Skip to main content

The top 15



Every now and then I rearrange my top ten or fifteen of what I consider to be classic Christian works that every Christian should read or be familiar with. Excluding works of fiction, poetry, and the larger works of theology* here are my current top 15...

On The Incarnation, Athanasius.

The Confessions of Augustine.

The Consolation of Philosophy, Anicius Boethius. [New to the top 15]

On Loving God, Bernard of Clairvaux.

Pensées, Blaise Pascal.

Commentary on Galatians, Martin Luther.

The Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan.  

Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards.

Christianity and Liberalism, Gresham Machen.

The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible, B. B. Warfield.

Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

The Everlasting Man, G. K. Chesterton

Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis.

Knowing God, J. I. Packer.

The Cross of Christ, John R. W. Stott.


* Recommended fiction: George MacDonald, and anything by the Inklings (J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, etc.) Poetry: George Herbert; Theology: The Institutes of the Christian Religion (John Calvin); Summa Theologica (Aquinas); and The Wonderful Works of God (Herman Bavinck).


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

clement quotes hebrews

Clement of Rome wrote to the church in Corinth around AD 90.  This is perhaps the same Clement, companion of Paul, mentioned in Philippians 4:3.  Many hold him to be the first bishop / pope in Rome, aka St. Clement I.   Clement quotes from the letter to the Hebrews.  Origin suggested that Clement was in fact the writer (as transcriber or amanuensis) of Hebrews.  Perhaps this letter began as a "word of exhortation" given by Paul at the synagogue (Heb 13:22; cf Acts 13:15) which then became a circular letter for the churches.  Other possible authors of Hebrews include Luke, Barnabas, or Apollos.  The theology is Pauline, but the transcriber is obviously second-generation (Heb. 2:3-4). At any rate, this early church leader in Rome, is already quoting Hebrews in his letter in AD 90:    CHAPTER 36  ALL BLESSINGS ARE GIVEN TO US THROUGH CHRIST This is the way, beloved, in which we find our Savior, even Jesus Christ,  the High Prie...

Howard Hendricks on OT books chronology

When I was in seminary, Howard Hendricks (aka "Prof") gave us a little card with the books of the OT chronologically arranged. The scanned copy I have was a bit blurry and I wanted to make something like this available for our church class in OT theology ("Story of Redemption"). A few minor edits and here it is...

sword and trowel

"From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me." (Nehemiah 4:16-18 ESV) The great London preacher, Charles Spurgeon, published a monthly magazine called The Sword and The Trowel; A record of combat with sin and of labour for the Lord. It was published from 1865 to 1892. The cover of the journal had a drawing taken from Nehemiah 4, which included both a trowel (representing the work) and a sword (representing the fight). The sword was necessary to protect what the men with trowels were building. These citizen-soldier-builders would successfully complete the wall aroun...