cover image INDELIBLE INK: 22 Prominent Christian Leaders Discuss the Books That Shape Their Faith

INDELIBLE INK: 22 Prominent Christian Leaders Discuss the Books That Shape Their Faith

Scott Larsen, Larsen, . . WaterBrook, $19.99 (336pp) ISBN 978-1-57856-554-2

Larsen believes that "what we read matters and directly affects who we become." With this in mind, he requisitioned essays from 22 Christians who answered the question, "Which books... other than the Bible have most influenced your life?" He also includes 136 additional short compilations from other contributors. The resulting miscellany functions nicely as a suggested reading list of more than 710 volumes, but the 22 essays themselves are woefully uneven. Some are moving, as when quadriplegic Joni Eareckson Tada reveals how she found comfort in God's sovereignty through The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination; others are tiresomely dry. A few, such as Calvin Miller's "My Three Best Friends... Maybe" are humorous and original. Predictably, classic authors are repeatedly referenced throughout the book: C.S. Lewis, St. Augustine, Fyodor Dostoyevsky and A.W. Tozer. Contemporary authors (Dr. Henry Cloud) hobnob with the ancient (St. John of the Cross), and the heavily theological (John Calvin) with writers not known mainly for their faith (Shakespeare). A reasonable gender balance prevails, and Larsen offers a sampling of both fiction and nonfiction authors. Juxtapositions can make for bumpy reading (Liz Curtis Higgs is sandwiched between J.I. Packer and Donald Bloesch), and a Walter Wangerin Jr. essay is inexplicably offered in interview style. However, Christian bibliophiles will appreciate the recommended book list this volume provides, and a foreword by Philip Yancey (who with James Schaap once compiled a similar and more focused offering, More than Words) should help sales. (June 17)

FYI:Atwww.indelink.com, a Web site tied to the book, readers can post their own thoughts about the books that have most influenced their Christian journey. The site will be up and running on June 17, the book's pub date.