If there is something you do that consumes a lot of your waking hours, it makes good sense to read at least the occasional book that will challenge you to do that thing better. A preacher will read books on preaching, a hobbyist will read books about how to grow in skill at his hobby, one hopes that his doctor reads updated medical journals—you get the idea. I spend a lot of my life with a nose in a book and have found it helpful to read at least the occasional work on the skill of reading.

Recently I re-read Tony Reinke’s Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books, having first read it as a manuscript quite some time ago. I’m glad I did. Lit! is a comfortable read in that it reminds me a little bit of The Next Story. In some ways Reinke does with literature what I sought to do with technology. He has taken a subject that has received more attention in the mainstream than in the Christian world, he has read those books and then distilled their wisdom, passed it through a biblical lens, and crafted a theology of literature. In doing so he has created a very useful book.

Here are five good reasons to give it a read.

To Gain a Theology of Books and Reading

I know in the abstract that there is a theology of everything, a way of thinking Christianly about everything we do and everything we experience in this life. Somehow, though, it had escaped me that there is a distinctly Christian way to think about books and reading. In Lit’s first few chapters Reinke provides that theology, beginning with the Bible, the world’s greatest work of literature and the only one that has been divinely inspired, and proceeding from there. He shows that the Bible is the book through which we understand and interpret all other books which in turn leads to discussions of the Christian worldview and the benefits of reading non-Christian works. This is just the right place to begin.

To Understand the Benefits of Reading Non-Christian Books

There are some non-Christian books that no one should read; there are some books that are morally abhorrent or otherwise entirely inappropriate. But many non-Christian books are genuinely helpful and continue very valuable insights, whether those are insights into the world or insights into the non-Christian mind or human experience. Reinke looks to the doctrine of common grace and on that basis points out seven benefits of reading in the mainstream. I can attest from personal experience that I have benefitted tremendously from reading outside the Christian world and that I continually encourage other Christians to do the same. Lit! puts biblical reasoning to this and encourages Christians to maintain a varied reading diet.

To See the Importance of Imagination

Humans are uniquely gifted by God in having been given an imagination. God has given us this ability “to enable us to create art, make scientific discoveries, further technological progress, and write poetry. And God has given us an imagination so our book reading will be more effective.” I have come to realize in the past little while that I have a tendency to downplay the value and the sheer blessing of imagination. This has been brought home to me by a sermon series. At church we are currently progressing through the book of Revelation verse-by-verse and this apocalyptic literature has highlighted to me the beauty of imagination and even the need for it. The imagination is what enables us to understand and enjoy this kind of writing (and many other kinds of writing). Reinke is very helpful in highlighting the importance and the blessing of imagination.