Tolle Lege! (February 2010)
The famous humanist Erasmus is credited for saying, "When I get a little money, I buy books; if any is left I buy food and clothes." If you're a bibliophile like the rest of us, you are shaking your head in agreement right now!
The building in the picture is called the Radcliffe Camera, which is part of the Bodleian Library system of Oxford University in England. I spent a couple of weeks at Oxford as a "reader" researching Puritan theology for my Masters thesis, and much of my time was spent here. There's something about old books and old libraries that foster a love for reading, for sure ...
I appreciate the fact that my colleagues in the communications department here at LifeWay are avid and broad readers. Every now and then it's fun to poll the office to see what people are reading. So here are the results for February 1, 2010:
Rob Phillips: I've just started Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond, edited by Darrell L. Bock. Just recently I finished Why You Can Have Confidence in the Bible by Harold J. Sala.
Jennifer Tramel: What I'm reading is called The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. My favorite types of fiction deal with negative utopias or post-apocalyptic situations. One of my other favorite authors recommended this, and I've been trying to find the time for about a year now. When I got the Kindle for Christmas, I knew exactly what my first Kindle book would be!
Polly House: I'm reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan with my small group from church and A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink with the rest of communications staff.
Brooklyn Lowery: I'm taking an early American literature class right now (in this case, that means writings to 1800). At the moment, I'm working through some Native American creation myths and letters from early American explorers (Columbus, for instance). It's actually more interesting than it sounds, though I would be lying if I said I can't wait to get home and read more every night.
On a less academic, but more spiritual note, I'm reading The Holy Wild by Mark Buchanan. I read his Your God is Too Safe a few years ago (I highly recommend it) and have been trying to follow that up with The Holy Wild ever since -- finally making it happen, and I'm not disappointed. Thanks, Mark, for both of these books!
Kelly Shrout: A few months ago, I started reading Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens to my son. We will finish the novel in the year 2020 at the rate we're going. My grandmother, who is British, gave me the book years ago. Reading this book reminds me of her, which is truly special now that I'm reading it to my son.
Micah Carter: Right now I'm finishing up The End of Christianity by William Dembski, a thought-provoking work in speculative theology. At a snail's pace I'm working through Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp, well worth the time so far. Eventually, I'll be re-reading Margaret Kostenberger's Jesus and the Feminists for a book review I'm doing for the Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, coming out later this year.
Posted by Micah Carter
I just thought that I would respond. I've been following your website for a little while because it interests me or piques my religious interest but am mostly bemused at all the writing regarding this conference in Tennessee or Virginia, or even New Mexico. I live in New Jersey myself. Everything seems far away. I work in a library which is why I am replying to this particular blog. I naturally read a lot and enjoy reading all kinds of books about history. Right now, I'm reading, "A New History of Early Christianity" by Charles Freeman - or at least beginning to. I had to move from one residence in New Jersey to another recently so things have been hectic.
Andrew Puchner
March 9, 2010
Andrew, glad you found us! And I certainly understand your interest in reading about places far away from you. Good stories allow you to live a bit vicariously, right? We're doing our best to publish a "Tolle lege" blog at least once a month. If you have any suggestions for reading material, by all means let us know!
Brooklyn Lowery
March 10, 2010