Let’s say you have a friend who has recently converted to Christianity after a long period of spiritual turmoil. He grew up in a heterodox church (think Jehovah’s Witnesses, Church of Christ Scientist, etc.) that read the Bible but was largely untethered from the orthodox body of Christ, so while he grew up reading the Bible, it was from a theological perspective that is now of only limited use.
He’s intelligent and curious, and a fairly voracious reader, so he has done some solid homework and now knows a lot about Christianity, but doesn’t really feel like he knows Christianity from the inside, as a believer. So he is now looking for books to read that will not only help him to become truly grounded in the fundamentals of all areas of discipleship but that will also point him toward a long-lasting and deep faith in Jesus Christ.
For the record, he reads the Bible daily, he has already read most of C.S. Lewis’s widely-known works, so far he is generally inclined toward a Reformed theology, and he is a little antsy about charismatic worship. But again, he was raised outside of orthodox Christianity, so he is aware that he may not know what he doesn’t know.
So what books would you point him towards?
(PS, he’s me.)
Sailing to Byzantium 
what have you read by Dallas Willard? I’d start with The Divine Conspiracy.
I’d also recommend Celebration of Disciplines by Richard Foster.
There’s a lot of love for Henri Nouwen, NT Wright, Tim Keller and Bonheoffer as well.
Hmm, you’ve recommended The Divine Conspiracy before, and I’ve almost picked it up a couple of times. Duly noted.
Tim Keller’s The Reason for God is already on my to-read list. Anything else by him you would suggest?
I have all of Wright’s New Testament for Everyone series and I really like them. I’m a little skeptical about the New Perspective on Paul, but in general I like Wright a lot and will probably get around to reading most of his popular stuff.
I’d like to read The Cost of Discipleship, but I have been led to understand that it is kind of dense reading, and right now I am looking for more accessible stuff (I’ve read Augustine’s Confessions and a big chunk of Calvin’s Institutes in the past year, so I am not neglecting the weightier matters…). Also I would probably try to read it in German.
I don’t know anything about Nouwen; any particular suggestions?
It may sound silly, but you may like “A Year of Living Biblically” by A J Jacobs. While it’s not theology per se, it follows the writer’s journey through living a true literalist lifestyle. He actually stoned adulterers (not to death, but you see how far he’s going?).
He does talk to a lot of priests and rabbis about the Bible and living as either Jewish or Christian, and I think it would help point you in the direction of the answers you’re looking for while giving you some nice laughs.
On Loving God by Bernard of Clairvaux
The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes
Any history by Jaroslav Pelikan
Knowing God by J I Packer
Christianity and Liberalism by J Gresham Machen
On the Incarnation by Athanasius
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ by John Owen
Mix in commentaries on creeds, catechism, and confessions.
As an intro into “culture” try a Secular Faith by Darryl Hart.
“Just finished reading a book called The Shack – it was very good.”
😉
zomg lol
gundek, I’ve read Athanasius’s On the Incarnation and I am currently digging into the Westminster Confession and Catechisms.
I’ve had my eye on John Owen for awhile, but how accessible is he? I mean in terms of content, not language–I am not even slightly daunted by 17th-century English, but am wary of getting ahead of myself theologically and/or philosophically. Also, I had been planning on starting with his Communion with the Triune God–do you think that Death of Death is a better place to start?
My reading of theology has been undisciplined, after spending 20 years enlisted much devotional literature stuck me as condescending and as long as a book doesn’t require language, I’ll wade in and gut it out.
Owen can be ponderous to read but his treatment of the atonement is classic. I started with Owen in an abridged version of “Of the Mortification of Sin” and “John Owen on the Christian Life” by Sinclair.Ferguson. Communion with the Triune God is important I read it after Robert Letham’s “Holy Trinity”.
“The Reformed Faith” by Robert Shaw is a nice commentary on the Westminster Confession
The entire “Contours of Christian Theology” series is a broadly Reformed study.
Try “Against the Heathen” by Athanasius. I was introduced to it by John Behr’s “The Nicene Faith”. I think it is important to keep going back to the catholic doctrines.
When examining Reformed Theology do not neglect covenant theology. I enjoyed O. Palmer Robertson “Christ of the Covenant”. Covenant theology is important to Reformed orthodoxy despite some disagreements within the system. It provides a hermetic grid for continuity and discontinuity between the two Testaments. Covenant Theology is a substantial distinctive between Presbyterian/Reformed on the one hand and dispensational Calvinistic Baptists
Before I just send you pictures of my book shelves don’t get to bogged down with the intra-reformed partisans. The confessions are the antidote to getting swept up into the arguments about who is really Reformed the Vosians, Klineians, Van Tillians, Clarkians etc. All important thinkers but sometimes their partisans need to take up a hobby.
Have you tried CCEL? It is a free service of Calvin College. By getting an account you can highlight and markup your own electronic versions.
They have the ANCF and the PNCF making reading the early church affordable.
http://www.ccel.org/
Oh huh, I’ve been to the site (to look at Calvin’s commentaries) but didn’t realize you could do more with an account. I have a hard time reading things on a screen though.
I understand there is something about paper that cannot be replaced.
It’s actually a pretty easy read, at least in English.
Pelikan is great, as gundek said. But, that is not an easy read.
Anything by Martin Luther is also an easy read, again speaking about the English versions.