Resolutions 2012

I don't do New Year's resolutions. The closest for me last year was a target of reading a book per week over the year; which I decided on some time earlier in the year. For tracking purposes it was easier to target 4 books per month; this also allows for varying book lengths and an intermittent reading schedule.

I managed to get through the 4 books per month and exceeded this reaching my original target of a book per week. Some of the books were brief but the average was more than 200 pages; the longest being in excess of 800 pages.

I have not read this number of books in a single year for over a decade.

I would like to maintain this number of books per year but I am uncertain if I will set a similar target. Perhaps. I do a significant amount of reading online, probably exceeding my book reading. And my journal reading (several articles per week, and dozens of abstracts) could be at a similar level.

And there is so much more that I would like to read than I have time for: of the making of many books there is no end.

ESV Study Bible release

The English Standard Version (ESV) is my preferred translation. The ESV Study Bible is being released today. The concern with study Bibles is when people spend more time reading the notes than Scripture, but good helps and maps do improve understanding. This looks like it will contain some useful material.

The general editor is Wayne Grudem, a superb scholar. J.I. Packer is the theological editor.

It will likely have a Calvinist flavour and is unlikely to be conservative enough in some areas such as chronology, but unless I write my own study Bible... and then I wouldn't need it.