Some have only scaled the bottom rim of the hill; others have made it halfway. As Eudora Welty remarks: A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. There isn’t time for any bullshit. They rev up my personal power to seize the day- Carpe diem as the poet and stoic Horace would say. Sproul says, “The recent revival of interest in and commitment to the truths of Reformed theology is due in large measure to the rediscovery of Puritan literature. What would have made the difference? Just read to read. The man who never reads lives only one. We had four goals for writing this book: first, that these godly Puritan writers will serve as mentors for our own lives. Periodicals. I love quotes. READ: 5 Writing Goals You Can Set Right Now. Life is hard. Because the more you read, the more you understand the human condition. Read Richard Baxter’s The Saint’s Everlasting Life and Richard Alleine’s Heaven Opened. in all its fullness to as many people as possible. By saying that Christianity is the only complete truth, the possibility of other philosophies, religions, and cultures having hit on certain aspects of the truth is left open. Indeed, though the pagan poets and philosophers of Greece and Rome did not have all the answers—they couldn’t, as they lacked the special revelation that is to be found only in Christ—they knew how to ask the right questions, the kinds of questions that build within the readers of their works a desire to know the higher truths about themselves and their Creator. “Our lives are a blank canvas we paint with our experiences. Writing is a skill. Nevertheless, despite Tertullian’s rejection of the link between Athens and Jerusalem, Christian thinkers for the past two millennia have continued to ponder his question. To be a great writer takes time. They were not only the two thousand ministers who were ejected from the Church of England by the Act of Uniformity in 1662, but also those ministers in England and North America, from the sixteenth century through the early eighteenth century, who worked to reform and purify the church and to lead people toward godly living consistent with the Reformed doctrines of grace. Then move on to James I. Packer’s A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 1990) and my Puritan Reformed Spirituality (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press, 2006). Yet they did not fall into the error of hyper-covenantalism, in which the covenant of grace becomes a substitute for personal conversion. Gustave Flaubert puts it like this: The one way of tolerating existence is to lose oneself in literature as in a perpetual orgy. Now that you’re ready to get reading, what books should you read? These “uses” will propel you into passionate, effective action for Christ’s kingdom. It was something you would read and then soon forget. and will help build a better life. The Magi were not Jews, and they were obviously not Christians. Then, to learn more about the lifestyle and theology of the Puritans, read Leland Ryken’s Worldly Saints: The Puritans As They Really Were (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990), Peter Lewis’s The Genius of Puritanism (Morgan, Penn. It’s a huge amount of work for both publishers and writers and the only way it’s possible is if there are people out there who read. Writer’s Note: Egypt (The Conscious Wordsmith) is a writer, poet, and minimalist. An anti-intellectual gospel quickly becomes an empty, formless gospel that never gets beyond “felt needs,” which is something that is happening in many churches today. The Christian need not reject the poetry of Homer, or the teachings of Plato, or the myths of the pagans as one hundred percent false, as an amalgamation of darkness and lies, but may affirm that there are moments when Plato and Homer leap past their human limitations and catch a glimpse of the true glory of the Triune God. You may actually enjoy reading every genre but struggle when reading your own. That is to say, is there— indeed, should there be—a meeting ground between the Judeo-Christian strain that proceeds out of Jerusalem and the Greco-Roman (humanist) strain that proceeds out of Athens? To All the Men Who Call Her an “Angry Woman” — You Might Be the Problem, “But Why Are Protesters Destroying Property?”. Tolle Lege—take up and read! And relish the gifts of this day. by Larry Kahaner . There are times when this escape is life-saving. The Puritans are masters at convicting us about the heinous nature of our sin against an infinite God. When you read writers you admire, read slowly and carefully. You can learn structure, technique and so much more by reading. But we learn a great deal of this, not only as a cerebral activity but in our bones, simply be reading. My idea of heaven is to be able to stay for weeks in a place I’m writing about. Louis Markos is a professor in English at Houston Baptist University and the author of Lewis Agonistes: How C. S. Lewis Can Train Us to Wrestle with the Modern and Postmodern World (Broadman and Holman, 2003) and Pressing Forward: Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and the Victorian Age (Sapientia Press, 2007). Such is the case with the pagan Virgil, whose Aeneid was so Christian in its themes and virtues that Virgil was considered by many medieval theologians and laymen to be a proto-Christian. They took John Calvin’s glorious understanding of the unity of the Trinity in the Godhead, and showed how that worked itself out in electing, redeeming, and sanctifying love and grace in the lives of believers. In Real Artists Don’t Starve, Jeff Goins debunks the myth of the starving artist by unveiling the ideas that created it and replacing them with fourteen rules for artists to thrive. Even if you are not a writer, reading helps to keep our brains active and is an activity that reduces stress. Jonathan Edwards’s Justification by Faith Alone and William Lyford’s The Instructed Christian are particularly helpful for this. Or even a motivational podcast. Because the bottom line is: You can’t be the writer you hope to be if you don’t read. It will help with the decisions you make about your own writing. You don’t need to read to finish what you’re reading. There are varieties of taste, but some books don’t work. Read the Soli Deo Gloria Puritan Pulpit Series. With the Spirit’s blessing, they will enrich your life in many ways as they open the Scriptures to you, probe your conscience, bare yours sins, lead you to repentance, and conform your life to Christ. Tolkien, Science Fiction Classic: Dune by Frank Herbert, Literary: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, Young Adult: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, Mystery: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Devotional reading should be confrontational as well as comforting. Books. They excel in feeding the mind with solid biblical substance and they move the heart with affectionate warmth. But this skill is very complicated, because it can't be got by simple learning of grammar rules, punctuation marks, and different writing techniques. For writing and creative inspiration I find quotes on philosophy, writing, stoicism, and the creative process invaluable. Doctrinally, Puritanism was a kind of vigorous Calvinism; experientially, it was warm and contagious; evangelistically, it was aggressive, yet tender; ecclesiastically, it was theocentric and worshipful; politically, it aimed to be scriptural, balanced, and bound by conscience before God in the relationships of king, Parliament, and subjects; culturally, it had lasting impact throughout succeeding generations and centuries until today (Durston and Eales, eds., The Culture of English Puritanism, 1560-1700). 1. As William Faulkner advises: Read, read, read. Time to get started. Their books still praise them in the gates. While we’ve spent the majority of this article highlighting the benefits of reading other genres, that’s not to suggest that you should forgo reading your own preferred literary category. Sometimes writers tell me they don’t read because they don’t want to influence their work. I may not read everything they’ve written, but I’ll read something. By appreciating the work they do, we appreciate ourselves. The resulting slim collection has been my biggest selling book to date. Why Writers Should Read Nonfiction Jessica Avery Mar 19, 2019. If you’d like to keep thinking differently about writing, creativity and life, please sign up to follow my blog and the ‘Becoming a Different Story’ Newsletter. Their lives and their writings stand ready to arm us for our battles, and to encourage us in our suffering. Writers need to read. Puritan writings teach the importance and primacy of preaching. In the evenings I usually read. Enjoy life. 6. Martin Amis said of his father, Kingsley Amis, “When my father started writing, he was saying to older writers—for instance, Somerset Maugham—it’s not like that. Finally, for those of you who are already readers of Puritan literature, this guide is designed to direct you to further study and to introduce you to lesser-known Puritans that you may be unaware of. Puritan writings help shape life by Scripture. Because immediacy makes us write differently. It occurred to me that I could take each long, self-pitying chapter and crush it into a prose poem. There is no better gift than a good book. You may doubt you can do this. Dante, The Purgatorio, trans. In an interview with the Paris Review, Maya Angelou said: I’ll read something, maybe the Psalms, maybe, again, something from Mr. Dunbar, James Weldon Johnson. 