An Exercise in Accidental Purchasing.

Collected essays of a Scottish presbyterian dogmatician of global repute, early provocative work of the Methodist doyen of American homileticians, a French sociologist with a penchant for theology deconstructs human fascination with the city, a later title from the Catholic priest and original initiator of Latin American liberation theology, and the published thesis of an ecumenical church historian wrestling with atonement and the means of grace.

I love the serendipity of the Oxfam bookshop, the excitement of the 'you never know what you might find' feeling, so different from the online targeted searching for what I already know I'm looking for.

Looking in a second-hand bookshop is an exercise in accidental purchasing! What makes any book lover buy a book is neither explicable nor necessary to explain. My own interests are wide but I also have my particular subject areas to which I come back again and again. The thing about these five books, apart from the eclectic contents, is that they are the chosen ones. A number of others were left on the shelves which were equally interesting. So why these ones?

Indeed why any at all given the creaking shelves in the study, and the probably creaking floorboards holding them up? A spur of the moment surrender takes place while standing browsing at bookshelves. All the rationalising in the world won't reverse that capitulation. Each book is chosen, and has its reasons for being bought.

There is a book I've been looking for (Torrance). 

That looks interesting, I've never read that one before (Ellul).

Oh I didn't know he had written that (Craddock).

Thirty years on does this writer still speak into the mess of the world (Guttierez).

I used the library copy of this in my doctoral research years ago and remember how good it is (R S Paul).  

So when will you read them Jim?

Oh quite soon.

The Craddock then the Guttierez. A

fter that we'll see.

Over the decades that I've bought books, sold books, given away and been given books, and yes read books, lots of books, I've never given up the chase for whatever it is a book brings to the mind and soul of the reader. Amongst the most mind expanding conversations we ever have, are those with other minds. Thinking meticulously with an Edinburgh dogmatics professor, born in China the son of missionary parents; learning the overlap of technique and inspiration from an American preacher who teaches preaching; developing cultural criticism from a French sociologist deconstructing social institutions and urban ideologies with a mixture of philosophy and theology; sharing the passion and anger and love of a ninety year old Peruvian priest who lives in a Lima slum and whose writings critique oppressive power structures of wealth, militarism and social division; listening and seeking to model a church historian, previously director of lay training for the World Council of Churches, seeking dialogue with the people of God under the cross that unites in order to overcome the tragedy of sacraments that divide.

All that from twenty minutes browsing innocently with intent in Oxfam.