Book Reviews
-
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs – John Foxe
1. Full Citation Foxe, J. (1563) Foxe’s Book of Martyrs [Actes and Monuments]. London: John Day. 2. Introduction Foxe’s Book of Martyrs is a seminal work chronicling the sufferings of Protestant martyrs, particularly during the reign of Mary I of England. It played a pivotal role in shaping English Protestant…
-
Steps to Christ – Ellen G. White
1. Full Citation White, E.G. (1892) Steps to Christ. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association. 2. Introduction Steps to Christ is a devotional classic presenting the process of spiritual conversion and Christian growth. Ellen G. White emphasizes the personal relationship with Jesus, repentance, faith, and the assurance of salvation,…
-
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ – Lew Wallace
1. Full Citation Wallace, L. (1880) Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. New York: Harper & Brothers. 2. Introduction Ben-Hur is a historical novel that intertwines a tale of personal redemption with the life and times of Jesus Christ. It has played a significant role in Christian literature, blending adventure…
-
In His Steps – Charles Sheldon
1. Full Citation Sheldon, C.M. (1896) In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? Chicago: The Newman Press. 2. Introduction In His Steps is a Christian novel that popularized the phrase “What Would Jesus Do?” It explores the practical application of Christian ethics and discipleship through the lives of characters committing…
-
The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? – Rick Warren
1. Full Citation Warren, R. (2002) The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 2. Introduction The Purpose Driven Life is a bestselling Christian devotional that guides readers through understanding their purpose from a biblical perspective. Rick Warren emphasizes living a life centred…
-
The Pilgrim’s Progress – John Bunyan
1. Full Citation Bunyan, J. (1678) The Pilgrim’s Progress, edited by Roger Sharrock (2003). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2. Introduction The Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegorical Christian narrative depicting the spiritual journey of its protagonist, Christian, from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. It has profoundly influenced Christian…
-
The Hiding Place – Corrie ten Boom
1. Full Citation ten Boom, C., & Sherrill, E. (1971) The Hiding Place. Grand Rapids, MI: Chosen Books. 2. Introduction The Hiding Place is a memoir recounting Corrie ten Boom’s experiences hiding Jews during World War II and surviving Nazi concentration camps. It powerfully illustrates faith, forgiveness, and divine providence…
-
The Imitation of Christ – Thomas à Kempis
1. Full Citation à Kempis, T. (c. 1418–1427) The Imitation of Christ, translated by Aloysius Croft and Harold Bolton (1952). New York: Doubleday. 2. Introduction The Imitation of Christ is a devotional classic emphasizing the importance of humility, obedience, and spiritual discipline in following Jesus. It has deeply influenced Christian…
-
The Practice of the Presence of God – Brother Lawrence
1. Full Citation Lawrence, B. (circa 1692) The Practice of the Presence of God, translated by John J. Delaney (1963). New York: Image Books. 2. Introduction The Practice of the Presence of God is a classic Christian devotional text, comprising the collected teachings and letters of Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century…
-
The Diary of a Country Priest – Georges Bernanos
1. Full Citation Bernanos, G. (1936) The Diary of a Country Priest [Journal d’un curé de campagne], translated by Pamela Morris (1980). New York: New Directions. 2. Introduction The Diary of a Country Priest is a novel that offers a deeply spiritual and psychological portrait of a young priest serving…
-
Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence – Sarah Young
1. Full Citation Young, S. (2004) Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 2. Introduction Jesus Calling is a widely popular daily devotional that presents reflections written as if Jesus is speaking directly to the reader. Sarah Young offers encouragement and spiritual insight, focusing…
-
Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God – Francis Chan
1. Full Citation Chan, F. (2008) Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook. 2. Introduction Crazy Love challenges Christians to abandon lukewarm faith and embrace a passionate, wholehearted devotion to God. Francis Chan urges readers to respond to God’s overwhelming love with radical commitment…
-
Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World – Bob Goff
1. Full Citation Goff, B. (2012) Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. 2. Introduction Love Does is a collection of inspiring stories illustrating how love can actively transform lives. Bob Goff emphasizes the importance of living a life marked by action,…
-
The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out – Brennan Manning
