15 Key Christian Books for Your 2020 Reading List
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Kickstart the new year by adding these key books on the Christian faith to your 2020 reading list. (Click here for the 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, and 2018 lists.)
1. None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God by Matthew Barrett (Baker Books)
Too often we try to bring God down to our level, to domesticate God by attempting to fit him into human limitations. Matthew Barrett, on the other hand, helps raise us up toward God in order to better understand God’s majesty, power, and glory—to begin to comprehend God’s divine and powerful attributes.
After describing how we as limited creatures can know about God as our unlimited creator, Dr. Barrett proceeds to explain God’s divine attributes, beginning with some that may be less familiar—God’s aseity, simplicity, and impassibility. More familiar attributes such as God’s immutability, omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience are followed by an examination of God’s righteousness and justice. In all, if you read and study this work, you will come away with a firmer love and respect for God and a strengthened faith because there truly is none greater. Click here for Amazon link.
2. The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness by Kevin DeYoung (Crossway)
Have you ever wondered why your spiritual life lacks joy? It could be from a lack of regard for holy living. Many churches today focus on healing from brokenness, how to have a better life, or engaging with the culture, while exhortations to grow in holiness are rarely heard. In The Hole in Our Holiness, pastor Kevin DeYoung challenges us to examine the place holiness occupies in our hearts: “There is a gap between our love for the gospel and our love for godliness. This must change. It’s not pietism, legalism, or fundamentalism to take holiness seriously. It’s the way of all those who have been called to a holy calling by a holy God” (p. 22).
DeYoung takes readers through relevant Bible passages about God’s purposes for our salvation, including the praise of God’s own name, our being blameless and holy in his sight, and the good works we will do. Join DeYoung as he explains why growing in holiness is not mere rule-keeping but rather God’s plan for us as his Spirit works to conform us to the image of the Son so that we would find the fullness of joy in our God. Click here for Amazon link.
3. Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End by David Gibson (Crossway)
Are you looking forward to heaven but not in much of a hurry to get there? The truth is that many Christians live as if their greatest treasures are here on earth. Death is something we don’t want to think about, and we find countless ways to distract ourselves from the reality that is awaiting all of us. In Living Life Backward, minister and theologian David Gibson takes readers through the book of Ecclesiastes, helping them to better understand why this world is not our permanent home and how to live a more fruitful life through a better understanding of that truth.
Gibson covers topics such as recognizing God’s sovereignty in both the big picture of life and the seasons of life; the peace of mind that comes from focusing on “we, not me” (p. 66); being content with what God has provided for us; listening to what God has said to us in his word and speaking to him; learning to love the limitations of life; and much more. Living Life Backward helps believers focus on making every day that God gives us count and filling it with purpose by living in light of both the end and the glorious forever we have in Christ. Click here for Amazon link.
4. Did Adam and Eve Really Exist? Who They Were and Why You Should Care by C. John Collins (Crossway)
Many today, even among Christians, reject that Adam and Eve were real persons in history. Some say it doesn’t really matter—that the mythical idea of Adam and Eve is the real point, not whether they really existed. Addressing both of these challenges to the biblical revelation of Adam and Eve is the focus of Dr. Collin’s book. He demonstrates how important it is to read all the biblical revelation concerning Adam and Eve especially as it relates to Jesus. Collins also includes sections on how their reality relates to the image of God and the role of science. He concludes with why it all matters. By reading this book you will be blessed with a stronger appreciation for how important Adam and Eve are to Christ’s redemptive work. Click here for Amazon link.
5. The Christian’s True Identity: What It Means to Be in Christ by Jonathan Landry Cruse (Reformation Heritage Books)
Identity. It’s hard to think of another word that better summarizes the issues dominating discussions in politics, culture, and even churches in today’s world. Wanting to experience a sense of belonging and feel loved and valued are universal desires for all humans, but we seem more confused than ever regarding what identity means from both a theoretical and practical perspective. In The Christian’s True Identity, pastor Jonathan Landry Cruse clearly and succinctly explains why everything we need “for a lasting, fulfilling identity is found in Christ—and only in Christ” (p. 15).
Taking passages from Paul’s epistles containing the words “in Him,” Cruse helps readers to better comprehend how union with Christ encompasses being chosen, pardoned, righteous, adopted, one, new, secure, and alive in Christ. Instead of buying into the false identity gospel the world is preaching, Christians need to immerse themselves in Him, putting on Christ and living out the identity He has given them. If you want to have a deeper understanding of the glorious truth of what it means to have union with Christ, reading this gem of a book is a great place to start. Click here for Amazon link.
