Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books [Paperback]

Tony Reinke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 2011

I love to read.

I hate to read.

 

I don’t have time to read.

I only read Christian books.

 

I’m not good at reading.

There’s too much to read.

 

Chances are, you’ve thought or said one of these exact phrases before because reading is important and in many ways unavoidable.

Learn how to better read, what to read, when to read, and why you should read with this helpful guide from accomplished reader Tony Reinke. Offered here is a theology for reading and practical suggestions for reading widely, reading well, and for making it all worthwhile.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“I read many books, but seldom do I enjoy one more than I did Tony Reinke’s Lit!. Many of my greatest childhood adventures, and much of my growth after I was converted as a teenager, came through reading imagination-expanding and life-changing books. Tony’s writing is thoughtful, perceptive, concise, and God-honoring. He upholds biblical authority, and offers helpful guidance, while allowing for a range of tastes. Lit! rings true to my own lifetime of reading experience. As a reader and writer of both nonfiction and fiction, I appreciate the breadth of Tony’s treatment, which includes a variety of genres. For book lovers, this is a treasure and delight. For those who aren’t book lovers, it makes a great case for becoming one.”
—Randy Alcorn, founder, Eternal Perspective Ministries; author, If God is Good and Heaven

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Review

“I read many books, but seldom do I enjoy one more than I did Tony Reinke’s Lit!. Many of my greatest childhood adventures, and much of my growth after I was converted as a teenager, came through reading imagination-expanding and life-changing books. Tony’s writing is thoughtful, perceptive, concise, and God-honoring. He upholds biblical authority, and offers helpful guidance, while allowing for a range of tastes. Lit! rings true to my own lifetime of reading experience. As a reader and writer of both nonfiction and fiction, I appreciate the breadth of Tony’s treatment, which includes a variety of genres. For book lovers, this is a treasure and delight. For those who aren’t book lovers, it makes a great case for becoming one.”
—Randy Alcorn, founder, Eternal Perspective Ministries; author, If God is Good and Heaven

“There is so much to commend about this book that it is hard to know where to start. The most obvious virtue of the book is its scope. On the subject of reading, Reinke covers every possible topic. Each topic, in turn, is broken into all of its important subpoints. With a lesser writer, this could produce a tedious book, but the opposite is true of this book. Reinke says just enough, but not too much. The effect is like seeing a prism turned in the light. There is never a dull moment in this book. Once I sensed that Reinke was going to cover all the important topics, and with unfailing good sense and Christian insight, I could hardly put the book down. What will Reinke say about THAT topic? I found myself asking. But to add yet another twist, Reinke has read so widely in scholarly and religious sources that I do not hesitate to call the book a triumph of scholarship. Reinke writes with an infectious and winsome enthusiasm. It is hard to imagine a reader of this book who would not catch the spark for reading after encountering Reinke's excitement about reading and his carefully reasoned defense of it.”
—Leland Ryken, professor of English, Wheaton College; author, The ESV and the English Bible Legacy

“If you don’t read books as both a discipline and a delight, then you should; and if you need help here, as in truth all of us do, more or less, then this is the book for you. Don’t miss it!”
—J. I. Packer, Board of Governors' Professor of Theology, Regent College; author, Knowing God

“Christians are people of the Book, and books are a very important part of Christian culture and Christian life. One of the most important gifts God has given us is the ability to read and to communicate from one mind to another by means of the printed page. Throughout the history of the Christian church, books have become some of the most cherished friends, teachers, and companions along the way. But reading is a matter of spiritual discipline, not just a matter of literacy. Tony Reinke helps us to understand how to grow through disciplined reading, not only as readers but also as Christians.”
—R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“How to read, what to read, who to read, when to read, and why you should read—Tony Reinke answers all these questions and more in this very good and (surprisingly) brief book on reading. As he shows how reading can bring glory to God and growth to the church, Reinke encourages Christians to take up the discipline of reading widely and wisely.”
—Trevin Wax, editor, LifeWay Christian Resources; author, Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals

“This is the perfect book for someone who doesn’t like to read, or who likes to read but isn’t sure it’s a good use of their time, or who loves to read a little too much and needs to proceed with discernment. Tony Reinke has made a wise, theological, and edifying case for why words matter. I’ll mention Lit! every time someone asks me why in the world Christians should read fiction—a question that never fails to shock me. Now, instead of snapping, ‘Are you serious?’ and spouting opinions, I’ll just smile and slip them a copy of this book.”
—Andrew Peterson, singer/songwriter; author, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

