From My Book Pile – Jane Austen, Doug Wilson, Sun Tzu, and Michael Heiser

Here’s a peek at what I’m currently reading or about to start. This list includes books by Jane Austen, Doug Wilson, Sun Tzu, and Dr. Michael Heiser.

Persuasion by Jane Austen

I’m over half way though Persuasion, but progress slowed when I inexplicably hurt my left shoulder a few weeks ago. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility in the past. I decided it was high time to read Persuasion and Emma. Persuasion was much shorter so I chose it first.

Excused Absence by Doug Wilson

Excused Absence was published in 2001 and I’ve probably had my copy about that long. I read it years ago after I had left teaching, but before I had Caroline. I decided a few weeks ago to read it again. I want to do more writing about education, homeschooling, etc. so I’m spending some time revisiting books.

It’s interesting to see what I previously marked. The way I read books about education and learning has naturally evolved now that I’m a homeschooling mom who can see the finish line in the not-too-far distance and the education system in our country is on the verge of collapse under the weight of its own corruption and vileness. I also expect to find that Wilson was incredibly prescient in terms of what he wrote back then.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

Caroline wanted to read The Art of War as part of her studies so we ordered a copy. (I’ve also wanted to read it for some time.) We’re reading it aloud and discussing it as we go both in light of history we’ve learned and history we are currently living through. We pulled up “Ghosts In The Machine” From 4th PSYOP Group (Army) to watch it again since it draws heavily on Sun Tzu. I expect this will be a fun read with lots of interesting conversation.

The Unseen Realm by Michael S. Heiser

If you’ve taken a look at the series of posts I’ve written about the Nephilim and Fallen Angels, you’ll understand why this book and the subsequent books on this list are of interest to me.

The subtitle is “Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible.” On the back it lists these questions:

• Why wasn’t Eve surprised when the serpent spoke to her?
• How did descendants of the Nephilim survive the flood?
• Why did Jacob fuse Yahweh and his Angel together in his prayer?
• Who are the assembly of divine beings that God presides over?
• In what way do these beings participate in God’s decisions?
• Why do Peter and Jude promote belief in imprisoned spirits?
• Why does Paul describe evil spirits in terms of geographical rulership?
• Who are the “glorious ones” that even angels dare not rebuke?

This is a meaty read with lots of footnotes on each page. I’ve heard that this one takes some time because there is so much to absorb. I’ve already spent quite a bit of time interacting with this kind of content via online articles and CensorTube videos so I expect the book will fill in a lot of pieces for me.

I also wrote a post last summer called “The Unseen Realm” with Dr. Michael S. Heiser that features a video by the same name.

Reversing Hermon by Dr. Michael S. Heiser

The subtitle of this book is “Enoch, The Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ.” Rather than try to explain it myself, I’ll simply share the information on the back cover:

Reversing Hermon is a groundbreaking work. It unveils what most in the modern Church have never heard regarding how the story of the sin of the Watchers in 1 Enoch 6-16 helped frame the mission of Jesus, the messiah. Jews of the first century expected the messiah to reverse the impact of the Watchers transgression. For Jews of Jesus’ day, the Watchers were part of the explanation for why the world was so profoundly depraved. The messiah would not just revoke the claim of Satan on human souls and estrangement from God, solving the predicament of the Fall. He would also not only bring the nations back into relationship with the true God by defeating the principalities and powers that governed them. Jews also believed that the messiah would rescue humanity from self-destruction, the catalyst for which was the sin of the Watchers and the influence of what they had taught humankind. The role of Enoch’s retelling of Genesis 6:1-4 in how New Testament writers wrote of Jesus and the cross has been largely lost to a modern audience. Reversing Hermon rectifies that situation. Topics include:

• Understanding Genesis 6:1-4 and the Sin of the Watchers in Their Original Context: How the ancient Mesopotamian story of the apkallu aligns with Gen. 6:1-4, was preserved in 1 Enoch, and sets the stage for the theme of reversing the evil of the Watchers.

• How the theme of reversing the transgression of the Watchers colors the gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus, his genealogy, and his ministry.

• How the writings of Peter and Paul allude to the sin of the Watchers and present Jesus as overturning the disastrous effects of their sins against humanity.

• How the descriptions of the antichrist, the end-times Day of the Lord, and the final judgment connect to Genesis 6 and the nephilim.

Though every topic addressed in Reversing Hermon can be found in scholarly academic literature, Reversing Hermon is the first book to gather this information and make it accessible to Bible students everywhere. The book also includes lengthy appendices on the ancient debate on the inspiration of the book of 1 Enoch, New Testament allusions to the book, and academic resources for studying 1 Enoch and the Book of Giants from the Dead Sea Scrolls.

I decided I really want to understand what is going on around us because I believe it is much more than we are led to believe – even by the church. I’m finally taking the time to dig into these topics.

The Complete Book of Enoch

In December I wrote a post about The Book of Enoch and where it is referenced in the New Testament. I printed off a free PDF copy of The Complete Book of Enoch Standard English Version by Dr. Jay Winter which is available for download here. (That’s what’s in the blue binder in the photo.)

I also saved a different public domain version from the Princeton Theological Library that you can download here: Book of Enoch.

I’m sure it’s self-explanatory why I’m reading this based on the previous two books on the list.

So that’s my current book list! Have you read any of these?