As I said in chapter 18, this book is a jumping-off point. Here is a list of books you might find useful. It’s an eclectic list of books that have shaped my thinking or have been recommended by people I trust. Of course, you shouldn’t assume that I agree with everything in every book listed here.
Chapter 1: Obsessive and Complacent Christianity
“The Weight of Glory,” chapter 1 in The Weight of Glory: And Other Addresses by C.S. Lewis. One of my all-time favorite sermons.
Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith by Larry Osborne. This is a good book if you want to read more about the cliff of legalism.
Chapter 2: Grasping Grace
Galatians for You by Timothy Keller and Galatians for Everyone by N.T. Wright. These are good, brief commentaries for the average reader. My sermon series on Galatians can be found by clicking on “Resources” at www.RadicallyNormal.com.
Classic Christianity by Bob George.
Chapter 3: It’s Okay to Be Normal
The God of the Mundane by Matthew B. Redmond. I love the title of this book. It was written by another pastor who found himself back in the workplace.
How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart. This is the best introduction to studying, interpreting, and applying the Bible that I’ve found.
Studying, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible by Walter Henrichsen and Gayle Jackson. A little bit dated but still very useful.
The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible by Scot McKnight. A great book on how to stop ignoring difficult Bible passages and start learning from them.
Chapter 4: Honorable Work
“On Learning in Wartime,” chapter 2 in The Weight of Glory: And Other Addresses by C.S. Lewis. In this address, Lewis answers the question, how can we do anything other than win souls?
Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller.
Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington. A fascinating autobiography and ode to the value of hard work.
Here are some good resources for better enjoying and understanding the Old Testament:
The Bible Jesus Read by Philip Yancey.
A Reflection on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis.
Delighting in the Law of the Lord by Jerram Barrs.
Chapter 5: Greatness for Average Joes
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. This will inspire you to sacrifice lesser things for greater joy.
Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. This book calls teens and preteens to stop hiding behind their age and do great things for God.
Quitters by Jonathan Acuff. If you want to quit your day job to pursue your calling, read this book first. Acuff’s advice will help you do so wisely.
Strength Finders 2.0 by Tom Rath. This book includes access to the best assessment tool for discovering your strengths I’ve ever found. My wife will tell you that it changed her life. Be sure to get a new copy with an unused access code.
When a Woman Discovers Her Dream by Cindi McMenamin.
Chapter 6: Why Are Christians So Weird?
Real Christians Don’t Dance: Sorting the Truth from the Trappings in a Born-Again Culture by John Fischer. This book might be a little dated, but it set me free from the Christian subculture.
Stuff Christians Like by Jonathan Acuff. Pokes fun at us without being caustic.
Chapter 7: Witnessing Without Weirdness
Going Public with Your Faith: Becoming a Spiritual Influence at Work by Bill Peel and Walt Larimore.
Neighbors and Wise Men by Tony Kriz. Can God speak to you through the very people with whom you want to share Jesus? I believe he can, and we would be foolish to be so busy talking that we can’t listen. My friend Tony’s book is a well-told story of how God spoke to him through unexpected people.
Chapter 8: In Defense of Earthly Joys
Pure Pleasure: Why Do Christians Feel So Bad about Feeling Good? by Gary Thomas. My chapter was the tip of the iceberg on proper enjoyment of earthly things. Thomas’s book dives much deeper.
God and the Art of Happiness by Ellen T. Charry. This book is a little on the technical side, but it was foundational in helping me understand the biblical role of earthly joy, why happiness is the proper motivation for obedience, and how the church came to mistakenly value disinterested obedience.
Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper. The basic thesis is that we glorify God by enjoying him. I love Piper’s emphasis on pursuing God out of delight, but I wish he’d say more about the proper role of earthly joys.
Lost Virtue of Happiness by J.P. Moreland and Klaus Issler. This book does a good job of clarifying the difference between happiness and instant gratification.
Chapter 9: When God Throws a Party
“Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus,” part 3, chapter 5 in God in the Dock by C.S. Lewis. A great satirical piece on Christmas and consumerism.
Chapter 10: In Defense of Spiritual Joys
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. For a basic entry-level guide to the Christian life, this book is hard to beat. Christians who dismiss its principles as too elementary might benefit from its practices.
A Resilient Life and Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald. I highly recommend both of these books for helping you find health and balance in your life.
Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A great look at biblical community. It has an excellent chapter on the confession of sins.
Called to Stay by Caleb Breakey. My friend Caleb challenges Christians to stop complaining about the church and start loving it.
Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster. This is the classic book about spiritual disciplines.
Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. I love the way this short, classic book encourages us to seek God’s presence even in the most mundane things. On the other hand, it can inadvertently downplay the value of the mundane things in themselves.
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer by C.S. Lewis. If not understanding how prayer works hinders you, this book may help you as it helped me.
Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas. This is the book that helped me discover how I’m wired to experience God’s presence, and I think you’ll find it very helpful as well.
Chapter 11: Happy Holiness
Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul by J.P. Moreland. The value of wisdom and clear thinking in the life of a believer is hard to overestimate. Moreland attempts to restore their importance among evangelical Christians.
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. A great book about the nature of sin and temptation.
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. A brilliant book about sin and righteousness disguised as an entertaining story about a trip to heaven and hell.
Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung. A great book about holiness and why it matters.
The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges. The title describes it well.
Every Man’s Battle: Every Man’s Guide to Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker.
Every Woman’s Battle: Discovering God’s Plan for Sexual and Emotional Fulfillment by Shannon Ethridge.
Victory over the Darkness by Neil T. Anderson.
Descent into Hell by Charles Williams. Sometimes stories are the most effective way to communicate truth. This book helped me feel the horror and hell of self-centeredness in a way nothing else has. However, this may not be the best Williams book to start with, so try Many Dimensions. Charles Williams was one of C.S. Lewis’s closest friends, and you will see how deeply his work influenced That Hideous Strength (one of my favorite books by Lewis).
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. Outside of the Bible, I don’t know of any book that’s as spiritually rich as The Divine Comedy. It has three parts: “Inferno” vividly describes sin and its destructiveness. “Purgatory” is a journey into righteousness. “Paradise” makes me long for God’s presence. Be sure to find a good translation with plenty of notes, or you’ll be lost. I’m partial to Mark Musa’s translation.
Chapter 12: What About Money?
Packing Light: Thoughts on Living Life with Less Baggage by Allison Vesterfelt. This well-written story of Allison’s trip around America demonstrates how less can be more.
Neither Poverty nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions by Craig Bloomberg. An impressive overview of what the Bible has to say about money and possessions. The conclusion alone is worth the price of the book. He also wrote a less technical version, Christians in an Age of Wealth: A Biblical Theology of Stewardship.
Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn.
Thou Shalt Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. No, this isn’t a “health and wealth” book. Rather, it’s a Jewish perspective on what the Bible says about the godliness of making money.
Chapter 14: Between Legalism and Worldliness, Part 2
Gray Matters: Navigating the Space Between Legalism and Liberty by Brett McCracken. This book does a really good job of helping you think critically about what you eat, drink, watch, and listen to. Highly recommended.
Chapter 15: Don’t Waste Pain
The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis. The classic apologetic book on why God allows pain.
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis. This is basically Lewis’s journal as he dealt with his wife’s death. It gets pretty brutal at some points, but many have found healing in his honesty.
Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller.
The Great Divorce and The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis. Both of these stories have helped me feel the reality of heaven.
Surprised by Joy and The Pilgrim’s Regress by C.S. Lewis. These are both stories of Lewis’s conversion. The first is autobiographical and the second is allegorical. In both of them, Lewis describes how God used joy and eternal longings to lead him home.
Phantasies by George MacDonald. This fairy tale changed Lewis’s life and fills my heart with a longing for home like nothing else I’ve read.
Chapter 17: This Life Matters
Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright. Read it. This is one of the best things you’ll find on how much this life and this world matters.
Earthen Vessels: Why Our Bodies Matter to Our Faith by Matthew Lee Anderson.
When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. Giving to those in need is not optional, but not all giving is equally helpful. This book will help you understand how to give without harming both giver and recipient.
Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle. A great book on the role of art and beauty in the spiritual life.
Sham Pearls for Real Swine by Franky Schaeffer. Written by the son of Francis Schaeffer, this is a harsh criticism of the “state of art” in evangelicalism and a call to do better.
Green like God: Unlocking the Divine Plan for Our Planet by Jonathan Merritt.
Chapter 18: Onward
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt. I disagree with Platt on many points, but I love the challenge at the end of his book.
The Narnian by Alan Jacobs. This is one of my favorite biographies of all time—so much the better that it’s about C.S. Lewis.
Onward by Howard Schultz. The story of how Starbucks grew healthier through a recession.