Last Sunday (1 January) I spoke from Proverbs in the Bible about living wisely in 2023. I gave five steps that we might take to put that into practice. One of those was to encourage everyone to read at least 1000 pages of Christian non-fiction through the year. A couple of people then asked me what I might recommend for reading. I put together a list of Christian books that you might find helpful. I’ve read all of some of them. Some of others. And not a single word of a few recommended by others. But I think each will offer something by way of encouragement, learning, comfort or challenge. I haven’t described the books other than in some rough headings. Take the time to research where might be a good start for you. Many of the books have footnotes that will lead to other reading if you wish to go deeper on a topic.
Pre-2010
Mere Christianity – CS Lewis
Out of the Salt Shaker – Rebecca Manley-Pippert
The Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
What’s So Amazing About Grace – Philip Yancey
Knowing God – JI Packer
Total Church – Tim Chester
Subversive Spirituality – Eugene Peterson
Issues Facing Christians – John Stott
Abba’s Child – Brennan Manning
Post-2010
Be the Bridge – Latasha Morrison
The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert – Rosario Butterfield
Disruptive Witness & You Are Not Your Own – both Alan Noble
You Are What You Love & How to Inhabit Time – both James KA Smith
Blessed – Nancy Guthrie
Strange New World – Carl Trueman
One Thousand Gifts – Ann Voskamp
Art & Faith – Makoto Fujimura
The Rise and Fall of Christian Ireland – Crawford Gribben
Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy With God – Tim Keller
Biography
Evidence Not Seen - Darlene Diebler Rose
The Hiding Place – Corrie Ten Boom
Theology
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses – Richard Bauckham
The Crucifixion of Christ – Fleming Rutledge
The Resurrection of the Son of God – NT Wright
The historical reliability of the New Testament – Craig Blomberg
Exclusion & Embrace – Miroslav Wolf
Parenting
Gospel-Powered Parenting – William Farley
Desperate - Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson
Get Outta My Face (for parents of teenagers) – Rick Horne
For Teenagers
Beloved – Be Free, Be Full, Be Fierce (girls) – Rachel Gardner
10 Questions every Teen should ask – Rebecca McLaughlin