Thanks again to all who have responded so far-- I hope we get more feedback on this, as it really requires a lot of discipline to curtail the selection to just 25--- and yet, it's relatively easy to come up with a "Top 5" or "Top 10"...
Hmmmmm....
Anyway, Most of your responses hit close to home: of course,
Pilgrim's Progress is huge, but I only discovered that after I was a Christian 3 years. My buddy (who moved away, and now goes to
Briarwood Church in Birmingham, Alabama, gave me my first "theology" book. It was
Grace Unknown, by R.C. Sproul. The books that are harder to read (but tend to provide much richer content-- "center-cut filet mignons", as one of our elders puts them), are the Puritan books. My favorite is
The Reformed Pastor, by Richard Baxter. Even though I'm not a pastor, the godly counsel he leaves for living in a way befitting a Christian applies to us ALL, not just pastors. Plus, the things he warns against are
unbelievably relevant today-- probably moreso than when he wrote it in the early 1600's.
The Godly Man's Picture (Watson) is not far behind.
The Evil of Evils: The Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin by Jeremiah Burroughs ranks highly, and needs to be FAR more known in today's "Carnal Christian" atmosphere.
I'm a tad surprised no one brought up
Knowing God, by J. I. Packer. That one's a keeper, in a BIG way. I love it because it guages "spirit" and "truth" (the balance of which I'm pretty big on, as you can probably tell from my handle) better than any other contemporary author, IMO.
No-brainers mentioned, so far, including above:
Reymond's
A New Systematic Theology Of The Christian Faith
Luther's
Bondage of the Will
Calvin's
Institutes...
Lots more I haven't read, but know I need to-- I've read dribs and drabs of people like A.W. Pink's stuff, and J. C. Ryle-- that keeps coming up on everyone's fave lists....
There are others that I would include (
The Power of Prayer, by R. A. Torrey, for example), and many others-- but I already know MY staple books-- The point here is,
I want to hear yours!!!
I'd love to hear more. This is great---really... Thanks again, and keep 'em coming!!!
Anyone else want to chime in?