I suppose it's because I'm a pastor who trained as a theologian. It might also be because I went to Duke Divinity. But I'd like to think it's because I believe that loving God means honing the Christian mind to think theologically. That is why I regularly tell young ministers to read.
And I've discovered over the years certain books that are essential to read every year for those who are in ministry. This is that list.
January: Gregory the Great, Pastoral Rule
February: Dante, Divine Comedy
March: Karl Barth, Dogmatics in Outline
April: Augustine, Confessions
May: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship
June: Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love
July: George Herbert, The Country Parson
August: Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor
September: The Cloud of Unknowing
October: Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel
November: Jürgen Moltmann, The Crucified God
December: Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines