Christian Theology Book Recommendations

Michael Craven of the Center For Christ and Culture recommends the following books on Christian Theology:

• Theology: The Basics, by Alister E. McGrath
• Christian Theology: An Introduction, by Alister E. McGrath
• Essentials of Evangelical Theology, by Donald G. Bloesch
• A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs, edited by David Bercot
• Devotional Classics: Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups, edited by Richard J. Foster and James Bryan Smith
• Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, by Wayne Grudem
• Knowing God, by J.I. Packer

Michael Craven’s Philosophy Recommendations

Michael Craven of the Center For Christ and Culture recommends the following books on Philosophy for equipping the Church to engage the culture with the redemptive mission of Christ:

• Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, by J.P. Moreland & William Lane Craig
• How Postmodernism Serves (My) Faith: Questioning Truth in Language, Philosophy And Art, by Crystal L. Downing
• The Right Darwin?: Evolution, Religion, and the Future of Democracy, by Carson Holloway
• True Truth: Defending Absolute Truth in a Relativistic World, by Art Lindsley
• Faith and Reason, by Ronald H. Nash
• Proper Confidence: Faith, Doubt, and Certainty in Christian Discipleship, by Lesslie Newbigin

Simplicity – A Reading List

I recently read Jack Trout’s book The Power Of Simplicity: A Management Guide to Cutting Through the Nonsense and Doing Things Right and found its thesis and content to be very helpful. We make our lives, jobs, and ministries far too difficult – too complex. I recommend the book and offer for your benefit the following reading list which he shares in an appendix to the book.

The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle’s-Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions, by Scott Adams

Laugh out loud funny but dead on when it comes to management fads and other nonsense.

The Practice of Management, by Peter Drucker

The Effective Executive, by Peter Drucker

Managing in a Time of Great Change, by Peter Drucker

[Drucker is] The fountainhead of common sense and sound advice. Read any one of his dozens of books and you’ll be the wiser for it. These are three of our favorites.

How to Write, Speak and Think More Effectively, by Rudolph Flesch

The late Dr. Flesch staged a lifelong battle against muddy thinking and murky writing. This is one of his most significant books, packed with examples, exercises, and checklists.

The Witch Doctors: Making Sense of the Management Gurus, by John Micklethwait and Adrian Woodridge

Two staff editors of The Economist make sense of the management gurus and debunk a lot of loony thinking. Good sections on the prophets (Peter Drucker), the evangelists (Tom Peters), and the new age preachers (Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey).

Enterprise One to One, by Don Peppers

An overly complex but useful look at how to use technology to hang onto your customers.

Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It, by Al Ries

Our ex-partner, Al Ries, lays out the case in great detail for doing what a company does best.

Fad Surfing In The Boardroom: Managing In The Age Of Instant Answers, by Eileen Shapiro

Ms. Shapiro takes deadly aim at the fads that sweep through business like waves in the ocean. Just the “fad dictionary” is worth the price.

Data Smog: Surviving the Information Glut, by David Shenk

We’re being smothered by information, and it’s dulling our minds. An intelligent look at how to cope with that glut.

Up the Organization: How to Stop the Corporation from Stifling People and Strangling Profits, by Robert Townsend

The late Robert Townsend wrote a classic about the foibles of corporations and how to avoid them.

Marketing Warfare: How to Use Military Principles to Develop Marketing Strategies, by Jack Trout and Al Ries

The bible on how to cope with competition. It will turn you into a killer.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk!, by Jack Trout and al Ries

As we say, violate them at your own risk.

The New Positioning: The Latest on the World’s #1 Business Strategy, by Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin

Important insights into differentiation and how to build perceptions in the ultimate battleground, the mind of your prospect.

Cultural Criticism and Apologetics

The 2008 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life indicates that the United States is becoming less Protestant. American religious sentiment is becoming more diverse with a larger number than ever dropping any connection to a specific religious tradition.

In such an environment, Christians need to be prepared to engage the culture effectively. To that end Michael Craven of the Center For Christ and Culture recommends the following books on Culture and Apologetics:

Culture

• The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations, by Christopher Lasch
• Culture Wars: The Struggle To Define America, by James Davison Hunter
• Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community, by Robert D. Putnam
• Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, by Neil Postman
• On Earth as It Is in Advertising?: Moving from Commercial Hype to Gospel Hope, by Sam Van Eman
• Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance, by Os Guinness
• The Rape of the Masters: How Political Correctness Sabotages Art, by Roger Kimball
• Art And the Bible, by Francis A. Schaeffer
• Why America Needs Religion: Secular Modernity and Its Discontents, by Guenter Lewy

Apologetics

• Apologetics to the Glory of God: An Introduction, by John H. Frame
• Christian Apologetics, by Cornelius Van Til
• The Defense of the Faith, by Cornelius Van Til
• Tearing Down Strongholds: And Defending the Truth, by R. C. Sproul
• Christian Apologetics, by Norman Geisler
• Christian Ethics: Options and Issues, by Norman Geisler
• The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict Fully Updated To Answer The Questions Challenging Christians Today, by Josh McDowell
• Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, by Norman L. Geisler

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RELATED CONTENT

• Apologetics and Evangelism Bibliography of Kenneth Boa & Larry Moody
• C.S. Lewis – Select Quotes
• Asking Questions of Christianity

Christian Worldview Recommendations of Michael Craven

Michael Craven of the Center For Christ and Culture recommends the following books on understanding and developing a Christian Worldview;

• Uncompromised Faith: Overcoming Our Culturalized Christianity
• Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity
• Christ and Culture
• The Opening of the Christian Mind: Taking Every Thought Captive to Christ
• Foolishness to the Greeks: The Gospel and Western Culture
• How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture
• What Is Truth?: A Comparative Study of the Positions of Cornelius Van Til, Francis Schaeffer, Carl F. H. Henry, Donald Bloesch, Millard Erickson
• Building a Christian Worldview
• Clash Of Orthodoxies: Law Religion & Morality In Crisis
• How Now Shall We Live?
• Fit Bodies Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don’t Think and What to Do About It
• Truth to Tell: The Gospel as Public Truth
• The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia–and How It Died

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RELATED CONTENT

• Tom Ascol’s book recommendations on Christianity & Culture
• Required reading in the course “Christian Worldview Studies” taught by Dr. Chris Leland at Focus on the Family Institute

Lord Acton’s List of 100 Best Books

Lord Acton’s list of 100 Best Books contains many titles that should be of interest to the Christian scholar.

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“In their correspondence, Lord Acton and Mary Gladstone frequently dis cussed what should constitute ‘the hundred best books.’ Acton eventually sent her his own list, which, in 1883. she recorded in her diary. The list was first published in July 1905 in Pall Mall Magazine (Volume XXXVI. No.147) with an introduction and critique by Clement Shorter. Here is the list as it appeared there.”
~ R. L. Schuettinger, Lord Acton: Historian of Liberty (LaSalle: Open Court, 1976), pp. 237-39.

1. Plato’s Laws—Steinhart’s Introduction.
2. Aristotle’s Politics—Susemihl’s Commentary.
3. Epictetus’ Encheiridion—Commentary of Simplicius.
4. St. Augustine’s Letters.
5. St. Vincent’s Commonitorium.
6. Hugo of S. Victor—De Sacramentis
7. S. Bonaventura—Breviloquium.
8. S. Thomas Aquinas—Summa contra Gentiles.
9. Dante—Divina Commedia.
10. Raymund of Sabunde—Theologia Naturalis.
11. Nicholas of Cusa—Concordantia Catholica.
12. La Bible de Reuss.
13. Pascal’s Pensées—Havet’s Edition.
14. Malebranche. De Ia Recherche de la Vérité.
15. Baarder—Spekulativ Dogmatik.
16. Molitor—Philosophie der Geschichte.
17. Astié—Esprit de Vinet.
18. Piinjer—Geschichte der Religions-philosophie.
19. Rothe—Theologische Ethik.
20. Martensen—Die Christliche Ethik.
21. Oettingen—Moralstatistik.
22. Hartmann—Phenomenologie des sittlichen Bewusstseyns.
23. Leibniz—Letters edited by Klopp.
24. Braniss—Geschichte der Philosophie.
25. Fisher—Franz Bacon.
26. Zeller—Neuere Deutsche Philosophie.
27. Bartholomess—Doctrines Religieuses de la Philosophie Moderne.
28. Guyon—Morale Anglaise.
29. Ritschl—Entstehung der Altkatholischen Kirche.
30. Loening—Geschichte des Kirchenrechts.
31. Baur—Vorlesungen über Dogmengeschichte.
32. Fénelon—Correspondence.
33. Newman’s Theory of Development.
34. Mozley’s University Sermons.
35. Schneckenburger—Vergleichende Darstellung.
36. Hundeshagen—Kirchenvorfassungsgeschichte.
37. Schweizer—Protestantische Centraldogmen.
38. Gass—Geschichte der Lutherischen Dogmatik.
39. Cart—Histoire do Mouvement Religleux dans le Canton de Vaud.
40. Blondel—De Ia Primenté.
41. Le Blanc de Beaulieu—Theses.
42. Thierach—Vorlesungen ilber Katholizismus.
43. M5hler—Neue Untersuchungen.
44. Scherer—Mélanges de Critique Religleuse.
45. Hooker—Ecclesiastical Polity.
46. Weingarten—Revolutionskirchen Englands.
47. Kliefoth—Acht Bücher von der Kirche.
48. Laurent—Etudes de l’Histoire de l’Humenité.
49. Ferrari—Révolutions de l’Italie.
50. Lange—Geschichte des Materialismus.
51. Guicciardini—Ricordi Politici.
52. Duperron—Ambassades.
53. Richelieu—Testament Politique.
54. Harringlon’s Writings.
55. Mignet—Négotiations de la Succession d’Espagne.
56. Rousseau—Considérations sur la Pologne.
57. Foncin—Ministère de Turgot.
58. Burke’s Correspondence.
59. Mémorial de Ste. Hélène.
60. Holtzendorf—Systematische Rechts-encyklopädie.
61. Thering—Ceist des Röcimischen Rechts.
62. Geib—Strafrecht.
63. Maine—Ancient Law.
64. Gierke—Genossenschaftsrecht.
65. Stahl—Philosophie des Rechts.
66. Gentz—Briefwechsel mit Adam Müller.
67. Vollgraff—Polignosie.
68. Frantz—Kritik aller Parteien.
69. De Maistre—Considérations sur Ia France.
70. Donoso Cortes—Ecrits Politiques.
71. Périn—De Ia Richesse dans les Sociétés Chrétiennes.
72. Le Play—La Reforme Sociale.
73. Riehl—Die Biirgerliche Sociale.
74. Sismondi—Etudes sur les Constitutions des Peuples Libres.
75. Rossi—Cours du Droit Constitutionnel.
76. Barante—Vie de Roger Collard.
77. Duvergier de Hauranne—Histoire du Gouvernement Parlementaire.
78. Madison—Debates of the Congress of Confederation.
79. Hamilton—The Federalist.
80. Calhoun—Essay on Government.
81. Dumont—Sophismes Anarchiques.
82. Quinet—La Révolution Française,
83. Stein—Sozialismus in Frankreich.
84. Lasselle—System der Erworbenen Rechte.
85. Thomissen—Le Socialisme depuis l’ Antiquité.
86. Considérant—Destinée Sociale.
87. Rosher—Nationalökonomik.
88. [missing]
89. Mill—System of Logic.
90. Coleridge—Aids to Reflection.
91. Radowitz Fragmente.
92. Gioberti—Pensieri.
93. Humboldt—Kosmos.
94. De Candolle—Histoire des Sciences et des Savants.
95. Darwin—Origin of Species.
96. Littré—Fragrnents de Philosophie.
97. Cournot—Enchaînements des Idées fondamentales.
98. Monatsschrift des wissenschaftlichen Vereins.
99. [missing]
100. [missing]

Book Recomendations of Douglas Wilson

The following are books recommended by Douglas Wilson on Blog or Mablog:

Leadership and Self Deception
Liberal Fascism
Planet Narnia
Ironies of Faith
In Praise of Nepotism
Total Truth
Carnage and Culture

Non-Fiction Summer Reading — Tim Keller

Tim Keller has posted the following Summer Reading Recommendations on the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website:

Nine Non-fiction Christian books (picks by Tim Keller)

On the Bible:

Craig Blomberg’s The Historical Reliability of the Gospels (IVP, 2nd edition, 2008.) This makes the case that the Biblical account of Jesus is not legend but historically trustworthy. Blomberg incorporates insights from Richard Bauckham’s Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, an important work but much longer and more difficult to read.

On the Cross:

J.I.Packer and Mark Dever, In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement (Crossway, 2007.) This volume assembles several older essays by J.I . Packer. They are classics and had a profound influence on my understanding of Jesus’ death.

John Stott, The Cross of Christ (IVP, 2006) This volume along with the Packer book will give you a very complete and Biblically rich understanding of the Cross.

On the Resurrection:

N.T.Wright, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (HarperOne, 2008) It’s always a little dangerous to recommend a book I haven’t read yet, but I suggest it because it is basically a shorter and more accessible summary of his bigger classic The Resurrection of the Son of God, which is wonderful but very long and academic.

On Church History:

Mark Noll, Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity (Baker, 2001, 2nd ed) This is maybe the best, short, accessible overview of Christian history. It doesn’t try to survey every century, but chooses 10 major turning points (the split between the eastern and western church c.1000AD, the Reformation, the Great Awakening, etc)

On faith and culture:

Andy Crouch, Culture-Making: Recovering our Creative Calling (IVP, 2008) This is coming up during the summer, so order it and read it before Labor Day. It’s one of the best books yet on how Christians can integrate their faith with their work.

Philip Bess, Till We Have Built Jerusalem: Architecture, Urbanism, and the Sacred (ISI Books, 2006.) This is a fascinating set of essays by a Christian architect laying out a Christian vision for a ‘new urbanism,’ the belief and practice that cities are the best social arrangement for human flourishing. Bess is the Director of graduate studies at the Notre Dame School of Architecture.

Devotional:

John Newton, The Letters of John Newton or Cardiphonia: The Utterance of the Heart (various editions) Either of these editions of John Newton’s letters are classics of spirituality and devotion. He was the former slave trader who was converted and became a minister and wrote the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’

General:

C.S.Lewis, Mere Christianity (Harper, 1952) You may not want to admit (around Redeemer) that you have never read this book—so stop being a hypocrite and read it! And if you have already read it, read one of the other big CSL classics: The Screwtape Letters or The Great Divorce or even The Chronicles of Narnia.

On the reading of books

Some time ago Al Mohler posted some excellent thoughts regarding The Reading of Books. You can check it out HERE.

Thirty books that you must read

John Mark Reynolds, professor of Philosophy at Biola, and David Allen White who teaches English at the United States Naval Academy recently appeared on the Hugh Hewitt radio program to discuss thirty books which they that everyones should read. You can find a transcript of their interview by CLICKING HERE. Or, if you do not want to read the entire transcript, you can look at the list of just the books which I posted HERE.

And the following are some other reading lists that might interest you.

• John Mark Reynolds has shared a chronological list of his selections on his blog HERE.
• For the St. Andrews College reading list GO HERE.
• GO HEREfor texts used in the Life and Thought seminars at The College at Southwestern.
• GO HERE for the GreatBooks.com reading list.

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