"Be careful what books you read,
for as water tastes of the soil it runs through,
so does the soul taste of the authors that a man reads."
- John Trapp (1601-1609)
Throughout the long history of the Church, the writing and reading of books, treatises, or pamphlets has been integral to the growth of God's people. Christians are first and foremost "people of The Book" and that has in turn made us people who often read good books.
Nevertheless, it matters what we read. In our limited time and busy schedules, we need to select books that will profit our souls the most. Dear Christian, Take up and Read!
Doctrine of God:
- The Existence and Attributes of God by Stephen Charnock
- Communion with God (Puritan Paperbacks) by John Owen
- None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God by Matthew Barrett
- Simply Trinity: The Unmanipulated Father, Son, and Spirit by Matthew Barrett
- The Identity and Attributes of God by Terry L. Johnson
- God Is: A Devotional Guide to the Attributes of God by Mark Jones
- The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink
- The Sovereignty of God by A.W. Pink
- The Quest for the Trinity: The Doctrine of God in Scripture, History and Modernity by Stephen Holmes
- The Trinity by Augustine
- All That Is In God: Evangelical Theology and the Challenge of Classic Christian Theism by James E. Dolezal
- Knowing God by J.I. Packer
- Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves
- The Incomparableness of God by George Swinnock
- An Ark for All God's Noahs by Thomas Brooks
- Divine Providence by Stephen Charnock
- Confessing the Impassible God by Ronald Baines, James Renihan
- A Mystery Revealed: 31 Meditations on the Trinity by Ryan McGraw
- The Divine Essence and Attributes by Richard Muller
- Does God Suffer? by Thomas Weinandy
- God Without Parts by James Dolezal
- On God and Christ by Gregory of Nazianzus
- On The Holy Spirit by Basil the Great
- The Trinity by Augustine
- Summa Theologica: Volume 2 on Existence and Nature of God by Thomas Aquinas
Doctrine of Scripture:
- Taking God At His Word: Why The Bible Is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough and What That Means for You and Me by Kevin DeYoung
- Words of Life: Scripture as the Living and Active Word of God by Timothy Ward
- Inspiration and Authority of Scripture by B.B. Warfield
- From the Mouth of God: Trusting, Reading, and Applying The Bible by Sinclair Ferguson
- Is All Scripture Inspired? by J.C. Ryle
- God Dwells Among Us by G.K. Beale
- The Sufficiency of Scripture by Noel Weeks
- Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul
- A Disputation on Holy Scripture by William Whitaker
- The Scripture Cannot Be Broken by John MacArthur
- Solid Ground by Gabriel Fluhrer
- The Bible: God's Inerrant Word by Derek Thomas
Doctrine of Humanity:
- Created in God's Image by Anthony Hoekema
- Man: The Image of God by G.C. Berkouwer
- The Christian View of Man by J. Gresham Machen
- The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther
- Human Nature In Its Fourfold State by Thomas Boston
- The New Reformation Catechism on Human Sexuality by Christopher J. Gordon
- Saints, Sufferers, and Sinners by Michael Emlet
- Men and Women in the Church by Kevin DeYoung
Doctrine of Sin:
- Sin by G.C. Berkouwer
- The Sinfulness of Sin by Ralph Venning
- Mortification of Sin by John Owen
- Temptation by John Owen
- Indwelling Sin in Believers by John Owen
- Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges
- Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave by Ed Welch
- Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller
- Idols of the Heart by Elyse Fitzpatrick
- Ruined Sinners To Reclaim by David & Jonathan Gibson
- The Enemy Within by Kris Lundgaard
- Imputation of Adam's Sin by John Murray
- Rebels and Exiles by Matthew Harmon
- The Evil of Evils by Jeremiah Burroughs
- Don't Follow Your Own Heart by Thaddeus Williams
Person & Work of Christ:
- Christ Crucified: Understanding the Atonement by Donald MacLeod
- The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance by Sinclair Ferguson
- Rejoicing in Christ by Michael Reeves
- The Everlasting Righteousness: How Shall Man Be Right With God? by Horatius Bonar
- The Person of Christ by Donald MacLeod
- The Work of Christ by Robert Letham
- Redemption: Accomplished and Applied by John Murray
- The Cross by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
- Gentle & Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlund
- Christ's Glorious Achievements by Charles Spurgeon
- Christ All In All by Philip Henry
- The Lord Jesus Christ by Brandon Crowe
- Jesus and the God of Classical Theism by Steven Duby
