Historia ecclesiastica

Not sure what this game is called, but I was asked by two individuals—first Darrin Brooker and then Jenson Lim—to participate in this. They “tagged” me, which sounds somewhat ominous at first hearing—almost like being pulled over when speeding or even worse getting the mark of the Beast placed on one!

Since I have been talking about what I have not read (for links, see my answer to the last question below) I am quite game to play along—though the idea of “tagging” another militates ‘gainst some deep personality structures! I have always hated being coerced to do something that everything in me revolted ‘gainst, so I shall let that aspect of the game pass. Of course, some might say, I wasn’t really playing the game—but then…


1. One book that changed your life (other than the Bible):

Mortification of Sin by John Owen


2. One book that you’ve read more than once:

Augustine of Hippo, Confessions.


3. One book you’d want on a desert island:
There are far too many to choose from—maybe if the question was “twenty-one books you’d want on a desert island”—after all, if I was able to carry one, I would be just as able to carry twenty-one—it is very unlikely that I would not be carrying a briefcase in which I would have these books—now if that was the question, here’s my answer (by the way, why twenty-one? Because it is the sum of three times seven!)

a. Augustine, Confessions
b. Basil of Caesarea, De spiritu sancto
c. The letter to Diognetus
d. Patrick, Confessions
e. Martin Luther, The Freedom of a Christian
f. John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion
g. John Owen, Mortification of sin
h. John Bunyan, Grace abounding to the chief of sinners
i. Blaise Pascal, Les Pensées
j. John Newton, Cardiphonia
k. Andrew Fullers, Works (the one-volume edition from the 19th century)
l. The Olney Hymns
m. The hymns of Charles Wesley
n. The hymns of Ann Griffiths
o. Adolphe Monod, Les adieux
p.  J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
q. The poems of Edward Taylor
r. C.S. Lewis, The weight of glory (the small book of essays)
s. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life together
t. Iain Murray’s life of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (yes I know it is two books—but it is a two-volume work)
u. Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections


4. One book that made you laugh:
G.K. Chesterton, The Man Who was Thursday


5. One book that made you cry [or feel really sad]:
Lady de Lancey, A week at Waterloo in June 1815


6. One book that you wish had been written:
The Complete Exegetical Handbook of the Calvinistic Baptists, 1638-1892


7. One book that you wish had never been written:
Too many to name here!!!!


8. One book you’re currently reading:
John Lukacs, Democracy and Populism


9. One book you’ve been meaning to read:
See my WHAT I HAVE NOT READ & MORE STUFF NEVER READ.    

Posted by Michael A G Haykin on Monday, July 31, 2006 at 3:30 p.m. | Permalink