“You might wonder why you need to read about reading. Some of you have piles and piles of books on your shelves, or on your nightstand, but have no idea how to choose what to read, and when. Some of you are being altered in ways you don’t even recognize by digital technology such that you can’t see how you’re too distracted to summon the deep attention needed to read. This engagingly written book will make you think, but it will also provide practical, winsome advice on how to become the right kind of reader for the glory of God.”
—Russell D. Moore, Dean, School of Theology; Senior Vice President for Academic Administration; Associate Professor of Theology and Ethics, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Tony Reinke does not just read, but he reads well, and these are two very different things. If you are not much of a reader, consider Lit! a part of your education. Tony will teach you to read, to read widely, and to read well. If you are already an avid reader, consider Lit! an investment that will instruct you in how to read better.”
—Tim Challies, Christian Blogger Challies.com; Editor, Discerning Reader; Author The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment

“If you read one book a week for the next 50 years you'll read about 2,600 books. Not a lot when you think of all the books you could read. So should you include this book in your list? Yes. Because Lit! will help you read the right books in the right way. Tony Reinke sets our reading in a biblical framework and provides practical tips to make the most of books. I warmly commend it.”
—Tim Chester, Director, The Porterbrook Institute; author, You Can Change and A Meal With Jesus

“Since God decided ideas are best expressed in words, and that The Idea—the revelation of his Son as Lord and Savior—is to be learned through his timeless and matchless Word, Christians must dare not to lose sight of the primacy of books amidst the torrent of fast-moving, visual images of our culture. Tony Reinke argues from Scripture and life experience that ‘reading is a way to preserve and cultivate the sustained linear concentration we need for life.’ As an educator, I couldn’t agree more! Sustained reading must remain the heartbeat of any worthy educational program that seeks to produce Christian thinkers, leaders, and apologists. Homeschooling parents who are trying to craft reading lists as they raise Christian children will find gracious and principled guidance here. Moreover, Tony offers great ideas for parents to foster a love for reading, beginning with their own example.”
—Marcia Somerville, president, Lampstand Press; author, the Tapestry of Grace homeschool curriculum

“With a discerning eye, Reinke captures the importance of the gospel story for our habits of reading, thus providing a worldview for reading. He challenges us to beware of how the carved images of the Internet can draw us away from the grace of reading for comprehension and simple delight. Yet he equally gives a proper place to secular literature among all types of works that those who love Christ should appreciate. This is the sort of book that I have longed to place into the hands of believers in order to help churches recapture a love for literature and literacy—both biblical and extra-biblical. Practical and enjoyable, Lit! is an outstanding and valuable gift to the church.”
—Eric C. Redmond, Senior Pastor, Reformation Alive Baptist Church, Temple Hills, Maryland

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Crossway Books (September 9, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433522268
• ISBN-13: 978-1433522260
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tony Reinke is a former journalist now serving as a theological researcher, writer, and blogger. He lives in Maryland with his wife and three children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Library Must-have, November 14, 2011

By 

Jared Oliphint (Charlotte, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books (Paperback)

In full disclosure, I was really excited when I first heard about Lit!. The idea is genius--writing a book about reading books. It made me stop and think about reading, a crucial part of life that I had done for years but hadn't considered with much intention or precision. (That specific point may say something more about me than the genius of the book idea.) So I ventured into the book with eyes wide open, optimistic about finding something of value in light of the amount of material I read in a vain attempt toward keeping up with the evangelical and Reformed worlds. I did find value, more than I even expected, and I found it through a very rare combination of encouragement, creativity, depth, theological penetration, and even accessibility.

The obvious surface answer to "What does reading books have to do with your Christian walk?" involves the fact that the Bible is a book (and we know as Christians that we should always read it), coupled with a suggestion to read books and material that encourage, challenge, and teach us about what we read in Scripture. That answer is true as far as it goes, but Reinke wants to back up and get a bit more basic, a bit more biblical-theological, and even a bit more philosophical at points (without needing to import all the philosophical jargon).

