After being asked repeatedly for book recommendations on assorted topics, I decided to create a one-stop-shop list of recommended books for Christians. Many of these books have shaped my faith and literally changed my life. I pray that these recommendations, like this blog, would deepen your grasp of Scripture and your love for the God of the Scriptures.
A few thoughts on this non-exhaustive list:
- Books are generally accessible for all. More advanced books will be marked accordingly.
- I share links to free books and resources whenever possible.
- My top picks are marked with a *.
- I share many affiliate links, meaning I earn a few cents on the dollar of purchases at no extra cost to you. (This helps me cover blogging expenses.)
If you have books that you would add, let me know on Facebook or Twitter.
100+ Recommended Books for Christians
Apologetics
- C.S. Lewis: Mere Christianity
- Greg Kokul: Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions
- Josh McDowell: More than a Carpenter and Evidence that Demands a Verdict
- Lee Strobel: The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of Evidence for Jesus
- Timothy Keller: The Reason for God and Making Sense of God
- William Lane Craig: On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision and Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics (textbook)
Bible Study
A good study Bible
Grasping the Bible Story
- Colin Smith: The Unlocking the Bible Story 4-Volume Set (or on UnlockingtheBible.org)
- Mark Dever: The Message of the Old Testament and The Message of the New Testament
- Michael Williams: How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens: A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture
- Vaughan Roberts: God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible
Growing In Your Bible Study Skills
- 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible by Robert Plummer
- Dig Deeper: Tools for Understanding God’s Word By Nigel Beynon, Andrew Sach
- How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
- New Bible Dictionary (IVP) edited by Marshall, Millard, Packer, Wiseman (reference)
- Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Minds by Jen Wilkin
Tools — Bible Commentaries
Sharing the best commentaries for each book of the Bible is beyond the scope of this post. But I will recommend each of the following series that are helpful for a lay or pastoral audience:
- Christ-Centered Exposition Series from B&H Publishing
- Expositor’s Bible Commentary Set — a set for preachers (see my review of the Logos Version)
- The Bible Speaks Today Series (edited by John Stott)
- The Preaching the Word Commentary Series from Crossway
Tools — Bible Study Guides
- Bible Study Resources from St. Helens Bishopsgate (free PDFs)
- I’ve found the God’s Word for You series from The Good Book Co helpful for leading Bible studies. (See my review of Tim Keller’s Romans 8-16.
- Interactive Bible Studies from Matthias Media
Tools — Biblical Theology Resources: See Theology: Biblical Theology
Biographies (Christian and Other)
Also see my list of 100+ of the Best Christian Biographies
- Charles Colson: Born Again
- Charles Spurgeon: A New Biography by Arnold Dallimore
- David Brainerd: The Life and Diary of David Brainerd by Jonathan Edwards
- Deitrich Bonhoeffer: Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
- D.L. Moody: A Passion for Souls: The Life of D.L. Moody by Lyle Dorsett
- George Muller: The Autobiography of George Muller
- George Whitefield: God’s Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century by Arnold Dallimore
- Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret by Dr. Howard Taylor
- Jim Elliot: Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testimony of Jim Elliot by Elizabeth Elliot
- Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden
- Keith Green: No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green
- Louis Zamperini: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
- Martin Luther: Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton
- Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Life of Martyn Lloyd-Jones by Iain Murray
- Nabeel Qureshi: Seeking Allah Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity
- Ravi Zacharias: Walking from East to West
- Rosaria Butterfield: The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert
- Tom Carson (Don Carson’s father): Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson
If you’re into theology, you will probably like Crossway’s Theologians on the Christian Life series.
Children’s Bibles / Books
- The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm
- The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
- Man on the Run! By Tim Augustyn
Church History
- Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley. Many consider this the best one-volume introduction to Church History.
Christian Living — General
- A.W. Tozer: The Pursuit of God (free Kindle version)
- John Bunyan: The Pilgrim’s Progress (free Kindle version | 10 Things to Know About the Pilgrim’s Progress)
- Francis Chan: Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
- J.I. Packer: Knowing God
- John Piper: The Dangerous Duty of Delight and Don’t Waste Your Life
- Michael Reeves: Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith
- Timothy Keller: Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters, Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life’s Biggest Questions, anything else
Culture/Cultural Engagement
- Albert Mohler: We Cannot Be Silent: Speaking Truth to a Culture Redefining Sex, Marriage, & the Very Meaning of Right and Wrong
- James K.A. Smith: How (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor (more advanced reading)
- Russell Moore: Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel
Discipleship
- David Helm: One-to-One Bible Reading: A Simple Guide for Every Christian (see Everything You Need to Read Mark with a Friend)
- Deitrich Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Discipleship
- Donald Whitney: Praying the Bible and Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life
- Francis Chan: Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples
- Steven Smallman: The Walk: Steps for New and Renewed Followers of Jesus
See: 35 Books Mark Dever Recommends for Discipleship Relationships and Books on Finding God’s Will for Your Life
Devotionals
See my 20 recommended devotionals or a few favorites below:
- Colin Smith and Tim Augustyn: The One Year Unlocking the Bible Devotional
- D.A. Carson: For the Love of God (volume 1 and volume 2)
- John Stott: Through the Bible, Through the Year: Daily Reflections from Genesis to Revelation
- Paul Tripp: New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional
- Puritans: The Valley of Vision
- Tim and Kathy Keller: The Songs of Jesus: Devotions in the Psalms (my review)
Evangelism
- J.I. Packer: Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God
- Mark Cahill: One Thing You Can’t Do in Heaven
- Mark Dever: The Gospel and Personal Evangelism
- Ray Comfort: The Way of the Master and The School of Biblical Evangelism
The Gospel
- Colin Smith: Heaven, How I Got Here: The Story of the Thief on the Cross (my review for TGC)
- Greg Gilbert: What is the Gospel?
