A call for Christians to reclaim the priority, privilege, and practice of reading.
Christians are identified as people of the Wor... read full description
reviews
Oct 17, 2011
Shelley
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This is a great book written for Christians on the topic of reading literature. It's not some sort of CliffsNotes for the Left Behind series, nor is it a tract that condemns books written by non-Christian authors, or those that contain sex and violence. Instead, the author argues why Christians ought to be reading people, people who read fiction and non-fiction, of both Christian and secular varieties.
Even though the point of the book is to convince non-reading Christians to care More...
Even though the point of the book is to convince non-reading Christians to care More...
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Dec 07, 2011
James
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"A wide gap separates a reader who simply consumes books from a reader who diligently seeks wisdom" (178). In this thoughtful and practical book, Tony Reinke argues for the value of reading as a Christian discipline, and helps encourage readers to develop wise reading habits. It is a book in two parts, the first being a "theology of reading," the second being a collection of practical advice for becoming better readers.
The foundation of Lit! is the contention that God's More...
The foundation of Lit! is the contention that God's More...
Nov 08, 2011
Nate
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In Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books, former journalist Tony Reinke offers a theology for reading as well as practical suggestions for reading. Using scripture and a great deal of additional research, Reinke provides Christians with a deep, multifaceted look at the topic of reading.
Pastor C. J. Mahaney’s foreword does a thorough job at setting up the book by describing the important part that reading has played in his life and Christian walk. Reinke then begins the book by exp More...
Pastor C. J. Mahaney’s foreword does a thorough job at setting up the book by describing the important part that reading has played in his life and Christian walk. Reinke then begins the book by exp More...
Feb 21, 2012
Scarlett
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As a Christian and a voracious reader, this book seemed like a perfect fit for me. However, once I started it, I realized I wasn't really the intended audience. Reinke speaks mostly to people who don't already read a lot. On the practical side, he gives advice on finding or making time to read. Speaking specifically to Christians, he explains that even secular books may contain God's truth and that we shouldn't shut those books out of our life. Another important point he makes is that books th
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Feb 09, 2012
Paula
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Do you love reading ? Well, I guess if you don't then you wouldn't be reading this review for starters :). Are you a Christian ? Now that's the big question - Do you follow God or are you of the worldly ways ? As a big reader and I do mean BIG , I tend to read alot of everything, I have a very eclectic taste in books. The other thing though about me is that I am a Christian, I go to church most sundays , I read my bible every now and again, I listen to worship music on my Ipod, I read Christian
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Jan 22, 2012
Daniel
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When I read the press release about Lit! I was very excited to read the book. I read a lot of books and was excited to receive practical advice on how to read in the light of a Christian worldview, and what to read.
The first thing that I really appreciated about the book was his emphasise on scripture as ultimate. He explains that we should seek to read as much scripture to saturate our mind—to shape our worldview by scripture, not Christian books. He then shares a wonderful analogy of the More...
The first thing that I really appreciated about the book was his emphasise on scripture as ultimate. He explains that we should seek to read as much scripture to saturate our mind—to shape our worldview by scripture, not Christian books. He then shares a wonderful analogy of the More...
Nov 27, 2011
G. A.
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A book on how and why to read a book? Yes, that is exactly what Tony Reinke's Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books is all about. Reinke's purpose in writing this book is to study reading from a Christian perspective (26). He does this by breaking his book into two categories, which I will explain and dissect below.
The first section is a theology of books and reading. In this section Reinke lays out the beginnings of literature with God writing with his fingertip the 10 commandements More...
The first section is a theology of books and reading. In this section Reinke lays out the beginnings of literature with God writing with his fingertip the 10 commandements More...
Nov 21, 2011
Brian
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C.S. Lewis wrote, "The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable."
I've been reading Tony's blog for years and get many great insights into God and reading, so I thought I'd read his first published book and see if he could teach me some more about reading. Though nothing here is really ground breaking for a bibliophile it was still useful in many ways.
The book is broken up in two s More...
I've been reading Tony's blog for years and get many great insights into God and reading, so I thought I'd read his first published book and see if he could teach me some more about reading. Though nothing here is really ground breaking for a bibliophile it was still useful in many ways.
The book is broken up in two s More...
Oct 21, 2011
Tima
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The purpose of this book is to encourage non-reading Christians to read and to educate them on how to choose good books and to enjoy what they read.
