The Best Christian Books of 2013

Things have been very busy, so I’m just now getting to my Best Christian Books of 2013. Some qualifiers: 

All the works are non-fiction.

The books were read - but not necessarily published - in 2013. 

I believe all of these books can be found in the SPEP Resource Center. (If you find that any of them are not, please let me know.)

I hope you find something on this list that will encourage, challenge, edify and strengthen you on your Christian walk. My Top 12 in alphabetical order by author’s last name:

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey Into Christian Faith (2012) Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

The story of a former tenured professor of English at Syracuse University and her conversion to Christianity is an excellent, intelligent read, but may contain perhaps a bit too much of an emphasis on the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America for some readers. Overall an excellent memoir. 

Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church (2010) Kenda Creasy Dean

Dean’s book is based on the 2003-2005 National Study of Youth and Religion, examining why many American teens profess Christianity, yet seem so apathetic about it in their lives. Oxford University Press seems an odd publisher for this book, and the work does come across as somewhat academic at times, yet Dean fills each chapter with practical information as well as suggestions for prayerfully turning things around. 

Her strongest theme throughout is the concept of building “behind the wall” conversations with teens. The idea comes from 2 Kings 18-19, which recounts Jerusalem being surrounded by the Assyrians. The Assyrian negotiator taunts Israel and God while Israel’s leaders are behind the wall, having conversations with God’s people, reminding them of who God is and His faithfulness to them. 

Almost Christian is an essential read for youth leaders, church leaders, pastors and parents. 

Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem (2013) Kevin DeYoung

If you feel like you don’t have time to read this book, you really should read this book! You may be surprised at some of the root causes of our busyness and the biblical solutions DeYoung offers in this short, excellent work. 

Schaeffer on the Christian Life: Countercultural Spirituality (2013) William Edgar

(This work is part of the Theologians on the Christian Life series which also includes works on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Wesley and an upcoming volume on John Calvin.)

Francis Schaeffer was a giant of Christian thinking in the 20th century, but reading his work can be a challenge. Producing any introductory work on Schaeffer is no easy task, but Edgar does a fine job of giving an overview of Schaeffer’s life and work.  Please read more.  

Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World (2012) Bob Goff

A very simple, easy-to-read book that will change how you look at your spiritual life. Goff’s book may be a light, quick, often humorous hilarious read, but there’s a wealth of wisdom within its pages. Regardless of what we’ve been led to believe by the culture, love isn’t primarily about thoughts and feelings; it’s about doing. Here’s a book you can read in a day, but its lessons will stay with you for a lifetime. 

Meaning at the Movies: Becoming a Discerning Viewer (2010) Grant Horner

You don’t have to be a movie fanatic (like me) to enjoy and learn from this book. Horner spends a good chunk of his introduction discussing movies, the concept of truth, the nature of our culture, and the authority of Scripture. This is essential for appreciating what he has to say about film and worldview. Meaning at the Movies has now become my “go-to” book on film and the Christian worldview. 

Love Into Light: The Gospel, the Homosexual and the Church (2013) Peter Hubbard

I’ve read a few books on homosexuality and Christianity and perused several others. Most are not worth your time, but Hubbard’s short book manages to convey biblical truth with grace, gentleness and respect. Highly recommended.

The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (2011) Timothy Keller

Putting a Tim Keller book on your Best of the Year list is a no-brainer. Essential reading for anyone, whether you’re married or not. 

Reverberation: How God’s Word Brings Light, Freedom, and Action to His People (2011) Jonathan Leeman

Please read more about it. 

The Returning King: A Guide to the Book of Revelation (2000) Vern S. Poythress

Some writers and commentators avoid the Book of Revelation. Not Poythress. Please read more.   

Sex & Money: Pleasures That Leave You Empty and Grace That Satisfies (2013) Paul David Tripp

“Pleasure. We live in a world obsessed with finding it, passionate about enjoying it, and desperate about maintaining it. Chief among such objects of affection are sex and money--two pleasures unequaled in their power to captivate our attention and demand our worship. In what is sure to become an instant classic, popular author Paul David Tripp pulls back the curtain on the lies of our flesh and the ways we distort God's good gifts, examining the insanity of our culture and exposing our tendency to fall prey to the hollow promises of this world. In exploring how God's grace frees us from futile pursuits, Tripp directs readers to the wisdom of God in Scripture and the liberating power of the gospel, offering practical guidance on finding true joy and enduring satisfaction.” (Goodreads)

Sexual Sanity for Men: Re-Creating Your Mind in a Crazy Culture (2012) David White 

Please read more here. 

