Reading List Suggestions
- Jul 29, 2004
- Series: Reading List
This reading list has been compiled by Acts29 (http://www.a29.org ) and the pastors of MarsHill Fellowship (http://www.marshillchurch.org) as a curriculum to train the laity for the purpose of service within the church, up to the position of eldership. This is important because of the ecclesiastical church structure shown to us in scripture consisting of properly qualified elders and deacons, who sacrificially serve the community of God. (An example of this model is seen in excerpt Biblical Eldership by Alexander Strauch. ) The emphasis here is for the development of Christian thought, while there are a few “secular” authors whose comments on society as a whole is helpful, many other areas that are important to read, such as philosophical minds (Kant, Nietzsche, Sarte, Hegel, et al.) or looking at art are not included.
Theology
(Choose 3 books. No two books can be from the same time period)
Note: Approved Substitutes can be made in any of the categories.
Ancient
1. On the Incarnation, Athanasius -- is one of the first works on the Incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.
2. Philokalia, 3 Volumes -- This 3-volume act is a wonderfully rich introduction to the church fathers, particularly those from the Eastern tradition.
3. City of God, Augustine
4. Heresies, Harold Braun
Middle Ages
1. Summa of the Summa:The Essential Philosphical Passages of St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica Edited and Explained for Beginners, Peter Kreeft
2. Angels In The Architecture, Douglas Jones
The Early Modern World
1. Christianity For Modern Pagans, Peter Kreeft on The Pensees (Pascal) -- is a life changing investigation of Blaise Pascal's "Pensees" by the Catholic philosopher whose brilliance and prolific writing ability is astounding.
2. Romans, Martin Luther
3. Lectures On Galatians, Martin Luther
4. The Institutes, John Calvin is one of the most important works of theology ever composed.
5. The Existence And Attributes of God, Stephen Charnock
18th Century
1. Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards -- is a challenge to love God with both heart and mind from the greatest theologian America has ever produced.
2. The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, John Owen
3. Freedom of the Will, Jonathan Edwards
4. Systematic Theology, A.H. Strong
5. Edifying Discourses, Soren Kierkegaard
6. The Mortification of Sin, John Owen
20th Century
1. 20th Century Theology, Stanley Grenz
2. Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem
3. Christian Theology and Introduction, Alister McGrath
4. Easy Chairs, Hard Words, Douglas Wilson
5. Biblical Theology, Geerhardus Vos
6. Christian Theology, Millard Erickson
Church History
(Choose 1)
1. The Story of Christianity: 2 Volumes, Justos Gonzalez
2. How The Irish Saved Civilization, Thomas Cahill
3. Church History in Plain Language, Bruce Shelley
4. The History of Christian Thought, Alister McGrath
5. History of Church Doctrine, Louis Berkhoff
Postmodernism
(Choose 1)
1. A Primer On Postmodernism, Stanley Grenz -- is an excellent scholarly look at postmodernism from a brilliant evangelical mind.
2. Resident Aliens, Stanley Hauerwas, Wil Willomon
3. Postmodernity and its Discontents, Zygmaunt Baumann
4. Interpreting God and the Postmodern Self, Bruce Thiselton
5. Postmodern Times, Gene Veith -- is a helpful introductory work on the postmodern mind and results in theology architecture, culture and other disciplines by a Lutheran Scholar.
Missiology
(Choose 2)
1. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, Leslie Newbigin -- has changed my life and ministry forever. Newbigin, now deceased, he ministered in London after spending forty years planting churches in India. His critique of the modern west is the most perceptive and everything he has written has blessed my soul.
2. The Church Between Gospel and Culture, George Hunsberger -- is an attempt to re-evaluate the mission of the church in postmodern North America.
3. The Christian Mission and Modern Culture, 6 Authors
4. The Missional Church, Darrell Guder -- is the second work in a series taking missions to North America. Chapter seven is worth the price of the book.
5. The Celtic Way of Evangelism; George Hunter
6. Let the Nations Be Glad, John Piper
7. Planting Growing Churches, Aubrerg Malphus
Hermeneutics
(Choose 1)
1. Shaped By The Word, Robert Mullholland (!st half only)
2. Getting the Message, Daniel Doriani
3. Is There Meaning In the Text, Kevin Vanhoozer
4. The Canon, F.F. Bruce
Spiritual Disciplines
(Choose 1)
1. Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster
2. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Don Whitney
3. The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard
4. Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard -- is a monumental investigation on how God changes our lives.
5. Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola
Preaching
(Choose 1)
1. Christ Centered Preaching, Bryan Chapell
2. Preparing Bible Messages, James Braga
3. Preaching Jesus, Charles Campbell
4. The Art of Prophesying, William Perkins
Apologetics
(Choose 2)
1. Apologetics to the Glory of God, John Frame
2. Proper Confidence, Leslie Newbigin
3. The God Who Is There, Francis Schaeffer
4. Jesus Under Fire, J.P. Moreland, Editor
5. Scaling The Secular City, J.P. Moreland
6. Classical Apologetics, Sproul, Gerstner, Lindsley
7. Christian Apologetics, Norman Geisler
8. The Defense of the Faith, Cornelius Van Til
9. Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis -- is one of the numerous works by one of the finest writers of all time.
10. Can Man Live Without God, Ravi Zacharias
Devotional
(Choose 2)
1. Bread In The Wilderness, Thomas Merton
2. Pursuit of Holiness, A.W. Tozer
3. The Imitation of Christ, Thomas A’Kempis
4. Practicing the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence
5. In the House of Memory: Ancient Celtic Wisdom for Everyday, Steven Rabey
6. The Interior Castle, St. Theresa of Avila
7. The Dark Night of the Soul, St. John of the Cross
8. The Desert Fathers, Thomas Merton -- is an intriguing and convicting look at one of the first Christian monastic communities.
9. Three Philosophies of Life; Peter Kreeft -- is a rich look at Job, Ecclesiasties & the Song of Solomon.
Cross Cultural
(Choose 1)
1. Breaking Down The Walls, Kehrein and Washington
2. Sharing Christ in a Tibettan Buddhist World, Tsering Markhu
3. Restoring At Risk Communities, John Perkins
Leadership
(Choose 1)
1. Making of a Leader, Bobby Clinton
2. Spiritual Leadership, J.O. Sanders
Biography
(Choose 1)
Note: After studying historical theology and the history of the church, there may be some historical figures that you want to study further. Below are some suggestions though you are free to choose anyone who interests you.
1. Praying Hyde
2. A Life of John Calvin, Alister McGrath
3. George Whitfield
4. The Gates of Splendor, Elisabeth Elliot
5. The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom
6. Amy Carmichael
7. Luther’s Theology of the Cross; Alister McGrath
8. The Legacy of Sovereign Joy; John Piper
9. Tortured For His Faith, Haralan Popov
10. Tortured For Christ, Wurmbrand
11. The Life of St. Patrick And His Place In History, John Bury
12. Revival & Revivalism, Ian Murray
13. The Forgotten Spurgeon, Ian Murray
Prayer
(Choose 1)
1. Prayer, Hans Urs Von Balthasar
2. The God Who Hears, W. Bingham Hunter
3. The Way of A Pilgrim, Author Unknown
4. The Power of Christ’s Prayer Life, Charles Spurgeon
5. The Essentials of Prayer, E.M. Bounds
6. Power Through Prayer, E.M. Bounds
7. Power Prayer Unlimited, J. Oswald Sanders
8. A Simple Way to Pray, Martin Luther
9. The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer, Andrew Murray
Christian Life
(Choose 3)
1. Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton -- was used by God to teach me paradox, mystery and tension as the keys to being a balanced believer.
2. The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer -- is a prophetic look at true commitment to Christ from a German pastor who was ultimately murdered by the Third Reich.
3. Confessions, Augustine -- is the classic testimony of his philosophical journey that ended at the cross of Christ. Benedicta Ward "The Sayings of the Desert Fathers" is the first thorough collection of the Desert Fathers works translated into English and is a rich blessing to the soul.
4. Pilgrims Progress, John Bunyan -- is an allegory of the Christian faith that has become one of the most beloved sacred works of all time.
5. The Flight From God, Max Picard -- is a perceptive look at the frantic attempt of mankind to run from the presence of God by a truly brilliant Swiss Catholic existential philosopher. "The World of Silence" is a life changing examination at the healing power of silence, and how God often speaks most loudly in His silence.