Part one is the theology of books and reading. I have to admit that this really bored me. I LOVE to read and I just couldn't get into it. Once I moved on to Part two - Some Practical Advice On Book Reading - it became easier reading and the advice presented was thought provoking.
Some of the subjects that he hits on are how to find More...
Part one is the theology of books and reading. I have to admit that this really bored me. I LOVE to read and I just couldn't get into it. Once I moved on to Part two - Some Practical Advice On Book Reading - it became easier reading and the advice presented was thought provoking.
Some of the subjects that he hits on are how to find More...
Oct 31, 2011
Mark
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Highly recommended! There is a ton to gain here for the Christian, whether or not they love to read.
Christians have been (and ought to be) people of words and people of books. Tony builds a sturdy, textured theology of reading. He then proceeds to outline practical advice regard reading.
A skillful, imaginative approach to reading is recommended. Rather than just giving trite platitudes or pat answers, Tony rolls up his sleeve and gets down to the hard work involved. His w More...
Christians have been (and ought to be) people of words and people of books. Tony builds a sturdy, textured theology of reading. He then proceeds to outline practical advice regard reading.
A skillful, imaginative approach to reading is recommended. Rather than just giving trite platitudes or pat answers, Tony rolls up his sleeve and gets down to the hard work involved. His w More...
Oct 22, 2011
Gavin
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Lives up to its promise: "a Christian guide to reading books." The first half of the book provides a foundation for thinking about reading Christian-ly. The second half is practical tips and suggestions about how to be a better reader. This is the best way to set-up the book, but the inherent problem is that the people who really need the tips and suggestions in the second half might have trouble getting through the first half. That's not to say that the first half is boring or difficu
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Oct 16, 2011
Mandy
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MY REVIEW:
I never thought I would enjoy reading a book about reading as much as I just did.
About a month ago I had the opportunity to review this book and I turned it down. Then just two weeks ago I began seeing some posts on Crossways' blog about this book and it looked more and more intriguing with each post. So curiosity got the best of me and I bought the book for my Kindle and now here I sit typing my review after having just finished this great read.
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I never thought I would enjoy reading a book about reading as much as I just did.
About a month ago I had the opportunity to review this book and I turned it down. Then just two weeks ago I began seeing some posts on Crossways' blog about this book and it looked more and more intriguing with each post. So curiosity got the best of me and I bought the book for my Kindle and now here I sit typing my review after having just finished this great read.
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Nov 04, 2011
Cliff
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I've read two books in the last six months that I wish I would've read before I started teaching. One of them is "Teaching to Change Lives" by Howard Hendricks and the other is this book, "Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading" by Tony Reinke. The former is a inspiring book on education written by a Christian theology professor, and the latter is a insightful book on literature written by a Christian journalist/researcher. Both look at two of my greatest passions--education and
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Jan 01, 2012
Bethany
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This is one of those books that I think should be required reading for every college freshman.
Reinke is very linear, which I appreciated. This book takes a journey through the philosophy of reading well (or perhaps moreso choosing well) so you're an intentional reader and can actually DO something with what you read. And then he walks the reader through some practical issues of how to read well what you choose - how to maximize your efforts for the greatest outcome.
He ma More...
Reinke is very linear, which I appreciated. This book takes a journey through the philosophy of reading well (or perhaps moreso choosing well) so you're an intentional reader and can actually DO something with what you read. And then he walks the reader through some practical issues of how to read well what you choose - how to maximize your efforts for the greatest outcome.
He ma More...
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Oct 15, 2011
Debi
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I cannot rave enough about this book. While the target audience is those who don’t read much, or perhaps those who would like to read more but don’t, there is still much to be gained from this book by an avid reader. It reaffirms much of what the avid reader already knows – the benefits of reading, finding time for reading, reading for edification.
First, the book emphasizes the importance of Scripture and reading the Bible should be our top priority. Then the argument is given for how read More...
First, the book emphasizes the importance of Scripture and reading the Bible should be our top priority. Then the argument is given for how read More...
Jan 14, 2012
ladydusk
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Own.
This book came highly recommended from all sorts of places (Challies, World Mag, and the referrals on the book itself: Ryken, Alcorn, Packer) and I really wanted to love it. I at least wanted to like it, not feel merely [eh] about it. Who am I to disagree with all those professional writers?
Last year I loved Alan Jacobs' The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction and Marilyn Chandler McEntyre's Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies and I hoped that this would be a More...