And also let me know what you read and enjoyed in 2013! 

Coming to the Resource Center Early November

A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good (2011) Miroslav Volf

Debates rage today about the role of religions in public life. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, various religions come to inhabit the same space. But how do they live together, especially when each wants to shape the public realm according to the dictates of its own sacred texts and traditions? How does the Christian faith relate in the religious pluralism of contemporary public life? 

While Volf argues that there is no single way Christian faith relates to culture as a whole, he explores major issues on the frontlines of faith today: 1) In what way does the Christian faith come to malfunction in the contemporary world, and how should we counter these malfunctions? 2) What should a Christian's main concern be when it comes to living well in the world today? and 3) How should we go about realizing a vision for human flourishing in relation to other faiths and under the roof of a single state? 

Covering such timely issues as witness in a multifaith society and political engagement in a pluralistic world, this compelling book highlights things Christians can do to serve the common good.

Mistakes Leaders Make (2012) Dave Kraft

Anyone involved in leadership knows that it's tough and mistakes are bound to happen. But some mistakes are more costly than others and can result in the end of effectiveness, the loss of important relationships, and disqualification from ministry.

Using the story of a fictitious church team to demonstrate the problems, principles, and practice of finding solutions, leadership expert Dave Kraft uncovers the top 10 critical mistakes leaders make and shows you how to avoid them so you can have ministry and relationships that last.

Business for the Glory of God: The Bible’s Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business (2012) Wayne Grudem

Can business glorify God? We normally think of worship, faith,
evangelism, and other "spiritual" activities as glorifying to God,
but business? Wayne Grudem believes that by engaging in work and business we glorify God because we are emulating God's own creative work. This book is a thoughtful guide to imitating God during interactions with customers, coworkers, employees, and other businesses.

Meaning at the Movies: Becoming a Discerning Viewer (2010) Grant Horner

Hollywood produces, packages, and sells hundreds of movies every year. Many of these movies propagate a distorted sense of morality and ethics. Under the surface of immoral behavior and unlawfulness, however, there can be deeper problems in Hollywood's messages. What are these stories telling the viewer about life, relationships, and God? What worldviews and ideas do they espouse? If Christians are to tread carefully at the theater complex, they need resources to help them.

This book is just such a resource. By exploring the relationship between Christianity and art, the theology of biblical discernment, and a brief history of filmmaking, as well as through analysis of popular films, Meaning at the Movies equips readers for careful discernment in the cinema. The book does not simply list criteria for judging film art; instead it encourages Christians to develop biblical and critical discernment in regard to not only film, but all aspects of culture.

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering (2013) Timothy Keller

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering is the definitive Christian book on why bad things happen and how we should respond to them. The question of why there is pain and suffering in the world has confounded every generation; yet there has not been a major book from a Christian perspective exploring why they exist for many years.

The two classics in this area are When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, which was published more than thirty years ago, and C. S. Lewis’s The Problem of Pain, published more than seventy years ago. The great secular book on the subject, Elisabeth Ku¨bler-Ross’s On Death and Dying, was first published in 1969. It’s time for a new understanding and perspective, and who better to tackle this complex subject than Timothy Keller?

As the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, Timothy Keller is known for the unique insights he shares, and his series of books has guided countless readers in their spiritual journeys. Walking with God through Pain and Suffering will bring a much-needed, fresh viewpoint on this important issue.