6. Desiring God, John Piper -- is a treatise on Christian Hedonism that liberated me from a very dry works driven relationship with God to an emphasis on being rather than doing.
7. The Pleasures of God, John Piper
8. A Long Obedience In The Same Direction, Eugene Peterson
9. Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace, Torrance
10. Finding God, Larry Crabb
11. Ordering Your Private World, Gordon McDonald
12. Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, Thomas Brooks
13. Spiritual Armor, William Gurnall
Pastoral Care
(Choose 2)
1. The Reformed Pastor, John Owen
2. Competent to Counsel, Jay Adams
3. Biblical Eldership, Alex Strauch
4. The Contemplative Pastor, Eugene Peterson
5. Five Smooth Stones For Pastoral Work, Eugene Peterson
6. Working The Angles, Eugene Peterson
7. Pastoral Ministry, John McCarthur
8. Pastoral Care, Gregory The Great
9. Connecting, Larry Crabb
10. Pastoral Counseling, John McCarthur
Marriage & Family
(Choose 2)
1. Shepherding A Child’s Heart, Ted Tripp *
2. Fidelity, Douglas Jones (Men) -- a forthright book at male sexuality
3. Intimate Issues, Linda Dillow (Women)
4. The Federal Husband, Douglas Wilson (Men) -- a very helpful book on what it means for a man to be the head of his wife like Christ is the head of His church
5. Future Men, Douglas Wilson -- a great book on raising sons that combined with Christina Hoff Sommers The War On Boys is a must for every parent with a son
6. Fruit of Her Hands, Nancy Wilson (Women) -- a very practical and strong investigation on the role of a wife in marriage
7. Recovering Biblical Womanhood and Manhood, Wayne Grudem and John Piper
8. Reforming Marriage, Douglas Wilson -- a good introductory work on the issues surrounding marriage and parenting
9. Her Hand in Marriage, Douglas Wilson -- a helpful look at dating and courtship with an emphasis on the role of the father in the life of his young daughter
10. Standing On the Promises, Douglas Wilson -- a very solid covenantal overview of parenting that combined with Ted Tripp's Shepherding A Child's Heart is very helpful for all parents
11. Praise Her In the Gates, Nancy Wilson -- great on motherhood
On Celtic Christianity
1. How The Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill
2. The Celtic Way of Evangelism by Thomas Hunter
3. In the House of Memory by Steve Rabey
On Puritan Spirituality
1. Worldly Saints: The Puritans As They Really Were by Leyland Ryken
2. A Quest For Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life by J.I. Packer
On Missiology
1. The Missional Church by Darrell Guder et al.
2. The Church Between Gospel & Culture by George Hunsberger et al -- is an attempt to re-evaluate the mission of the church in postmodern North America.
3. The Open Secret by Lesslie Newbigin
4. Transforming Mission by David Bosch
5. Salvation To The Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission by Andreas J. Kostenberger
6. The Mission of Jesus and the Disciples according to the Fourth Gospel by Andreas J. Kostenberger
7. Engaging Unbelief: A Captivating Strategy from Augustine & Aquinas by Curtis Chang
8. The Continuing Conversion of the Church by Darrell Guder
On Pluralism
1. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, Leslie Newbigin -- has changed my life and ministry forever. Newbigin, now deceased, he ministered in London after spending forty years planting churches in India. His critique of the modern west is the most perceptive and everything he has written has blessed my soul.
2. Bearing The Witness of the Spirit: Lesslie Newbigin’s Theology of Cultural Pluralityä by George Hunsberger
On Constantinianism
1. The End of Christendom & the Future of Christianity by Douglas John Hall
2. Without God Without Creed by James Turner
3. After Christendom by Stanley Hauerwas -- is a sequel to Resident Aliens that critiques the Enlightenment loss of community in churches and sets forth an alternative vision for the church to be a missional witness to the resurrected Christ in our post-Christian society.
On Postmodernity
1. A Primer On Postmodernism by Stanley Grenz
2. Postmodernity and its Discontents by Zygmaunt Baumann
3. Interpreting God and the Postmodern Self by Bruce Thiselton
4. The Truth About the Truth by Walter Truett Anderson
5. Deconstruction In A Nutshell: A Conversation With Jacques Derridaä by John D. Caputo
6. God, The Gift, and Postmodernism by John D. Caputo
On Church in Postmodernity
1. A Peculiar People by Rodney Clapp -- is a perceptive critique of modernistic evangelicalism.
2. Resident Aliens by Stanley Hauerwas & William Willimon -- is a penetrating and prophetic groundbreaking critique of modern American Christianity by one of the greatest living Christian philosophers and ethicists.
On Nonfoundational Theology
1. Beyond Liberalism & Fundamentalism by Nancey Murphy
2. The Nature of Doctrine by George Linbeck
On Multicultural Ministry
1. Breaking Down The Walls by Kehrein and Washington
2. Sharing Christ in a Tibettan Buddhist World by Tsering Markhu
3. The Church by Ken Hutcherson
On The Reformation
1. Reformation Thought: An Introduction by Alister McGrath
On Blaise Pascal
1. Christianity for Modern Pagans by Peter Kreeft -- is a life changing investigation of Blaise Pascal's "Pensees" by the Catholic philosopher whose brilliance and prolific writing ability is astounding.
On Church Planting
1. Cities: Missions New Frontier by Roger S. Greenway
2. Gods Missionary People by Charles Van Engen
3. Church Planting for A Greater Harvest by C. Peter Wagner
4. Planting Growing Churches by Aubrey Malphurs
5. 44 Questions for Church Planters by Lyle Schaller
6. Missionary Methods: Pauls or Ours by Roland Allen
7. City Reaching by Jack Dennison
8. Creating Communities of the Kingdom: New Testament Models of Church Planting by David W. Shenk
9. Roland Allen: Pioneer, Priest, and Prophet by Hubert Allen
10. Natural Church Development: A Guide To Eight Essential Qualities of a Healthy Church by Christian Schwarz
On Paul
1. Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free by F.F. Bruce
2. Paul by E.P. Sanders
3. The Theology of Paul the Apostle by James Dunn
4. What Saint Paul Really Said by N.T. Wright
On Roman Culture
1. The Christians As The Romans Saw Them by Robert L. Wilken
2. Greeks, Romans, Jews: Currents of Culture and Belief in the New Testament World by James D. Newsome
On Jewish Culture
1. Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith by Marvin R. Wilson
2. The Temple by Alfred Edersheim
3. Sketches of Jewish Social Life by Alfred Edersheim
4. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim
On Western Culture
1. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert Putnam
2. How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, by Francis A. Schaeffer
3. The Fourth Turning: What the Cycles of History Tell Us About Americas Next Rendezvous With Destiny by William Strauss and Neil Howe
4. The Cultural Creatives by Paul Ray
On the Gospel
1. Chosen By God by R.C. Sproul
2. Easy Chairs, Hard Words by Douglas Wilson
3. The Glory of Christ by John Own
4. All of Grace by C.H. Spurgeon
5. The Mortification of Sin by John Owen
6. Luther's Theology of the Cross by Alister McGrath
7. The Death of Death in the Death of Christ by John Owen
On Evangelism
1. God Centered Evangelism by R.B. Kuiper
2. Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer
3. Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism: The Battle for Gospel Preaching by Iain Murray
4. Revival & Revivalism by Iain Murray
5. Seasons of Grace by Michael J. Crawford
6. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
7. Reinventing Evangelism: New Strategies For Presenting Christ To Todays World by Don Posterski
8. Preaching To Strangers: Evangelism In Todays World by William Willimon & Stanley Hauerwas
9. Todays Evangelism: Its Message and Methods by Ernest Reislinger
10. Hell's Best Kept Secret, Ray Comfort
On Ecclesiology
1. Biblical Eldership by Alexander Strauch
2. Leadership & Liminality by Alan Roxburgh
On the Pastorate
1. Lectures To My Students by Charles H. Spurgeon
2. The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter -- is the classic treatise on pastoral ministry by one of the greatest pastors ever. "A Christian Directory" is a 900-page summary of his pastoral counseling notes that are pre-American, pre-Modern, and pre-psychology.
On Church Conflict
1. Well Intentioned Dragons by Marshall Shelley
2. Antagonists In the Church: How To Identify and Deal With Destructive Conflict by Kenneth C. Haugks
3. Kill or Get Killed: Riot Control Techniques, Manhandling, and Close Combat, for Police and the Military by Rex Applegate
4. U.S. Marines Close-Quarters Combat Manual
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