# What Books Have/Are/Will You Read Lately?



## WrittenFromUtopia (Feb 22, 2006)

_Philosophy and Faith_ by David Shatz 
_Seven Theories of Religion_ by Daniel L. Pals
_On the Genealogy of Morals_ by Friedrich Nietzsche
_The Gay Science_ by Friedrich Nietzsche
_Between Past and Future_ by Hannah Arendt
_The Promise of Politics_ by Hannah Arendt
_Before and After Hegel_ by Tom Rockmore
_The World of Perception_ by Maurice Merleau-Ponty
_Essays in Hegelian Dialectic_ by Quentin Lauer, S.J.
_Hegel's Circular Epistemology_ by Tom Rockmore


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## TimeRedeemer (Feb 22, 2006)

I just received a used copy of Peter Heather's _Fall of the Roman Empire (A New History of Rome and the Barbarians)_. It's used but the book was just published this year. 

If your historical knowledge of the 4th and 5th centuries is vague, as most people's historical knowledge of that time is, this new book by Heather is a revelation. I've actually read most of it just in trips to a bookstore. He includes things that are immensely helpful like a section in the back called "Dramatis Personae" where he quickly gives definitions and descriptions and short paragraph bios of all the personages and groups and tribes involved. Then he follows that with a compact, annotated timeline. Alot of maps too. 

He's a specialist in this period of history, yet his writing, at least in this book, is engaging and clear for a general reader. 

It's an Oxford hardback and $40, but you can get a used copy on Amazon.

I can't recommend this book more highly. Especially if you're, like me, knowledgeable of the Roman Empire and of Europe since, say, the Vikings, but all the 'great migrations' period with Goths and Visigoths and Ostrogoths and Franks and Hunns and Allemanni (a confederation of Germanic speaking tribes) and so on, with all the movement and fighting and invasion and general flux are a big muddle, or lacuna, for you historically. 

Heather also, surpringly for an Oxford historian, is not kneejerk juvenile regarding or negative towards Christianity (he even writes, I notice, 'BC' instead of 'BCE', at least in one part of the book I noticed that). I mean, it's common since Gibbon to use this time of history to let out all your animus towards Christianity, and Heather doesn't do that or see the history of the time that way. I'm not saying he's a believer, just objective regarding Christianity, and sees it's role in that time of history more objectively than other historians traditionally have.

[Edited on 2-22-2006 by TimeRedeemer]


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## Me Died Blue (Feb 22, 2006)

Gabe, I wish I could read that many books in a short period of time!

Michael, that sounds interesting. I'll definitely be studying several things along similar lines for school over the next couple years. For a current class, but also fortunately for interest as well, I've recently been reading a few beginning works in the Classics:

_Protagoras_ by Plato
_Theogony_ by Hesiod
_Works and Days_ by Hesiod

I've also had to read some Indian and Hindu mythology as well, to evaluate the theory of a common Indo-European origin between them and Hellenistic mythologies - but fortunately, I'll be able to get back to the Greek and Roman material now!

Who else has read some of Hesiod?


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## TimeRedeemer (Feb 22, 2006)

> I've also had to read some Indian and Hindu mythology as well, to evaluate the theory of a common Indo-European origin between them and Hellenistic mythologies



In a thumbnail what was the conclusion regarding this? This is a subject I use to dabble in regarding sources and influences that one wouldn't see in a college or university reading list. I mean, not only Indo-European in terms of the usual peoples associated with that term but including Israelites as well (Israelites being the origin, the Bible being the pure source, but Israelite influence being in such works as the Homeric epics and the Indian works you refer to. I know that 'out there', but... The Tribe of Dan seemed to get around, for instance...


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## Me Died Blue (Feb 22, 2006)

> _Originally posted by TimeRedeemer_
> 
> 
> > I've also had to read some Indian and Hindu mythology as well, to evaluate the theory of a common Indo-European origin between them and Hellenistic mythologies
> ...



I essentially concluded that there is a common IE origin - at least with Greek and Indian mythology. If you're interested, I could send you a paper I recently finished on it (about 1100 words).


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## WrittenFromUtopia (Feb 22, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Me Died Blue_
> Gabe, I wish I could read that many books in a short period of time!



Me too!  I have lots of papers to write this semester...


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## matt01 (Feb 22, 2006)

Daniel Quinn's _Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit_


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## Scott (Feb 22, 2006)

Michael: The Heather book sounds cool. I have a Teaching Company series Rome and the Barbarians that is very good. If you have an interest in the subject you can borrow it free through interlibrary loan (or buy it if you are that interested - I would wait until it is on sale, though).


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## Scott (Feb 22, 2006)

I am reading Brian Godawa's Hollywood Worldviews. I am also going through two lecture series:
Era of the Crusades
Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy


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## Don (Feb 22, 2006)

The Bisk CPA Review for the Regulation section!

You guys are missing out...


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## TimeRedeemer (Feb 22, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Scott_
> Michael: The Heather book sounds cool. I have a Teaching Company series Rome and the Barbarians that is very good. If you have an interest in the subject you can borrow it free through interlibrary loan (or buy it if you are that interested - I would wait until it is on sale, though).



I'll look for it, thanks.


