Call me a dinosaur, but I am in love with the written word. Push your cute PDA's at me, and I will respond with my Day-Timer. Promote your "every-Bible-translation-known-to-man/woman-on-one-software-program" and I'll reach for one translation at a time off of my library shelf, fingering the paper pages, rubbing my hands over their texture and writing in their ample margins. At the end of the day, in spite of the wonder of technology and its ability to connect us, I will always choose paper over computer screen. Books, you see, are among my best friends.
So, in the course of amassing a library these last 35 years, and reading most of that library, what have I discovered? What would I recommend that you simply should not be without, should not come to the end of your life never having read? I'll take a shot at it. And here's my criteria: each one of these books God used to change my life.
New Testament Backgrounds and Exegesis
The New Testament and the People of God, N.T.Wright
Jesus and the Victory of God, N.T. Wright
The Resurrection of the Son of God, N.T.Wright
The Jesus I Never Knew, Phillip Yancey
Poet and Peasant/Through Peasant's Eyes, Kenneth Bailey
Reversed Thunder, Eugene Peterson
Theology
On Being Human, Ray Anderson
The Cross of Christ, John Stott
The Trinitarian Faith, T.F.Torrance
On the Incarnation, Athanasius
Confessions, Augustine
The Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin
Knowing God, J.I.Packer
Orthodoxy, G.K.Chesterton
Worship, Theology, and The Triune God of Grace, James Torrance
Escape From Reason, Francis Schaeffer
The Weight of Glory, C.S.Lewis
The Great Divorce, C.S.Lewis
Speaking the Christian God, ed. Alan Kimel
The Way That Leads There, Gilbert Meilander
A Theology of Word and Spirit, Donald Bloesch
God the Almighty, Donald Bloesch
Holy Scripture, Donald Bloesch
The Church
Resident Aliens, Willimon and Hauerwas
Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Church, Donald Bloesch
Christian Practice
What's So Amazing About Grace?, Phillip Yancey
In the Name of Jesus, Henri Nouwen
The Fountain of Life, John Flavel
The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax, Richard Sibbes
The Contemplative Pastor, Eugene Peterson
The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence
Treatise on the Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards
Forgive and Forget, Lewes Smedes
Reaching Out, Henri Nouwen
Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster
The Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard
The Pursuit of God, A.W.Tozer
Letters to Malcolm, C.S.Lewis
The Dynamics of Spiritual Life, Richard Lovelace
The Missional Life
From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya, Ruth Tucker
The Missional Church, ed. Darrell Guder
Declare His Glory, ed. J.Anderson
The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, Lesslie Newbigin
Fiction
Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
Godric, Frederick Beuchner
Death Comes to the Archbishop, Willa Cather
The Greek Passion, Kazantzakis
The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene
Silence, Endo Shisatsku
Diary of a Country Priest, Carlos Bernanos
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, John LeCarre
Plainsong, Haruf
Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R.Tolkien
The Last Battle, C.S.Lewis
The Complete Works of Flannery O'Connor
Short Stories, Wendell Berry
Non-fiction
The Culture of Interpretation, Robert Lundin
Good to Great, Jim Collins
Undaunted Courage, Stephen Ambrose
Band of Brothers, Stephen Ambrose
Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, Kathleen Norris
Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer
Into The Wild, Jon Krakauer
So, now it's your turn. What has changed your life?
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10 comments:
I've read, like, 2 of those. :)
But I'm very excited to read "Plainsong" by Haruf - thank you for that Christmas gift. I'm anxious to read it, mostly because you told me that my love of words made you think I would like it. It was a personal gift, and I love that.
I'll let you know what I think. Maybe I'll have lots of time during my temp work to read! Or not.
Through Gates of Splendor - Elisabeth Elliot
A Long Way Gone - Ishmael Beah
The Ragamuffin Gospel - Brennan Manning
I have read a few of those. I feel as though you comprehend the things you read so much more quickly than I ever will. I will look back to this list for reference!
Thanks Paul...I can't wait to start into this list!
Paul, I love that you gave that list, mainly because that is one of my favorite question to people I want to become like: 'what books (or movies or songs or pieces of art or whatever) helped to form who you are today?'
So thank you!
As for me, I'll add two to your list (and pick up about 20 of your suggestions!):
- 'Telling the Truth: the Gospel as Comedy, Tragedy & Fairy Tale' by Frederick Buechner.
- 'the Divine Conspiracy' by Dallas Willard
Hey Paul, that's a great list--I have read a handful of them. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society and The Mission Church are two that stand out. Also NT Wright--I need to read more of his stuff.
In addition, I'd add...
Announcing the Reign of God
The Brother's K
I'd agree with Sarah on A Long Way Gone--what a powerful story.
Cry the Beloved Country
Two Part Invention: The Story of a Marriage
Currently, I'm reading There Is No Me Without You and The Preaching Life. Both are very good so far.
I am with you on preferring paper to screens.
I listened to a sermon of yours a while back, and you said that Howard Childers had recommended a number of books--one was The Power and The Glory, which I have read...what were the others?
Mmm...paper is so pleasing!
Maybe one day I'll write a book that will make it on one of your lists! Now that would be awesome!
Since I've read most of yours (wink wink) I will contribute:
The Hardy Boys' "The Tower Treasure."
Seriously I did think you omitted Into Thin Air and Into the Wild.
And you should read the Kite Runner.
hey paul parsons...
your family has changed my life.
welcome to the blog world.
love,
rachel
Well hello Paul, nice to see you here on Blogger.
Hey Parsons Family! Here's another "Must-Read" book: "The Heavenly Man" by Brother Yun - it's amazing and was life changing for me!
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