The 50 Best Books of 2015 (So Far)

Tony Reinke .Reading Digest, Books, Reading

books

2015 is 60% over, and that means all the books for the year have either been released or announced. In the summer months I begin to compile a rough list of about 50 of the potentially best Christian (non-fiction) books of the year into a list that I will use to pick my top choices in November.

[Update: The list has nearly topped 70 titles — thanks for the wonderful suggestions.]

Here’s my list:

Of course I need your help on this community project of trying to pull in all the contenders. Tweet me or comment here: What books from 2015 have I missed?

A Wrong Time for Everything

Tony Reinke Karl Barth, Sin

There’s a right time for everything under the sun (Ecc. 3:1–8). That means, apart from God, we creatures find a wrong time for everything under the sun, too.

Writes Karl Barth (CD IV.2, §65, 413–14):

The stupidity of man consists and expresses itself in the fact that when he is of the opinion that he achieves his true nature and essence apart from the knowledge of God, without hearing and obeying His Word, in this independence and autonomy, he always misses his true nature and essence.

He is always either too soon or too late.

He is asleep when he should be awake, and awake when he should be asleep.

He is silent when he should speak, and he speaks when it is better to be silent.

He laughs when he should weep, and he weeps when he should be comforted and laugh.

He always makes an exception where the rule should be kept, and subjects himself to a law when he should choose in freedom.

He always toils when he should pray, and prays when only work is of any avail.

He always devotes himself to historical and psychological investigation when decisions are demanded, and rushes into decision when historical and psychological investigation is really required.

He is always contentious where it is unnecessary and harmful, and he speaks of peace where he may confidently attack. …

In Eccl. 3 we are given a list of different things for which there is a proper time — in accordance with the fact that God Himself does everything in its own time.

The genius of stupidity is to think everything at the wrong time, to say everything to the wrong people, to do everything in the wrong direction, to lose no opportunity of misunderstanding and being misunderstood, always to omit the one simple and necessary thing which is demanded, and to have a sure instinct for choosing and willing and doing the complicated and superfluous thing which can only disrupt and obstruct.

John Newton Birthday Bash Book Giveaway!

Tony Reinke John Newton

knxl

[UPDATE: The contest is now concluded. We had 473 entries to the #JNXL contest. Thank you all! And congratulations to @jreidpatton and @jenniferguo, the winners!]

John Newton turns 290 years old today (Tuesday). In celebration, two randomly drawn winners will get a set of the Theologians on the Christian Life series to date (9 volumes). All thanks to our friends at Crossway Books.

Here’s how to enter.

Beginning right now, post your favorite quote(s) from John Newton (or from the new book) — in Twitter and/or Instagram — using the hashtag #JNXL.

Post as many quotes as you like, but entries are limited.

  • Up to 2 entries on Twitter will be entered (each #JNXL quote is worth 1 entry).
  • Up to 2 entries on Instagram will be entered (Tweets to pics not counted).

If you use Twitter and Instagram, that’s 4 entries per person max.

Don’t have any favorite Newton Tweetables? [hint]

The shipping address for the winning books must be within the continental US.

On Thursday morning (9am central), entries will be collected and one male and one female will be randomly drawn from the entries and will win one set of the 9-volume paperback set of Theologians on the Christian Life. I will contact winners to get addresses later. Contest ends Thursday morning at 9am central time. Winners will have 12 hours to respond to winning notification or another winner will be chosen.

Two winners will get all this $135 goodness for free (paperbacks):

A Mini Theology of Technology

Tony Reinke iPhone, Technology

Pastor Jim Samra, writing in the new book The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision, assembled by Kevin Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan (Baker; 2015), pages 67–68:

God has led me to realize that the Bible has much to say about technology — as long as we are willing to use a sufficiently broad definition: “Technology includes all tools, machines, utensils, weapons, instruments, housing, clothing, communicating and transporting devices and the skills by which we produce and use them.”

Stories from the first eleven chapters of Genesis give foundational principles relevant to the use of technology:

(1) Technology is possible because man is created in the image of God (Adam and Eve).

(2) Technology often hinders our ability to recognize our need for God and can be used to attempt to render God unnecessary (Cain).

(3) Technology can free us to sin by attempting to shield us from some of the consequences of sin (Lamech and Tubal-Cain).

(4) Technology is used by God to rescue us, to help alleviate some of the consequences of the fall, and to help us worship God (Noah).

(5) Technology is inherently dangerous because it is the product of purposive human activity, and we need help from God in limiting its use (Tower of Babel).

Of these five, I have found the last one to be the most difficult for people to grasp.

Studying the cross as a form of technology led to my recognizing that technology is dangerous inasmuch as it is constantly tempting us to imagine a better life available to us through technology: to covet and to put our faith in technology rather than God. The cross is associated with the Jewish leaders coveting a world without Jesus (Luke 20:9-19) and their idolatry in embracing Caesar rather than God (John 19:13–16).

A Sweet Twist of Grace

Tony Reinke John Newton, spurgeon

265 years ago John Newton sailed into the port of Charleston and unloaded 150 African slaves (October 1747).

242 years ago Newton wrote the hymn “Amazing Grace” for his church in England (December 1772).

227 years ago Newton formally became an abolitionist to end the Atlantic slave trade (January 1788).

Friday in Charleston:

Politics aside, it was, for one moment in America, a sweet twist in our shared history. It was a work of God in overcoming multiple layers of sin. It is grace — God’s unmerited favor.