
Resources
Curious about God, the Bible, and deeper questions of life, but don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place. The word “disciple” in biblical languages simply means “student,” which in turn means that the path of faith is also a path of curiosity and asking good questions. Yet there’s so much out there on the internet and in book-land that it can be hard to know what to trust. That’s the problem this page tries to solve: to identify faithful, intellectually credible, wise resources that can help us becoming the people we were meant to be, loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
Four quick caveats: First of all, if you’re not into reading books, that’s okay! There are plenty of resources here like videos, podcasts, websites, classes, software, and flashcards that help different learning styles. Second, the presence of a resource here does not mean we endorse its every jot and tittle. As always, read with discretion. Third, the links aren’t an endorsement of Amazon. We receive no proceeds from Amazon, and include purchasing options simply for convenience. Last, in the interest of full disclosure and integrity, the links under "Current Series" are our primary sources for weekend sermons; while we try to cite sources whenever borrowing directly, the genre called "the sermon" doesn't always allow for academic-style footnoting.
May the Lord richly bless your study!
Deeper Bible Podcast
The Deeper Bible Podcast, our in-house podcast, is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and Simplecast. Episodes come out every other week.
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Luke: The Story of Jesus
Luke forEveryone, by N. T. Wright
Luke: An Introduction and Commentary (TNTC), by Leon Morris
Luke: The NIV Application Commentary, by Darrell Bock
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
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Wrapping our minds around the scriptures of ancient Israel
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible, by John Walton
Archaeology and the Old Testament, by Alfred Hoerth
Commentary series: The NIV Application Commentary
Commentary series: The Old Testament Library
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey, by Bill Arnold and Bryan Beyer
From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch, by T. Desmond Alexander
Israelite Religions: An Archaeological and Biblical Survey, by Richard Hess
Manners and Customs of the Bible, by Ralph Gower
Old Testament Law for Christians: Original Context and Enduring Application, by Roy E. Gane
Old Testament Theology: Reading the Hebrew Bible as Christian Scripture, by Walter Moberly
Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah Fulfills its Goals in Yeshua, by Seth Postell and Eitan Bar
Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible, by Jon Levenson
The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature, by John Collins
The Art of Biblical Narrative, by Robert Alter
The Art of Biblical Poetry, by Robert Alter
The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: the Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity, by Jon Levenson
The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament, by Sandra Richter
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, multiple authors
The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary on Genesis–Malachi, by David Dorsey
The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority, by John Walton
The Lost World of Genesis 1: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest: Covenant, Retribution, and the Fate of the Canaanites, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Torah: Law as Covenant and Wisdom in Ancient Context, by John Walton
The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism, by Jon Levenson
The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary, by John Sailhamer
The Prophets, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
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Encounter the Messiah, his disciples, and the early church
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
A Survey of the New Testament, by Robert Gundry
Commentary series: For Everyone Series, by N. T. Wright
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross, by Martin Hengel
Gospel of Glory: Major Themes in Johannine Theology, by Richard Bauckham
Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels, by Richard Bauckham
How On Earth Did Jesus Become A God? Historical Questions about Earliest Devotion to Jesus, by Larry Hurtado
Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity, by John Bergsma
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: the Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Reversed Thunder: the Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination, by Eugene Peterson
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, by Craig Keener
The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics, by Richard Hays
The New Testament In Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians, by N. T. Wright and Michael Bird
The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, by Jonathan Pennington
The Theology of the Book of Revelation, by Richard Bauckham
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Key moving parts in orthodox Christian theology
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Bible Project Coffee Table Book: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, by The Bible Project
Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition, by Gary Anderson
Deus Caritas Est: God is Love, by Pope Benedict XVI
Evil and the Justice of God, by N. T. Wright
Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Resurrection: The Power of God for Christians and Jews, by Kevin Madigan and Jon Levenson
Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today, by N. T. Wright
Sin: A History, by Gary Anderson
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, by N. T. Wright
The Christian Theology Reader, by Alister McGrath
The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’ Crucifixion, by N. T. Wright
The Journey from Text to Translation: The Origin and Development of the Bible, by Paul Wegner
We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, by G. K. Beale
Who is the Holy Spirit? A Walk with the Apostles, by Amos Yong
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
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Works that probe deeper, more technical issues in theology and faith
A Brief History of Old Testament Criticism: from Benedict Spinoza to Brevard Childs, by Mark Gignilliat
A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology, by J. Richard Middleton
Adam as Israel: Genesis 1–3 as Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh, by Seth Postell
Biblical Theology in Crisis, by Brevard Childs
Captive to the Word of God: Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Theological Reflection, by Miroslav Volf
Christian Doctrine and the Old Testament: Theology in the Service of Biblical Exegesis, by Gary Anderson
Creation and the Persistence of Evil: The Jewish Drama of Divine Omnipotence, by Jon Levenson
Evil and the God of Love, by John Hick
Exegetical Fallacies, by D. A. Carson
God’s Empowering Presence: the Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul, by Gordon Fee
History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology, by N. T. Wright
Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works, by James K. A. Smith
Jesus and the God of Israel: ‘God Crucified’ and Other Studies in the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity, by Richard Bauckham
Jesus and the Victory of God, by N. T. Wright
Jesus is Lord, Caesar is Not: Evaluating Empire in New Testament Studies, edited by Scot McKnight and Joseph Modica
Love Alone Is Credible, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, by John Paul II
Modern Christian Thought: the Twentieth Century, by James Livingston and Francis Fiorenza
Mysterium Paschale: The Mystery of Easter, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Paul: A Biography, by N. T. Wright
Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness, by Richard Hays
The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology, by Oliver O’Donovan
The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics, by Robert Gagnon
The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ, by Fleming Rutledge
The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism, by Jon Levenson
The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1, by J. Richard Middleton
The Nature and Destiny of Man, by Reinhold Niebuhr
The New Testament and the People of God, by N. T. Wright
The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading, by Meir Sternberg
The Resurrection of the Son of God, by N. T. Wright
The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective, by Ronald Byars
The Story of Christianity, Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, by Justo Gonzalez
The Story of Christianity, Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day, by Justo Gonzalez
The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God, by G. K. Beale
The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, by Michael Heiser
Theology and Social Theory: Beyond Secular Reason, by John Milbank
Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics, by Oliver O’Donovan
Why Narrative? Readings in Narrative Theology, by Stanley Hauerwas and L. Gregory Jones
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Informed engagement with wider cultural themes
12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You, by Tony Reinke
A Secular Age, by Charles Taylor
A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus, by David Bennett
Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation, by James K. A. Smith
Dethroning Mammon: Making Money Serve Grace, by Justin Welby
Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, by Tim Keller
Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation, by Miroslav Volf
Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World, by Miroslav Volf
Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who I’ve Always Been, by Jackie Hill Perry
Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just, by Timothy Keller
God in Public: How the Bible Speaks Truth to Power Today, by N. T. Wright
How (Not) To Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor, by James K. A. Smith
Issues Facing Christians Today, by John Stott
Moral Man and Immoral Society, by Reinhold Niebuhr
People To Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is Not Just An Issue, by Preston Sprinkle
Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters, by Sandra Richter
Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues, by N. T. Wright
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, by Rod Dreher
The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in its Proper Place, by Andy Crouch
The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation, by Miles McPherson
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Carefully-reasoned articulation and defense of faith
Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies, by David Bentley Hart
Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, by Rebecca McLaughlin
Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland
Fear and Trembling, by Soren Kierkegaard
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Narrative Apologetics: Sharing the Relevance, Joy, and Wonder of the Christian Faith, by Alister McGrath
Orthodoxy, by G. K. Chesterton
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, by N. T. Wright
The Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis
The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, by Lee Strobel
The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller
The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries, by Rodney Stark
Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense, by Francis Spufford
What’s So Great About Christianity, by Dinesh D’Souza
Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church, by James K. A. Smith
Who’s Afraid of Relativism? Community, Contingency, and Creaturehood, by James K. A. Smith
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Empirically-informed awe of the Creator
BioLogos, founded by Francis Collins, explores the harmony of God’s Word and God’s Work in the natural world.
Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church, by Colin Bell and Robert White
Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False, by Thomas Nagel
Miracles, by C. S. Lewis
Monopolizing Knowledge: a scientist refutes religion-denying, reason-destroying scientism, by Ian Hutchinson
Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries that Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe, by Stephen Meyer
The Bible, Rocks, and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth, by Davis Young and Ralph Stearley
The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry, by S. Joshua Swamidass
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, by Francis Collins
The Veritas Forum hosts dialogue between Christian and non-Christian intellectuals, often on issues of science and faith.
