Books On Christianity

Get that thang off the shelf and READ it, girlfriend!!!



Because when you're done, you're going to want to read 'The Case for Faith' - it is the coolest thing. And I thought I was going to have to do all that research by myself; nope, cause Strobel has done it and tells you where it came from too.
He's cool, and a good 'read' too. He's got the best explanation of Darwinism and evolution theories I've ever read.

My mom just gave me 'The Traveler's Gift' (by Andy Andrews, I think) just last night and I turned to a random page this morning only to feel like it was written specifically for me - it hit me like a punch in the stomach. It was exactly what I needed to see, to start off this day with some courage! Guess I'd better go read the

I think you are thinking of The Mystical City of God by the Venerable Mary of Agreda. It is a 4 volume set about her mystical vision of the life of Our Lady. It is pretty good, as it gives insight into the personal life of Our Lord and Our Lady and St. Joseph. Just keep in mind that it was written by a 17th century nun, and it is a good theological read, especially if you are into mystical locutions.

See this website for information on Venerable Mary of Agreda.

St. Mary Faustina Kowalska wrote Divine Mercy In My Soul, which was a diary of her mystical visions of Christ and Our Lady, prior to her death in 1938. She is frequently pictured alongside an image of Our Lord with what looks like a prismatic rainbow emanating from his heart. It is the foundation for most of the devotions to the Divine Mercy. She was canonized in 2000 by John Paul II.

See this website for information on St. Mary Faustina Kowalska.

Just my tuppence.

Andy

Here are two I have liked.

Everybody's Normal Til You Get to Know Them - by John Ortberg

And

The Journey of Desire by John Eldredge

I haven't read it all yet, but add in

The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris

and I want to read some by Annie Dillard.

Thanks for straightening it all out for me. It starts to run together after a while. I have read some if that, and it was fascinating.

My dad always had the Divine Mercy Novena thingsaround, so I guess that is where I got Sister Faustina's name.

Has anyone read "The Creative Call" by Janice Elsheimer? It says in the back: "Many of us long to live more fully in our creativity but don't know how to find or renew that artisitic passion. It is a very good book that I would highly recommend for any writer or artist.

I totally understand things running together. There are times when I wish there was really a Pensieve, like in the Harry Potter series, so we could put some of our thoughts in there when our heads get too full.

I have a strong devotion to the Divine Mercy, myself. I pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet every Friday, in addition to the rosary.

Just my tuppence.

Andy

Hearty second to C.S. Lewis. Mere Christianity was excellent, and would likely be the first book I'd give a young believer. I have Screwtape and "The Great Divorce" on my "to read" list.

Currently, I'm reading John Piper's "Desiring God". Excellent and eye opening book. Really the best book I've read on really understanding the heart of God.

For the record, my favorite translations are the NASB and the ESV.

I will be the first in line if they start handing those out.

I too like Josh McDowell and have read Evidence that demands a Verdict both 1 & 2, I like the KJV(King James Version), NKJV, NAS and have read other translations as well but I tend to use the NKJV or the KJV for most reference purposes as I have no problem with the archaic language of the KJV and I enjoy poetic nature of this translation.

I also have enjoyed "The Fingerprint of God" By Astro Physicist, Hugh Ross. And a number of works from the Institute for Creation Research by Dr Henry M Morris (a lot of good information but heavily biased towards a very young universe with no real scientific evidence or substance to back it up).

I like much of CS Lewis including Mere Christianity and another very interesting work is Grudens "Systematic Theology"

I enjoy Hank Hanegraff, Philip Yancy and John Ankerberg also.

Raven, have you heard Hank Hanegraff's radio show,The Bible Answer Man? I love that show but where I live now I cannot get it. I used to learn so much from that radio program!

I met Hank Hanegraff at a seminar he gave in Atlanta one time. He was so nice and a very humble man.

I used to listen to it all the time when I was a truck driver. I also had some pretty interesting tapes by Chuck Misler I.E. Science and Christianity apologetics type themes. Very thought provoking.

I have found Hank to be mostly very balanced and reasonable in his answers on his radio program which has garnered some heat for him from time to time by certain mainstreamers.

That is a terrific book, isn't it... one of my all-time favorites. My father recently discovered C.S. and commented to me that C.S. seemed to be 'talking above his head' some of the time! Dad asked me what it was about Lewis' writings that appealed to me so much and I replied that it was his point of view I found fascinating: a former atheist turned Christian. He has an outlook on Christ that seems so refreshing to me; having grown up attending a Protestant church, the lingo that church people use to talk about salvation and Christ gets tiresome to me sometimes...

Lewis' account of how he became a believer is cool too. Have you read of it?

Oh Raven! I love Hank Hanegraff! I gained even more respect for him when I met him at the seminar I attended of his in Atlanta. He appears to be a very wonderful Christian and humble man who has the brain capacity of Bible knowledge of the size of the planet, but doesn't throw it in your face! He knows his stuff, no doubt about it.

No Siob

I have not read his account. But having grown well in to adult hood a none Christian I still share your chagrin at the lingo that is often used by the church (or at least the people in it) and the whole subculture that has spawned this dialect.

I think that if more Christians concentrated on their relationship instead of their religion that the world view of Christians in general would be quite different. (just my opinion valid or not )

That is one thing that I too enjoy about Lewis is his perspective and his sublte turn of a phrase in his fictional words that speak the truth but do not bowl you over with it.

Good point. The lingo almost sounds like some kind of secret language that only "the saved" know... I'm not comfortable with it. Even some of the phrases like 'washed in the blood' sound so negative, so violent that I don't like using them even though I understand what the phrase is referring to: the bloody death of Christ was what removed my own sin...

You know what, though, the Christianity I've been exposed to through my Protestant denomination is very well intentioned in trying to share its beliefs with other people; they sincerely believe what they have found is so great, they want everyone to join in with them and find the peace that they've found. But unfortunately many of them vigorously condemn what others believe without realizing that there may be crucial tenants shared...