Peter Leithart explores the typical Christian logic that says if we are people of the Book, we must read the Bible. And if we read the Bible to know more of God, it makes sense that we would read things like “theology, church history, lives of the saints, devotional guides, Bunyan, always Bunyan.” Yes and amen.
But, he says, “It’s sometimes a different story when the question ‘Why read?’ means ‘Why should we read poetry, or fiction, or drama, or screenplays?'”
It’s sometimes a different story when the question “Why read?” means “Why should we read poetry, or fiction, or drama, or screenplays?” Ask that question, and you may get, at best, a blank stare, and at worst a harangue on the dangers of imagination. The more orthodox your interlocutor, the more likely you’ll get the harangue rather than the stare.
Even though few Christians are “self-conscious Platonists,” Leithart says that we are often “instinctive Platonists”—
suspicious of imagination, fearful that fiction will distract them from the serious business of Christian living, worried about getting caught up in fictions that are no more than images of images.
With so many things to pray for, so many unbelievers to evangelize, so much of the Bible still obscure and almost unintelligible—how can a Christian justify spending time with the likes of Dickens and Dostoevsky, not to mention Nabakov or Updike?
Read the whole thing—part 1 and part 2—for Leithart’s defense of reading. In short, his argument is that “We read fiction and poetry for ‘pictures’ and to make new ‘friends.’”
Along these lines, Martin Cothran (editor of Memoria Press’ Classical Teacher) has a great article entitled “Is Fiction False?” http://www.memoriapress.com/articles/fiction-false.html
A wise pastor once told me that nothing will improve preaching like reading fiction. I’ve always had a novel on the nightstand since. I’ve found it channels my mind toward the earthy human side of things, and that has an immediate impact on my ability to illustrate my sermon points.
David Gordon’s Why Johnny Can’t Preach has good bits about this subject as well.
At any rate, why read Dickens and Dostoevsky, not to mention Nabakov or Updike? Because I’ll wager you’ll learn more theology from them than what passes for theology in popular publishing today.
I pastor a church in a working class part of Northern Ireland. The people are great, they listen to expository ministry, many pray faithfully. But I find that men here, and elsewhere, just do not seem to want to read. I love reading, spiritual and secular – all for the Glory of God. Yet I wonder, is it just me or do others struggle with the same difficulty? Help or advice please….!
i think the whole point of reading the Bible, God’s Basic Instructions before Leaving Earth, is that it is the Living Word, powerful and effective in not only changing those that we share it with, but also in searching the deepest corners of our heart.
While I believe other books have merit, no other Book is God’s penned Love, directly writing on our hearts and minds, and transforming us from glory to glory. Other books may share some of that Truth, but the Word is God is that untainted Stream!
May we all continue to treasure this Life-giving Manna more and more, and soak all the Wisdom into the fiber of our beings.
Proverbs 2 — “My son, if thou wilt receive My words, and hide My commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee.” Selah.
Martin,
I too share your struggle. It is tough to find commonalities between aquaintances and friends that do not read. It seems that with most people when I mention reading fiction, they have little to no idea what I am talking about, much less do they appreciate the value of fiction. I know Pastors who do not even bother to read fiction; some say that they don’t have time while others feel it is a complete waste of time. If you read St. Augustine, he laments the hours he poured over Virgil. But I submit to you that reading in general and reading fiction is important. A lot of the criticism from those who say we should only read our Bible or Christian non-fiction will most likely be coming from a dualistic mindset-that the name of the game is just worrying about the afterlife because this earth is going to burn up one day. While it is true that he Earth will burn up, and we should only live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, we too are called to enjoy the good things God has given us. And reading is one of those. Maritally faithful sex is great and to be enjoyed, Creation is full of beauty and to be enjoyed, etc… We just should not make idols out of any one of these things.
Also, look at the number of times the New Testament writers quoted Pagan poets or playwriters. Not that they condoned everything the pagan said, but they knew enough to be able to engage the current Greek culture and found proverbial truth therein.
“Whether we eat or drink, we do it all to the glory of God”
Thanks Seth. I wonder to what extent this is a ‘western problem’. I know a Christian publisher who tells me Christians living in a v poor part of the Asian world can’t get enough of the literature he publishes – including many resources that many in my part of the world consider ‘old fashioned’ and irrelevant to Christian living today.
To enjoy try: C.J. Sansom, Bernard Cornwell, Charles Murray, Walker Percy, Flannery O’Conner, Marilyne Robinson.
To be edumacatified try: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, James, Bellow.
To be frustrated try: Greene, LeCarre,
I, too, have a love for reading fiction, and am amazed at those who see reading as a purely functional activity- even doctrinally so. Paul told Timothy to “watch your life and doctrine carefully”, and yet Paul was a man of the world, using quotes from their own poets to silence idolatry. I love God’s Word as the primary book (because I love God).
Now, then, what to read for fun? For me it’s Wodehouse, Patrick O’Brian, Kipling, Mark Twain, PJ O’Rourke, and a healthy dose of “big” fantasy from Tolkien and Lewis. Did I mention Wodehouse?