Old Books

by the Rev. Dr. Delmer Chilton
Assistant to the Bishop
ELCA Southeastern Synod

Recently a young man emailed and asked, “Can you recommend a good book to read to understand Augustinian theology?” I wrote back “Why don’t you try reading something St. Augustine wrote, like The City of God or On Christian Doctrine.”

His reply? ”Gee, I never thought of that!”

That little episode reminded me of an essay by C.S. Lewis called “On the Reading of Old Books” (God In the Dock, p. 200 ff.). Lewis’ point in that essay is simple: the old books he refers to are the enduring classics, and they are classics because they are written better than other books, and one mark of a well-written book is it’s clarity of thought and expression. Therefore, reading the old books is actually easier and more profitable than reading modern books which attempt to explain the old books.

Lewis’ essay was written in 1944 and things have only gotten much worse. I wonder what Lewis and his ilk would think of The Bible for Dummies and other such works which attempt to explain what the Bible really means.

That is, I suppose, an honorable goal, but one that I think is misguided. If you want to know what the Bible means, well, read the Bible. And if you have trouble figuring out what it means, read the Bible in community with other believers. I have shelves filled with well-thumbed volumes which have attempted to explain the Bible to me, with varying degrees of success.

But I have come to understand that Lewis was right that the primary document is always cleaner and clearer than the explanation. Sure, I need some help with the Greek and the Hebrew and the cultural customs and the books are good for that, but the real way to dig into the meaning is by reading the Bible itself, regularly, both alone and in community, keeping up a lively discussion between God’s word, your life and the lives of others.

Some years ago there was a popular bumper sticker that read, “The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it.” One day in traffic I burst out laughing when I saw a bumper sticker that said, “The Bible says it. I believe it. Can we talk?”