Books, Bio, and Such: Mark Dever

During the summer I’ll be posting micro interviews on Fridays (mostly). I’ve asked some of my friends in ministry–friends you probably already know–to answer questions about “bio, books, and such.” My hope is that you’ll enjoy getting a few more facts about these folks and getting a few good book recommendations.

Today’s interview is with Mark Dever, senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC and president of 9Marks.

1. Where were you born? Madisonville, KY

2. When did you become a Christian? In high school

3. Who is one well known pastor/author/leader who has shaped you as a Christian and teacher? Richard Sibbes

4. Who is one lesser known pastor/friend/mentor who has shaped you? Larry Trotter

5. What’s one hymn you want sung at your funeral? The Sands of Time Are Sinking

6. What kind of nonfiction do you enjoy reading when you aren’t reading about theology, the Bible, or church history? American history

7. Other than Calvin’s Institutes, what systematic theology have you found most helpful? Berkhof (I love its concision!)

8. What are one or two of your favorite fiction authors or fiction books? Tolkien and Twain come to mind (as well other authors one might encounter in the public schools of Kentucky in the 1960s)

9. What is one of your favorite non-Christian biographies? Grant’s Memoirs

10. What is one of your favorite books on preaching? David Helm’s Expositional Preaching

11. What is one of your favorite books on evangelism? Mack Stiles’ Evangelism

12. What is one of your favorite books on apologetics? Stanley Jaki, The Savior of Science

13. What is one of your favorite books on prayer? R.C. Sproul’s book on the Lord’s Prayer, Paul Tautgus’s book Teach Them to Pray

14. What is one of your favorite books on marriage? Not exactly a marriage book, but The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes has helped regard my wife as Christ would.

15. What is one of your favorite books on parenting? Tedd Tripp, Shepherding a Child’s Heart

16. What music do you keep coming back to on your iPhone (or CD player, or tape deck, or gramophone)? I have extremely eclectic tastes. I better leave it there.

17. Favorite food? Southern milk chocolate ice cream

18. After the Bible, a hymnal, and a shipbuilding guide, what book would you want with you on a desert island? Spurgeon’s Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit