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Christian Classics

This is a list of enduring books that have stood the test of time and enriched the faith of generations of Christians. My friend and former pastor Ted Leach compiled it at my request in an afternoon, a blazing tour de force of theological prowess. If I were a real man, I would do two things:

1. I would make each title a hyperlink so you can buy your own copy easily.
2. I would read them.

The first goal is easily attainable, and I will accomplish it soon. The second is more challenging. But it was Ted himself who taught me that most of us overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in ten.

Taking the Bible Seriously, Leander E. Keck (the title expresses what Keck taught me to do)

The Unfolding Drama of the Bible, Bernhard W. Anderson  (a brief classic)

Shaped by the Word, by Robert Mulholland  (good intro to the Bible)

And You Shall Be As Gods, by Erich Fromm (I love his section about the Sabbath)

An Introduction to the Old Testament, by Walter Bruggemann

Old Testament Theology (two volumes), by Gerhard von Rad (for preachers & theologians)

With Jesus Through Galilee According to the Fifth Gospel, by Bargil Pixner  (good intro to biblical archaeology)

With Jesus in Jerusalem:  His First and Last Days in Judea, by Bargil Pixner (sequel to above)

The Bible Unearthed, by Israel Finkelstein & Neil Asher Silberman  (recent archaeological insights)

The Secret Message of Jesus, by Brian McLaren

Rabbi Jesus:  An Intimate Biography, by Bruce Chilton  (read it as a cultural backdrop for the gospels)

Rabbi Paul:  An Intellectual Biography, by Bruce Chilton

John Wesley, by Albert Outler (Of all the books about Wesley, Outler's would probably be the closest to a "classic")

The Book of Revelation, by Charles M. Laymon        (he helped me understand apocalyptic literature)

Beyond Belief, by Elaine Pagels       (helps us see the importance of Irenaeus of Lyons, and the emergence of the Gospel of John as the key lens through which the church has viewed Jesus)

The Confessions of Saint Augustine, John K. Ryan translation     (Classic, but dry; I wish Eugene Peterson would write a translation!)

The Rule of Saint Benedict, by Joan Chittister  (she makes this ancient document dance)

The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence  (short--63 small pages)

Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster  (his Freedom of Simplicity, and Prayer, are important, as well)

Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (also, Letters and Papers from Prison and Cost of Discipleship)

Night, by Elie Wiesel  (this can make the Holocaust an experiential reality rather than an historical event)

The Will of God, by Leslie Weatherhead (a brief classic that addresses the question everyone asks)

Victory Through Surrender, by E. Stanley Jones (my favorite book from one of our greatest souls)

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, by Eugene Peterson 

A History of Christian Thought  by Paul Tillich  (excerpt:  “Augustine lived from A.D. 354 to 430.  His influence overshadows not only the next thousand years but all periods ever since.”)

Systematic Theology , by Paul Tillich (a 3-volume classic that should be on every pastor’s shelf or any serious student of theology—long, with some dry spots, but full of wonderful gems)

Or, in lieu of Systematic Theology, you could choose The Shaking of the Foundations or The New Being (two collections of sermons—either would be a good intro to Tillich)

With Head and Heart, autobiography of Howard Thurman              (or one of these:  Deep is the Hunger, The Creative Encounter, Disciplines of the Spirit)

The Divine Milieu, by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin     (read what he says about our opus and God's Opus)

New Seeds of Contemplation, by Thomas Merton  (especially the chapter "Things in Their Identity")

Servant Leadership, by Robert K. Greenleaf  (or, get his little pamphlet that launched his writing career:  The Servant as Leader)

Journey Inward, Journey Outward, by Elizabeth O’Connor   (especially pp. 36-37)

Compassion, by Matthew Fox     (especially the chapter about sexuality--"climbing Jacob's ladder/dancing Sarah's circle"--and his understanding of transcendence as "future," rather than spatial)

A Hunger for Healing, by J. Keith Miller         (the 12 steps can help all of us--"sinners anonymous")

Reaching Out, by Henri Nouwen         (the three movements are worth memorizing)

Transcend, by Morton Kelsey      (a good introduction to a great mind and spirit) 

Worship and Spirituality, by Don E. Saliers  (if you're going to play a violin, might as well be a Stradivarius)

Our Prayer, by Louis Evely  (probably out of print, but a little classic in my mind about how prayer works)

Dreams:  God’s Forgotten Language, by John Sanford  (helped me understand Jacob's wrestling with "the man")

In Heaven As On Earth, M. Scott Peck (a novel--the most helpful material I've read about the afterlife)

The Soul of Christianity, Huston Smith

The Heart of Christianity, by Marcus Borg (read him before you read Spong)

A New Christianity for a New World, by John Shelby Spong (you may not agree with him, but hear what he has to say)

Growing Spiritual Redwoods, by William Easum and Thomas Bandy  (I keep returning to their take on the implications of the Council of Chalcedon)

The Call to Conversion:  Recovering the Gospel for These Times, by Jim Wallis (his early major work); or God’s Politics:  Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It, or Faith Works:  How to Live Your Beliefs and Ignite Positive Social Change

The 8^th Habit, by Stephen R. Covey (I’ve come late to the Covey party but I find him very helpful)

The Present Future, by Reggie McNeal

A History of God, by Karen Armstrong

A Short History of the Jewish People, by Raymond P. Scheindlin

Foolishness to the Greeks: The Gospel and Western Culture, by Lesslie Newbigin. (The last chapter, particularly, "What We Must Be: The Call to the Church" is especially helpful.

The Qur’an:  Text, Translation and Commentary, by Abdullah Yusuf Ali  (We Christians can no longer afford not to know our younger sibling.)

The Message, by Eugene Peterson

The New Oxford Annotated Bible (New Revised Standard Version), Third Edition -- these notes are essential for me

Today's New International Version Bible (a recently updated NIV)

Ted won't tell you this, so I will. He has written A Companion to the Hebrew Bible that is an excellent introduction to the Old Testament. You can read it by chapter here. He has also written How Does Reading the Bible Shape My Faith? A Study of Biblical Interpretation and Faith Development. Cokesbury will publish it in the fall of 2006.