What Do You Read As A Pastor?

World War II history

Autobio and bios of Christian sports figures----coaches & players

 

Other than sermon prep and long range planning, I'm always in something for my soul. I am also usually in theological works. I also read a book on preaching (I try to read one per month, at least 5 or 6 a year at bare minimum). I read a book on pastoral ministry about once a quarter. I read church history regularly.

I also read Preaching magazine, the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, the Journal of the Evangelical Homiletics Society, as well as the daily paper, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal (along with weekly newspapers that are mostly local).

My outside reading is in my favorite other areas: sports, politics, economics, philosophy, law. I love biographies, especially of folks in areas listed above: athletes, leaders, etc.

 

My entire life, I've always read reference books of one sort or another. I've been on an etymology kick here lately, reading a couple of etymology dictionaries. (The plot's thin, but...:laugh Of course, it often means reading two or three pages, then going off and reading something else that relates to it.

I started reading real books when I was 5 or 6 years old, and I read the World Book by the time I was 8 or 9. I have read history books that run the gamut (the one about the Maya was particularly interesting), science books that run the gamut, etc.

The science books especially interest me. Many scientific discoveries were made in the past because there was the general belief in God, and that God being God, everything would be orderly. (Although that order was not always agreed upon). Over the years something changed, and it is now assumed that since things are orderly, that God cannot exist. Talk about circular logic!

I find it especially worthwhile to read reference books by atheists (or at least agnostics), as their spin is easier to pick apart, if they put a spin on it, which they usually don't; they tend to report just the facts.

I read commentaries occasionally, but am more likely to read the BDAG or something along those lines, although Robertson's work is quite worthwhile, as well as Vincent's. I'm planning on reading Pink next. And, as has been suggested, as soon as I get cash, Dillow, Faust, and a hanful of others are on the short list.

The Illustrated Bible Dictionary is quite interesting. Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, as well. Manners and Customs of the Bible.

I also make stained glass windows, so I read a lot about glass. Just to confuse the issue, is glass a liquid or a solid?

 

You know, it's tedious if you simply sit down and say, "I'm going to read this". But, when you start reading a word and you see the nuances of it, you get sidetracked by going to the Scripture where it's found (sort of backwards from if you were studying a passage), you can read the works of Plato or whomever to see the way the word is used in secular writings, etc.

And example of where this has proved enlightening took place in the politics section in which a poster unintentionally used a vulgarity. Well, due to my etymology dictionary reading kick, I knew that this word has not always been a vulgarity, and only relatively recently has it taken this as the prime meaning.

When reading the BDAG, you might come to... say, and adjective, you read the material surrounding, look at the noun from which it's formed... etc.

When you read dictionaries of any sort, you see that sometimes those words don't mean what you think they mean. Or meant.

I would like to get Robertson's grammar as well. I have his commentary, which references his grammar (among others).

For entertainment, I read things like "Extraordinary Origins" (Or endings).

While working in my shop, I listen to audiobooks or sermons by different preachers. It drives my wife nuts! She wants quiet when she works, and I have difficulty working in the quiet. So, we compromise: We do it my way or she goes somewhere else...

FWIW, I just read a Reader's Digest. I didn't feel like thinking for a little while.

 

HG,

If I'm not mistaken its a liquid that behaves like a solid (or hmmmmmmmm?/????is it the other way around?????).

lol........ but I guess that's off topic.

(Excuse me while I exit..... Guess I can 'evesdrop' but I really don't belong in this forum. ...Ooooops!!)

 

Right now I have been on a kick on church history...
Of course, I think we have overlooked a very good source of reading...

Baptistboard... seriously..

I am teaching on what paul meant about baptizing the dead, and all I had to do was a search on BB, and Pastorsbc1303 had started a thread a little while ago... I read through the thread, and found a couple things that took me on to other websites...

Reading through these threads are very helpful...

OH, I also like to read the comics.. you can find some helpful illustrations in those...

 

I used this one once, and someone took offense because it was a) worldly and b) it was anthropomorphic, which is sacrilegious, because God only made one talking animal...

Calvin & Hobbes

Let them be offended.

 

I'd like to hear more about that book. I believe Calvin was an expository genius. He gleaned nuggets from the text helpful to all, even if you disagree with his soteriology. Calvin was first and foremost an exegete, which led to his being a theologian.

 

Reading Time

I have been doing a lot of reading of Theology, as in what one might consider text books. I have spent time in this area as we are working on remaking our Articles of Faith (no section about what we believe about Christ) and teaching our Articles of Faith as a Sunday School lesson series to our people from Jr. High and up.

 

As a pastor, I read mostly commentaries, theological texts, church history and anythng to keep me up-to-date on the happenings in society including pastoral counselling texts and psychology, not to ignore newspapers. I was never a fan of fictional books, but enjoyed some of the classic novels (old).

To-day, I still glance at commentaries and theological texts, but read more secular books. Frankly, I don't try to keep up with all the changes in the church as I once did.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Well I am about to go to seminary in the next year or so, Lord willing, so this is what I read:
Alot of theology. Hodge, Rushdoony,Sproul, Calvin, Allis. Theonomy. I just read a book by RC Sproul Jr, "Almighty over All", and that was awesome. I like church history: "Theology in America," "The history of Christian Worship" "The Faith" etc.
I also like lit., Dostyoevsky etc. I also like MacAurthur's works. I just got his book, "Because the Time Is Near" to see what exactly his eschatological views are.

 

I like to read Piper and various of the Puritan short works. I am working on Scougal now (The Life of God in the Soul of Man), and Gurnall (the Christian in Complete Armor).

However, as a history teacher, I read historical texts during the summer. Right now, I am working on The Black Book of Communism, which is a detailed study of the 100-150 million murders accomplished by Communist regimes 1917-1991. It was written, appropriately enough, by four French former Communists. I have a bio of Hamilton I must finish.

Unfortunately, I also have to read pedagogical texts required by my school system (akin to self torture).

Since I am acting as an interim at a church which is considering moving to a plurality of elders, I have been re-reading Strauch and Alexander Rattray Hay.

Busy summer. Will also try to re-read (#30) The Pilgrim's Progress.