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Books Every College Student Should Read

A list of books that every college student should read.

Recommended books for group or individual study. These books may be available at your church or see the links on the right of each entry for online ordering, reviews, or additional book details.

Introduction to the Christian Faith

  • Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, rev. ed., first published in 1952, 1996). Amazon
  • On Being a Christian: A Personal Confession, Henry Hamann (Northwestern Pub. House, 1996). NPH | Amazon
  • What Do You Think of Jesus?, David Scaer (Concordia Theological Seminary Press, reprint, 1999). CTSFW | Amazon
  • Why I Am a Lutheran: Jesus at the Center, Daniel Preus (CPH, 2004). CPH | Amazon

Christian Instruction

  • Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions – A Reader’s Edition of the Book of Concord (CPH, 2005). CPH
  • Didache, John T. Pless CTSFW
  • Holy Bible ESV | Biblegateway.com
  • Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (CPH, 2005). CPH
  • The Book of Concord (Online) BOC

Spirituality

  • Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification, Donald L. Alexander (InterVarsity Press, 1988). Amazon
  • Dying to Live: The Power of Forgiveness, Harold L. Senkbeil (CPH, 1994). CPH | Amazon
  • The Spirituality of the Cross: The Way of the First Evangelicals, Gene E. Veith (CPH, 1999). CPH | Amazon
  • Sanctification, Christ in Action, Harold L. Senkbeil (Northwestern Publishing House, 1990). Amazon
    (Look for the new CPH series on Lutheran Spirituality beginning in 2006!)

The Defense of the Christian Faith

  • God on the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics, C. S. Lewis (Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.; Reprint edition, 1994). Amazon
  • History, Law and Christianity, John W. Montgomery (CILTPP, 2002). CILTPP | Amazon
  • Miracles, C. S. Lewis (HarperSanFrancisco, 2001). Amazon
  • The Defense Never Rests: A Lawyer’s Quest for the Gospel, Craig A. Parton (CPH, 2003). CPH | Amazon
  • The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, F. F. Bruce (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003). Amazon
  • The Testimony of the Evangelists, Simon Greenleaf (Kregel Publications, 1995). Amazon
  • The Whimsical Christian: 18 Essays, Dorothy L. Sayers (Collier Books; Reissue edition, 1987). Amazon
    (See also Mere Christianity above)

Biblical Worldview Today

  • Above All Earthly Pow’rs: Christ In A Postmodern World, David F. Wells (Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2005). Amazon
  • Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church, D. A. Carson (Zondervan, 2005). Amazon
  • Christianity in an Age of Terrorism. Gene E. Veith, (CPH, 2002). CPH | Amazon
  • Christians in a .Com World: Getting Connected Without Being Consumed, Gene E. Veith, Christopher L. Stamper (Crossway Books, 2000). Amazon
  • Discovering the Plain Truth: How the Worldwide Church of God Encountered the Gospel of Grace, Larry Nichols & George Mather (Intevarsity Press, 1998). Amazon
  • Loving God With All Your Mind: Thinking as a Christian in the Postmodern World, Gene E. Veith (Crossway Books, 2003). Amazon
  • Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture, Gene E. Veith (Crossway Books, 1994). Amazon
  • Reading Between the Lines, Gene E. Veith (Crossway Books, 1990). Amazon
  • Testing the Claims of Church Growth, Rodney E. Zwonitzer (CPH, 2002). Amazon
  • The Anonymous God, David L. Adams, Ken Schurb, eds. (Arch Books, 2005). Amazon

Prayer & Devotion

  • A Devotional Companion: Blessings & Prayers for College Students, (CPH, 2005). CPH | Amazon
  • Day by Day We Magnify Thee: Daily Readings for the Entire Year, Martin Luther (Fortress Press, 1982). Amazon
  • Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Augsburg Publishing House, 1970). Augsburg | Amazon

Ethics

  • Holy People Holy Lives: Law and Gospel in Bioethics, by Richard C. Eyer (CPH, 2000). CPH | Amazon
  • Letter to the Christian Nobility, Martin Luther
  • Losing Our Virtue: Why the Church Must Recover Its Moral Vision, David F. Wells (Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1999). Amazon
  • On Christian Liberty, Martin Luther (Augsburg Fortress, 2003). Augsburg Fortress | Amazon