1. Full Citation Manning, B. (1990) The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. 2. Introduction The Ragamuffin Gospel offers a powerful message of God’s unconditional grace and acceptance, particularly for those who feel spiritually broken or inadequate. Brennan Manning emphasizes God’s…
-
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream – David Platt
1. Full Citation Platt, D. (2010) Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books. 2. Introduction Radical challenges contemporary Christians to reconsider the comforts of modern American Christianity and return to a more authentic, sacrificial, and mission-focused faith modeled on the teachings of Jesus.…
-
The Shack – William P. Young
1. Full Citation Young, W.P. (2007) The Shack. New York: Windblown Media. 2. Introduction The Shack is a fictional novel exploring themes of suffering, forgiveness, and the nature of God. Through the protagonist’s encounter with the Trinity after a personal tragedy, the book invites readers to reconsider traditional views on…
-
The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected – Nik Ripken
1. Full Citation Ripken, N., & Ripken, S. (2013) The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. 2. Introduction The Insanity of God recounts the harrowing yet inspiring experiences of Nik Ripken as he ministers in some of the world’s most hostile environments for…
-
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name – Sally Lloyd-Jones
1. Full Citation Lloyd-Jones, S. (2007) The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 2. Introduction The Jesus Storybook Bible is a children’s Bible designed to present biblical narratives with an emphasis on how every story points to Jesus Christ. Sally Lloyd-Jones combines accessible storytelling…
-
Praying God’s Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds – Beth Moore
1. Full Citation Moore, B. (2002) Praying God’s Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. 2. Introduction Praying God’s Word is a devotional and instructional book on the power of biblical prayer. Beth Moore emphasizes aligning prayers with Scripture to overcome personal and spiritual obstacles. 3. Author…
-
Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed – Rick Renner
1. Full Citation Renner, R. (2005) Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed: The Power of the Holy Spirit at Work in You. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers. 2. Introduction Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed explores the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life, focusing on spiritual empowerment, renewal, and transformation in accordance…
-
Mere Christianity
Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis 1. Full Citation Lewis, C.S. (1952) Mere Christianity. New York: Macmillan Publishing. 2. Introduction Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is a profound and widely accessible apologetic work that seeks to present and defend the core beliefs of the Christian faith. Originally delivered as a series…
-
The Cost of Discipleship
The Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1. Full Citation Bonhoeffer, D. (1937) The Cost of Discipleship. Translated by R.H. Fuller. London: SCM Press. 2. Introduction The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a seminal work on Christian ethics, discipleship, and grace. Written during the rise of Nazi Germany,…
-
Confessions
Confessions – St. Augustine 1. Full Citation Augustine of Hippo (c. 397–400) Confessions. Translated by Henry Chadwick (1991). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2. Introduction St. Augustine’s Confessions is one of the most enduring and influential works in Christian literature. Written as both a personal spiritual autobiography and a theological reflection,…
-
Institutes of the Christian Religion
Institutes of the Christian Religion – John Calvin 1. Full Citation Calvin, J. (1536; final edition 1559) Institutes of the Christian Religion. Translated by Henry Beveridge (2008). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers. 2. Introduction John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion stands as one of the most influential theological works of…
-
The City of God
The City of God – St. Augustine 1. Full Citation Augustine of Hippo (c. 413–426) The City of God. Translated by Henry Bettenson (2003). London: Penguin Classics. 2. Introduction The City of God is a monumental work of Christian apologetics, philosophy, and theology written by St. Augustine in response to…
-
Summa Theologica
Summa Theologica – Thomas Aquinas 1. Full Citation Aquinas, T. (1265–1274) Summa Theologica. Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province (1920). New York: Benziger Bros. [Reprinted variously in modern editions]. 2. Introduction Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologica is a monumental work of medieval theology and arguably the most comprehensive and…
-
The Knowledge of the Holy
The Knowledge of the Holy – A.W. Tozer 1. Full Citation Tozer, A.W. (1961) The Knowledge of the Holy. New York: Harper & Row. 2. Introduction A.W. Tozer’s The Knowledge of the Holy is a concise yet profound devotional classic that explores the attributes of God in a spirit of…
-
The Pursuit of God
The Pursuit of God – A.W. Tozer 1. Full Citation Tozer, A.W. (1948) The Pursuit of God. Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, Inc. 2. Introduction A.W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God is a deeply influential devotional work that urges believers to seek an intimate, experiential relationship with God beyond mere…
-
Systematic Theology
Systematic Theology – Wayne Grudem 1. Full Citation Grudem, W. (1994) Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic. 2. Introduction Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology has become a modern evangelical staple for theological education. Aimed at students, pastors, and lay readers, this comprehensive volume organises key Christian…
-
Concise Theology
Concise Theology – J.I. Packer 1. Full Citation Packer, J.I. (1993) Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 2. Introduction J.I. Packer’s Concise Theology is a compact yet theologically rich resource aimed at equipping believers with an accessible overview of core Christian doctrines. Without…
-
Everyone’s a Theologian
Everyone’s a Theologian – R.C. Sproul 1. Full Citation Sproul, R.C. (2014) Everyone’s a Theologian: An Introduction to Systematic Theology. Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing. 2. Introduction In Everyone’s a Theologian, R.C. Sproul provides a clear, concise, and accessible introduction to systematic theology from a Reformed perspective. Designed for…
-
What Christians Ought to Believe
What Christians Ought to Believe – Michael F. Bird 1. Full Citation Bird, M.F. (2016) What Christians Ought to Believe: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine Through the Apostles’ Creed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic. 2. Introduction Michael F. Bird’s What Christians Ought to Believe presents Christian doctrine through the lens…
-
The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation
The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation – Richard Rohr 1. Full Citation Rohr, R. with Morrell, M. (2016) The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation. London: SPCK. 2. Introduction In The Divine Dance, Franciscan priest Richard Rohr invites readers into a mystical, relational understanding of the Trinity,…
-
The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology
The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology – Kevin J. Vanhoozer 1. Full Citation Vanhoozer, K.J. (2005) The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. 2. Introduction Kevin Vanhoozer’s The Drama of Doctrine proposes a groundbreaking theological method by…
-
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense – N.T. Wright 1. Full Citation Wright, N.T. (2006) Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense. London: SPCK. 2. Introduction Simply Christian by N.T. Wright is a modern apologetic and theological primer that rearticulates the core tenets of Christian faith in a postmodern world. Intended…
-
The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ
The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ – Fleming Rutledge 1. Full Citation Rutledge, F. (2015) The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 2. Introduction Fleming Rutledge’s The Crucifixion is a monumental theological work that reclaims the centrality and scandal of the cross for…
-
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony – Richard Bauckham 1. Full Citation Bauckham, R. (2006) Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 2. Introduction Richard Bauckham’s Jesus and the Eyewitnesses is a groundbreaking study in Gospels scholarship that challenges the dominant…
-
The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited
The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited – Scot McKnight 1. Full Citation McKnight, S. (2011) The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 2. Introduction In The King Jesus Gospel, Scot McKnight critiques the modern evangelical tendency to reduce the gospel to…
-
The Resurrection of the Son of God
The Resurrection of the Son of God – N.T. Wright 1. Full Citation Wright, N.T. (2003) The Resurrection of the Son of God. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. 2. Introduction The Resurrection of the Son of God is the third volume in N.T. Wright’s monumental Christian Origins and the Question of…
-
The Problem of Pain
The Problem of Pain – C.S. Lewis 1. Full Citation Lewis, C.S. (1940) The Problem of Pain. London: Geoffrey Bles. 2. Introduction In The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis tackles one of the most persistent challenges to Christian belief: why a good and omnipotent God permits suffering. Written during the…