- John Piper: 50 Reasons Jesus Came to Die
- John Stott: The Cross of Christ
- Mark Dever: The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (9Marks)
- Michael Horton: Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church
- Timothy Keller: The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
Holiness
- J.C. Ryle: Holiness
- Jerry Bridges: The Pursuit of Holiness and The Discipline of Grace: God’s Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness
- John Owen: Overcoming Sin and Temptation
- Kevin DeYoung: The Hole in Our Holiness
- R.C. Sproul: The Holiness of God (also check out 22+ free Sproul Kindle books)
Leadership
- Albert Mohler: The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership that Matters by Albert Mohler
- Craig Hamilton: Wisdom in Leadership: The How and Why of Leading the People You Serve (my review)
- J. Oswald Sanders: Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer
Marriage and Relationships
- Dave Harvey: When Sinners Say I Do: Discovering the Power of the Gospel in Marriage
- Francis Chan: You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity (free PDF)
- John Piper: This Momentary Marriage
- Paul Tripp: What Did You Expect? Reedeeming the Realities of Marriage
- Timothy Keller: The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God
Ministry
- Colin Marshall and Tony Payne: The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mindshift That Changes Everything (Audio Resource)
- Colin Marshall and Tony Payne: The Vine Project: Shaping Your Ministry Culture Around Disciple Making (see my review on The Gospel Coalition or this video resource)
- John Piper: Brothers: We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry (free PDF)
- Mark Dever: 9 Marks of a Healthy Church. You can’t go wrong with any book from 9Marks!
- Paul Tripp: Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry
- R. Kent Hughes: Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome (see a summary)
Missions
Coming Soon.
Money
- Dave Ramsey: The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
- Larry Burkett: Money Matters: Answers To Your Financial Questions
- Randy Alcorn: The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving
- Randy Alcorn: Money, Possessions, and Eternity
Politics
- Jonathan Leeman: How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics in a Divided Age
Prayer
Shameless plug alert: When Prayer Is a Struggle: A Practical Guide for Overcoming Obstacles in Prayer by Kevin P. Halloran
- Charles Spurgeon: Encouraged to Pray: Classic Sermons on Prayer
- D.A. Carson: Praying with Paul
- John Calvin: The Chief Exercise of Faith (Calvin’s chapter on prayer from Institutes)
- John Piper: A Hunger for God: Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer (free PDF)
- John Woodbridge and Collin Hansen: A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories that Stretch and Stir
- Puritans: The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions
- Scotty Smith: Everyday Prayers: 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith
- Timothy Keller: Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God
Productivity
- Matt Perman: What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way We Get Things Done
- Tim Challies: Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity
Sexuality & Sexual Purity
- Heath Lambert: Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace
- Sam Allberry: Is God Anti-Gay?
- William Struthers: Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain
Suffering
See more recommended books on suffering or a few top picks below:
C.S. Lewis: A Grief Observed
- Jerry Bridges:
Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts
- Nancy Guthrie:
Hearing Jesus Speak Into Your Sorrow
- Timothy Keller: Walking with God in Pain and Suffering
Technology
- Andy Crouch: The Tech-Wise Family
- John Dyer: From the Garden to the City: The Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology
- Tim Challies: The Next Story: Faith, Friends, Family and the Digital World
- Tony Reinke: 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You (my review)
Theology
Biblical Theology
- Graeme Goldsworthy: According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible
- Jim Hamilton: God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment
- Various: The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology ed. By Rosner, Alexander, Carson, and Goldworthy (my review)
- Vaughan Roberts: God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible (free video series)
For books on specific biblical theological themes, see Short Studies in Biblical Theology Series from Crossway (lay level) or New Studies in Biblical Theology from IVP (scholarly but accessible).
Historical Theology
Systematic Theology
- John Calvin: Institutes of Christian Religion (also free online)
- John Frame: Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief
- Millard Erickson: Christian Theology
- Wayne Grudem: Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine
Other Theological Topics
- Crossway’s Theologians on the Christian Life series
- Kevin DeYoung: Taking God at His Word (see my review)
World Religions
- James White: What Every Christian Needs to Know about the Qur’an
- Michael Green: But Don’t All Religions Lead to God?: Navigating the Multi-Faith Maze
- Ravi Zacharias: Jesus Among Other Gods
Work
- Greg Gilbert: The Gospel at Work
- Os Guinness: The Call
- Timothy Keller: Every Good Endeavour: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work
Worship
- Bob Kauflin: Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God
- Various Authors: Worship by the Book (Ashton, Carson, Hughes, Keller)
Writing / Creativity
- Roy Peter Clark: 50 Writing Tools (free resources)
- Stephen King: On Writing (he focuses on fiction)
- Strunk and White: The Elements of Style (free on Kindle)
- William Zinsser: On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
Before you go, here are other posts to consider:
