Christian Classics

	Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. It is now over three hundred years since Pilgrim’s Progress was written by the puritan preacher who had been a tinker. Imprisoned intermittently through 1660-1672 Bunyan was thus enabled to produce his masterpiece and other writings. Pilgrims Progress has always been a favourite with both children and adults, and virtually all Christians since it was first published. From his thorough study of Scripture, the King James’ Version, Bunyan acquired remarkable literary skills. Whether writing theology, narrative, or allegory he showed himself to be a master of simple, homely English style. Spurgeon read this classic over 100 times, and every Christian should read it at least several times. It is the Gospel in parable, and is full of encouragement and guidance for the pilgrim who has left the city of destruction for the celestial city. Its characters such as Christian, Hopeful, Faithful, Apollyon, Giant Despair and a hundred others will always be cherished for their masterly delineation of the privileges and perils of the Christian way.
	The Imitation of Christ. This book by the German mystic Thomas Á Kempis is a manual of devotion that has gone through more than two thousand editions and printings. While the authorship has been contested, most give the credit to this priest of the Augustinian convent of Mount Saint Agnes near Zwolle. Most of his adult life was spent at this convent, part of the time as subprior. In his work as a copier, he copied the whole Bible at least four times. He was much in demand as a guide of the spiritual life, and all his writings are of a devotional nature. The Imitation of Christ gives its supreme emphasis to the Saviour, and the importance of fellowship with him. It has brought blessings to millions since its first appearance over 500 years ago.
	Pensées by Blaise Pascal. This may be the most profound book that has ever been written apart from holy Scripture. Its author was a supreme genius who has never been matched over the 400 years since his death. He was a mathematical prodigy, an inventor, a physicist, a religious thinker, and a literary stylist. His father was a lawyer, and Pascal inherited the mind of a lawyer par excellence. (Pensées or Thoughts) is probably the greatest work of Christian Apologetics ever written. And yet it is not really a book, but a collection of fragments. The writer intended later to enlarge it and build it into a comprehensive work, but his early death at the end of his thirties, after a carriage accident, prevented the fulfilment of that plan. No intelligent person can read this book for five minutes without being stimulated and blessed. It is a remarkable analysis of human nature and human life. In a wonderful way it shows the appropriateness of Scripture for all who have ever inquired as to the meaning of existence.
	Hudson Taylor (volume 1, The Story of the Growth of the Soul; volume 2, Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission) by his son Howard Taylor. This classic missionary biography is an excellent introduction to all such works. Its first chapter is somewhat tedious as it deals with such matters as Taylor’s ancestry in the fashion of the time when the book was written early last century. But after that, every chapter is fascinating, and full of encouragement for the Christian reader as it delineates the way of faith and God’s unceasing faithfulness. Primarily because of the work of Hudson Taylor, there are now about sixty million Christians in China. His work really laid the foundation for what has blossomed and flowered since the communist takeover of the great land of China. No seeking soul can read this work without finding their own spiritual life greatly enriched.
	The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith. This book has been through many editions since it first appeared in the nineteenth century. It was written by one of the best known women speakers of that era, who was known as "the angel of the churches". Of Quaker background, Hannah Whitall Smith and her husband led out in Christian seminars at many centres of the western world. The book deals with the many practical problems of the Christian life, and does it so simply, and with such charm, that every reader will thank God for the Providence that placed the book in his or her hands. The same writer wrote another little volume called Everyday Religion and yet another called The God of all Comfort which are also splendid. The books are not erudite, but they are intensely practical and spiritual.
	History of the Reformation by Jean Henri Merle D’Aubigné. To read this five volume work is to become informed on what transpired through Martin Luther and his associates in the Protestant reformation. Many Roman Catholic scholars of our time have also found much to approve in this work. Its main emphasis has to do with the rediscovery of grace in the sixteenth century, and the Providence of God in drawing attention to that all absorbing theme of the New Testament.
	Life of Christ by Frederic William Farrar. There were numerous lives of Christ written in the nineteenth century but, for many readers, this one heads the list. Farrar was the dean of Canterbury who had been born in India of missionary parents. He had a tremendous influence on Victorian religious and cultural life. His Life of Christ, true to Scripture, presents our Lord as a winsome but all-inspiring figure. Farrar’s insights into the Gospel accounts are rewarding for all readers.
	Christ in all the Scriptures by A. M. Hodgkin. Here is another slight but invaluable volume that has been through many editions. Every book of the Bible is touched upon, and its revelation of the Saviour expanded. It reflects many of the spiritual insights of the Plymouth Brethren movement. Like the contemporary work Typology by Ada Habershon, this book delights in illustrating Luke 24:27,45.
	The Doctrine of Justification by James Buchanan. Not all will be able to read this book. It is for giraffes. But it is the classic on the topic of justification written by a Scottish theologian midway through the nineteenth century. This book is probably the most thorough and exhaustive work in print on justification. In recent years, Roman Catholic theologians have joined with Protestants in researching this topic of central importance for the Christian life. The book by Carl Ferdinand Walther, The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel, should be read at the same time. But remember Spurgeon’s comment. "The harder the shell, the sweeter the nut."
