Reading Light: Ten Books Every Christian Should Read

By William H Cooper Jr

What are Christians filling their minds with in order to stand strong in this present age of postmodernism and total moral relevance? This is a question that springs to mind when one scans the shelves of the local Christian bookstore.

With that in mind, Reading Light presents guidance for Christian readers, featuring recommendations for Christian books that were both educational and enjoyable. It serves not as a scholar offering a lecture but as a friend sharing a good read with others and describing what benefits they can gain from each book. Author William H. Cooper Jr. stresses the need for Christians to read books with spiritual substance. He focuses on ten authors and their most prominent works, exploring their lives and considering the reasons each book might be beneficial.

Intended for individuals, Sunday school groups, or book clubs, this guide provides Christians with essential recommendations for readable books with the promise of great reward.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: May 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9781982204204

William H Cooper Jr

William H. Cooper Jr. has been a pastor and teacher for over forty years. He has taught at a variety of levels, from junior high to graduate school and seminary. He is currently head of the history department at Gloria Deo Academy in Springfield, Missouri, where he also teaches senior apologetics. He is also a great lover of books and reads whenever he gets the chance. He currently lives in Battlefield, Missouri.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 William H. Cooper, Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

ISBN: 978-1-9822-0419-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-0421-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-0420-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018905779

Balboa Press rev. date: 05/18/2018

To my sister Norma Jean Smith who lives the Christian life

and tells the truth, no matter what the price.

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgement s and other Thoughts

I. Introduction.

II. C.S. Lewis and Mere Christianity.

1. C.S. Lewis.

2. Mere Christianity

3. If You Liked Mere Christianity…

III. G.K. Chesterton and Orthodoxy.

1. The Life of G.K. Chesterton

2. Orthodoxy.

3. Reading More Chesterton.

IV. John Bunyan and Pilgrim’s Progress.

1. The Life of John Bunyan.

2. Pilgrim’s Progress

3. Other Works by Bunyan.

V. J. I. Packer and Knowing God.

1. The Life of J. I. Packer.

2. Knowing God.

3. Other Works by Packer

VI. A. W. Tozer and The Pursuit of God

1. The Life of A. W. Tozer.

2. The Pursuit of God.

3. Other Works by Tozer.

VII. J.C. Ryle and Holiness.

1. The Life of J.C. Ryle.

2. Holiness

3. Other Works by Ryle

VIII. Dietrich Bonhoeffer and The Cost of Discipleship.

1. The Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

2. The Cost of Discipleship.

3. Other Works by Bonhoeffer.

IX. Frances Schaeffer and True Spirituality.

1. The life of Frances Schaeffer.

2. True Spirituality.

3. Other Works by Schaeffer.

X. The Puritans and The Valley of Vision.

1. The Life of the Puritans.

2. The Valley of Vision.

3. Other Works by the Puritans.

XI. Lettie Bard Cowman and Streams in the Desert.

1. The Life of Lettie Bard Cowman.

2. Streams in the Desert.

3. Other Works by Lettie Bard Cowman.

XII. Honorable Mentions.

XIII. Conclusion.

Foreword

Have you ever wondered what was in the mind of an author when you read his work? What adventures of loves and joys, disappointments and failures, dangers, traumas, and tragedies the author himself incurred? What would drive him to woo us into his story, to compel us to turn the next page, to anticipate the next chapter, and to make us feel as if we have lost a good friend when we finish his book? Such authors leave their readers to ponder, question, and talk about the book with friends or in book clubs, and eagerly anticipate the author’s next book to hit the market.

My wife, Susan, is what I consider to be an avid reader who is always looking for her next book to read and participates in at least three book clubs. Well, I am not one of those! I never was a good reader, thus reading was more like a chore. I read when I had to, rarely for pleasure. To be quite honest, I read words so I could say I read the book until something began to change.

During the early 1980s I had the privilege of sitting at the feet of some wonderful and challenging seminary professors. Dr. William H. Cooper, Jr. was one such professor. His classes were taught on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings and after his last class he would drive back home and preach the next day. On several of those Friday nights Dr. Cooper would stay at our home. Bill (one does not call a friend Doctor!) and I became friends. There was an occasion when Bill and Regina invited us to come to spend Saturday and to attend church the next day with them. We were looking forward to our time together. Just think, how often does a seminary student get to spend such quality of time with his professor? Well, everything about the weekend was wonderful, except… Bill and Regina had just purchased a new board game called Trivia Pursuit. The goal is to answer questions in a category until you place your game piece in the coveted slot. Allow me to say, if you ever have the opportunity to play this game with Bill and Regina, don’t do it! If my memory serves, at the end of the game, Susan and I, together had one question answered correctly and our opponents, our hosts? They won in every category. What were we thinking? Regina, an extremely well read librarian and Bill, whose past-time, hobby, and passion is reading. By God’s grace, I still managed to pass his classes.

