25 Books Every American Christian Should Read (Updated)

A few years ago, I was inspired by Renovaré’s list of 25 books every Christian should read to write my own. Reading that post this week I realized it is no longer true (if you’re curious it is here). As I have grown over the last few years I have realized two important truths. First, the Christian experience goes beyond spirituality and too much of my original list was focused on that discipline. Second, that list had some books that are truly great and very important to me personally but simply are deep and esoteric (translation not for everyone). With that in mind and a deep thanks to a small group of friends who helped revise the list, here is my updated idea of books every American Christian should read.

To begin there are simply some universal spiritual classics that every Christian should consider reading.

• St. Athanasius On the Incarnation– This is a very brief book about the reality of Jesus’ incarnation, and it forms the foundation for all others that follow. I have yet to read a book that does a better job in as few words at explaining the incarnation.
• Julian of Norwich Revelations of Divine Love (Showings)– Every Christian should read something from a mystical tradition (especially if you, like me come from a more intellectual background). And while The Way of a Pilgrim & The Cloud of Unknowing are also great options I think Julian is the best place to start.
• St. Augustine Confessions– The first spiritual memoir and unmatched in the genre particularly for those whose faith is bolstered by hearing the struggles and successes of others, consider this as one of the absolute first on the list to read. Yes the last chapter gets a little esoteric but there is a rationale to it, don’t let it spoil the rest of the book.
• Brother Lawrence The Practice of the Presence of God– The book is Lawrence’s advice to a friend on how he tries to find God in everyday chores as he serves his monastery, this short book should be at the top of everyone’s must read list.
• Richard Foster A Celebration of Discipline– Foster is another author with the potential for multiple entries and I almost selected Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home but this one is essential. Foster maps out many different spiritual disciplines with the notion that discipline is not pleasant, but it is necessary for growth.
• Dallas Willard The Divine Conspiracy– This is a modern classic. Willard focuses on the being a disciple of Jesus. That is living practically according to the teaching of Jesus. This is the basis of Christianity, and we need to keep this in mind. This is the most recent book I have read on this list and while there might be some recency bias but I found this extremely helpful.
• Various The Sayings of the Desert Fathers–  A collection of the wisdom of the desert monks, these are short pieces of wisdom and cannot be rushed through, one must spend time with each saying before moving on to the next.

Every Christian needs to have a solid grasp of the Bible and not simply the stories but how it impacts our modern culture, these books provide that introduction.

• Eugene Peterson Eat This Book– Every Christian must wrestle with the question “What is the Bible and how do I read it?” Gordon Fee & Scot McKnight also have good introductions to this topic but Peterson’s book is one of the best on how to read the Bible and will expand your idea of how you connect to God’s Word.
• Esau McCaulley Reading While Black– “We got something to say” is a tagline for this book and McCaulley certainly does. He wants to show what the conservative African American tradition can bring to the table of Bible study and Theology. This tradition is underappreciated and needs to be heard, especially by those of us influenced by white American protestant traditions.
• N.T. Wright Surprised by Hope– We all need to have an idea of where we are going and this is best book on how to understand “The End”. Wright walks through God’s plan for the culmination of creation and dispels many rumors along the way. Understanding the Bible can be very difficult but these three books will go a long way to helping anyone get started.
• Walter Brueggemann Sabbath as Resistance– Sabbath is one of the most underappreciated Biblical ideas, particularly in our modern economically focused world. While others like Abraham Joshua Heschel have great messages on the topic, Brueggemann has the best combination of Biblical insight, practical wisdom, and brevity on the topic.
• L. Daniel Hawk The Violence of the Biblical God– One topic that leads more people away from God than about any other is violence, particularly the violence in the Old Testament. While others like Greg Boyd have written good books on the topic, nothing compares to Hawk’s. If you are going to read one book on how Christians should respond to violence let it be this one.
• Carmen Joy Imes Being God’s Image– I went back and forth on including this book but I ultimately decided that one of the most important concepts for Christians to understand is that we are God’s image. I think Imes has written the most accessible introduction to this topic. Imes also has two other books in this series that help fill out the concept of what it means to be God’s.

When it comes to theology Christians should have a focus on lived theology and so while I do recommend a couple proper theology books most of this focused on theology applied.

• C. S. Lewis Mere Christianity– This book comes out of Lewis’ radio addresses during WWII and shows his wit and intelligence as he describes how much it takes to be merely Christian. I think that every Christian should read this book but do not stop with Lewis, I would not rank this in my top 5 favorite Lewis books.
• Christopher Hall Living Wisely with the Church Fathers– Though I have emphasized the need to relate to modern society, Christopher Hall reminds us that we need to learn from our predecessors. This is just one of a 4 volume work which provides insight from the first few centuries of Christian thought. Learning how early Christians thought about their world helps strengthen our ability to live in ours.
• Martin Luther King Jr Strength to Love.– The concepts that King lays out in this book are something for every American Christian to wrestle with. What does it mean to love, particularly within our sinful world. This book does not feel at all dated and needs to be experienced by more Christians.
• Helmut Thielicke A Little Exercise for Young Theologians– This short read is very dense with wisdom. This is one of those books where I started highlighting and it seemed like I was highlighting every other paragraph. We tend to think of theology as an academic exercise but in reality, it is a discipline for every Christian. Thielicke helps the reader consider God without pressing his own theology, simply a wonderful book.
• Christine Pohl Making Room – There are many areas where the modern American Church can improve, but one of the most pressing is in community building. American Christianity is built on worshiping as individuals in large crowds; this mentality does not in any way foster community. This book helps Christians understand the importance of hospitality and intentional community building.
• Henri J. M. Nouwen The Wounded Healer– Nouwen is an amazing author and The Return of the Prodigal Son could easily be on this list also. But as I think about American culture I think am reminded of the trauma and brokenness so many live with and people learning to be healers through that brokenness is exactly what our world needs today.

To finish off the list I think there are simply some books that are outside the normal ones people think of but need to be encountered.

• Corrie Ten Boom The Hiding Place – This is an autobiography and specifically her experiences during World War II. Corrie and her family helped Jews escape the Nazi regime and paid the price being sentenced to Concentration Camps. Corrie’s story is about how God continued to help her and work through her during this time and culminates in an incredible story of forgiveness.
• Shusaku Endo Silence– Based on a true story, Endo tells a gripping story of Christians in 17th century Japan. But this is more than a historical novel, Endo is also telling the story of his own discomfort with God’s silence. Silence can be an uncomfortable read but it is certainly a must for anyone who wants to have a deep and well-rounded faith.
• Philip Yancey Soul Survivor– Yancey is a fabulous author and many of his books are well worth the time, but this one gets on the list because it is unique. Yancey does a masterful job walking through how his Christian journey was shaped by others and that is something our culture needs to learn. This book might not be on someone’s list in a century, but this type of book needs to be read.
• John Fea Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?– This is a list geared toward American Christians and with that there should be one book specifically on American Christianity. The question this book addresses is one of great debate and is necessary for all American Christians to wrestle with. John D. Wilsey and Mark Noll are also excellent but I think starting with Fea gives the best foundation.
• Francis Collins The Language of God– Dr. Collins is the former NIH Director and is one of the most respected scientists of our generation. In a world dominated and driven by science reading Dr. Collins’ story and thoughts on the relationship between science and faith is important for finding our place within modern Western Society. Particularly when we read that this topic is one of the major reasons young people have issues with the church.
• John Byron A Week in the Life of a Slave– The entire Week in the Life of… series is worth reading. I have not yet read all of them but each on I have read is amazing. They set the New Testament to a story that can make it come alive in a new way and Byron’s is my favorite of the ones I have read.

I hope you enjoyed my list and will consider picking up one or more of these fantastic books they have been life changing for me. And if you have suggestions for those I have missed let me know.