Christian Fiction

  • The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes, Illustrator (HarperTrophy, Boxed edition, 1994). Amazon
  • The Hammer of God, Bo Giertz (Augsburg Books, Revised edition, 2005). Amazon
  • The Hammer of God (DVD), Bo Giertz Lutheran Visiuals
  • The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien (Del Rey Books, Boxed Rei edition, 2001). Amazon
  • The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis (Various editions, 1961). Amazon

Theology for College Students

  • Handling the Word of Truth, John T. Pless (CPH, 2004). CPH | Amazon
  • On Being a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation, 1518, Gerhard O. Forde (Eerdmans, 1997). Amazon
  • Orthodoxy, G. K. Chesterton (Various editions, 1908). Amazon
  • Here We Stand: Nature and Character of the Lutheran Faith. Hermann, Sasse (CPH, reprint, 2003). CPH | Amazon
  • Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Harper and Row, 1954). Amazon
  • Luther’s Commentary on Galatians, Martin Luther
  • Luther’s Letters of Spiritual Counsel, Theodore Tappert (Regent, 1995). Amazon
  • Praying for Reform, William Russel (Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2005). Amazon 
  • The Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther (Revell, reprint, 1990) Amazon
  • The Fire And The Staff: Lutheran Theology In Practice, Klemet I. Preus (Arch Books, 2005). Amazon
  • The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel, C. F. W. Walther (CPH, 1986). CPH | Amazon

About Luther

  • Luther: Biography of a Reformer, Frederick Nohl (CPH, reprint, 2003). CPH | Amazon
  • Luther the Reformer, James Kittleson (Augsburg Fortress Publishers, reprint, 1986). Amazon
  • Martin Luther: A Life, James Arne Nestingen (Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2003). Amazon

Vocation: the lost doctrine recovered

  • Faith Active in Love, George W. Forell (Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 1954). Amazon
  • God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life, Gene E. Veith (Crossway Books, 2002). Amazon
  • Love Taking Shape: Sermons on the Christian Life, Gilbert Meilaender (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002). Amazon
  • Luther on Vocation, Gustaf Wingren (Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2004). Amazon

Science and Religion

  • Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution, Michael Behe (Free Press, 1998). Amazon
  • Darwin on Trial, Phillip E. Johnson (InterVarsity Press, 1993). Amazon
  • Icons of Evolution: Science or Myth? Why Much of What We Teach About Evolution is Wrong, Jonathan Wells (Regnery Publishing, 2002). Amazon
  • Intelligent Design: The Bridge Between Science & Theology, William A. Dembski (InterVarsity Press, 2002). Amazon
  • The Wedge of Truth: Splitting the Foundations of Naturalism, Phillip E. Johnson (InterVarsity Press, 2000). Amazon

Editors’ Picks

Dive into these twelve short, powerful, recent (or classic) books that make a good study in college. Come up for air long enough to dive into the longer list (see Books Every College Student Should Read). These resources may be available at your church or see the links on the right of each entry for online ordering, reviews, or additional book details.

  • Christians in a .Com World: Getting Connected Without Being Consumed, Gene E. Veith, Christopher L. Stamper (Crossway Books, 2000). Amazon
  • God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life. Gene E. Veith (Crossway Books, 2002). Amazon
  • Handling the Word of Truth, John T. Pless (CPH, 2004). CPH | Amazon
  • Loving God With All Your Mind: Thinking as a Christian in the Postmodern World, Gene E. Veith (Crossway Books, 2003). Amazon
  • Martin Luther: A Life, James Arne Nestingen (Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2003). Amazon
  • Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, rev. ed., first published in 1952, 1996). Amazon
  • On Being a Christian: A Personal Confession, Henry Hamann (Northwestern Pub. House, 1996). NPH | Amazon
  • On Being a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation, 1518, Gerhard O. Forde (Eerdmans, 1997). Amazon
  • The Defense Never Rests: A Lawyer’s Quest for the Gospel, Craig A. Parton (CPH, 2003). CPH | Amazon
  • The Hammer of God, Bo Giertz (Augsburg Books, Revised edition, 2005). Amazon
  • The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis (Various editions, 1961). Amazon
  • The Spirituality of the Cross: The Way of the First Evangelicals, Gene E. Veith (CPH, 1999). CPH | Amazon

Note: A good study life is one balanced by a healthy devotional life (not to mention the life continually in communion with Christ and the saints). Devotional books were intentionly left out above, but not for de-emphasis. Your pastor can point you to appropriate devotional and worship literature.

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