Why is it important to read classic books? What do we gain from them—and what do we lose if we avoid them? This is what I’m discussing on today’s episode of Reading Writers.

For recommendations on where to start with reading classics, including the books mentioned in this podcast, check out these two posts:

* Three classic books every Christian should read

*

Is this a time of good news for Christians? It’s easy to be doom and gloom when we look at the cultural landscape of America, but there is much good news to tell. Brian Dembowczyk, author of Gospel-Centered Kids Ministry, and I discuss this, reading about the end times, and whether or not audiobooks count as books in part two of the most explicitly Christian episod

Why does it matter that we actually teach the Bible in the context of the gospel story? Maybe a better question is can we do this?  Does a “gospel-centered” approach distort the meaning of the Scriptures, or does it allow us to see what God intended more clearly?

Brian Dembowczyk, one of my teammates from The Gospel Project and author of Gospel-Centered Kids Ministry, discuss this and more in part one of the most explicitly Christian episode of Reading Writers ever.

The

Because I read a fair bit, it’s easy to fall into routines and potentially miss out on some great reading. Recently, I asked my followers on Twitter to help me out and recommend a few books for me to read. I’m sharing those recommendations on what may be the shortest episode ever of Reading Writers.

Thanks for listening to this episode of Reading Writers. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review on iTunes. Your feedback really does help more people f

The title really does give it all away today. On today’s episode of Reading Writers, I’m giving you a look at what’s overflowing from my bookshelves and queued up on my Audible app to learn about seven books I’m reading (and thinking about reading). Check it out.

Thanks for listening to this episode of Reading Writers. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review on iTunes. Your feedback really does help more people find the show. For more r

When my wife decided to stay at home when Abigail was born, most people didn’t really know what to do with it. After all, it’s generally assumed that a woman will re-enter the workforce as soon as possible after having a child. To choose to stay at home… well, it seems odd at best, and a strike against women’s equality at worst.

But what if it’s this attitude that is actually robbing men and women of a deeper understanding of at-home work? Of it’s value and sig

It’s not unpopular to talk about story, regardless of your background or industry. But what does it mean to tell a story in a cultural context—and specifically, how do Christians tell a better one than the world around us? Trevin Wax and I discuss this and more on today’s episode of Reading Writers.

Also in this episode, we discuss:

* Trevin’s man-crush on G.K. Chesterton;

* Another debate about Narnia; and

* Why the translation of a book written in

Now, I actually quite enjoy the Chronicles of Narnia. I’ve read them multiple times and found them enjoyable. In fact, I liked them before I was a Christian. But in the last few years, I’ve found a number of people who are starting to come out of the woodwork and saying something shocking: they don’t think these books are all that great. Today, Barnabas Piper and I reignite the controversy in part two of our conversation on Reading Writers as we discuss what he’s reading right

As children, most of us were captivated by the world and everything in it. Every blade of grass, every cloud, ever unidentifiable brown thing on the ground… all of it intrigued us. We wanted to know what it was. We asked the question “why”… All. The. Time.

And somewhere along the way, we lost it, and started to think of things as boring. So how did this happen, and how can we get this sense of curiosity back? Barnabas Piper and I discuss this and more in the first part of a two-

I remember dreading the moment when we’d have to start reading Shakespeare during my seventh grade English class. I could understand what I was reading, but never really knew why I was doing it at all, beyond it being part of the curriculum. So is there a good reason for us to read plays, and not simply watch them? Actor and playwright Max McLean and I discuss this and more on today’s episode of Reading Writers.

Also in this episode, we discuss:

* How McLean feels abo