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Luke: The Story of Jesus
Luke for Everyone, by N. T. Wright
Luke: An Introduction and Commentary (TNTC), by Leon Morris
Luke: The NIV Application Commentary, by Darrell Bock
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Wrapping our minds around the scriptures of ancient Israel
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible, by John Walton
Archaeology and the Old Testament, by Alfred Hoerth
Commentary series: The NIV Application Commentary
Commentary series: The Old Testament Library
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey, by Bill Arnold and Bryan Beyer
From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch, by T. Desmond Alexander
Israelite Religions: An Archaeological and Biblical Survey, by Richard Hess
Manners and Customs of the Bible, by Ralph Gower
Old Testament Law for Christians: Original Context and Enduring Application, by Roy E. Gane
Old Testament Theology: Reading the Hebrew Bible as Christian Scripture, by Walter Moberly
Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah Fulfills its Goals in Yeshua, by Seth Postell and Eitan Bar
Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible, by Jon Levenson
The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature, by John Collins
The Art of Biblical Narrative, by Robert Alter
The Art of Biblical Poetry, by Robert Alter
The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: the Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity, by Jon Levenson
The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament, by Sandra Richter
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, multiple authors
The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary on Genesis–Malachi, by David Dorsey
The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority, by John Walton
The Lost World of Genesis 1: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest: Covenant, Retribution, and the Fate of the Canaanites, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Torah: Law as Covenant and Wisdom in Ancient Context, by John Walton
The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism, by Jon Levenson
The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary, by John Sailhamer
The Prophets, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Encounter the Messiah, his disciples, and the early church
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
A Survey of the New Testament, by Robert Gundry
Commentary series: For Everyone Series, by N. T. Wright
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross, by Martin Hengel
Gospel of Glory: Major Themes in Johannine Theology, by Richard Bauckham
Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels, by Richard Bauckham
How On Earth Did Jesus Become A God? Historical Questions about Earliest Devotion to Jesus, by Larry Hurtado
Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity, by John Bergsma
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: the Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Reversed Thunder: the Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination, by Eugene Peterson
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, by Craig Keener
The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics, by Richard Hays
The New Testament In Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians, by N. T. Wright and Michael Bird
The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, by Jonathan Pennington
The Theology of the Book of Revelation, by Richard Bauckham
Key moving parts in orthodox Christian theology
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Bible Project Coffee Table Book: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, by The Bible Project
Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition, by Gary Anderson
Deus Caritas Est: God is Love, by Pope Benedict XVI
Evil and the Justice of God, by N. T. Wright
Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Resurrection: The Power of God for Christians and Jews, by Kevin Madigan and Jon Levenson
Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today, by N. T. Wright
Sin: A History, by Gary Anderson
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, by N. T. Wright
The Christian Theology Reader, by Alister McGrath
The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’ Crucifixion, by N. T. Wright
The Journey from Text to Translation: The Origin and Development of the Bible, by Paul Wegner
We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, by G. K. Beale
Who is the Holy Spirit? A Walk with the Apostles, by Amos Yong
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
Works that probe deeper, more technical issues in theology and faith
A Brief History of Old Testament Criticism: from Benedict Spinoza to Brevard Childs, by Mark Gignilliat
A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology, by J. Richard Middleton
Adam as Israel: Genesis 1–3 as Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh, by Seth Postell
Biblical Theology in Crisis, by Brevard Childs
Captive to the Word of God: Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Theological Reflection, by Miroslav Volf
Christian Doctrine and the Old Testament: Theology in the Service of Biblical Exegesis, by Gary Anderson
Creation and the Persistence of Evil: The Jewish Drama of Divine Omnipotence, by Jon Levenson
Evil and the God of Love, by John Hick
Exegetical Fallacies, by D. A. Carson
God’s Empowering Presence: the Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul, by Gordon Fee
History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology, by N. T. Wright
Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works, by James K. A. Smith
Jesus and the God of Israel: ‘God Crucified’ and Other Studies in the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity, by Richard Bauckham
Jesus and the Victory of God, by N. T. Wright
Jesus is Lord, Caesar is Not: Evaluating Empire in New Testament Studies, edited by Scot McKnight and Joseph Modica
Love Alone Is Credible, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, by John Paul II
Modern Christian Thought: the Twentieth Century, by James Livingston and Francis Fiorenza
Mysterium Paschale: The Mystery of Easter, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Paul: A Biography, by N. T. Wright
Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness, by Richard Hays
The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology, by Oliver O’Donovan
The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics, by Robert Gagnon
The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ, by Fleming Rutledge
The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism, by Jon Levenson
The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1, by J. Richard Middleton
The Nature and Destiny of Man, by Reinhold Niebuhr
The New Testament and the People of God, by N. T. Wright
The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading, by Meir Sternberg
The Resurrection of the Son of God, by N. T. Wright
The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective, by Ronald Byars
The Story of Christianity, Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, by Justo Gonzalez
The Story of Christianity, Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day, by Justo Gonzalez
The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God, by G. K. Beale
The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, by Michael Heiser
Theology and Social Theory: Beyond Secular Reason, by John Milbank
Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics, by Oliver O’Donovan
Why Narrative? Readings in Narrative Theology, by Stanley Hauerwas and L. Gregory Jones
Informed engagement with wider cultural themes
12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You, by Tony Reinke
A Secular Age, by Charles Taylor
A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus, by David Bennett
Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation, by James K. A. Smith
Dethroning Mammon: Making Money Serve Grace, by Justin Welby
Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, by Tim Keller
Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation, by Miroslav Volf
Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World, by Miroslav Volf
Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who I’ve Always Been, by Jackie Hill Perry
Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just, by Timothy Keller
God in Public: How the Bible Speaks Truth to Power Today, by N. T. Wright
How (Not) To Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor, by James K. A. Smith
Issues Facing Christians Today, by John Stott
Moral Man and Immoral Society, by Reinhold Niebuhr
People To Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is Not Just An Issue, by Preston Sprinkle
Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters, by Sandra Richter
Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues, by N. T. Wright
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, by Rod Dreher
The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in its Proper Place, by Andy Crouch
The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation, by Miles McPherson
Carefully-reasoned articulation and defense of faith
Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies, by David Bentley Hart
Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, by Rebecca McLaughlin
Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland
Fear and Trembling, by Soren Kierkegaard
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Narrative Apologetics: Sharing the Relevance, Joy, and Wonder of the Christian Faith, by Alister McGrath
Orthodoxy, by G. K. Chesterton
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, by N. T. Wright
The Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis
The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, by Lee Strobel
The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller
The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries, by Rodney Stark
Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense, by Francis Spufford
What’s So Great About Christianity, by Dinesh D’Souza
Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church, by James K. A. Smith
Who’s Afraid of Relativism? Community, Contingency, and Creaturehood, by James K. A. Smith
Empirically-informed awe of the Creator
BioLogos, founded by Francis Collins, explores the harmony of God’s Word and God’s Work in the natural world.
Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church, by Colin Bell and Robert White
Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False, by Thomas Nagel
Miracles, by C. S. Lewis
Monopolizing Knowledge: a scientist refutes religion-denying, reason-destroying scientism, by Ian Hutchinson
Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries that Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe, by Stephen Meyer
The Bible, Rocks, and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth, by Davis Young and Ralph Stearley
The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry, by S. Joshua Swamidass
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, by Francis Collins
The Veritas Forum hosts dialogue between Christian and non-Christian intellectuals, often on issues of science and faith.
All truth is God’s truth—and these wide-ranging works sparkle with insight
After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, by Alasdair MacIntyre
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Showbusiness, by Neil Postman
Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment, by Francis Fukuyama
Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape the Universe, by Martin Rees
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
The Death of Satan: How Americans Have Lost the Sense of Evil, by Andrew Delbanco
The Limits of Critique, by Rita Felski
The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, by Iain McGilchrist
The Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt
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Shedding light on our daily walk with Jesus
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, by Eugene Peterson
A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness, by Gene Edwards
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth, by Richard Foster
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It’s Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature While Remaining Emotionally Immature, by Peter Scazzero
Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper Relationship with God, by Jentezen Franklin
How To Be A Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living, by The Babylon Bee (for a change of pace)
Into the Silent Land: A Guide the Christian Practice of Contemplation, by Martin Laird
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, by C. S. Lewis
My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer, by Christian Wiman
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional, by David Paul Tripp
Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina, by Tim Gray
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, by John Piper
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, by Eugene Peterson
The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks, by Benedicta Ward
The Disciplined Life: The Mark of Christian Maturity, by Richard Taylor
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God, by Dallas Willard
The Four Cardinal Virtues, by Joseph Pieper
The Four Loves, by C. S. Lewis
The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom, by L. S. Dugdale
The Pilgrim’s Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version, revision by Alan Vermilye
The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, by John Mark Comer
The Sabbath, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis
Works of Love, by Soren Kierkegaard
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Fiction and poetry colored by the Gospel
Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, by Makoto Fujimura
Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, by Lew Wallace
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
Every Moment Holy, Volume 1, by Douglas McKelvey
Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, and Hope, by Douglas McKelvey
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
Paradise Lost, by John Milton
Phantastes: A Faerie Romance, by George MacDonald
Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God, translated by Anita Barrows
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Chronicles of Narnia, 7 novels by C. S. Lewis
The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri
The Lord of The Rings, 3 novels by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Ordering of Love, poems by Madeleine L’Engle
The Princess and the Goblins, by George MacDonald
The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
The Space Trilogy, 3 novels by C. S. Lewis
Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis
To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, by John O’Donohue
Tree and Leaf, by J. R. R. Tolkien
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Luke: The Story of Jesus
Luke for Everyone, by N. T. Wright
Luke: An Introduction and Commentary (TNTC), by Leon Morris
Luke: The NIV Application Commentary, by Darrell Bock
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Wrapping our minds around the scriptures of ancient Israel
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible, by John Walton
Archaeology and the Old Testament, by Alfred Hoerth
Commentary series: The NIV Application Commentary
Commentary series: The Old Testament Library
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey, by Bill Arnold and Bryan Beyer
From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch, by T. Desmond Alexander
Israelite Religions: An Archaeological and Biblical Survey, by Richard Hess
Manners and Customs of the Bible, by Ralph Gower
Old Testament Law for Christians: Original Context and Enduring Application, by Roy E. Gane
Old Testament Theology: Reading the Hebrew Bible as Christian Scripture, by Walter Moberly
Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah Fulfills its Goals in Yeshua, by Seth Postell and Eitan Bar
Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible, by Jon Levenson
The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature, by John Collins
The Art of Biblical Narrative, by Robert Alter
The Art of Biblical Poetry, by Robert Alter
The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: the Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity, by Jon Levenson
The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament, by Sandra Richter
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, multiple authors
The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary on Genesis–Malachi, by David Dorsey
The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority, by John Walton
The Lost World of Genesis 1: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest: Covenant, Retribution, and the Fate of the Canaanites, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Torah: Law as Covenant and Wisdom in Ancient Context, by John Walton
The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism, by Jon Levenson
The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary, by John Sailhamer
The Prophets, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Encounter the Messiah, his disciples, and the early church
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
A Survey of the New Testament, by Robert Gundry
Commentary series: For Everyone Series, by N. T. Wright
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross, by Martin Hengel
Gospel of Glory: Major Themes in Johannine Theology, by Richard Bauckham
Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels, by Richard Bauckham
How On Earth Did Jesus Become A God? Historical Questions about Earliest Devotion to Jesus, by Larry Hurtado
Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity, by John Bergsma
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: the Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Reversed Thunder: the Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination, by Eugene Peterson
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, by Craig Keener
The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics, by Richard Hays
The New Testament In Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians, by N. T. Wright and Michael Bird
The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, by Jonathan Pennington
The Theology of the Book of Revelation, by Richard Bauckham
Key moving parts in orthodox Christian theology
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Bible Project Coffee Table Book: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, by The Bible Project
Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition, by Gary Anderson
Deus Caritas Est: God is Love, by Pope Benedict XVI
Evil and the Justice of God, by N. T. Wright
Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Resurrection: The Power of God for Christians and Jews, by Kevin Madigan and Jon Levenson
Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today, by N. T. Wright
Sin: A History, by Gary Anderson
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, by N. T. Wright
The Christian Theology Reader, by Alister McGrath
The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’ Crucifixion, by N. T. Wright
The Journey from Text to Translation: The Origin and Development of the Bible, by Paul Wegner
We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, by G. K. Beale
Who is the Holy Spirit? A Walk with the Apostles, by Amos Yong
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
Works that probe deeper, more technical issues in theology and faith
A Brief History of Old Testament Criticism: from Benedict Spinoza to Brevard Childs, by Mark Gignilliat
A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology, by J. Richard Middleton
Adam as Israel: Genesis 1–3 as Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh, by Seth Postell
Biblical Theology in Crisis, by Brevard Childs
Captive to the Word of God: Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Theological Reflection, by Miroslav Volf
Christian Doctrine and the Old Testament: Theology in the Service of Biblical Exegesis, by Gary Anderson
Creation and the Persistence of Evil: The Jewish Drama of Divine Omnipotence, by Jon Levenson
Evil and the God of Love, by John Hick
Exegetical Fallacies, by D. A. Carson
God’s Empowering Presence: the Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul, by Gordon Fee
History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology, by N. T. Wright
Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works, by James K. A. Smith
Jesus and the God of Israel: ‘God Crucified’ and Other Studies in the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity, by Richard Bauckham
Jesus and the Victory of God, by N. T. Wright
Jesus is Lord, Caesar is Not: Evaluating Empire in New Testament Studies, edited by Scot McKnight and Joseph Modica
Love Alone Is Credible, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, by John Paul II
Modern Christian Thought: the Twentieth Century, by James Livingston and Francis Fiorenza
Mysterium Paschale: The Mystery of Easter, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Paul: A Biography, by N. T. Wright
Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness, by Richard Hays
The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology, by Oliver O’Donovan
The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics, by Robert Gagnon
The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ, by Fleming Rutledge
The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism, by Jon Levenson
The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1, by J. Richard Middleton
The Nature and Destiny of Man, by Reinhold Niebuhr
The New Testament and the People of God, by N. T. Wright
The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading, by Meir Sternberg
The Resurrection of the Son of God, by N. T. Wright
The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective, by Ronald Byars
The Story of Christianity, Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, by Justo Gonzalez
The Story of Christianity, Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day, by Justo Gonzalez
The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God, by G. K. Beale
The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, by Michael Heiser
Theology and Social Theory: Beyond Secular Reason, by John Milbank
Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics, by Oliver O’Donovan
Why Narrative? Readings in Narrative Theology, by Stanley Hauerwas and L. Gregory Jones
Informed engagement with wider cultural themes
12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You, by Tony Reinke
A Secular Age, by Charles Taylor
A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus, by David Bennett
Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation, by James K. A. Smith
Dethroning Mammon: Making Money Serve Grace, by Justin Welby
Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, by Tim Keller
Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation, by Miroslav Volf
Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World, by Miroslav Volf
Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who I’ve Always Been, by Jackie Hill Perry
Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just, by Timothy Keller
God in Public: How the Bible Speaks Truth to Power Today, by N. T. Wright
How (Not) To Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor, by James K. A. Smith
Issues Facing Christians Today, by John Stott
Moral Man and Immoral Society, by Reinhold Niebuhr
People To Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is Not Just An Issue, by Preston Sprinkle
Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters, by Sandra Richter
Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues, by N. T. Wright
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, by Rod Dreher
The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in its Proper Place, by Andy Crouch
The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation, by Miles McPherson
Carefully-reasoned articulation and defense of faith
Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies, by David Bentley Hart
Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, by Rebecca McLaughlin
Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland
Fear and Trembling, by Soren Kierkegaard
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Narrative Apologetics: Sharing the Relevance, Joy, and Wonder of the Christian Faith, by Alister McGrath
Orthodoxy, by G. K. Chesterton
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, by N. T. Wright
The Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis
The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, by Lee Strobel
The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller
The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries, by Rodney Stark
Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense, by Francis Spufford
What’s So Great About Christianity, by Dinesh D’Souza
Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church, by James K. A. Smith
Who’s Afraid of Relativism? Community, Contingency, and Creaturehood, by James K. A. Smith
Empirically-informed awe of the Creator
BioLogos, founded by Francis Collins, explores the harmony of God’s Word and God’s Work in the natural world.
Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church, by Colin Bell and Robert White
Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False, by Thomas Nagel
Miracles, by C. S. Lewis
Monopolizing Knowledge: a scientist refutes religion-denying, reason-destroying scientism, by Ian Hutchinson
Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries that Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe, by Stephen Meyer
The Bible, Rocks, and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth, by Davis Young and Ralph Stearley
The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry, by S. Joshua Swamidass
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, by Francis Collins
The Veritas Forum hosts dialogue between Christian and non-Christian intellectuals, often on issues of science and faith.
All truth is God’s truth—and these wide-ranging works sparkle with insight
After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, by Alasdair MacIntyre
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Showbusiness, by Neil Postman
Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment, by Francis Fukuyama
Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape the Universe, by Martin Rees
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
The Death of Satan: How Americans Have Lost the Sense of Evil, by Andrew Delbanco
The Limits of Critique, by Rita Felski
The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, by Iain McGilchrist
The Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt
Shedding light on our daily walk with Jesus
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, by Eugene Peterson
A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness, by Gene Edwards
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth, by Richard Foster
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It’s Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature While Remaining Emotionally Immature, by Peter Scazzero
Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper Relationship with God, by Jentezen Franklin
How To Be A Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living, by The Babylon Bee (for a change of pace)
Into the Silent Land: A Guide the Christian Practice of Contemplation, by Martin Laird
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, by C. S. Lewis
My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer, by Christian Wiman
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional, by David Paul Tripp
Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina, by Tim Gray
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, by John Piper
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, by Eugene Peterson
The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks, by Benedicta Ward
The Disciplined Life: The Mark of Christian Maturity, by Richard Taylor
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God, by Dallas Willard
The Four Cardinal Virtues, by Joseph Pieper
The Four Loves, by C. S. Lewis
The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom, by L. S. Dugdale
The Pilgrim’s Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version, revision by Alan Vermilye
The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, by John Mark Comer
The Sabbath, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis
Works of Love, by Soren Kierkegaard
Fiction and poetry colored by the Gospel
Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, by Makoto Fujimura
Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, by Lew Wallace
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
Every Moment Holy, Volume 1, by Douglas McKelvey
Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, and Hope, by Douglas McKelvey
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
Paradise Lost, by John Milton
Phantastes: A Faerie Romance, by George MacDonald
Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God, translated by Anita Barrows
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Chronicles of Narnia, 7 novels by C. S. Lewis
The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri
The Lord of The Rings, 3 novels by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Ordering of Love, poems by Madeleine L’Engle
The Princess and the Goblins, by George MacDonald
The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
The Space Trilogy, 3 novels by C. S. Lewis
Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis
To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, by John O’Donohue
Tree and Leaf, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Wisdom for the complexities of loving and being loved
Amoris Laetitia: On Love in the Family, by Pope Francis
How We Love: Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage, by Milan and Kay Yerkovich
Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Preparing for Marriage: Discover God’s Plan for a Lifetime of Love, by Dennis Rainey
Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?, by Gary Thomas
Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, by Kevin Leman
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, by Timothy Keller
The Wait: A Powerful Practice for Finding the Love of Your Life and the Life You Love, by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good
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A first introduction to God’s love for tiny theologians
Adventures in Odyssey, radio theater
Fierce Parenting, an online resource
Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms, by Justin Earley
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, by David Paul Tripp
Protect Young Eyes: Internet Safety for Families
Raising Kingdom Kids, video lessons by Tony Evans
Superbook, children’s show
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Theo, children’s show
Tiny Theologians, helping kids know and love God
Veggie Tales, children’s show
Options Health Information and help with health, Free STD testing, ultrasounds, sexual health education, parenting classes, and more
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Luke: The Story of Jesus
Luke for Everyone, by N. T. Wright
Luke: An Introduction and Commentary (TNTC), by Leon Morris
Luke: The NIV Application Commentary, by Darrell Bock
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Wrapping our minds around the scriptures of ancient Israel
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible, by John Walton
Archaeology and the Old Testament, by Alfred Hoerth
Commentary series: The NIV Application Commentary
Commentary series: The Old Testament Library
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey, by Bill Arnold and Bryan Beyer
From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch, by T. Desmond Alexander
Israelite Religions: An Archaeological and Biblical Survey, by Richard Hess
Manners and Customs of the Bible, by Ralph Gower
Old Testament Law for Christians: Original Context and Enduring Application, by Roy E. Gane
Old Testament Theology: Reading the Hebrew Bible as Christian Scripture, by Walter Moberly
Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah Fulfills its Goals in Yeshua, by Seth Postell and Eitan Bar
Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible, by Jon Levenson
The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature, by John Collins
The Art of Biblical Narrative, by Robert Alter
The Art of Biblical Poetry, by Robert Alter
The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: the Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity, by Jon Levenson
The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament, by Sandra Richter
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, multiple authors
The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary on Genesis–Malachi, by David Dorsey
The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority, by John Walton
The Lost World of Genesis 1: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest: Covenant, Retribution, and the Fate of the Canaanites, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Torah: Law as Covenant and Wisdom in Ancient Context, by John Walton
The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism, by Jon Levenson
The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary, by John Sailhamer
The Prophets, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Encounter the Messiah, his disciples, and the early church
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
A Survey of the New Testament, by Robert Gundry
Commentary series: For Everyone Series, by N. T. Wright
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross, by Martin Hengel
Gospel of Glory: Major Themes in Johannine Theology, by Richard Bauckham
Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels, by Richard Bauckham
How On Earth Did Jesus Become A God? Historical Questions about Earliest Devotion to Jesus, by Larry Hurtado
Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity, by John Bergsma
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: the Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Reversed Thunder: the Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination, by Eugene Peterson
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, by Craig Keener
The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics, by Richard Hays
The New Testament In Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians, by N. T. Wright and Michael Bird
The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, by Jonathan Pennington
The Theology of the Book of Revelation, by Richard Bauckham
Key moving parts in orthodox Christian theology
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Bible Project Coffee Table Book: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, by The Bible Project
Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition, by Gary Anderson
Deus Caritas Est: God is Love, by Pope Benedict XVI
Evil and the Justice of God, by N. T. Wright
Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Resurrection: The Power of God for Christians and Jews, by Kevin Madigan and Jon Levenson
Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today, by N. T. Wright
Sin: A History, by Gary Anderson
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, by N. T. Wright
The Christian Theology Reader, by Alister McGrath
The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’ Crucifixion, by N. T. Wright
The Journey from Text to Translation: The Origin and Development of the Bible, by Paul Wegner
We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, by G. K. Beale
Who is the Holy Spirit? A Walk with the Apostles, by Amos Yong
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
Works that probe deeper, more technical issues in theology and faith
A Brief History of Old Testament Criticism: from Benedict Spinoza to Brevard Childs, by Mark Gignilliat
A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology, by J. Richard Middleton
Adam as Israel: Genesis 1–3 as Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh, by Seth Postell
Biblical Theology in Crisis, by Brevard Childs
Captive to the Word of God: Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Theological Reflection, by Miroslav Volf
Christian Doctrine and the Old Testament: Theology in the Service of Biblical Exegesis, by Gary Anderson
Creation and the Persistence of Evil: The Jewish Drama of Divine Omnipotence, by Jon Levenson
Evil and the God of Love, by John Hick
Exegetical Fallacies, by D. A. Carson
God’s Empowering Presence: the Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul, by Gordon Fee
History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology, by N. T. Wright
Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works, by James K. A. Smith
Jesus and the God of Israel: ‘God Crucified’ and Other Studies in the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity, by Richard Bauckham
Jesus and the Victory of God, by N. T. Wright
Jesus is Lord, Caesar is Not: Evaluating Empire in New Testament Studies, edited by Scot McKnight and Joseph Modica
Love Alone Is Credible, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, by John Paul II
Modern Christian Thought: the Twentieth Century, by James Livingston and Francis Fiorenza
Mysterium Paschale: The Mystery of Easter, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Paul: A Biography, by N. T. Wright
Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness, by Richard Hays
The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology, by Oliver O’Donovan
The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics, by Robert Gagnon
The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ, by Fleming Rutledge
The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism, by Jon Levenson
The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1, by J. Richard Middleton
The Nature and Destiny of Man, by Reinhold Niebuhr
The New Testament and the People of God, by N. T. Wright
The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading, by Meir Sternberg
The Resurrection of the Son of God, by N. T. Wright
The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective, by Ronald Byars
The Story of Christianity, Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, by Justo Gonzalez
The Story of Christianity, Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day, by Justo Gonzalez
The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God, by G. K. Beale
The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, by Michael Heiser
Theology and Social Theory: Beyond Secular Reason, by John Milbank
Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics, by Oliver O’Donovan
Why Narrative? Readings in Narrative Theology, by Stanley Hauerwas and L. Gregory Jones
Informed engagement with wider cultural themes
12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You, by Tony Reinke
A Secular Age, by Charles Taylor
A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus, by David Bennett
Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation, by James K. A. Smith
Dethroning Mammon: Making Money Serve Grace, by Justin Welby
Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, by Tim Keller
Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation, by Miroslav Volf
Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World, by Miroslav Volf
Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who I’ve Always Been, by Jackie Hill Perry
Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just, by Timothy Keller
God in Public: How the Bible Speaks Truth to Power Today, by N. T. Wright
How (Not) To Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor, by James K. A. Smith
Issues Facing Christians Today, by John Stott
Moral Man and Immoral Society, by Reinhold Niebuhr
People To Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is Not Just An Issue, by Preston Sprinkle
Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters, by Sandra Richter
Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues, by N. T. Wright
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, by Rod Dreher
The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in its Proper Place, by Andy Crouch
The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation, by Miles McPherson
Carefully-reasoned articulation and defense of faith
Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies, by David Bentley Hart
Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, by Rebecca McLaughlin
Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland
Fear and Trembling, by Soren Kierkegaard
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Narrative Apologetics: Sharing the Relevance, Joy, and Wonder of the Christian Faith, by Alister McGrath
Orthodoxy, by G. K. Chesterton
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, by N. T. Wright
The Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis
The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, by Lee Strobel
The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller
The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries, by Rodney Stark
Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense, by Francis Spufford
What’s So Great About Christianity, by Dinesh D’Souza
Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church, by James K. A. Smith
Who’s Afraid of Relativism? Community, Contingency, and Creaturehood, by James K. A. Smith
Empirically-informed awe of the Creator
BioLogos, founded by Francis Collins, explores the harmony of God’s Word and God’s Work in the natural world.
Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church, by Colin Bell and Robert White
Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False, by Thomas Nagel
Miracles, by C. S. Lewis
Monopolizing Knowledge: a scientist refutes religion-denying, reason-destroying scientism, by Ian Hutchinson
Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries that Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe, by Stephen Meyer
The Bible, Rocks, and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth, by Davis Young and Ralph Stearley
The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry, by S. Joshua Swamidass
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, by Francis Collins
The Veritas Forum hosts dialogue between Christian and non-Christian intellectuals, often on issues of science and faith.
All truth is God’s truth—and these wide-ranging works sparkle with insight
After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, by Alasdair MacIntyre
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Showbusiness, by Neil Postman
Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment, by Francis Fukuyama
Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape the Universe, by Martin Rees
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
The Death of Satan: How Americans Have Lost the Sense of Evil, by Andrew Delbanco
The Limits of Critique, by Rita Felski
The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, by Iain McGilchrist
The Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt
Shedding light on our daily walk with Jesus
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, by Eugene Peterson
A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness, by Gene Edwards
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth, by Richard Foster
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It’s Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature While Remaining Emotionally Immature, by Peter Scazzero
Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper Relationship with God, by Jentezen Franklin
How To Be A Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living, by The Babylon Bee (for a change of pace)
Into the Silent Land: A Guide the Christian Practice of Contemplation, by Martin Laird
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, by C. S. Lewis
My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer, by Christian Wiman
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional, by David Paul Tripp
Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina, by Tim Gray
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, by John Piper
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, by Eugene Peterson
The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks, by Benedicta Ward
The Disciplined Life: The Mark of Christian Maturity, by Richard Taylor
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God, by Dallas Willard
The Four Cardinal Virtues, by Joseph Pieper
The Four Loves, by C. S. Lewis
The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom, by L. S. Dugdale
The Pilgrim’s Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version, revision by Alan Vermilye
The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, by John Mark Comer
The Sabbath, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis
Works of Love, by Soren Kierkegaard
Fiction and poetry colored by the Gospel
Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, by Makoto Fujimura
Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, by Lew Wallace
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
Every Moment Holy, Volume 1, by Douglas McKelvey
Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, and Hope, by Douglas McKelvey
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
Paradise Lost, by John Milton
Phantastes: A Faerie Romance, by George MacDonald
Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God, translated by Anita Barrows
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Chronicles of Narnia, 7 novels by C. S. Lewis
The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri
The Lord of The Rings, 3 novels by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Ordering of Love, poems by Madeleine L’Engle
The Princess and the Goblins, by George MacDonald
The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
The Space Trilogy, 3 novels by C. S. Lewis
Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis
To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, by John O’Donohue
Tree and Leaf, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Wisdom for the complexities of loving and being loved
Amoris Laetitia: On Love in the Family, by Pope Francis
How We Love: Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage, by Milan and Kay Yerkovich
Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Preparing for Marriage: Discover God’s Plan for a Lifetime of Love, by Dennis Rainey
Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?, by Gary Thomas
Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, by Kevin Leman
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, by Timothy Keller
The Wait: A Powerful Practice for Finding the Love of Your Life and the Life You Love, by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good
A first introduction to God’s love for tiny theologians
Adventures in Odyssey, radio theater
Fierce Parenting, an online resource
Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms, by Justin Earley
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, by David Paul Tripp
Protect Young Eyes: Internet Safety for Families
Raising Kingdom Kids, video lessons by Tony Evans
Superbook, children’s show
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Theo, children’s show
Tiny Theologians, helping kids know and love God
Veggie Tales, children’s show
Options Health Information and help with health, Free STD testing, ultrasounds, sexual health education, parenting classes, and more
Understanding and overcoming life’s challenges
Celebrate Recovery Classes
Martinez
Creekside Church, 444 Fig Tree Ln, Martinez, CA 94553
Phone: (925) 228-8156
https://creekside.org/grow/celebrate-recovery
Pleasant Hill
Oak Park Christian Center , 2073 Oak Park Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: (925) 934-3056
https://www.opccag.org/support-group/
Oakley
Laurel Ridge Church,2459 Laurel Rd, Oakley, CA 94561
Phone: (925) 625-9500
https://laurelridgechurch.org/cr
Locator:
https://locator.crgroups.info/
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind, by Joyce Meyer
Clean: A Proven Plan for Men Committed to Sexual Integrity, by Douglass Weiss
Covenant Eyes – #1 Accountability Software
Men of Ephesians 5:3 – Destroying a Culture of Shame with the Culture of Grace
I’ll Hold You In Heaven: Healing and Hope for the Parent Who Has Lost a Child Through Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Abortion or Early Infant Death, by Jack Hayford
Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World, by Craig Groeschel
Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health, by Caroline Leaf
The Road to Freedom: Healing from Your Hurts, Hang-Ups, and Habits, by Johnny Baker
Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey
Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing, by Jay Stringer
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
-
Luke: The Story of Jesus
Luke for Everyone, by N. T. Wright
Luke: An Introduction and Commentary (TNTC), by Leon Morris
Luke: The NIV Application Commentary, by Darrell Bock
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Wrapping our minds around the scriptures of ancient Israel
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible, by John Walton
Archaeology and the Old Testament, by Alfred Hoerth
Commentary series: The NIV Application Commentary
Commentary series: The Old Testament Library
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey, by Bill Arnold and Bryan Beyer
From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch, by T. Desmond Alexander
Israelite Religions: An Archaeological and Biblical Survey, by Richard Hess
Manners and Customs of the Bible, by Ralph Gower
Old Testament Law for Christians: Original Context and Enduring Application, by Roy E. Gane
Old Testament Theology: Reading the Hebrew Bible as Christian Scripture, by Walter Moberly
Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah Fulfills its Goals in Yeshua, by Seth Postell and Eitan Bar
Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible, by Jon Levenson
The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature, by John Collins
The Art of Biblical Narrative, by Robert Alter
The Art of Biblical Poetry, by Robert Alter
The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: the Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity, by Jon Levenson
The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament, by Sandra Richter
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, multiple authors
The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary on Genesis–Malachi, by David Dorsey
The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority, by John Walton
The Lost World of Genesis 1: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest: Covenant, Retribution, and the Fate of the Canaanites, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Torah: Law as Covenant and Wisdom in Ancient Context, by John Walton
The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism, by Jon Levenson
The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary, by John Sailhamer
The Prophets, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Encounter the Messiah, his disciples, and the early church
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
A Survey of the New Testament, by Robert Gundry
Commentary series: For Everyone Series, by N. T. Wright
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross, by Martin Hengel
Gospel of Glory: Major Themes in Johannine Theology, by Richard Bauckham
Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels, by Richard Bauckham
How On Earth Did Jesus Become A God? Historical Questions about Earliest Devotion to Jesus, by Larry Hurtado
Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity, by John Bergsma
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: the Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Reversed Thunder: the Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination, by Eugene Peterson
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, by Craig Keener
The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics, by Richard Hays
The New Testament In Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians, by N. T. Wright and Michael Bird
The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, by Jonathan Pennington
The Theology of the Book of Revelation, by Richard Bauckham
Key moving parts in orthodox Christian theology
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Bible Project Coffee Table Book: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, by The Bible Project
Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition, by Gary Anderson
Deus Caritas Est: God is Love, by Pope Benedict XVI
Evil and the Justice of God, by N. T. Wright
Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Resurrection: The Power of God for Christians and Jews, by Kevin Madigan and Jon Levenson
Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today, by N. T. Wright
Sin: A History, by Gary Anderson
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, by N. T. Wright
The Christian Theology Reader, by Alister McGrath
The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’ Crucifixion, by N. T. Wright
The Journey from Text to Translation: The Origin and Development of the Bible, by Paul Wegner
We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, by G. K. Beale
Who is the Holy Spirit? A Walk with the Apostles, by Amos Yong
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
Works that probe deeper, more technical issues in theology and faith
A Brief History of Old Testament Criticism: from Benedict Spinoza to Brevard Childs, by Mark Gignilliat
A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology, by J. Richard Middleton
Adam as Israel: Genesis 1–3 as Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh, by Seth Postell
Biblical Theology in Crisis, by Brevard Childs
Captive to the Word of God: Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Theological Reflection, by Miroslav Volf
Christian Doctrine and the Old Testament: Theology in the Service of Biblical Exegesis, by Gary Anderson
Creation and the Persistence of Evil: The Jewish Drama of Divine Omnipotence, by Jon Levenson
Evil and the God of Love, by John Hick
Exegetical Fallacies, by D. A. Carson
God’s Empowering Presence: the Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul, by Gordon Fee
History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology, by N. T. Wright
Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works, by James K. A. Smith
Jesus and the God of Israel: ‘God Crucified’ and Other Studies in the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity, by Richard Bauckham
Jesus and the Victory of God, by N. T. Wright
Jesus is Lord, Caesar is Not: Evaluating Empire in New Testament Studies, edited by Scot McKnight and Joseph Modica
Love Alone Is Credible, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, by John Paul II
Modern Christian Thought: the Twentieth Century, by James Livingston and Francis Fiorenza
Mysterium Paschale: The Mystery of Easter, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Paul: A Biography, by N. T. Wright
Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness, by Richard Hays
The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology, by Oliver O’Donovan
The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics, by Robert Gagnon
The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ, by Fleming Rutledge
The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism, by Jon Levenson
The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1, by J. Richard Middleton
The Nature and Destiny of Man, by Reinhold Niebuhr
The New Testament and the People of God, by N. T. Wright
The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading, by Meir Sternberg
The Resurrection of the Son of God, by N. T. Wright
The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective, by Ronald Byars
The Story of Christianity, Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, by Justo Gonzalez
The Story of Christianity, Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day, by Justo Gonzalez
The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God, by G. K. Beale
The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, by Michael Heiser
Theology and Social Theory: Beyond Secular Reason, by John Milbank
Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics, by Oliver O’Donovan
Why Narrative? Readings in Narrative Theology, by Stanley Hauerwas and L. Gregory Jones
Informed engagement with wider cultural themes
12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You, by Tony Reinke
A Secular Age, by Charles Taylor
A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus, by David Bennett
Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation, by James K. A. Smith
Dethroning Mammon: Making Money Serve Grace, by Justin Welby
Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, by Tim Keller
Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation, by Miroslav Volf
Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World, by Miroslav Volf
Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who I’ve Always Been, by Jackie Hill Perry
Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just, by Timothy Keller
God in Public: How the Bible Speaks Truth to Power Today, by N. T. Wright
How (Not) To Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor, by James K. A. Smith
Issues Facing Christians Today, by John Stott
Moral Man and Immoral Society, by Reinhold Niebuhr
People To Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is Not Just An Issue, by Preston Sprinkle
Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters, by Sandra Richter
Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues, by N. T. Wright
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, by Rod Dreher
The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in its Proper Place, by Andy Crouch
The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation, by Miles McPherson
Carefully-reasoned articulation and defense of faith
Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies, by David Bentley Hart
Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, by Rebecca McLaughlin
Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland
Fear and Trembling, by Soren Kierkegaard
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Narrative Apologetics: Sharing the Relevance, Joy, and Wonder of the Christian Faith, by Alister McGrath
Orthodoxy, by G. K. Chesterton
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, by N. T. Wright
The Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis
The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, by Lee Strobel
The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller
The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries, by Rodney Stark
Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense, by Francis Spufford
What’s So Great About Christianity, by Dinesh D’Souza
Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church, by James K. A. Smith
Who’s Afraid of Relativism? Community, Contingency, and Creaturehood, by James K. A. Smith
Empirically-informed awe of the Creator
BioLogos, founded by Francis Collins, explores the harmony of God’s Word and God’s Work in the natural world.
Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church, by Colin Bell and Robert White
Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False, by Thomas Nagel
Miracles, by C. S. Lewis
Monopolizing Knowledge: a scientist refutes religion-denying, reason-destroying scientism, by Ian Hutchinson
Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries that Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe, by Stephen Meyer
The Bible, Rocks, and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth, by Davis Young and Ralph Stearley
The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry, by S. Joshua Swamidass
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, by Francis Collins
The Veritas Forum hosts dialogue between Christian and non-Christian intellectuals, often on issues of science and faith.
All truth is God’s truth—and these wide-ranging works sparkle with insight
After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, by Alasdair MacIntyre
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Showbusiness, by Neil Postman
Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment, by Francis Fukuyama
Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape the Universe, by Martin Rees
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
The Death of Satan: How Americans Have Lost the Sense of Evil, by Andrew Delbanco
The Limits of Critique, by Rita Felski
The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, by Iain McGilchrist
The Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt
Shedding light on our daily walk with Jesus
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, by Eugene Peterson
A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness, by Gene Edwards
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth, by Richard Foster
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It’s Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature While Remaining Emotionally Immature, by Peter Scazzero
Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper Relationship with God, by Jentezen Franklin
How To Be A Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living, by The Babylon Bee (for a change of pace)
Into the Silent Land: A Guide the Christian Practice of Contemplation, by Martin Laird
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, by C. S. Lewis
My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer, by Christian Wiman
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional, by David Paul Tripp
Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina, by Tim Gray
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, by John Piper
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, by Eugene Peterson
The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks, by Benedicta Ward
The Disciplined Life: The Mark of Christian Maturity, by Richard Taylor
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God, by Dallas Willard
The Four Cardinal Virtues, by Joseph Pieper
The Four Loves, by C. S. Lewis
The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom, by L. S. Dugdale
The Pilgrim’s Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version, revision by Alan Vermilye
The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, by John Mark Comer
The Sabbath, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis
Works of Love, by Soren Kierkegaard
Fiction and poetry colored by the Gospel
Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, by Makoto Fujimura
Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, by Lew Wallace
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
Every Moment Holy, Volume 1, by Douglas McKelvey
Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, and Hope, by Douglas McKelvey
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
Paradise Lost, by John Milton
Phantastes: A Faerie Romance, by George MacDonald
Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God, translated by Anita Barrows
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Chronicles of Narnia, 7 novels by C. S. Lewis
The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri
The Lord of The Rings, 3 novels by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Ordering of Love, poems by Madeleine L’Engle
The Princess and the Goblins, by George MacDonald
The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
The Space Trilogy, 3 novels by C. S. Lewis
Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis
To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, by John O’Donohue
Tree and Leaf, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Wisdom for the complexities of loving and being loved
Amoris Laetitia: On Love in the Family, by Pope Francis
How We Love: Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage, by Milan and Kay Yerkovich
Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Preparing for Marriage: Discover God’s Plan for a Lifetime of Love, by Dennis Rainey
Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?, by Gary Thomas
Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, by Kevin Leman
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, by Timothy Keller
The Wait: A Powerful Practice for Finding the Love of Your Life and the Life You Love, by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good
A first introduction to God’s love for tiny theologians
Adventures in Odyssey, radio theater
Fierce Parenting, an online resource
Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms, by Justin Earley
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, by David Paul Tripp
Protect Young Eyes: Internet Safety for Families
Raising Kingdom Kids, video lessons by Tony Evans
Superbook, children’s show
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Theo, children’s show
Tiny Theologians, helping kids know and love God
Veggie Tales, children’s show
Options Health Information and help with health, Free STD testing, ultrasounds, sexual health education, parenting classes, and more
Understanding and overcoming life’s challenges
Celebrate Recovery Classes
Martinez
Creekside Church, 444 Fig Tree Ln, Martinez, CA 94553
Phone: (925) 228-8156
https://creekside.org/grow/celebrate-recovery
Pleasant Hill
Oak Park Christian Center , 2073 Oak Park Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: (925) 934-3056
https://www.opccag.org/support-group/
Oakley
Laurel Ridge Church,2459 Laurel Rd, Oakley, CA 94561
Phone: (925) 625-9500
https://laurelridgechurch.org/cr
Locator:
https://locator.crgroups.info/
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind, by Joyce Meyer
Clean: A Proven Plan for Men Committed to Sexual Integrity, by Douglass Weiss
Covenant Eyes – #1 Accountability Software
Men of Ephesians 5:3 – Destroying a Culture of Shame with the Culture of Grace
I’ll Hold You In Heaven: Healing and Hope for the Parent Who Has Lost a Child Through Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Abortion or Early Infant Death, by Jack Hayford
Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World, by Craig Groeschel
Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health, by Caroline Leaf
The Road to Freedom: Healing from Your Hurts, Hang-Ups, and Habits, by Johnny Baker
Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey
Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing, by Jay Stringer
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
Algunos recursos para hispanohablantes
Asegure el éxito en su matrimonio antes de casarse, by Parrot
Como criar a las hijas, by James Dobson
Como criar a los varones, by James Dobson
Como criar a un niño de voluntad firme, by James Dobson
Cuando lo que Dios hace no tiene sentido, by James Dobson
Su Legado: el mayor regalo, by James Dobson
Un matrimonio del Reino, by Tony Evans
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A few books about the Land of the Book
Archaeology and the Old Testament, by Alfred Hoerth
From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism, by Lawrence Schiffman
In the Land of Israel, by Amos Oz
The Source, by James Michener
Wanderings: A History of the Jews, by Chaim Potok
-
Luke: The Story of Jesus
Luke for Everyone, by N. T. Wright
Luke: An Introduction and Commentary (TNTC), by Leon Morris
Luke: The NIV Application Commentary, by Darrell Bock
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Wrapping our minds around the scriptures of ancient Israel
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible, by John Walton
Archaeology and the Old Testament, by Alfred Hoerth
Commentary series: The NIV Application Commentary
Commentary series: The Old Testament Library
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey, by Bill Arnold and Bryan Beyer
From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch, by T. Desmond Alexander
Israelite Religions: An Archaeological and Biblical Survey, by Richard Hess
Manners and Customs of the Bible, by Ralph Gower
Old Testament Law for Christians: Original Context and Enduring Application, by Roy E. Gane
Old Testament Theology: Reading the Hebrew Bible as Christian Scripture, by Walter Moberly
Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah Fulfills its Goals in Yeshua, by Seth Postell and Eitan Bar
Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible, by Jon Levenson
The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature, by John Collins
The Art of Biblical Narrative, by Robert Alter
The Art of Biblical Poetry, by Robert Alter
The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: the Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity, by Jon Levenson
The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament, by Sandra Richter
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, multiple authors
The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary on Genesis–Malachi, by David Dorsey
The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority, by John Walton
The Lost World of Genesis 1: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest: Covenant, Retribution, and the Fate of the Canaanites, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Torah: Law as Covenant and Wisdom in Ancient Context, by John Walton
The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism, by Jon Levenson
The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary, by John Sailhamer
The Prophets, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Encounter the Messiah, his disciples, and the early church
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
A Survey of the New Testament, by Robert Gundry
Commentary series: For Everyone Series, by N. T. Wright
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross, by Martin Hengel
Gospel of Glory: Major Themes in Johannine Theology, by Richard Bauckham
Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels, by Richard Bauckham
How On Earth Did Jesus Become A God? Historical Questions about Earliest Devotion to Jesus, by Larry Hurtado
Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity, by John Bergsma
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: the Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Reversed Thunder: the Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination, by Eugene Peterson
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, by Craig Keener
The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics, by Richard Hays
The New Testament In Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians, by N. T. Wright and Michael Bird
The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, by Jonathan Pennington
The Theology of the Book of Revelation, by Richard Bauckham
Key moving parts in orthodox Christian theology
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Bible Project Coffee Table Book: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, by The Bible Project
Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition, by Gary Anderson
Deus Caritas Est: God is Love, by Pope Benedict XVI
Evil and the Justice of God, by N. T. Wright
Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Resurrection: The Power of God for Christians and Jews, by Kevin Madigan and Jon Levenson
Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today, by N. T. Wright
Sin: A History, by Gary Anderson
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, by N. T. Wright
The Christian Theology Reader, by Alister McGrath
The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’ Crucifixion, by N. T. Wright
The Journey from Text to Translation: The Origin and Development of the Bible, by Paul Wegner
We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, by G. K. Beale
Who is the Holy Spirit? A Walk with the Apostles, by Amos Yong
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
Works that probe deeper, more technical issues in theology and faith
A Brief History of Old Testament Criticism: from Benedict Spinoza to Brevard Childs, by Mark Gignilliat
A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology, by J. Richard Middleton
Adam as Israel: Genesis 1–3 as Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh, by Seth Postell
Biblical Theology in Crisis, by Brevard Childs
Captive to the Word of God: Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Theological Reflection, by Miroslav Volf
Christian Doctrine and the Old Testament: Theology in the Service of Biblical Exegesis, by Gary Anderson
Creation and the Persistence of Evil: The Jewish Drama of Divine Omnipotence, by Jon Levenson
Evil and the God of Love, by John Hick
Exegetical Fallacies, by D. A. Carson
God’s Empowering Presence: the Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul, by Gordon Fee
History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology, by N. T. Wright
Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works, by James K. A. Smith
Jesus and the God of Israel: ‘God Crucified’ and Other Studies in the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity, by Richard Bauckham
Jesus and the Victory of God, by N. T. Wright
Jesus is Lord, Caesar is Not: Evaluating Empire in New Testament Studies, edited by Scot McKnight and Joseph Modica
Love Alone Is Credible, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, by John Paul II
Modern Christian Thought: the Twentieth Century, by James Livingston and Francis Fiorenza
Mysterium Paschale: The Mystery of Easter, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Paul: A Biography, by N. T. Wright
Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness, by Richard Hays
The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology, by Oliver O’Donovan
The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics, by Robert Gagnon
The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ, by Fleming Rutledge
The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism, by Jon Levenson
The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1, by J. Richard Middleton
The Nature and Destiny of Man, by Reinhold Niebuhr
The New Testament and the People of God, by N. T. Wright
The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading, by Meir Sternberg
The Resurrection of the Son of God, by N. T. Wright
The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective, by Ronald Byars
The Story of Christianity, Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, by Justo Gonzalez
The Story of Christianity, Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day, by Justo Gonzalez
The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God, by G. K. Beale
The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, by Michael Heiser
Theology and Social Theory: Beyond Secular Reason, by John Milbank
Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics, by Oliver O’Donovan
Why Narrative? Readings in Narrative Theology, by Stanley Hauerwas and L. Gregory Jones
Informed engagement with wider cultural themes
12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You, by Tony Reinke
A Secular Age, by Charles Taylor
A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus, by David Bennett
Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation, by James K. A. Smith
Dethroning Mammon: Making Money Serve Grace, by Justin Welby
Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, by Tim Keller
Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation, by Miroslav Volf
Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World, by Miroslav Volf
Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who I’ve Always Been, by Jackie Hill Perry
Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just, by Timothy Keller
God in Public: How the Bible Speaks Truth to Power Today, by N. T. Wright
How (Not) To Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor, by James K. A. Smith
Issues Facing Christians Today, by John Stott
Moral Man and Immoral Society, by Reinhold Niebuhr
People To Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is Not Just An Issue, by Preston Sprinkle
Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters, by Sandra Richter
Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues, by N. T. Wright
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, by Rod Dreher
The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in its Proper Place, by Andy Crouch
The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation, by Miles McPherson
Carefully-reasoned articulation and defense of faith
Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies, by David Bentley Hart
Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, by Rebecca McLaughlin
Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland
Fear and Trembling, by Soren Kierkegaard
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Narrative Apologetics: Sharing the Relevance, Joy, and Wonder of the Christian Faith, by Alister McGrath
Orthodoxy, by G. K. Chesterton
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, by N. T. Wright
The Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis
The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, by Lee Strobel
The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller
The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries, by Rodney Stark
Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense, by Francis Spufford
What’s So Great About Christianity, by Dinesh D’Souza
Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church, by James K. A. Smith
Who’s Afraid of Relativism? Community, Contingency, and Creaturehood, by James K. A. Smith
Empirically-informed awe of the Creator
BioLogos, founded by Francis Collins, explores the harmony of God’s Word and God’s Work in the natural world.
Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church, by Colin Bell and Robert White
Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False, by Thomas Nagel
Miracles, by C. S. Lewis
Monopolizing Knowledge: a scientist refutes religion-denying, reason-destroying scientism, by Ian Hutchinson
Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries that Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe, by Stephen Meyer
The Bible, Rocks, and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth, by Davis Young and Ralph Stearley
The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry, by S. Joshua Swamidass
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, by Francis Collins
The Veritas Forum hosts dialogue between Christian and non-Christian intellectuals, often on issues of science and faith.
All truth is God’s truth—and these wide-ranging works sparkle with insight
After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, by Alasdair MacIntyre
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Showbusiness, by Neil Postman
Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment, by Francis Fukuyama
Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape the Universe, by Martin Rees
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
The Death of Satan: How Americans Have Lost the Sense of Evil, by Andrew Delbanco
The Limits of Critique, by Rita Felski
The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, by Iain McGilchrist
The Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt
Shedding light on our daily walk with Jesus
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, by Eugene Peterson
A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness, by Gene Edwards
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth, by Richard Foster
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It’s Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature While Remaining Emotionally Immature, by Peter Scazzero
Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper Relationship with God, by Jentezen Franklin
How To Be A Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living, by The Babylon Bee (for a change of pace)
Into the Silent Land: A Guide the Christian Practice of Contemplation, by Martin Laird
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, by C. S. Lewis
My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer, by Christian Wiman
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional, by David Paul Tripp
Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina, by Tim Gray
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, by John Piper
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, by Eugene Peterson
The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks, by Benedicta Ward
The Disciplined Life: The Mark of Christian Maturity, by Richard Taylor
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God, by Dallas Willard
The Four Cardinal Virtues, by Joseph Pieper
The Four Loves, by C. S. Lewis
The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom, by L. S. Dugdale
The Pilgrim’s Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version, revision by Alan Vermilye
The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, by John Mark Comer
The Sabbath, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis
Works of Love, by Soren Kierkegaard
Fiction and poetry colored by the Gospel
Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, by Makoto Fujimura
Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, by Lew Wallace
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
Every Moment Holy, Volume 1, by Douglas McKelvey
Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, and Hope, by Douglas McKelvey
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
Paradise Lost, by John Milton
Phantastes: A Faerie Romance, by George MacDonald
Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God, translated by Anita Barrows
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Chronicles of Narnia, 7 novels by C. S. Lewis
The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri
The Lord of The Rings, 3 novels by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Ordering of Love, poems by Madeleine L’Engle
The Princess and the Goblins, by George MacDonald
The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
The Space Trilogy, 3 novels by C. S. Lewis
Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis
To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, by John O’Donohue
Tree and Leaf, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Wisdom for the complexities of loving and being loved
Amoris Laetitia: On Love in the Family, by Pope Francis
How We Love: Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage, by Milan and Kay Yerkovich
Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Preparing for Marriage: Discover God’s Plan for a Lifetime of Love, by Dennis Rainey
Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?, by Gary Thomas
Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, by Kevin Leman
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, by Timothy Keller
The Wait: A Powerful Practice for Finding the Love of Your Life and the Life You Love, by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good
A first introduction to God’s love for tiny theologians
Adventures in Odyssey, radio theater
Fierce Parenting, an online resource
Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms, by Justin Earley
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, by David Paul Tripp
Protect Young Eyes: Internet Safety for Families
Raising Kingdom Kids, video lessons by Tony Evans
Superbook, children’s show
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Theo, children’s show
Tiny Theologians, helping kids know and love God
Veggie Tales, children’s show
Options Health Information and help with health, Free STD testing, ultrasounds, sexual health education, parenting classes, and more
Understanding and overcoming life’s challenges
Celebrate Recovery Classes
Martinez
Creekside Church, 444 Fig Tree Ln, Martinez, CA 94553
Phone: (925) 228-8156
https://creekside.org/grow/celebrate-recovery
Pleasant Hill
Oak Park Christian Center , 2073 Oak Park Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: (925) 934-3056
https://www.opccag.org/support-group/
Oakley
Laurel Ridge Church,2459 Laurel Rd, Oakley, CA 94561
Phone: (925) 625-9500
https://laurelridgechurch.org/cr
Locator:
https://locator.crgroups.info/
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind, by Joyce Meyer
Clean: A Proven Plan for Men Committed to Sexual Integrity, by Douglass Weiss
Covenant Eyes – #1 Accountability Software
Men of Ephesians 5:3 – Destroying a Culture of Shame with the Culture of Grace
I’ll Hold You In Heaven: Healing and Hope for the Parent Who Has Lost a Child Through Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Abortion or Early Infant Death, by Jack Hayford
Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World, by Craig Groeschel
Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health, by Caroline Leaf
The Road to Freedom: Healing from Your Hurts, Hang-Ups, and Habits, by Johnny Baker
Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey
Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing, by Jay Stringer
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
Algunos recursos para hispanohablantes
Asegure el éxito en su matrimonio antes de casarse, by Parrot
Como criar a las hijas, by James Dobson
Como criar a los varones, by James Dobson
Como criar a un niño de voluntad firme, by James Dobson
Cuando lo que Dios hace no tiene sentido, by James Dobson
Su Legado: el mayor regalo, by James Dobson
Un matrimonio del Reino, by Tony Evans
A few books about the Land of the Book
Archaeology and the Old Testament, by Alfred Hoerth
From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism, by Lawrence Schiffman
In the Land of Israel, by Amos Oz
The Source, by James Michener
Wanderings: A History of the Jews, by Chaim Potok
Theory and (more importantly) praxis for Christian leaders
Becoming a Pastor: Forming Self and Soul For Ministry, by Jaco Hamman
Becoming a Pastor Theologian: New Possibilities for Church Leadership, by Todd Wilson and Gerald Hiestand
Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City, by Tim Keller
Communicating For A Change: 7 Keys to Irresistible Communication, by Andy Stanley
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t, by Jim Collins
How To Lead When You’re Not In Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority, by Clay Scroggins
Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller
Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples, by Thom Rainer
Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek
The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, by John Maxwell
The Art of Leadership Academy, with Carey Nieuwhof
The Book of Pastoral Rule, by St. Gregory the Great
The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor’s Heart, by Harold Senkbeil
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, by Eugene Peterson
The Four Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals, by Chris McChesney
The Soul Winner, by Charles Spurgeon
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Luke: The Story of Jesus
Luke for Everyone, by N. T. Wright
Luke: An Introduction and Commentary (TNTC), by Leon Morris
Luke: The NIV Application Commentary, by Darrell Bock
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Wrapping our minds around the scriptures of ancient Israel
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible, by John Walton
Archaeology and the Old Testament, by Alfred Hoerth
Commentary series: The NIV Application Commentary
Commentary series: The Old Testament Library
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey, by Bill Arnold and Bryan Beyer
From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch, by T. Desmond Alexander
Israelite Religions: An Archaeological and Biblical Survey, by Richard Hess
Manners and Customs of the Bible, by Ralph Gower
Old Testament Law for Christians: Original Context and Enduring Application, by Roy E. Gane
Old Testament Theology: Reading the Hebrew Bible as Christian Scripture, by Walter Moberly
Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah Fulfills its Goals in Yeshua, by Seth Postell and Eitan Bar
Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible, by Jon Levenson
The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature, by John Collins
The Art of Biblical Narrative, by Robert Alter
The Art of Biblical Poetry, by Robert Alter
The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: the Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity, by Jon Levenson
The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament, by Sandra Richter
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, multiple authors
The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary on Genesis–Malachi, by David Dorsey
The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority, by John Walton
The Lost World of Genesis 1: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest: Covenant, Retribution, and the Fate of the Canaanites, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Torah: Law as Covenant and Wisdom in Ancient Context, by John Walton
The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism, by Jon Levenson
The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary, by John Sailhamer
The Prophets, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Encounter the Messiah, his disciples, and the early church
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
A Survey of the New Testament, by Robert Gundry
Commentary series: For Everyone Series, by N. T. Wright
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross, by Martin Hengel
Gospel of Glory: Major Themes in Johannine Theology, by Richard Bauckham
Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels, by Richard Bauckham
How On Earth Did Jesus Become A God? Historical Questions about Earliest Devotion to Jesus, by Larry Hurtado
Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity, by John Bergsma
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: the Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Reversed Thunder: the Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination, by Eugene Peterson
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, by Craig Keener
The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics, by Richard Hays
The New Testament In Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians, by N. T. Wright and Michael Bird
The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, by Jonathan Pennington
The Theology of the Book of Revelation, by Richard Bauckham
Key moving parts in orthodox Christian theology
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Bible Project Coffee Table Book: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, by The Bible Project
Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition, by Gary Anderson
Deus Caritas Est: God is Love, by Pope Benedict XVI
Evil and the Justice of God, by N. T. Wright
Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Resurrection: The Power of God for Christians and Jews, by Kevin Madigan and Jon Levenson
Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today, by N. T. Wright
Sin: A History, by Gary Anderson
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, by N. T. Wright
The Christian Theology Reader, by Alister McGrath
The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’ Crucifixion, by N. T. Wright
The Journey from Text to Translation: The Origin and Development of the Bible, by Paul Wegner
We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, by G. K. Beale
Who is the Holy Spirit? A Walk with the Apostles, by Amos Yong
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
Works that probe deeper, more technical issues in theology and faith
A Brief History of Old Testament Criticism: from Benedict Spinoza to Brevard Childs, by Mark Gignilliat
A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology, by J. Richard Middleton
Adam as Israel: Genesis 1–3 as Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh, by Seth Postell
Biblical Theology in Crisis, by Brevard Childs
Captive to the Word of God: Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Theological Reflection, by Miroslav Volf
Christian Doctrine and the Old Testament: Theology in the Service of Biblical Exegesis, by Gary Anderson
Creation and the Persistence of Evil: The Jewish Drama of Divine Omnipotence, by Jon Levenson
Evil and the God of Love, by John Hick
Exegetical Fallacies, by D. A. Carson
God’s Empowering Presence: the Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul, by Gordon Fee
History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology, by N. T. Wright
Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works, by James K. A. Smith
Jesus and the God of Israel: ‘God Crucified’ and Other Studies in the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity, by Richard Bauckham
Jesus and the Victory of God, by N. T. Wright
Jesus is Lord, Caesar is Not: Evaluating Empire in New Testament Studies, edited by Scot McKnight and Joseph Modica
Love Alone Is Credible, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, by John Paul II
Modern Christian Thought: the Twentieth Century, by James Livingston and Francis Fiorenza
Mysterium Paschale: The Mystery of Easter, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Paul: A Biography, by N. T. Wright
Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness, by Richard Hays
The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology, by Oliver O’Donovan
The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics, by Robert Gagnon
The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ, by Fleming Rutledge
The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism, by Jon Levenson
The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1, by J. Richard Middleton
The Nature and Destiny of Man, by Reinhold Niebuhr
The New Testament and the People of God, by N. T. Wright
The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading, by Meir Sternberg
The Resurrection of the Son of God, by N. T. Wright
The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective, by Ronald Byars
The Story of Christianity, Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, by Justo Gonzalez
The Story of Christianity, Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day, by Justo Gonzalez
The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God, by G. K. Beale
The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, by Michael Heiser
Theology and Social Theory: Beyond Secular Reason, by John Milbank
Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics, by Oliver O’Donovan
Why Narrative? Readings in Narrative Theology, by Stanley Hauerwas and L. Gregory Jones
Informed engagement with wider cultural themes
12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You, by Tony Reinke
A Secular Age, by Charles Taylor
A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus, by David Bennett
Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation, by James K. A. Smith
Dethroning Mammon: Making Money Serve Grace, by Justin Welby
Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, by Tim Keller
Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation, by Miroslav Volf
Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World, by Miroslav Volf
Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who I’ve Always Been, by Jackie Hill Perry
Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just, by Timothy Keller
God in Public: How the Bible Speaks Truth to Power Today, by N. T. Wright
How (Not) To Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor, by James K. A. Smith
Issues Facing Christians Today, by John Stott
Moral Man and Immoral Society, by Reinhold Niebuhr
People To Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is Not Just An Issue, by Preston Sprinkle
Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters, by Sandra Richter
Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues, by N. T. Wright
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, by Rod Dreher
The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in its Proper Place, by Andy Crouch
The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation, by Miles McPherson
Carefully-reasoned articulation and defense of faith
Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies, by David Bentley Hart
Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, by Rebecca McLaughlin
Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland
Fear and Trembling, by Soren Kierkegaard
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Narrative Apologetics: Sharing the Relevance, Joy, and Wonder of the Christian Faith, by Alister McGrath
Orthodoxy, by G. K. Chesterton
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, by N. T. Wright
The Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis
The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, by Lee Strobel
The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller
The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries, by Rodney Stark
Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense, by Francis Spufford
What’s So Great About Christianity, by Dinesh D’Souza
Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church, by James K. A. Smith
Who’s Afraid of Relativism? Community, Contingency, and Creaturehood, by James K. A. Smith
Empirically-informed awe of the Creator
BioLogos, founded by Francis Collins, explores the harmony of God’s Word and God’s Work in the natural world.
Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church, by Colin Bell and Robert White
Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False, by Thomas Nagel
Miracles, by C. S. Lewis
Monopolizing Knowledge: a scientist refutes religion-denying, reason-destroying scientism, by Ian Hutchinson
Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries that Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe, by Stephen Meyer
The Bible, Rocks, and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth, by Davis Young and Ralph Stearley
The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry, by S. Joshua Swamidass
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, by Francis Collins
The Veritas Forum hosts dialogue between Christian and non-Christian intellectuals, often on issues of science and faith.
All truth is God’s truth—and these wide-ranging works sparkle with insight
After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, by Alasdair MacIntyre
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Showbusiness, by Neil Postman
Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment, by Francis Fukuyama
Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape the Universe, by Martin Rees
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
The Death of Satan: How Americans Have Lost the Sense of Evil, by Andrew Delbanco
The Limits of Critique, by Rita Felski
The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, by Iain McGilchrist
The Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt
Shedding light on our daily walk with Jesus
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, by Eugene Peterson
A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness, by Gene Edwards
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth, by Richard Foster
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It’s Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature While Remaining Emotionally Immature, by Peter Scazzero
Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper Relationship with God, by Jentezen Franklin
How To Be A Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living, by The Babylon Bee (for a change of pace)
Into the Silent Land: A Guide the Christian Practice of Contemplation, by Martin Laird
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, by C. S. Lewis
My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer, by Christian Wiman
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional, by David Paul Tripp
Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina, by Tim Gray
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, by John Piper
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, by Eugene Peterson
The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks, by Benedicta Ward
The Disciplined Life: The Mark of Christian Maturity, by Richard Taylor
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God, by Dallas Willard
The Four Cardinal Virtues, by Joseph Pieper
The Four Loves, by C. S. Lewis
The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom, by L. S. Dugdale
The Pilgrim’s Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version, revision by Alan Vermilye
The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, by John Mark Comer
The Sabbath, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis
Works of Love, by Soren Kierkegaard
Fiction and poetry colored by the Gospel
Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, by Makoto Fujimura
Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, by Lew Wallace
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
Every Moment Holy, Volume 1, by Douglas McKelvey
Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, and Hope, by Douglas McKelvey
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
Paradise Lost, by John Milton
Phantastes: A Faerie Romance, by George MacDonald
Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God, translated by Anita Barrows
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Chronicles of Narnia, 7 novels by C. S. Lewis
The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri
The Lord of The Rings, 3 novels by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Ordering of Love, poems by Madeleine L’Engle
The Princess and the Goblins, by George MacDonald
The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
The Space Trilogy, 3 novels by C. S. Lewis
Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis
To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, by John O’Donohue
Tree and Leaf, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Wisdom for the complexities of loving and being loved
Amoris Laetitia: On Love in the Family, by Pope Francis
How We Love: Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage, by Milan and Kay Yerkovich
Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Preparing for Marriage: Discover God’s Plan for a Lifetime of Love, by Dennis Rainey
Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?, by Gary Thomas
Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, by Kevin Leman
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, by Timothy Keller
The Wait: A Powerful Practice for Finding the Love of Your Life and the Life You Love, by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good
A first introduction to God’s love for tiny theologians
Adventures in Odyssey, radio theater
Fierce Parenting, an online resource
Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms, by Justin Earley
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, by David Paul Tripp
Protect Young Eyes: Internet Safety for Families
Raising Kingdom Kids, video lessons by Tony Evans
Superbook, children’s show
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Theo, children’s show
Tiny Theologians, helping kids know and love God
Veggie Tales, children’s show
Options Health Information and help with health, Free STD testing, ultrasounds, sexual health education, parenting classes, and more
Understanding and overcoming life’s challenges
Celebrate Recovery Classes
Martinez
Creekside Church, 444 Fig Tree Ln, Martinez, CA 94553
Phone: (925) 228-8156
https://creekside.org/grow/celebrate-recovery
Pleasant Hill
Oak Park Christian Center , 2073 Oak Park Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: (925) 934-3056
https://www.opccag.org/support-group/
Oakley
Laurel Ridge Church,2459 Laurel Rd, Oakley, CA 94561
Phone: (925) 625-9500
https://laurelridgechurch.org/cr
Locator:
https://locator.crgroups.info/
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind, by Joyce Meyer
Clean: A Proven Plan for Men Committed to Sexual Integrity, by Douglass Weiss
Covenant Eyes – #1 Accountability Software
Men of Ephesians 5:3 – Destroying a Culture of Shame with the Culture of Grace
I’ll Hold You In Heaven: Healing and Hope for the Parent Who Has Lost a Child Through Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Abortion or Early Infant Death, by Jack Hayford
Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World, by Craig Groeschel
Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health, by Caroline Leaf
The Road to Freedom: Healing from Your Hurts, Hang-Ups, and Habits, by Johnny Baker
Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey
Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing, by Jay Stringer
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
Algunos recursos para hispanohablantes
Asegure el éxito en su matrimonio antes de casarse, by Parrot
Como criar a las hijas, by James Dobson
Como criar a los varones, by James Dobson
Como criar a un niño de voluntad firme, by James Dobson
Cuando lo que Dios hace no tiene sentido, by James Dobson
Su Legado: el mayor regalo, by James Dobson
Un matrimonio del Reino, by Tony Evans
A few books about the Land of the Book
Archaeology and the Old Testament, by Alfred Hoerth
From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism, by Lawrence Schiffman
In the Land of Israel, by Amos Oz
The Source, by James Michener
Wanderings: A History of the Jews, by Chaim Potok
Theory and (more importantly) praxis for Christian leaders
Becoming a Pastor: Forming Self and Soul For Ministry, by Jaco Hamman
Becoming a Pastor Theologian: New Possibilities for Church Leadership, by Todd Wilson and Gerald Hiestand
Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City, by Tim Keller
Communicating For A Change: 7 Keys to Irresistible Communication, by Andy Stanley
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t, by Jim Collins
How To Lead When You’re Not In Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority, by Clay Scroggins
Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller
Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples, by Thom Rainer
Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek
The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, by John Maxwell
The Art of Leadership Academy, with Carey Nieuwhof
The Book of Pastoral Rule, by St. Gregory the Great
The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor’s Heart, by Harold Senkbeil
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, by Eugene Peterson
The Four Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals, by Chris McChesney
The Soul Winner, by Charles Spurgeon
Some of the best biblical teaching on the web
BioLogos, founded by Francis Collins, explores the harmony of God’s Word and God’s Work in the natural world.
Covenant Eyes – #1 Online Accountability Software
N. T. Wright has two pages: ntwrightpage.com and ntwrightonline.org
RightNow Media (free through The Bay Church) has great studies, videos, and more to help you lead a group or do a personal devotion.
The Art of Leadership Academy, with Carey Nieuwhof
The Bible Project has lots of good material: a podcast, online classes, and videos
The Veritas Forum hosts dialogue between Christian and non-Christian intellectuals, often on issues of science and faith.