I well remember after graduating from seminary that Bill said, You are a better friend than you were a student. To this day I am not sure that says much about my friendship because we both knew I was not a good student. Friends share things in common that draws them together. We shared a love for our Lord Jesus. We were more than friends, we were brothers in Christ. However, when it came to academia, we were polar opposites.

After taking a class under Bill’s teaching I decided I would take whatever classes he taught. When he taught theology, or Bible, he taught with such enthusiasm and passion that we couldn’t wait till the next week’s class. Then a class was offered where Bill taught on the writings of C. S. Lewis. In seminary I was already required to read more than I had ever read in my life, but Christian literature? I didn’t know what I was getting into, other than over my head! It was not that the reading was difficult, but that we only had a semester to complete the assigned reading! I struggled to keep up and by the last week of the semester, I still had seven books to read. I had purposely kept them for last. They were children’s books, as they were described by Lewis. The Chronicles of Narnia, seven books and seven days, the adventure was on. Each night after our children were tucked in bed, I would head downstairs to the study. Susan would ask, Are you off to Narnia again tonight? Oh yes! I would read the entire book until finished. And each night a new adventure. Not only did I complete the assignment by the end of the semester, but I had discovered two of my favorite works, Bunyan’s, Pilgrims Progress and Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. I have used lessons learned from these writings in sermons, in counseling and teaching for many years. They still remain my favorites. Oh, and yes, the Chronicles are children’s books but should be read by every adult who is still a kid on the inside. My opinion is that they should not be wasted on children. In order to understand the message behind The Chronicles, the reader would need to be on his own journey as a Christian. Having read them all together helped me grasp Lewis’ theme not only for the individual books, but for the Chronicles as a whole.

If I could categorize the reading population today perhaps I would list them as non-readers, occasional readers, avid readers and voracious readers. Bill Cooper is what I consider a voracious reader. However, he doesn’t just read books; he devours them and digests them in his mind. With his spiritual gift of teaching, he brings to life the message of the authors to his students and friends. Being a not so good reader, I struggled with comprehension. The course on Lewis began to change that for me. Bill challenged me as my professor to expand my reading. I’ll admit, I had no desire to read beyond what was necessary for me as a pastor. I studied for my classes and later studied for sermons and Bible studies. Reading was what I had to do.

Over the years I have found etymology interesting and on one occasion I looked up the word amusement, a meaning without, and to muse, meaning to think. I began wondering how many years of my life had I spent in amusement watching the idiot box, the empty television. And yes idiot box is in the dictionary. Television is simply being entertained which is a synonym for amusement. I needed to think, ponder, and to muse. Susan and I began reading more and watching less and less television. After a time, we decided to cancel the cable and went without television for about three years and were not the worse for it.

Paul wrote in Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, practice these things and the God of peace will be with you. (ESV italics added) Jesus said, in Matthew 15:18: But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. (NASB) So we must ask, What and how do I need to ‘feed’ my heart? What goes into my heart comes from the mind. Scripture calls us to muse, to meditate, to think.

So why should you read Reading Light by Dr. William H. Cooper, Jr.? As he states in the book, his sister, Jean, put him up to it. She had asked Bill to write a book about the top books and authors that every Christian should read. He narrowed his authors to the top ten that influenced him the most, choosing one of their most respected and meaningful works to illustrate and encourage us to read them for ourselves. This book is designed for the occasional reader, for the avid reader who may be in a book club, and for those like me, the average reader who is learning to enjoy reading and who wants to grow mentally and spiritually.

The reason I recommend this book to you is that Bill uses his passion for teaching to take the reader into the mind of these authors, into the history of their time and their lives. Gentlemen like: C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, John Bunyan, J. I. Packer, A. W. Tozer, J. C. Ryle, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Frances Schaeffer, as well as a lady, Lettie Bard Cowman. He brings their story to life. Bill explains their various styles of writing and how we should approach them. Topics that help us defend our beliefs, how we are to live as Christians, and what Christianity is truly about. Bill states that the heart of these ten author’s work is to, Most of all, … focus on the nature of God and how we are to respond to Him in our daily life.

Reading Light also gives us great insights into the author’s work itself. For example, I have read, and taught Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress many times over the years, but having read Bill’s comments shed new insights that I have missed. Bill writes in such a way that allows the average reader to dive deeply into the theology while thinking they are splashing in the surf. A. W. Tozer stated, The best book is not one that informs merely, but one that stirs the reader up to inform himself. Reading Light certainly stirs us not just to read, but to be informed. In the section on Frances Schaeffer, Bill says, Strong Christians, growing Christians, are thinking Christians. Along the same thinking, Bill states, If we are going to read in a manner that strengthens and improves our Christian walk, we will have to exercise the mind.

