On My Shelf helps you get to know various writers through a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their lives as readers.
I asked Matthew Hall—dean of Boyce College and assistant professor of church history at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary—about what’s on his nightstand, books that have shaped his view of Christian higher education, his favorite fiction, and more.
What’s on your nightstand right now?
- A Torch Kept Lit (a collection of obituaries penned by William F. Buckley over the years)
- Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud (a memoir by Cornel West)
- Ethan Michaeli’s The Defender
- Fred Sanders’s The Triune God
- John Perkins’s Dream with Me
- Yuval Levin’s The Fractured Republic
- William Edgar’s Created and Creating
What biographies or autobiographies have most influenced you and why?
What are some books you regularly re-read and why?
What books have most profoundly shaped how you serve and lead others for the sake of the gospel?
What books have informed your view of what higher education should (and shouldn't) be all about?
What are you learning about life and following Jesus?
I’m learning that most of the things that elevate my heart rate and provoke me to anger/anxiety/fear/etc. are often disordered. When I read the Gospels and notice what (or who) moves Jesus to outrage or confrontation, they’re too often very different from the forces in my life. Whether at home, church, or work I’m learning that following Jesus in the power of the Spirit means having not only my thinking transformed, but also my loves. I want to be less thin-skinned, but more generous in compassion. Less sure of my own preferences and prejudices, more empathetic and willing to listen.
Also in the On My Shelf series: Drew Dyck, Louis Markos, Ray Ortlund, Brett McCracken, Mez McConnell, Erik Raymond, Sandra McCracken, Tim Challies, Anthony Moore, Sammy Rhodes, Karen Ellis, Alastair Roberts, Scott Sauls, Karen Swallow Prior, Jackie Hill Perry, Bruce Ashford, Jonathan Leeman, Megan Hill, Marvin Olasky, David Wells, John Frame, Rod Dreher, James K. A. Smith, Randy Alcorn, Tom Schreiner, Trillia Newbell, Jen Wilkin, Joe Carter, Timothy George, Tim Keller, Bryan Chapell, Lauren Chandler, Mike Cosper, Russell Moore, Jared Wilson, Kathy Keller, J. D. Greear, Kevin DeYoung, Kathleen Nielson, Thabiti Anyabwile, Elyse Fitzpatrick, Collin Hansen, Fred Sanders, Rosaria Butterfield, Nancy Guthrie, and Matt Chandler.
Browse dozens of book recommendations from The Gospel Coalition’s leaders and sign up your church at Hubworthy.
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The back-to-school season is stressful for moms and dads. New rhythms of school, sports, and other extracurricular activities can quickly fill up a family’s already busy calendar. Where do busy parents look for resources on discipling their family well? Aside from prioritizing church, what else can Christian parents do to instill healthy spiritual habits in their household?
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