What Do You Recommend?

Following Michael Spencer's post, I groused about Christian bookstores a bit too. But we would all be quick to point out that there are a lot of good books for our people to read. So, let's get a list together.

Email me at pcbogert@gmail.com with a recommendation or two in these categories and I'll post the list next week.

1. Bible reference (background, dictionary, etc.)
2. Basic theology reference
3. About God and salvation
4. About following Christ
5. About home and vocation

Looking forward to your thoughts.

4 comments:

Milton Stanley said...

Peter, here are the ones I feel strongest about:

1. The Revell Bible Dictionary - This one is written with both scholarly integrity and faith. It's full of scriptural referenes for each topic and it' written in a way to benefit both Bible scholars and everyone else. Plus, it has great pictures.

4. A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders by Reggie McNeal. It's hard to put my finger on why this book is so valuable, other than it encourages (in the full sense of that word) Christian leaders not only to know and to do but to be who they should be.

Anonymous said...

1. IVP Bible Dictionary

2. Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem (or the abridged Bible Doctrine by the same author)

3. The Cross of Christ by John Stott.

4. Practical Religion and Holiness by J C Ryle

5. Family Time by Mark and Lindsay Melluish

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Peter Bogert said...

From Malcolm Light

I have been thoroughly enjoying your blog since I randomly found it a few weeks back. Keep up the good work, and fight the good fight.

Here is a list of books I recommend to my people often. It is quite long, so I apologize for that, but I have gotten great feedback from those who have engaged. Looking over the list, I hope I haven’t slipped into over-kill.

Blessings brother,

Malcolm Light


Books:
About God and salvation:
- Repentance - Richard Owen Roberts (Arminian regarding losing salvation, but life changing in terms of the core subject of repentance. Read it last year... Wow.)

About following Christ:
- Discipleship - Bonhoffer (heavy but well worth wading through)
- Discipleship in the Ancient World and Matthew's Gospel - Michael Wilkins

Basic theology reference:
- Erickson is good
- Wayne Grudem's volume is incredibly readable for those without formal theological training, and one of the best on the market in my opinion.
- Just about everything in the Point/Counter-Point series by IVP is great for integrating theological thought into contemporary life.

Bible reference (background, dictionary, etc.)
- Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels by Joel B. Green
- Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments by Ralph P. Martin
- Dictionary of New Testament Background by Craig A. Evans
- Dictionary of Paul and His Letters
(these four volumes can be a bit overwhelming, but well worth having for the serious bible student)
- For commentaries, I have found anything in the Baker Series, Pillar Series, and NIV application series to be highly readable, understandable, and solid those without formal theological training.
- Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, excellent for getting a grasp on the cultural context

About home and vocation:
- Shepherding a Child's Heart - Ted Tripp
- Age of Opportunity - Paul Tripp
- Boundaries (any in the series) - Cloud and Townsend
- Business as a Calling- Michael Novak

Devotional and Living:
- A Long Obedience in the Same Direction - Eugene Peterson
- The Sermons of James Whitfield

Men’s Issues:
- The Silence of Adam - Larry Crabb
- Why Sex Sins Are Worse – Jack Hayford