	Apologia Pro Vita Sua by John Henry Newman. This book will be of particular interest to those familiar with the religious polemic between Protestantism and Catholicism in the nineteenth century. It is a model of Christian courtesy and openness, and was a response to attacks made upon the author by well-known Protestants. The Christian spirit of the work has much to teach all who enter the theological arena. Newman’s influence on the Church of England and Roman Catholic Church was immense, because he was a deeply spiritual man whose guiding star was always duty. His book The Idea of a University has also much to teach all Christian educationist regardless of whether they be Protestant or Catholic.
	Explore the Book by J. Sidlow Baxter. Originally a work of several volumes, the whole has now been put within the covers of a single book. It is an excellent survey of the Bible, book by book, from a strongly evangelical viewpoint. Like the much smaller classic, The Outlined Bible, by Robert Lee, prominent early last century, this book makes the Gospel pre-eminent throughout. It is a product of tremendous research, and offers a mine of information to those who wish to know the scriptures well.
	Holiness by J. C. Ryle. Here is another classic on the Christian life, dealing in this instance with many of the knotty problems surrounding the area of Christian growth. To many reviewers this book seems to have succeeded in avoiding the pitfalls that abound in the many discussions of Christian holiness. The author was a man of deep erudition and spirituality. Originally he was intended for a career in politics despite his superior performance in athletics. After his conversion, he chose the ministry and was ultimately the Bishop of Liverpool. While a prodigious writer, Holiness is probably his best theological work.
	The Early Years and The Full Harvest. This two-volume set on the life of Spurgeon, put together by his widow, is a treasure trove. It shows the miraculous working of God in the nineteenth century through a man who had no theological training and who never accepted ordination. Spurgeon influenced millions around the world, and his sermons were translated into many languages. He is still the most read of all Christian Preachers.
	Systematic Theology by Augustus Strong. No one believes everything in this famous old classic. But it is a compendium of wonderful quotations from theologians and preachers. It is a splendid resource for all sorts of Biblical topics. To some degree, it is a library within the covers of one book.
	The Progress of Doctrine in the New Testament by Thomas D. Bernard. The title of this volume sounds as dull as dust, but it is actually an exciting apologetic. It is one of the greatest works on the New Testament written in the last two centuries. It will never grow old, and will never be out dated. No one can read it without receiving the conviction that the New Testament, as we have it, is a miraculous, inspired, supernatural document. The book points out the architectonic structure of the New Testament, how each book is in its perfect position, complementing what precedes it and anticipating what follows it.
	The Cross by John Stott. All of John Stott’s book are worthy of close study, but this one summarises his views on the greatest of all Christian themes. It is a summary of evangelical theology on the Atonement.
	The Life of David by Arthur Pink. This two-volume set is also a classic as it shows how the life of Israel’s most famous king anticipated many features of the life of Christ. The work is spiritually uplifting as well as informative.
	Christ’s Glorious Achievements by C. H. Spurgeon. This tiny book packs a mighty spiritual wallop. It gives the concentrated essence of what Spurgeon said over four decades of ministry.
	In Step with the Spirit by James Packer. For those particulary interested in the charismatic scene, this book is a must. The book is exegetically sound but insightfully charitable to those who cherish positions with which it disagrees. Issues like glossolalia are dealt with splendidly. The book is way in advance of most other volumes on charismatic themes. A better known work by Packer is his Knowing God, a devotional gem.
	The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. This work, which can be read in a quarter of an hour, is centuries old but ever new. It tells of the truth discovered by a kitchen servant in a medieval monastery, a truth that transfigures all of life.

This partial list of recommended books reflects the view of just one reader. Christian lawyers should counsel with those they respect of all faiths and discover the names of other classics that have blessed multitudes. But one name should not be omitted, one who has followers in every church group. That name is C. S. Lewis, the Oxford and Cambridge don. Many will remember that he described himself as the most reluctant convert in England who was dragged into the Church kicking and screaming. The fact is, of course, that he had had decades of experience, longings, and desires for which the world seemed to have no fulfilment. The writings of George MacDonald helped prepare him for the Christian faith, and many other writers as well. I would recommend to all the treasure trove of his books, including those apparently for children - for children under the age of 110! But the book Mere Christianity probably has the broadest possible appeal as it sets forth those centralities of the Christian faith almost universally agreed upon. His own favourite book was Till We Have Faces, but not all would be able to follow it as easily as they can Mere Christianity. The best introduction to Lewis, of course, is The Screwtape Letters which is filled with fun and seriousness at the same time. Even the Space trilogy has been recognised by many as being particulary pertinent for this technological age with all its dangers.

Dr Desmond Ford
Ph.D (Michigan State University, USA)
Ph.D (Manchester University, England)

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