This book came highly recommended from all sorts of places (Challies, World Mag, and the referrals on the book itself: Ryken, Alcorn, Packer) and I really wanted to love it. I at least wanted to like it, not feel merely [eh] about it. Who am I to disagree with all those professional writers?
Last year I loved Alan Jacobs' The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction and Marilyn Chandler McEntyre's Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies and I hoped that this would be a More...
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Feb 13, 2012
Emmanuel
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Tony Reinke sets out with the presupposition that Scripture is the Word of God. An obvious starting place for Evangelical Christians. Throughout the book, Reinke seeks to show how the light of Christ and the Bible inform our reading of all other literature.
Thesis: By the light of Scripture do we read and glean truth, goodness, and beauty from other books.
The book is broken into two sections:
1 – A Theology of Books and Reading
2 – Some Practical Advice on Book More...
Thesis: By the light of Scripture do we read and glean truth, goodness, and beauty from other books.
The book is broken into two sections:
1 – A Theology of Books and Reading
2 – Some Practical Advice on Book More...
Nov 08, 2011
Jay
rated it:
There are those that read books, and there are those that write books. Then there are those that write books about reading books. Those that enjoy reading can find great resources on how to make the best of the discipline and joy of taking on books.
What about a Christian? Is there a different mode of operation for Christians who enjoy reading? In "Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books," Tony Reinke gives theological insight into why reading is important for Christians. On More...
What about a Christian? Is there a different mode of operation for Christians who enjoy reading? In "Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books," Tony Reinke gives theological insight into why reading is important for Christians. On More...
Sep 26, 2011
Adam
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Short review: Lit has unfortunate timing. Alan Jacobs already has a very good book out about reading (The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction). But even more than the timing, Jacobs' book has the opposite focus. Lit is a traditional "How to Read a Book" style of book. Jacobs' whole thesis is that we should read more at whim and with less outside pressure about reading properly or reading the right things.
That being said, Lit is decent. It has a very good def More...
That being said, Lit is decent. It has a very good def More...
Jan 17, 2012
Julie (julie37619)
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I was thrilled to see this title by Tony Reinke, addressing a topic that I think is sorely under-addressed in Christian circles. There are lots of Christian books available on reading the Bible - how to read it, why to read it, etc, but not many books on why it's important for Christians to be well-versed and knowledgable in secular literature. This book addresses both the whys and hows regarding the reading of secular literature. There are also sections on why it's important (and creative wa
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Jan 01, 2012
Mark
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More...
What I have learned from about twenty-years of serious reading is this: It is sentences that change my life, not books. What changes my life is some new glimpse of truth, some powerful challenge, some resolution to a long-standing dilemma, and these usually come concentrated in a sentence or two. I do not remember 99% of what I read, but if the 1% of each book or article I do remember is a life-changing insight, then I don’t begrudge the 99%.3 When 1 percent of what you read is life-trans
Dec 25, 2011
Jonathan
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I really liked this book. Tony Reinke begins by laying out the theological groundwork & implications for reading. That takes up the first 6 chapters of the book. Then, the last 8 chapters are comprised of practical tips & applications for reading. I highlighted lots and need to review them soon.
I would give this to any Christian who wants to read but doesn't feel like they are good at it as well as any Christian who loves to read and wants to continue to read.
I would give this to any Christian who wants to read but doesn't feel like they are good at it as well as any Christian who loves to read and wants to continue to read.
Nov 29, 2011
Matthew
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A fun book on books and the art of reading as a Christian. This work is somewhat influenced by Morton Adler's classic How to Read a Book though it has its own voice. I enjoyed it and did benefit from some of its practical advice.
Oct 05, 2011
Ben
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I most appreciated the practical applications Reinke gives in the last 1/3 of the book. The front loads up on the theological / rationale for reading but the 20 tips and tricks (as one example) are certainly helpful for someone just trying to dip his toes in the deep end.
Oct 05, 2011
Barnabas
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Reinke exhibits the kind of writing and thought that makes reading worthwhile. He is concise, clear, thoughtful, but not at all dry. He is balanced in his opinions and well-reasoned. Over-all I thought Reinke did an excellent job of bringing out the joys of reading and its value without harping on the reader or coming across as heavy handed.
Nov 24, 2011
David
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Fantastic. Practical and easy to read guide on reading books for Christians.
Nov 24, 2011
Craig
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Excellent book with a Christian perspective on reading. Highly recommend it!
Jan 20, 2012
A. T.
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Review to follow soon. I've had an eye infection, which has prevented me being able to write all my reviews in a timely fashion.
