Katie FrenchWho doesn’t love good literature? This is especially true of a Christian book that enriches the soul and encourages growth in your walk with Christ. If you’ve had any exposure to this genre, you’re probably familiar with A Pilgrim’s Progress, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, and Mere Christianity, among other major Christian works.
Christian authors of the last fifty or so years have written a torrent of good books on a myriad of topics for your personal edification. For a diverse list of men and women who’ve held significant roles in their spheres of influence, continue on to the list below (in no particular order), where you’ll become further acquainted with these well-loved authors and their most popular titles.
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1. John Piper
Let’s begin with the prolific John Piper. Piper served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for thirty-three years and has authored more than fifty books. One of his best sellers, Desiring God, inspired the name for Desiring God Ministries, where more than thirty years of Piper’s preaching and writing are available free of charge.
Where should you start? If you have not yet tasted Piper, Desiring God as mentioned above, should be first on your list. In Desiring God, Piper explains why pursuing maximum joy is essential to glorifying God, as summed up in his famous quote:
God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in him.1
The Pleasures of God is theologically foundational to Desiring God; it is also a rewarding read.
Below are a few additional Piper titles you may enjoy.
Finish the Mission: Bringing the Gospel to the Unreached and Unengaged
Regular price: $7.99
When the Darkness Will Not Lift: Doing What We Can While We Wait for God—And Joy
Regular price: $5.99
2. Timothy Keller
Timothy Keller, who passed away in May 2023, made a significant impact on American Christianity, at least, through his writing. He was founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan (started in 1989), and he served as president of Redeemer City to City, which plants churches in New York and other cities. His books center around who God is, marriage, suffering, and other topics.
When acquainting yourself with Keller, start with his most famous book, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. This presents Keller’s basic apologetic insights. Another book that was written to help believers present the Christian message is Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism.
To familiarize yourself with more of Keller’s books, check out these resources.
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God
Regular price: $17.99
3. Beth Moore
Beth Moore has faithfully ministered to women through her teaching and writing for many years. Moore is not only a best-selling author but also wears the hats of evangelist, teacher, and founder of Living Proof Ministries, an organization dedicated to encouraging women to know Christ through his Word.
For starters, read Chasing Vines: Finding Your Way to an Immensely Fruitful Life, where Moore shows from Scripture how all of life’s concerns, including both delights and trials, matter to God.
You may also want to read Get Out of That Pit, To Live Is Christ, and Delivered to gain additional insight from this well-loved author.
4. Priscilla Shirer
Like Moore, Priscilla Shirer balances several roles as well: Bible teacher, conference speaker, and founder of Going Beyond Ministries, which she started with her husband. Her books speak about listening to God, spiritual struggles, prayer, and other topics that bolster the Christian life. She is also well-known for her role in War Room, a well-loved Christian film that emphasizes the power of prayer.
Even though all of Shirer’s books are worth a read, you should pull Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks off the shelf first.
Once you’ve read it cover to cover, consider adding the following titles.
Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer
Regular price: $17.99
Divine Disruption: Holding on to Faith When Life Breaks Your Heart
Regular price: $12.99
5. Tony Evans
Father of Priscilla Shirer, Tony Evans serves as senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas. He is also the president of The Urban Alternative, and his preaching ministry, “The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans,” airs in more than five hundred outlets in the United States and in over forty countries.
When selecting one of Evans’s books, start with The Power of Knowing God and then move on to the titles below.
Called for a Purpose: Daily Devotions to Help You Pursue God’s Plan
Regular price: $7.49
6. Rick Warren
Want to better understand your purpose? Check out Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?, where he provides a roadmap for your spiritual journey. As you progress through the pages, you will learn how to know yourself and your Creator better in order to live life to its fullest. Rick Warren started Saddleback Church in Orange County, California. He also founded the Purpose Driven movement, a network of tens of thousands of churches from all denominations across the world.
After you’ve read The Purpose Driven Life, make sure to read these books as well.
7. Paul David Tripp
If you want to grasp more fully how the gospel speaks practical hope into brokenness, Paul Tripp can help. Pastor, international conference speaker, and president of Paul Tripp Ministries, Tripp works to connect the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.
For routine encouragement, read New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional, where Tripp offers 365 gospel-centered meditations to help readers trust God and rely on his grace.
Once you’ve finished New Morning Mercies, check out the titles below.
Do You Believe? 12 Historic Doctrines to Change Your Everyday Life
Regular price: $21.99
8. Elizabeth George
Elizabeth George’s books focus on Christian living and personal Bible study. In addition to addressing adult women, George has written to young women and girls as well. A Young Woman after God’s Own Heart and A Girl after God’s Own Heart encourage this younger audience to grow in their faith and in their personal walks with the Lord.
Besides writing, George provides Bible teaching and training to the wives of seminary students at the Talbot School of Theology and The Master’s Seminary.
Though you could probably start with just about any of George’s books, pick up Proverbs for a Woman’s Day: Choosing a Life of Excellence to follow God’s wisdom through all thirty-one chapters of Proverbs.
Then, consider reading some of her other books as well.
The Heart of a Woman Who Prays: Drawing Near to the God Who Loves You
Regular price: $9.09
Following God with All Your Heart Growth and Study Guide: Believing and Living God’s Plan for You
Regular price: $4.49
9. Lee Strobel
As a former atheist with journalism experience, Lee Strobel writes Christian books from a unique perspective. Many of those books explore the person of Christ, explaining how we can be confident that he is the true God. Strobel has pastored at three of America’s largest churches and lives in Texas.
Begin reading Strobel by picking up his classic, The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. In this book, Strobel retraces his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith and builds a captivating case for Christ’s divinity.
If you liked The Case for Christ, read the following titles as well.
