Kingdom Living and Spiritual Formation

  1. Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ. Apart from the Bible itself, this is undoubtedly the more republished work in Christian history. Absolutely indispensable. Many editions.
  2. Baxter, Richard. The Practical Works of Richard Baxter. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1981. Practical advice on applying Scripture to all areas of life.
  4. Finney, Charles, Revival Lectures. Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Company, n.d.
  5. Heatley, William. The Gift of Work. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress, 2008. [Read the Foreword]
  6. Hunter, Todd, Our Favorite Sins: The Sins We Commit and How You Can Quit. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2012.
  7. Johnson, Jan, Invitation to the Jesus Life. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress, 2008. This is Jan's "Curriculum for Christlikeness."
  8. Laubach, Frank C. Man of Prayer, from "The Heritage Collection" (Within that especially Letters by a "Modern Mystic" and "Game With Minutes") ISBN 0-88336-580
  9. Lauson, J. Gilchrist. Deeper Experiences of Famous Christians. Anderson, IN: Warner, 1970. [Read how this book effected Dr. Willard]
  10. Law, William. A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. Try to get a complete edition of it.
  11. Meyer, Keith. Whole Life Transformation. Intervarsity Press, 2010. [Read the Foreword]
  13. Wilberforce, William. A Practical View of Christianity

Spiritual Disciplines/Discipleship

  1. Bonar, Horatius. God's Way of Holiness. Chicago: Moody, n.d.
  2. Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Letters and Papers from Prison. London: Fontana, 1953.
  3. Bouyer, Louis. A History of Christian Spirituality. 3 vols. New York: Seabury, 1982.
  4. Brightman, Edgar S. The Spiritual Life. New York: Abingdon Cokesbury, 1942.
  5. Bruce, Alexander Balmain. The Training of the Twelve. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran, 1928.
  6. Chambers, Oswald. The Psychology of Redemption. London: Simpkin Marshall, 1947.
  7. Christenson, Evelyn. Lord, Change Me! Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1979.
  8. Foster, Richard. Celebration of Discipline. New York: Harper & Row, 1978.
  9. Lewis, C. S. The Screwtape Letters with Screwtape Proposes a Toast. New York: Macmillan, 1962.
  10. Lives of the Saints. Translated with an Introduction by J. F. Webb. Baltimore, MD: Penguin, 1973.
  11. Lowen, Alexander. The Betrayal of the Body. New York: Collier, 1971.
  12. Magnus, Albertus. Of Cleaving Unto God. Translated by Elizabeth Stopp. London: Mowbray, 1954
  13. Marshall, Walter. The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification. 1692. Reprint. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1954.
  15. Robinson, John A. T. The Body: A Study in Pauline Theology. London: SCM, 1952.
  16. Schaeffer, Francis A. True Spirituality. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1971.
  17. Suso, Henry. The Life of the Servant. Translated by James M. Clarke. Cambridge: Clarke, 1982.
  18. Taylor, Jeremy. Holy Living and Dying. London: Bohn, 1858.
  19. Taylor, J. (1992). Holy Living and Holy Dying, "Classics of Western Spirituality" series. New York: Paulist. Many other editions. Practical directions on the use of the body for spiritual growth by a great Christian of the sixteenth century.
  20. Trueblood, Elton. Alternative to Futility. Waco, TX: Word, 1972.
  21. Underhill, Evelyn. Mysticism. New York: New American Library, 1974.
  22. Foster, Richard. Life With God: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation. San Francisco, CA: HarperOne, 2008.

Introduction to Philosophy

Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, J.P. Moreland & William Lane Craig, Intervarsity Press, 2003. This is an excellent discussion by the finest of scholars and philosophers, who are also Christians. Good as an introduction to Philosophy and Theology for those with limited background and a desire to dig deeper. (Winner of a 2004 Gold Medallion award in the Reference category from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.)

"Simple" Logic

We have frequent requests for a logic book "for dummies". Dr. Willard recommends getting an older edition of Irving M. Copi's Introduction to Logic.

Apologetics

  1. Moreland, J.P., Does God Exist?: The Debate Between Theists & Atheists. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1993.
  2. A Place for Truth: Leading Thinkers Explore Life's Hardest Questions.Dallas Willard, Ed. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2010.
  

Spiritual RhythmsSpiritual Rhythms in Community:
Being Together in the Presence of God

Spiritual Rhythms provides profound, yet tender and accessible, guidance on how to live our life with God. It gives us a vivid presentation of Jesus as one who led a rich life of ordered practices and who led his immediate followers into those practices. For those who trust him, he is the door into a life of grace famed by disciplines. There his promises are fullfilled: our day to day life becomes a safe and abundant place to dwell. The guidance given is received from the author's experiences in such a life and from his work with many others under his instructions. That makes it realistic. The use of scripture (especially the Psalms) that he encourages is beautiful and powerful. - DW

Look Inside the book at Amazon.com

Devotional Classics

  1. Francis de Sales. Introduction to the Devout Life. Translated by John K. Ryan. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Image Books, 1957.
  2. Brother Lawrence. The Practice of the Presence of God, many editions.
  3. Meisel, Anthony C. The Rule of St. Benedict. and M. L. del Mastro, eds. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1975.
  4. Penn, William. No Cross, No Crown. London: Philips and Fardon, 1806.
  5. Thomas a Kempis. The Imitation of Christ. Many editions.

The Four Gospels

  1. Edersheim's Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah is an excellent help in understanding the four Gospels.

Contemplative Prayer

  1. Foster, Richard. Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home. New York, NY: HarperCollins,1992.
  2. Ignatius. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Image Books, 1964.
  3. Johnson, Jan. When The Soul Listens. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1999.
  4. Nouwen, Henri. The Way of the Heart. New York: Ballantine Books, 1981.
Sanctification
  1. Dr. Willard has called John Wesley's book, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection, the best explanation of sanctification he has ever read.

Spiritual Healing

  1. Jones, E. Stanley. Is The Kingdom of God Realism? New York, Nashville: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1940.
  2. Sanford, Agnes. The Healing Light. Many editions.
    The former you will have to get from a library or order over the web, it's long out of print. The latter is an inexpensive paperback, still printing.

Biographies/Autobiographies - Examples to Follow

  1. Athanasius. The Life of St. Antony. New York: Newman, 1978.
  2. The Confessions of St. Augustine. Many editions.
  3. Fox, George. Journal of George Fox. Edited by Norman Penney. London: Dent, 1948. Also in various other editions.
  5. Laubach, Frank C. Letters by a Modern Mystic. Foreword by Alden H. Clark. Edited and compiled by Constance E. Padwick. Syracuse, N.Y.: New Readers Press, 1955. First published in 1937. See Dr. Willard's review from Christian Spirituality.
  6. Teresa of Avila. Interior Castle. Translated and edited by E. Allison Peers. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1961.
Moral Development
  2. Lewis, C.S. The Abolition of Man. Many editions.

Spiritual Disciplines for Children

Habits of a Child's Heart: Raising Your Kids with the Spiritual Disciplines, by Valerie E. Hess and Marti Watson Garlett. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2004.