Book Recommendations

[Paleoconservatarian]

Let's say a young Reformed Christian has about a $100 to spend, and he wants to buy some books. He does not shy away from "heavy" or challenging content, of course . What would you recommend to him, so that his money is best spent?

 

[epitamyofthe9]

"The Screwtape Letters" by C.S lewis are interesting (but short)
any book you can find on the Enneagram is good.
hmm there are a lot of goog books out there, what kina of reading are you into?

 

[HiredGoon]

It all depends on what this young Reformed Christian has already read. But here are some that I would recommend:

John Calvin's "Institutes of the Christian Religion."
Any of the Puritan paperbacks such as John Owen's "The Mortification of Sin" or Richard Sibbe's "The Bruised Reed."
Anything by Jonathan Edwards
J. Gresham Machen's "Christianity and Liberalism."
Abraham Kuyper's "Lectures on Calvinism."
John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress."
George Marsden's "Jonathan Edwards: A Life."
Mark Noll's "The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind."
Thomas Watson's "Heaven Taken By Storm."

 

[Paleoconservatarian]

"The Screwtape Letters" by C.S lewis are interesting (but short)
any book you can find on the Enneagram is good.
hmm there are a lot of goog books out there, what kina of reading are you into?

I've got The Screwtape Letters. I'm really into all sorts of reading. You'll find on my meager shelves all kind of goodies, including fiction by Tolkien, Lewis, and others, economics texts, history, classics, literary journals, politics, technical books... what I don't have too many of is books for the Reformed reader, which is why I posted this thread here.

 

[McWilliams]

It all depends on what this young Reformed Christian has already read. But here are some that I would recommend:

John Calvin's "Institutes of the Christian Religion."
Any of the Puritan paperbacks such as John Owen's "The Mortification of Sin" or Richard Sibbe's "The Bruised Reed."
Anything by Jonathan Edwards
J. Gresham Machen's "Christianity and Liberalism."
Abraham Kuyper's "Lectures on Calvinism."
John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress."
George Marsden's "Jonathan Edwards: A Life."
Mark Noll's "The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind."
Thomas Watson's "Heaven Taken By Storm."

Wow, great list of great books there! I might add 'The Almost Christian Discovered' by Matthew Mead plus Boettner's The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination.

There are so many but HiredGoon's list is beautiful! There is a list of Puritan Paperbacks that can be bought cheap on amazon.com, used but in great shape. Sibbe's book is one of them. Look at them all as they are all good. Such as The Christian's Great Interest by Wm Guthrie. I have at least 15 Puritan Paperbacks and they are jewels!
So many books, so little time! Bless your reading and the being discerning of what you choose to read! What goes into the mind comes out in the life! Enjoy!

 

[Knight]

Christian Theology by M. Erikson

Bible Doctrine by W. Greudem

Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by RC Sproul

That should get you pretty close to $100.

If you have anything left go for:
Pillars of Christian Character by J. MacArthur

 

[strengthinweakness]

Every Reformed Christian (actually, every Christian, period) should have a copy of Knowing God, by J.I. Packer. If you haven't already read it, trust me-- once you do, you will never be the same. It is thought-provoking, challenging, convicting, and wonderfully moving-- a great book which truly helps the young Christian to (as the title promises) know God, both at the level of intellectual apprehension and at the level of personal relationship. Packer understands, better than many, that the mind and heart are both crucially important in knowing God, and that one should not be exalted to the denigration of the other.

I also recommend Saving Grace, by John Cheeseman. This little book packs in a LOT of information. It very helpfully explains each of the "5 points" of Calvinism and answers common objections to them, providing Scriptural references. You can buy Saving Grace at this great Reformed website which also carries many, many other great works: http://www.banneroftruth.org/

If you want some really heavy reading, you might want to try John Owen's examination of limited atonement, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (also available from Banner of Truth). I admit that I haven't tackled the entire work myself, but I plan to soon-- and what I have already read made my head spin! J.I. Packer's foreword to the book is a masterpiece itself (and much easier to read than Owen's actual text! ).

For outstanding devotional reading for the Reformed Christian, I recommend Charles Spurgeon's Autobiography (in two volumes). The pastor at my church, Mark Dever (who is himself a Reformed author), has been reading from Spurgeon's autobiography on Wednesday evenings, before our Bible studies. I have rarely been so moved as I was upon hearing Spurgeon's account of his conversion, its effects on him, and his thoughts about God's great grace, as displayed in that conversion.

