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Welcome to my recommended reading list. On this page you will find
my suggestions in the general category. You may select from other
categories on the menu below.
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General
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RECOMMENDED READING |
- Adams, Jay. The
Biblical View of Self-Esteem, Self-Love, Self-Image.
The church has been deluged
with self-esteem counseling. The author examines this approach and
compares it with the Biblical concept. He argues that the focus on
self-esteem is altering the true Gospel message.
- Billingsley, Lloyd. The
Seductive Image: A Christian
Critique of the World of Film.
Written from the perspective of
a Christian screenwriter.
- Bulkley, Ed. Why Christians Can't Trust Psychology.
The best overall explanation of misdirected Christian counseling.
Using the technique of switching back and forth between narrative and
analysis, Bulkley keeps the reader's attention on the practical
problems associated with the adoption of secular humanistic psychology
into Christian counseling. Don't miss this one!!
- Downing, David C. The Most Reluctant
Convert: C.S. Lewis’s Journey to Faith.
This book confines itself to the years prior to Lewis’s
conversion, taking the reader step-by-step through Lewis’s stages of
belief until he emerges into the Christian faith. The value of the
book is its illumination of how someone of Lewis’s keen intellect
could eventually embrace Christianity. Indeed, it shows that
Christianity was the only belief that could fully satisfy his
intellectual questioning.
- Finney, Charles.
Autobiography.
Fascinating account of the most influential revivalist of the
nineteenth century. I would argue that Finney has been the most
effective evangelist in American history. A must-read for anyone
concerned with the effective presentation of the Gospel message.
- Finney, Charles. Systematic
Theology.
Finney was not successful just because of presentation style.
Behind his presentation was a theology that promoted true
accountability and repentance from sin, as well as the belief
that man can obey God and walk in holiness. This invaluable work
may be a difficult read for many, primarily because of the
nineteenth-century language, but I can never read even a page or
two without being deeply impressed with truth and inspired to be
all that God wants me to be. Try it--you may be amazed how the
Spirit can work through Finney's thoughts.
- Godawa, Brian.
Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films
with Wisdom and Discernment.
An excellent Biblical critique
explaining the balance between
withdrawal from movies and
unthinking acceptance of everything
Hollywood foists upon the public.
Its strength is its use of specific
examples of movies throughout the
book—revealing how one can dissect
their philosophies and discern
whether they have something valuable
to offer.
- Johnson, Phillip. Reason in the Balance:
The Case Against Naturalism in Science, Law, & Education
Charles Colson commented on this book, "In a brilliant analysis, he
shows how Darwinist assumptions underlie current controversies in
ethics, law, education and public policy." I can add nothing to that
comment, but I certainly can confirm its accuracy.
- Kilpatrick, William Kirk. The Emperor's New Clothes: The Naked
Truth About the New Psychology.
The most revealing and fascination part of this book is the author's
account of a Carl Rogers-led support/encounter group and the
selfishness it engendered.
- Kilpatrick, William Kirk. Psychological Seduction: The Failure of
Modern Psychology.
Seminal work on a Biblical critique of modern psychology. The author
is a psychology professor, so he knows the profession from the inside.
- Lewis, C.S. The Great
Divorce.
Imaginative story of a busload of people from hell who take a
journey to heaven. Superb at revealing man's rationalizations
for his sins.
- Lewis, C.S. The
Pilgrim's Regress.
This was Lewis's first Christian work. It is a remake of Pilgrim's
Progress with the philosophies of the twentieth century
critiqued along the way. I like it.
- Lewis, C.S. The
Screwtape Letters.
Classic story of a junior devil receiving advice from his senior
on how to lead people astray. No one should go through life
without reading this.
- Milton,
Joyce. The Road to
Malpsychia: Humanistic Psychology and Our Discontents.
The best treatment I have seen of the history of humanistic psychology and
its effects on our culture today. Milton offers biographical information
and the basic beliefs of Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, in particular.
This is a must-read for anyone who wants to grasp how psychology and
education have changed over time, and how they have merged to form what
the author calls “malpsychia.”
- Noebel, David A. Understanding the Times:
The Story of the Biblical Christian, Marxist/Leninist, and Secular
Humanist Worldviews.
Excellent evaluation of many academic disciplines from a Biblical
perspective. Rather massive, but well worth it.
- Playfair, William L. The Useful Lie.
A medical doctor takes on the recovery industry. Playfair shows how
the entire Twelve-Step Approach and the Codependency movement are
antibiblical.
- Richardson, Don. Eternity in Their Hearts.
Evidences of the knowledge of God in peoples of many cultures
around the world, none of whom had any direct contact with the
Gospel message.
- Schlossberg, Herbert. Idols for
Destruction.
Biblical analysis of the various idols men set up in modern society.
Heavy reading at times, but full of insight.
- Schlossberg, Herbert, and Marvin Olasky.
Turning Point: A Christian Worldview Declaration.
Concise treatment of the battle between the humanistic and Biblical
worldviews. A good starter book for those who need to be introduced to
the subject.
- Teachout, Terry, ed. Ghosts on the Roof:
Selected Journalism of Whittaker Chambers, 1931-1959.
The best of Chambers's journalistic works, including his imaginative
critique of the Yalta Conference in "Ghosts on the Roof," a C.S.
Lewis-like description of Satan's deceptions in "The Devil," and a
masterful analysis of Ayn Rand's philosophy in "Big Sister is Watching
You."
- Torrey, E. Fuller. Freudian Fraud: The
Malignant Effect of Freud's Theory on American Thought and Culture.
Exactly what the title suggests. Fuller is a psychologist who examines
the roots and the effects of Freudianism and concludes that it has
changed the twentieth century for the worse. The author does not claim
to be a Christian, so his critique may be particularly valuable for
those who reject a Biblical analysis.
- Veith, Gene Edward, Jr. Postmodern Times: A
Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture.
Insightful description and critique of a society without absolutes.
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