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In Praise of Useless Reading

By Filings on Mon, 01/28/19
Bible, Theology & Philosophy
Reading
Fiction

“One of the great reasons to read works of the imagination is to overcome our habitual disposition toward utility.” - Jessica Hooten Wilson

Discussion

Profile picture for user Bert Perry
Bert Perry

NewWell said

Mon, 01/28/19

If nothing else, reading fiction and poetry allows one to develop the mental “chops” to understand the same, and it moreover gives you the tools to tell a story or sing a song well. I was using these skills (perhaps poorly) yesterday when I was leading a class in child protection—having experienced a bit of “how things can go wrong”, I was able to tell stories, which seemed to go over a lot better than the principles. It’s a powerful method of communication.

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.

Profile picture for user Andrew K
Andrew K

New"Everyone knows the..."

Tue, 01/29/19

“Everyone knows the usefulness of what is useful, but few know the usefulness of what is useless.”

-Zhuangzi (庄子)

Related . . .

Topics: Reading, Church History, Historical Theology, Church and Biblical History
  • Faithful Orthodoxy Requires Reading Widely
  • A “Must-Read” Booklist For Those Who Want To Study Theology (Part 1)
  • Gallup poll: Americans went to libraries more than movie theaters last year
  • 5 Reasons Christians Should Read Classic Literature
  • How to Prioritize Reading

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The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

(ESV, Proverbs 15:2)

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