A Reading List
Solomon was right when he said, “Of making many books there is no end…” Ecclesiastes 12:12. My bookshelves can attest to that (you can browse my library here).
There are many good books to read. I love lending and giving away books, and sometimes people ask for my recommendations.
If I could convince you to let me pick your reading list, this is what it would look like:
Theology
The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul
Sproul focuses on an important but often ignored aspect of God’s character. This book drew together many threads of thought. I had wondered for years if anyone else was thinking of the implications of God’s holiness and was glad to find minds sharper than mine were.
50 Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die by John Piper
Jesus died to save His people from their sins, but is that all? John Piper has meditated on the Scriptures and condensed the results into this book. The chapters are only two pages long, but are richly adorned by the truths of God’s word on the central event of history. Oh, for a lifetime to savour these truths!
Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen
Since the start, the Church has proclaimed a message from outside itself of salvation for sin. Liberalism tell us to be the best we can be. Machen’s book was like a hand-grenade tossed over the trenches in the struggle between redemptive Christianity and naturalistic modernistic liberalism.
The Basis of Christian Unity by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Lloyd-Jones takes us to Jesus’ prayer for the Church in Gathsemane and to the Epistles to prove that the unity of the Church cannot be achieved by negotiating the truth, but already exists for those who hold to the faith once entrusted to the saints.
The Westminster Confession of Faith
Far from making ambiguous statements, the most serious attempt at uniting the Presbyterian, Anglican and Independent churches in the United Kingdom produced this heavily debated statement of the central doctrines of the Christian faith. Even those who disagree with it must admit its forged-iron strength.
The Church
Welcome to a Reformed Church by Daniel Hyde
Raised in a church which was not careful to compare their teaching and practices to the Scriptures, Daniel Hyde became convinced that Reformed theology is the most faithful to God’s word. He demonstrated that Reformed theology is historic, universal, evangelical, Biblical Christianity.
Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelly
History need not be dry and dusty. Shelly illustrates the various developments and controversies of the Church’s history by looking at the people who shaped and were shaped by them. A knowledge of the history of the Church down through the ages could warn us against traveling some paths of innovation another time.
The Master’s Plan for the Church by John MacArthur
John MacArthur turns the tools of expository Bible teaching to the topic of the Church. He defines the foundational basis for the Body of Christ, the characteristics it must exhibit, its functions and goals. Including a study of the qualities required by church members and leaders, this book deserves a wide reading.
Ministry
Why Johnny Can’t Preach by T. David Gordon
David Gordon had cancer. It was likely that he wouldn’t live for long. This is the book that he wrote. Concerned with how the culture shapes how we think, Gordon calls for theological students and ministers to read, write, speak and read in ways that improve, not damage, their preaching.
Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon
Undoubtedly, one of the greatest preachers of the Christian Church, Charles Spurgeon trained many ministers who then spread to the four winds with the Gospel. Spurgeon’s advice is wise, practical and enfused with his typical style.
Evangelism
Tactics: A Gameplan For Sharing Your Christian Faith by Gregory Koukl
Having spend years in conversations about the Gospel, Koukl shows how to apply the rules of logic and particularly the burden of proof in illustrating ways to discuss the most important issues of life. Describing many forms of discussion, this book shows common mistakes and how to avoid them.
One to One Bible Reading by David Helm
Good pastors regularly encourage Christians to read the Bible every day, but how do we learn how to read the Bible and apply it to our lives? Far from being an original idea (it’s mentioned in Acts 8), David Helm explains how and why to use simple, targeted reading for a set period of time for evangelism or Christian growth and encouragement. The sample outlines and explanations of Bible study methods are worth the price of the book on their own.
Christian Living
Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
Kevin DeYoung knows how important it is to know and do God’s will. His main premise is that the clearest declaration of God’s purposes for us is “your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Beyond that, DeYoung affirms that God leads, though we often ignore methods He uses like discussing things with those who know us well.
