My Top Ten Most Influential Books

I was asked to list my top ten most influential books and then give a brief discussion of why they are important to me.  I posted it to Facebook earlier but figured I would post it here as well.

1. Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis): whereas the rest of the list is in "no particular order" this one is mentioned first for a reason. Shortly after reading this book I began to consider C.S. Lewis--whom I affectionately call "Jack" just as his friends did--my mentor. His writings, especially this book, brought about an entire paradigm shift in the way that I think about my relationship with God and others. I read this book, on average, about once every 6 months (hey, Scot MckNight reads a few pages everyday).

2. A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (William Law): Sadly, I have only read the abridged version (Dallas Willard recommends the unabridged), but what a glorious day it was when I read this book. I had nothing to read and flopped backwards in my chair in utter dismay when my eyes lit upon the thin cover of this book which had been sitting on my shelf for years, unread. "Well, I have nothing else" I said to myself. Would to God I had read this book earlier. For those of you who are fans of Crazy Love by Francis Chan, drop it and read this. This book is Crazy Love 300 years ago and, in my opinion, much meatier. He was the first writer to bust my chops about pride (I went forward shortly after reading it). C.S Lewis was the second with his chapter The Great Sin in Mere Christianity (see #1). Among the other things that were greatly helpful were his thoughts on prayer (especially fixed hour prayer with his recommended schedule) and his thoughts about the stewardship of our money. To paraphrase, "I would rather help a dishonest man than not help and honest man."

3. The Imitation of Christ (Thomas a Kempis): Again, I paraphrase, "On the last day it will not be demanded of us what we have read, but what we have done; not how well we have spoken, but how holily we have lived." And again, "I had rather feel contrition than be skilled in the definition thereof." Thomas of Kempen was a disciple in the first degree who knew what it was to LIVE like Christ rather than argue about the life of Christ. He begins with a quotation of John 8:12, "He who followeth me shall not walk in darkness" and then proceeds to describe that lighted path. He was a Catholic, so be prepared for that especially in the latter books which discuss the Eucharist. Regardless, this book should be read and treasured by all. There are many editions and translations. Mine sounds like the King James (and I like it that way), but you can purchase others which sound like the NIV (if that your taste).

4. The Intellecutal Life (A.G. Sertillanges): If I ever taught a class on The Preacher and His Work, this would likely be the text. Granted, he does not write for the "pastor" but for the intellectual (hence the title), Regardless, his advice on discipline is invaluable. He helped open my eyes to a holistic view of life and ministry. He has a chapter discussing the care of the body. He says, in essence, that those who live and think about prime reality and the great ideas must have their minds in top shape, but the mind is dependent upon the proper functioning of the brain and the brain is dependent upon the whole of the body. There is a reason that the eye doctor may ask about your diet. Our body is one living organism and it is foolish to think that the neglect of one part will not effect the other part. We need adequate sleep, appropriate diet, exercise, and recreation. To have a sharp mind you must have a keen body. There are many other jewels in the book, I have only mentioned the one. James Schall, who writes the preface, recommends this book to be on the desk of every serious student.

5. Orthodoxy (G.K. Chesterton): I discovered Chesterton through Jack. Chesterton was called The Apostle of Common Sense, and this book reflects that common sense. He was a top shelf intellectual and yet a common man. His writing is interesting and humorous. This book is a record of how he came to faith (hear "Catholicism"). But what grand contribution did he make to my thinking? Namely this: he helped me learn to reason; he sharpened my wits. Included in that is the fact that he validated paradox in my mind as an acceptable manner of speaking and of understanding certain things. Some who are products of Post-Enlightenment reductionist thought reject paradox outright (as I did in the past), but Chesterton has made paradox his bedfellow. This appreciation for paradox is, I think, necessary for every Christian. Our faith is founded upon the greatest paradox, Jesus Christ: the God-Man (I do not think that we take this paradox seriously or realize how "foolish" an idea the God-Man is). To reject paradox is to destroy the underpinning of prime reality.

