This is a list of books recommended by the denizens of uk.religion.christian. They aren't necessarily Christian either
explicitly or implicitly, but are books considered by their recommenders as "should-read"s.
[Editor's Note: I've initially populated this list from the Wayback Machine's cache of the original ukrc reading list,
then maintained by Rhiannon MacFie Miller.]
Hyperlinks in the list will take you to Amazon.co.uk where you can (usually) buy the book, as well as read further reviews.
| An Introduction to Christian Theology - Alistair McGrath |
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| Byzantium, The Early Centuries - John Julius Norwich |
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| Flatland - Edwin Abbott |
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| God of Surprises - Gerald Hughes |
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| Handbook of Pastoral Studies - Wesley Carr |
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| Institutes of the Christian Religion - John Calvin |
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| Jennings' Little Hut - Anthony Buckeridge |
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| Lord Foul's Bane - Stephen Donaldson |
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| Male & Female (The Role of men and women in the Church) - Roger Forster |
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| Melvyn Bragg - Credo |
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| Mike Bickle - Passion for Jesus |
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| On the True Doctrine - Celsus, tr. R. Joseph Hoffman " Celsus, a pagan philosopher of about 185 AD, wrote a
swingeing critique of Christianity, mocking its doctrines by the light of
contemporary philosophy, giving scathing comments about Christian preachers
he has met, and retailing scurrilous stories he has heard about the origins
of both Christ and Christianity. Unfortunately Celsus' work does not survive, but extensive quotes are given
by various Christian writers who referred to him or wrote to defend the
faith against his charges. Hoffman has taken these quotes and, in a
remarkable piece of scholarship, reassembled them into a continuous work. No
doubt there are gaps, but the book gives a fascinating and valuable insight
into the arguments that were used against Christianity in its early days." Suggested by Kendall K. Down |
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| Open to Judgment - Rowan Williams |
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| Radical Grace - Richard Rohr |
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| Rose Windows - Paignton Cowen |
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| Science as Salvation - Mary Midgely |
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| Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein |
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| Surprised by the Voice of God - Jack Deere |
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| The Bridge - Iain Banks |
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| The Christadelphians: What they Believe and Preach - Harry Tennant |
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| The Christian Theology Reader - Alistair McGrath |
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| The Clowns of God - Morris West |
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| The Cry of The Deer - David Adams |
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| The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded - John Owen " Very practical and inspiring, in volume 7 of his
complete works, but there's an abridged and made-easy-to-read version.
John Owen was the preeminant English theologian of the 17th century." Suggested by Paul Dean |
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| The History of the Vikings - Gwyn Jones |
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| The Lord and His Prayer - N. T. Wright |
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| The New Testament and Homosexuality - Robin Scroggs |
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| The Periodic Table - Primo Levi |
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| The Post-Evangelical - Dave Tomlinson |
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| The Puzzle of God - Peter Vardy |
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| The Screwtape Letters - C. S. Lewis |
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| The Seduction of Christianity - Dave Hunt |
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| The Shadow of the Galilean - Gerd Theissen |
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| The Stature of Waiting - WH Vanstone |
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| The Way of Paradox - Cyprian Smith |
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| What St Paul Really Said - N. T. Wright |
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| What St Paul Really Said - Tom Wright " I have used a few of N T Wright's commentaries in his "Paul for
Everyone" series and, as a result, wanted to know more about Wright's
understanding of Paul. This short volume is a very useful introduction to
his contribution to the New Perspective of Paul. As a layman I found the
non-technical presentation helpful. Wright's prose is lucid and
explanations clear leading to clarity in understand the biblical texts
underpinning his discussion. After reading his brief explanations of
crucial passages in Romans it motivated me to reread the epistle
critically as a whole; something I have avoided doing for many years.
There is very little Greek here, which helps because I can not read that
language. (The Bible translations are Wright's own. A style familiar to
anyone who has read his "... for Everyone" commentaries.) The opening
chapter reviews Pauline studies in the twentieth century and for closure
the final chapter addresses A N Wilson's recent "biography" of Paul. But
the meat of the sandwich is Wright's own understanding of Paul and
particularly the phrase "the righteousness of God". There is a powerful
argument for Paul retaining his Jewishness after conversion rather than
support for the conventional understanding that Paul effectively left
Judaism behind on the Damascus road. An annoted bibliography of more
technical texts both supportive and critical of his method is included at
the end. My one real but small criticism of the book is Wright does not
reference his other works; leaving it to a statement of "as I have written
elsewhere". This makes it difficult to extend one's reading of the issues
he has raised." Suggested by Trevor Jenkins |
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| Why Bible believing Methodists shouldn't eat black pudding - Stephen Dawes |
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| Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig |
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