Coming to the Resource Center Late October

C.S. Lewis: A Life: Eccentric Genius. Reluctant Prophet. (2013) Alister McGrath

"McGrath's new biography of C.S. Lewis is excellent. It's filled with information based on extensive scholarship but is nonetheless extremely readable. It not only devotes great attention to the formation and character of Lewis, it offers incisive and balanced analyses of all his main literary works. I devoured Lewis's works in my youth. His impact on me was so profound and lasting, and McGrath clearly explains why so many can say the same thing." - Timothy Keller

The Screwtape Letters (1942) C.S. Lewis

This classic has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to "Our Father Below." At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis give us the correspondence of the worldly-wise old devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptation - and triumph over it - ever written. (from the publisher)

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are (2010) Ann Voskamp

One Thousand Gifts beckons you to leave the parched ground of pride, fear, and white-knuckle control and abandon yourself to the God who overflows your cup. As Ann Voskamp invites you into her own moments of grace, she gently teaches you how to biblically lament loss, turning pain into poetry; intentionally embrace a lifestyle of radical gratitude; and slow down and catch God in the moment. (from the publisher)

The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross (1918) A.W. Pink

The words Christ spoke from the cross can inform Christians of the purpose, the meaning, the sufferings, and the sufficiency of his death. After an introduction that discusses the nature of Christ's death as natural, unnatural, preternatural, and supernatural, Dr. Arthur W. Pink clearly illustrates the lessons that can be drawn from Christ's words-lessons on forgiveness, salvation, affection, anguish, suffering, victory, and contentment. (Goodreads)

Coming to the Resource Center Mid-October

Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book About a (Really) Big Problem (2013) Kevin DeYoung

Kevin DeYoung addresses the busyness problem head on in his newest book - and not with the typical arsenal of time-management tips, but with the biblical tools we need to get to the source of the issue and pull the problem out by its roots. Highly practical and super short, Crazy Busy puts an end to "busyness as usual."

Word Versus Deed: Resetting the Scales to a Biblical Balance (2012) Duane Litfin

"Provides a wholly biblical answer that establishes the full primacy of proclamation together with the role of deeds in demonstrating the gospel to a watching world - utterly compelling." - R. Kent Hughes, Senior Pastor Emeritus, College Church, Wheaton, Illinois

Welcome to the Story: Reading, Loving, & Living God's Word (2011) Stephen J. Nichols

Stephen NIchols helps us to experience the story and get more out of God's Word. Here is a book that invites you to enter, to participate, and to truly appreciate the very story of God.


And a couple of DVD series:

Westminster Conference on Science & Faith: God and Materialism (2011)

What is the scientific evidence for a materialistic worldview? Does materialism help or hinder the operation of good science? And what impact has materialism had on culture, including Biblical studies and theology? Speakers include professor Vern Poythress, astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez, biologist Jonathan Wells and many more. 10 hours on 3 DVDs. 

Westminster Conference on Science & Faith: Science, Human Origins, & Human Dignity (2012) 

Does modern biology support or undercut human uniqueness? What does it really mean to be "created in the image of God?" And what are the social and ethical implications of our view of the human person? Speakers include psychologist Edward Welch, biologists Richard Sternberg and Ann Gauger, political scientist John West, theologian Vern Poythress and more. 12 hours on 4 DVDs.

Four Books Worth Your Time

Things have been so busy lately, I haven’t had time to properly review several of the good books I’ve read. Here’s a brief snapshot of a few that I’ve recently read, all of which are either in the Resource Center or will be soon.

Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church (2010) Kenda Creasy Dean

Dean’s book is based on the 2003-2005 National Study of Youth and Religion, examining why many American teens profess Christianity, yet seem so apathetic about it in their lives. Oxford University Press seems an odd publisher for this book, and the work does come across as somewhat academic at times, yet Dean fills each chapter with practical information as well as suggestions for prayerfully turning things around. 

Her strongest theme throughout is the concept of building “behind the wall” conversations with teens. The idea comes from 2 Kings 18-19, which recounts Jerusalem being surrounded by the Assyrians. The Assyrian negotiator taunts Israel and God while Israel’s leaders are behind the wall, having conversations with God’s people, reminding them of who God is and His faithfulness to them. 

Almost Christian is an essential read for youth leaders, church leaders, pastors and parents. 

Love Into Light: The Gospel, the Homosexual and the Church (2013) Peter Hubbard

I’ve read a few books on homosexuality and Christianity and perused several others. Most are not worth your time, but Hubbard’s short book manages to convey biblical truth with grace, gentleness and respect. Highly recommended.

Meaning at the Movies: Becoming a Discerning Viewer (2010) Grant Horner

You don’t have to be a movie fanatic (like me) to enjoy and learn from this book. Horner spends a good chunk of his introduction discussing movies, the concept of truth, the nature of our culture, and the authority of Scripture. This is essential for appreciating what he has to say about film and worldview. Meaning at the Movies has now become my “go-to” book on film and the Christian worldview. 

Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World (2012) Bob Goff

Goff’s book may be a light, quick, often humorous hilarious read, but there’s a wealth of wisdom within its pages. Regardless of what we’ve been led to believe by the culture, love isn’t primarily about thoughts and feelings; it’s about doing. Here’s a book you can read in a day, but its lessons will stay with you for a lifetime. 

Coming to the Resource Center - Mid-September 2013

One to One Bible Reading (2011) David Helm

ISBN 9781921441981

“David Helm is deeply committed to the public exposition of God’s word and the training of preachers. Yet in this guide he advocates a deep-rooted culture of one-to-one bible reading in our churches. Surely the two go hand in hand, but many Christians don’t know where to start in this personal Bible reading ministry. This guide provides the inspiration for this desperately needed ministry revolution and the growth of the gospel vine into every corner of our communities.” - Colin Marshall

One Forever: The Transforming Power of Being in Christ (2012) Rory Shiner

ISBN 9781922206022

When the New Testament describes what it means to be a Christian, it uses a phrase that is everywhere in Paul’s letters but almost nowhere in our churches. Overwhelmingly, when the Bible wants to describe being a Christian, it says that we are in Christ. 

But what does it mean to be in Christ? And how does this important biblical idea help us understand what God has done for us through Jesus, and what it means to be a Christian? This short book by Rory Shiner sparkles withe clarity, wit and biblical wisdom on this vital and much-neglected topic. 

The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift That Changes Everything (2009) Colin Marshall and Tony Payne

ISBN 9781581344301

“What Col and Tony have described here is exactly what I’ve been trying to do in my own life and in our congregation for years. According to this book, Christians are to be disciple-making disciples and pastors are to be trainers. Superb! This is the best book I’ve read on the nature of church ministry.” - Mark Dever, Senior Pastor, Capital Hill Baptist Church, Washington DC

Growth Groups: A Training Course in How to Lead Small Groups (1995) Colin Marshall

ISBN 9781875245406

Small groups for Bible study and prayer are now a well-established part of most Christian churches. And these groups tend to succeed or fail largely on the quality of their leadership. 

In churches across Australia and the UK, Growth Groups has become the standard leadership training course to meet this need. By using Growth Groups, churches have found that their small groups are better focused on Christian growth - both in maturity and in gospel outreach. 

Coming to the Resource Center - Late August 2013

Love into Light (2013) Peter Hubbard

ISBN 9781620202227

The church has often been afraid to talk about homosexuality. Many Christians feel confused and divided between the call to love and the call for truth. And many who struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction feel alone and alienated by the church. The time is ripe for God's people to think and speak about same-sex attraction in a way that is both biblical and beneficial, seeing ourselves together in need of the grace of Jesus. Love Into Light is designed to move the church toward that end.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made (2012) Dr. Megan Best

ISBN 9781921896613

“At last - a single volume examining beginning-of-life issues that is equally competent in biology, theology, philosophy and pastoral care. This is now the ‘must read’ book in the field, a necessary resource not only for pastors, ethicists, and laypersons who share her Christian convictions, but also for anyone who wants to participate knowledgeably in current bioethical debates.” - D.A. Carson

Science & Faith: Friends or Foes? (2003) C. John Collins

ISBN 9781581344301

Many believers worry that science undermines the Christian faith. Instead of fearing scientific discovery, Jack Collins believes that Christians should delight in the natural world and study it. God’s truth will stand against any challenge and will enrich the very scientific studies that we fear. 

Collins first defines faith and science, shows their relation, and explains what claims each has concerning truth. Then he applies the biblical teaching on creation to the topics of “conflict” between faith and science, including the age of the earth, evolution, and miracles. He considers what it means to live in a created world. This book is for anyone looking for a Christian engagement with science without technical jargon.