I’m well aware that what I am about to say may upset some of you. Still, I am not afraid to say it.

Over the past year, I have come to prefer reading books digitally instead of in the traditional bound paper format.

I know there are many bibliophiles who bemoan the move to digital, saying it’s destroying the book industry and eliminating jobs. Unless you are a collector, I believe the value of a book is the information it contains, not the paper it is printed on or the ink that forms the words. That same information is relayed regardless of format: paper, digital, or audio. As far as jobs, well that is a complete conversation of its own, but as society and technology change, so do careers and jobs. That’s why we no longer have milkmen or telegraph operators

But enough of that.

The main reason I prefer digital books is convenience. To read a paper bound book, you need to physically have it. If you forget the book or taking it with you isn’t practical, you are out of luck. With digital, your book is almost always with you on your phone, tablet or computer. Space is another advantage. Sometimes a book can be cumbersome, especially hardcovers. Also, if you like to keep your books, you need to find room on bookshelves or in boxes to store them. A digital library, on the other hand, takes up zero space. You can have hundreds or thousands of books on hand, anywhere you are, without the need for a single shelf.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not in any big rush to swap out my current physical book collection with digital versions. Nor am I avoiding obtaining physical books in the future. In fact, in some instances, I still prefer physical books. I carry a hardcover Bible to church on Sunday and I prefer to have physical copies of reference books. Also, some books are simply not available in digital format nor can be found used at a significantly lower price. Finally, I keep a selection of physical books on my Amazon wish list because, at the moment, it’s less complicated for most people to buy a physical book for a gift instead of trying to figure out how to send a digital copy.

Earlier I mentioned I that physical books were not as convenient to read as digital. I still have several unread books at home for that very reason. This year I’ve decided to choose at least three books from my physical collection and find the opportunity to read them. These are the books I have chosen.

Beyond the Cosmos: The Transdimensionality Of God by Hugh Ross

Hugh Ross is an author I’ve had on my radar for many years but have yet to read. Ross, an Astronomer with a degree in Physics, has extensively researched galaxies, quasars and other areas of science. It is partly through this scientific research that Ross came to a belief in Christ. While examining various world religions, he found that not only was the Christian God and Bible compatible with modern scientific thought, but that it was the only world religion which encompassed aspects of quantum theory discovered in just the past 50 years! [1] This is what Beyond the Cosmos is about.

While we can perceive and measure four dimensions (three spacial and one time), modern scientists and quantum physicists have theorized (through complicated mathematical calculations and testing) the existence of six additional dimensions. Ross applies these discoveries to scripture and attempts to demonstrate how complicated Biblical truths can be explained using the ten-dimension model. Some of these concepts include the Trinity, God’s omniscience and omnipresence, the existence of evil, God’s sovereignty and free-will, and atonement through Christ’s sacrifice.

Home: How Heaven & The New Earth Satisfy Our Deepest Longings by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Paul Tripp

I heard about this book (as I do many of the Christian books I read) from an interview with Elyse Fitzpatrick on Steve Brown Etc.. [2] In this book, Fitzpatrick and Tripp paint a picture of what life in Heaven will be like, based on information revealed in scripture. In the interview, Fitzpatrick speaks about how our deepest longings are often left unsatisfied in this world. That is because this world is not our ultimate home. Heaven is.

Additionally, Heaven is not the blank, cloudy, featureless place often portrayed in popular media. Instead, it will be a perfected Earth, and we will have all eternity to experience any “bucket list” items that remain unachieved. Ever wanted to hike through France or climb the Alps? You can do that in the New Earth. Ever wanted to explore the bottom of the ocean? You will have the opportunity. Ever wanted to sit down and share a cup of coffee with Jesus? That will be possible. This sparked my imagination and excited me for the life to come. (Not that I’m planning on doing anything to hasten my arrival.) Of course, without reading the book I don’t know how in-line with scripture these claims are, but I am interested enough to check it out.

The Case For Faith by Lee Strobel

This last book is a toss-up. I didn’t really have any specific books on my radar other than the first two. Out of the several unread books I own, I decided on The Case For Faith for the purpose of this post. That means my choice might change, however, it’s a pretty safe bet that I will end up reading this book.

As I’ve written before, Lee Strobel is probably my favorite author when it comes to Christian apologetics. As an atheist, Strobel decided to put the claims of the New Testament to the test after his wife converted to Christianity. As a result, Strobel came to faith in Christ himself and his research became the basis for the book The Case For Christ. I suspect Strobel takes a similar approach in The Case For Faith, presenting research and interviews with experts to tackle some of the greatest objections to the topic of faith. Some of the topics explored are miracles, evolution, the existence of evil, Jesus as the only way to God, and the darker side of church history. I have read several of Strobel’s books and have never been disappointed. I expect Faith to be a similar experience.

That’s my plan for the year and I’m sure I’ll be sharing my thoughts on each book here as I finish them. Do you have a reading plan for 2019? Please share what books are on your radar in the comments below.

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Sources:

1. Steve Brown Etc. interview with Hugh Ross on August 7, 2017.

2. Steve Brown Etc. interview with Elyse Fitzpatrick on August 1, 2016.