Reading Material For Lower Reading Levels?

[Reformed Roman]

Does anyone know of any good, solid, theological material for lower reading levels?

I am trying to find some good theological books to get my wife.

I'm looking for things anywhere from 5th grade reading level to maybe 10th grade reading level.

Maybe it's just me but I've never seen these type of books. Even in church's I've been in where they have christian book stores, I see all of the same authors that are all a little bit too high of a reading level for some people with poor education.

Are there any easy to understand authors anyone would recommend for my wife? Or even for anyone with a lower educational background?

 

[Jack K]

My book comes in at a 7th grade level. It isn't really a theology book, though. It has a fair amount of theology in it, but it's aimed specifically at teachers of children/youth in the church and so it probably isn't what you're looking for. Still, I mention it to encourage you that easy-to-read material written from a Reformed persepective does exist.

For theology, you might want to look at Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware. I'm not in total agreement with him (he's Baptist), but he writes from a Calvinistic perspective and the book is easy to read without being childish.

 

[Jack K]

Another thought... Starr Meade's daily walk through the Heidelberg Catechism is pretty simple (and solid) theology too. It's called Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds. She has a similar book based on the Westminster, but I like the Heidelberg one a bit better. It's intended to be simple enough for families to read together, yet it's not so simple that adults feel out of place.

 

[Reformed Roman]

Those are the exact suggestions I'm looking for! Low enough to be understandable. I just don't want books for teens that make my wife feel completely out of place

 

[Jack K]

Well, both of those are written with teens and even younger kids in mind, but in a non-childish tone that also speaks to adults. They're both intended to be family books and, as good family books do, make themselves fairly easy-to-read without being just for children.

 

[JimmyH]

I finished 8th grade, started 9th but left and took the road of the sunburned thumb for a number of years and never went back to formal schooling. Were it not for spell check that would be obvious. So perhaps I'm qualified to suggest a few things.

Theology seems to be tied to philosophy in some of the books I've read, and has required me to look up definitions of word after word. This can be discouraging or encouraging depending on the individual's outlook. Epistemology ..... Antinomianism ....... Arminianism ..... metaphysics ..... ontology ....... a priori ........ aposteri ....... empirical ............ teleology ....... analogous ........ noumenon ........ ad hominem ....... are a few of the words I've had to look up of while perusing books of theology. I found that keeping a piece of note paper handy and writing the definitions down helps in learning them. A smart phone and google simplify searching them out, but a dictionary would suffice if it was a comprehensive one.

So you're never too old to learn if you have the desire. There is an edition of the KJV called "The Defined King James Bible", put together by KJVO advocate DA Waite, and it is available on his website. The medium size edition is a nice size for toting around and the print is of a comfortable size. Archaic words, within the text, are in bold and are defined at the bottom of the page.

If someone is having a really tough time with reading I might give them the New Living Translation. I have looked through it and it is ideal for those who struggle with vocabulary in my opinion. The NIV is also 'easy' to read and understand, for me anyhow. A study Bible in either of those translations might be a good avenue to introduce a person struggling with reading. In the 1980s I would read the KJV first, then go to the NIV to make sense, in plain English, of whatever was 'above my head.'

For theology, I'm not sure what the reading level might be defined as, but Reverend D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones sermons on theology have been published in 3 volumes, it is now available in a 1 volume paperback, Great Doctrines of the Bible, . These published sermons are also accessible online so you can listen to them and decide whether they will be understandable for your Mrs. Great Biblical Doctrines | Collection | MLJ Trust

In my experience it is sort of a pay me now or pay me later situation. Had I applied myself and continued in school 50 years ago I wouldn't need the dictionary. So I'm playing catch up, but that is a good thing. I wish your wife the best of luck with the reading and hope that any suggestions I have made are fruitful.

 

[Jake]

I got a copy of the Reformation Heritage Study Bible sampler from church that I have been using some with my wife. It has thoughts for family/personal worship that can be good to go through or think through and are generally aimed at a family. Perhaps that could be helpful in Bible study?

Also, I find that the sermons of Spurgeon are challenging, but generally approachable to wide audiences as well. It is slightly older language, but generally not elevated.

 

[SolaScriptura]

How about teaching her to read at a more advanced level?

Just like the ability to comprehend and believe the Gospel presuppose prior theological knowledge, so to does the ability to read "good, sound" theology presuppose the ability to read and comprehend at an increasing complex level.

 

[reaganmarsh]

First, your post encouraged me a great deal in that you're seeking the welfare of your wife's soul. Continue humbly and faithfully in that course, brother, of washing her with the water of the Word (Eph 5.25ff). God will be honored by your obedience, in both her life and your own.