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## Plimoth Thom (Feb 22, 2006)

_The Augustine Catechism: Enchiridion on Faith Hope and Love_

_The Rule of St. Benedict_

_A Guide to Living in the Truth: St. Benedict's Teaching on Humility_ -Michael Casey

_The Dawn of the Reformation: Essays in Late Medieval and Early Reformation Thought_ -Heiko Oberman

_God's plot: The paradoxes of Puritan piety, Being the Autobiography & Journal of Thomas Shepard_


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## matt01 (Feb 22, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Plimoth Thom_
> _The Rule of St. Benedict_



Interesting. I just finished a thesis which _attempted_ to prove that modern management theory is descended from the Rule.


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## ANT (Feb 22, 2006)

I'm working through a couple of John Owen's books right now ...

The Death of Death In the Death of Christ
&
Biblical Theology

(I've been reading Biblical Theology on and off for about 4 years or so. It's great, but I haven't been able to make alot of progress. I'm about 350 pgs or so into it.)


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## NaphtaliPress (Feb 22, 2006)

Some in Hughs Oliphant Old, _The Patristic Roots of Reformed Worship_ (sorry Jeff_Bartel  )


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## youthevang (Feb 22, 2006)

_A Simple Overview of Covenant Theology_ - Dr. C. Matthew McMahon
_Predestination_ - Dr. Gordon H. Clark
_Covenant Theology from Adam to Christ_ - Nehemiah Coxe & John Owen


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## Puritanhead (Feb 22, 2006)

*Reading Now...*
_Benjamin Rush_ by David Barton
_How Capitalism Saved America : The Untold History of Our Country, from the Pilgrims to the Present_ by Thomas DiLorenzo
_Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts_ by Jerry Bridges
_Whatever It Takes_ by Rep. J.D. Hayworth

*Recently Read...*
_Reclaiming the American Revolution: The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions and Their Legacy_ by William J. Watkins Jr.
_When I Don't Desire God_ by John Piper
_A Country I Do Not Recognize: The Legal Assault On American Values_ ed. by Robert Bork
_Why the Ten Commandments Matter_ by D. James Kennedy
_The Hunt for Confederate Gold_ by Thomas Moore

This past month, I just put the two most prominent books I'm reading on the side bar of my blogspot. I usually read a lot of side things as well, or reference previously read books. I confess I never read systematics or commentaries straight through, and hence I do not feel adequate it reviewing most of them. Maybe, I could lay off the history and politics, and focus more on theology, but my interests are multi-faceted.

My Amazon.com reviews are not always a window into what I am actually reading, because on _some_ book reviews I delay before actually getting around to reviewing them--


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## Casey (Feb 22, 2006)

Technopoly, Neil Postman
 Our Reasonable Faith, Herman Bavink
 The Covenant of Life Opened, Rutherford
 The Holy Spirit, Ferguson
 Redemption Accomplished & Applied, Murray
A few books on parables (  Blomberg,  Wenham, and  Phillips)


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## Irishcat922 (Feb 22, 2006)

Seneca- moral essays
Jeremiah Burroughs- The rare jewel of Christian contentment


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## just_grace (Feb 23, 2006)

Reading...

Natural History: Pliny the Elder.
Dead Sea Scrolls, a new translation: Wise, Abegg and Cook.
Lives of the Caesars: Suetonius.


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## Arch2k (Feb 23, 2006)

> _Originally posted by NaphtaliPress_
> Some in Hughs Oliphant Old, _The Patristic Roots of Reformed Worship_ (sorry Jeff_Bartel  )



How did you get a copy??? 

Let me in on your secret!!


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## NaphtaliPress (Feb 23, 2006)

U2U me. 


> _Originally posted by Jeff_Bartel_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by NaphtaliPress_
> ...


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## Scott (Feb 23, 2006)

Jeff: A suggestion if you want to read Old's excellent book, you can get it easily and free through interlibrary loan from your public library. That is how I read it.


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## crhoades (Feb 23, 2006)

The Letters of Geerhardus Vos
edited by James T. Dennison Jr.


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## Bryan (Feb 23, 2006)

Reading right though:

The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God, by John Frame
Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, by Kant (For University)

Reading bits and pieces of:

Foundations of Christian Scholarship, by Garth North
Van Til's Apologetics, by Bahnsen

Bryan
SDG


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## ~~Susita~~ (Feb 24, 2006)

"Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God" - J.I. Packer

"Their God is Too Small" - Bruce A. Ware

The one by Mr. Ware is okay so far; it's a nice, basic introduction to Open Theism.

And of course Mr. Packer's book is a good one :bigsmile:


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## Robin (Feb 25, 2006)

The Gospel of Mark; Romans (again); 1 Corinthians....


Robin


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## RamistThomist (Feb 26, 2006)

_Defending the Faith: J Gresham Machen and the Crisis of Conservative Protestantism in Modern America_ by DG Hart.
_John Williamson Nevin: High Church Calvinist_ by DG Hart.
_The Holy Trinity_ by Letham
_Paul: An Outline of His Theology_ by Ridderbos
_Powerful Evangelism for the Powerless_ by Jack Miller
_The Dragon King Saga_ by Stephen Lawhead

Also, I just finished Bavinck's _God and Creation_


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## Arch2k (Mar 8, 2006)

Just finished _Recovering Mother Kirk_ by D.G. Hart

Now reading _The Economy of the Covenants_ by Herman Witsius

Time to read!


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## RamistThomist (Mar 8, 2006)

_The Drama of Doctrine_ by Kevin Vanhoozer


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## crhoades (Mar 8, 2006)

God's Statesman: The Life and Work of John Owen by Peter Toon


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## ANT (Mar 9, 2006)

> _Originally posted by just_grace_
> Reading...
> 
> 
> Lives of the Caesars: Suetonius.



How is that? I've thought about picking it up.


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