Table of (Mal)Contents

If you listen to this podcast, chances are it’s because you love to read. But how does reading play a part in our ongoing spiritual development. Does it fit within the category of what Christians call the spiritual disciplines? And if so, what does that mean for those of us who like to read books that aren’t always geared directly to Christians?

Philip Nation, author of Habits For Our Holiness, join

So about a month and a half ago, the Christian blogosphere and social media world went crazy in a debate over the Trinity—and specifically, God the Son’s relationship to God the Father. After reading many articles, tweets, and so on, the only definite conclusion I’ve been able to come to is that it was wise to keep my mouth shut. After all, the Trinity is one of the most difficult doctrines of the Christian faith to even begin to wrap your head around.

Today, Brandon Smith, c

With a floppitygillion new books being published daily, it’s hard to keep books that have stood the test of time from being pushed to the side. Today, I’m joined by my wife, Emily, to talk about how I try to maintain a healthy balance of new and old books in another format-breaking episode of Reading Writers.

In this episode, you’ll hear

* My practical strategies for reading older books;

* Emily’s admission to having a utilitarian reading style;

Many Christians of a certain persuasion seem to struggle to read fiction. At all. But fiction is a powerful tool for engaging the culture and is especially helpful for those of us who are writers.

In this episode you’ll hear:

* How I got back into reading fiction

* Five fiction books for you to consider

* A semi-dramatic reading of Douglas Adams

A few of the books and resources discussed in this episode

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I’m always reading a ton of books—I usually have a solid three or four that I’m actively reading, plus another three that I read a few pages of periodically. Today, I’m joined by my wife who asks me about my reading habits and the books I’m reading right now.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

* How I read as much as I do each day;

* Why it’s important to take advantage of the free time we all actually have (but may not think we do); and

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Can reading help you become a better listener—and what can we gain from reading about the experiences of people of different ethnicities or backgrounds? Today, Jared Wilson and I discuss this and more in part two of our discussion on Reading Writers.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

* Why Jared’s becoming a comic book guy (again), and how he has to force himself to avoid reading ruts;

* What he learned reading about the science of fear; and

* Why it’s a

A pastor might be a great preacher, but great preachers aren’t always great writers—so should they be writing books? Today, Jared Wilson and I discuss this and more in the first part of a two part discussion (yes, a two part!) on Reading Writers.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

* Why calling and gifting really matter for ministry, creativity and writing;

* Why Unparalleled didn’t feel like it was written for me (in a good way);

* The assumptions

Pop biographies aren’t often seen as worthwhile reading. But there’s a lot you can learn from them about the struggles our heroes face, as well as our own. Today, Ted Kluck and I discuss this and much more in the latest episode of Reading Writers.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

* The benefits of reading pop biographies;

* Me gaffing on the name of Felicia Day’s book (sorry, Felicia!);

* Why Ted doesn’t have time for bad books;

* JD Sal

Busy moms often struggle to find time to read. So how can they do it? Today, I’m joined by Gloria Furman, author of several books including Missional Motherhood: The Everyday Ministry of Motherhood in the Grand Plan of God, to discuss this question and more on Reading Writers.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

* What books our kids really dig;

Jesus is more popular than ever—but which Jesus? Today, I’m joined by Dan Darling, author of The Original Jesus, to discuss the Jesuses of our own imagining, and how reading helps us as we seek to show the real Jesus to the culture around us on Reading Writers.

Books and resources mentioned in this episode

* The Original Jesus: Trading the Myths We Create for the Savior Who Is by Dan Darli