Below are some of our favorite books that have helped us as we navigate faith in today’s world. They explore topics around Deconstruction, Faith and Science, Biblical Interpretation, the role of the Church in society, and more. These are just our favorites, but you can check out our Full Bibliography of favorite books on the subject if you need more intellectual stimulation.

What are your favorite books on the topic? What books have been most helpful to you? We’d love to hear from you.

Foundational Reading

The Writings of C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis not only wrote fabulous children’s books (The Chronicles of Narnia), and fiction for adults (The Ransom Trilogy, Till We Have Faces), but he wrote many books exploring various aspects of the Christian faith and how to understand that faith in the modern world. Lewis was an avowed atheist for much of his early life and only came to faith after his philosophical questions were satisfied. He is a friend to the skeptic and the doubter, because he was once both.

His most accessible work is Mere Christianity. It is a great place to start. But then check out Miracles, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain, and the collection The Weight of Glory. Within that collection you’ll find a sermon he once gave entitled Transposition, which is one of the most profound pieces of writing I (Tyler) have ever read.

Ancient Writers

It is always a good idea to read writers who lived in a different time and place than you do. They inevitably ask different questions about the world and make different assumptions than you do. They can be hard to read for this very reason, but patience is rewarded with great insight and a bigger view of the world and God than one can gather from just reading modern writers alone. We recommend the following as a starting point.

• Saint Augustine, Confessions - A classic text of the Christian faith beloved for its honesty and penetrating wisdom.

• Saint Athanasius, On the Incarnation - The argument that “God became man so that man could become god,” counters much of our modern, materialistic view of the world. If Christmas has become stale to you, we recommend reading this book over Advent.

• Saint Irenaeus, On the Apostolic Preaching - Pay special attention to the story he tells of how Adam and Eve fell. It offers a compelling alternative to the traditional narrative.

Books on Biblical Interpretation

The Wonderful Works of…

Peter Enns

Pete Enns is an Old Testament scholar who engages in “serious talk about the sacred book.” He has been in the deconstruction camp for longer than most of us, and has proven to be a faithful guide. He reads the Bible deeply while at the same time challenges elements of contemporary (evangelical) Christian interpretation. His works are accessible and somewhat snarky. We would recommend his podcast as well as the following books: The Bible Tells Me So, The Sin of Certainty, and How the Bible Actually Works.

The “Lost World” Series by…

John H. Walton

This series of books by Old Testament Professor John Walton take a deep look at the biblical texts that lie behind much of the controversy between faith and science. He seeks to find how the text would have been understood in its original context. We recommend The Lost World of Genesis One, The Lost World of Adam and Eve, and The Lost World of the Flood to those interested in digging deeper into the biblical text.

And We Would Be Remiss Not to Mention…

There has been a long standing tension between how biblical scholars read the Bible verses how theologians read the Bible. If you have ever wondered how other part of Christianity can read the Bible so differently than you are used to, allow us to recommend the dialogical books, Five Things Theologians Wish Biblical Scholars Knew by Hans Boersma and Five Things Biblical Scholars Wish Theologians Knew by Scot McKnight. They are excellent resources for understanding different ways of approach the same faith.

If you have ever wondered how the violent God of the Old Testament makes sense with the gracious and compassionate view of God that we see in Jesus, you’re not alone! It is a tension that has existed since the very early days of Christianity. In our opinion, Greg Boyd has done the best job exploring that tension and explaining how we can understand it. See his massive, two-volume work The Crucifixion of the Warrior God.

And my (Tyler’s) absolute favorite book on biblical interpretation is… The Biblical Cosmos by Robin Parry. If you’ve ever noticed how very strange some parts of the Bible and wondered what on earth we should do with them, I highly recommend this book. It is insightful and delightful.

Books on Church and/or Society

The books in this category cover a number of topics that have been helpful to us as we have processed our faith experiences. They range from the effects of purity culture, to the politicization of Christianity in America, to the effects of modernity on our worldview.

• Pure, by Linda Kay Klein - An incisive look at the negative effects that ‘90s purity culture had on, especially the women who experienced it in its full force.

• Jesus and John Wayne, by Kristin Kobes Du Mez - An incisive look at how the Evangelical movement became a political movement that distorted views on gender, the church, and especially the Gospel.

• Reframation, by Alan Hirsch & Mark Nelson - Simply the best book to read about how the church can better reflect Jesus in today’s society.

• To Change the World, by James Davidson Hunter - A deep look how both the progressive and conservative sides of the church have aligned with political movements in order to change the world. With suggestions on a better way.

• Do I Stay Christian?, by Brian McLaren - Technically, neither of us have read this book, but we’ve heard good things and it is on our list. The title says it all.