9. Yes, truth is like a hill, but the Truth that stands atop that hill is Christ, and Him crucified. As creatives, it’s necessary we renew our minds with mental gems. The writing was pretty mediocre, and the worst part was it didn’t have to be. That is my prayer, my vision, my dream. But it was miserable. Nonetheless I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to read it. We had four goals for writing this book: first, that these godly Puritan writers will serve as mentors for our own lives. Engaging with works of art gives us deeper thinking and empathy. The Puritan writings do this in three ways: First, they address your mind. Immediacy is about numbers — of friends, fans, comments, followers — rather than quality. Where to Begin If you are just starting to read the Puritans, begin with John Bunyan’s The Fear of God, John Flavel’s Keeping the Heart, and Thomas Watson’s The Art of Divine Contentment, then move on to the works of John Owen, Thomas Goodwin, and Jonathan Edwards. Classic literature deepens our reservoir of words. Though dead, by their writings they yet speak: a peculiar unction attends them to this very hour (Works, 4:306-307). Preaching must be expository and didactic, they said; evangelistic and convicting, experiential and applicatory, powerful and “plain” in its presentation, ever respecting the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit. In the lovely testimony of Statius, Virgil emerges as a Christ figure, as one who sacrifices himself for others, who devotes his life to uncovering truths that, though useless to him, will provide light and guidance for those who come after. Many Christians—particularly evangelicals like myself—are prone to make the claim that the Bible is the ultimate source of Truth. For which there are plenty. Enter your email below and I'll send you a free book. 4:12). Truth is limited neither to Scripture nor to the Sacred Tradition; the Bible, though it tells us all we need to know to find salvation in and through Jesus Christ, does not attempt or purport to be an encyclopedia of all knowledge and wisdom. People can easily recognize bad writing. Influence is good. We might not have the time to plunge into a book, listen to a podcast, or even read an article. In the essay ‘Things not actually present’ Ursula K Le Guin discusses how fantasy gives us a global language with which to understand complex reality and cultural commentary. For permissions, view our Copyright Policy. If you don’t love it, do it anyway. But let us also not say that Christianity is the only truth. She explores the intersection of creativity, writing, and conscious living HERE. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Powered by, 10 Ridiculously Simple Steps for Writing a Book, Why the Story of the Starving Artist Needs to Die, The Secret to Developing a Regular Writing Habit, 3 Ways Guest Posting Can Help Grow Your Online Audience, Seven Types of Blog Comments and How to Respond to Them, The Surprising Self-Discovery Lessons of Blogging (Plus a Challenge! Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. They can also be a valuable source of inspiration in dire times. There are days when I want a mental pick me up or perspective shift. Even more, his Fourth Eclogue, with its Isaiah-like celebration of the coming of a divine child who will bring peace and order to the earth, was interpreted by most as a pagan prophecy of Christ. As writers, we certainly have those times! These kinds of questions motivated Randall Pederson and me to write Meet the Puritans: With a Guide to Modern Reprints. Read William Perkins’s The Art of Prophesying and Richard Baxter’s The Reformed Pastor. Because books are the best place to escape. Here are the top five benefits of using a … The Puritan Thomas Adams wrote: “Christ is the sum of the whole Bible, prophesied, typified, prefigured, exhibited, demonstrated, to be found in every leaf, almost in every line, the Scriptures being but as it were the swaddling bands of the child Jesus.” Likewise, the Puritan Isaac Ambrose wrote, “Think of Christ as the very substance, marrow, soul, and scope of the whole Scriptures.”, The Puritans loved Christ and exalted in His beauty. Reading teaches us how to write. But if your writing is just fluff, the reader will realize it. I believe that reading and writing are the most nourishing forms of meditation anyone has so far found. This to me is a miracle. That’s pretty much it. The Puritans were good soldiers in the conflict, enduring great hardships and suffering much. Not all books will thrill you as a reader. If you would live in this world in light of the better world to come, read the Puritans. A time to ignite the engine of productivity in our lives, and set our focus for the day. What books should you buy? As Virginia Woolf says, writers should love books for their own sake: When the Day of Judgment dawns and people, great and small, come marching in to receive their heavenly rewards, the Almighty will gaze upon the mere bookworms and say to Peter, ‘Look, these need no reward. They took seriously the New Testament passages that say we must keep the “hope of glory” before our minds to guide and shape our lives here on earth. You can and should read books or articles just to read them — to glean new ideas, learn new words, and fall back in love with writing. Every week, I share new tips on creative work. Imagine a chef who hates to eat, an artist who’s never been to a gallery. The whole reason I write is to spark others’ imaginations, and the thing I love best about reading is when other writers spark my imagination. Is America on the Verge of Another Civil War? How did she craft this sentence? We learn what works. Puritan writings show how to exalt Christ and see His beauty. Whitefield was right: the Puritans, though