 

[hlaltimus]

While the greatest shorter work on the Christian life was, in my mind, "Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan, the greatest lengthy work on the Christian life had to surely be "The Christian In Complete Armour" by William Gurnall. Gurnall was a conformistic English Puritan and his work is a priceless bulk of 1,200 pages of double column, fine type on only 11 verses from Ephesians chapter 6. There is nothing I know of which is quite so good.

 

[AndOne]

A lot of great recommendations there. I would add "The Bondage of The Will" by Martin Luther. It is one of those books that you will read again and again. Shouldn't cost too much either.

I'm in the same boat you are - I got $75 gift certificate to Amazon.Com for Christmas..

 

[McWilliams]

Another great Puritan Paperback is 'The Godly Man's Picture' by Thomas Watson.

The writings available on monergism.com and also on apuritansmind.com are great and allow you to read some of these authors before ordering the books. I've printed off much and made notebooks! When new to the doctrines of grace I printed the whole book of Machen's on Christianity and Liberalism. Lengthy project but I wanted to read it then!
Another great author today is Walter Chantry who is on Banner of Truth staff. He wrote 'Today's Gospel, Authentic or Synthetic and 'Call the Sabbath a Delight' and another 'Signs of the Apostles'.

 

[GrinningDwarf]

If your looking for some 'entry-level' stuff, I'd choose from (in no particular order):

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem (some Reformed folks might disagree with his stand on spiritual gifts, but I learned a lot about Reformed concepts from this book, and it's a lot easier for 'thick-headed folks' like me to follow than Louis Berkhoff!!)

The Sovereignty of God by Arthur W. Pink (pulls no punches on the topic)

The Westminster Shorter Catechism for Study Classes by G. I. Williamson (excellent beginners book)

The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Lortaine Boettner (in addition to explaining the Reformed positions, he also has great rebuttals to common objections)

Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther (this guy wasn't afraid to call an idiot an idiot!)

And, if you don't mind deeper stuff...Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin (You can get a two-volume set at www.christianbook.com right now for only $57.99. That's how I got mine.)

 

[Beoga]

I would recommend books by Gordon Clark or James White.
Other than that, people have recommended many great books that should suck away your 100 dollars very quickly.

 

[Beoga]

So I was just brousing www.christianbook.com, the site previously recommended, and Calvin's 22 Volume Commentary set is only $100! Me want bad!

http://www.christianbook.com/Christ...tp_id=296945&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW#details

 

[McWilliams]

Here's the CD of all his works for less than $20!

http://www.ageslibrary.com/ages_calvin_collection_1.html

 

[cygnusx1]

Everything by A W Pink !


The Life of David.
The Sovereignty of God
The Doctrine of Sanctification
The Doctrine of Election
Eternal Security
The life of Elijah
7 last sayings of Christ on the Cross
Divine Atrributes
Studies in The Scriptures (2 vols)
Hebrews commentary


any money left over ........... buy Pilgrims Progress and Calvin on Predestination

 

[erin74]

Children's Letters to God.....

or not I guess.

Check out matthiasmedia.com.au - i think they also have an american site. Some good stuff there.

 

[mlqurgw]

Children's Letters to God.....

or not I guess.

Check out matthiasmedia.com.au - i think they also have an american site. Some good stuff there.

I have several sets of commentaries by men who had great theological minds such as Gill, Matthew Henry, Calvin, but by far the best and most Christ centered that I have ever found is Robert Hawker. I have yet to read him without being made to see Christ and almost always learn something from him. I think the entire set is a little more than $100 though but not much. I believe you can get them from Gospel Mission who also sell many puritan and Reformed works very cheap. If you are interested I will post their address.

EDIT: Sorry Erin, I meant to reply to the thread not to you necessarily.

 

[mlqurgw]

Hawkers Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions is the best devotional I have ever read including Spurgeon's Morning and Evening. I believe it can be had for about thirty dollars.

 

[erin74]

EDIT: Sorry Erin, I meant to reply to the thread not to you necessarily.

No worries - it certainly made me read your whole post - looking for the reference to that great work of theology - Children's Letters to God.

 

[mlqurgw]

No worries - it certainly made me read your whole post - looking for the reference to that great work of theology - Children's Letters to God.

Hope you have a very happy birthday.