Posted by Yong TM (192.169.41.41) on December 31, 2002 at 22:30:31:
In Reply to: Re: a thorn in the flesh posted by David on December 31, 2002 at 03:16:39:
My reading range is very wide, especially since I am bilingual, reading in both Mandarin and English. I can share some of the more recent ones.
For english books, my basic commentaries are the Zonderven commentaries, Systematic Theology by Millard Erickson (my seminary textbook actually), Moody's commentary. These are conservative work. I also read MacArthur Jr and even books published by the Bible Presbyterians. I have many more reference books.
On the more liberal side, my commentaries are William Barclay's Bible commentaries (Barclay was a universalist - he believed every one will be saved regardless), third wave writers like John Wimber (Power Evangelism, Power Healing) and John White (Eros defiled, When the Spirit comes in power). Philip Yancey is a recent favorite (read all his books); Yancey is moderate, leaning on the liberal side by his own admission. Just started Jimmy Carter's book 'Living Faith'.
And those are the english ones. Mandarin books are another story altogether.
One way to find out about books would be through Christian magazines or web-sites, like www.christianitytoday.com, www.religiontoday.com; or even subscribe to some newsletter like the one from BGST, my seminary (www.bgst.edu.sg). They have good book reviews, and I tend to pick up books from there as well (looking now for Dallas Willard's Divine Conspiracy).
My advantage is that I started serious reading while I was in my teens, so by now, I have a decent collection.