Holding Hands, Holding Hearts by Richard and Sharon Phillips
Singleness is a recipe for selfishness. Those who would be married should consider how they may need to change. To being moving towards marriage requires an appreciation for the potential to injure the other party and care should be taken to progress with the guidance of your families and mature Christians.
Politics and Worldview
Republocrat: Confessions of a Liberal Conservative by Carl Trueman
Trueman asks Christians to think critically about the materialism that drives the Right and to consider the Left’s original concerns for improving society for everyone has been overtaken by the fear that someone, somewhere might disapprove of something someone else might think, feel or do.
Revolutions in Worldview edited by W. Andrew Hoffecker
Everyone has assumptions which underpin what they think and believe. Studying the origin and impact of these parameters is the task that Hoeffecker and the other contributors tackle, at times with a fine tooth comb. Not easy reading, but very stimulating.
Biography
Absurdistan by Eric Campbell
ABC Foreign Correspondent Eric Campbell almost died in a suicide bombing which killed his cameraman. He reflects on his time as a reporter in some of the world’s most troubled and interesting places in a witty, thoughful and engaging style.
Reach for the Sky: The Story of Douglas Bader by Paul Brickhill
An amazing story of the British flying ace and double amputee, Douglas Bader. From his start in the formative years of the Royal Air Force, through his first crash to his re-enlistment, to his second crash behind enemy lines, and imprisonment and escape attempts in Germany, Brickhill paints an exciting picture of Bader’s inspiring life.
Lazarus Rising by John Howard
John Howard writes in his own words about his early life, attraction to politics, surprisingly early arrival in Canberra, his struggle for the leadership of the Liberal Party and the issues and decisions which defined his Prime Ministership. Howard is reflective and informative, and takes swipes at poll-driven politics as well as opposition for opposition’s sake.
Tolkein and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship by Colin Duriez
The writers of some of the greatest fantasies of the 20th century were not only university academics, but close friends. Duriez examines the lives, faiths and friendships of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, the creators of Middle Earth and Narnia, as well as their influence on the writers’ group the Inklings.
Fiction
The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
The second-best selling book after the Bible, Bunyan’s dream of Christian’s delivery from the City of Destruction to the Heavenly City is worthily called a classic of English literature. The illustrations provide rich material to ponder.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Dickens captured the essence of his time in his often exaggerated characters. Written in the first person, Great Expectations tells the story of Pip, an ordinary boy and his path to privilege, what he learned and the people who helped and hindered him along the way as he tried to impress the stunningly beautiful Estella.
Little Women by Louise May Alcott
Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are the daughters of a chaplain to the Union Army during the American Civil War. Told from the perspective of aspiring writer Jo, Little Women paints a realistic picture of life, with the central themes of sickness, poverty, social convention and advancement by education and hard work.
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Springing from a mental picture of a faun standing in front of a lamppost in a snowy wood, The Chronicles of Narnia have delighted children and adults alike for decades. Unlike the big and small screen adaptions, reading The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe for yourself allows your imagination to imagine the details.
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Originally published in regular installments in a Christian newspaper, The Screwtape Letters purport to be letters from a senior devil to a junior devil. Screwtape advises his nephew Wormwood on how to tempt unsuspecting humans from entering or remaining in the Kingdom of their mortal enemy.
Molvania: A Land Untouched By Modern Dentistry by Santo Cilauro, Rob Sitch and Tom Gleisner
The popularity of Lonely Planet-style travel guides was a rich vein of humour for Cilauro, Sitch and Gleisner. The original and the strongest of the series, Molvania is side-splittingly funny, though crude in places. If Barking Dog publications ever branched into guided tours, I’d sign up for one.
Winnie The Pooh by A.A. Milne
When I began re-reading this book recently, I was surprised when I recognised how much my sense of humour had been affected by being read it as a child. Deservedly a classic.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Reading the trilogy is a massive investment of time, but nothing like the lifetime Tolkien spent developing the languages and mythologies in which it is set. The Lord of the Rings is unquestionably one of the greatest work of English literature.