long dead, still speak through their writings. I hope as you’ve read these quotes you permit yourself to smile a little. It might be rhythmic or urgent. You can’t write if you don’t read. They have loved reading.’, 11. How to Profit from Reading the PuritansLet me offer you nine reasons why it will help you spiritually to read Puritan literature still today: 1. Swathes of humanity appear to be losing the ability to be alone with nothing but their thoughts. We have also included concise reviews of the 700 newly published Puritan titles plus bibliographical information on each book. 1. I enjoy reading, but even more, I enjoy how reading affects my writing. John Owen wrote an entire book on the Christian believer’s communion with God as Father, Jesus as Savior, and the Holy Spirit as Comforter. 8. Yes, you can learn lots about writing stories in workshops, in writing classes and writing groups, at writers' conferences. All writers get the same advice. I reject the all-or-nothing, darkness-or-light dualism that Tertullian seemed to advocate. Yet I can’t help but remember that reading — both the careful selection of books and being given enough privacy to quietly read them myself — was among the first freedoms I had. I write because I am angry at everyone. A lot. Fix that problem! If we are to accept these verses in a manner that is in any way literal, then we must confess that unregenerate pagans have an inborn capacity for grasping light and truth that was not rendered totally defunct by the Fall. To arrive at the truth of Christ, the peoples of the world have pursued many different routes. That’s fine. That empowers us to create with more focus, energy, and passion. In this book, we tell the life stories of the 150 Puritan writers who have been reprinted in the past fifty years. I used to force myself to finish every book I started. Don't have a skilled writer on staff? Third, the Puritan writers engage your heart. The distinction here is vital. Someone else might love the book, but ask yourself what it is that doesn’t resonate. I do it because I want them to know I understand them, that I care. This essay is adapted from the Introduction to From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics (InterVarsity Press, 2007). As you read, enhance your understanding by looking up and studying all the referenced Scriptures. We can find cheat-sheets on building character and endless texts on point of view. We become innovative by building on the past, not by writing it off. I have a few friends who are writers, and whenever they write a book, I try to read … John Ciardi (New York: Mentor, 1957), 226–27. We can learn the theory of grammar or read ‘how to’ books on how to make decisions about plot or pacing. It’s the support of friends like you that enables CRI to keep these articles FREE. Great writers are those who have found wonderful ways to use language Their language might be supple or taut and honed. That is not technically true, however. I can’t get enough of them. "The question we writers are asked most often, the favorite question, is: Why do you write? Because reading is your world. When sitting down to read a book or magazine article, you will not understand what you are reading unless you’re focused. Quotes bring fresh perspectives to my thinking process. 1. 8. Share in the comments. Philip Roth talks about his writing habits: It’s work. To the Puritans, preaching was the high point of public worship. You owe the return favour to other writers. I hope you give yourself permission to craft your day to your pleasing. They did not know what that truth would be, and yet, as they were—like Cornelius and the Ethiopian eunuch—God-fearing men with a sensitivity to God’s spirit, they knew that when they finally encountered it, they would recognize it. 5:15). As Harper Lee says: Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press, 2000). How many hours do you spend reading per week? Regain one’s focus. Immediacy is not about giving our souls time to luxuriate but about ensuring we don’t have a moment to let uncomfortable thoughts in. You’d better be. To get it correct, you have to focus intently on that problem. Certainly not! Can the basic tenets and chief embodiments of both Christianity and humanism be combined in a way that will pay homage both to the glory of God and the dignity of man, the truths of Christ and the wisdom of the ancients? Can all serve to give me a mind-boost to steer me in a creative direction, “Knowing what must be done does away with fear.” — Rosa Parks, “There is little success where there is little laughter.” — Andrew Carnegie, “A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action. It might be rich or lyrical. can stay in our hearts, minds, and consciousness for a long time. I write because I want to read books like the ones I write. If she had read more. The Puritans wrote on practical subjects such as how to pray, how to develop genuine piety, how to conduct family worship, and how to raise children for Christ. Use what you have. But the truth is that the world’s most successful artists did not starve. Puritan writings show