Reading the Classics with Challies

I have decided to join the Challiesians in their Reading Classics Together program. You can get an idea of what they're doing at Challies Dot Com. This will be my first time joining them and we will be reading William Wilberforce's book Real Christianity or to be exact; “A practical view of the prevailing religious system of professed Christians in the higher and middle classes in this country : contrasted with real Christianity”. I wonder if the book will be as garrulous as the title! At any rate, if you want to get in on this then go to Challies blog and join in.

Here are some ideas I have from the introductory material from the book.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

I want to consider some of the author's comments from the introduction that are reminiscent of things that we hear said today. Despite publishing the book in the 1790s, these thoughts can be heard in daily conversation in the year 2009.

Longing to write this book, Wilberforce was hoping for a "...vacant season, in which he might devote his whole time and attention.." (pB) to his writing. How many of us long for the same thing; a period of relatively 'un-busy-ness' in which we can accomplish something; renovating a room, reading a book, visiting a friend, or studying a particular book of the Bible. Whatever the task, we often wish for a break in our schedule where doing this task might be a little easier. But that break never comes. We go from being busy, to really busy, to crazy busy and the enterprise we have in mind never gets beyond our wishful thinking. But we, like Wilberforce, need to realize "...life is wearing away..." (pB) and we "...might wait in vain for this season of complete vacancy." (pB) That is the life we live in 2009. Apparently they lived a similar life in Wilberforce's time.

The author expresses another opinion of what Christianity of his time was like: "Often it has filled him with deep concern, to observe in this description of persons, scarcely any distinct knowledge of the real nature and principles of the Religion which they profess." (pB2) Again, it sounds like the state of things in North American Christianity now.

And so it seems his book will be a timely read despite its original publishing date. Though, I guess that is one of the things which make it a 'classic'. I'm looking forward to journeying through this book with the rest of those who frequent Challies' blog.