1. Comprehensiveness
When I read a book I want to understand the whole of the case that the author is presenting. Chapters, sections, paragraphs all have a place within an overall structure. To understand any part truly I want to know how it fits into the whole argument.
2. Fairness
I want to understand an author’s argument accurately; I do not want to misrepresent it. This involves getting into the structure of the case the author is presenting, delaying evaluation until one has understood what the author is trying to say, not reacting too quickly but allowing a fair hearing. A full, deep response is only possible following the effort to truly understand. Otherwise a response will be superficial
3. Sparks
At the same time, it is often sections, or paragraphs, sentences or phrases that strike home, that spark off some sequence of thought or so forth. The most productive reading can be when one grabs, ponders and interacts with some smaller unit of thought. In John Piper’s words, “Books don’t change people; paragraphs do. Sometimes even sentences… My prayer is that God might be pleased to take the short readings of this book and set a sentences or a paragraph on fire in your mind.”
4. Interaction
How, then, does one interact with a book? At different levels, surely. I can seek to get a grasp of the whole, to understand fairly the overall theme which the chapters and sections and paragraphs are developing. In this case I may want to review and evaluate the whole. But equally I can interact with a phrase or sentence or paragraph or section, to allow a spark to set on fire another whole chain of thought, to develop it, argue against it, bring it into contact with other thoughts from other authors.
5. Assimilation and Assessment
The goal of learning is living; the goal of learning is loving. Reading is food for growth. And ultimately, when I read I need to take on board, put into practice that which I read, having evaluated that which is true and helpful.
Two alternative forms of interaction with a book:
A. Review
Here, I am seeking to a) accurately summarise the main thrust of the book b) evaluate its strengths and weaknesses c) think through ways in which I need to respond and change. ‘This is what the book says – this is where he is right – this is where he is wrong – this is how I need to respond’
B. Interaction
Here, I am picking up on themes, ideas, thoughts from the book that have particularly impressed me (for good or bad). I examine that thought, interact with it, challenge it, pair it up with other thoughts, draw implications from it etc. I am not seeking to present ‘what the book says’ but interact with one idea.
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Holiday reading and expectations
Tomorrow we go on holiday for a week to Wells-next-the-Sea in north Norfolk. My holiday reading list comprises:
Pierced for our Transgressions (Ovey, Jeffrey & Sach)
Shepherding a Child's Heart (Tripp)
War and Peace (vol. 1) (Tolstoy)
Charity and Its Fruits (Edwards) (which I haven't read for a long time)
Peter O'Brien's commentary on Ephesians (as we are studying Ephesians in homegroups at the moment)
(links in reading list on left)
I trust that it will not be reading merely for the sake of knowledge but for the sake of love - to God and to others. 1 Corinthians 8.1b
I am also hoping to see a few interesting birds, given that "Norfolk is the single best stretch of coastline in the UK from a birdwatcher's point of view" (BBC) Crossbills, Sandwich terns, Little terns and waders are top of the list and who knows what else? I have seen 94 species so far this year, so should push past 100, possibly up to 110-115?
Pierced for our Transgressions (Ovey, Jeffrey & Sach)
Shepherding a Child's Heart (Tripp)
War and Peace (vol. 1) (Tolstoy)
Charity and Its Fruits (Edwards) (which I haven't read for a long time)
Peter O'Brien's commentary on Ephesians (as we are studying Ephesians in homegroups at the moment)
(links in reading list on left)
I trust that it will not be reading merely for the sake of knowledge but for the sake of love - to God and to others. 1 Corinthians 8.1b
I am also hoping to see a few interesting birds, given that "Norfolk is the single best stretch of coastline in the UK from a birdwatcher's point of view" (BBC) Crossbills, Sandwich terns, Little terns and waders are top of the list and who knows what else? I have seen 94 species so far this year, so should push past 100, possibly up to 110-115?
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Monday, December 12, 2005
Brief reflections on blogging and reading
One of the things that I learnt from John Frame, in The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God (DKG) (see post: some books) is that ontology precedes epistemology. That is, what we know precedes how we know. We know things - many things, before we get round to reflecting on our process of knowing. One might think, Frame argues, that we should be clear about the methods that we do use or should use in acquiring knowledge before we embark on knowing. After all, how can we be sure we're not using faulty methods if we don't set them out clearly beforehand? The knowledge we have may be seriously skewed since we may be using the wrong methods of getting it? So LET'S GET OUR METHODS STRAIGHT FIRST!!!!!!! (note the increasing fervour) Wrong - contends Frame - "Contrary to our intellectualist prejudices, the practice of something generally precedes its definition" We know many things before we rationalise about the process of knowing.