I want to encourage you in this: you might walk with her through a study of a catechism. Pick a simple one and commit to looking up the verses and considering what each one says, question by question. I see that you're SBC; Founders has the excellent Truth and Grace series. If you're not familiar with it, it takes Hercules Collins' baptistic adaptation of the Heidelberg Catechism (I don't have it in front of me right now so I might have named the wrong historical/source document).

The reason I suggest TAG is its simplicity and common sense method. 3 books, using the same language, but stepping it up by levels so that eventually by Book 3 you're learning the whole thing. What I mean by that is this: Ascol & co. have basically edited the catechism to accommodate lower learning levels in Book 1, mid-range levels in Book 2, and the full enchilada in Book 3. That being said, if you guys go through Book 1 together, by the time you're done it will have been a tremendous blessing and boost to your faith, even at that basic level.

I should add that it's gently modernized, in that there is no usage of thee/thou in the catechism's verbiage, and it employs the NKJV for Scripture memory. Note that Founders also offers Keach's Baptist Catechism set to music (Jim Orrick's tunes & singing) and it has helped us as well.

My wife and I have benefitted so much from catechizing our kiddos. I must say that my preaching and counseling have improved drastically by its usage as well (not to boast but to give praise to God in it).

Hope this helps. Grace to you.

 

[Pergamum]

Zach,

Try Grace Publications Trust. They have easier-to-read versions of the classics ("Life by His Death," a simplification of John Owen's Death of Death, is great).

Grace Publications

Grace Publications

It has helped me communicate truth to my 9-year old son, as well as helped me personally (especially at night when I want to read but I don't want to strain over the language used).


God bless

 

[reaganmarsh]

Pergamum, that is a helpful link!

 

[whirlingmerc]

I find many of John Piper's books pretty approachable and often not long. You should probably look over the individual books, 'The pleasures of God' or 'God's Passion for God's Glory" might be too challenging a read, but many should be fine.

 

[whirlingmerc]

Simonetta Carr's biographies are pretty easy to read

I believe her biography on Owen has his short catechism which might be a good start before moving onto a more challenging one

 

[Reformed Roman]

I appreciate all of the suggestions. I fully agree. By no means would she plan to stay at the level she is. Because by learning to read at a deeper level I know she will also further experience many great riches in God's Word.


But that does not come overnight and I'm looking for books that won't be filled with twenty plus words a chapter she wouldn't know. She has always heard many terms her whole life but nobody has really explained them. Even a word like sanctification that you would assume many Christians would know she would have trouble defining. That's why it's hard when books may be generally easy to read but they use so many theological terms, many without explanation that they are hard for newer Christians to understand. We all have to start somewhere

 

[reaganmarsh]

...twenty plus words a chapter she wouldn't know. She has always heard many terms her whole life but nobody has really explained them. Even a word like sanctification ... so many theological terms, many without explanation that they are hard for newer Christians to understand. We all have to start somewhere

Dear brother, regardless what book you get for her, do a simple catechism as well!!! Catecheo = teaching...very, very clarifying (ie, your starting place)!

 

[Scottish Lass]

Housewife Theologian by Aimee Byrd is very accessible.

 

[Free Christian]

Hi Zach. My wife has been reading The Beatitudes by Thomas Watson as of late without any real problems. Now and then she may ask what a word means but that's all. Often she will read it out loud whilst I listen and anything that seems a bit unclear I then explain. I find that doing it that way, or should say it has turned out that way, to be really helpful to her. To be honest too, now and then I have to figure out what a word means myself. Sometimes by looking at it in the context of the whole sentence or statement being made, now and then using a dictionary. We work together.
I should add, regardless of her dyslexia, she more than often teaches me a thing or two Christian wise

 

[Somerset]

I appreciate all of the suggestions. I fully agree. By no means would she plan to stay at the level she is. Because by learning to read at a deeper level I know she will also further experience many great riches in God's Word.


But that does not come overnight and I'm looking for books that won't be filled with twenty plus words a chapter she wouldn't know. She has always heard many terms her whole life but nobody has really explained them. Even a word like sanctification that you would assume many Christians would know she would have trouble defining. That's why it's hard when books may be generally easy to read but they use so many theological terms, many without explanation that they are hard for newer Christians to understand. We all have to start somewhere

Having to look up many words is not always a sign of low reading ability. I sudied politics to MA level and havew a BSc in Herbal Medicine - neither of which helped when iIstarted to read theology

 

[Edward]

to maybe 10th grade reading level.

10th grade reading level should encompass pretty much everything targeting the lay audience.

 

[Toasty]

I would recommend the following:

The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink
The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Grace Unknown by Sproul
Men and Women: Equal Yet Different by Alexander Strauch