1. The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, John Owen- Owen seriously rocks, and this is his magnum opus. I have never read a book which led me to think so highly and broadly about what the death of Christ means for believers.

2. Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton- I have no idea whether or not Chesterton is a heretic or a saint, but this book taught me what is to imagine like a Christian should imagine.

3. Red Like Blood, Bob Bevington and Joe Coffee- These guys bring it- talk about grace! This book brought home the stunning reality and depth of God’s great grace in the face of my sin.

4. Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl, N.D. Wilson- Nate Wilson is very tall. Also a good writer, and this book taught me that God is an Author and a Speaker, and that therefore I should probably pay more attention to ants.

5. Why Johnny Can’t Preach, T. David Gordon- T. David Gordon doesn’t mess around. If I remember correctly, he wrote this after the doctors gave him a 25% chance of living from a brain tumor (he pulled through). This book, though being about preaching, taught me the subtle and important lesson that methods always carry messages, and if we’re not careful, our methods can change our subvert our message, crippling our ministry.

6. The Sovereignty of God, A.W. Pink- Pink is intense. I’m pretty sure if the whole “theology” thing didn’t work out for him, he’s have been a wrestler. Maybe. Anyway, this is one of the most helpful, bold, and honest defenses of the biblical doctrine of God’s sovereignty in salvation that I’ve ever read.

7. Confessions, Augustine- Classy. This book has inestimable value as a foundation for all subsequent Western thought and literature, and has profound insight into Christian conversion.

8. Christianity and Liberalism, J. Gresham Machen- Machen is a serious prophet, and he doesn’t mince words. This book is a clear and persuasive defense of orthodox Christianity in an age of great departure from the faith, and is extremely relevant to the state of the wider evangelical church today.

9. The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis- If I didn’t have a Lewis book in here, I don’t know if I could even call myself a Christian. This book, though a bit weird at times, gives great insight into temptation and vice.

10. The End for Which God Created the World, Jonathan Edwards- I honestly don’t know if I would have liked Edwards, had I known him. But what a writer! This book uses rock-solid philosophical/logical arguments as well as deeply rooted biblical arguments to show that God’s end in creation is his highest glory through the highest happiness of his creatures, a foundational truth for every Christian to grasp. Note: The link above is for John Piper’s book on The End For Which, and it includes the entire text of Edwards.

That’s all for now,

-Daniel