6 Books Every Christian Should Read

The Bible is the foundation of the Christian faith, the solid rock upon which the belief of 2.2 billion believers is built.

But just as a home needs more than a foundation, the Bible shouldn’t be the end of your development as a Christian. Scripture gives us everything we need to understand the character of God and salvation, but at some point in your life, you’ll be asked a question about your faith that you cannot answer.

Perhaps your child will ask you why scripture and science seem to contradict one another. A stranger may challenge the validity of your beliefs. Or maybe you’ll develop your own nagging doubts about subjects that the Bible doesn’t seem to address.

And when these doubts and questions come, you’ll need further instruction.

In I Peter 3:15, Peter the Apostle teaches us to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have,” and a big part of that preparedness can come from reading the work of those who have devoted their lives to understanding both God’s Word and the world around us, and can build intellectual bridges between the two.

To get you started on the path to a greater understanding of your own faith, take a look at this list of 6 books every Christian should read.

More Than a Carpenter

Tyndale Momentum

Josh McDowell was once bent on disproving the claims of Jesus Christ, but just as Saul’s encounter with Christ reforged him into the faithful Paul, McDowell’s encounter made him into a believer.

In college, McDowell decided to prepare a paper which would examine the historical facts behind the Christian faith in order to disprove it. But after delving into his research, he found exactly the opposite of what he had expected—his research affirmed the claims of Christianity rather than disproving them.

After this, his education took him to Talbot Theological Seminary, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Master of Divinity.

“More than a Carpenter” takes readers through the same journey that converted McDowell, providing arguments for faith and answering common questions raised by skeptics.

With over 15 million copies sold since the book’s publication in 1977, as well as countless stories of affirmed faith and sincere conversions, this is a great place to begin building on your foundation of faith. Don’t pass it up!

The Problem of Pain

HarperOne

The existence of evils—chief amongst them, pain—will be one of the greatest continual challenges to your faith. If you’re not ready, it will wear you down, break your beliefs, and leave you with nothing.

Pain is the fuel for many an atheist argument—after all, why would a good and loving God allow His children to suffer so greatly, and so often?

Fortunately, C.S. Lewis left us something that can direct us to the right answers.

As a boy, Lewis endured the death of his mother. Later, he witnessed the horrors of war. And finally, he lived through the loss of his beloved wife after finally discovering love as an older man.

Realizing the profound effect that pain has on faith, Lewis wrote “The Problem of Pain” to examine how God could possibly coexist with evil, while still being both good and all-powerful.

We won’t spoil things for you, but Lewis’s arguments will help you deal with your pain in a way that leaves your faith intact. And once you can do this, you can help others do the same, making this one of the most invaluable books you could ever read as a Christian.

Reasonable Faith

Crossway

If you have a good grasp on the fundamentals of your Christian faith, it’s time to move on to something a little more in-depth. William Lane Craig’s “Reasonable Faith” is a great introduction to Christian apologetics.

Apologetics is the field of defending or proving religious doctrine through logical argumentation. “Logical” tends to be a scary word amongst Christians—after all, how can you logically prove something that’s based on blind faith?

The answer? Christianity isn’t based on blind faith at all. It’s perfectly reasonable, as Craig deftly shows readers—we just need to learn the skills to effectively use it.

“Reasonable Faith” delves into philosophy, calculus, astrophysics, and much more as he makes the case for Christianity, paying attention to some of the most crucial questions that can be asked about the Christian faith.

In the end, you’ll be left with a stronger faith than ever, and you’ll be able to answer some of the toughest doubts our culture can throw at you.

Tactics

Zondervan

So, once you’ve strengthened your faith to the point of confidence, it’s time to learn how to take that knowledge and apply it to the world. Christianity, when correctly understood and implemented as a way of life, has the potential to change the world for the better.

Gregory Koukl can show you how to effectively share your faith with even the staunchest of skeptics in his book, “Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions.”

Koukl’s book will teach you how to present the truth clearly, persuasively, and graciously so that you can fulfill the Great Commission to the fullest extent, bringing God’s teachings to the world.

This is the authoritative guide to the various strategies that can be employed in conversations with unbelievers to help them correctly understand what your faith stands for. If you want to strengthen your ability to witness to others, this is your book.

The Great Spiritual Migration

Convergent Books

There’s a massive shift happening in the Christian Church, and while it feels like things are tumbling down, Christianity is about to undergo a glorious rebirth.

Brian McLaren’s book, “The Great Spiritual Migration,” will help bring you to the forefront of this transformation.

Brian McLaren is one of the leading voices in contemporary religion, and realizes that the Bible, in part, is the story of God’s people who are continually outgrowing old, broken ways of living and striving toward redemption.

He also realizes that this is still happening, even at the heart of the Christian Church. Younger generations are moving away from defining themselves by lists of man-made doctrine, and more toward a life actively defined by God’s love and the character of Christ. They’re moving away from organized religion and toward “organizing” religion—religion that reaches out and makes peoples’ lives better.

Heed McLaren’s invitation to jump on this trend as Christianity becomes more like the way of life Christ introduced to the world two thousand years ago.

Mere Christianity

HarperOne

Finally, we have one of the most important books of all—C.S. Lewis’s “Mere Christianity.”

It should say something that Lewis appears on this list twice. He’s one of the greatest Christian apologists of all time, a thoughtful, kind man who had uncanny insight into the heartache and confusion that comes with our humanity.

“Mere Christianity” is one of his most beloved works, a book that explores the common ground on which all Christians stand, looking at the fundamental teachings of the faith. He does so in a simple, clear manner so that no matter what level of theological expertise, you’ll get something from this book.

In the book, Lewis covers the most essential ideas of Christianity, discussing each with tact and clarity, touching on topics ranging from atonement to love to sexuality to theological virtues. Making the case for Christianity based on an argument for morality, Lewis gives you all the tools you need to develop your faith, both for your benefit, and for those to whom you witness.

If you can buy any one book on the Christian faith, let it be this one. You’ll be left with a wealth of knowledge that will forever transform your faith.