50 (Or So) Great Christian Books

In the spirit of the great men who have shared their ideas about reading on the Together for the Gospel Blog, I thought I’d post some of my favorite Christian books in some form of order.  Below are a few notes to consider when viewing my list.  


50 (Or So) Great Christian Books

1. Desiring God/The Pleasures of God/Future Grace (Trilogy) – John Piper


2. Institutes of the Christian Religion – John Calvin


3. Knowing God – J.I. Packer


4. A Body of Divinity – Thomas Watson


5. The End for Which God Created the World – Jonathan Edwards


6. The Death of Death in the Death of Christ – John Owen


7. The Reformed Pastor – Richard Baxter


8. Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis


9. The Valley of Vision – Arthur Bennett


10. Pilgrim’s Progress – John Bunyan


11. The Bondage of the Will – Martin Luther


12. Confessions – Augustine


13. The Life of God in the Soul of Man – Henry Scougal


14. The Life and Diary of David Brainerd – Jonathan Edwards


15. John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides (Autobiography)


16. On the Incarnation of the Word – Athanasius


17. The Freedom of the Will – Jonathan Edwards


18. Practical Religion – J.C. Ryle


19. Let the Nations Be Glad – John Piper


20. Lectures to My Students – Charles Spurgeon


21. The Reign of Grace – Abraham Booth


22. The Pursuit of God – A.W. Tozer


23. Abstract of Systematic Theology – James P. Boyce


24. On the Predestination of the Saints – Augustine


25. A Sure Guide to Heaven – Joseph Alleine


26. The Autobiography of George Mueller


27. Holiness – J.C. Ryle


28. Of the Imitation of Christ – Thomas a Kempis


29. Redemption Accomplished & Applied – John Murray


30. The Cross of Christ – John Stott


31. Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices – Thomas Brooks


32. Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret – Hudson Taylor


33. George Whitefield (2 Vol.) – Arnold Dallimore


34. Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer


35. The Existence and Attributes of God – Stephen Charnock


36. The Journals of Jim Elliot – Elizabeth Elliot


37. No Place for Truth/God in the Wastelands (both)  – David Wells


38. The Person of Christ – Donald McLeod


39. Divine Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation – Nathaniel Ranew


40. The Soul Winner – Charles Spurgeon


41. A Vision for Missions – Tom Wells


42. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life – Donald Whitney


43. Gospel Conversation – Jeremiah Burroughs


44. God’s Greater Glory – Bruce Ware


45. Spiritual Leadership – J. Oswald Sanders


46. The Gagging of God – D.A. Carson


47. The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind – Mark Noll


48. Revival – Martyn Lloyd-Jones


49. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God – J.I. Packer


50. Robert Murray M’Cheyne – Andrew Bonar


51. The Disciplines of Grace – Jerry Bridges

Note 1:  I readily admit that I am as not as well read as I should be.  These books are the ones I have become acquainted with, have benefited from, and has changed my life and way of thinking/believing/living.  As I continue to read, I am quite sure there will be other books which will stir my heart and chart a better trajectory to the truth and the glory of God.  So this list is not static but dynamic and is intended to share with you some books that have greatly impacted my life.

Note 2:  Consequently, one will find that I am greatly influenced by such books and authors.  While I like to read broadly, if one were to consider who I am by what I read, I am Reformed, then Puritan, and finally Edwardsian.  

Note 3:  As you will also see, there are relatively few contemporary books on the list, and for good reason.  These books have not only impacted my life but have impacted the lives of men and women who have changed the world for the glory of God.  While contemporary authors have good things to say, they have not withstood the crucible of historical acclaim and critique and transcended the trendiness and novelty of our times.  I spend little time with such books.  As a result, please do not ask me why books by the likes of Rick Warren, Bruce Wilkerson, Brian McLaren, or Joel Osteen (and the like) are not on the list.  They are on a list I guess you could say, but it is definitely not this one.  



Let me know what you think.  Have any of these books influenced you in any way?  Love to hear your list or maybe your top ten.  Come on you bibliophiles, P&P wants to hear from you!