One of the most helpful things that my pastors have told me (and repeated many times) is that the Christian life is a journey, so I shouldn’t expect to suddenly “have it all together” right away… or, in fact, to EVER have it totally “all together” in this life I find it a relief, as well, to recognize that I am a work in progress!

And oh! Hopkins, Eliot, and Herbert… you can’t go wrong with that group! They knew all about the difficulties as well as the joys of the Christian life, and I return to them often, as old friends who offer sympathy and wise advice.

Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your book. I am still in the early stages of being a Christian (though I was “saved” at age 6 and raised in a church-going family), so I’m not as far on the path as you are. Things still feel a little (and sometimes a lot) weird and uncomfortable. So it has been a relief to read that I’m not alone in feeling this way.

All the best to you–I hope your book is very successful!

Wright has been a great help to this “recovering” southern evangelical in returning to my Anglican (TEC) roots – especially Surprised by Hope.

My first reading of the Aeneid was in Latin and it definitely did not make much of an impression. Put an audio version on your ipod – marvelous!

Congratulations on your book. Will add it to the pile

I’ve just started doing reading from The Orthodox Study Bible. My priest absolutely loves it (actually, all the clergy do – we bought enough copies to put in each pew in our chapel). He actually particularly likes the OT section, because of how it brings out the foreshadowing of Christ, and how the Trinitarian nature of God is revealed throughout all His interactions with His people, even before He revealed Himself as Triune. The notes might be too basic for those who are deeply informed about Orthodoxy, but for us Anglicans it’s perfect!

Wright’s After You Believe is on my summer-reading pile as well (in the second stack). He’s one of my favorite authors, and has really helped my spiritual growth. I haven’t read Surprised by Hope, but I found his Simply Christian to be very helpful in its treatment of prayer.

I’m also about to start the Aeneid (re-reading it; I read it once in college, but it didn’t make much of an impression), but in the translation by Sarah Ruden.

Summer Reading List:
AFTER YOU BELIEVE by N.T. Wright
THE HOT KID by Elmore Leonard
ACEDIA & ME by Kathleen Norris
THE GLASS RAINBOW by James Lee Burke

Rereading THE AENEID (Translated by Robert Fagles) and as much Walker Percy as time allows.

When were you at Chapel Hill? My son is an English/Creative Writing major (’00). And a crime fiction/thriller author to boot.

Best,

Clay

Two people mentioned The Gospel in a Pluralist Society in the past month, and I thought it sounded good. I am familiar with many of the ideas in the book, but I think it is good to hear many of these things repeated over and over again. He speaks about the truth of the Christian faith in the same way that Dallas Willard does in Knowing Christ Today.

I will look forward to your reviews of these books you read. I am quite the avid reader, but I am not the writer that you are! I was always much better at analyzing history rather than literature so I enjoy your posts about reading (as well as the faith) very much.

By the way, I skimmed over your post on John Donne. I will read it more fully when I have more time this weekend. I actually purchased some of Hopkins after your mentioned it–and I also read about his poetry in a book on theology and art. I have never been much of a poetry person, but I want to start challenging myself.

Okay this was a way too long comment, but I also want to add that I always look forward to your posts. You are a great blogger!

I added The Gospel in a Pluralist Society to my wish list

The Way We Live Now is *excellent* – it’s amazing how well it speaks to today’s issues. Whether it’s railroad speculations or dot-com ventures, human nature is the same… I definitely recommend it. The only caveat I would offer is that the Barnes & Noble Classics edition has really bad footnotes (as in, incorrect information!). It’s worth spending a little more to get a better edition, I think.