Spiritual Journey Press

P.O Box 3041, Mercerville, NJ 08619 USA

Protestant Books on Spirituality

This section covers both mainline Protestant and Evangelical perspectives.  Pre- twentieth century Protestant authors may also be found in the Classical Journey Page.  For your convenience (since many of these books may not be readily available in your local bookstore), I have directly linked each book to its page at Amazon.com; just click its title and you can order in no time!  Spiritual Journey Press is an associate of Amazon.com.  

New!  For books by key authors, see the list on the left side bar.

 He Shines in All That's Fair: Culture and Common Grace by Richard Mouw.

From Amazon.com web site:  "How do Christians account for the widespread presence of goodness in a fallen world? In He Shines in All That's Fair Richard Mouw brings the historic insights of Calvinism to bear on this fundamental question and reinterprets them for a broader audience at the turn of the twenty-first century.  Prepared as the 2000 Stob Lectures at Calvin College and Seminary, these chapters elegantly demonstrate that an updated understanding of common grace provides much-needed help for those wrestling with the constantly shifting challenges of cultural engagement. Mouw examines long-standing Reformed arguments between those who champion the doctrine of common grace and those who emphasize a dramatic contrast between the church and the world. These divergent perspectives have a direct bearing on more basic questions: What common ground do Christians share with those outside the faith? How should they relate to the world around them? Mouw shows that Christians need to be actively involved in the world in a way that promotes "human flourishing," so that they can be God's instruments in healing the brokenness of both individuals and society at large."

Howard Baker, Soul Keeping.  Baker speaks with deep humility and honesty about the course of his own journey, and reminds of us that even our "desert" experiences can trigger spiritual growth.  Soul Keeping is an accessible entry into the classical Christian tradition of spiritual formation.

John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress.  This is still the best description of the classical spiritual journey, as viewed from a Protestant perspective.

N. Gordon Cosby, By Grace Transformed.  Cosby's insists on maintaining both an inner spiritual life and a commitment to social justice, and this reminds us of the Endless Possibilities' description of the redemptive and mission level journeys. 

Bruce Demarest, Satisfy Your Soul: Restoring the Heart of Christian Spirituality.  This is an excellent overview of the subject of spiritual formation from an evangelical perspective. 

Marva Dawn, Keeping the Sabbath Wholly.  In a busy age, observing Sabbath spirituality is a difficult challenge.  Marva Dawn invites us to reconsider the Sabbath's potential for our spiritual growth.

Tilden Edwards, Sabbath Time: Understanding and Practice for Contemporary Christians.  The director of the Shalem Institute shares his insights into the spirituality of Sabbath keeping.  Consider also Edward's classic Spiritual Friend and Living in the Presence: Spiritual Exercises to Open Our Lives to the Awareness of God.  This is an excellent companion work to the two works above.   Living Simply Through the Day is a revised and updated version of a book Edwards wrote 20 years ago, and it is still relevant to our situation.  

Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Revive Us Again : Biblical Insights for Encouraging Spiritual Renewal.  This call to spiritual renewal is unique in that the messages are based on Old Testament passages (what did you expect from a professor of Old Testament?).  

Morton Kelsey, The Other Side of Silence : Meditation for the Twenty-First Century.  Twenty years ago, The Other Side of Silence was published, the first book to join Christian meditation with Jungian psychology. This is the revised edition.  See also Spiritual Living in a Material World.  This little gem of a book by a modern pioneer in the field of Christian spirituality is well worth the few dollars it costs to own.  Kelsey provides a basic primer on a number of spiritual disciplines and on journeying in general. In The Drama of Christmas: Letting Christ into Our Lives, Kelsey offers a nice set of meditations on the Christmas narratives.

C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves.   The Four Loves are affection, friendship, erotic love and our love of God.  This may not be one of Lewis' most well-known works, but it is worthwhile.

  Most Reluctant Convert : C. S. Lewis's Journey to Faith by David Downing
 

"Downing "explores C.S. Lewis' personal journey to faith, the fascinating and little discussed path that led him from staunch atheist to the 'most reluctant convert' and shaped him into a renowned writer and follower of Christ." (from Inter-Varsity Press)

J. I. Packer, Knowing God.   As the book's title states, the purpose of the work is to draw us into a deeper personal relationship with God.  A very inexpensive Knowing God Study Guide ($4.99 retail; Amazon.com sells it for $3.99) is also available.  I would also recommend Packer's  A Quest for Godliness : The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life, which is an excellent survey of Puritan spirituality by a renowned evangelical theologian.

John Stott, Basic Christianity.  An evangelical classic which has been used by countless Sunday School classes.  Also see his latest work,   Evangelical Truth: A Personal Plea for Unity, Integrity, and Faithfulness. 

A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy and The Pursuit of God.   Delve into the attributes of God in a prayerful way with a master!  Tozer's style is compelling.  Take, for example, this quote from The Knowledge of the Holy:  "Upon God's faithfulness rests our whole hope of future blessedness."  Amen!

No Future Without Forgiveness by Desmond Mpilo Tutu.
Tutu's newest book chronicles South Africa's attempt to come to terms with its apartheid past by creating a Commission of National Reconciliation, which operated on the basis of a Christian view of confession, repentance and forgiveness.

Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church.  This book has found tremendous success in communicating how churches can fulfill their mission journeys.  If this reminds you of my Endless Possibilities' emphasis on God's will and fulfilling our "goal-oriented" journeys, give yourself a pat on the back!

Robert E. Webber, Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World.  Webber's previous works on evangelicalism and worship are challenging and worthwhile.  He is a rare evangelical who appreciates the contributions of other Christian traditions and the early church.  In this book, he discusses how the early church's practices of worship, teaching and outreach can guide our mission in today's culture. 

Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.   Whitney encourages the quest for godliness (the goal of the classical spiritual journey paradigm) through the employment of spiritual disciplines. 

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy. Willard desires to count the cost of Christian discipleship and thus rescue it from the mediocrity which is so often characteristic of church life today. 

N. T. Wright, The Way of the Lord: Christian Pilgrimage Today.  Pilgrimage is deeper than tourism.  A tourist visits a place, while a pilgrim seeks an encounter with God utilizing place as a sign of God's presence.  Wright explores Holy Land sites and places them within the context of Christian faith.   See also Following Jesus. In this very accessible book, Wright reflects on the theme of discipleship.  The first half offers a series of NT book overviews (the one on Mark is the best).

How People Grow : What the Bible Reveals About Personal Growth  by Henry Cloud and John Townsend.  Starting with the premise that all growth is spiritual growth, the authors then expound on the concept. Cloud postulates that we spend too much time focusing on problems, rather than on root issues. "We are not just to help others 'feel better' or relate better or perform better," writes Cloud. Rather, he says, people must get back into a relationship with God. With this in mind, there's a brief lesson in theology ("the 'Big Picture'"), then a look at topics such as acceptance, forgiveness, obedience, and suffering. 

The Transforming Power of Prayer : Deepening Your Friendship With God by James Houston.  "Prayer is a matter of theology and ethics, both thinking and doing," writes James Houston. " It is profoundly guided by what we believe and how we believe." How we pray is deeply determined by how we perceive God.  But no matter how we see God, prayer is something that seems to come only with difficulty. We tend to view prayer as a rigorous discipline or a required spiritual exercise. Houston wants us to see that prayer is simply keeping company with God.

Messy Spirituality
by Mike Yaconelli

"Yaconelli explores the perfectionism that plagues so many in the church, an examination that is both challenging and deeply personal. He does an excellent job of naming some of the unspoken assumptions in today's church context, arguing, for example, that the church "has communicated that competence is one of the fruits of the Spirit." But even more effective are his vivid stories, where he gives blood and flesh to the idea of grace lost and found again in the church. The power of these stories makes the book reminiscent of Philip Yancey's What's So Amazing About Grace?, but Yaconelli's stories are more personal, many coming from his own congregation. His honest reflections on his own frustrations and deep feelings of inadequacy are unusual for a book about Christian spirituality."  (from Publishers Weekly on the Amazon.com web site)

Spirituality of the Psalms (Facets)
by Walter Brueggemann

The seasons of our lives change. Using a model of orientation—disorientation—new orientation, Brueggemann explores how the genres of the Psalms can be viewed in terms of their function. This results in fresh readings of these ancient songs that illumine their spiritual depth. The voices of the Psalms come through in all their bold realism. Walter Brueggemann is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. Among his many Fortress Press publications are: Theology of the Old Testament (1997), The Covenanted Self (1999), Texts That Linger, Words That Explode (2000), and Deep Memory, Exuberant Hope (2000). (from Amazon.com web site).

Spiritual Leadership: Moving People to God's Agenda
by Richard Blackaby, Henry T. Blackaby
 

Instructing those who hold leadership positions—not only in religious capacities but also including CEOs and teachers—best-selling authors Henry and Richard Blackaby teach on approaching leadership from a biblical perspective. The twenty-first century is the most advanced age in history, but effective biblical leadership has never been more needed. Spiritual Leadership will equip those called to lead with the tools to move God’s people on to His agenda. (from Book).

True Spirituality by Francis Schaeffer.  An evangelical classic.  Putting Christ's redemptive power at the center of Christianity, this book characterizes true spirituality by its results: humanity's freedom from sin, emotional and spiritual wholeness, and unity with other people.

Prayer for Beginners by Peter Kreeft
 

Although this book is primarily for Catholics, it can serve as an encouragement for prayer for those of other traditions as well.  Kreeft has written a number of excellent books, some of which have been recommended on the SJP web site in previous months.

Conformed to His Image : Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation by Kenneth Boa
 

Kenneth Boa explores twelve approaches to Christian spirituality.  This is a textbook style presentation.

See also Boa's Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Spiritual Growth

This is a guide for praying Scripture back to God, organized into two parts: a daily growth guide that takes the reader through three months of daily affirmations on the Attributes of God, The Works of God, My Relationship to God, The Character I want to Cultivate, and My Relationships to Others.

Protestant Spiritual Exercises: Theology, History, and Practice
by Joseph D. Driskill.  This book is particularly helpful, since most of the books on spiritual disciplines are written froma  Catholic or Orthodox perspective. 

Soren Kierkegaard : A Biography  by Joakim Garff, Bruce H. Kirmmse (Translator).  Garff portrays Kierkegaard not as the all-controlling impresario behind some of the most important works of modern philosophy and religious thought--books credited with founding existentialism and prefiguring postmodernism--but rather as a man whose writings came to control him. Kierkegaard saw himself as a vessel for his writings, a tool in the hand of God, and eventually as a martyr singled out to call for the end of "Christendom." Garff explores the events and relationships that formed Kierkegaard, including his guilt-ridden relationship with his father, his rivalry with his brother, and his famously tortured relationship with his fiancée Regine Olsen. He recreates the squalor and splendor of Golden Age Copenhagen and the intellectual milieu in which Kierkegaard found himself increasingly embattled and mercilessly caricatured.  - from Amazon.com Description.

We'd love to have your response to this book list! 

To share your thoughts, join SJP's web-based discussion forum, Journey Explorations. 

Or, to provide personal feedback, click here: article feedback

You can now access Amazon.com's new Christian Bookstore through Spiritual Journey Press!

Just click this graphic!

Send mail to SJourneyPress@comcast.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2009 Spiritual Journey Press