Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by tiffanyslack
Besides the Bible by Jordan Green, John Pattison, Dan Gibson
4.0
I am a great lover of books-about-books and a librarian at a public Christian library, so when I came across this title, I couldn't pass it up. I discovered one of the authors, John Pattison, when one of my favorite book bloggers referenced an article he had written in 2017 about where to start if you are new to the works of Wendell Berry. (I am a huge fan of Berry, so I took note).
There is much to commend this book, and I hope a glance at the Table of Contents will not scare too many away. However, if you are someone who thinks Christians should only read Christian books, then this is probably not for you.
This is much more than just a list of books. There is a short essay for each book, describing the book and why it was included. Many people apparently contributed to the development of this book and the essays themselves, so a variety of perspectives is represented. It was affirming to see many of my personal favorites included, and the essays served to bump-up many of the books I know of but haven't read higher on my TBR list. I was very pleasantly surprised to be introduced to a number of new-to-me books and authors, too. The essays definitely made a difference in that regard.
Of course, there were several books where I didn't agree with the justification for including them, and I lamented the absence of several books that I would have included that weren't. There were other books, such as The Fountainhead, that I most likely will never find worthy of my reading time, but I appreciated the essay on how it has contributed to culture.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to a discerning reader interested in developing a rich understanding of Christian thought and the intersections with modern culture.
There is much to commend this book, and I hope a glance at the Table of Contents will not scare too many away. However, if you are someone who thinks Christians should only read Christian books, then this is probably not for you.
This is much more than just a list of books. There is a short essay for each book, describing the book and why it was included. Many people apparently contributed to the development of this book and the essays themselves, so a variety of perspectives is represented. It was affirming to see many of my personal favorites included, and the essays served to bump-up many of the books I know of but haven't read higher on my TBR list. I was very pleasantly surprised to be introduced to a number of new-to-me books and authors, too. The essays definitely made a difference in that regard.
Of course, there were several books where I didn't agree with the justification for including them, and I lamented the absence of several books that I would have included that weren't. There were other books, such as The Fountainhead, that I most likely will never find worthy of my reading time, but I appreciated the essay on how it has contributed to culture.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to a discerning reader interested in developing a rich understanding of Christian thought and the intersections with modern culture.