When I was back in the Midwest over Christmas, Hannah and I sat down one afternoon at the local coffee shop and brainstormed ideas for future blog posts. Along with various other ideas, I mentioned that I missed reading academic theology and history books so I was going to make a concerted effort to include at least one theology/history book in my reading each month. I’m not sure why I didn’t read as much academic work last year as I would have liked…perhaps because I was burnt out on academia after 6 years in graduate school or perhaps because, in an effort to keep up with Hannah’s grueling reading pace I couldn’t devote the time and energy necessary for muddling through theological jargon and historical theory, in any case, I made the decision to include more academic reading and here’s where it stands mid-February:
I may be over-doing it considering my original goal was to include one theology/history book per month…I’m currently at 10 (read or currently reading) theology/history books so far this year! Ok, I have gone a bit overboard but in my defense, I am teaching a new course this semester and I have to read the books required for the class which accounts for two of the ten books…not really much of a defense, huh?
While I may be a tad nuts, I also find it very satisfying to keep up with what is going on in my chosen field. There are always new books and theories coming out in both history and theology and being part of a university Theology and Religious Studies dept. I get the opportunity to discuss these ideas with some of the great minds in the field and I don’t want to lose out on that chance simply because I’m not staying on top of what’s new. Plus, I find I really do enjoy reading and talking about academic work in my areas of interest.
So, every once in a while you may want to consider picking up a book that increases your literacy in your chosen field just to read something different and expand your knowledge in an area that you are passionate about. All too often, once we finish school we pack away our books and think we know everything we need to know for our career paths, but becoming a life-long learner can be an extremely rewarding experience and who knows where that knowledge will lead you.
Read on my friends!