- On The Unity of Christ by Cyril of Alexandria
- On The Incarnation by Athanasius
- On The Apostlic Preaching by Irenaeus of Lyons
- The Nicene Creed: An Introduction by Phillip Cary
- The Glory of Christ by John Owen
- The Person of Christ by John Owen
- Alive: How the Resurrection of Christ Changes Everything by Gabrial Fluhrer
The Gospel
- The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges
- By Grace Alone by Sinclair Ferguson
- Prodigal God by Tim Keller
- God's Way of Peace by Horatius Bonar
- All of Grace by Charles Spurgeon
- Blood Work by Anthony Carter
- A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent
- Putting Amazing Back Into Grace: Embracing the Heart of God In the Gospel by Michael Horton
- The Marrow of Modern Divinity by Edward Fisher & Thomas Boston
- Gospel Sonnets by Ralph Erskine
- Human Nature In Its Fourfold State by Thomas Boston
- A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel by John Colquhoun
Christian Identity
- The Christian's True Identity by Jonathan Landry Cruse
- Do You Believe What God Says About You? by Stephen Viars
- Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of our Identity in Christ by Melissa Kruger
- Who Am I? by Jerry Bridges
Assurance of Salvation
- Knowing and Growing in Assurance of Faith by Joel Beeke
- Heaven on Earth: Assurance in the Christian Life by Thomas Brooks
- Rest: A Consideration of Faith vs Faithfulness by Jon Moffitt, Justin Perdue, Jimmy Buehler
- Safe In Christ: A Primer on Assurance by Jon Moffitt, Justin Perdue, Jimmy Buehler
- The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes
- Assurance: Resting in God's Salvation by William P. Smith
Gospel Sanctification
- Devoted to God by Sinclair Ferguson
- In Christ Alone: Living The Gospel-Centered Life by Sinclair Ferguson
- Maturity by Sinclair Ferguson
- The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification by Walter Marshall
- Holiness by Grace by Bryan Chapell
- Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges
- The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
- The Discipline by Grace by Jerry Bridges
- The Gospel-Driven Life by Michael Horton
- Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners by Dane Ortlund
- How People Change by Tim Lane & Paul Tripp
- How Does Sanctification Work? by David Powlison
- Holiness by J.C. Ryle
- The Hole In Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung
- Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
- The Gospel-Shaped Life by Iain Hamilton
Biblical Counseling
- A Theology of Biblical Counseling by Heath Lambert
- Instruments In The Redeemer's Hands by Paul Tripp
- The Pastor As Counselor by David Powlison
- Seeing With New Eyes by David Powlison
- Counseling Under the Cross by Bob Kellemen
- Scripture and Counseling by Bob Kellemen
- Biblical Counseling and the Church by Bob Kellemen
- Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling by Bob Kellemen
- Cross Talk: Where Life and Scripture Meet by Michael Emlet
- Descriptions and Prescriptions: A Biblical Perspective on Psychiatric Diagnoses and Medications by Michael Emlet
- Pursuing a Heart of Wisdom: Counselling Teenagers Biblically by John Kwasny
- The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life: Connecting Christ to Human Experience by Jeremy Pierre
- Side by Side by Ed Welch
- Spiritual Desertion by Gisbertus Voetius & Johannes Hoornbeeck
- Christ Our Rest by David Pitcairn
- Thoughts on Religious Experience by Archibald Alexander
Church History
- The Marrow Controversy and Seceder Tradition by William VanDoodewaard
- Therefore The Truth I Speak: Scottish Theology 1500-1700 by Donald Macleod
- From the Marrow Men to the Moderates: Scottish Theology 1700-1800 by Donald Macleod
- Theologians You Should Know by Michael Reeves
- 2,000 Years of Christ's Power by Nick Needham
- Post-Reformation Dogmatics by Richard Muller
- Preachers With Power by Doug Kelly
The Church
- Church Membership by Jonathan Landry Cruse
- The Church of Christ by James Bannerman
Systematic Theology, etc.
- The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
- The Christian's Reasonable Service by Wilhelmus à Brakel
- Reformed Systematic Theology by Joel Beeke
- Theoretical-Practical Theology by Petrus Van Mastricht
- The Fundamentals of Sacred Theology by Campegius Vitringa
- Systematic Theology by Louis Berkhof
- Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck
- The Christian Faith by Michael Horton
- Synopsis of a Purer Theology by Willem Den Boer & Riemer A. Faber
- The Doctrines of the Christian Religion by Thomas Boston
- Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism by Zacharias Ursinus
- Confessing the Faith by Chad Van Dixhoorn