I had a friend list just a couple of books. I will add to this sometime in the near future, I hope.
THEOLOGY
Bruce Demarest. “The Cross and Salvation”
This is a modern work. Demarest devotes chapters to important aspects of salvation, and in each chapter presents the views of different camps within evangelical circles before presenting his own.
Jonathan Edwards. His collected works.
Edwards is a pastor/theologian from the First Great Awakening, often regarded as the greatest mind ever produced by America. He is stunning. I recommend beginning with his Resolutions and his Treatise on Religious Affections.
John Owen. His collected works.
Owens is one of the great puritan theologians, his writings focus on issues of sanctification. They are long, but the writing style is simple and his treatises typically focus on a few main ideas. J.I. Packer, a modern theologian, has been heavily influenced by Owen. If Owen’s Treatise on the Mortification of Sin sounds daunting, then pick up anything by Packer. He is brilliant and would give you many of the same ideas.
John Piper. His collected works.
Piper is a modern pastor/theologian in the mold of Jonathan Edwards. His web-site http://www.desiringgod.org/ is a wealth of knowledge.
CHURCH HISTORY
Jeffery Bingham. “Pocket History of the Church.”
This is an introduction to the history of the church. It is also a very well-written one from a brilliant historian. This is a great place to start if you want to get the basics.
Justo Gonzalez. “The Story of Christianity.”
This is arguably the best out there today. Written in two volumes, Gonzalez breaks his chapters down into small segments that you could read daily as a supplement to your devotional reading. His style is simple and engaging. This is a wonderful read.
John Piper. “The Swans are not Silent Series (about Edwards, Calvin, Bunyan, etc.)”
Often people want to get some background on a certain figure in church history but they don’t necessarily want to read a huge biography. These books can help you there. Every year at his pastor’s conference, Piper presents a paper on a famous pastor or theologian or missionary. You can get them online, or you can buy a book from his “Swan” series where several figures are combined in each volume. Again, these are good for brief introductions to great figures in Church History.
(Many thanks to Ben Stuart for this insight).