6. The Creedal Imperative by Carl R. Trueman (Crossway)
Why does there seem to be so much discontinuity among Protestant denominations? What connects churches to other churches, and what gives continuity between churches in different times and places? All churches have beliefs about what the Bible teaches, but many provide incomplete explanations or neglect to write them down. Theologian Carl Trueman explains how the historical creeds and confessions are important for helping to unify churches in time and place through clear and concise statements summarizing the teaching of Scripture. He helps us recognize how no church ought to be an island of independence separated from the community of churches that confess Christ and his gospel.
All churches in some manner reach into tradition to help inform their beliefs. The question then is, what tradition? Dr. Trueman does a wonderful job helping readers to wisely reflect on the history (traditions) of the creeds and confessions, starting with the early church through our current age. If you want to better understand your own church’s creed and confession, start with The Creedal Imperative. Click here for Amazon link.
7. Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon (Crossway Books)
Have you been trying to get into the habit of spending time in God's word but struggling to maintain a consistent, organized system? Or maybe you’re so discouraged with life right now that you don’t even feel like reading your Bible. Let the renowned and passionate nineteenth-century English preacher Charles H. Spurgeon comfort, convict, and encourage you morning and evening all year long with this relatively new edition of his classic devotional Morning and Evening, revised and updated with modernized English by Alistair Begg.
The Morning and Evening devotional features two short but exceedingly rich readings for each day of the year based on a specific Bible passage. Spurgeon’s solid doctrine and application, combined with his boundless hope, joy, and confidence in the Lord, have helped Christians around the world refocus their gaze upon and rejoice in the glorious biblical truths God has given us in his word. Keep Morning and Evening at your bedside and be blessed for years to come as you read this Christ-centered devotional from one of the most beloved preachers the world has ever known. Click here for Amazon link.
8. The Christian and Technology by John Fesko (EP Books)
A person would have to be living completely off the grid not to notice how technological advances are changing the way we live and interact with each other—and at what seems like a breathtaking pace. Yet, the benefits of technology have also come with costs that are adversely affecting people’s emotional, physical, and spiritual health in numerous ways.
In The Christian and Technology, theologian John Fesko explores six different technological advances: screens, social media, the automobile, the book, virtual reality, and unfettered access to the world through the Internet. He considers not only how they have positively and negatively shaped our lives but also how they have benefited and hindered our growth in grace. Through a better understanding of technology, we can use it well and avoid the temptations that are a finger-click away at any given moment. Fesko’s The Christian and Technology brings much needed perspective and wisdom to a subject Christians cannot—and must not—ignore as they seek to glorify God in all their pursuits. Click here for Amazon link.
9. A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss by Jerry L. Sittser (Zondervan)
How do you go on when your parent, spouse, sibling, or child has died? The loss is even more traumatic when it occurs suddenly without warning. A Grace Disguised is considered one of the best first-person accounts of how to survive grief, and for good reason. The author, Jerry Sittser, lost his mother, wife, and daughter in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Sittser takes readers through the various dimensions of his loss as he faced the test of his life, journeying into the abyss of despair while still having to somehow care for his three surviving children.
Sittser eventually came to a realization of hope, even after experiencing such unfathomable devastation, and he gives readers similar hope that they can also survive and even thrive over time. Sittser’s A Grace Disguised has helped countless Christians to see God's sovereign and loving hand in the most difficult moments of life. This is a must-read book for anyone who is grieving. Click here for Amazon link.
10. Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books by Michael J. Kruger (Crossway)
Why were some writings included in the New Testament while others were excluded? This is the main question Dr. Kruger addresses in his clear and understandable book on the development of the New Testament canon. In part 1, after tracing the two main, externally determined explanations for the origin of the canon, he then demonstrates how the canon is internally self-authenticating.
In part 2 of Canon Revisited, Kruger develops the defense of the canonical model in greater detail with evidence and explanation within grasp of anyone with a basic understanding of the teaching of Scripture. This is the best overall work available on the origins and authority of the New Testament. Click here for Amazon link.
11. Sufficient Hope: Gospel Meditations and Prayers for Moms by Christina Fox (P & R Publishing)
Are you trying hard to be a good Christian mom but feeling discouraged by all the challenges confronting you daily in an increasingly frantic world? In Sufficient Hope: Gospel Meditations and Prayers for Moms, Christina Fox helps women focus on the importance of processing various aspects of motherhood through the lens of the gospel. And why? Because the gospel is always sufficient, and mothers (and everyone else!) need to constantly remind themselves of gospel truth, the hope it gives, and the need to apply it in all circumstances.
