MW - Current Happenings 2002

Current Happenings 2002
Home Page > Current Happenings > July 4, 2002

Year 2002

July 4

What I'm Reading this Summer

Here are some of the books I'm reading this summer:

Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea
Steven Callahan, ISBN 0-395-38206-8
I had heard of this book before, a while back, so one day, I was bored and looked for it on Amazon.com. They had about 25 sample pages, which I read. After that, I had to read the rest. I checked it out from the library.

Steven Callahan spent 76 days all by himself in an 1800-mile journey in a life raft. It's a great story of survival. But I also liked the things he said about this even has changed his perspective on life. For example, he says:

"My plight has given me a strange kind of wealth, the most important kind. I value each moment that is not spent in pain, desperation, hunger, thirst, or loneliness. Even here, there is richness all around me. As I look out of the raft, I see God's face in the smooth waves, His grace in the dorado's swim, feel His breath against my cheek as it sweeps down from the sky. I see that all of creation is made in His image. Yet despite His constant company, I need more. I need more than food and drink. I need to feel the company of other human spirits." (page 109)

He also talks about how achieving a goal is better if it's shared: "...I have come to know that the fulfillment of goals is not enough in itself; it must be shared to be rewarding."

Systematic Theology
Wayne Grudem, USA ISBN 0-310-28670-0
My friend Eric Oldenburg just graduated from seminary, and one of the things they study is systematic theology. I asked him once what the best theology books were, and put some of them in my Amazon.com wish list. Then I was in the Biola library one day, and decided to check out this one.

I've only read the first seven chapters so far, but I like it. I learned how the 66 books of the Bible were canonized. Dan Yim and Dave Shackelford say that historical theologies are better to read than systematic theologies.

The New Mormon Challenge
Beckwith, Mosser, Owen, Editors.
ISBN 0-310-23194-9
A brand-new book that I won as a door prize at a "Defending the Faith Lecture Series" lecture.

It explains current Mormon doctrine, and gives some philosophical arguments against Mormonism. However, it's not the usual angry polemic. Instead, it has a calm, reasoned approach to pointing out problems with the Mormon worldview. I've read through chapter 5

How People Grow: What the Bible Reveals about Personal Growth
Henry Cloud & John Townsend.
ISBN 0-310-22153-6
Andrew Moss and Adam Wolven recommended this book to me. They read it as a textbook for Dave White's Authentic Manhood class. Eric Oldenburg bought it for me for my birthday in April.

I've read the first two sections, up to chapter six so far, and I really like it.

Renovation of the Heart:
Putting on the Character of Christ
Dallas Willard, ISBN 1-57683-296-1
So far, I've only read the first chapter. I'll probably read more of this as I finish some of the books above. I intend to read this whole book, not just part of it, like I did with his last book, Divine Conspiracy. Like a lot of people I know, I only got up to chapter 5 or so in that book.

Created and maintained by Matthew Weathers. Last updated Apr 20, 2006.

	Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea Steven Callahan, ISBN 0-395-38206-8 I had heard of this book before, a while back, so one day, I was bored and looked for it on Amazon.com. They had about 25 sample pages, which I read. After that, I had to read the rest. I checked it out from the library. Steven Callahan spent 76 days all by himself in an 1800-mile journey in a life raft. It's a great story of survival. But I also liked the things he said about this even has changed his perspective on life. For example, he says: "My plight has given me a strange kind of wealth, the most important kind. I value each moment that is not spent in pain, desperation, hunger, thirst, or loneliness. Even here, there is richness all around me. As I look out of the raft, I see God's face in the smooth waves, His grace in the dorado's swim, feel His breath against my cheek as it sweeps down from the sky. I see that all of creation is made in His image. Yet despite His constant company, I need more. I need more than food and drink. I need to feel the company of other human spirits." (page 109) He also talks about how achieving a goal is better if it's shared: "...I have come to know that the fulfillment of goals is not enough in itself; it must be shared to be rewarding."
Systematic Theology Wayne Grudem, USA ISBN 0-310-28670-0 My friend Eric Oldenburg just graduated from seminary, and one of the things they study is systematic theology. I asked him once what the best theology books were, and put some of them in my Amazon.com wish list. Then I was in the Biola library one day, and decided to check out this one. I've only read the first seven chapters so far, but I like it. I learned how the 66 books of the Bible were canonized. Dan Yim and Dave Shackelford say that historical theologies are better to read than systematic theologies.
	The New Mormon Challenge Beckwith, Mosser, Owen, Editors. ISBN 0-310-23194-9 A brand-new book that I won as a door prize at a "Defending the Faith Lecture Series" lecture. It explains current Mormon doctrine, and gives some philosophical arguments against Mormonism. However, it's not the usual angry polemic. Instead, it has a calm, reasoned approach to pointing out problems with the Mormon worldview. I've read through chapter 5
How People Grow: What the Bible Reveals about Personal Growth Henry Cloud & John Townsend. ISBN 0-310-22153-6 Andrew Moss and Adam Wolven recommended this book to me. They read it as a textbook for Dave White's Authentic Manhood class. Eric Oldenburg bought it for me for my birthday in April. I've read the first two sections, up to chapter six so far, and I really like it.
	Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ Dallas Willard, ISBN 1-57683-296-1 So far, I've only read the first chapter. I'll probably read more of this as I finish some of the books above. I intend to read this whole book, not just part of it, like I did with his last book, Divine Conspiracy. Like a lot of people I know, I only got up to chapter 5 or so in that book.