What does it mean that God himself physically wrote the words of the Ten Commandments - and did so in human language that was meant to be read? Part One (of two) begins by asking this question, among others, and seeks to get at some of what Scripture says about speech, language, words, and books. Reinke does well in fleshing out how our Word-centered religion is in direct contrast to Ancient Near Eastern religions and their focus on image-based, iconic idols. Contrary to these neighboring image-based religions, God's people are a people of books, text, and words, and that has implications for not only what we learn about God and his world but also how we learn it.

Reinke even manages to connect these basic questions to one of the most biblically basic categories--eschatology (classically defined as the study of the last things). He points out:

Words are a more precise way of communicating the meaning behind the images of our world...What is real extends far deeper than what we can see. Our holy God is real...Our Savior is real. Heaven is real. Angels are real. But for now these realities are invisible. (p. 45)
If this sounds familiar, it should; the author of Hebrews comments on this visible/invisible reality as well (Cf. vv.11:1-2):

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

So if, by definition, we cannot rely on images to communicate the invisible realities, what can we rely on? Words. The Word.

Reinke is careful to make the above distinctions while also affirming appropriate value in non-Christian books. The task of the Christian is not to reject every piece of literature that is non-Christian in its worldview. But as discerning Christian readers we recognize non-Christian worldviews for what they are and try to glean the borrowed capital from those works. I love the quote from Camus that Reinke provides: "A novel is never anything but a philosophy put into images" (p. 59). Novels have the unique advantage of portraying an author's worldview not only through facts and information, but also through his or her storytelling.

Part Two of Lit! takes this theological framework and puts principle into practice. If you wondered whether this book will help you structure your reading, prioritize your reading, and help you sort and think through various forms of reading, here's where you'll get more than your money's worth. Reinke literally gives you numbered steps to help you not only accomplish your reading goals but also enjoy the process of reading that makes that happen.

Many of us intuitively know that there are thousands of books out there related to whatever we are currently reading. Reinke observes, "For every one book that you choose to read, you must ignore ten thousand other books simply because you don't have the time (or money!)." (p. 94) So he provides some suggestions on how to filter through the sea of books, and much of the practical advice has to do with goals, with priority in topics and subjects, and with other factors that we may not be as intentional about as we thought.

But words aren't limited to books, and neither is the choice of media Reinke addresses. You are reading this current book review online, not in a book, from which you probably saw a link in an email, on a blog, a Facebook post, or from an embarrassingly-termed "tweet." The world of reading is changing because of social media and gadgets like Kindles and iPads, and that genie isn't going back in the bottle. If those different forms of media are here to stay, how will that affect what we read and how we read? Not surprisingly, Reinke provides some helpful ways to think about those questions.

In one of my favorite sections, the section on marginalia, he tackles the age-old question: Should I or shouldn't I highlight, write in the margins, and mark up a book that I own? (Spoiler alert: he believes marking a book is very helpful and defends his pro-graffiti view very well.)

Reinke also makes some astute observations related to the previously mentioned media changes in our evolving reading culture.

Traditionally, a reader selected one book and sat alone in a reading chair. When great ideas were encountered, the reader internalized those ideas and reflected on them...Now, when we come across an idea that we like, we are tempted to quickly react, to share the idea with friends in an e-mail, on Facebook, or on a blog." (p. 142)
We've all but eliminated the step of pondering what we've read and have gone straight to the step of immediately sharing it. It may be a subtle difference in individual cases, but it can accumulate into a structural and substantial difference over a long reading timeline.

Reinke points out that with the deluge of information that tools like Google provide, we have targeted our memory skills not to remember specific content as much as we seek to remember reminders that will then give us access to that specific content. In Reinke's characteristically perceptive way, he notices that "If we are honest, we admit that we don't write things down to remember them; usually we write things down to forget them." (p. 139) Once we've written them down, we only need to remember the reminder. This can also seem inconsequential at first, but in the end may prove to contribute to a stack of reminders in our heads rather than to a process of remembering helpful, specific content that can then be strategically recalled.

