A List of Favorite Books
I spent the other day writing down some of my favorite books. The list, of course, is not exhaustive, as much of it came off the top of my head. Let's just say this: I love everything by C.S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, N.T. Wright, Frederick Buechner, and Gerald May, even if I've neglected to include them in certain areas. They may be my top 5, no matter what they write on. But here are some of my favorite practical works by topic. I've intentionally excluded academic works.Understanding God's Story and Yours - The Narrative of ScriptureThe True Story of the Whole World: Finding Your Place in the Biblical Drama, Michael Goheen and Craig BartholomewA Walk Through the Bible, Lesslie NewbiginTo Be Told, Dan AllenderUnderstanding Your Place in God's MissionThe Mission of God's People, Christopher WrightSurprised by Hope, N.T. WrightThe Bible and Mission: Christian Witness in a Postmodern World, Richard BauckhamThe Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission, Lesslie NewbiginIntroduction to TheologyTheology: The Basics, Alistair McGrathMere Christianity, CS LewisUnderstanding your Idols and the Attachments of Your HeartBreaking the Idols of Your Heart: How to Navigate the Temptations of Life, Tremper Longman/Dan AllenderIdols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone, Elyse FitzpatrickCounterfeit Gods, Tim KellerThe Last Addiction, Sharon HershUnderstanding the Nature of Sin: Personal and SystemicNot the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin, Cornelius PlantingaThe Seven Deadly Sins, Graham TomlinExclusion and Embrace, Miroslav VolfHope in Troubled Times, Bob GoudzwaardSubverting Global Myths: Theology and the Public Issues Facing Our Time, Vinoth RamachandraPrayer The Lord and His Prayer, N.T. WrightWith Open Hands, Henri NouwenPrayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, Richard FosterThe Practice of the Presence of God, Brother LawrenceAwed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth, Walter BrueggemanBelief/Apologetics in a Postmodern WorldSimply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, N.T. WrightThe Reason for God, Tim KellerWho Gets to Narrate the World: Contending for the Christian Story in an Age of Rivals, Robert WebberFoolishness to the Greeks: The Gospel and Western Culture, Lesslie NewbiginProper Confidence, Lesslie NewbiginEvil and the Justice of God, N.T. Wright Understanding and Engaging CultureDesiring the Kingdom, James KA SmithTo Change the World, James Davidson HunterEveryday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends, Kevin VanHoozerWork and VocationWork in the Spirit: Toward a Theology of Work, Miroslav VolfLet Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation, Parker PalmerResponsive Labor: A Theology of Work, David JensenThe Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life, Os GuinessGrief/SufferingThe Healing Path: How the Hurts in Your Past Lead You to a More Abundant Life, Dan AllenderStumbling Toward Faith, Renee AltsonFinding God, Larry CrabbThe Wounded Heart, Dan AllenderA Grief Observed, CS LewisShattered Dreams, Larry CrabbA Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss, Gerald SittserWalk On: Life, Loss, Trust, and Other Realities, John GoldingayMarriageSafe Haven Marriage, Archibald Hart and Sharon Hart-MorrisIntimate Allies: Rediscovering God's Design for Marriage, Dan Allender and Tremper LongmanBring Yourself to Love, Mona BarberaHold Me Tight, Sue JohnsonThe Intimate Mystery: Creating Strength and Beauty in Your Marriage, Dan Allender and Tremper LongmanThe Mystery of Marriage, Mike MasonMarital BetrayalTorn Asunder: Recovering from an Extramarital Affair, Dave CarderShattered Vows: Hope and Healing for Women Who've Been Sexually Betrayed, Debra LaaserRaising Children/ParentingTalking to Your Kids About Sex, Mark LaaserParenting with Love and Logic, Foster ClineHow Children Raise Parents: The Art of Listening to Your Family, Dan AllenderMom, I Hate My Life: Becoming Your Daughter's Ally During the Emotional Up's and Down's of Adolescence, Sharon HershMom, Sex is No Big Deal: Becoming Your Daughter's Ally in Developing a Healthy Sexuality, Sharon HershMom, I Feel Fat: Becoming Your Daughter's Ally in Developing a Healthy Body Image, Sharon HershMom, Everyone Else Does: Becoming Your Daughter's Ally in Responding to Peer Pressure (Sex, Drugs, Alcohol), Sharon Hersh Understanding Yourself and Your RelationshipsBold Love, Dan AllenderPracticing the Presence of People, Mike MasonUnderstanding Who You Are, Larry CrabbThe Gift of Being Yourself, David BennerThe Cry of the Soul: How our Emotions Reveal Our Deepest Questions about God, Tremper Longman/Dan AllenderThe Seven Desires of Every Heart, Mark and Debra LaaserUnderstanding your SexualitySex and Love in the Home: A Theology of the Household, David McCarthySex and the Soul of a Woman, Paula RinehartWhen Two Become One: Enhancing Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Chris McCluskeyWomenWhat's He Really Thinking?: How to Be a Relational Genius with the Man in Your Life, Paula RinehartBravehearts: Unlocking the Courage to Live with Abandon, Sharon HershRedeeming Eve, Heather WebbWhen Life and Beliefs Collide, Carolyn JamesThe Allure of Hope, Jan MeyersStrong Women, Soft Hearts, Paula RinehartMenHealing the Masculine Soul, Gordon DalbeyThe Masculine Journey, Robert HicksFather and Son, Gordon DalbeyThe Silence of Adam, Larry CrabbChristian Spirituality & Spiritual GrowthDevotional Classics, Richard FosterCreating a Life with God: The Call of Ancient Prayer Practices, Daniel WolpertSurrender to Love: Discovering the Heart of Christian Spirituality, David BennerReturn of the Prodigal Son, Henri NouwenThe Journey: A Pilgrim in the Lands of the Spirit, Alistair McGrathLet Go, Francois FenelonAbba's Child, Brennan ManningSpace for God, Don PostemaThe Divine Embrace: Recovering the Passionate Spiritual Life, Robert WebberWater from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries, Gerald Sittser