Journey’s Best Reads of 2023
As we turn the final pages of 2023, I again offer my list of favorite reads for the year. As always, this is not a list of my favorite books published in 2023, but books read in 2023. If a book is on my “Best Of” list, I recommend you give it a read in 2024.
Of interest, the publishing date range on this year’s reads is quite large: from 1896 (The Crowd by Gustave Le Bon) to 2024 – yes, you read that right; I was privileged to read a pre-publishing date copy (Some Went to Sea by Chase Replogle).
As is true every year, in 2023 I read a few great books, a some good books, some why-the-big-deal books, and a couple of why-was-this-ever-published books (I partially read these). As always, this was another great reading year with many happy hours invested in the “Big Three” of good music, good coffee and a good book.
NOTE: I am decidedly not a fad reader: fad reading breeds fat minds. Many fad books remind me of the great Ambrose Bierce quote:
“The covers of this book are too far apart.”
When people tell me, “You just have to read this latest-and-greatest book” I generally run – the other way. I am not a follower of fads when it comes to books and authors. I’ve often said I’d like to compile a list of each year’s “must read” books and then track their “must read” status in the years to come. With limited time and resources at my disposal, I wait for the dust to settle before putting my money down on a book that may be a great investment of my time and money or a waste of both.
Rather than follow the latest-and-greatest, I follow the sage counsel of C.S. Lewis, who said,
“It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.”
It’s advice I follow with joy as rereads of previously read books are like visits with the oldest and best of friends. Every reading of them brings even deeper riches. Lewis again:
“I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.”
HOW THIS YEAR’S READING IS PRESENTED:
This year’s reading is presented in four lists:
1. The complete list of books I read;
2. Old friends I read again;
3. Books that help us better understand American culture today;
4. The most important reads of 2023.
THE COMPLETE LIST OF BOOKS READ IN 2023 (LISTED ALPHABETICALLY):
A Free People’s Suicide: Sustainable Freedom & the American Future by Os Guinness. 2012. 224 pages.
Animal Farm by George Orwell. 1946. 128 pages.
As You Wish by Cary Elwes. 2016. 272 pages.
Christianity and Wokeness by Owen Strachan. 2021. 224 pages.
Colossians & Philemon by Robert W. Wall. 1993. 225 pages.
Confirming the Pastoral Call by Joseph L. Umidi. 2000. 160 pages.
Dear Jay, Love Dad by Jay Wilkinson and Bud Wilkinson. 2014. 208 pages.
Decision Making By the Book by Haddon Robinson. 1998. 160 pages.
Deep Mentoring by Randy D. Reese and Robert Loane. 2012. 240 pages.
Distracted by Maggie Jackson. 2009. 325 pages.
Divorce and Remarriage by Andrew Cornes. 2012. 560 pages.
Embracing the Mysterious God by James Emery White. 2003. 180 pages.
French History by Captivating History. 2021. 412 pages.
George Whitefield: God’s Anointed Servant by Arnold A. Dalimore. 1990. 219 pages.
God In the Whirlwind by David F. Wells. 2014. 272 pages.
Goldtop Believers by Vic DaPra and David Plues. 2021. 223 pages.
Help! I Work With People by Chad Veach. 2020. 256 pages.
How Can Our Church Find a Faithful Pastor? Mark Dever. 2020. 48 pages.
Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors. Voddie Baucham. 2013. 176 pages.
Keep Christianity Weird by Michael Frost. 2018.178 pages.
Letters to a Young Pastor – Eric Peterson and Eugene Peterson. 2020. 240 pages.
Live Not By Lies by Rod Dreher. 2020. 256 pages.
Prayer by Tim Keller. 2016. 336 pages.
Preaching and Preachers by D. Martin Lloyd-Jones. 1971. 325 pages.
Psalms By the Day by Alex Motyer. 2016. 424 pages.
Renewal as a Way of Life by Richard Lovelace. 2002. 204 pages.
Rush On the Radio: A Tribute From His Sidekick for 30 Years by James Golden. 2021. 320 pages.
Some Went Out to Sea by Chase Replogle. 2023. 286 pages.
The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity by Matthew Kelly. 2018. 114 pages.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. 2009. 800 pages.
The Crowd by Gustave Le Bon. 1896. 94 pages.
The Ever-Loving Truth by Voddie Baucham. 2023. 222 pages.
The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung. 2012. 160 pages.
The Quest for Cosmic Justice by Thomas Sowell. 2002. 224 pages.
The Return of Jesus in Early Christianity by John T. Carroll. 2000. 236 pages.
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. 1990, 160 pages.
The Toxic War on Masculinity by Nancy Pearcey. 2023. 352 pages.
Touraine and Its Story by Anne MacDonnell. 1906. 366 pages.
Tried by Fire: The Story of Christianity’s First Thousand Years by William Bennett. 2016. 496 pages.
United by Faith by Curtiss Paul DeYoung et al. 2004. 240 pages.
What’s Your World View? by James N. Anderson. 2014. 112 pages.
When No One Sees: The Importance of Character in an Age of Image. Os Guinness. 2000. 329 pages.
Who Needs Theology? Stanley J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson. 1996. 150 pages.
OLD FRIENDS READ AGAIN
This year I reread these old friends. Like living relationships, “listening” to these writers only becomes richer with every meeting, every savoring of the wisdom contained in their pages.
Animal Farm by George Orwell.
Colossians & Philemon by Robert W. Wall.
Live Not By Lies by Rod Dreher.
Preaching and Preachers by D. Martin Lloyd-Jones.
The Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis.
The Quest for Cosmic Justice by Thomas Sowell.
Who Needs Theology? Stanley J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson.
UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES BOOKS
These are uniquely challenging times for pastors and churches. Churches continue to hemorrhage attenders and churches continue to lose pastors. For many, the church is either failing to understand its times or to adequately address them from a Christian worldview perspective It is for this reason that I continue to earnestly encourage Journey members to read in the area of worldview. Critical.
Several of the books I read this year focus on worldview directly or indirectly, and so, address our times and culture. They deal with the foundational issues that help us understand the changes taking place in America and how we as Americans should address them. Books by Os Guinness, Nancy Pearcey, and Francis Schaeffer are always essential reads on church and culture. Read anything by them you can find. Books by Sowell are essential reads on culture; I reread at least one Sowell book every year.
A Free People’s Suicide: Sustainable Freedom & the American Future by Os Guinness.
Animal Farm by George Orwell.
Christianity and Wokeness by Owen Strachan.
Embracing the Mysterious God by James Emery White.
Keep Christianity Weird by Michael Frost.
Live Not By Lies by Rod Dreher
The Crowd by Gustave Le Bon.
The Quest for Cosmic Justice by Thomas Sowell.
The Toxic War on Masculinity by Nancy Pearcey.
What’s Your World View? by James N. Anderson.
THE BEST READS OF 2023
In alphabetical order, A “Baker’s Dozen” of favorite reads for 2023 PLUS a bonus I just have to include for a reason I will share. Each title is followed by the author’s name and a brief description of the “what” and the “why” that lead to the book making our list. Enjoy.
You can always find our list of recommended books online in the Journey Library. Check out our shelves at journeypastoralcoaching.com/the-jpc-library/
A Free People’s Suicide: Sustainable Freedom & the American Future by Os Guinness
Publisher: “If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” Abraham Lincoln
Nothing is more daring in the American experiment than the founders’ belief that the American republic could remain free forever. But how was this to be done, and are Americans doing it today?
It is not enough for freedom to be won. It must also be sustained. Cultural observer Os Guinness argues that the American experiment in freedom is at risk. Summoning historical evidence on how democracies evolve, Guinness shows that contemporary views of freedom–most typically, a negative freedom from constraint– are unsustainable because they undermine the conditions necessary for freedom to thrive. He calls us to reconsider the audacity of sustainable freedom and what it would take to restore it.
“In the end,” Guinness writes, “the ultimate threat to the American republic will be Americans. The problem is not wolves at the door but termites in the floor.” The future of the republic depends on whether Americans will rise to the challenge of living up to America’s unfulfilled potential for freedom, both for itself and for the world.
