Fire and Knowledge

Part of the The Reading Interviews series.

Could you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Joe Thorn, I am a husband to Jennifer, and father to two children. Our daughter Katherine is five and our son Elias is two. I am the pastor of a Southern Baptist Church in northern Illinois.

What are your favorite books? What do you like about them and how have they influenced you?

I am going to define "favorite" as those books that have been most influential in my life that I still enjoy and refer to. Here are a few in no particular order:

• The Life of God in the Soul of Man, Henry Scougal – This books destroys pride and our tendency to trust in the things we do as the measure of our Christianity. It is a yearly read for me and is perhaps the most important book outside of the Bible that I have ever read.
• The Reformed Pastor, Richard Baxter – His model of pastoral calling and care is biblical, beautiful and an uncommon approach today. It is a relational/discipling model that challenges the popular CEO/professional model.
• Vital Godliness, William Plummer – This is the book that focuses on the common spiritual experiences of the Christian (love, joy, backsliding, etc.). God used Vital Godliness in conjunction with Scripture to wake me out of an arrogant and spiritually cold stage of my Christian life.
• Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin – My first time reading through the Institutes showed me that systematic theology can, and must be, a devotional exercise that leads to worship.
• Systematic Theology, Louis Berkhof – My favorite one volume Systematic Theology.
• Holiness by JC Ryle – Ryle shows the connection between doctrine and experience in a powerful way. This is a book I have read a few times for myself and have had the opportunity to lead several others through as a part of dicsipleship.
• By His Grace and For His Glory, Tom Nettles – A fantastic book that focuses on the theological history of baptists and Southern baptists in particular. Essential reading for those in the SBC.
• Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther – Luther’s refutation of Erasmus’ teaching on free will is a powerful read. One that was formative for me theologically.
• Treatise on the Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards – Edward’s detailed, biblical and rational approach to revival and religious experience is unmatched.

Who are your favorite writers?

The Puritans. I have greatly benefitted from their understanding of the connection between theology and experience, the care of the individual’s soul, and evangelism.

What is the best non-fiction and fiction book you have read recently?

Non-fiction: The best, non-fiction book that I recently read was John Piper’s What Jesus Demands from the World.

Fiction: I don’t read a lot of fiction these days, but I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series, really enjoyed last year’s The Half-Blood Prince, and am eager for the last book in the series to come out.

Many evangelical Christians loathe the Harry Potter series, but you enjoy them. Do you think Christians (and Christian children) can benefit from reading Harry Potter?

There seems to be less antagonism toward the series now than there was a few years ago. There was a lot of ignorant reaction and not much thoughtful reflection going on. The truth is I was one who was concerned about the series when it launched. Back in 2000 I decided to read through the first volume to interact with the content. Turned out that, in my estimation, the Harry Potter series falls more in line with Tolkien and Lewis than Anton LaVey.

I do think the Harry Potter series can be beneficial reading for Christian families and children. Of course like with anything parents have to be discerning concerning what is appropriate for their children to interact with. As the Harry Potter series progresses and the children grow up the story becomes more complex, darker and more mature. Depending on when your children begin reading the series you may want to put a years time in between each volume to allow them to develop as the story and characters develop.

One of the benefits that comes from reading good fiction (and fantasy in particular) is that it explores universal questions, struggles and themes in an extraordinary context with characters we can identify with and learn from. Harry Potter is a character who is concerned for the afflicted, seeks justice, protects the innocent and is willing to give his own life for the lives of others. Much more could be said about this, and Travis Prinzi’s blog is a good resource.

Why do you think reading is important? What has led you to make it a priority in your life?

Growing up I did not enjoy reading at all. It was not until I became a Christian at 18 and realized how ignorant I was about the Bible, God and the Gospel that I knew reading would have to be a part of my life. After finishing my first few books (Swindoll and MacArthur) I was compelled to continue reading. Having not grown up in church reading really helped me to catch up. Now most of the books I read function as supplemental pastoral care for my own soul. I need to be challenged, encouraged and preached to by others.

How many books do you normally read at a time?

I am generally working through 2-3 books at a time on different issues, but I make sure I read through one entire book every week.

Do you mark and take notes while you read? If so, how?

Yeah, but the method has changed over the years. Currently I use both a highlighter and a pen. Small notes in the margins, outlines and where to find specific quotes listed in the front or back blank pages.

Do you have any advice about reading that others might find helpful?

Make reading a part of your regular activity. Read at least one chapter a day - you’ll be surprised how many books you can read in a year if you do that.

Joe blogs at JoeThorn.net.