Fox deftly applies solid biblical teaching to the real-life circumstances of motherhood with an ease and gentleness not often found with many Christian writers. There is a beautiful prayer at the end of each chapter to help moms in their petitions, including prayers on Christ’s sufficiency, feelings of helplessness, the work of motherhood, repentance, and their identity in Christ. If you’re experiencing “mommy-guilt,” weariness, anxiety, or a general sense of feeling overwhelmed as you seek to be a godly mother, Sufficient Hope is a wonderful book for moms of all ages to have on hand to read and reread. Click here for Amazon link.
12. Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith by Douglas Groothuis (IVP Academic)
Are you looking for a solid book that answers the tough questions people ask about the Christian faith? You have it in theologian Douglas Groothuis’s comprehensive textbook. Dr. Groothuis’s purpose in writing Christian Apologetics was to help Christians be better aware of the most common objections and critiques of Christian theism and to better be able to defend the faith by providing biblical and rational answers for the hope we have.
The first part of the book addresses preliminary topics such as the biblical basis and method for apologetics, as well as why truth matters. The next sections extensively examine challenges and proofs for the existence of God and the incarnation of Christ Jesus. He concludes with objections to these truths such as those that come from Islam and the existence of evil. Dr. Groothuis equips his readers with knowledge of worldly objections to God and Christ, and he challenges us to respond and “take it to the streets.” Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith is a must-have book for believers who are seeking to be well prepared to defend their faith. Click here for Amazon link.
13. Heaven: Your Real Home by Joni Eareckson Tada (Zondervan)
We can get so consumed with a world that we can see, smell, touch, and taste that we don’t think much about heaven. Why is this? We know we should look forward to our heavenly home, but somehow the images of heaven that we generally think of such as baby angels, floating on clouds, and playing harps seem trite and boring. If you are looking for a book that is based on Scripture and draws you to think about heaven in a fresh way, Joni Eareckson Tada’s Heaven: Your Real Home is a wonderful resource.
Written in a warm and engaging style along with personal examples and humor, Tada challenges readers to think deeply about their heavenly home as she focuses on three major themes: “What Will Heaven Be Like?” “Will Heaven Be Home?” and “The Journey Home.” Heaven: Your Real Home stirs up the heart and the imagination as Tada points believers to set their eyes and hearts on both heaven and their Savior Jesus Christ. Once you begin reading this book, you will never view heaven the same way again. Click here for Amazon link.
14. Communion with the Triune God by John Owen (Crossway)
“This is love: that God loves us first, and then we love him again” (John Owen, p. 113). Every believer should take the opportunity to read at least some of seventeenth-century Puritan theologian John Owen’s writing. Owen wrote on a broad and in-depth range of biblical and theological topics (you can find The Works of John Owen volumes online here). In Communion with the Triune God, Owen helps readers better understand the different aspects of communion with God in general, as well as the distinct communion believers have with each person of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
According to Owen, “Our communion, then, with God consists in his communication of himself unto us, with our return unto him of that which he requires and accepts, flowing from that union which in Jesus Christ we have with him” (p. 94). Communion with God is a daily practice that consists of both giving and receiving. As countless Christians have done throughout the last four centuries, take the time to allow Owen to shed light in your mind and heart regarding why the skill of walking with God requires agreement, acquaintance, a path, strength, boldness, and having “the same design in hand, and aim at the same end” (p. 220), namely, Jesus Christ. Click here for Amazon link.
15. A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times by Kim Riddlebarger (Baker Books)
Have you been waiting for a secret rapture where you will be taken up to heaven and miss a seven-year tribulation on earth? If so, you have likely been taught the end-times view known as premillennialism, which has been promoted in books such as Hal Lindsey’s The Late, Great Planet Earth, movies such as the Left Behind series, and countless other podcasts, websites, and sermons during the past fifty years. These resources have likely been influenced at least to some extent by the popularity of the Scofield Reference Bible (published in the 1800s) that fueled interest in the view. Premillennialism, however, has not been the prevailing teaching of the historic church.
In A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times, pastor and theologian Kim Riddlebarger presents a clear defense of amillennialism, the view that “the millennium is the period of time between the two advents of our Lord with the thousand years of Revelation 20 being symbolic of the entire interadvental age” (p. 31). Riddlebarger presents key terminology, various viewpoints, and related biblical themes. He then tackles key Scripture passages regarding the millennial age, including Daniel 9, Matthew 24, and Revelation 20, along with the major problems with other millennial views. Whether you lean toward premillennialism, postmillennialism, amillennialism or “pan”-millennialism (it will all pan out in the end!), every Christian who is interested in the end times will benefit from engaging with Riddlebarger’s A Case for Amillennialism on the major points of discussion. Click here for Amazon link.