Note: The publisher’s description says it well. As Chesterton, de Tocqueville, and others have written, America is unique in that it was founded on faith and creed, expressed in its focus on freedom. This freedom has served not only to form a nation truly unique in the history of the world but also as a beacon of hope for the world, evidenced by the millions who have come to America because of our commitment to freedom. However, as Guinness writes, there can be a dark side to liberty if it is untethered from its roots of principle, virtue, and faith. Americans have enjoyed personal and societal freedom unknown anywhere else in the world, but have we now perverted that freedom, turning it not only upside down but against itself like cancer inside a host? Guinness not only raises these questions but offers answers.
Confirming the Pastoral Call by Joseph L. Umidi
Publisher: With humor and insight born of experience, Joseph Umidi tells candidates how to approach a selection process by clarifying personal vision for ministry, connecting heart-to-heart with decision makers, and asking the right people the right questions. Search committee members will find guidance in analyzing a church’s readiness for change, determining what is most needed now, and judging a candidate’s strength in meeting those needs. Eleven appendixes provide key model documents that will help the decision-making process.
Note: Not just a must-read for every church and pastor, but a must-have on our shelves, a book we will need every time we go through a positional change. Matching pastor and church is much like a marriage: we can have two great people, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they are “great” for each other. Sadly, in the candidate process, many churches and prospective pastors approach each other like couples: romantically rather than realistically. Umidi’s work will help you or your church deal with the nuts and bolts of understanding each other and understanding the will of God in this process. I’ve put this book in the hands of several people this year, and their reaction has been over-the-top gratitude.
Deep Mentoring by Randy D. Reese and Robert Loane
Publisher: “God is in the business of raising up leaders.” ―J. Robert (Bobby) Clinton When good leaders are needed, when the work is urgent, our immediate reaction is to enlist new leaders. Instead we are called to invest in new leaders. Good leaders are developed in and through slow, deep mentoring. To think otherwise is to embrace the myth of the quick fix. We proceed, instead, by paying careful attention to and joining in the work God is already doing in people’s lives. This book is designed to help you know better how to come alongside others as a guide and a friend, to invest in their spiritual formation and leadership. If you want long-term impact on the lives of future leaders, how you guide must be as important as the content you impart. Only then will you see lifelong change and empowerment in those you mentor. Randy Reese and Robert Loane show you how to make the most of the crucial ministry of mentoring. They offer a biblically grounded approach that draws on the research and teaching of Bobby Clinton as well as their own experience in resourcing churches and Christian organizations. Jesus Christ still calls people to become leaders in a lifelong journey of conforming to his image. Join him as you guide others through deep mentoring.
Note: In Journey Pastoral Coaching, we follow what we call our “Cross-Coaching Model.” Using the physical cross of Jesus as our physical representation, we liken the vertical post of the Cross to walking with a mentor or coach, someone who is farther along the road, and so, deeper and higher in their understanding of God and ministry. We then liken the horizontal beam of the Cross to walking with peers, others in ministry who are in a similar stage of life and ministry. As the fulcrum of the physical cross, that point where the vertical post intersected with the horizontal beam was nails, the fulcrum of Journey’s Cross-Coaching Model is the Word of God and its Gospel; it is the Good News of Jesus that binds together our relationships. I mention this to say that Deep Mentoring describes this approach very well, extolling the virtues and mechanics of walking with those who have gone before us and those who are coming behind us, all with the support of those who walk along side us. It’s a book not only for mentors and coaches but all leaders in ministry. Pastor or ministry leader, are you looking to multiply your ministry and maximize its effect? The path is not found in giving your church or organization great experiences from week-to-week, but in walking with mentors and your team day-by-day. Deep Mentoring is your very readable, and even exciting, road map to make it happen. Highly recommended.
Embracing the Mysterious God by James Emery White
Publisher: We give ourselves to God and then struggle profoundly with the relationship. We are drawn in and then want to flee in fear. We move from faith to doubt, trust to confusion, intimacy to a feeling of abandonment. Coming to faith is like falling in love. It can be a head-over-heels rush to the altar or a slow acceptance that slips into a heartfelt embrace. Either way, eventually romance crashes headlong into reality. Often we make things worse either by feeling guilty about our struggles with doubt or by trying to dismiss them as unimportant or insignificant. We may even become resentful that God does not simply step in to clear up our confusion. When we find ourselves in any of these predicaments, the only way out is to face our uncertainties about God–deliberately and directly.
In Embracing the Mysterious God James Emery White explores these struggles we all face–struggles of heart, soul, mind and strength. And struggles to love our neighbors as ourselves. Here you will find your tough questions about God addressed. Better still, you will find the way to renewed faith.
Note: Many Christians unknowingly construct a god to fit their own image and comfort. They worship the God of the Bible in name but not in true knowledge and trust. Therefore, when suffering comes, or questions go unanswered, they grow increasingly angry with God or even walk away: He didn’t do what they wanted Him to do; He wasn’t the god they believed in. But, as C.S. Lewis writes in “The Chronicles of Narnia” in speaking of Aslan the Lion, God is not tame: He cannot be leashed by our definitions or trained to meet our expectations. All He does, He does for our ultimate good, but not always in ways that please or comfort us. Do we genuinely believe in the One True God? Are we willing to trust Him when He casts off our string leashes and breaks from our training? Are we ready to ask Him the hard questions and deal with the challenging answers? It’s not about “the god I serve wouldn’t do that.” It’s about “He is God, and I am not.” White helps us land in a good place with this, reminding us that God is sovereign and good, not only globally but personally. If you have ever suffered or wrestled with God, this is a must-read.
God In the Whirlwind by David F. Wells
Publisher: Building on years of research, writing, and cross-cultural ministry, renowned author and theologian David Wells calls our attention to that which defines God’s greatness and gives shape to the Christian life: the holy-love of God.
In God in the Whirlwind, Wells explores the depths of the paradox that God is both holy and loving, showing how his holy-love provides the foundation for our understanding of the cross, sanctification, the nature of worship, and our life of service in the world. What’s more, a renewed vision of God’s character is the cure for evangelicalism’s shallow theology, with its weightless God and sentimental gospel.
Written by one of evangelicalism’s most insightful minds, this book will help you stand firm in your faith despite the changing winds and raging storms of the modern world.
Note: Read it. Just read it. Whirlwind will take you down through the uncertainties of this life to bedrock faith, the faith once for all delivered to the saints by God in Christ. Wells focuses the reader’s attention on the person and work of Jesus Christ, establishing Him as far, far greater than whatever we face in this world. So much of current Christian writing and preaching is nothing but sugary fluff, sweet to the taste but never satisfying nor able to put muscle on our souls. Whirlwind is a feast on all that is substantive and satisfying. Read it and let its truths establish you strong in Christ. Highest of high recommendations. My favorite read of the year (after Narnia!).
Prayer by Tim Keller
Publisher: Renowned pastor and New York Times bestselling author of The Prodigal Prophet Timothy Keller explores the power of prayer.
Christians are taught in their churches and schools that prayer is the most powerful way to experience God. But few receive instruction or guidance in how to make prayer genuinely meaningful. In Prayer, renowned pastor Timothy Keller delves into the many facets of this everyday act.
With his trademark insights and energy, Keller offers biblical guidance as well as specific prayers for certain situations, such as dealing with grief, loss, love, and forgiveness. He discusses ways to make prayers more personal and powerful, and how to establish a practice of prayer that works for each reader.
Dr. Keller’s previous books have sold more than one million copies. His Redeemer Presbyterian Church is not only a major presence in his home base of New York, it has also helped to launch more than two hundred fifty other churches in forty-eight cities around the world. His teachings have already helped millions, the majority of whom pray regularly. And with Prayer, he’ll show them how to find a deeper connection with God.
Note: Frankly, this book surprised me. I have always known Keller to be a strong theologian. Still, I was unprepared for the blend of solid theology and relational tenderness in Prayer. I could not put it down. If you, like I, have always found yourself needing more in your prayer life, if you have ever walked away from prayer, if you have found prayer boring or mechanical, read Prayer by Keller. Yes, he will give you excellent instruction in the whats or prayer (his section on the Lord’s prayer is stunning as he brings in substantial amounts of teaching and commentary from Augustine, Luther, and Calvin!), but he will also extend to you an invitation your heart will long to answer. One of my all-time favorite reads on prayer.
Preaching and Preachers by D. Martin Lloyd-Jones
Publisher: For over 30 years, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones ministered at Westminster Chapel in London. Today, he is widely considered one of the greatest preachers of the 20th century. Based on a series of lectures originally given by Lloyd-Jones to the students of Westminster Theological Seminary in the spring of 1969, this collection of essays on the essence of powerful preaching has become a modern classic.
Lloyd-Jones defends the primacy of preaching, showing that there is no substitute, and he challenges preachers to take their calling seriously: “The most urgent need in the Christian Church today is true preaching.” He also provides practical direction on the task of preparing a sermon, sharing insights on the shape and form of a message as well as covering such topics as the use of humor, giving invitations in a message and the preacher’s relationship to the congregation.
If you can own only one book on preaching, make this the one you read. This is a book that will continue to speak to a new generation of preachers and teachers for years to come.
Note: Let me repeat what the publisher writes: “If you can own only one book on preaching, make this the one you read.” The book title says it well: the subject is not only on preaching but on the preacher. In fact, it is first on the preacher because the depth, fullness, life, accuracy, and strength of the preaching depend so profoundly on the life of the preacher – it is from our being that doing flows. If you love to preach, P&P will stir your heart even as it gives you practical preaching help. If, though you are called by God to preach, preaching is difficult for you, P&P will challenge and encourage you to give yourself fully to preaching and the preparation it requires. If you are a light and feel-good preacher, you’ll find P&P too strong for your tastes. But if you are a preacher determined to worship God, declare the Gospel, and build up the people of God through your preaching, get it whatever the cost and devour its truths. This book should be not just on the shelf of every pastor but in every pastor’s hands.
Psalms By the Day by Alex Motyer
Publisher: Following on from the successful and much acclaimed Isaiah by the Day, Alec Motyer leads us through the Psalms in this new devotional translation. Day by day you will read freshly translated passages from the Psalms and have an opportunity to explore the passage further through the author’s notes and devotional comments.
Note: Motyer offers a unique and thoroughly readable treatment of the Psalms; how deep into the text and commentary is up to the reader. First, Motyer has freshly translated the text from the original language. This reading by itself is easily worth the price of the book. Then Motyer offers more: concise commentary on his translation and the text in the margins. But the author is still not finished: at the conclusion of each section of Psalms (usually 2-4 Psalms), he ties up the ribbons on the package, giving the reader a one-page devotional thought built on the structure and major themes of that section. Psalms By the Day is a unique look at the psaltery of God’s people, combining a new translation with a taste of the scholarship that went into the translation and a thoughtful devotion. I try to read the Psalms daily. I have found Motyer’s work to greatly freshen this spiritual discipline. If you love the Psalms, you’ll treasure Psalms By the Day. If you haven’t yet come to love the Psalms, here is just the book to help you come to know and treasure them.
The Ever-Loving Truth: Can Faith Thrive in a Post-Christian Culture? by Voddie Baucham
Publisher: Truth is under attack. The gospel is under attack. We must be aware and equipped if we are going to respond.
Voddie Baucham has a message for Christians in today’s culture—it’s time to take a stand for the truth. In The Ever-Loving Truth, this powerful preacher and teacher addresses the cost of being a twenty-first-century Christian and helps readers apply the unchanging truth of God’s Word to contemporary life issues. The book draws parallels between committed Christians in our society and the New Testament writers, Peter and John, as followers of Christ who proclaimed and stood for truth in their non-Christian environment. You will find this compelling study leads you to evaluate what it means to be a Christian today and how to apply God’s unchanging truth to a variety of circumstances.
Note: “Truth” is almost a four-letter word in post-Christian American culture, and even in the church where the “your truth, my truth” crowd is becoming more and more comfortable (Read recent surveys by Lifeway, Pew, Barna, and others to understand just how lightly church attenders view Truth and The Faith Once For All Delivered to the Saints). Baucham faces this challenge head-on, not so much defending Truth and the Gospel as affirming them. More than this, he describes the lens of post-modernism as it blurs the Truth and the Gospel, giving the reader a helpful tool for recognizing post-modernism in the church and culture. Baucham is a unique writer in that he blends scholarship with the grit of the real world; he brings his intellect and study into the arena, but not in an ivory tower way. His writing hits where we live and where we need blood, sweat, and tears answers to post-modernism. If you’ve heard him preach or teach, you know what to expect. If you haven’t heard Baucham preach or teach, go to YouTube, but only after you’ve placed your order for this book.
The Toxic War on Masculinity by Nancy Pearcey
Publisher: How the Script for Masculinity Turned Toxic–and How to Fix It
“Why Can’t We Hate Men?” asks a headline in the Washington Post. A trendy hashtag is #KillAllMen. Books are sold titled I Hate Men, No Good Men, and Are Men Necessary?
How did an ideology arise that condemns masculinity as dangerous and destructive?
Bestselling author Nancy Pearcey has a knack for tackling the tough issues of our day. A former agnostic, Pearcey was hailed in The Economistas “America’s pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual.” In this book, she takes readers on a fascinating romp through American history to discover how the secular script for masculinity turned toxic–and what action we can take to fix it.
We often hear that Exhibit A of toxic behavior is evangelical Christian men. But the social sciences tell a very different story. Studies find that family men who attend church regularly test out as the most loving husbands and the most engaged fathers. They have the lowest rate of divorce and–here’s the real stunner–the lowestrate of domestic violence of any group in America.
The sociological facts explode anti-male stereotypes and show that classic Christianity has the power to overcome toxic behavior and reconcile the sexes. That’s a finding that has stood up to rigorous empirical testing.
This book will equip thinkers and activists to challenge politically correct ideology and bring an evidence-based message of healing into the public square.
Note: “First, read every book you can find written by Nancy Pearcey. Then, read them again. As she does with all her works in Toxic War, Pearcey is a research warrior; her writing is rich with scientific studies and the findings of scholars. But where some might become clinical in their writing, Pearcey is an adept writer, seamlessly blending her research into highly readable text. This is especially evident in Toxic War. The book is unique in that she takes on both culture and men. She rightly identifies the many and effective ways that American culture, academia, media, and government are attacking biblical manhood. She traces the history of this ongoing and organized blitzkrieg, identifying the fundamental flaws in its thinking. She is a fierce warrior on this front. At the same time, she is also a fierce friend to men as she takes us to the woodshed for our part in our own destruction and the destruction of American culture. She pulls no punches but always, as a friend, takes us to task in the spirit of the Proverb that says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy” (Proverbs 27.6). Not just an important read, but an essential one. Again, don’t wait; don’t pass, go or collect $200; go now and buy everything you can find by this inciteful and gifted theologian, philosopher, and writer.
The Quest for Cosmic Justice by Thomas Sowell
Publisher: This is not a comforting book — it is a book about disturbing issues that are urgently important today and enduringly critical for the future. It rejects both “merit” and historical redress as principles for guiding public policy. It shows how “peace” movements have led to war and to needless casualties in those wars. It argues that “equality” is neither right nor wrong, but meaningless.
The Quest for Cosmic Justice shows how confused conceptions of justice end up promoting injustice, how confused conceptions of equality end up promoting inequality, and how the tyranny of social visions prevents many people from confronting the actual consequences of their own beliefs and policies. Those consequences include the steady and dangerous erosion of the fundamental principles of freedom — and the quiet repeal of the American revolution.
Note: I read at least one book by Thomas Sowell every year. One of America’s greatest minds, Sowell never fails to provoke raised eyebrows and deep thought. Never one to shy away from our culture’s land mine issues, Sowell is both bulldozer and surgeon in his arguments, crushing and filleting the non-thinking bobbleheads who fill media today. And there is probably no better example of this skill than Quest. In Quest, Sowell takes on the presupposed and uncritically accepted beliefs of our time and holds them up for examination, asking us if we can afford to deny facts and truths that define reality. A man can deny the law of gravity all he wants, but reality will quickly woodshed him when he dares jump off a cliff without the assistance of external engines or wings. In like manner, America can continue to deny human nature, truth, and history in its quest for a utopian la-la land, but in time, gravity will prevail. Sowell describes our folly and the solutions to our folly in this must-must read if you have the courage to do so. A PS: as with Pearcey, find anything and everything you can find by Sowell and read it. Skip a meal if you have to in order to buy this book.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Note: What is left to be said about this literary Hall of Fame classic? Seven books that will transport you out of this world and into the world of Aslan (and Jesus). Just read them. The only real decision is how to read them: chronologically or by publishing date. My annual dilemma.
Tried by Fire: The Story of Christianity’s First Thousand Years by William Bennett
Publisher: Full of larger-than-life characters, stunning acts of bravery, and heart-rending sacrifice, Tried by Firenarrates the rise and expansion of Christianity from an obscure regional sect to the established faith of the world’s greatest empire with influence extending from India to Ireland, Scandinavia to Ethiopia, and all points in between.
William J. Bennett explores the riveting lives of saints and sinners, paupers and kings, merchants and monks who together—and against all odds—changed the world forever. To tell their story, Bennett follows them through the controversies and trials of their time. Challenged by official persecution, heresy, and schism, they held steadfast to the truth of Christ. Strengthened by poets, preachers, and theologians, they advanced in devotion and love. In this moving and accessible narrative, Tried by Fire speaks across centuries to offer insight into the people and events that shaped the faith that continues to shape our lives today.
Note: Rather than undertaking a deep dive into Church history like Philip Schaff, Bennett writes a concise history, focusing on the Church’s first millennium and its two primary branches: East and West. Popes, kings, preachers, heretics, and rebels are all a part of this story. Tried by Fire is not a technical but more narrative treatment of Church history, so it is very readable. If you’ve never studied Church history but want to learn, this is the perfect place to start. The book length of 496 pages might tempt you to stay away, but I promise they will fly by and cause you to pause your reading to study in more depth the people and events Bennett describes. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
When No One Sees: The Importance of Character in an Age of Image. Os Guinness
Publisher: The issue of personal character is hotly debated in our newspapers and on our airwaves today. When No One Sees is perfect for the reader of any denomination or spiritual standing who is seeking insight and direction on character development and why character counts.
Presenting the truth of the Bible in the context of modern society, other faiths, and 3,000 years of history, Guinness offers a compelling analysis of current culture along with profiles of historic individuals of model character. Using both classical and modern examples, he illustrates how character is built and tested, presenting practical help for bringing about change in personal character. This is the first in a series of six Trinity Forum studies which combine classical and current readings with provocative discussion questions. They have been successfully using this format for over eight years in their private leadership forums.
Note: The third in my trinity of must-read authors, Os Guinness, is truly a gift to the church and culture. His brilliance and deep spirituality emanate from every page. Would that all Christian writers had even one-half of his intelligence and heart! In When No One Sees, Guinness insistently puts back on the table a subject no one wants to talk about today in an honest and useful way: character. While American culture is all about image, celebrity, and followers at any cost, Guinness describes the cost of our shallow obsessions. It’s not a pretty picture. But he doesn’t dwell there. Instead, he focuses on the virtue, strength, and even beauty of principled character. Deep down, we all admire and respect those we believe to be people of character: Helen Keller, Pope John Paul II, and Abraham Lincoln, to name a few. We may be like moths to flame in the bright light of fame and celebrity, but deep down, our souls hope there is someone of character we can respect, someone who can help us believe. Guinness gives us examples and a road map to a life of character. Like Pearcey and Sowell, read everything you can by Guinness.
