This would be a dream come true! Individually lit bookshelves on a winding staircase. Just wanted to share that with you readers and ask this question:
Other than the Bible, what ONE book
has most influencd your life?
My answer is "The Sovereignty of God" by A.W. Pink.
What's YOURS?
Just ONE book. That "influenced" my life. Tough, tough question. There are so many. If I had to reduce it to just one (at this moment, it might change!) I'd have to say "Knowing God" by J. I Packer.
ReplyDeleteAhh, see, I've already had second thoughts, maybe I should have said...
Desiring God by John Piper
ReplyDeleteExtremely tough question. I would probably say "A Display of Arminianism" by John Owen. The charts comparing Scripture with the quotes from leading Arminian teachers - that blew me away.
ReplyDeleteLove the bookshelves.
ReplyDeleteThis is a hard because three books were pivotal in my life. But if I had to pick one, it would be Mortification of Sin by John Owen.
"The Gospel According To Jesus" by John MacArthur in 1988.
ReplyDeletePivotal point for me in deferentiating the true Gospel from the false and beginning the path toward understanding the doctrines of grace.
This is hard question because I love books, but I would have to say Calvin's Institutes. It was the book that made theology came alive for me.
ReplyDeleteThe Attributes of God by A.W. Pink. By the way the website looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteDesiring God
ReplyDeleteApart from the scriptures, if I could have only one book, it would be The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. It's the only book that I have read at least once or more every year in the past 25 years apart from the Bible. I still read it every year and have read it to my two youngest children.
ReplyDeleteIf that were unavailable, I'd take Foxe's Book of Martyrs. This is my second most read book apart from the Bible.
The Search for Significance by Robert McGee had an impact on my 20+ years ago as it opened my heart to the extent of God's love for me.
ReplyDeleteCity Of God (Augustine) since Mike beat me to the Intsitutes!
ReplyDelete"Desiring the City of Institutes"
ReplyDeleteIf I'm choosing just one book, I think it would have to be "Desiring God" for me . . . However, I just finished chapter 7 of "The Gospel According to Jesus" and although it's not entirely new information to me at this point, it is quickly climbing to the top of my list of favorite books.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about this ever since you posted it 2 weeks ago, Eddie.
ReplyDeleteWhich one book? That is a tough one. My copies of The Letters of Samuel Rutherford and The Pilgrim's Progress are well worn from use over many years, and both have greatly influenced my life.
Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship has literally fallen apart, and I need to replace it. I know that this tattered volume has left a profound impression on my thinking, attitude, and how I conduct my life as a Christian.
I really can't name any one book (other than the Bible) that has influenced my life more than any other; however, if we were to expand the question to include the writings of any one author, it would be those of Jonathan Edwards, especially his sermons.
In addition to the well worn books that I previously named, there are three others that I have continually re-read over the years, and they probably have influenced my life more than I realize.
ReplyDeleteThe first is William Hendriksen's The Bible on the Life Hereafter.
The other two are by John Gerstner: A small volume, a booklet really, titled Theology for Everyman. His Theology in Dialog is another that I am always revisiting.
I always jokingly call the seven books of the "Chronicles of Narnia" by CS Lewis my second Bible. In recent years, Wayne Grudem's "Systematic Theology" is the book that really got me off the fence between Calvinism and Arminianism followed by a cold reading of the book of Hebrews. Thanks to John MacArthur, I'm finally a 5-pointer.
ReplyDeleteMeghan
I haven't seen this post before! I would say "The Pursuit of God" by A. W. Tozer. Not exactly a presentation of Reformed theology, but led me on that path of pursuing God in theology which led me to Reformed writings.
ReplyDelete