege. Tolle lege.”
The sing-song words echoed in his ears: “Take and read. Take and read.” And read, he did. Augustine picked up his copy of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans and read. What he read changed what he believed.
The Bible has a way of doing that: changing lives. As Baptists, we know that intuitively. It’s ingrained in our minds from the cradle roll to the eulogy. We are, after all, a “people of the book.”
Peter Beck
While the statistics regarding Bible reading among evangelicals are disappointing, it’s likely that even fewer of us are reading anything substantive at all. According to a recent study, 46 percent of Americans haven’t read or attempted to read a single book in the last year. It seems that we have collectively forgotten what I remind my students of often: Books are our friends.
So, with the New Year and the promise of resolutions — noble and, as yet, unbroken — I encourage you to once more “take and read.” Read the Good Book, and read good books.
Where do you begin? Thousands of titles arrive in bookstores every year to join the millions already available. Some are good. Some not so much. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to start with the classics. Not the “Odyssey” or “Hamlet,” but the Christian classics, books whose messages have changed lives and, in some cases, the course of human history.
If you’re still not sure where to begin, I would like to suggest a few must-reads for 2017:
“Confessions,” by Augustine
If you can read only one new book this year, read this very old one. Outside of Scripture, arguably no figure looms as large in Christian history as Augustine. Protestants and Catholics alike lay claim to his legacy. And yet so few modern Christians seem to have read this ancient classic.
Augustine’s “Confessions” represent more than a grievous admission of sin. They are his reverent adoration of the God who saved him on that fateful day when he took up and read Scripture. This book gives an autobiographical glimpse into his conversion and the early years of his Christian life. It does more than that, however. Augustine challenges readers to consider their own hearts, to ask what they believe and why, to contemplate the great mercies of God and respond in heartfelt praise.
Be advised: Like climbing a great mountain, “Confessions” may leave the reader gasping for air — some in shock at the greatness of God’s grace, others wondering where the author’s mind is heading next. Like climbing a great mountain, however, the view from the top is awe-inspiring and worth every step.
“The Imitation of Christ,” by Thomas a Kempis
If “Confessions” pushes you to your spiritual limits, “The Imitation of Christ” will be surprisingly refreshing. Written less than 100 years before the Reformation began in 1517, “The Imitation of Christ” offers readers page after page of clear but challenging meditations on what it means to be a true Christ follower.
Saturated with Scripture (more than 1,000 verses or biblical passages are referenced) and laced with prayers to God, this book lays before the reader timeless principles to live by. Thomas asks his readers to examine themselves, to compare their lives with that of their Master. His was, according to the book, a life of humility, self-denial and spiritual discipline.
A word of caution: While the book is decidedly easy to read — written in a series of short proverbial statements — it is also decidedly Catholic at points. The final quarter of the book is given over to contemplations on the Mass and the role this sacrament plays in the life of the Christian.
“Pilgrim’s Progress,” by John Bunyan
Bunyan, a poorly educated soldier during the English civil war, became an influential pastor and an even more popular writer following his conversion. Published after years in jail for religious dissent, “Pilgrim’s Progress” has never been out of print since.
If you enjoy a good story, you will love “Pilgrim’s Progress.” Bunyan tells the story of one man’s struggle with the burden of sin, his conversion, and his journey to the celestial city. The main character, appropriately named Christian, travels the challenging road of the Christian life, encounters the same struggles we do, and arrives worn but spared at the gates of the kingdom. The final third of the book tells the story of his wife, Christiana, and her travails on this same well-worn path.
Remember, this is an allegory. Each character, each location, represents a greater spiritual truth. While the story itself is good, the reader who reads between Bunyan’s lines will find much spiritual gold just beneath the surface. Those who enjoy straightforward truths and challenging ideas need to keep reading.
“Mere Christianity,” by C.S. Lewis, and “Knowing God,” by J.I. Packer
At the turn of the last millennium, everyone created lists of the “greatest” this or the most “important” that from the last 100 years. Christianity Today published a list of the 100 most influential Christian books of the 20th century. The top two make our list here.
Lewis published “Mere Christianity” following World War II. Based on his popular radio show during the war, “Mere Christianity” examines some of the key doctrines that distinguish Christianity from other religions and gives a defense against the common criticisms of our cultured despisers. Once an atheist, Lewis knew well their arguments and the saving nature of the Bible’s answers. Ultimately, he argued, the reader must decide for himself: Was Jesus a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord He claimed to be?
“Knowing God,” first published in 1973, has sold more than 1 million copies since. In it, Packer argues that the basis of true Christianity and the Christian life is found in a correct knowledge of God. The knowledge of which he speaks is more than mere intellectual knowledge about God; rather, it is an intimate acquaintance with the Creator of the universe who has made such a relationship possible through the incarnation of His beloved Son.
If you’re looking for theological depth, practical application, and a more contemporary take on the Christian faith, be sure to check out these modern classics. You won’t be disappointed. In the process, you might be changed.
In the meantime, repeat after me: Books are our friends.
Now, go. Take and read.
— Peter Beck is associate professor of Christian studies at Charleston Southern University and pastor of Doorway Baptist Church in North Charleston.