Most of us aspire to read more. We desire to be better informed or deeper thinkers, but life often gets in the way. Time slips by.
With the limited time we have, we ought to use it wisely. We can’t afford to waste it on poorly written or misinformed books. So, I’ve shared some of my favourite Christian books, all worth your attention.
The Secret Place of Thunder by John Starke. I need to reread this book. I devoured it over the summer and found it nourishing to my soul. In it, Starke shows us the beauty of an obscure life in a world of posturing and performing.
There’s a part of many of us that longs for notoriety, but Christ advocates something better and altogether different. He commands that our giving, prayer and fasting be done in secret, removed from the gaze of others. As Starke describes, there’s great freedom when we embrace this hidden life poured out for God alone.
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Classics are classics for a reason, so I discovered. I read this only a few months ago after having had it on my reading list for years. This book is profound, imaginative and, most surprisingly, incredibly witty. It made me reflect but also smirk. It is both deep and light-hearted. It was a joy to read, perhaps also helped by the short chapter lengths.
Remaking the World by Andrew Wilson. The West is weird. Very weird. The norms we embody would be unrecognisable to those living centuries before us - and so too for much of the non-western world today. We are an anomaly. But why? How did we get here as a society?
Wilson tackles this complex question with much-needed clarity. He glides between philosophy, geography, sociology, and science as he helps us locate our place in world history. Useful reading for anyone wanting to critically and thoughtfully engage with secularism.
The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun. I read this relatively soon after surrendering my life to Jesus and found it captivating. I couldn’t put it down. Since then, I’ve reread it several times, and it never fails to grab you by the collar and shake you awake from spiritual slumber.
Brother Yun tells his personal story of coming to faith in communist China as a teenager before becoming a church leader and facing the fiery trials of professing biblical Christianity in a hostile state. Shocking, inspiring, and raw, this read is not for the faint-hearted.
Surprised by Jesus by Dane Ortland. You probably know Dane Ortlund from his book Gentle and Lowly. It’s a great read. In my opinion, Surprised by Jesus is equally good. Ortland takes us on a flyover tour of the four gospels, drawing out the overarching message and design of each. It may sound academic, but it’s incredibly accessible and written to continually surprise you with the undeserved grace of God towards sinners.
