Social media and video games may have taken up many people’s attention, but that doesn’t mean there is no more room for books. Books can comfort or challenge, and each has spiritual value in the right context. Let’s take a look at some good Christian books, contemporary and classic, that are well worth exploring or rediscovering.
Table of Contents
- 10 Good Christian Books about Spiritual Growth
- 10 Good Christian Apologetics Books
- 10 Good Christian Biographies
- 10 Good Christian Memoirs and Autobiographies
- 10 Good Christian Books about Creativity
- 10 Good Christian Short Story Collections
- 10 Good Christian Humor Books
- 10 Good Christian Mysteries
- 10 Good Christian Fantasy Books
- 10 Good Christian Science Fiction Books
10 Good Christian Books about Spiritual Growth
From meditations on books of the Bible to guides into spiritual disciplines, these 10 books are excellent guides to creating spiritual maturity and growing closer to God.
1. Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
2. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson
3. The World As I Remember It by Rich Mullins
4. Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
5. In Search of the Common Good by Jake Meador
6. The Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent
7. Faith that Lasts by Cameron McAllister and Stuart McAllister
8. Disciple Making in a Culture of Power, Comfort, and Fear by Matthew Dickerson
9. Jesus Over Everything by Lisa Whittle
10. Sixty at Sixty by James Schaap
Further Reading: 10 C.S. Lewis Books You Haven’t Read Yet
10 Good Christian Apologetics Books
Some of these authors defend the Christian faith generally, while others zero in on problems with other worldviews. Each one has excellent insights for any generation of readers.
1. Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
2. Between Heaven and Hell by Peter Kreeft
3. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
4. The God Who Is There by Francis Schaeffer
5. Making Sense of God by Timothy Keller
6. The Christian Mind by Harry Blamires
7. The Rage Against God by Peter Hitchens
8. Telling a Better Story by Joshua D. Chatraw
9. The Dust of Death by Os Guinness
10. Three Theories of Everything by Ellis Potter
Further Reading: C.S. Lewis: Chronicles of an Apologist
10 Good Christian Biographies
A great way to learn about living the Christian life well is to look at the lives of those who have come before us. These 10 Christian biographies cover a wide range of people, from musicians to missionaries, showing how they served God in enriching ways.
1. Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven by James Bryan Smith
2. Staggering Along with God: An Interview Biography by Ellis Potter
3. Dorothy and Jack by Gina Dalfonzo
4. Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life by Colin Duriez
5. Through Gates of Splendor by Elizabeth Elliot
6. A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle by Sarah Arthur
7. C.S. Lewis: The Authentic Voice by William Griffin
8. Malcolm Muggeridge by Gregory Wolfe
9. The Making and Unmaking of an Evangelical Mind: The Case of Edward Carnell by Rudy Nelson
10. A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene Peterson by Winn Collier
Further Reading: 50 Christian Authors You Should Know
10 Good Christian Memoirs and Autobiographies
While biographies show what reputation Christians left behind, it’s equally helpful to hear their own words. These books include some autobiographies (covering people’s entire lives) and some memoirs (covering specific periods of their lives). Each is interesting and well worth exploring.
1. Where the Light Fell by Philip Yancey
2. Kinda Like Grace by Ginger Sprouse
3. Everlasting is the Past by Walter Wangerin, Jr.
4. Once We Were Strangers by Shawn Smucker
5. Bringing Mom Home by Susan Soesbe
6. A Prayer for Orion by Katherine James
7. With Or Without Me by Esther Maria Magnis
8. Evangelical Anxiety by Charles Marsh
9. A Dream Too Big by Caylin Louis Moore
10. The Other Side of Infamy by Jim Downing
Further Reading: 15 Female Christian Authors You Should Know
10 Good Christian Books about Creativity
There are many topics that Christians don’t explore enough, but creativity has been one of the big ones in recent years. Fortunately, many excellent books have been written in the last 50 years to consider what Christians often miss about God’s love for beauty and craftsmanship, and how Christians can use the arts to show his glory.
