Although I began reading this behemoth of a book last year, I completed it this year. But really the content, more than the page-count, demands that this book be read carefully and prayerfully. Piper tackles deep theological matters with the heart and skill of someone seasoned by decades of pastoral ministry. This is now a resource that I frequently return to.

Quotation: Does God Control Evil?

Quotation: What ‘I AM WHO I AM’ Means

As you will notice from the rest of this list, I’ve been chronologically reading through the major epic poems that I failed to read in high school. Coming fresh from Homer, it took me a great deal of time to acclimate myself to Virgil. Yet by the end of my time with Aeneas, I began to see why the Medieval world was so infatuated with Virgil and why Lewis wrote: “No man who has once read [the Aeneid] with full perception remains an adolescent.”

As deeply as the Aeneid ended up affecting me, it is nevertheless pagan. Aeneas is a hero marked by his piety, but it is still a pagan piety. Reading the first part of this Christian epic felt like a cold drink of water. Inferno is not exactly a fun read, but reading it as an allegorical description of sin makes it a very rewarding read. I am particularly enjoying Mark Musa’s translation and robust notes. We shall see how my time in Purgatorio and Paradiso goes next year!

As a guide for God-oriented self-inspection of preacher’s hearts, The Preacher’s Catechism excels in every way. Read each chapter prayerfully, ready to confess sin and/or make supplication of your neediness to God.

Read my full review.

Pulling Tolkien’s translation of Beowulf off my shelf was what kickstarted my journey through the essential epic poems. Having only read a bit of Beowulf in high school, I only remembered that Beowulf fights a monster named Grendel and a dragon. While I have since learned that, though beautiful, few would consider Tolkien’s translation to be a good starting point with the ancient poem, I was hooked. 

The Iliad has a fixed place within the Western canon of thought for good reason. It is long, often tedious, and very violent, but in comparison with the mushiness of our postmodern world, it offers ancient insight into human nature. Of course, Christianity offers a far better wisdom and hope than Homer and paganism in general ever could.

Article: A Better Hope Than Homer

This book has been a joy to slowly read throughout the year. Van Dixhoorn’s brief introductions are helpful, but beyond that simple aid, this is all about a simple and enjoyable reading experience.

Typically, I only include books that I actually finished reading during the year, but since this devotional goes to Epiphany, it will have to stand as an exception to the rule. I have loved using this book privately, and our family has enjoyed reading the hymns and meditations together each night.

Read my full review.

I stumbled across this commentary after I was already a couple of weeks into studying Hebrews, but I bought it anyway. And I’m glad I did, since it quickly became a favorite to read each week.

This is a commentary that I hope to revisit in the future to enjoy it at a more leisurely pace. My plan is preach through Galatians next year, and I will be most glad to reconnect with Brown through his commentary on that book.

I thought that I would need to trudge through the Iliad but that I would thoroughly enjoy the Odyssey. Well, there certainly was some trudging with the Iliad, but overall I found it much more enjoyable than the Odyssey. Maybe I had unrealistic expectations (no one warned me that the whole 2nd half is an ancient version of Undercover Boss!). Maybe I just didn’t find Odysseus to be very heroic (I side with Virgil and Dante on this point). But it did have its moments, so it gets be this year’s honorable mention.

This is a current read, and so far it is great. James certainly takes a less optimistic view of the Internet, and I’m in that same boat.

Another current read, this two-volume collection of Doner’s sermons on Revelation is wonderful. If you desire a better understanding of the final book of the Bible, this is now my go-to recommendation.

Quotation: Principles for Interpreting Revelation

Having never read Warfield, I aim to read at least one of these volumes next year. As with Crossway’s republication of Charnock’s The Existence & Attributes of God, I am delighted that there is a demand for aesthetically-pleasing and theologically-rich books.

Phillips’ commentary on Hebrews just narrowly missed this year’s list. I hope to begin revisiting Genesis this year to edit and expand my sermon notes on Genesis 1-11 that I preached back in 2014. I am certain that this commentary will be just as valuable to that endeavor as his Hebrews commentary proved to be.