Reading for the Love of God

What if we viewed reading as not just a personal hobby or a pleasurable indulgence but a spiritual practice that deepens our faith?

In Reading for the Love of God, award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson does just that--and then shows readers how to reap the spiritual benefits of reading. She argues that the simple act of reading can help us learn to pray well, love our neighbor, be contemplative, practice humility, and disentangle ourselves from contemporary idols.

Accessible and engaging, this guide outlines several ways Christian thinkers--including Augustine, Julian of Norwich, Frederick Douglass, and Dorothy L. Sayers--approached the act of reading. It also includes useful special features such as suggested reading lists, guided practices to approaching texts, and tips for meditating on specific texts or Bible passages. By learning to read for the love of God, readers will discover not only a renewed love of reading but also a new, vital spiritual practice to deepen their walk with God.

Contents

1. What Kind of Reader Are You?

2. Why Read Anything but the Bible?

Bookmark 1: Reading like Augustine of Hippo

3. What's the Difference between "Use" and "Enjoy"?

4. Do Good Books Make You a Good Person?

Bookmark 2: Reading like Julian of Norwich

5. What Does the Trinity Have to Do with the ART of Reading?

Bookmark 3: Reading like Frederick Douglass

6. Why Do We Need Four Senses to Read?

7. How Can You Remember What You Read?

Bookmark 4: Reading like Dorothy L. Sayers

Conclusion

Appendix A: Twofold Reading of Flannery O'Connor's "The River"

Appendix B: Frequently Asked Questions

Appendix C: Reading Lists of Great Books