{"product_id":"the-pastors-bookshelf-austin-carty-9780802879103","title":"The Pastor's Bookshelf: Why Reading Matters for Ministry","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePreaching Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eBook of the Year (2022) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eHearts \u0026amp; Minds\u003c\/b\u003e Best Books List (2022) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristianity Today \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eAward of Merit in Church \u0026amp; Pastoral Leadership (2023) \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eIt's time to give pastors permission to read books besides the Bible.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e Six months into his first senior pastorate, Austin Carty sat in his office reading--not the Bible, not a commentary, not a theological tract, but a novel\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eby Fyodor Dostoevsky. As the minutes turned to hours, while he sat engrossed in this book, he noticed something: he began feeling uneasy. And then anxious. And then \u003ci\u003eguilty\u003c\/i\u003e. What would someone think if they opened the door and caught him reading \u003ci\u003efiction\u003c\/i\u003e? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e For busy pastors (is there any other kind?), time spent reading feels hard to justify, especially when it's not for sermon prep. But what if reading felt less like a luxury and more like a vocational responsibility--a spiritual practice that bears fruit in every aspect of ministry, from preaching to pastoral care to church leadership? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Austin Carty believes that this is exactly how pastors ought to think about reading. \u003ci\u003eThe Pastor's Bookshelf\u003c\/i\u003e shows how worthwhile reading is more about\u003ci\u003e formation \u003c\/i\u003ethan \u003ci\u003ein\u003c\/i\u003eformation and how, through reading, a pastor becomes a fuller, more enriched human being with a deeper capacity for wisdom and love, better equipped to understand and work for God's kingdom. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Austin Carty\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0802879101\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780802879103\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/05\/2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 182\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.50lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 10.50h x 5.40w x 0.70d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eForeword\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/27\/2022","brand":"Austin Carty","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44051500269823,"sku":"9780802879103","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_c578da29-853d-44c6-9d10-76f20dfc8d01.jpg?v=1685013471","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-pastors-bookshelf-austin-carty-9780802879103","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}