Posted on 04/22/2008 12:08:45 PM PDT by ChurtleDawg
Other than the Holy Bible, what writings should every Christian try to find and read, in your opinion?
For example: The Didache, writings by early Christian apologetics like Justin Matyr, St. Augustine's books, The Nicene Creed, the works of C.S. Lewis, Pope Benedict's book "Jesus of Nazareth", the Dead Sea Scrolls....etc.
These can be any book, writing or article that you think was essential to your understanding of Christianity, theology or to your interpretation of the Bible.
To answer your question directly, the bible is the only foundational document of Christianity. To ask which OTHER books one should read is to ask which commentaries on the bible are the best, or which best commends a Christian way of life. I’m a little taken aback by some of the highly sectarian suggestions. (Sectarianism is to religious denominations what partisanship is to political parties.)
As a Catholic, I find “the Soul of the Apostolate” to be an my favorite book on how to fall in love with God through an inner prayer life. I think the most contra-Catholic Calvinists would love its reliance on grace alone, but for the very Catholic-specific expressions. For instance, the author recommends nightly keeping a confessional journal, a practice Calvinists could love, but the expectation is that the journal will also perfect one’s mindfulness during the sacrament of reconciliation, which Calivinists don’t believe in.
In general, I’d recommend the writings of Augustine of Hippo, Therese of Lisieux, and C. S. Lewis (among Lewis’, particularly “the Screwtape Letters,” “Mere Christianity,” and “Out of the Silent Planet.”) But these are hardly foundational to Christianity.
For the record, C.S. Lewis was an atheist, converted to Christianity by J.R.R. Tolkein. He became England’s leading Christian apologist in the 20th century. He was an Anglican, with a very Catholic sensibility.
Augustine was a 4th-century bishop in Africa. Although a staunch defender of the papacy, he is much admired by Calvinists and other protestants, for his arguments against Pellagianism, the idea that man could merit salvation by his works. He is the first person to express the doctrine of original sin.
Therese of Lisieux was the youngest of many daughters of parents who were denied entrance into religious orders for mental incompetence. (They were, nonetheless, very devout and exemplary parents) She was very sickly for much of her brief life, and was unable to perform any great works. She was very humble, and considered herself barely literate. In great obedience to the demands of her superiors, she kept a diary, which, after her death, became a most moving tribute to her love of God. The best selling book of the 20th century (behind all the various publications of the bibles combined), she was named as the greatest saint of modern times, despite having done practically nothing in the eyes of the world.
The Lutheran Confessions, as contained in the Book of Concord
>> For an easy but wonderful read, try Introduction to the Spiritual Life by St. Francis de Sales. <<
Oh, yes, I second that! How could I have neglected that!
Luther’s Catechism and the Augsburg Confession
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis
Jack Chick cuts right to the chase. ;)
G.K. Chesterton
Other than the Holy Bible, what writings should every Christian try to find and read, in your opinion?
Every Christian?
Every Christian should be familiar with the ecumenical creeds, and have some idea of where they come from and why they were drawn up. I mean, it doesn't get any more basic than "I believe in God the father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, ...".
Every Christian should have some knowledge of Christian history, and try to be aware of where they sit in that history, so there's not some long vague gap between John on Patmos and the coming of D. L. Moody.
The Heidelberg Catechism
Heidelberg is good. Here's a musical version of question one.
These can be any book, writing or article that you think was essential to your understanding of Christianity, theology or to your interpretation of the Bible.
Personal? One out of many, an odd one: Dale Frederick Bruner's A Theology of the Holy Spirit. I read that around 1977 or so, to try to make sense of what was happening in a church that was wandering off into charismatic signs and wonders stuff. It's been that long since I read it, but I recall it as being a radically Christ centered reading of 1 Corinthians. That, BB. Warfield and some long mislaid primer on TULIP took me away from charismania straightaway.
It was intended as a manual for beginners as a compilation of all of the main theological teachings of that time. It summarizes the reasonings for almost all points of Christian theology in the West, which, before the Protestant Reformation, subsisted solely in the Roman Catholic Church. The Summa's topics follow a cycle: the existence of God, God's creation, Man, Man's purpose, Christ, the Sacraments, and back to God. It is famous for its five arguments for the existence of God, the Quinquae viae (Latin: five ways). Throughout his work, Aquinas cites Augustine, Aristotle, and other Christian, Jewish and even Muslim and ancient pagan scholars.
you are not far from the Kingdom of God!
In The Beginning Was Information, by Dr Werner Gitt
The Dictionary.
By your tagline I see you are probably an Eastern Christian, like my mother.
Voistinu Voskrese!
They play quotes from Chesterton on the Catholic Channel on Sirius radio. I like him alot.
Man seems to be capable of great virtues but not of small virtues; capable of defying his torturer but not of keeping his temper-—GK Chesterton
Fantastic List. This is the kind of heavy theological writing that I was looking for.
Crossing The Thresshold Of Hope, Pope John Paul II.
Bondage Of The Will; Luther
Confessions; Augustine
The Holiness Of God; Sproul
Anything by Jonathan Edwards
Putting Amazing Back Into Grace; Horton
Modern Reformation; published 6 times a year
Your Best Life Now (just checking to see if anyone is reading this)
I’m trying to gather my nerve to read City Of God by Augustine
Ohhhhh, BB Warfield. But of course!
Don’t let Soliton throw you; Asimov was an anti-Christian bigot and his books (I read many as a teen-ager) reflect his ignorant prejudices against the Bible and Christianity. They are worth reading mainly as a study into the minds of secular humanists.
I have an eclectic mix of suggestions - Chesterton and Lewis, as others have said, are worth reading, and Bunyan’s works (not just PP) are always enjoyable lighter reading. I haven’t ready Randy Alcorn (yet, someone gave me a copy of one of his books recently), but John MacArthur has also written a study on heaven that, as someone mentioned, is a worthy topic of study. For apologetics, look up the works of Jonathan Sarfati, Leonard Brand, Cornelius Van Til and Greg Bahnsen, not to mention Josh McDowell.
Dave Noebel’s work on worldviews (Understand the Times) is another must-read, as are the works of Francis Schaeffer. John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs (or better yet, Vol. I and II of Jesus Freaks by DC Talk - seriously) should also be read by Christians generally. And on the subject of persecution, Richard Wurmbrand’s autobiographical book Tortured for Christ is a classic (you might even be able to get it free from Voice of the Martyrs at Persecution.com).
On social issues, Marvin Olasky is a favorite of mine, but I hesitate to recommend more without knowing what your specific interests may be. There is a lot of great Christian literature out there, but it tends not to be found unless you make an effort to look for it (Satan/the world aren’t exactly in the business of promoting God’s perspective, ya know?)
God bless,
Eric
First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. Written during the apostolic age and read alongside scripture in many local churches prior to Nicea, Clement I explicitly states in its central chapter (44) that the process by which the episcopal college succeeded the apostolic college was established by the apostles themselves.
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