Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. (Ecc 12:9b)
Here is Pastor Adam Chandler’s recommendations for reading. These are useful for private study and growth. Of course, none of the books listed below can replace holy scripture. The Bible should be read diligently and daily with the consumption of an entire book at a time or a meditation of a single verse. God works through the words He speaks and the Holy Spirit can use the words found in scripture to bring us everlasting life in Jesus. Reading other books assists us in understanding of faith and life in Christ, as well as providing understanding of the world around us. This list is divided into a number of sections to help provide background from numerous angles.
- Books Every Christian Should Read
These books are those I would recommend most highly to anyone doing serious study in the faith. They help to properly read the scriptures proclaiming our Lord.
Book of Concord
A collection of the confessional documents used by the Evangelical Lutheran Church which explain the doctrine of the Bible systematically. There have been numerous translations of the Book of Concord into English. Here is one translation in text (Index | Book of Concord) and another translation as an audiobook (LibriVox). The text’s website has a lot of background information to help explain the form and content of the Book of Concord.
Lectures on Galatians
Martin Luther
For Christianity in a couple-hundred-page nutshell, there is Luther’s lectures on Galatians. He talks about how we are saved by grace alone in Christ and not as a result of our own efforts. There are two sets of lectures: one from 1519 and the other greatly revised and expanded in 1535. Here is the 1535 version in text (Commentary on the Epistle to The Galatians, by Martin Luther) and the 1519 version as an audiobook (LibriVox).
The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel
C.F.W. Walther
As Walther says, “To rightly distinguish Law and Gospel is the most difficult and highest Christian art—and for theologians in particular.” The topic of Law and Gospel articulates how we are saved and what place works have in the Christian life. It deals with the heart of the faith. Concordia Publishing House has a good reader’s edition for laypeople, but there are free texts (Walther’s Law and Gospel) and audiobooks (LibriVox) available.
- Devotional Reading
Here are works that are nourishing to the faith through their use of art and honesty for the condition of humanity and our need for the love of Jesus.
Sacred Meditations
Johann Gerhard
An early work from a later theological giant, Gerhard explores the sin which cuts to the soul and the love of Christ which heals all evil. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for self-reflection. It can be found for free in text (Gerhard’s Sacred Meditations) and audio (LibriVox).
Hymns of the Passion
Hillgrímur Pétersson
A gem written by an Icelandic bishop. These beautiful poems speak of the life of Christ from the Garden of Gethsemane to the resurrection and how each step in our Lord’s journey was out of love for us. I recommend reading them during Lenten meditations.
- Bible Commentaries
Commentaries are written at many different levels of reading. Few in my library are directed toward laypeople, but there are some I suggest that can foster better understanding for certain books of the Bible.
Ecclesiastes: An Introduction & Commentary
Michael A. Eaton
Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (TOCT)
An academic work but accessible to people with a high school reading level and willing to stretch their knowledge of Ecclesiastes. The author does a good job centralizing interpretation of Ecclesiastes on key passages which reveal the book’s intent. While things might seem utterly meaningless in this world, we can find joy in them because everything is a gift from God. A relatively cheap volume, this can pop up in used book stores from time to time.
Beyond Suffering: Discovering the Message of Job
Lawton Talbert
While I disagree with some of Talbert’s interpretations, going through the commentary on Job is incredibly helpful for anyone wishing to understand the heart of the biblical book. Job’s struggle is incredibly drastic, yes, but the testimony of Job is meant for everyone in the faith to know since all people have experienced grief and sorrow in their lives.
- Lutheran Thought and Doctrine
The books in this section are to assist in fleshing out particular perspectives in the life of faith from a Lutheran point of view. All of them are meant to help you understand what Christianity is about.
Heaven on Earth: The Gifts of Christ in the Divine Service
Arthur A. Just
A detailed look into the divine service used in the Lutheran Church. It goes into the theology of every part of the service to show how the worship service from start to finish brings us into the presence and grace of our God. For anyone wanting even greater background information of Lutheran worship in general, Gathered Guests: A Guide to Worship in the Lutheran Church by Thomas H. Maschke is the standard textbook.
Lutheranism 101
Scot Kinnaman
A good volume to get a good overview of Lutheran Christianity in theory and in practice, focusing on how grace in Christ comes to us. There are many helpful notes on theology, history, and terminology throughout.
Grace upon Grace: Spirituality for Today
John Kleinig
This helpfully explains the form spirituality takes. For a Lutheran, it is more contemplative rather than charismatic where we recognize our need for grace as sinners. The life of faith centres around baptism, prayer, corporate worship services, participation in the Lord’s Supper, and constantly being in the Bible.
God at Work
Gene Veith
Every calling (vocation) from God through natural gifts, opportunities, and scripture is to help our neighbours. For example, God calls you to be a son or daughter by being born and you are to serve your parents dutifully in this vocation. God also takes care of you by calling other people to serve you in their callings as well.
The Spirituality of the Cross
Gene Veith
Veith’s account of how he came to Lutheranism and the riches of God’s grace he found being proclaimed in it. The forgiveness of sins by Jesus at the cross is the foundation of faith and from this foundation come the means by which grace come to us, that is, the sacraments. Now forgiven in Christ, we live in our God-given callings (vocations) for the benefit of our neighbours.
- Fiction
Jesus often used parables to explain abstract concepts through metaphors. Sometimes fiction can explain something in a way that can touch the heart and mind better than an analytical exposition ever could.
