The Top Ten Book Lists

Christianity Today's recently listed the Top 10 Books that have Shaped Evangelicals.

This has lead to a number of alternative lists including that of Ligon Duncan listed below, courtesy of Justin Taylor:


"The following list is from the Reformed side of evangelicalism, the books are from the last 50 years or so, there is a heavy emphasis on theology and devotional material. Naturally, it emphasizes what should be the top ten, as opposed to what has been the top ten!"

1. J. I. Packer, Knowing God (IVP). Introduced a new generation to the Reformed doctrine of God, without their knowing it.

2. J. I. Packer, Fundamentalism and the Word of God (Eerdmans). One of the most important popular presentations and defenses of the historic Christian (“evangelical” or “fundamentalist”) view of Scripture published throughout the long era of “The Battle for the Bible”

3. J. I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness (Crossway Books) Introduced a new generations to the Puritans, one of the hallmarks of Packer’s long ministry to evangelicalism.

4. John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied (Eerdmans). Put Reformed soteriology and the ordo salutis on the map for three generations (now) of evangelical Christians. Given originally as Sunday School class lectures, most students require dictionaries at hand in order to grasp the precision and variety of Murray’s vocabulary!

5. David F. Wells, No Place for Truth (Eerdmans). The most important assessment of the disappearance of theology in evangelicalism in print. Totally different conclusions than Noll’s Scandal of the Evangelical Mind.

6. John Piper, Desiring God (Multnomah). Piper’s message has profoundly affected the entire younger Reformed movement.

7. John Stott, Basic Christianity (IVP). A book that has been instrumental in the conversion of thousands, and used by thousands in bearing witness to Christ. Typical of Stott’s whole ministry.

8. Francis Schaeffer, The God Who Is There (Crossway). Schaeffer as a thinking popularizer and apologist (rather than as an intellectual or theologian) had a profound and positive impact on evangelicalism.

9. R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God (Tyndale House). The whole ministry of Ligonier is built around the message of this book (which shook everyone from Bill Hybels to Charles Colson to the core). Other than John Piper, no one has been a greater popular exponent for Reformed Christianity than R.C. Sproul.

10. O Palmer Robertson, Christ of the Covenants (P&R). Single-handedly revived covenant theology, which had been languishing for almost a hundred years."

Others have also offered their thoughts along these lines as prompted by Justin Taylor:

• Jim Hamilton
  
  
• Sam Storms
  
  
• Philip Ryken
  
  
• CJ Mahaney
  
  
• Erik Thoennes