*Reading Between the Lines by Gene Edward Veith, Jr.

Don’t understand literature? Reading Between the Lines is an excellent crash course in a Christian—and scholarly—understanding of literature.

Reading Between the Lines: A Christian Guide to Literature by Gene Edward Veith, Jr. Crossway, 2013. 256 pages.

• Reading Level: Adults
• Recommended For: Adults

This review is based on the first edition of this book, but we have no reason to think the updated version is not equally exemplary.

Number 1 on my list of “books I need to re-read” is Reading Between the Lines. Perhaps no other book helped me formulate my own understanding of what it means to be a Christian literary critic than this one (although my English degree from Covenant College was critical as well!). Gene Edward Veith, Jr., was a Christian college English professor (Patrick Henry College), and it shows in the scholarship in this book.

Veith begins with a defense of why Christians should be readers: thoughtful readers, readers who read widely and broadly and not just “Christian” books. He offers excellent thoughts on the issue of “vicarious sin” (great phrase!) in books, examining how we should approach sin depicted in books and when to read or abstain. He covers the Forms of Literature (nonfiction, fiction, and poetry), the Modes of Literature (tragedy and comedy, realism, and fantasy), and the Traditions of Literature (a chronological look, beginning with the Middle Ages and focusing on each era’s prevailing worldview).

This is an outstanding reference for anyone looking to understand literature better as a Christian. It is especially valuable for those of us who are also educating the next generation in this same area. My copy is liberally marked up. Highly recommended.

Bottom Line: Reading Between the Lines is an outstanding resource for anyone who wants to be more thoughtful in their understanding of what it means to read as a Christian.

*indicates a starred review, the best of the best in its field.

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Review: Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies is a similarly thought-provoking look at the art of writing (as opposed to reading). Although it is also from a Christian perspective, it is less conservative than Reading Between the Lines.
• Reviews: Other Christian titles about understanding and appreciating literature include: Lit! by Tony Reinke, Echoes of Eden by Jerram Barrs (highly recommended!), and Recovering the Lost Art of Reading by Leland Ryken.
• Resource: Reading Between the Lines is a “Literary Nightstand” title: books about books.

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