There are so many other great sections, sub-sections, and details from this book that I could mention: the art of imagination and how it's exemplified in Revelation, the importance of non-fiction, practical advice on time management, distraction management, the importance placed on both pastors and on parents to raise Christian readers, reading in community, and other helpful topics that he managed effectively to squeeze within 200 pages. I'd love to go on to remark how Reinke demonstrates his competency in the broader subject as well as in what he puts forth both in theory and in practice. You hear about his own methods, his own struggles, and his personal background that serves to illustrate his points when appropriate. If the idea of the book is genius, it is clear that it started not in the abstract, but with Reinke's capability and unique position as an intentional reader who integrates his theological competency, his love of the Word and of words, and his humility throughout Lit! to provide us a must read for an intentional library.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Instructive, Inspiring and Encouraged Read -- Tolle Lege, September 16, 2011

By 

Lucid Thinker - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books (Paperback)

I came to faith in Christ while in high school, and ever since then I have been a lover of the Book, i.e., the Bible. It didn't take me long, though to fall in love with books in general--all kinds. I started off with Joshua Harris' I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Not Even A Hint (which since then has been retitled, Sex Is Not the Problem, Lust Is). I later moved on to John MacArthur's The Gospel According to the Apostles and came to grips with what the gospel was (and was not). During my college years I came across J. C. Ryle's Holiness, which for me opened whole new vistas on the nature of sanctification in the believer's life.

But I didn't simply read Christian books. I quickly began devouring stories like The Chronicles of Narnia (okay, you can quibble about that one) and Harry Potter and Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. For two years, almost every Saturday morning with a cup of coffee, I worked my way through David McCullough's wonderful retelling of President John Adams. I could endlessly go on and share how different books have come into my life and have helped me think better and see the world differently.

But I will say this, in many ways we are what we read. Though not always perceived, books make certain indelible impressions upon the reader. We will not always be aware of the mark they are making, but unquestionably books are molding us and refining us, allowing us to expand our thinking, to venture into worlds unknown and times not our own.

While there is a shift now taking place with the emergence of the e-book, I believe books--actual printed works with covers in-between--will continue to have an integral role in our society, not least in the presentation and exchange of ideas, and in the simple yet beautiful act of painting with words as stories unfold and worlds are created and history is retold and leaders are formed. All this is but a foretaste of the power of books.

I say all that to simply set the stage for why I so enjoyed reading Tony Reinke's new book, Lit!: A Christian Guide To Reading Books. I think Leland Ryken's blurb got it right:

"Reinke writes with an infectious and winsome enthusiasm. It is hard to imagine a reader of this book who would not catch the spark for reading after encountering Reinke's excitement about reading and his carefully reasoned defense of it."

I picked up the book today and could not put it down. As a lover of books, to say I enjoyed it is an understatement. I was instructed and challenged all throughout. Rather than giving a thorough review of it, I'll just provide some of the quotes that resonated with me or simply made a point very well.

Here they are. Enjoy.

*********

"The concern is whether Christians ... will be patient enough to find meaning embedded in words, or if we will grow content with the superficial pleasures offered to us in the rapidly shifting images in our culture.... [A]s a word-centered people we must learn to prize language in a visually-dominated world. If our hearts prioritize images over language, our hunger for books will erode."

"We do not yet live in the age of the eye; we live in the age of the ear, we live in the age of revelation and promises and books.... For now we sing, 'Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight.' "

"The difficult work required to benefit from books is at odds with the immediate appeal of images. As Christians living in an image-saturated world, we must guard our conviction about the vital importance of words and language. For it is words and language that best communicate meaning."

"Revealed truth does not answer all the questions in life, but it does provide a framework for understanding everything else."

"Christians can read a broad array of books for our personal benefit, but only if we read with discernment. And we will only read with discernment if the biblical convictions are firmly settled in our minds and hearts. Once they are, we have a touchstone to determine what is pure gold and what is worthless."

"God is the source of all beauty, and beautiful literature written by non-Christians is a gift from the Giver. And it's a gift to he enjoyed."

"Mature readers know when to read quickly and when to read slowly.... Each book has its own terrain.... The perceptive reader can read the terrain and shift gears in response."

"We get one chance at this life. We have one body, one mind, and one life to live. Reading provides us with a vicarious experience of others' lives."

"Reading literature is about absorption, about being lost in a story, and about delighting in the beautiful prose of a gifted writer."

"Reading is a discipline, and all disciplines require self-discipline, and self-discipline is the one thing our sinful flesh will resist."

"Book reading is not just a matter of time management; it's a matter of warfare."

"[W]e like distraction. We want distraction. Distraction is how we stay busy enough to avoid the self-discipline require to read books."

