What I'm reading this year
From New Testament scholarship to fairytales
Welcome to Q2 of 2024!
I hope you had a blessed Easter holiday and are feeling refreshed by the promise of sunshine and warm weather—even if those of us in North Alabama have to get through a few severe weather scares first.
Time seems to be moving faster every day, so I’m always on the lookout for holidays, anniversaries, and other milestones that give me opportunities to stop and reflect. One of my primary goals in 2024 was to spend more time reading. This week, as we welcome April and all it brings, I wanted to share what I’ve read this year—these reads are simply too good to keep to myself!
Completed so far:
1. Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis
Till We Have Faces was the first book I finished in 2024, which means that I have spent roughly three months singing its praises (read: telling everyone I know that they must read it) now. Often regarded as Lewis’ best novel, it is a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche through the eyes of Psyche’s sister, Orual.
It’s difficult for me to put into words exactly how brilliant this story is. I devoured the second half of it in one day, finding the conclusion breathtaking. The only reason I haven’t written about it at length is that I haven’t figured out how to without spoiling the ending. It is a lovely, enchanting, introspective novel that you don’t want to miss.
2. Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals, Gavin Ortlund
I heard about Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals: Why We Need Our Past to Have a Future through Gavin Ortlund’s (fantastic) YouTube channel, Truth Unites. Ortlund does a lot of great work defending Protestantism and Christianity in general, always injecting a much-needed historical viewpoint into his discussions.
The thesis of Theological Retrieval is that “premodern resources are not an obstacle in the age of progress but a well in the age of thirst.” The book comprises several case studies that illustrate how revisiting ancient, medieval, and patristic theology can shed new light on modern theological arguments, with topics including atonement, divine simplicity, and pastoral duties.
The case studies were enlightening and theologically rich, illustrating just how much depth there is in these historical texts and reminding me of the great cloud of witnesses whose work has been preserved throughout the history of Christianity.
3. How God Became King, N.T. Wright
I wrote about How God Became King after I finished it in February, so if you’re interested in a fuller review of the book’s content I’d recommend checking out that writeup.
The basic question that this book sets out to answer is: Why did Jesus live? Throughout church history, most of the focus on Jesus zeroes in on his birth, his death, and his resurrection. And, while these are certainly essential pieces of the story, these bookend events can obscure the 33-or-so years of activity that happened in between.
Wright’s argument is that Jesus’ earthly ministry was a dramatic declaration of his rule over all creation, which was instantiated at his resurrection. This popular-level book is an extremely accessible introduction to the themes of kingdom and cross throughout the gospels, and I highly recommend it.
4. The New Testament and the People of God, N.T. Wright
This book sort of counts for 2023 and 2024, as I started reading it with my book club last summer. The New Testament and the People of God is the first in Wright’s Christian Origins and the Question of God series, an academic treasure trove that seeks to understand the unique cultural environment that nurtured early Christianity.
If you’re looking for a thorough understanding of what the world looked like for the first Christians, with conversations about New Testament scholarship and historical methods along the way, you’ll find it here. There was simply too much material in this book to package up in a few neat takeaways, but it does add useful context to my understanding of the life and world of the earliest Christians.
5. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis
I think I was in third grade when The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was adapted into a movie. I remember seeing the movie and reading the book around the same time, knowing that there were gospel overtones but not really having the acuity to pick up on any themes beyond the obvious instance in which Aslan sacrifices himself and is mysteriously resurrected through the “deeper magic” at play in Narnia. Upon returning to this story as an adult, I was surprised at how much depth and wisdom could be packed into an otherwise simple children’s story.
I’ve always been a proponent of reading fairy tales, whether or not I fall into the age range of the “intended audience.” Ironically, the dedication of this book sums my feelings up perfectly. In a letter to his goddaughter, Lucy Barfield, which accompanied the manuscript, Lewis said the following:
“I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be your affectionate Godfather, C.S. Lewis.”
BRB, I need to go cry now!!
Current reads:
6. Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels, Richard B. Hayes
I’m about 2/3 of the way through Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels and find that my admiration for the gospel writers and their adept use of Israel’s scriptures grows with each new sentence I read. It’s certainly a thorough book with a bit of academic jargon (and occasionally a Greek phrase with no English translation), but I’ve found it to be exceptionally readable and enlightening.
Hayes examines how each gospel uses “Old Testament” references to continue the story of Israel in light of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. I have been consistently blown away at the literary depth of these familiar texts, emphasized by the light of Hayes’ scholarship.
7. Out of the Silent Planet, C.S. Lewis
While I’ve been spreading the gospel of Till We Have Faces, Carson has been doing the same for Lewis’ Space Trilogy, which opens with Out of the Silent Planet. I finally cracked into it last week and have been thoroughly enjoying it.
I’m always afraid of giving away too many spoilers when it comes to fiction novels, so I’ll withhold details here, but I’m loving the mix of classic sci-fi with Lewis’ signature wit and wisdom.
I’m always adding to my “Want to Read” list and love scrolling Goodreads to see what my friends are reading. Add me there for more recommendations (and, selfishly, so I can see yours as well)!
Now, LMK:
What have you been reading lately? Give me some recommendations in the comments!
From the archives:
Find more reading recommendations in this post from last summer.