Well, the point of this post is not to indulge in lengthy philosophical reflections. I have appended a paragaph from DKG if you're interested. Rather, Frame's point was brought to mind as I reflected a little over this thing called blogging which I have recently embarked upon. But rather than reflect excessively at this stage over the nature and purpose of blogging, perhaps it is better to go straight into blogging, do some, and reflect as I go along.
Which leads me, rather haphazardly, to me saying that at this stage I have no great scheme, or plan of 18 themes that I wish to develop in this blog. I therefore at this stage throw out some random reflections, and see where they end up.
I hope at some stage to write some posts on the books which I have said have been influential to me at different times of my life, and some of the lessons I have learnt from them. Books are incredibly important, for many reasons, but two thoughts are brought to mind at this point:
1) John Piper has a chapter in Brothers, We Are not Professionals entitled "Brothers, Fight for Your Life" What is it about? Books. He begins:
"I agree with Martyn Lloyd-Jones that the fight to find time to read is a fight for one's life. 'Let your wife or anyone else take messages for you, and inform the people who are telephoning that you are not available. One literally has to fight for one's life in this sense.'"
Why so? Because of the sheer, desperate need to feed our own souls. Piper is writing particularly for pastors, who face the danger of being drained, becoming dry, as they prepare messages, give, serve, serve, serve:
"For your own soul and for the life of your church, fight for time to feed your soul with rich reading. Almost all the forces in our culture are trivializing. If you want to stay alive to what is great and glorious and beautiful and eternal, you will have to fight for time to look through the eyes of others who were in touch with God."
This is not just for pastors.
2) Secondly, I am reminded by some comments by Don Carson, in his brief reflection on 2 Timothy 3 (For the love of God volume 1) In the light of the sin and dangers of the last days (NB = which "range from Christ's ascension to his return) (vv.1-7), how should we live?
"First, we must resolve to follow the best mentors (3:10-11). These are the people whose lives reflect the Gospel, and who have been tested by hardship and protected by God. In a world of many pop idols, not least in the field of religion, we must become intentional about choosing the best mentors, or by default we shall probably choose poor ones."
Carson has more to say on this theme in Basics for Believers, chapter 4, "Emulate Worthy Christian Leaders".
It may not be easy to find mature Christians to act as examples and mentors to us. (cf. post by Dan Bowen and comments by Mark Heath here) And books are in many ways poor substitutes. But the books we read can have a profound influence on our thinking and our living. And so we must choose carefully who to read; to choose carefully which books and authors we should allow to mentor us.
It is good to read widely, to read a variety, even to read books that are profoundly unhelpful (with caveats - I hope to post some thoughts on this at a later date). But we must select carefully those books which will mentor us, which will quench our thirst when we are dry, which will refresh us when we are drained, which will challenge us when we are complacent. And of course, it is to God's Word we must turn to first and most frequently. But we must also select with wisdom those things we read that will expound and preach and apply and wield God's Word to us.
END OF POST
As promised, I append a longer quote from John Frame:
"One could argue that the doctrine of the knowledge of God ought to be a student's first introduction to systematic theology. After all, it seems that one must know what knowing is before one goes about the business of knowing specific things. One must know what theology is before one can do theology. Right? Well, yes and no. On the one hand, there is certainly much virtue in the idea of discussing epistemology toward the beginning of a student's theological course of study, since it does provide him with concepts and methods that will enrich the rest of his study. On the other hand, the lack of philosophical, linguistic, and catechetical background of many seminary students makes me wonder if first-year students are ready to tackle an area of study as difficult as this can be. And more seriously, there is a sense in which students are not ready to define "theology" until they have done it, just as they are not ready to define "knowledge" until they have done some knowing. Contrary to our intellectualist prejudices, the practice of something generally precedes its definition. (People were writing poetry and thinking logically long before Aristotle defined poetry and formulated a logic.) Can you do theology without knowing what theology is? Of course, just as you can tell time without having a definition of "time," just as you can walk or eat or breathe without being able to give precise definitions of those activities. And sometimes we must do something before we can define it. It is scarcely conceivable that anyone could define "seeing" without ever having seen anything. And if a blind man were able, through reading in braille dictionaries, to define sight, imagine how much deeper his understanding of it would be after his sight were restored. A student is not ready, in my view, to appreciate definitions of "theology" or of the "knowledge of God" unless he has already done some ` theology and unless he already knows God!"