you how to handle trials. Characters, for an example from one of your recent books, down by the seashore studying the sea floor (with so much feistiness!) Getting books out into the world is difficult. How has your reading empowered your writing? I find these are the days when a quotes slots right in like a well-fitting glove. Even a wonderful Arts Council grant can’t pay for me to go back to 1950s Budapest or eleventh century Moorish Spain. Reformed Christianity was under attack in Great Britain, much like Reformed Christianity is under attack today. Each week, I send out a free newsletter with my best tips on writing, publishing, and helping your creative work succeed. Yes, the Bible (the Word of God) is the only perfect written revelation of the truths of Christ (the Word of God), and it is sufficient for “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training” (2 Tim. If you want to write about the human condition, it behoves you to have some understanding of it. Puritanism grew out of a great struggle between the truth of God’s Word and its enemies. We should read to give our souls a chance to luxuriate. 3:16 NIV), but I would nevertheless contend that our understanding of the written and incarnate Word of God can be enriched and enhanced by wrestling with the pagan classics. Their own daily lives integrated Christian truth with covenant vision; they knew no dichotomy between the sacred and the secular. It’s refreshing when I get a picture of a quote from a friend or colleague, that sparks something within me. Your focus improves with your reading ability. And so on. Justice returns, and the first age of man. When I was writing the book that became Stale Bread & Miracles I got stuck. All true, but I maintain that it’s also crucial for writers to read crap to learn what not to do. Are not all the really important answers to be found in the Bible and the Sacred Tradition? Tertullian, the toughest and most uncompromising of early church fathers, once asked a question that is still with us today: What has Athens to do with Jerusalem? The Puritans apply every subject they write about to practical “uses”—as they term it. However, if you want to be a great writer, you will have to find time to read. Their writings can assist you immeasurably in living a life that centers on God in every area, appreciating His gifts, and declaring everything “holiness to the Lord.”. The more I read, the better my sense for how to craft stories. 5. The Next 500 Years: 2017 National Conference, Naming Ligonier the Beneficiary of a Bank or Investment Account, Gifts That Provide Income and Tax Benefits, Meet the Puritans: With a Guide to Modern Reprints. Here are three things I’ve noticed about reading’s relationship to writing. I had a long novel on a subject that was important to me. If so, remember: Many people read books to finish them. Act with a little more faith this day. This is not always necessary. And micro-learn deep insights from great creative minds. Over a year that would add up to reading about twenty average-size books a year and, over a lifetime, 1,500 books. Second, we trust that when you read these reviews of Puritan writings, you will be motivated to read a number of these books, each of which should help you grow deeper in your walk with the Lord. I write because I have an innate need to write. Who knows how the Holy Spirit might use such a spiritual diet of reading! If you pull it, it says, ‘Okay.’ I remember that, and I start to write. People, in general, are reading … For sources that introduce you to the Puritans and their literature, begin with Meet the Puritans. It’s not credible — neither is a writer who doesn’t read. Explore, Dream, Discover.- Mark Twain, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”.- Eleanor Roosevelt, “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”- Alice Walker, “The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is how high you raise your foot.”- Benny Lewis, “Success comes from having dreams that are bigger than your fears.”- Bobby Unser, “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”- George Herbert. The post was rife with typos, bad vocabulary, poor grammar, and passive voice. These other authors, they’re our friends, our co-laborers, our kin, whether we know them or not, whether they’re dead or alive. Do I share their view of the vital necessity of conversion and of being clothed with the righteousness of Christ? As they read, they should jot down ideas and capture thoughts as they come. Have not the pagan writers of the ancient world been so superseded by Christianity as to be irrelevant as sources of wisdom in the life of the believer? Interest in Puritan books has seldom been more intense. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. That is why we have told the stories of the Puritans on a layperson’s level and kept them short. If you’re looking for a great book, you can find one in the list above. This essay is adapted from the Introduction to From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics (InterVarsity Press, 2007).

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