My Reading

Throughout the year, I attempt to read widely from the Christian tradition through a Reformed Perspective. Within that tradition resides a number of Christian thinkers and theologians from with whom I want to be especially familiar and to whom I plan to return on a regular basis.

The men represented in the “canon of theologians” below were at the same time saints and sinners. Truly, the best men are men at best. But God has kindly seen fit to cause their works to withstand the test of time and prove spiritually beneficial to all who carefully commit themselves to their works. Such was the opinion of C.S. Lewis concerning the reading of “old books:”

Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books.

A few additional comments: First, the list below doesn’t represent the whole of my reading throughout the year but the key Christian thinkers to which I return each year. Secondly, I pre-select reasonable portions from each man’s collected works and commit to around 30 minutes of uninterrupted reading per day, all month. My goal is not completion but comprehension and devotion. Thirdly, I cannot claim anything novel here. Men more godly than myself inspired this list by their own practice. I am deeply indebted to their steadfast example.

CANON OF THEOLOGIANS

January: Augustine
February: Anselm/Aquinas
March: Martin Luther
April: John Calvin
May: John Owen
June: John Bunyan
July: Jonathan Edwards
August: John Newton
September: J.C. Ryle
October: Charles Spurgeon
November: Herman Bavinck
December: C.S. Lewis