Well, the point of this post is not to indulge in lengthy philosophical reflections. I have appended a paragaph from DKG if you're interested. Rather, Frame's point was brought to mind as I reflected a little over this thing called blogging which I have recently embarked upon. But rather than reflect excessively at this stage over the nature and purpose of blogging, perhaps it is better to go straight into blogging, do some, and reflect as I go along.
Which leads me, rather haphazardly, to me saying that at this stage I have no great scheme, or plan of 18 themes that I wish to develop in this blog. I therefore at this stage throw out some random reflections, and see where they end up.
I hope at some stage to write some posts on the books which I have said have been influential to me at different times of my life, and some of the lessons I have learnt from them. Books are incredibly important, for many reasons, but two thoughts are brought to mind at this point:
1) John Piper has a chapter in Brothers, We Are not Professionals entitled "Brothers, Fight for Your Life" What is it about? Books. He begins:
"I agree with Martyn Lloyd-Jones that the fight to find time to read is a fight for one's life. 'Let your wife or anyone else take messages for you, and inform the people who are telephoning that you are not available. One literally has to fight for one's life in this sense.'"
Why so? Because of the sheer, desperate need to feed our own souls. Piper is writing particularly for pastors, who face the danger of being drained, becoming dry, as they prepare messages, give, serve, serve, serve:
"For your own soul and for the life of your church, fight for time to feed your soul with rich reading. Almost all the forces in our culture are trivializing. If you want to stay alive to what is great and glorious and beautiful and eternal, you will have to fight for time to look through the eyes of others who were in touch with God."
This is not just for pastors.
2) Secondly, I am reminded by some comments by Don Carson, in his brief reflection on 2 Timothy 3 (For the love of God volume 1) In the light of the sin and dangers of the last days (NB = which "range from Christ's ascension to his return) (vv.1-7), how should we live?
"First, we must resolve to follow the best mentors (3:10-11). These are the people whose lives reflect the Gospel, and who have been tested by hardship and protected by God. In a world of many pop idols, not least in the field of religion, we must become intentional about choosing the best mentors, or by default we shall probably choose poor ones."
Carson has more to say on this theme in Basics for Believers, chapter 4, "Emulate Worthy Christian Leaders".
It may not be easy to find mature Christians to act as examples and mentors to us. (cf. post by Dan Bowen and comments by Mark Heath here) And books are in many ways poor substitutes. But the books we read can have a profound influence on our thinking and our living. And so we must choose carefully who to read; to choose carefully which books and authors we should allow to mentor us.
It is good to read widely, to read a variety, even to read books that are profoundly unhelpful (with caveats - I hope to post some thoughts on this at a later date). But we must select carefully those books which will mentor us, which will quench our thirst when we are dry, which will refresh us when we are drained, which will challenge us when we are complacent. And of course, it is to God's Word we must turn to first and most frequently. But we must also select with wisdom those things we read that will expound and preach and apply and wield God's Word to us.
END OF POST
As promised, I append a longer quote from John Frame:
"One could argue that the doctrine of the knowledge of God ought to be a student's first introduction to systematic theology. After all, it seems that one must know what knowing is before one goes about the business of knowing specific things. One must know what theology is before one can do theology. Right? Well, yes and no. On the one hand, there is certainly much virtue in the idea of discussing epistemology toward the beginning of a student's theological course of study, since it does provide him with concepts and methods that will enrich the rest of his study. On the other hand, the lack of philosophical, linguistic, and catechetical background of many seminary students makes me wonder if first-year students are ready to tackle an area of study as difficult as this can be. And more seriously, there is a sense in which students are not ready to define "theology" until they have done it, just as they are not ready to define "knowledge" until they have done some knowing. Contrary to our intellectualist prejudices, the practice of something generally precedes its definition. (People were writing poetry and thinking logically long before Aristotle defined poetry and formulated a logic.) Can you do theology without knowing what theology is? Of course, just as you can tell time without having a definition of "time," just as you can walk or eat or breathe without being able to give precise definitions of those activities. And sometimes we must do something before we can define it. It is scarcely conceivable that anyone could define "seeing" without ever having seen anything. And if a blind man were able, through reading in braille dictionaries, to define sight, imagine how much deeper his understanding of it would be after his sight were restored. A student is not ready, in my view, to appreciate definitions of "theology" or of the "knowledge of God" unless he has already done some ` theology and unless he already knows God!"
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