An Encouragement to Readers

I’m a slow reader. Honestly, I’ve regretted committing to reading The Institutes mainly because I’m worried it will take too much time out of my days. But, so far, I’m much happier to continue than I thought I would be, and would like to offer you some very simple encouragements.

I like to engage my reading thoroughly, making sure I understand the text, re-reading, underlining, taking some notes, looking up some Scripture references, reading footnotes, et cetera. Doing all this, in distracting environments (first the pub, then the living room with cartoons on in the background), the daily readings are taking me about 30 minutes. I imagine someone could easily read the same passages, with a fair level of understanding, in about 15 minutes daily. Especially on coffee rather than beer.

Also, so far we’re talking about “the most boring parts of any book,” the prefatory and dedicatory passages. I’m familiar enough with The Institutes to know that the main contents are very engaging. Yet even these first pages—boring though they’re “supposed” to be—are interesting to the curious reader.

Apparently, Calvin himself thought The Institutes would be accessible and useful to any and all Christians, especially for their growth in the knowledge of God through the Scriptures:

“I can at least promise that [The Institutes] can be a key to open a way for all children of God into a good and right understanding of Holy Scripture… Thus, I exhort all those who have reverence for the Lord’s Word, to read [The Institutes], and to impress [them] diligently upon their memory, if they wish to have, first, a sum of Christian doctrine, and, secondly, a way to benefit greatly from reading the Old as well as the New Testament. (1.8)

So, if you join us (and it’s not too late to do so!), you probably won’t regret it! You can do it!