Read and Reviewed: September 2012

37.  The Path Of Loneliness by Elisabeth Elliot

Elisabeth Elliot’s own story of loneliness weaves its way through the pages of this book as she proposes a challenge to see singleness as a gift, and to offer the loneliness back to God.  Divorce, marriage, singleness, and widowhood can all be lonely seasons of life, and each are addressed.  All while affirming the pain of being alone, Elliot encourages readers to find contentment and peace in Christ and to find joy in prayerful solitude.

38.  Love Or Die by Alexander Strauch

Beginning with the words, “You have abandoned the love you had at first,” from Revelation, Strauch examines what love is within the church Body both toward one another and toward God, and how it is carried out practically.  It is altogether convicting, practical, and overwhelming.

39.  Holiness by J. C. Ryle

I read this classic in three days, but I recommend you take three weeks so that less content flies over your head because of your haste.  I love Ryle’s writing style, depth of content, perspective of faith, and love of Christ and His Church within this book.  Each of twenty chapters nearly stands alone on separate subjects so I won’t attempt to summarize.  In nearly every chapter, Ryle seeks to persuade the unbeliever to turn to Christ, and applies doctrine practically to the Christian.

40.  Willing To Believe by R. C. Sproul
A book far too intellectual for me to grasp in full.  Using the works of several leaders in the reformation era and beyond, Sproul defends a case for the doctrine of monergistic regeneration, and shows the inseparable connection among regeneration, original sin, and free will.  A brilliant work in which the reader feels taught by Calvin, Luther, Arminius and others as Sproul integrates their writings into his own.

41.  Of The Mortification Of Sin In Believers by John Owen
Owen urges believers to see sin in its full ugliness, and then to kill it as they are obedient to the Spirit working this out in their lives daily.  The life and peace of the Christian is dependent on it.  For me, I read and re-read sentences and paragraphs in order to understand the content.  Deep and rich, but a hard read.

42.  Of Temptation: The Nature And Power Of It by John Owen
Owen is surely hard to read, but I enjoyed this one.  He discusses the reasons for temptation, how to fight it, what to look out for, and specifically explains how to ‘watch and pray’ as to not fall into temptation.

43.  The Nature, Power, Deceit, And Prevalency Of The Remainders Of Indwelling Sin In Believers by John Owen
As seems the norm with Owen, read it with an Advil and a dictionary close at hand.  An interpreter would help too.  Since I didn’t have any of these things I’m afraid I know very little of the aim of this book beyond the summary given in the title.  (But since I spent hours reading words over and over, I decided to still count it in my quest of fifty-two books this year!)

44.  Killing Calvinism by Greg Dutcher
Dutcher unpacks eight ways that Calvinists wreck their own reputation and theology.  Little passionate pursuit of evangelism, being taught by only Reformed teachers, and arrogance are a few.  Blunt, true to life, and convicting.

45.  Feminine Threads by Diana Lynn Severance
A textbook on women from Bible times to the present with great faith and character.  It is full of history and quotations from the writings of the women Severence highlights and those around them.  With a better knowledge of history than I have, and several less women portrayed at more length, this book could be enjoyable.