6. The Spirit of the Disciplines (Dallas Willard): At this point I am glad that this list is my top 10 and not my top 5. I have often felt that this book belonged on my top 5 but I could not bring myself to "dethrone" a single book from the list, and so this book is relegated to #6. Do not expect a "How-To Manual" from this book. This is not "The Spiritual Disciplines" but "The SPIRIT of the Disciplines." This is more like a defense of their necessity and relevance. I use an example common to all within my tradition: "What about fasting?" And someone will inevitably object, "Well, it's a fine idea I suppose, but we have no command to fast." Willard's defense of fasting and indeed all of the disciplines is unrivaled (in my opinion). After reading this book I became convinced that the spiritual disciplines are not an option for the Christian (as many suggest in regard to fasting) but an absolute necessity. They are the thing which places us in the path of God's grace by which He changes us. To borrow from Richard Foster and his book on the disciples, we cannot make a seed grow, but we can prepare the soil. The disciplines prepare the soil of our hearts, God gives the increase. NOTE: I feel bound to mention Foster's book on disciplines, Celebration of Discipline. I have not included his book on my list (as no doubt Evan Kirby will--shout out), only for this reason: this book was not the game changer. In general one will not,practice the disciplines unless they are first convinced of their necessity, and that's what Willard's work does. However, having been convinced of their vital nature, one will then want to know how to practice them. This is not provided by Willard's work; it is by Foster. If one needs guidance through the disciplines and the how-to's, Celebration of Discipline is the book to read. Indeed. Celebration of Discipline is on Christianity Today's Top 100 Books of the Century (it's #8, along with Mere Christianity #1 and Orthodoxy #6), and Spirit of the Disciplines is not. However, for me, my choice still stands.

7. The Mission of God (Christopher Wright): I have been searching for The Thing, the one thing that ties the whole Bible together. I had intimations early on, and I was helped by N.T. Wright, but it was Christopher Wright (no relation) that gave it to me in The Mission of God. The subtitle of the book is even "Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative." I am still in the process of reading the book, but it has already delivered (for me) on its promise. It is a weighty book and, at times, technical, but it will benefit those who are manly enough to tackle it. It discusses "mission" and what it means. Most often when we speak of "mission" or "missions" we have in mind what we do; Wright says that mission is what God is doing; we are swept up in His story. NOTE: I think that N.T. Wright probably could have provided me with a framework for understanding the whole Bible as well, but since I have not read his Christian Origins series yet I cannot say for sure.

8. The Practice of the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence): I never thought I would hear anyone say "I do not care whether I am saved or lost," but Brother Lawrence did. His point was not that eternal destiny is unimportant, but that it was not his motivation. Lawrence served God for God's sake, not for his own sake. He was motivated by love for God, not by the pursuit of blessing. He "sought God' face and not His hand." For me this was revolutionary. Though the idea is present in many of Lewis' writings (see #1, as well as The Great Divorce) and Thomas a Kempis (see #3) has a great section about "mercenary Christians," what Dallas Willard calls "Vampire Christians" (see The Divine Conspiracy), it was brother Lawrence who somehow brought this idea home. Ever since reading this book I have tried to forget about blessing and to think more about God; I have tried to serve Him and be like Him because He is worth it, not because I'm afraid of what will happen if I don't.

9. Who Is My Brother? (F. LaGard Smith): I struggle to know what to say about this book, perhaps because what it means to me now and in the past 2 years of my life is intensely personal. Simply put, and in the most literal way possible, I would not be where I am today if it were not for this book. This should be required reading for everyone within the Restoration tradition (incidentally, it is required at the Sunset International Bible Institute). Where I come from in the south east the circles of fellowship are scarily narrow. Christ will not be won for the world so long as He has no place in the church, and I am afraid there are many churches who have so little of the spirit of Christ in them that I would prefer they not name themselves "churches of Christ." So what do I say about this book? Only that I wish it enjoyed a wider audience and even more adherents.

10. How to Read a Book (Mortimer J. Adler): if you need a book on hermeneutics, put down Virkler (though he's worth it) and pick up Adler (I also highly recommend Fee [How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth] and F. LaGard Smith [Cultural Church]). This book changed the way I read forever. Once I was afraid to mark in my books, even my Bible, now every book I read is annotated (thanks to Adler). He helped me understand, not only how to read a book, but how to determine which books are worth reading (an indispensable skill for bibliophiles who know how expensive books an be). All of this considered, his most important contribution was that he helped me learn to read the Bible. Previously I had approached the whole of it as Law and therefore I constantly searched for rules; Adler helped me learn to read the Bible as Story (on this I also recommend Leland Ryken's Word's of Delight).