10 Books Every Christian Should Read

This list is inspired from THIS ARTICLE IN THE Huffington Post of the 25 Books Every Christian Should read, accessed on on October 1, 2011.  I have adapted their list for this Blog post.

Besides the Bible, these are Christian Books that I believe Christians should read:

1. On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius - In this book, Athanasius gives an account on the reasons for the Incarnation of Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man.

2. Confessions by St. Augustine - This work narrates Augustine's journey to faith in Christ.  It is written in poetic language as a "letter" to God.  It details his struggles and successes in his faith journey.

3. The Sayings of the Desert Fathers - In the 3rd-5th Century, some monks fled to the desert to try to live their faith through ascetic practices.  This book collects many of their sayings.

4. Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - While I have fundamental disagreements with Calvin's doctrine of predestination (that from the beginning of creation, God predestined some to salvation and some to damnation), this is a monumental work from the Reformation Period that exalts the sovereignty of God.

5.  Dark Night of the Soul by John of the Cross - John of the Cross was a Spanish Monk in the 16th Century.  This work is based off of his poem of the same name which describes the feeling that many, if not all Christians, experience from time to time - the feeling that God is not present in their lives.  But, John poetically describes that this season of loneliness ultimately results in a divine union with God.

6. The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton - Merton's spiritual autobiography that led him to become a Trappist Monk.

7. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis - The author of the Narnia Series of books gives a basic, common language approach to the fundamentals of the Christian Religion.

8. Getting Involved With God by Ellen Davis - This book is a journey through parts of the Old Testament and makes it relevant for today's world.  Davis shows that the God of the Old Testament is the same God we worship today.

9. What is Christianity? by Adolf von Harnack - Harnack is a Theological Liberal in every sense of the word in this book.  He is highly influenced by the Enlightenment Period with the explosion of science.  Harnack tries to make sense of the Bible in light of scientific developments of his time.  While I appreciate his attempt, he fails to recognize that the scientific laws were laws created by God and God can break these laws at any time.  I would not base my faith on this book, but it is helpful to understand post-Enlightenment religious thought.

10. Hannah's Child by Stanley Hauerwas - While not technically a "theological work," this may be Hauerwas' most true theological work.  In 2001, Hauerwas was named Time Magazine's "Best American Theologian."  Hannah's Child is his memoir of his study, family life, and career.