The Best Christian Books I’ve Ever Read

These lists in no way represent the “best” Christian reading there is. Nor are they meant to be comprehensive. There are tons of great books—even classics like Augustine’s Confessions—that I haven’t, should, and hope to read. What follows represents only those distinctively Christian books I have found to be the most helpful to date. It’s my hope that one or more of these recommendations builds up your faith, answers your questions, and blesses those you love.

 Favorites from a Reformed Perspective[1]

  • Christian Theology: An Introduction by Alister McGrath
  • The Prodigal God by Tim Keller—this book more than any other has helped me get the gospel; at one time, it was going to be the fire I built a church planting team around.
  • Approaching God by Steve Brown—the most accessible book on prayer I’ve found; great stories and shared easily with family.
  • The Disciplines of Grace by Jerry Bridges—my favorite book on sanctification; especially helpful is his early description of the “good day/bad day” scenarios and how these affect our relationship with God.
  • The Life You Always Wanted by John Ortberg- a lighter read but extremely accessible and practical; Ortberg is a great communicator and this is my second favorite on sanctification.
  • The Practice of Godliness by Abraham Kuyper—a short read and my third favorite on sanctification.
  • Dynamics of Spiritual Life by Richard Lovelace—rich, deep , yet accessible; in-depth analysis of movements and revivals related to how God transforms the heart.
  • The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind by Mark Noll—Noll champions loving God with the mind and I especially love his chapter on “Thinking About Science.”
  • Loving God by Charles Colson
  • To Be Near Unto God by Abraham Kuyper—probably my favorite devotional; a great mix of head and heart, although a little heavy for simple bathroom reading.
  • The Mystery of the Holy Spirit by R.C. Sproul- Sproul was a great communicator and teacher; contains a very helpful chapter on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
  • The Body by Charles Colson
  • Adventures in Evangelical Civility by Richard Mouw
  • Discovering God’s Will by Sinclair Fergusen—I read this when I was twenty and it’s still my favorite on the topic; the chapters on “Choosing a Spouse” and Vocation are especially helpful.
  • The Five Points of Calvinism: Documented, Defended, and Defined by Steele and Thomas—thorough with loads of Scripture; helped me early in my faith journey to understand and embrace the doctrines of grace.
  • Calvinism and the Las Vegas Airport by Richard Mouw—Mouw is one of my favorite writers and this book honestly talks about some of the hard edges of Calvinism in an honest and winsome way.
  • Spiritual Depression by Martyn Lloyd Jones—a collection of sermons to think about spirituality holistically; the first chapter is worth the price of the book; also a great book to read on Sunday (e.g. a chapter each week).
  • Knowing God by J.I. Packer—a classic to remind us of what is most important and give sound guidance to begin meditating and cultivating a relationship with God for life.
  • When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty by Steve Estes and Joni Erickson Tada—best book on wrestling honestly with the problem of pain; wades deep into the hard questions and theological weeds.
  • An Introduction to Abraham Kuyper by Richard Mouw—a very short, accessible intro on how to appreciate Kuyper and his concept of “sphere sovereignty,” which has influenced the thinking of my later life greatly.
  • That’s a Great Question by R.C. Sproul
  • Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology—clear, objective, and thorough; his discussion on the limited atonement, dispensationalism, and especially what those who practice believer’s baptism have in common with those practice infant baptism are very valuable.
  • The ESV Study Bible—If I could only have one book on a desert island, this would be it; best study Bible with notes edited by some of the finest evangelical scholars; replaces 50-100 books in my library.

Other Favorites

  • Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
  • The Unknown God by Alister McGrath
  • Released from Shame by Sandra Wilson—especially a chapter called “Released from Shame-based Concepts of God and Religion.”
  • Soul Survivor: How My Faith Survived the Church by Phillip Yancey
  • Church: Why Bother? by Phillip Yancey
  • More Than One Way? Four Views of Salvation in a Pluralistic World edited by Dennis L. Okholm and Timothy R. Phillips
  • Four Views on Hell edited by William Crockett- see especially the metaphorical view.
  • Authentic Christianity– select quotes from the writings of John Stott
  • The Lost World of Genesis 1 by John Walton
  • Desiring the Kingdom by James K.A. Smith
  • How (Not) To Be Secular by James K.A. Smith (an introduction to reading Charles Taylor)- I got a tremendous amount out of the first two thirds of this book and struggled with the last third (either over my head or too nebulous).
  • Telling Secrets by Frederick Beuchner
  • The Art of Pastoring: Ministry Without All the Answers by David Hansen
  • The Contemplative Pastor by Eugene Peterson
  • Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today by John Stott
  • Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
  • Wild at Heart by John Eldredge—offers a provocative lens for men on what it means to be created in the image of God that he illustrates with movies; excellent chapter on Satan’s strategy.
  • Scripture and the Authority of God by N.T. Wright
  • The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus by Fleming Rutledge
  • The Oxford Study Bible in the NRSV—this is still my favorite translation, although I preach from the ESV; the notes are succinct and largely helpful; the mainline, world-class scholarship that is inclusive of a Jewish and even a secular audience keeps me honest as an evangelical.

Favorite Commentaries

  • Genesis: A Commentary by Bruce Walke
  • Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us To Live in Light of the End by David Gibson
  • Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs by Ian Provan (part of The NIV Application series)
  • Expository Thoughts on the Gospels by J.C. Ryle
  • Breaking the Code: a commentary on Revelation by Bruce Metzger

[1] These days I take a broad view of what it means to be “Reformed”: to seek the honor and glory of God with a special nod to how Calvin, Luther, and other church “Reformers” five hundred years ago recovered and enhanced a helpful (although certainly not perfect) articulation of the biblical tradition in the areas of justification by grace through faith, the sovereignty of God, respect for the church fathers, and the primacy of Christ, preaching, scripture, and the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. I like the term prima scriptura rather than sola scriptura as I affirm first of all what the Bible teaches rather than only what the Bible teaches.