Pilgrim’s Progress
Jon Bunyan
An allegory of the Christian life written in the 17th century. The narrative follows Christian Pilgrim who has found a book which sets him on a journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. This represents the journey of all believers from the evils of the world to God’s heavenly kingdom. It can be found for free in text (The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan) and audio (LibriVox).
The Trial
Franz Kafka
The main character suddenly finds himself arrested by a mysterious court for a crime of which he has no knowledge. The book shows his efforts into trying to prove he is not guilty of…something. From a Christian perspective, it is a fascinating exploration of law working within this world without grace. You can think of it to be like the book of Job—if Job did not rely on his faith to hear God but tried to save himself through worldly efforts. There is a free version of the text online (The Trial by Franz Kafka).
Perelandra
C.S. Lewis
The middle volume of Lewis’ Space Trilogy which also includes Out of the Silent Planet and That Hideous Strength (the unfinished The Dark Tower can be considered another sequel). A man journeys from Earth to Venus to find the planet still as an Eden. He has been tasked to assist the Eve of that world to not fall into temptation to have another world plagued with sin. Lewis brilliantly plays with biblical imagery and showcases how difficult our fight against the devil truly is.
J.B.: A Play in Verse
Archibald MacLeish
An adaptation of the book of Job for the 20th century as told by two characters adopting the roles of God and Satan. The play draws out the elements of Job’s living in the blessings of God and the painful sorrow of losing his family. MacLeish is not a theologian but he well describes the struggle of our lives in God when we experience hardship.
The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R. Tolkien
An immense novel in three parts (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King) in which Tolkien spins a story rooted in Christian thought told through Germanic mythology. Frodo must bear the greatest evil loose in the world to bring it into destruction at great personal cost. The tale is meant to mimic Jesus’ journey to the cross to triumph over sin, death, and the devil. (The movie adaptations are also excellent.)
- Apologetics
These books are useful for defending the faith. The language is more philosophical than theological because it communicates the validity of the scriptures to people who otherwise would not believe them.
Mere Christianity
C.S. Lewis
A compilation of radio broadcasts from the 1940s that are written out. Lewis presents the case for the basics of the Christian faith. He tackles quite a few different angles and objections to present numerous reasons why Christianity is true. The book is written in a way that is easily accessible to most readers.
Tractatus Logico-Theologicus
John Warwick Montgomery
This sets forth the Christian faith and its defense in an extremely logical and straightforward manner, touching on all major topics in the field of apologetics. The language and logic are somewhat advanced so I would say it is at a university reading level.
Religion on Trial
Craig Parton
An excellent short work dealing with the validity of Christianity from the Bible. Parton is a lawyer, so he is trying to present a case built on evidence to show that, beyond a reasonable doubt, salvation is found in Jesus Christ.
Genetic Entropy
J.C. Sanford
Written by a geneticist, the book deals with what I consider to be the best argument for God from a naturalist perspective. From all available data, genetic material breaks down from generation to generation. Since all our genes are breaking down, this indicates there is no natural way for it to be built up. Without a creator, there is no reason to believe our DNA could have come about on its own much less improve itself through evolution.
- Academic Books
This section is for people who are familiar reading at a university level and who desire to delve into more complex matters of faith.
The Examination of the Council of Trent (Vol. 1-4)
Martin Chemnitz
Known as the “Second Martin” of Lutheranism after Martin Luther, Chemnitz was instrumental in presenting the case for proper scriptural beliefs after the death of Luther. The Examination is a major work by Chemnitz examining Roman Catholicism’s response to the Reformation and presenting why Lutheran beliefs exemplify scripture and historical Christianity.
On the Bondage of the Will
Martin Luther
One of Luther’s most acclaimed works. Luther delves into the issue of free will. He argues that we cannot will ourselves toward God or His grace because our wills have been tainted with sin. We need God’s grace to free us from our sinful condition and uphold us throughout our lives. Here is the free text (luther_arbitrio.pdf) and audiobook (LibriVox).
Christian Dogmatics (Vol. 1-3)
Franz Pieper
The classical dogmatics series from the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Pieper is excellent in expositing matters of the faith systematically. A difficult read on some points but always rewarding.
- Philosophy
The books listed here provide great incite into theology by applying philosophy. For anyone unaccustomed to reading philosophy, I strongly recommend acquiring a print copy of these books which contain notes on the matters of discussion to facilitate your understanding of the philosophers’ arguments.
Fear and Trembling
Søren Kierkegaard
A look into how Abraham lived out his faith by following God’s command to sacrifice Isaac. Kierkegaard argues that Abraham went beyond mere sensibilities and beyond ethics into the sphere of faith. Abraham trusted God to work all things for good even when Abraham himself did not understand what good might occur or how it might come about. In my opinion, Kierkegaard surpasses some of the greatest professional theologians in exploring and explaining this hard passage of scripture. The text can be found for free online (FEAR AND TREMBLING).
Sickness unto Death
Søren Kierkegaard
When Lazarus died from a sickness, Jesus remarked that this sickness was not unto death because Lazarus still had life in Jesus. Kierkegaard explores what would actually count as a sickness unto death, which would be a separation from God. The text is online for free (Kierkegaard Sören – The Sickness Unto Death)
Pensées
Blaise Pascal
A collection of a brilliant thinker’s thoughts on theology from a philosophical perspective. While not doctrinally perfect, Pascal’s thoughts struggle with some of the most important aspects of faith which can stimulate the reader’s own thoughts on the matters. Herein is also contained Pascal’s famous wager where he concludes through probability theory that it is better to believe in God then not believe. It can be found free online in text (Pascal’s Pensées) and audio (LibriVox).