Adam Shields

Summary: A classic book of advice for young pastors and theologians.

I have previously read A Little Book for New Theologians: Why and How to Study Theology, which is intentionally an update of Helmut Thielicke’s classic.  I saw that the original was on kindle for less than $5 and decided to read the original as well.

A Little Exercise for Young Theologians is short.  I read it in two short sittings.  Most of the chapters are only 3 or 4 pages long.  Much of it is advice of a similar sort to the updated version I had already read. (I would advice reading both, but with some time between.)

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Takeaway: What we believe and how we act is important to who we are as Christians. (Just wish the book was more about that.)

I really want to like this book more than I did. I agree with the main point, that in order to live a holy life, and to have strong church, we need to pay more attention to catechesis (the teaching of the faith.)  And I am encouraged that Packer rightly treats teaching as broader than knowledge to include teaching toward right action as well.  This right action includes a good explanation of the sacraments of baptism and eucharist.

The problem with the book isn’t the ideas (or the actual content of the teaching), the problem is that Packer spends a lot of the books sounding like a grumpy old man complaining about those kids on his lawn.

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Takeaway: Pregnancy, as spiritual discipline and holy work, is often not as valued in the Evangelical world as it should be.  This book does much to rectify that.

A couple week ago, while Paraclete Press was having a $2.99 sale on all of their kindle books I picked this up.

Regular reading of this blog should know by now that I read in large part to process.  I read fiction both to relax, but also get different perspectives on how the world works.  I read theology and biblical studies to work through issues of faith, believe and understanding.  I read history to process how the world has come to be and how we have and have not learned from our mistakes as a society.  I read economics and social sciences to process how human behave, interact and work.

So it is only natural that I start reading about pregnancy as an expectant Dad.

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