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!