"I am quick to Tweet and slow to think. I am quick to Google and slow to ponder."

"Childlike faith in the gospel is an unsinkable buoy when we find ourselves drowning in the details of a books that is over our head."

"In the good news of Jesus Christ, overwhelmed readers find peace, and joy, and the courage to keep reading.... We grab a new book and we press on, not as slaves bound to a chore, but as liberated sinners who read to delight in the gifts of our God. We press on, reading and thanking God for the light we do see in books, and for his illuminating grace that lights our way."

In the end, Reinke makes the point a great chapter that mature readers...

1) prize wisdom;

2) cherish old books;

3) keep literature in its place;

4) avoid making books into idols; and

5) cling to the Savior.

******

If you already are a reader or would simply like to begin building the experience of reading in your life, then this is a book for you. Tolle lege.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tolle Lege!, November 4, 2011

By 

Daniel J. Simpson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books (Paperback)

Reinke, Tony. Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading. Wheaton: Crossway, 2011, 208pp, pb.*

What does Mt. Sinai have to do with me becoming a better reading?

According to Tony Reinke: everything.

In this fascinating book, Tony Reinke weds theology and praxis concerning the reading of books, both Biblical and non-Biblical.

So why begin a book on reading with the story of Mt. Sinai? Because on Mt. Sinai, "an author wrote something so earth-shaking that the publishing industry has never recovered. It never will...The day God ran his fingertip over the stone tablets was the day that he forever shaped the world of book publishing" (23, 25). Here in the first chapter, "Paper Pulp and Etched Granite," Tony takes the well-known story in Exodus and demonstrates why this Biblical story has the most important implication concerning the reading of books: from the day of Mt. Sinai until the end of this age, all books are divided into two genres, Genre A: The Bible and Genre B: All other books.

This truth orients us to the rest of Reinke's book on reading well.

The book is divided into two main sections, one on the theology of reading and the other on the practice of reading, full of hints, tips, and recommended practices to make one a better reader.

In chapter 2, Reinke briefly sketches the Biblical story of sin and grace and the power of regeneration to give us a new heart and the mind of Christ. Looking to his own story of how the Lord saved him, Reinke calls how this new heart and mind has forever changed the way he sees Christ and reads, especially the Scriptures.

In chapter 3, Reinke addresses the reality that we live in such an image-saturated world that in most cases, the visual trumps the literary. But Reinke lays out several compelling reasons why words interpret, explain, and capture what images cannot. It's not that images do not have their place. They do. They just cannot do what words can. To attempt to resort to images for everything proves to be reductionistic.

In chapter 4, Reinke sketches the Biblical worldview, Creation-Fall-Redemption-Consummation, and how this worldview shapes and informs our reading habits. He concludes with a few tips on which books to avoid, such as ones that glorify evil.

I really enjoyed what Tony said in chapter 5 on seven benefits of reading non-Christian books. I think all Christian readers will be immensely helped by this chapter, especially because it can be tempting to reject all non-Christian books because they are just that: non-Christian. But Reinke compellingly demonstrates that we can benefit greatly from the works of non-Christians. To reject these literary gifts is to reject the Giver, God, as Reinke quotes from Calvin's Institutes.

In chapter 6, Reinke briefly makes a case for the Christian appropriation of imagination when it comes to literature and has a couple of great reminders concerning the implications of the imagination for our lives from what we see in the Book of Revelation.

In part two, Reinke, having laid the theological foundations of reading well, turns to the practical aspect of how we actually do it. This is where I think readers will be greatly helped because this section is full of great tips and hints.

In order to whet the reader's appetite for reading this book, I will briefly sketch the tips Reinke provides:

Setting reading priorities (chapter 7)
20 tips and tricks for reading non-Christian books (chapter 8)
The benefits of reading literature (chapter 9)
Protecting/finding time to read (chapter 10)
Overcoming distraction (chapter 11)
Marking up your books with pens and highlighters (chapter 12)
Building a reading community (chapter 13)
Instilling the love of reading in your children (chapter 14)
Marks of a healthy reader (chapter 15)
I cannot recommend this book highly enough, especially for those who struggle with reading. This book is incredibly readable and unassuming for the uninitiated, and the chapters are short enough for those who read little.

Tolle Lege!

*Review copy provided by Crossway Books