I don’t even remember when I first began reading, but by the time I was nine I had read all four volumes of Douglas Southall Freeman’s Biography of R.E. Lee and and his 3 volumes on Lee’s Lieutenants plus a volume on the Greek Peloponisian (sp?) Wars and Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind. My grandmother was the person who stuck a book in my hand and said read (well maybe not that stark, but near enough to it), and the book she likely handed me was a Western Novel. I can remember reading Zane Grey’s Riders of the Purple Sage, but not my age when I read it. I do think it was before I was nine. Literature and History were my main areas throughout my youth. After my conversion, I began reading Christian literature. I still have the first Bible my sister gave me for Christmas after my conversion on Dec.7,1957. The backs are so stiff that they would break into pieces now, and the Bible is so heavily underlined one would have difficulty in reading parts of it. In preparing for my ordination on May 20, 1962 I outlined three books of theology, including Strong, Thiessen, and Finney and took notes on one theodice, a Bledsoe of the Univ. of Va. I should also point out that I had already studied W.T. Conner’s work on Christian Doctrine at St. Louis Baptist College. During that first year of pastoring, ’62-63, I read some volumes of Puritans’ works: Clarkson and Sibbes. They would have a profound impact upon my theology as would the research in Baptist History which I began in the Spring of 1963 at the instigation of Dr. Lorenzo J. Greene, one of the great Black Historians (Ph.D., ’40, Columbia Univ.). Since I could read at a rapid rate, I found myself checking out stacks of books from the libraries of the various schools I attended and the libraries in the communities in which I lived. Some I read through in a few hours, while others, involving more complicated and technical subjects, took longer, much longer. Speed reading has its advantages and disadvantages. Of all books that I have ever read, the most impressive one of all is the Bible. I have attended 10 colleges and universities and taught in 3. My degrees are in three areas, History, Theology, and Counseling. They help to look at the Bible in the light of the mind looking for evidence that points to the reality of the Divine. Having been an atheist before my conversion and as skeptical as one can be, I have found our present day atheists funny and not nearly as vicious as I was. The teachings of Scripture, when taken for what they are, when seen for what they truly present, will transform an individual’s thinking and life. Ever since I started looking at the Book as indicating teachings commensurate with its source (inspired by the Omniscient God), that is, that they present a depth of insight, understanding, and transforming power that one would expect from such an origin, I have been overwhelmed by the subtleties and profundities of perspectives found therein.
Hmm, maybe there is a problem with some people idolizing some leaders of the SBC. Does Jared revere Mohler so much that Mohler deserves the divine capitalization of the 3rd person pronoun? How about it, Jared? Can we hear from you on this issue before all the watch blogs start voicing concern?
I wish I would have thought of the encyclopedia idea. I used to read it for fun. I usually ended up either grabbing my cousins’ comic books (we often vacationed together) or begging to look at the map so I could follow our course.
My favorite quote from Mohler about books: “The stack of books to be read beside the desk or reading chair is a statement of hope. No matter how busy we find ourselves to be, the books are there waiting.”
Mohler is just brilliant, and his fuel for reading is so evident in the fact that he’s writing and blogging and speaking all over the place, as if he never sleeps. Praise the Lord for a man like this leading Southern.
The pc and other electronic gadgets are the biggest distraction from reading that I have every encountered. Mine has cut down on my book reading.
Frank
In seriousness . . . my wife loves to read but has a degenerative eye disease that makes it difficult. Using a Kindle she is able to read her Bible and other books.
They certainly can be a huge distraction. I can’t stand to read books on electronic devices although I know they help some people. However, I have been able to speed up and organize research considerably for classes and sermons by using a PC. My PC desks at home and work contain plenty of room for books and other paperwork.
Fair enough, Frank. What gets me is to imagine having my whole library on a kindle like isntrument or perhaps an even better one with say 100,000 vols of books on it. (I have a library in excess of 12,000 vols.) Think of being able to line us every vol, even every page, even every topic that is the same in, say, 1000 volumes Now that is knowledge in detail and in depth.