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Luke: The Story of Jesus
Luke for Everyone, by N. T. Wright
Luke: An Introduction and Commentary (TNTC), by Leon Morris
Luke: The NIV Application Commentary, by Darrell Bock
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Wrapping our minds around the scriptures of ancient Israel
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible, by John Walton
Archaeology and the Old Testament, by Alfred Hoerth
Commentary series: The NIV Application Commentary
Commentary series: The Old Testament Library
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey, by Bill Arnold and Bryan Beyer
From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch, by T. Desmond Alexander
Israelite Religions: An Archaeological and Biblical Survey, by Richard Hess
Manners and Customs of the Bible, by Ralph Gower
Old Testament Law for Christians: Original Context and Enduring Application, by Roy E. Gane
Old Testament Theology: Reading the Hebrew Bible as Christian Scripture, by Walter Moberly
Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah Fulfills its Goals in Yeshua, by Seth Postell and Eitan Bar
Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible, by Jon Levenson
The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature, by John Collins
The Art of Biblical Narrative, by Robert Alter
The Art of Biblical Poetry, by Robert Alter
The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: the Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity, by Jon Levenson
The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament, by Sandra Richter
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, multiple authors
The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary on Genesis–Malachi, by David Dorsey
The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority, by John Walton
The Lost World of Genesis 1: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest: Covenant, Retribution, and the Fate of the Canaanites, by John Walton
The Lost World of the Torah: Law as Covenant and Wisdom in Ancient Context, by John Walton
The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism, by Jon Levenson
The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary, by John Sailhamer
The Prophets, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Encounter the Messiah, his disciples, and the early church
First step: a good study Bible! We suggest the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
A Survey of the New Testament, by Robert Gundry
Commentary series: For Everyone Series, by N. T. Wright
Commentary series: The Story of God Bible Commentary
Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross, by Martin Hengel
Gospel of Glory: Major Themes in Johannine Theology, by Richard Bauckham
Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels, by Richard Bauckham
How On Earth Did Jesus Become A God? Historical Questions about Earliest Devotion to Jesus, by Larry Hurtado
Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity, by John Bergsma
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: the Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, by Richard Bauckham
Reversed Thunder: the Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination, by Eugene Peterson
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, by Craig Keener
The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics, by Richard Hays
The New Testament In Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians, by N. T. Wright and Michael Bird
The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, by Jonathan Pennington
The Theology of the Book of Revelation, by Richard Bauckham
Key moving parts in orthodox Christian theology
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Bible Project Coffee Table Book: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, by The Bible Project
Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition, by Gary Anderson
Deus Caritas Est: God is Love, by Pope Benedict XVI
Evil and the Justice of God, by N. T. Wright
Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Resurrection: The Power of God for Christians and Jews, by Kevin Madigan and Jon Levenson
Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today, by N. T. Wright
Sin: A History, by Gary Anderson
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, by N. T. Wright
The Christian Theology Reader, by Alister McGrath
The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’ Crucifixion, by N. T. Wright
The Journey from Text to Translation: The Origin and Development of the Bible, by Paul Wegner
We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, by G. K. Beale
Who is the Holy Spirit? A Walk with the Apostles, by Amos Yong
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
Works that probe deeper, more technical issues in theology and faith
A Brief History of Old Testament Criticism: from Benedict Spinoza to Brevard Childs, by Mark Gignilliat
A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology, by J. Richard Middleton
Adam as Israel: Genesis 1–3 as Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh, by Seth Postell
Biblical Theology in Crisis, by Brevard Childs
Captive to the Word of God: Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Theological Reflection, by Miroslav Volf
Christian Doctrine and the Old Testament: Theology in the Service of Biblical Exegesis, by Gary Anderson
Creation and the Persistence of Evil: The Jewish Drama of Divine Omnipotence, by Jon Levenson
Evil and the God of Love, by John Hick
Exegetical Fallacies, by D. A. Carson
God’s Empowering Presence: the Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul, by Gordon Fee
History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology, by N. T. Wright
Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works, by James K. A. Smith
Jesus and the God of Israel: ‘God Crucified’ and Other Studies in the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity, by Richard Bauckham
Jesus and the Victory of God, by N. T. Wright
Jesus is Lord, Caesar is Not: Evaluating Empire in New Testament Studies, edited by Scot McKnight and Joseph Modica
Love Alone Is Credible, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, by John Paul II
Modern Christian Thought: the Twentieth Century, by James Livingston and Francis Fiorenza
Mysterium Paschale: The Mystery of Easter, by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Paul: A Biography, by N. T. Wright
Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness, by Richard Hays
The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology, by Oliver O’Donovan
The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics, by Robert Gagnon
The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ, by Fleming Rutledge
The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism, by Jon Levenson
The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1, by J. Richard Middleton
The Nature and Destiny of Man, by Reinhold Niebuhr
The New Testament and the People of God, by N. T. Wright
The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading, by Meir Sternberg
The Resurrection of the Son of God, by N. T. Wright
The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective, by Ronald Byars
The Story of Christianity, Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, by Justo Gonzalez
The Story of Christianity, Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day, by Justo Gonzalez
The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God, by G. K. Beale
The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, by Michael Heiser
Theology and Social Theory: Beyond Secular Reason, by John Milbank
Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics, by Oliver O’Donovan
Why Narrative? Readings in Narrative Theology, by Stanley Hauerwas and L. Gregory Jones
Informed engagement with wider cultural themes
12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You, by Tony Reinke
A Secular Age, by Charles Taylor
A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus, by David Bennett
Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation, by James K. A. Smith
Dethroning Mammon: Making Money Serve Grace, by Justin Welby
Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, by Tim Keller
Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation, by Miroslav Volf
Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World, by Miroslav Volf
Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who I’ve Always Been, by Jackie Hill Perry
Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just, by Timothy Keller
God in Public: How the Bible Speaks Truth to Power Today, by N. T. Wright
How (Not) To Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor, by James K. A. Smith
Issues Facing Christians Today, by John Stott
Moral Man and Immoral Society, by Reinhold Niebuhr
People To Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is Not Just An Issue, by Preston Sprinkle
Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters, by Sandra Richter
Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues, by N. T. Wright
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, by Rod Dreher
The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in its Proper Place, by Andy Crouch
The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation, by Miles McPherson
Carefully-reasoned articulation and defense of faith
Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies, by David Bentley Hart
Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, by Rebecca McLaughlin
Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland
Fear and Trembling, by Soren Kierkegaard
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Narrative Apologetics: Sharing the Relevance, Joy, and Wonder of the Christian Faith, by Alister McGrath
Orthodoxy, by G. K. Chesterton
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, by N. T. Wright
The Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis
The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, by Lee Strobel
The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller
The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries, by Rodney Stark
Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense, by Francis Spufford
What’s So Great About Christianity, by Dinesh D’Souza
Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church, by James K. A. Smith
Who’s Afraid of Relativism? Community, Contingency, and Creaturehood, by James K. A. Smith
Empirically-informed awe of the Creator
BioLogos, founded by Francis Collins, explores the harmony of God’s Word and God’s Work in the natural world.
Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church, by Colin Bell and Robert White
Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False, by Thomas Nagel
Miracles, by C. S. Lewis
Monopolizing Knowledge: a scientist refutes religion-denying, reason-destroying scientism, by Ian Hutchinson
Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries that Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe, by Stephen Meyer
The Bible, Rocks, and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth, by Davis Young and Ralph Stearley
The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry, by S. Joshua Swamidass
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, by Francis Collins
The Veritas Forum hosts dialogue between Christian and non-Christian intellectuals, often on issues of science and faith.
All truth is God’s truth—and these wide-ranging works sparkle with insight
After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, by Alasdair MacIntyre
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Showbusiness, by Neil Postman
Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment, by Francis Fukuyama
Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape the Universe, by Martin Rees
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
The Death of Satan: How Americans Have Lost the Sense of Evil, by Andrew Delbanco
The Limits of Critique, by Rita Felski
The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, by Iain McGilchrist
The Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt
Shedding light on our daily walk with Jesus
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, by Eugene Peterson
A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness, by Gene Edwards
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N. T. Wright
Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth, by Richard Foster
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It’s Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature While Remaining Emotionally Immature, by Peter Scazzero
Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper Relationship with God, by Jentezen Franklin
How To Be A Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living, by The Babylon Bee (for a change of pace)
Into the Silent Land: A Guide the Christian Practice of Contemplation, by Martin Laird
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, by C. S. Lewis
My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer, by Christian Wiman
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional, by David Paul Tripp
Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina, by Tim Gray
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, by John Piper
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, by Eugene Peterson
The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks, by Benedicta Ward
The Disciplined Life: The Mark of Christian Maturity, by Richard Taylor
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God, by Dallas Willard
The Four Cardinal Virtues, by Joseph Pieper
The Four Loves, by C. S. Lewis
The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom, by L. S. Dugdale
The Pilgrim’s Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version, revision by Alan Vermilye
The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, by John Mark Comer
The Sabbath, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis
Works of Love, by Soren Kierkegaard
Fiction and poetry colored by the Gospel
Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, by Makoto Fujimura
Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, by Lew Wallace
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
Every Moment Holy, Volume 1, by Douglas McKelvey
Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, and Hope, by Douglas McKelvey
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
Paradise Lost, by John Milton
Phantastes: A Faerie Romance, by George MacDonald
Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God, translated by Anita Barrows
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Chronicles of Narnia, 7 novels by C. S. Lewis
The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri
The Lord of The Rings, 3 novels by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Ordering of Love, poems by Madeleine L’Engle
The Princess and the Goblins, by George MacDonald
The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
The Space Trilogy, 3 novels by C. S. Lewis
Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis
To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, by John O’Donohue
Tree and Leaf, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Wisdom for the complexities of loving and being loved
Amoris Laetitia: On Love in the Family, by Pope Francis
How We Love: Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage, by Milan and Kay Yerkovich
Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Preparing for Marriage: Discover God’s Plan for a Lifetime of Love, by Dennis Rainey
Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?, by Gary Thomas
Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, by Kevin Leman
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, by Timothy Keller
The Wait: A Powerful Practice for Finding the Love of Your Life and the Life You Love, by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good
A first introduction to God’s love for tiny theologians
Adventures in Odyssey, radio theater
Fierce Parenting, an online resource
Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms, by Justin Earley
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, by David Paul Tripp
Protect Young Eyes: Internet Safety for Families
Raising Kingdom Kids, video lessons by Tony Evans
Superbook, children’s show
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Theo, children’s show
Tiny Theologians, helping kids know and love God
Veggie Tales, children’s show
Options Health Information and help with health, Free STD testing, ultrasounds, sexual health education, parenting classes, and more
Understanding and overcoming life’s challenges
Celebrate Recovery Classes
Martinez
Creekside Church, 444 Fig Tree Ln, Martinez, CA 94553
Phone: (925) 228-8156
https://creekside.org/grow/celebrate-recovery
Pleasant Hill
Oak Park Christian Center , 2073 Oak Park Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: (925) 934-3056
https://www.opccag.org/support-group/
Oakley
Laurel Ridge Church,2459 Laurel Rd, Oakley, CA 94561
Phone: (925) 625-9500
https://laurelridgechurch.org/cr
Locator:
https://locator.crgroups.info/
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind, by Joyce Meyer
Clean: A Proven Plan for Men Committed to Sexual Integrity, by Douglass Weiss
Covenant Eyes – #1 Accountability Software
Men of Ephesians 5:3 – Destroying a Culture of Shame with the Culture of Grace
I’ll Hold You In Heaven: Healing and Hope for the Parent Who Has Lost a Child Through Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Abortion or Early Infant Death, by Jack Hayford
Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World, by Craig Groeschel
Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health, by Caroline Leaf
The Road to Freedom: Healing from Your Hurts, Hang-Ups, and Habits, by Johnny Baker
Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey
Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing, by Jay Stringer
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith
Algunos recursos para hispanohablantes
Asegure el éxito en su matrimonio antes de casarse, by Parrot
Como criar a las hijas, by James Dobson
Como criar a los varones, by James Dobson
Como criar a un niño de voluntad firme, by James Dobson
Cuando lo que Dios hace no tiene sentido, by James Dobson
Su Legado: el mayor regalo, by James Dobson
Un matrimonio del Reino, by Tony Evans
A few books about the Land of the Book
Archaeology and the Old Testament, by Alfred Hoerth
From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism, by Lawrence Schiffman
In the Land of Israel, by Amos Oz
The Source, by James Michener
Wanderings: A History of the Jews, by Chaim Potok
Theory and (more importantly) praxis for Christian leaders
Becoming a Pastor: Forming Self and Soul For Ministry, by Jaco Hamman
Becoming a Pastor Theologian: New Possibilities for Church Leadership, by Todd Wilson and Gerald Hiestand
Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City, by Tim Keller
Communicating For A Change: 7 Keys to Irresistible Communication, by Andy Stanley
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t, by Jim Collins
How To Lead When You’re Not In Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority, by Clay Scroggins
Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism, by Tim Keller
Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples, by Thom Rainer
Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek
The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, by John Maxwell
The Art of Leadership Academy, with Carey Nieuwhof
The Book of Pastoral Rule, by St. Gregory the Great
The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor’s Heart, by Harold Senkbeil
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, by Eugene Peterson
The Four Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals, by Chris McChesney
The Soul Winner, by Charles Spurgeon
Some of the best biblical teaching on the web
BioLogos, founded by Francis Collins, explores the harmony of God’s Word and God’s Work in the natural world.
Covenant Eyes – #1 Online Accountability Software
N. T. Wright has two pages: ntwrightpage.com and ntwrightonline.org
RightNow Media (free through The Bay Church) has great studies, videos, and more to help you lead a group or do a personal devotion.
The Art of Leadership Academy, with Carey Nieuwhof
The Bible Project has lots of good material: a podcast, online classes, and videos
The Veritas Forum hosts dialogue between Christian and non-Christian intellectuals, often on issues of science and faith.
Great conversations for listening on the go
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