The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus
Regular price: $11.99
The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates the New Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God (audio)
Regular price: $26.99
Spiritual Mismatch: Hope for Christians Married to Someone Who Doesn’t Know God
Regular price: $11.49
10. Lysa TerKeurst
Lysa TerKeurst is president and chief visionary officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries, an international women’s ministry that communicates the hope of the gospel through speaking sessions, devotional materials, and other resources. TerKeurst’s books span a variety of topics, including loneliness, disappointment, and the importance of forming and prioritizing healthy habits.
When considering which of TerKeurst’s books to pick up first, start with The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands, where you’ll learn how to say yes to God before people, opportunities, and other demands of life.
Then, make sure to expose yourself to her other books as well.
The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands
Regular price: $12.99
Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely
Regular price: $11.99
It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered
Regular price: $14.99
11. Philip Yancey
Philip Yancey understands what it’s like to experience church hurt, as the actions of the church he grew up in did not align with the beliefs the church leadership preached. In Disappointment with God and Where Is God When It Hurts?, Yancey explains how it feels to be let down and explores why God allows hard things to happen. Once you read these titles, move on to The Jesus I Never Knew and What’s So Amazing about Grace?
12. Max Lucado
Max Lucado pastors Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, and oversees UpWords Ministries to encourage people to foster their relationships with Jesus Christ. In his books, Lucado discusses fear and overcoming hard things.
To understand how freeing your life can be without fear, start with Imagine Your Life without Fear.
Then move on to these other titles for exposure to even more encouraging content.
13. Jen Wilkin
Jen Wilkin’s primary focus is Bible study. She has a background in women’s ministry and has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and para-church contexts.
Wilkin’s books start pulling in readers even from their covers, with beautiful designs adorning her already-captivating titles.
To catch Wilkin’s vision to know your Savior better, start by reading her book, Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds.
Once you’ve checked that one off your list, move on to the titles below.
Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds
Regular price: $9.99
None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us (and Why That’s a Good Thing)
Regular price: $9.99
14. Francis Chan
Francis Chan is well known for his book Crazy Love and his non-profit organization Crazy Love Ministries, where he encourages people to value Christ so highly that they will love him above all else. Chan founded Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California, as well as Eternity Bible College.
If you haven’t read Chan, start with Crazy Love, which is central to Chan’s ministry.
After that, consider reading the following.
15. Joni Eareckson Tada
If there is anyone who understands the hardship of a severe trial, it’s Joni Eareckson Tada, who was paralyzed at seventeen from her shoulders down due to a diving accident. Tada has used her condition of permanent disability to minister to others. She’s not only written several books but also founded Joni and Friends to reach individuals with special needs around the world.
While all of Tada’s books are worth reading, you should start with A Place of Healing, where Tada explains how to endure pain and process suffering.
Once you finish, move on to these others.
A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God’s Sovereignty
Regular price: $10.79
When Is It Right to Die? A Comforting and Surprising Look at Death and Dying
Regular price: $11.99
16. Craig Groeschel
Craig Groeschel inspires people to become better leaders through both his podcast and participation in leadership events around the world. Groeschel founded and pastored Life.Church and created the free YouVersion Bible App.
Want to become better acquainted with Groeschel? Start with Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World, which will teach you how to overcome the three forces that work against us daily: toxic influences, toxic emotions, and toxic behaviors.
Once you finish, crack open the titles below.
Dangerous Prayers: Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe
Regular price: $13.99
The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn’t Exist
Regular price: $12.49
17. Elisabeth Elliot
If you are familiar with missionary biographies, you’ve probably heard of Elisabeth Elliot. She’s written about both the joys and struggles faced by her and her husband, Jim, who was martyred shortly after they reached their mission field in Ecuador. In addition to recounting her own trials, Elliot writes about God’s will, purity, masculinity and femininity, and other topics relevant to the Christian life.
When browsing her titles, start with Elliot’s Be Still My Soul: Reflections on Living the Christian Life to better understand the concept of being still in our can’t-stop world.
Because only one book isn’t enough, read the following as well.
Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ’s Control
Regular price: $9.74
18. C. S. Lewis
Though a little older than the other authors described, we cannot come close to the end of this list without dedicating a section to C. S. Lewis, an intellectual giant of twentieth-century Christianity and one of the most influential writers of his day and ours. He wrote more than thirty books in multiple genres, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract many new readers every year.
Not sure where to start? Pick up Mere Christianity, specifically the audiobook version sold by Logos, where Lewis explains his thoughts on the doctrine of Christian belief. The electronic version can be found in The C. S. Lewis Collection, linked to in the product grid below.
19. Kay Arthur
Kay Arthur is well-known for starting Precept Ministries, which produces a small-group Bible study program used worldwide. Precept Ministries seeks to reflect Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Since Arthur has written over a hundred books and Bible studies, you might wonder which one you should pick up first. Start with The Basic Steps of Bible Study: Getting Started to acquaint yourself with the inductive Bible study method and to understand how to read God’s Word in a life-changing way.
Here are a few more of Arthur’s books that you’ll want to add to your collection.
Lord, I Need Answers: A 28-Day Journey to Growing Stronger in Your Faith
Regular price: $9.74
20. A. W. Tozer
A. W. Tozer lived a life rich with the pursuit of following God. He pastored a few churches, serving at Avenue Road Church in Toronto during the final years of his life. He was also editor of The Alliance Life magazine.
Tozer wrote more than forty books, including Meditations on the Trinity, where he explores the inexhaustible mystery of the Trinity and seeks to provide an accurate view of who God is.
Finished Meditations? Here are a few more of Tozer’s books.
- John Piper, Desiring God (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2003), 10.
Kyle Beutler
Mark Brians
Jennifer Grisham