If Books Could Speak

Posted on February 22nd, 2005 by hanfaith.
Categories: Deep Thoughts, General.

I used to joke with my parents about their bookshelf. If books could speak, there would be an all-out war in the Traphagen living room. I, myself, wouldn’t consider it wise to place Walvoord next to certain reformed authors.

My parents bookshelf tells the story of their Christian journey… one through many different schools of thought.

So today, I was thinking about my bookshelf. What story does it tell about our family?

Well firstly, there are the books that my husband has kept from his Word of Life college days. We got rid of most of those, honestly, but he did keep a few. I wouldn’t have felt it necessary to keep any of Charles Ryrie’s books, but Phil sat under his teaching and thought he was a funny old guy.

Then there are our pre-marriage books. This was when we were introduced to Piper. Two copies of “Desiring God” grace our shelf.

And then we entered into the theological book collection days. So now we have quite a few:
Pipers:
- When I don’t desire God
- The Passion of Jesus Christ
- Counted Righteous in Christ
- The Dangerous Duty of Delight
- A Godward Life (I & II)
- Don’t Waste Your Life
- Let the Nations Be Glad
Mike Yaconelli:
- Dangerous Wonder
- Messy Spirituality
- Core Realities of Youth Ministry
John Stott:
- The Contemporary Christian
Gary Thomas:
- Sacred Marriage
- Sacred Parenting
Poythress:
- Understand Dispensationalism
Dillard & Longman:
- Introduction to the Old Testament
Paul Tripp:
- Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands
- Age of Opportunity
William Edgar:
- Truth in All Its Glory
Cowan & Gundry:
- Five Views on Apologetics
Gundry:
- Five Views on Sanctification
Cornelius VanTil:
- Christian Apologetics
Jacob Neusner:
- A Rabbi Talks with Jesus
Geerhardus Vos:
- Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments
James C. VanderKam:
- The Dead Sea Scrolls Today
Cornelius Plantinga Jr.:
- Engaging God’s World
Gundry, Carson, McCormack, Seifrid, Lane, Molnar Wainwright:
- Justification: What’s at Stake in the Current Debates
Sinclair B. Ferguson:
- The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction
Tom Holland:
- Contours of Pauline Theology

Many of these books are hand-me-downs from my parent’s classes at Westminster. We couldn’t be more grateful! (and big props to the Westminster Bookstore who carries most of these books)

What books do you think we are missing from our collection?

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