Author Highlights
Some of the authors I have most enjoyed and benefited from over the years.
Scot McKnight
One of the best authors you could turn to if you want to learn more about the Bible. Perhaps what I appreciate most about him is that he makes deep, theological topics accessible for the average Christian wanting to dig deeper into the Bible.
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A few of his best:
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NT (Tom) Wright
NT Wright has become one of the most well-known and influential Bible experts of our time, and has been foundational for me personally. Helpful for understanding Jesus and the Bible in their historical context. He has written tons of books: some academic, some medium-level, and some accessible to any Christian looking to learn. As an introduction to Wright I'd highly suggest his "For Everyone" series, which is something between a devotional and a commentary on every New Testament book, which can be bought individually or as a set.
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A few of his best:
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Greg Boyd
Greg Boyd is one of my favorite authors and has deeply impacted my faith, not because I always agree with him but because he combines a smart mind with a pastoral heart. He's hard to summarize because he has written about a pretty diverse range of topics. He's written some academic books and some easier to read books. Perhaps most of his writing has been devoted to addressing the challenging or confusing issues of what Christians believe, but he also has books on Christian living as well. I will warn you though: many will find him too controversial for their liking. Be sure you have an open mind about your faith before diving in.
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A few of his best:
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Dallas Willard
Dallas Willard is one of the most influential and highly-regarded contemporary authors on "spiritual formation", how we live as disciples of Jesus and become more like him. He has helped me understand the nearness of the kingdom of God in a new way, and is able to shine a fresh light on familiar passages. He has a big focus on spiritual disciplines. Unfortunately I think some may find his writing a bit too slow or theoretical, but for anyone willing to put their thinking-caps on you can't really go wrong with Willard.
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A few of his best:
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John Ortberg
John Ortberg has joked that he is essentially Dallas Willard "for dummies", which isn't entirely true but is still a helpful description. He would cover a lot of the same topics as Willard (like spiritual disciplines, the kingdom of God, the spiritual journey), but in an easier way, adding in more humour and personal stories, still without sacrificing the good content. Of all the authors listed so far on this page he might be the easiest to jump into if you don't do a lot of Christian reading (or reading in general).
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A few of his best:
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Phillip Yancey
Yancey is probably one of the most popular Christian writers living today. I don't read much of him anymore, but a few of his books were really formative for me when I was just starting my love for reading and theology. I've felt that his greatest strength is asking the right questions, the questions that we all ask in our times of frustration or doubt. I didn't always find his answers 100% satisfactory, but just the fact that he was earnestly discussing the issues was valuable. Highly recommended if you've ever struggled with doubting your faith, or feeling dissatisfied with God or the church.
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A few of his best:
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Honorable Mentions
The following are authors whose books I have not read as thoroughly, but I've read enough of them and know enough about them that I can confidently recommend them.
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John Mark Comer - one of the most (perhaps THE most) up-and-coming names in the Christian world. Writes on a wide variety of topics including Christian living, discipleship, theology, work, sex, and more.
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Rachel Held Evans - definitely check her out if your relationship with faith and/or church has been a bumpy one. She wrote almost entirely about the challenges of faith, doubting our beliefs and the loneliness involved in the doubting process, painful experiences in the church, and so on.
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Tish Harrison Warren - another major up-and-comer. She's only written two books so far but they've both been widely praised. She is able to speak to and incorporate a wide variety of topics as her writing includes aspects of biography, practical spiritual teaching, theology, social justice, grief, and more.
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Shannan Martin - a fantastic source of inspiration for reaching out to your neighbors, community, and the underprivileged and hurting in particular. Major themes in her writing are hospitality, compassion, friendship, service, and social justice. A guide for how to stop chasing comfortable lives and trying to climb the socio-economic ladder.
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Eugene Peterson - best known for writing The Message paraphrase of the Bible, but also an absolute goldmine of spiritual wisdom in his other writings. The topics he addresses are diverse, but generally have to do with intimacy with God and our spiritual journey and growth.
A note about this page:
Although I was already aware of this to some extent, putting together this page has made it obvious how white and male most of my favorite authors are. That doesn't make them less valuable, but in the past 5 years or so I've been trying to tune into more diverse voices.