Originally published in the November 2009 issue of The Testimony magazine
Books to help Bible study
BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS might be thought to be of interest only to truly committed bibliophiles. To many it would seem an arcane exercise to compile a book about books; quite a few readers might expect such a work to be quite dull. Such people might change their mind, however, if they read Brother Tecwyn Morgan’s highly entertaining book Building a Library, published by the Christadelphian in 2008.
This book started as a series of articles in the magazine. The objective was to assist Bible students, especially new students, with recommendations of what is available in printed form to help them in their studies. Each article discussed a category of books (for example, Biblical Geography, Israel Today) and commented on the strengths and weaknesses of some of the works available. The articles published in the magazine were complemented by more detailed discussion on the magazine’s website. Readers were also invited to write to Brother Morgan offering suggestions of other works they had found useful.
An entertaining read
The magazine articles and the website material have now been compiled in book form, and some of the suggestions provided by readers of the series have also been incorporated in the work. Personally I found the material more entertaining as a book than I did as the series, partly because I often failed to read the more detailed notes that were available online each month.
Those who know Brother Morgan can well picture his impish smile as he makes some of the observations found in the book, for example his wry observation about Abba Eban’s autobiography. What could have been a dry, expanded bibliography is elevated to a new level by the deft use of wit and humour. All readers will be very grateful for the effort made to put this valuable resource together, even if it does remind them of how much remains unread and leaves them in awe of Brother Morgan’s diligent and industrious reading (and of Sister Morgan’s indulgence of her husband’s appetite for the written word).
While Brother Morgan concentrates on works published within the Christadelphian brotherhood, he also includes recommendations from a wide range of sources. He does not restrict himself to works that are still in print, but does offer comments if a particular work is likely to be hard to obtain. At times attention is drawn to works that adopt differing approaches to a particular issue, implicitly encouraging the prospective student to consider both options. At the end of the book there are two lengthy catalogues of books that can be recommended on each book of the Bible. One of these lists works by Christadelphian authors and the other lists books by non-Christadelphian writers.
One of the non-Christadelphian authors recommended by Brother Morgan is Grattan Guinness, a most interesting writer from the nineteenth century, in particular on prophecy. It is worth pointing out that Brother Thomas had contact with Grattan Guinness and published some of his writings in Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.
Brother Tecwyn encourages the reader to seek second-hand copies of works no longer in print, and points out that the Christadelphian (as does the Testimony) sells second-hand books. Brother Morgan notes that an unexpected bonus when buying second-hand books can be the notes made in the margin by previous owners. In this regard he refers to Brother C. C. Walker’s marginal notes and the curious symbols he used. As the owner of a second-hand copy of several of Brother Walker’s books I can testify to the value they add to the work. If Brother Morgan’s book were ever to be reprinted it might be worth reproducing Brother Walker’s symbols. Brother Michael Walker (Brother C. C. Walker’s grandson) in London, Ontario, very kindly gave me this copy of the legend to these cryptic symbols (the reverse side of the legend was not available).
Some further suggestions
As noted above, readers of the magazine series were invited to send in suggestions of recommended books. I had good intentions of offering comments at various times when the series was running, but they came to nothing. This invitation to offer suggestions has been renewed even though the book has been published. At the end of the book the reader is informed that it is available on the website of the Christadelphian, and the electronic version will be updated as appropriate. With this in mind the following observations are offered.
- Doctrine: Some very useful recommendations are made in chapter 11, but there might have been scope for some additional recommendations relating to God-manifestation, a teaching that sets us apart from many other communities. Obvious candidates here include Brother Thomas’s Phanerosis, Sister Lasius’s Yahweh Elohim, Brother Walker’s God Manifestation (previously titled Theophany) and Brother Nicholls’ The Name That is Above Every Name.
- History: There are several recommendations about ancient history in chapters 14, 15 and 17, but there may have been value in a chapter on history in general, perhaps building on Brother Roberts’ list of suggested books in Helps to the Memory of History. (Given that this has been long out of print, perhaps that list could have been reproduced as a starting point.) Brother Roberts’ list, however, is over 100 years old, and there are many later writers who can be more or less recommended, A. J. P. Taylor and Barbara Tuchman, for instance. General history is perhaps mainly of relevance to supporters of the continuous-historic interpretation of prophecy, but we all do well to have a broad acquaintance with history.
- Youth: There might have been a case for a chapter on books for youth. Ones that come to mind include Brother Collyer’s Letters to Young Christadelphians (reprinted in recent years by the CSSS), Brother Nicholls’ Youth at the Crossroads (now dated and out of print, but still worth reading), Brother Brooker’s A New Creation, and a compilation prepared in Melbourne entitled Taking Control (reviewed in the Testimony in February 2008).
- Conscience: This is another area that could have been covered in a discrete chapter. Most of the publications in this category are pamphlets, but there are several substantial books. Brother Botten’s The Captive Conscience and the AACE’s Conscience in Action are two obvious candidates; there is an extensive bibliography in Conscience in Action that lists many other relevant titles.
- Fiction: It was pleasing to see a few recommendations for helpful fiction in the chapter on “Israel Today”. It may have been worth including reference to Sister Knight’s A Time to Hear, a novel set in the time of John Baptist, and the very interesting anonymous work, Cornelia’s Story, a fictionalised account of life for a young sister in Caesarea in the sixties A.D., although it might have been hard to fit these into one of the existing chapters; the chapter on “Biblical History” might have been a candidate.
These suggestions are offered with some reservation, because with a work like this the hardest question is, Where do you stop? That is a challenge. You have to call a halt somewhere. The comments above are not meant in any way to denigrate what is both a fascinating and a valuable book. It is heartily recommended to all, especially to those who are new to Bible study.
This review originally appeared in the November 2009 edition of The Testimony Magazine (pages 344-346), and is reproduced by kind permission.
