Below are my top selections in every category along with a brief description of why they were chosen over the others. If you are looking for a lengthier list I would recommend the following resources:
- Desiring God―Believing-the-Bible Book List
- Desiring God―What are some books that DG recommends?
- Discerning Reader― R. C. Sproul
- Discerning Reader― Russell Moore
- Ligonier Ministries―Reading List
- The Master’s Seminary―850 Books for Biblical Expositors
- My Library
- 9Marks―Reading List for Pastors
- 9Marks―Reading List for Laymen
- Redeemer Presbyterian― Gospel Movement
- Redeemer Presbyterian―Personal Conversion
- Redeemer Presbyterian―Community Formation
- Redeemer Presbyterian―Social Justice
- Redeemer Presbyterian―Cultural Renewal
- More Coming Soon
As with everything here at Missio Dei if you do not see a topic addressed e-mail me and I will update the website as soon as possible.
Apologetics
Instructional Works
- Frame, John M. Apologetics to the Glory of God.
- Shaeffer, Francis. The Francis A. Schaeffer Trilogy: The Three Essential Books in One Volume: The God Who Is There, Escape from Reason, He Is There and He Is Not Silent.
- Sproul, R. C. Classical Apologetics.
Reference Works
- Geisler, Norman L. and Ronald M. Brooks. When Skeptics Ask: A Handbook of Christian Evidence.
- ________, and Thomas Howe. When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties.
- ________, and Ron Rhodes. When Cultists Ask: A Popular Handbook on Cultic Misinterpretations.
- House, H. Wayne. Charts of World Religions.
- Martin, Walter. The Kingdom of the Cults.
- McDowell, Josh and Don Stewart. Handbook of Today’s Religions.
Bibles
- The English Standard Version.
- ________. The MacArthur Study Bible NASB.
Bible Study
- Grace Community Church. Fundamentals of the Faith.
- MacArthur, John. Macarthur Bible Studies.
- Shaeffer, Francis. 25 Basic Bible Studies: Including Two Contents Two Realities.
Biblical Counseling and Pastoral Ministry
Biography
- Piper, John. The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God’s Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin.
- ________. The Hidden Smile of God: The Fruit of Affliction in the Lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd.
- ________. The Roots of Endurance: Invincible Perseverance in the Lives of John Newton, Charles Simeon, and William Wilberforce.
- ________. Contending for Our All: Defending the Truth And Treasuring Christ in the Lives of Athanasius, John Owen, And J. Gresham Machen.
Classical Works
Church Discipline, Membership, Polity
- Dever, Mark. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church.
- ________. The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel.
- Strauch, Alexander. Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership.
Church History
Historical Theology: Overview
- Lawson, Steven J. A Long Line of Godly Men.
- Olson, Roger E. The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition & Reform.
- Schaff, Philip. History of the Christian Church.
Historical Theology: Periods and Movements
- Verduin, Leonard. The Reformers and Their Stepchildren (Dissent and Nonconformity).
Church Planting
- Stetzer, Ed. Planting Missional Churches.
Commentaries (One Volume)
- Jamieson, Robert, A.R. Fausset and Brown. A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments.
- MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Bible Commentary.
Commentary Sets
- Clendenen, E. Charles and David S. Dockery. The New American Commentary.
- Keil, C. F. and F. Delitzsch. Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament.
- MacArthur, John. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary.
- Wuest, Kenneth S. Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English reader.
Evangelism
- Cahill, Mark. One Thing You Can’t do in Heaven.
- MacArthur, John. The Gospel According to Jesus.
- Piper, John. God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love As the Gift of Himself.
Hermeneutics
- Zuck, Roy B. Basic Bible Interpretation.
Leadership
- Baxter, Richard. The Reformed Pastor.
- Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer.
Marriage
- MacArthur, John. The Fulfilled Family: God’s Design for Your Home.
- Mahaney, C. J. Sex, Romance And The Glory Of God: What Every Christian Husband Needs To Know.
- Piper, John and Wayne Grudem. 50 Crucial Questions: An Overview of Central Concerns About Manhood and Womanhood.
Missions
- Piper, John. Let the Nations Be Glad!.
New Testament
- Dever, Mark. The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept.
- MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Bible Handbook.
Old Testament
- Dever, Mark. The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made.
- MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Bible Handbook.
Preaching
- MacArthur, John. Preaching: MacArthur Pastor’s Library.
- Piper, John. The Supremacy of God in Preaching.
Theology
Biblical Theology
- Goldsworthy, Graeme. According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible.
General Theology
- Machen, J. Gresham. Christianity and Liberalism.
- Piper, John. The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God’s Delight in Being God.
- ________. Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist.
Systematic Theology
- Frame, John F. The Doctrine of God (Theology of Lordship).
- Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology.
Word Studies and Lexicons
- Abbott-Smith, George. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament.
- Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, and Charles A Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon.
Worldview
- Burnett, David. Clash of Worlds: What Christians Can do in a World of Cultures in Conflict.
- MacArthur, John., Richard Mayhue, and John A. Hughes. Think Biblically!: Recovering a Christian Worldview.
- Pearcey, Nancy. Total Truth: Liberating Christianity From It’s Cultural Captivity.
Worship
- Cowper, William. The Poems of William Cowper.
- Newton, John. Olney Hymns.
- The Baptist Hymnal.