Read Old Books More Than New Books
For many people, it seems almost impossible to read old books, even though I have found they are much better for the soul.
Why would I make this argument? Well, I've spent the last 20 years reading books to deepen my knowledge of myself, the world, and the most fundamental parts of reality. One thing I've discovered is that certain books are great and give you deeper insight into life, the world, and the universe than others do. They tend to be books that have stood the test of time.
The Test of Time
If a book has been around for 2,000 years, 1500 years, or 1,000 years, it has likely passed the test of time while others have fallen away because people have consistently found something worth learning in it.
Life is short. We live perhaps 80 years, and if we center our life on productive value—seeking only to produce more and make more money—at the end, we'll simply have accumulated more stuff. Upon reflection, that doesn't seem satisfying or joyous.
It strikes me that all of us would prefer to live a life that is fulfilling, meaningful, happy, and full of love. What that means is, although we don't always admit it, our greatest need is not Financial advancement (although at certain times it probably is our greatest need). Even so, our greatest need in the final analysis is to know how to live, to know what is and isn't true, to know what is best. That's where great books come in.
Easier to Understand
The second reason I would say to read older books is they often have the characteristic of being much easier to understand than new books. If you're reading nonfiction, particularly academic books or carefully argued works, all the throat clearing and citation of other writings that must happen in modern genres of nonfiction can mean the book is difficult to read because it's full of footnotes and citations.
While ancient texts cite earlier ones, there is a certain directness usually found in these great works that's refreshing. Some people want to learn theology and will read a theology book today that's hard to understand. But if you pick up Athanasius's On the Incarnation, it's not very difficult.
Often, the same is true in works of philosophy. While Plato is not always easy to read, being able to read a dialogue of Plato, just by its format, is often straightforward. You have two or more people talking, having a conversation, seeking wisdom through dialogue. That's not hard to understand. Granted, deeper reflection will take a lifetime, but you can sit down and read it—it's not intimidating. I'd much rather read an older book than a newer one.
Revealing Blind Spots
The third reason to read older books is that they open your mind to blind spots in our culture. If you only read present books, they'll have all the present blinders that we do. But if you read old books, you'll see the world differently, see truth claims in a new light, and see what wisdom looks like regarding family and life.
You'll realize you're only certain because you've seen the world from one angle. If you begin to view the world from different angles, you begin to learn more.
I'm reminded of Boethius's fourth book on The Consolation of Philosophy where he argues that evil men do not exist and that they are powerless. You wonder what Boethius could mean. What you find is he has a particular meaning: evil men are powerless because they seek evil, and their end is evil. If you seek evil, you get evil. If you seek good, you get good.
Evil itself is not goodness—it's the opposite, the lack of goodness. Therefore, evil is non-existence. By being powerless, he means everyone seeks happiness and goodness, but those who pursue evil experience evil and its punishment—the stress, anxieties, and the corruption of the soul. They're powerless to do what is good and to have success. For this reason, they are impotent compared to those who pursue goodness, even if they don't have the same financial benefits or success.
These are just three reasons why it's important to read old books. There are many more I could mention, but I wanted to share these because I find that for most people, it seems almost impossible to read old books, even though I have found they are much better for the soul.
Wyatt, could you give us like a top ten list of old books? I know you've mentioned Athanasius On The Incarnation a few times - and I've started into that. You mention Plato's dialogues being a little easier than his other works - any specific recommendations?
I wonder if contemporary books are not hard to understand because of the footnotes and citations but because contemporary scholars have isolated themselves in academia for so long that they have forgotten how to communicate with ordinary people. They write books that only their peers can make sense of. They do not realize just how incommunicative they have become. Growing illiteracy, or at least growing numbers who simply do not read ("This article will take 5 minutes to read"!) demands that part of the pastor's job today is to pass on scholarly stuff written at a PhD level to an audience that no longer reads at an elementary level, in a manner in which they can comprehend. The scholars should keep on writing. Pastors must develop the ability to parse them for the average believer in the pew.