Pascal: The Philosopher for Our Time with Dr. Doug Groothuis

Should Christians read the great books? Dr. Samuel Parkison discusses the new Veritas Honors Program at Spurgeon College and the importance of broad reading and deep study for Christians. 

God does not need us. He is self-sufficient, self-sustaining, and the fountain of life. This quality, called his aseity, is one of God's most encouraging, freeing, and often-forgotten characteristics. In the new book The Fountain of Life, Dr. Samuel Parkison expounds on this quality and applies it to our lives as Christians. 

Artists set the world aflame with meaning and beauty, stewarding goodness and truth. In W. David O. Taylor's new book To Set the World Aflame, he explores the nature of art and artists, biblical and theological perspectives, and calls the church to encourage and engage with artists. Cole and David discuss the importance of artists and how great art images God in the world. 

There's more to ministry than preaching, teaching, and leadership. In fact, the heart of ministry is pastoring - the small things. In Reuben Bredenhof's new book, The Ministry of Small Things, he highlights the importance of loving and caring for people as the heart of serving God in leadership. 

After the exile of Judah, the prophet Jeremiah penned a heart-wrenching lament for his people. In this short but poetically structured book, we can see Jesus in the hope of Israel for restoration, a mention of God's anointed, and God's comfort in suffering. 

Wisdom is one of the key themes of the Bible. Beyond the book of Proverbs, wisdom plays a central role in God's creation and salvation. Paul even calls Jesus the wisdom of God. Dr. Matthew Harmon discusses the role of wisdom in the Bible in his new book, The Wisdom of God: Revealed, Reviled, and Reverberated.

Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet." He lived through the most tumultuous time in Israel's history and left a personal record of his life and ministry. He prophesied about a time to come when God would remember his people and bring them back into the land. His life and message point us to Jesus. 

Pascal is known for "The Wager," an argument that it's far better to believe in God - whether he exists or not - to run the risk of unbelief. But Pascal had far more to say. Dr. Doug Groothuis discusses his book Beyond the Wager and explains why Pascal is more relevant than ever. 

During Christmas and Easter, our readings are filled with passages from the prophet Isaiah. Although he lived 800 years before Jesus, he described Jesus's life in amazing detail. The book of Isaiah is full of pictures, prophecies, and descriptions of the Messiah. 

We're reflecting on a summer of reading and recommending our favorite reads! Books mentioned in this episode:  Pastoral Mentoring for the Care of Souls — Jared Wilson The Ministry of Small Things — Ruben Bredenhof My Story: A Spiritual and Intellectual Biography — John Lennox Foundation — Isaac Asimov Dune — Frank Herbert The Wizard of Earthsea / Earthsea series — Ursula K. Le Guin The Farseer Trilogy — Robin Hobb The Desecration of Man — Carl R. Trueman The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self — Carl R. Trueman The Making of the American Mind — Matthew Spalding John Adams — David McCullough Truman — David McCullough History Matters — David McCullough Scalia: The Supreme Court Years — James Rosen Master of the Senate — Robert A. Caro Means of Ascent — Robert A. Caro The Passage of Power — Robert A. Caro The Power Broker — Robert A. Caro London Falling — Patrick Radden Keefe Rogues — Patrick Radden Keefe Empire of Pain — Patrick Radden Keefe The Lives of the Caesars / The Twelve Caesars — Suetonius; translated by Tom Holland Dominion — Tom Holland