I do not read much theology these days, only what is required to keep abreast of my field, to prepare for sermons, or for book reviews. Most theological matter, even the good, is poorly written; and, if we are honest with ourselves, most of it has been said better before. Therefore, I do not waste too much time on it.

I’m sure you’ve been there before, where you wonder how some Christian leaders can talk authoritatively about so many different topics and issues. If you investigate a little further, you come to find that they have read something like 200 more books this year than you’ve read in the last 5. That can be discouraging.

But before we throw our hands up in despair, we should ask: Is there anything we can learn from their reading habits? We may not be able to read as many books or even as widely, but it’s helpful to see how some writers and leaders think about what they read.

So we asked Carl Trueman, Fred Sanders, and Bradley Green about their reading habits: When do they read? What genres do you enjoy? What’s the mixture they aim for of new books and old books? What are they reading right now? We start today with Carl Trueman, professor of historical theology and church history at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and author of many books, including

The Wages of Spin: Critical Writings on Historical and Contemporary Evangelicalism.

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I spend most evenings reading. I prefer the company of books and family over most else. At the moment, I am reading Michael Korda’s Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia; and, on my Kindle for travelling, I have Steven Englund’s Napoleon: A Political Life.

Read More:

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/02/08/tgc-asks-carl-trueman-what-are-your-reading-habits/