I don’t even remember when I first began reading, but by the time I was nine I had read all four volumes of Douglas Southall Freeman’s Biography of R.E. Lee and and his 3 volumes on Lee’s Lieutenants plus a volume on the Greek Peloponisian (sp?) Wars and Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind. My grandmother was the person who stuck a book in my hand and said read (well maybe not that stark, but near enough to it), and the book she likely handed me was a Western Novel. I can remember reading Zane Grey’s Riders of the Purple Sage, but not my age when I read it. I do think it was before I was nine. Literature and History were my main areas throughout my youth. After my conversion, I began reading Christian literature. I still have the first Bible my sister gave me for Christmas after my conversion on Dec.7,1957. The backs are so stiff that they would break into pieces now, and the Bible is so heavily underlined one would have difficulty in reading parts of it. In preparing for my ordination on May 20, 1962 I outlined three books of theology, including Strong, Thiessen, and Finney and took notes on one theodice, a Bledsoe of the Univ. of Va. I should also point out that I had already studied W.T. Conner’s work on Christian Doctrine at St. Louis Baptist College. During that first year of pastoring, ’62-63, I read some volumes of Puritans’ works: Clarkson and Sibbes. They would have a profound impact upon my theology as would the research in Baptist History which I began in the Spring of 1963 at the instigation of Dr. Lorenzo J. Greene, one of the great Black Historians (Ph.D., ’40, Columbia Univ.). Since I could read at a rapid rate, I found myself checking out stacks of books from the libraries of the various schools I attended and the libraries in the communities in which I lived. Some I read through in a few hours, while others, involving more complicated and technical subjects, took longer, much longer. Speed reading has its advantages and disadvantages. Of all books that I have ever read, the most impressive one of all is the Bible. I have attended 10 colleges and universities and taught in 3. My degrees are in three areas, History, Theology, and Counseling. They help to look at the Bible in the light of the mind looking for evidence that points to the reality of the Divine. Having been an atheist before my conversion and as skeptical as one can be, I have found our present day atheists funny and not nearly as vicious as I was. The teachings of Scripture, when taken for what they are, when seen for what they truly present, will transform an individual’s thinking and life. Ever since I started looking at the Book as indicating teachings commensurate with its source (inspired by the Omniscient God), that is, that they present a depth of insight, understanding, and transforming power that one would expect from such an origin, I have been overwhelmed by the subtleties and profundities of perspectives found therein.
“Albert Mohler describes His desire for reading…”
Hmm, maybe there is a problem with some people idolizing some leaders of the SBC. Does Jared revere Mohler so much that Mohler deserves the divine capitalization of the 3rd person pronoun? How about it, Jared? Can we hear from you on this issue before all the watch blogs start voicing concern?
(tongue firmly in cheek)
Sorry, Jared, but that is funny!
This article has been in the archives for some time. awaiting publication. I should have seen that error and corrected it, and will do so now!
Whatever one thinks of the capitalization of divine pronouns, I think we all agree that Dr. Mohler’s should not be. Correction made.
He is well read, articulate and particularly insightful when writing on social and moral issues. I loved his article on Rick Santorum.
I possess a fair amount of intellectual curiosity, but I never dreamed of hiding encyclopedias in the car on family vacations!
I wish I would have thought of the encyclopedia idea. I used to read it for fun. I usually ended up either grabbing my cousins’ comic books (we often vacationed together) or begging to look at the map so I could follow our course.
My favorite quote from Mohler about books: “The stack of books to be read beside the desk or reading chair is a statement of hope. No matter how busy we find ourselves to be, the books are there waiting.”
Mohler is just brilliant, and his fuel for reading is so evident in the fact that he’s writing and blogging and speaking all over the place, as if he never sleeps. Praise the Lord for a man like this leading Southern.
What’s a book?
—-sent on my iPod
The pc and other electronic gadgets are the biggest distraction from reading that I have every encountered. Mine has cut down on my book reading.
In seriousness . . . my wife loves to read but has a degenerative eye disease that makes it difficult. Using a Kindle she is able to read her Bible and other books.
So, I guess electronics cut both ways.
They certainly can be a huge distraction. I can’t stand to read books on electronic devices although I know they help some people. However, I have been able to speed up and organize research considerably for classes and sermons by using a PC. My PC desks at home and work contain plenty of room for books and other paperwork.
Fair enough, Frank. What gets me is to imagine having my whole library on a kindle like isntrument or perhaps an even better one with say 100,000 vols of books on it. (I have a library in excess of 12,000 vols.) Think of being able to line us every vol, even every page, even every topic that is the same in, say, 1000 volumes Now that is knowledge in detail and in depth.