Summer 2023 Reading List

Here is a list of all of the books that I plan to read (or at least start reading) in the Summer of 2023. Links included for those who want to read along with me this year!

 
 

Category 1: “Drip Reads”

I’ll be making a separate video about this, but for now you can think of drip reads as books from which I read a short section each day.

  1. Selected Sermons by Lemuel Haynes (RHB) (WTS Books) (Amazon) - I’m working my way through the Crossway Short Classics series and this one was next on my list. I’m aiming to read one sermon per day and I’ve already read one, so I’ll finish this one quite soon but it still counts since I’m reading it in the summer.

  2. Concise Theology by J.I. Packer (RHB) (WTS Books) (Amazon) - In this book, Packer devotes just a few pages to about 90 or so topics of systematic theology. I read one or two sections per day and I’m about 70 sections in, so I’ll probably finish this book this summer as well.

  3. Things Unseen (RHB) (WTS Books) (Amazon but note RHB is much cheaper)- You might catch a running theme here, this is a collection of about 50 short radio talks by J. Gresham Machen, founder of Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. This is about 20 years before Lewis’ Mere Christianity radio addresses. I’m about 20 lectures in, so I may or may not finish it this summer.

Category 2: Ordinary Reads

  1. A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better by George H. Guthrie (Amazon) - I really enjoyed Mason King’s entry on spiritual disciplines in this series, B&H sent me this book and it looked intriguing to me so I’m checking it out. Started this before the summer started but I’ll probably finish it this summer.

  2. Welcome to Adulting by J.P. Pokluda (Amazon) - Reading this because I think people in the Porch universe are kind of the cool kids club in young adult contemporary evangelicalism, and I want to learn what I’m missing out on. Can’t recommend it yet but I’m optimistic.

  3. The God of the Garden by Andrew Peterson (WTS Books) (Amazon) - I’m reading this with a group blog I’m a part of, drop a comment if you’d like to learn more or read some of my previous posts. Peterson is definitely way more artsy than I am, but I’m learning a lot just from reading about his memoirs.

  4. You Are a Theologian by Jen Wilkin & J.T. English (WTS Books) (Amazon) - I liked English’s book Deep Discipleship, plus I am a sucker for this little introduction to systematic theology books - hence why I’m also reading Packer’s Concise Theology at the same time. This one’s nice in that it provides a very brief definition for each branch of systematic theology. The definitions are one or two sentences at the beginning of each chapter and I could see you memorizing them to use as a foundation for future study

  5. Biblical Critical Theory by Christopher Watkin (WTS Books) (Amazon) - This may be a “rest of 2023 read,” but I plan on starting it this summer. He aims to give a Christian theory on how to analyze non-Christian cultures, getting some inspiration from Augustine’s City of God. I have decently high hopes if I can actually get myself to follow through on reading a book this big. What I really love is reading books that are short and sweet and this is quite different from that. 

  6. Come and See by Glen Scrivener and Justin Schell (Amazon) - This is from Union publishing, I’ve read three of their books now and this one on a history & theology of mission stood out to me so I added it to my list. Looks like an easy read. 

  7. Thank God by Reuben Bredenhof (RHB) (Amazon) - This is a new release from Reformation Heritage Books, basically if RHB publishes something there’s a good chance I’ll give it a shot. I’d like to become more grateful and I’ve appreciated the author’s books in the past so I’m expecting this to be encouraging.

  8. Safeguards by Julie Lowe (WTS Books) (Amazon) - I grabbed this book at a conference I was at, Patsy and I don’t have any kids yet but as a church leader I’d like to have a more full perspective on how to keep the kids in our small group and church safe. 

  9. R.C. Sproul by Stephen Nichols (RHB) (WTS Books) (Amazon) - I deeply admire R.C. Sproul, he was a theologically solid teacher who utilized the technology of his day, tapes, videos, and even the web to transmit the good news of the gospel to generations. I’ve been meaning to read this biography and I figure the summer is a great time to read one!

  10. The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield (RHB) (WTS Books) (Amazon) - I’m hoping to read this after I finish the Sproul bio since it serves in some way as a memoir. This has been on my list for a LONG time, but it’s about time I get around to it.

  11. Tactics by Gregory Koukl (Amazon) - I’ve heard great things about this book on game planning how to discuss your Christian convictions, this topic is more important now than ever as people get worse and worse at having conversations, and I’d like to be able to recommend it, so I’m going to try to tackle it this summer.

  12. We’re All Freaking Out (and why we don’t need to) by David Marvin (Amazon) - Just like the JP title above, I have an interest in the porch and David Marvin used to be a part of it. I also have an interest in books on anxiety so I’m interested to see what perspective he comes from.

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