The challenge of Reading Light is to think deeply, however, its goal is to draw us closer to God. I suggest after reading this book that you keep it as a reference to re-read a section before and after you read one of the recommended works. Muse deeply in these works and be wooed in your journey to draw close to our Savior.

While reading about one of the ten authors you might just want to begin your Christmas wish list. Let your reading begin.

Craig L. W. Boden, L.P.C.

Craig Boden is a retired pastor in the Presbyterian Church In America. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor and an adjunct professor at Gadsden State Community College. In 1999, the Lord led Craig to open Life Matters Christian Counseling and Enrichment, with a vision to serve the community in northeast Alabama. The Lord had a broader purpose that led this ministry to think globally. Being encouraged by a friend and mentor to seek certification in Critical Incident Stress Management, Craig’s first assignment was to go to New York following the 911 attack on the World Trade Center. Through Global Disaster Response, this work has taken him to many parts of the world.

Craig and Susan were married in 1971 and have two children and three grandchildren.

(A more extensive bio may be found on the following web site: www.lifematterschristiancounseling.com)

Acknowledgement s and other Thoughts

I have always loved to read. One of my early memories has to do with reading. My older sister Jean, by one year, left for her first day of school. In those days, there was no pre-kindergarten or even kindergarten at all. So your first exposure of education was the first grade. After Jean left for school, I went inside and gathered up all my books so she could read them to me when she came home. All day, I sat on the front porch waiting for her to return magically transformed by the knowledge of reading. Imagine my shock when she arrived that afternoon and would not read my books to me. I thought she was so mean. It was only after I started school that I found one was not taught to read on day one. I still think that’s a terrible waste of time.

Over the years, many people have encouraged my desire to read. To my first grade teacher, I thank you for letting me read all the first grade books, second grade books, and even third grade books I wanted to read. Some were easy to read. Others were hard. But they were all wonderful. I especially remember an 11th grade English teacher, whose name is lost in time, who gave me a copy of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand to read. I remember her telling me that it was time to quit reading childish books and time to read a real piece of literature. It was the biggest book I had ever read and while I did not embrace the philosophy behind it, I experienced the joy of mastering a real work of literature. This desire to read more thoughtful books led me to other works of literature like the classics and modern literature with a side-trip occasionally into science-fiction. I haunted the local public library and found in the librarian there a kindred soul who encouraged me in randomly searching the shelves. It was great for a poor boy until he was able to find a job. Now I had resources to purchase those books that interested me. All of this naturally led to joining the Book of the Month Club and having the sheer fun of buying books on a regular basis. After a while, I joined the Science-fiction book club and the History Book Club as well. Before too long, my room was full of books. It was wonderful.

After I became a Christian, my reading interests did not so much change as they expanded. Now along with the Bible, which I have sought to read in its entirety every year, came books on theology and commentaries and Christian literature. Here as well, many others helped me along the way. My pastor at the time gave me a copy of Calvin’s Institutes that changed a great deal of my understanding of the power of God. I ended up in the ministry and had the joy of being allowed to buy at a real bargain any books I wanted out of a retiring professor’s library. He has since gone to be with the Lord but I will never forget Dr. Robert Strong’s graciousness to a young student. During a sabbatical year at Burlington North Carolina, an older gentleman, a wise and godly elder named Millard Tate introduced me to the works of J. C. Ryle, one of my favorite Christian authors. I was never able to repay him enough for taking a young minister under wing and teaching him things the senior minister should have taken time to teach. But God always provides. The last major influence on my reading development was a chance statement by Eugene Peterson who recommended that ministers should read Fyodor Dostoevsky, especially The Brothers Karamazov. It has become, next to the Bible, one of my very favorite books. Every time I read it I find more layers of truth and insight. The only reason it is not included in this list is because I fear it is too hard to decipher in one reading.

So with all of those people pointing me to good books and showing me their favorites, I have come to realize over the years that reading is a solitary effort that is meant to be shared with others. I have recommended and passed on to my students books that I think they would enjoy and learn from. Last year, I gave one of my students a copy of Calvin’s Institutes and could not help but remember when I was given mine.

Like all books, this book was not written alone. I wish to thank my best and longest friends, Tommy and Vicky McPherson, who made me promise not to include any out-of-print books because Tommy was tired of trying to find out-of-print books I have recommended in the past. I have kept my word here, Tommy.

To the teachers and staff at Gloria Deo Academy for giving me a school that functions more like a church than a school for those who teach there and always offered encouragement in the writing of this book along with the approval for me to use it in my Seniors Bible class.

To my boys, Will and Ben, who have always supported me in every project I have undertaken. They have always believed in me and one cannot express how much that means. though both grown up and gone, they nevertheless constantly encouraged me to write this book. Thanks, boys. I hope it is as useful as you told me it would be

To my wonderful wife, Regina, I cannot thank enough. In 41 years, she has never complained about the ridiculous number of books in the house and garage. She read every page and every word of this book and is practically a co-author. Always full of