World Of Wonders: A Spirituality of Reading. By Jeff Crosby. Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2025. 176 pp. $18.99 (paper).
I have put forth the suggestion that books are a way that our lives can be opened up, expanded, sharpened, deepened, and made more vibrant and whole. Reading as part of our practice of spiritual disciplines is one way that we can cultivate faithfulness and lives marked by wonder and by the fruit of the spirit. (157)
For many of us the pace of life seems to be increasing rapidly. With endless demands on our time and attention, with ever more distractions and time sinks, even those of us who love to read struggle to find time to sit down with a good book. Meanwhile the written word appears to play an ever-shrinking role in our lives as digital and visual medias proliferate.
It is into this malaise that Jeff Crosby’s new book World of Wonders: A Spirituality of Reading steps, taking up the difficult task of countering this cultural trajectory by bringing our awareness to the spiritual value of reading good books. He challenges us to drink deeply from scripture, poetry, biography, fiction and more, to cultivate a discipline and a commitment to reading and being shaped by the written word.
To this aim the book is divided into twelve chapters. Some function as arguments for committing oneself to a discipline of reading, while others focus on a different area of life and faith, such as “Reading in Seasons of Grief and Loss.” Still more exhort the value of specific literary genres, like “The Power of Reflection: Reading Memoir.” Although the book is short (one hundred sixty odd pages, excluding the appendix) it covers a surprisingly wide range of themes and topics, entering briefly but earnestly into each one. Those chapters that are given to arguments for the value of books are succinct and varied, while the chapters that focus on the spiritual side are thoughtful devotions. This range keeps an already short book especially lively, but occasionally leaves the reader wishing for more on a specific topic.
Mr. Crosby’s book is not alone in this task. Over centuries many passionate readers have taken up the pen to defend and champion the importance of the written word, and to his credit the author continually cites and draws wisdom from these works, impressing upon the reader that books have proven their worth in the experience of many individuals and whole generations. In doing so, Mr. Crosby makes it clear that his book does not stand alone but rests on a tradition of such works, each speaking to their respective generations and contexts.
World of Wonders particularly shines in its communal and interactive aspects. Each chapter opens with a memory or anecdote from Mr. Crosby or a contributing writer, which illustrates the chapter’s theme. Similarly, each chapter ends with a reflection written by a contributing author, who draws out the wisdom they personally found. Finally, each chapter has a reading list, recommending books which either inspired the chapter or serve as examples of what is discussed. And these are no paltry reading lists—they all contain a dozen recommendations or more, leaving an interested reader no shortage of places to turn. This communal aspect of the book is all-important, as it emphasizes the relational nature of all writing, that books are not just another isolated form of entertainment. Instead, they are strikingly vulnerable expressions of an individual’s personal world. The act of reading, similarly, is one of compassionate attention to the experience and imagination of another.
In reading our world is expanded, our minds are challenged, our hearts are attuned to the still small voice of a God who is there and continues to speak through Scripture, yes, but also through the ideas and imaginations and stories of other people. (19)
World of Wonders is a statement of love for the written word and the craft of writing, filled with shared experiences and testimonies. It is also a declaration that God speaks to us through the words of others. Just as we are created in his image, so his image in us speaks of his nature. Perhaps, most simply, it is a friendly reminder that a good book is worth setting aside time to read.
