'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #7 - "GETTING TO KNOW THE CHURCH FATHERS" BY BRYAN LITFIN

How many of you get excited by studying church history? Does it seem to be dealing with dry historical figures that don't really fit in with modern life? Here's a book that will help you appreciate the development and the individuals who influenced that development.

If you can read the small, light print on the bar above the author's name, you'll see this is the second edition. I've read both editions. The first one deals with Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Perpetua, Origen, Athanasius, John Chrysostom, Augustine, and Cyril of Alexandria. The second edition adds Ephram the Syrian and St. Patrick of Ireland. 

Each chapter gives a biography of the subject and some description of what was going on at the time. This is followed by five or so questions, reading recommendations, and an excerpt of their writings. The questions make this ideal for a group study - I've used this in that setting twice.

 

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #6 - "FOUR VIEWS ON ETERNAL SECURITY" EDITED BY J. MATTHEW PINSON

I've read several of Zondervan's Counterpoints series. This wasn't my first (that one was on Apologetics), but it's my favorite. I enjoyed reading the authors' talking about our great and wonderful salvation. The four views dealt with were Classical Calvinism by Michael S. Horton, Moderate Calvinism by Norman Geisler, Reformed Arminianism (yes, that exists) by Stephen M. Ashby, and Wesleyan Arminianism by J. Steven Harper. 

One of the reviewers were unhappy that the two Arminians didn't rip the two who believed in eternal security in purposes. Actually, that's a plus in the book. I shook my head when Geisler divided the views into Strong Calvinist, Moderate Calvinist, and Arminian, putting oneself in the happy medium view while aligning with Calvin and assuming Arminians can be put in one box (fellow Moderate Calvinist Ron Rhodes takes a similar approach. For me, this book convinced me of what I believed, which is that neither Calvinism nor Arminianism are without variation, as well as both are trusting in Christ alone for salvation.

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #5 - "50 PEOPLE EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW" BY WARREN WIERSBE

 

Warren Wiersbe wrote three sets of spiritual giants, which composed 48 individuals. This volume is the combination of those collections, plus two which the editor requested. 
These include several people that I was aware of such as Charles Spurgeon, George Whitfield, A.W. Tozer, and Matthew Henry, and others I wasn't as familiar with, such as Thomas Spurgeon (the son of Charles, and the only one in this collection whose father also made the list). 

One stand out for me was Charles Simeon, who I had never heard of before reading, but has since become one of my heroes for several reasons.

There are some people you'd expect to be included that aren't there. For example, the Reformers and the Wesleys aren't mentioned, though Martin Luther's wife was the first person dealt with in this chronological volume.

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #4 - "EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT" BY JOSH AND SEAN MCDOWELL

 I have been aware of this book and its author Josh McDowell since high school. During that time, I saw a film featuring McDowell - "What's Up, Josh?" which is a fictional story with Josh playing himself. 

"Evidence That Demands A Verdict: Historical Evidences For The Christian Faith" is divided into three parts: The Historicity of Scripture, the Life and Resurrection of Christ, and personal transformation. This was followed by a second volume, "More Evidence That Demands A Verdict," and "The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict" co-written by his son Sean.

I mentioned with the first book I recommended ("Another Gospel" by Alisa Childers). While it's already obvious not all the books are on apologetics, you'll see it a common theme for this series.

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #3 - "CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD" BY J. GARY MILLAR

I've had the honor of reading several good books on prayer, including "Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church" by John Onwuchekwa. That book recommended "Calling on the Name of the Lord: A Biblical Theology of Prayer" by J. Gary Millar, which I'm recommending as summer reading.

"Calling on the Name of the Lord" is the first book I've read of the "New Studies in Biblical Theology" series. You may be familiar with the term "Systematic Theology," which is looking at what the Bible says about a certain topic. "Biblical Theology" looks at each book of the Bible in order, and then from there concludes what the whole teaching on the topic is.

Millar's premise is that prayer is first mentioned in Genesis 4:26, which tells us that when Enosh the son of Seth was born, men began to call on the name of the Lord. Thus, praying and calling on the name of prayer were synonymous, and develops that thesis through Scripture, ending with how we can apply this to our lives.
 

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #2 - "THE BENEDICT OPTION" BY ROD DREHER

I was about to write that there are few books that really inspire me, and the fact that I had no problem coming up with 25 books for this summer reading list probably means I'm easier to impress than I think (or that there are more really inspirational books than I think). Either way, "The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation" by Rod Dreher is on that list.

Allow me to confess that Dreher is more Catholic/Orthodox than I am, and several of the ideas fit that line of thinking. However, I agree with his main thought that Christians need to strengthen community with fellow believers, both by forming communities and by encouraging others.

There are not as many community-building books in this summer reading list as there are apologetics (like yesterday's book). However, I remember being in a Facebook group discussing this book and Dreher's follow-up "Live Not By Lies" and reading a question about if we're reading any other books on community. At that time, I was finishing Leah Libresco's "Building the Benedict Option..." Check. I also started reading Rosaria Butterfield's "The Gospel Comes With a House Key..." Check. Then, in fiction, I was reading "Amish Werewolves of Space..." well, at first I thought "Two out of three aren't bad" until I reread the cover and read the first chapter and realized it was three of three. (Kerry Nietz' Terror in Plain Space trilogy all have strong themes on community, on our responsibilities to community, and that our community might be bigger than we think. 

You know, maybe I ought to reread this one.
 

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #1 - "ANOTHER GOSPEL" BY ALISA CHILDERS

 My list of 25 summer reading books, listed in alphabetic order by title, starts with "Another Gospel? A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity. Author Alisa Childers (former member of Zoe Girl, daughter of Love Song's Chuck Girard) tells of her experience with a Progressive Church, which left her questioning her faith, and how she was reassured of the truth of Scripture.

Progressive Christianity is like other groups in asking the same question Satan (as the serpent) asked Eve: "Yea, hath God said?" Instead of trusting the Word of God and thus the God who gave that word, they prefer having questions without answers, because if there's no answers, you can't give a wrong one. 

This is the first but not last Apologetics book in this list.