When to Read a Bad Book

Without taking exception to what I have written before, I do believe there is a time and place for reading a bad book or two. Please understand me very carefully—I mean something very specific by that.

There are lots of categories of bad books and I would not encourage reading just any type of bad book. Obviously some books are hateful, or smutty, or full of lies, and I do not encourage you to read these. Do not read what is trashy and futile.

Nevertheless, you should occasionally read a bad book. What I mean is that there are some books which are deficient in overall content or message which are still worth reading. There are at least three categories of bad books that can be read profitably for the Christian student.

First, it is sometimes worthwhile to read bad books that are books of importance. These books can be important to the culture around us or to they can be influential in the church life of our era. Whether they are deceitful and lead people away from biblical faithfulness by misrepresenting Christ (heterodoxy) or they are well-intended but contrary to biblical teaching (hetero-praxy), it can be important to read these books on occasion to know from where the assault is coming. If we know, for example, that biblical models of church government are under attack today, we can shore up our biblical understanding in that area.

Second, there are some bad books that are nevertheless seminal works in some way. These books arrive on the scene like bombshells, changing the cultural or theological landscape as we recognize it. The ideas contained therein take the culture and academy by storm. As a general rule, books of this nature arrive only once or twice a generation if even that often. It can be profitable to read this kind of book to recognize presuppositions and worldview issues that will distinguish the church from the unbelieving world. Reading these books makes us aware of the issues to be vigilant of in our own churches. This kind of bad book is the least common of the three I am describing today.

Finally, there are bad books that are well-reasoned and well-written. Paul does not deny that some erroneous systems of thought can be plausible or persuasive (Col. 2:4). False teachers can write compelling statements with a pleasing literary style—but what they write is still false. The challenge in reading these books is filtering out the truth from the error. This is a good exercise in biblical thinking, testing the words of a man against the infallible Words of God. These books sometimes offer good biblical insights that orthodox scholars have not noted. Nevertheless, they are bad books because the overall messages of these books are false.  Reading these books is mental exercise, sharpening and challenging our theological understanding because it drives us deeply to examine the teaching of Scripture. These types of books challenge our preconceived notions and force us to examine our arguments. For that reason, it can be profitable to read them.

We definitely do not need to read any bad books whatsoever. Certainly we should not read every bad book in the three categories above—that would be a waste of time. All I am saying is that it is occasionally—and only occasionally—profitable to read a bad book or two. Even then our eyes should be fixed on God as He is revealed in His Word so that we can come to know Him better and better. May He grant us that grace.

--Dean of Admissions