HONORABLE MENTION: Touraine and Its Story by Anne MacDonnell
Note: I have to give a warm Honorable Mention to this history of the region of Touraine in central France for two reasons. First, because my family and I were privileged to live in this stunningly beautiful and historic region of France. Situated in the Loire Valley on the majestic Loire River and filled with châteaux, Touraine is a history book come to life. In fact, for the people of Touraine today, history is every present, never in the past, a statement impossible to understand until you live among the Tourangeaux, and from them learn the value and beauty of their history. Second, I mention this book because it is so well written. MacDonnell, writing in 1906, gives us a look over the history of this region that, for many centuries, was the working capital of the nation, and continues to be the capital of the French language. She divides the region into its principal areas and then takes us through its history, focusing on kings, other central players, culture, economic development, and war. As the reader works his way through each area of Touraine, the stories of those individual areas weave together with those of other areas, giving us a tapestried look at this critical region in French history. I know many people who’ve visited Paris and loved it. And well they should, for it is a spectacular city. But if you want to visit France, Touraine should be your first steps in this vast and varied land. If you want to know France, Touraine is where you should begin. This book, written more than a century ago, would be a great “road map” for your travels. Special Note: Make your first stop the historic city of Tours. As you travel north over the historic Pont Wilson (or Pont Pierre as the old Tourangeaux call it) and head up the incline of Rue Nationale, turn right on Rue Raymond Poincaré. Then turn right and descend Rue Groison. Look to your left at the Rue de la Pierre and you’ll our home in Touraine.
FINAL THOUGHT
As is always the case, the listing of a book above is not an endorsement of all of the ideas contained in its pages. This should not be surprising: the wise minister of the Gospel makes it a point to read outside his echo chamber.
A minister who is afraid to read outside of his own predilections remains childish in his insistence that his world be preserved, while a minister who is willing to choose carefully and read critically, even outside of his personal tastes, remains a child in his passionate pursuit of God’s truth and its application.
In his book, Under the Unpredictable Plant, Eugene Peterson describes the result of this mindset. In his case, it was the people he pastored. How much sadder, and dangerous, it is when it describes those charged with handling the Word of God and watching over the souls of God’s people (Hebrews 13.17)
“The people who gathered to worship God under my leadership were rootless and cultureless. They were marginally Christian. They didn’t read books. They didn’t discuss ideas. All spirit seems to have leaked out of their lives and have been replaced by a garage sale clutter of clichés and the stereotypes, securities and fashions…It was a marshmallow culture, spongy and without substance.”
And so, to encourage – and challenge – you to quality reading in 2024, ten quotes on the value of reading well, and thinking deeply as you do. May these quotes stir you to grow in the knowledge of God’s Word, the knowing of God, and the wisdom of living God’s Word and Ways in this world:
“At its core, early Christianity was a religion concerned with books.” Andreas Köstenberger and Michael J. Kruger
“Those who read little other than the Bible do so to the detriment of themselves and to the diminishing of the radiant glory of God who is the fount of all knowledge and truth.” James Sire
“As a medium, reading cultivates a patient, lengthy attention span, whereas television as a medium is impatient. One is therefore suited to what is significant; the other merely to what is insignificant.” T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can’t Preach
“The fight to find time to read is a fight for one’s life.” D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“If you want to stay alive to what is great and glorious and beautiful and eternal, you will have to fight for time to look through the eyes of others who were in touch with God.” John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals
“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” Mark Twain
“The real purpose of books is to trap the mind into doing its own thinking.” Christopher Morley
“In my library I have profitably dwelt among the shining lights, with which the learned, wise, and holy men of all ages have illuminated the world.” Richard Baxter
“The failure to read good books both enfeebles the vision and strengthens our most fatal tendency – the belief that the here and now is all there is.” Allan Bloom
Click here to read our 2021 Best Reads of the Year article.
Click here to read our 2022 Best Reads of the Year article.
Here’s to more great reading in 2024, should the Lord delay His coming.
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“Of all vocations, surely the gospel ministry is the one whose paradigm is most radically formed by the dynamics of godly mentorship.”
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