My Christian Book Reading List

During my time in Christian College I became fascinated with the study of Christian history and theology. I began to read and study the writings of the greatest Christian thinkers I came across. I passionately agreed some of the time, disagreed other times, and a lot of the time I sat in silence realizing I did not know nearly as much as I thought I did. Even today as I am working in full-time ministry, I would much rather learn about church history or theology than leadership or how to be a God-chaser. When I talk with others, I draw from the inspiration and wisdom I gain from these great thinkers and great writings. I am able to give so much more than I ever could by reading "7 things that steal your joy" or "Your Best Life Now." No thank you. The following is an ever changing list of some of the books that have had a significant impact on my thinking. I do not necessarily agree with all of these books, nor do I claim to know or understand all of the content in each book. I have read most of them at least once, but there are a few I just cannot seem to make it through. I am not sure if this is because my mind cannot fully grasp the content of which I am reading or I have not allowed myself the time that it would take. However, even the few books I have only read parts of all of have all impacted my theological thinking. Even though I do not agree with everything in these books, I do still have the desire to learn and grow, to be stretched and challenged. As I said, this is an ever changing list. There are many great books that are not included and some books that may be considered not so great. If I have learned anything over the last 4 years I have been in ministry, it is that my learning and my study began the day I graduated from college. It will not end any time soon. Here is a glimpse into this learning and study. May the conversation begin.
  Henry Cowan: John Knox: The Hero of the Scottish Reformation
  Martin Luther: Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings
  John Piper: The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God's Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin
Ford Lewis Battles: Calvin Institutes of the Christian Religion (2 Volume set)
  C. S. Lewis: God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics
C. S. Lewis: The Weight of Glory
  C. S. Lewis: Mere Christianity
  C. S. Lewis: A Grief Observed
  Henry R. Van Til: The Calvinistic Concept of Culture
  Abraham Kuyper: Lectures on Calvinism
Abraham Kuyper: Particular Grace: A Defense of God's Sovereignty in Salvation
  Abraham Heschel: The Prophets, 1 Volume
  Francis Schaeffer: The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer (5 Vol. Set)

Alexander Solzhenitsyn : Solzhenitsyn at Harvard
Jock Purves: Fair Sunshine: Character Studies of the Scottish Covenanters
J.I. Packer: Knowing God
  George Marsden: Fundamentalism and American Culture (Galaxy Books)
  George Marsden: Jonathan Edwards : A Life
  Glenn E. Tinder: The Political Meaning of Christianity: An Interpretation
  Jean Henri Merle D'Aubigne: The Triumph of Truth: A Life of Martin Luther
J. H. Merle D'Aubigne: History of the Reformation of the 16th Century
  Iain Hamish Murray: Evangelicalism Divided: A Record of Crucial Change in the Years 1950 to 2000
Iain H Murray: David Martyn Lloyd-Jones the First Forty Years 1899-1939
George Muller: Autobiography of George Muller
  Arnold A. Dallimore: George Whitefield: The Life and Times of the Great Evangelist of the Eighteenth Century
  G. K. Chesterton: Collected Works of G. K. Chesterton: The Club of Queer Trades : The Man Who Was Thursday : The Ball and the Cross
  G.K. CHESTERTON: Saint Francis of Assisi
  David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount
  Thomas Howard: Evangelical Is Not Enough: Worship of God in Liturgy and Sacrament
  Thomas Howard: Splendor in the Ordinary: Your Home as a Holy Place
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community
  Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Discipleship
Lesslie Newbigin: The Gospel in a Pluralist Society Harry Blamires: A God who acts: Recognizing the hand of God in suffering and failure
  Jacques Ellul: Presence of the Kingdom
  Jacques Ellul: Anarchy and Christianity
  Jacques Ellul: The Subversion of Christianity
Susannah and Harrald, Joseph Spurgeon: C. H. Spurgeon Autobiography: The Full Harvest 1860-1892 (Charles Haddon Spurgeon - Autobiography)
  Edersheim, Alfred: The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Comments

[Tom]

Great List! Here's a question for you -

If a church asked you to fashion a reading curriculum for the youth of its congregation, 1st grade through 12th grade, consisting of yearly “must reads,” grade-by-grade, of one or more Biblical/theological/doctrinal works, how would you advise?

Is there already a list of which you are aware that you would access and provide? If so, what is that list and where might it be obtained? Or would such a curriculum have to be created? And if created, what book(s) would you recommend for each grade, in each category?

I thought about putting together such a list after talking with some guys at church about what we’d love to see the kids of our church read by the time they graduate, i.e., “these are the books that we want to make sure the youth have read while in our care.”

I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. And if you think of anyone else who would be interested in answering this question, or simply sharing their thoughts and impressions, please feel free to forward this inquiry.

Thanks.

Tom
Doctrine Matters