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.
  2. William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. Try to get a complete edition of it.
  3. The Autobiography of Charles Finney and his Systematic Theology.
  4. J. Gilchrist Lauson, Deeper Experiences of Famous Christians. Anderson, IN: Warner, 1970. "This book opened the reality of Christians through the ages to me, and caused me to see that a life of holiness and power in the kingdom of Christ was possible." - DW
  5. Frank C. Laubach, Man of Prayer, from "The Heritage Collection" (Within that especially Letters by a "Modern Mystic" and "Game With Minutes") ISBN 0-88336-580
  6. William Wilberforce, A Practical View of Christianity
  7. Andrew Murray, Humility and Absolute Surrender
  8. Baxter, Richard. The Practical Works of Richard Baxter. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1981. Practical advice on applying Scripture to all areas of life.
  9. Finney, Charles, Revival Lectures. Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Company, n.d.

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 and 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.
  14. Ortberg, John. The Life You've Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People. Zondervan, 2002.
  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. Taylor, Jeremy. Holy Living and Dying. London: Bohn, 1858.
  18. 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.
  19. Trueblood, Elton. Alternative to Futility. Waco, TX: Word, 1972.
  20. Underhill, Evelyn. Mysticism. New York: New American Library, 1974.

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.

 

 

For more recommended reading, see Indelible Ink.

Dr. Willard joins 21 other Christian authors in writing about books that have deeply influenced their lives. A chapter from each of these authors is followed by an Appendix with other resources recommended by over 100 additional Christian leaders. [more]

  

Letters by a Modern Mystic
 with Foreword by Dallas Willard
including The Game with Minutes

The writings of Frank Laubach have meant a great deal to Dr. Willard, so he was thankful for the opportunity to write a foreword for this edition of Laubach's Letters by a Modern Mystic that has just been published by The Association of Christian Schools International.

This lovely little hardback volume contains excerpts from a series of letters Frank Laubach wrote to his father during his missionary work in the Philippines from January 3, 1930 through January 2, 1932. The letters were published in his hometown newspaper, and excerpts were then circulated among other missionaries until they were first published in America in 1937. The letters serve as a narrative of Laubach's efforts to maintain a constant conscious hold on God, and describe his efforts with various practical aspects of living life in active union with God. Following the letters is The Game with Minutes, which was written to guide others in practical ways of bringing ourselves into a continuous connection with our Master.

As Dr. Willard asked in the book's Foreword: "What might you experience in the practice of such a spiritual discipline?"

Please see Dr. Willard's 1988 Review of the book for more information.

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
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. Nouwen, Henri. The Way of the Heart. New York: Ballantine Books, 1981.
  3. Johnson, Jan. When The Soul Listens. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1999.
  4. Ignatius. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Image Books, 1964.

Sanctification
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
E. Stanley Jones' Is The Kingdom of God Realism. Then Agnes Sanford's The Healing Light. 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.
  4. Madame Guyon, by Jan Johnson. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 1999.
  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
John C. Gibbs, Moral Development and Reality: Beyond the Theories of Kohlberg and Hoffman, and C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man.