# Most important lay Christian book of the decade?



## RamistThomist (Oct 15, 2007)

What would be the most important (read influential, but in a good way) lay book of the decade?

I am thinking along the lines of what Packer's Knowing God was for his decade? Popular, yet solid. I am purposefully excluding much of what is written. 

But while solid, it can't be anything too arcane. Nothing along the lines of Causal Distinctions within the Intra-Trinitarian Nexus

Here are a few candidates:

Nancy Pearcey's Total Truth

JP Moreland's Kingdom Triangle

And while we want to stack the deck with reformed stuff, part of the question is assuming influentiality. So most P&R stuff probably won't make it (sadly).


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## Dr Mike Kear (Oct 15, 2007)

Perhaps John Piper's _Don't Waste Your Life_ would be a candidate in this category.


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## aleksanderpolo (Oct 15, 2007)

What about David Wells "No place for truth", that sparked the formation of ACE, without which T4G wouldn't be possible? I know it's not as widely read in the general evangelical circle, but in terms of long term effect, that book did a lot of good.

For more popular and influencial book in the general evangelical circle, I think Piper's Desiring God top the list. Although I think his "Pleasures of God" is better.


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## RamistThomist (Oct 15, 2007)

aleksanderpolo said:


> What about David Wells "No place for truth", that sparked the formation of ACE, without which T4G wouldn't be possible? I know it's not as widely read in the general evangelical circle, but in terms of long term effect, that book did a lot of good.



Wells, maybe.



> For more popular and influencial book in the general evangelical circle, I think Piper's Desiring God top the list. Although I think his "Pleasures of God" is better.



Wasn't that pre-2000?


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## aleksanderpolo (Oct 15, 2007)

David Wells's book was pre-2000 too, if you are talking about books published after 2000, then I really have no clue. I am still stuck in the last millennium, you see.


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## SolaScriptura (Oct 15, 2007)

I think HANDS DOWN the most influential lay book published since 2000 is Rick Warren's _The Purpose Driven Life. _

Of course, I fully expect that at the mentioning of that man and that book a few of you have pulled out hair... and while I agree with your sentiments about the book, you have to confess that it has been unbelievably and wildly popular... it has found it's way into just about every denomination.


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## RamistThomist (Oct 15, 2007)

SolaScriptura said:


> I think HANDS DOWN the most influential lay book published since 2000 is Rick Warren's _The Purpose Driven Life. _
> 
> Of course, I fully expect that at the mentioning of that man and that book a few of you have pulled out hair... and while I agree with your sentiments about the book, you have to confess that it has been unbelievably and wildly popular... it has found it's way into just about every denomination.



you are probably right.


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## VaughanRSmith (Oct 15, 2007)

Followed closely by _Your Best Life Now_.


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## Shane (Oct 16, 2007)

This is too much OK my PB friends whos up for a  . These heretics must go 

Seriously, Ill probably second "Desiring God" by Piper, I also read "Dont waste your life" which was quite good.


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## Pilgrim (Oct 16, 2007)

Behe's _Darwin's Black Box_ should probably be in the running.


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## Pilgrim (Oct 16, 2007)

Spear Dane said:


> aleksanderpolo said:
> 
> 
> > What about David Wells "No place for truth", that sparked the formation of ACE, without which T4G wouldn't be possible? I know it's not as widely read in the general evangelical circle, but in terms of long term effect, that book did a lot of good.
> ...



I think they were both originally published in the 80's.


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## RamistThomist (Oct 16, 2007)

One more criteria:

While it has to be popular, it also has to be substantial to a degree, so Warren and Joel do not count.


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## DMcFadden (Oct 16, 2007)

You sure do make the criteria tough! Leaving aside specific theological agreement, my vote is for anything written by Piper, Sproul, or Moreland (depending on what you mean by "popular"). McGrath is also good, as in the "Dawkins Delusion." But, frankly, I am becoming far less enamored of "recent" authors, finding more meat in the Puritans (of course being relatively unschooled in them, I had to buy "Meet the Puritans" by Beeke and Pederson to know the roadmap). It is really disgusting to be a seminary grad in my 50s and be coming to the Puritans so late in life!


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## KMK (Oct 16, 2007)

Warren and Behe were pre-2000 were they not?

What year was that Jabez book written?

Isn't that Emergent book by McLaren widely popular? (I wouldn't recommend it, however)


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## Davidius (Oct 16, 2007)

I also think that _Desiring God_ would be a candidate. It is being used by God to bring droves of Christians to hold an at least semi-reformed theology by introducing them to the doctrine of predestination and acting as an intro to other works by "pop" Reformed/Calvinistic guys such as Sproul, Mahaney, Grudem, and of course Piper. I know that many college students are exposed to this genre through the Passion conferences.


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## aleksanderpolo (Oct 16, 2007)

So for book written within the last decade, I would vote for Clowney's "Preaching Christ in all the Scripture". It has completely changed my approach in teaching, now I cannot look at the Scripture without looking for Christ. I suspect this book will have (or already have) long lasting effect in popularizing RH, Christ-centered preaching, after so many years of moralistic, self-help preaching in the "evangelical" churches.


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## ZackF (Oct 16, 2007)

I am reading it now and so I would be irresponsible to nominate it but maybe someone else can??  D.A. Carson's "The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God."


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## PastorTim (Oct 16, 2007)

Desiring God gets my vote, Sproul's Chosen by God is excellent and a personal favorite is A God Entranced Vision of All Things : Jonathan Edwards by Piper


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## caddy (Oct 16, 2007)

I know I thoroughly enjoyed Pearcey's Total Truth. 

My wife is Reading Piper's Don't Waste your Life now.



Spear Dane said:


> What would be the most important (read influential, but in a good way) lay book of the decade?
> 
> I am thinking along the lines of what Packer's Knowing God was for his decade? Popular, yet solid. I am purposefully excluding much of what is written.
> 
> ...


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## RamistThomist (Oct 16, 2007)

Desiring God was written 20+ years ago. The book can only be written no later than seven years ago. Don't get me wrong, Desiring God changed my life.


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## caddy (Oct 17, 2007)

Yep 21 Years ago to be exact....



Spear Dane said:


> Desiring God was written 20+ years ago. The book can only be written no later than seven years ago. Don't get me wrong, Desiring God changed my life.


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## Dieter Schneider (Oct 17, 2007)

John Blanchard - Does God Believe In Atheists? I couldn't put it down. Superb!


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## caddy (Oct 18, 2007)

Probe Ministries - Total Truth


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