2 Cents

There are lots of good Christian books out there... but there are lots of bad ones too. How do you know the good from the bad? What I do is listen to people I trust biblically and read what they recommend. In that light, here are my recommendations for just a few of the best books I've read in each of these categories. Of course, if you only have time to read one book... make it the Bible.


Systematic Theology
The Faith Once for All - Jack Cottrell

Doctrine of God
Knowing God - J.I. Packer
What the Bible Says About God (3 vols) - Jack Cottrell

The Cross
Cross of Christ - John Stott

Bible Study
How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth - Gordon Fee and Doug Stuart
Exegetical Fallacies - D.A. Carson

The Reliability of the Bible
Canon Revisited - Michael J. Kruger
The Canon of Scripture - F.F. Bruce
The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? - F.F. Bruce
A Peculiar Glory - John Piper

Prayer
Prayer - Tim Keller
Praying the Bible - Donald Whitney

Discipleship
Master Plan of Evangelism - Robert Coleman
The Trellis and the Vine - Colin Marshall & Tony Payne
Insourcing - Randy Pope

Spiritual Disciplines
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life - Donald Whitney
The Practice of the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence

Eschatology
The Bible and the Future - Anthony Hoekema
A Case for Amillennialism - Kim Riddlebarger

Sexuality
What is the Meaning of Sex? - Denny Burk
The Bible and Homosexual Practice - Robert Gagnon
What Does the Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality? - Kevin DeYoung
Openness Unhindered - Rosaria Butterfield
Is God Anti-Gay? - Sam Allberry
Transgender - Vaughan Roberts

Suffering
Walking With God Through Pain & Suffering - Tim Keller
How Long O Lord? - D.A. Carson

Marriage
The Meaning of Marriage - Timothy Keller
This Momentary Marriage - John Piper
Headship, Submission, and the Bible - Jack Cottrell
Sex, Romance, & the Glory of God:  What Every Christian Husband Needs to Know - C.J. Mahaney

Preaching
Lectures to My Students - C.H. Spurgeon
Preaching - Tim Keller
Expositional Preaching - David Helm
Brothers, We Are Not Professionals - John Piper
Saving Eutychus - Gary Millar & Phil Campbell

Baptism
Baptism: A Biblical Study - Jack Cottrell
Baptism in the New Testament - G.R. Beasley-Murray
Baptism & The Remission of Sins - David Fletcher, ed.

Church Issues
What is the Mission of the Church? - Kevin DeYoung & Greg Gilbert
Women in the Church - Andreas Kostenberger & Tom Schreiner

Pornography/Lust
Finally Free - Heath Lambert
Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain - William Struthers

Abortion
Case for Life - Scott Klusendorf
Abortion: A Rational Look at an Emotional Issue - R.C. Sproul
Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions? - Randy Alcorn

Culture
Onward - Russell Moore
The Intolerance of Tolerance - D.A. Carson

Apologetics & Philosophy
Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
The God Who Is There - Francis Schaeffer
The Kingdom of the Cults - Walter Martin