1. Art and the Bible by Francis Schaeffer
2. Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle
3. Modern Art and the Death of a Culture by H.R. Rookmaaker
4. Imagine by Steve Turner
5. The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen
6. This Creative Life by Sara Zarr
7. Rembrandt is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey
8. Through A Screen Darkly by Jeffrey Overstreet
9. Discovering God Through the Arts by Terry Glaspey
10. Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson
Further Reading: 50 Great Books on Christian Art
10 Good Christian Short Story Collections
Fiction is another topic that has gone under-discussed in Christian circles, but is being reclaimed. These writers show how stories of various kinds—from inspiring stories for holidays to challenging stories about the rural South—can consider and provoke spiritual questions.
1. The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor
2. The Necessary Grace to Fall by Gina Ochsner
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild and Other Stories by Doris Betts
4. She Loves Me Not by Ron Hansen
5. Trigger Dance by Diane Glancy
6. How It Went by Wendell Berry
7. The Difference Between Women and Men by Brent Lott
8. Mrs. Sunday’s Problem and Other Stories by Harold Fickett
9. The Good Life by Erin McGraw
10. Startling Joy by James Calvin Schaap
Further Reading: 10 Exciting Christian Suspense Authors You Should Read Now
10 Good Christian Humor Books
Laughter is sometimes seen as irreverent but is a God-given blessing. These books provide many kinds of comedy—from laughing at life’s everyday follies to satire which pushes readers to think about issues they may be ignoring.
1. The Ball and the Cross by G.K. Chesterton
2. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
3. Other Eyes Than Ours by Ronald Knox
4. The Call of the Mild by Torry Martin and Doug Peterson
5. A Star in the Breaking by Bill Myers
6. Affairs of the Heart by Malcolm Muggeridge
7. My Senior Moments Have Gone High-Tech by Karen O’Connor
8. Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
9. I Did It His Way by Johnny Hart
10. Dear Hero by Hope Bolinger and Alyssa Roat
Further Reading: Why We Need Comedy
10 Good Christian Mysteries
Christians can write in almost any genre, but mysteries have a particular appeal. At their best, they show how sin motivates people to do terrible things, that the battle between good and evil is real, and that good can triumph. Here are 10 detective stories and thrillers that explore these ideas in various ways.
1. The Mystery of Iniquity by Daniel Taylor
2. Point of Danger by Iren Hannon
3. Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
4. War in Heaven by Charles Williams
5. Fatal Remains by Eleanor Taylor Bland
6. Come Back Dead by Terence Faherty
7. The Viaduct Murder by Ronald Knox
8. Three Strikes You’re Dead by Robert Goldsborough
9. Aftermath by Terri Blackstock
10. Miranda Warning by Heather Day Gilbert
Further Reading: 10 Inspiring Christian Mystery Authors You Can Read Today
10 Good Christian Fantasy Books
Whether fantasy stories explore locations in other words like Narnia or Middle-earth or place fantastical things in a world that looks like our own, they can deliver fascinating spiritual insights.
1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Wise Woman and Other Stories by George MacDonald
3. The Devil’s Hunting Grounds by Harry Blamires
4. The Alpine Tales by Paul J. Willis
5. Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
6. The Crescent Stone by Matt Mikalatos
7. Wraithwood by Alyssa Roat
8. The Flight of the Sky Cricket by Gordon Greenhill
9. By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson
10. Facefaker’s Game by Chandler J. Birch
Further Reading: 15 Classic Christian Fantasy Books for Kids and Adults
10 Good Christian Science Fiction Books
Science fiction explores the wonder of God’s creation in different ways than fantasy, often giving great insights into how humans use (or misuse) the technology that God gave them.
1. Perelandra by C.S. Lewis
2. Shivering World by Kathy Tyers
3. Edge of Oblivion by Joshua A. Johnston
4. Brand of Light by Ronnie Kendig
5. Tainted by Morgan L. Busse
6. A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes
7. The Chase by Bradley Caffee
8. The Heart of Light by Charlie W. Starr
9. Pandora’s Box by Nathan Marchand
10. Broken Sight by Steve Rzasa
Further Reading: 15 Great Christian Sci-Fi Books for Kids and Adults
If you enjoyed this article, you may enjoy these articles about good Christians books and authors:
100 Christian Novels You Haven't Read Yet
50 Christian Authors You Should Know
20 Great Books on Christian Music
50 Great Books on Christian Art
15 Female Christian Authors You Should Know
10 Horror Novels by Christians for Halloween
