# What are some books besides the Bible that have had the most impact on you?



## ABondSlaveofChristJesus (Mar 6, 2005)

We have a lot of experienced readers on this board, and for the sake of the inexperienced and their progress, I was wondering what books outside of the Bible have had the greatest impact on your life, and how/why?


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## re4md (Mar 6, 2005)

_Knowing God_ by J.I. Packer

_Religious Affections_ by Jonathan Edwards

_Redemption: Accomplished and Applied_ by John Murray

_The Holiness of God_ by R. C. Sproul

_Fair Sunshine_ by Jok Purves

There are others, but these really stand out in my mind as one that were life changing


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## RamistThomist (Mar 6, 2005)

_Institutes of the Christian Religion_ by John Calvin; probably the best summary of Bible knowledge in existence.
_The Scots Worthies_/_Fair Sunshine_ by John Howie and Jock Purves, respectively. These taught me Scottish practical religion, the limits of tyrannical civil magistrates, and to press for the Crown Rights of King Jesus.

_Reformed Theology in America: A History of its Modern Development_, ed. David Wells.


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## Peter (Mar 6, 2005)

Along the lines of "The Scots Worthies/ Fair Sunshine", also "Cloud of Witnesses". This one focuses primarily on the interrogation, final correspondence and dying testimony of the martyrs. Rev Cargill's testimony is pure evangel.


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## Scot (Mar 6, 2005)

The Sovereignty of God - A.W. Pink

Fair Sunshine is excellent!

I've not yet read "Scots Worthies" but it's been on my list of books to get for a long time.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Mar 6, 2005)

Calvin's _Institutes_ -- It was profoundly life changing -- it led to what I think of as a "second conversion."

_The Psalms in Worshp_, edited by J. McNaughter -- it led me to understand that God has ordained the psalms alone to be sung in his worship.

William Symington's _Messiah the Prince_ -- it confirmed for me and helped me to articulate that which I come to believe by other means, ie., that the Establishment Principle is Biblical, that the US Constitution failed in its duty to confess Christ as King, that the Scottish Covenanters view of civil government is Biblical. 

Loraine Boettner's _Roman Catholicism_ -- it opened my eyes to the Roman AntiChrist.

J.G. Vos' _The Separated Life_ -- the most helpful explanation of Christian liberty I have ever read.

Herman Kuiper's _Calvin on Common Grace_ and Abraham Kuyper's _Lectures on Calvinsim_-- helped to understand more clearly the Reformed doctrine of Common Grace.

Henry Morris' _The Long War Against God_ -- opened my eyes to the truth about the religion of evolution.

Jim West' _Drinking With Calvin and Luther_ -- 

Pascal's _Pensees_ -- A more sublime philosophical work of the heart I have not read.

Leon Uris' _Exodus_ -- helped me to understand the heritage of modern Jewry and to share the sentiment of Paul in Romans 10.1.

James Fontaine's _Memoirs_ -- my Huguenot ancestor's autobiography caused me to praise God for the heritage I have in the Lord. 

James Herriot's _All Creatures Great and Small_ -- whenever I want a laugh that book provides what I need. 

J.R.R. Tolkien's _The Lord of the Rings_ -- I first read it when it was 10 years old, I have read it 10 or so times since.



[Edited on 3-7-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]


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## lwadkins (Mar 6, 2005)

Reading Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards.
Listening to this sermon given by Mark Dever is also an edifing experience.
http://home.christianity.com/topics/church/church_history/78396.html


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## Puritan Sailor (Mar 6, 2005)

Holiness of God by Sproul.
Foxes Book of Martyrs.
Chosen by God by RC Sproul. 
A Sure Guide to Heaven by Joseph Alleine.
The True Christians Love to the Unseen Christ by Thomas Vincent.
The Marrow of Modern Divinity By Edward Fisher (with notes by Thomas Boston).
Smooth Stones from Ancient Brooks, by Thomas Brooks (compiled by Spurgeon). 

These are in chonological order of significance in my life both in elevating my view of God, and in practical application and promotion of holiness.

[Edited on 3-7-2005 by puritansailor]


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## SolaScriptura (Mar 6, 2005)

Hmmm.... Though many books have influenced me greatly... I would say that the following two books made a significantly profound impact upon me, meaning that after reading them my _perspective_ was actually different (not just that my knowledge was increased or that I had increased devotion).

_Desiring God_ by John Piper

_Precious Remedies Against the Devices of Satan_ by Thomas Brooks


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## Michael (Mar 7, 2005)

Mere Christianity (chapter 5), by C.S. Lewis
All of Grace, by C.H. Spurgeon
Chosen by God, R.C. Sproul
Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin
The End for Which God Created the World, Jonathan Edwards
Accountabiltiy to God, A.W. Pink
The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, by Lorraine Boettner
The Pleasures of God, by John Piper
The One and the Many, R.J. Rushdoony
Postmodern Times, Gene Edward Veith
Systematic Theology, Charles Hodge
Works of B.B. Warfield
Calvin's Commentaries


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## Bryan (Mar 7, 2005)

-Holiness of God by Sproul 

-Desiring God by Piper

-Triumph Over Temptation (updated and slight abridgment of "Mortification of sin", "of Temptation" and "Indwelling Sin") by Owen

Bryan
SDG


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## RamistThomist (Mar 7, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Ezekiel16_
> Mere Christianity (chapter 5), by C.S. Lewis
> All of Grace, by C.H. Spurgeon
> Chosen by God, R.C. Sproul
> ...



Why don't you try reading somethign serious for once?


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## SmokingFlax (Mar 7, 2005)

Quote:

"Calvin's Institutes -- It was profoundly life changing -- it led to what I think of as a "second conversion.""

and

"Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin; probably the best summary of Bible knowledge in existence.

Those are some pretty strong testimonies/recommendations...I need to get on with it. I started reading it but got side-tracked. It didn't hit me so strongly in the first 100 or so pages that I read.

I'd have to say that Van Til's Defense of the Faith has probably affected me the most so far...and it continues to do so as I'm still working out all of the implications of presuppositionalism.


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## Reformingstudent (Mar 7, 2005)

Pink's "The Sovereignty of God" (I would never had come to Reformed theology if not for that book)

Sproul's "Chosen by God"
Packer's "Knowing God"
Bonar's "Following the Lamb"
Edward's "Sinners in the hands of an angry God" 
White's "The God who Justifies"
Also trying to read Calvin's Institutes but keep getting distracted with life and all. I hope, Lord willing that is, to pick up where I left off and finish it. 

[Edited on 3-8-2005 by Keylife_fan]


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## Poimen (Mar 7, 2005)

_Here I Am: A Life of Martin Luther_ - Roland Bainton
_The Covenantal Gospel_ - C. Van der Wal
_The Defense of the Faith_ - Cornelius Van Til
_The Coming of the Kingdom_ H. Ridderbos
_My God is Yahweh_ - M.B. Vant Veer
_The Bondage of the Will_ - Martin Luther
_City of God _ - Augustine 
_The Embarassment of Riches _ - Simon Schama 
_Christianity and Liberalism_ - Gresham Machen
_The Doctrine of God_ - Herman Bavinck
_Lectures on Calvinism_ - Abraham Kuyper
The Heidelberg Catechism - Olevianus, Ursinus (yes, technically not a book but a great read nonetheless)
Institutes and commentary on the Lord's Supper - John Calvin
Anything by Isaac Asimov (yes I know he is an atheist but his writing are stimulating; call it common grace)


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## Larry Hughes (Mar 7, 2005)

Of Old:

Without a doubt the top two (if I could only pick two to take to a desert Island apart from the Bible itself) are:

The Bondage of the Will - Martin Luther
Commentary on Galatians - Martin Luther

Then:

"Parts" of the Institutes - John Calvin
"Parts" of Augustine's Confessions - Augustine
Treatise On Good Works at Wartburg - Martin Luther
The Poor and Desparate Christian - Thomas Hooker
The Sovereignty of God - AW Pink
Spiritual Growth - AW Pink
"Parts" of John's Gospel Commentary - AW Pink
Select Readings of Machen - Gresham Machen

Of New:

The Holiness of God - RC Sproul
Getting The Gospel Right - RC Sproul
Putting Amazing Back Into Grace - Michael Horton
Christ The Lord - Multiple Authors

ldh


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## PuritanCovenanter (Mar 7, 2005)

Sin and Temptation-John Owen
Holiness Rediscovered-J. I. Packer
George Whitfield 2 vols. Arnold Dalimore
Luther biographies
Bondage of the Will translated by Packer/Orr
Quest for Godliness-J. I. Packer
Dr. Work by Roy Blackwood on William Symington
Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul Sr. first edition I don't like the second one as much. There was no need to update it the way he did. 

I have a long list but that should do.


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## Plimoth Thom (Mar 8, 2005)

1.*The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind* by Mark Noll

2.*The Shape of Sola Scriptura* by Keith Mathison

3.*Chosen by God* by RC Sproul

Over the last couple of years, these three books were the main cause of my personal reformation.


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## wsw201 (Mar 8, 2005)

The Institutes of the Christian Religion - Calvin. Everyone who says they are Reformed should read it. Then read it again. Then read it again. Then read it ........ etc. etc etc.


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## Reed (Mar 8, 2005)

"How Should We Then Live," Francis Schaeffer


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## sastark (Mar 8, 2005)

"Today's Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic" by Walter Chantry.
The Heidelburg Catechism (I grew up on it and still fall back on it in my head when confronted with any sort of theological problem).


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## Michael (Mar 8, 2005)

Oh, can't forget Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen--a must read.


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## lwadkins (Mar 8, 2005)

How bout "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ" by John Owen? This book was the death of my arminian proclivities.


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## WrittenFromUtopia (Mar 8, 2005)

_Knowing God_ by J.I. Packer
_Grace Unknown: The Heart of Reformed Theology_ by R.C. Sproul
_Institutes of the Christian Religion_ by John Calvin


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## SRoper (Mar 9, 2005)

_The Brothers Karamazov_ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I went from being an atheist when I started it to being converted by the end.

_The Lord of the Rings_ by JRR Tolkien.

_Confessions_ by Augustine.


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