I am Joe Thorn, the Lead Pastor of 
Top Ten Tuesday
August 15th, 2006I have decided to put up a Top Ten list each Tuesday - at least until I run out of ideas. On a recent train ride into the city I compiled a pretty decent list of potential subjects. For today, my Top Ten Books on Personal Piety.
Note: My “Top Tens” are somewhat relative. In this case there are other books equally good as those I am listing that may be more widely known, but I do not feel like citing every comparable book that comes to mind. I am leaving off books like Holiness, by JC Ryle; The Religious Affections, by Jonathan Edwards; Desiring God (or whatever) by John Piper, and St. Augustine’s Confessions.
Top Ten Books on Personal Piety
10. The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence (Pub. 16–)
A great book to read and discuss with friends. Written by a cook who learned that true blessing is found in a life that is intentionally lived with the awareness that God is with us in whatever we do.
09. The Bruised Reed, Richard Sibbes (Pub. 1630)
Wow. For those who are hurting, weak, convicted and suffering under the weight of sin and losing assurance. Read it for yourself, and read it that you will better know how to help others.
08. Words to Winners of Souls, Horatius Bonar (Pub. 1866)
I read this little book at the recommendation of a friend during my first year in Seminary (1997). It was the most convicting and exciting thing I read that year. Ideal for those in ministry.
07. Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life, John Calvin (Pub. 1550)
Another little one that was very helpful for me touching on obedience, self-denial, patience, hope and the proper way to use and enjoy God’s temporal gifts. It doesn’t sound exciting, but it has been an important and formative book for me.
06. The Pleasantness of a Religious Life, Matthew Henry (Pub. 1741)
Will the real John Piper please stand up? Like Desiring God, only better.
05. The Christian’s Daily Walk, Henry Scudder (Pub. 16–)
A favorite read of the Puritans, this is a very practical guide to navigating everyday life with Christ at the center. Like a how-to book for the Christian life - only it’s actually good. How to start your day with God, how to conduct yourself at work, at play, when prosperous, when alone, when afflicted, etc. Small sections make this an easy read.
04. Quest for Meekness and Quietness of Spirit, Matthew Henry (Pub. 16–)
I used to say that no one writes on humility anymore, and pointed to this book as a great example of what people should read. Now C.J. Mahaney has written an excellent book on the subject, but this is till my favorite.
03. The Christian in Complete Armour, William Gurnall (Pub. 1662-1665)
The most comprehensive work on the subject of spiritual warfare. It’s a huge book, and will take a lot of time to work through it, but the payoff is worth it. I read this at a time when some of my closest friends were abandoning the faith (1994-1995) and was beginning to fear that I too would fall. This book helped me immeasurably.
02. Vital Godliness, William Plummer (Pub. 1864)
This was the book God used to bring me out of a time in my life characterized by pride, and spiritual dryness. I was reading a chapter out loud to Jen on “Spiritual Darkness” and discovered myself in the pages. Plumer covers many spiritual experiences: backsliding, hope, love, humility, distress, joy, zeal, etc. I return to this book often.
01. The Life of God in the Soul of Man, Henry Scougal (Pub. 16–)
Scougal died at 28, but wrote one of the most important books for the church outside of Scripture. I am dead serious. This little book challenges old and modern/postmodern notions of what it means to be a Christian by showing we are Christian not because we have the right doctrine, or the right behavior, but because the human soul has been joined to God and participates in the divine nature. One is a Christian because of what God has done, and continues to do, in the soul, and so it is his work in us that is our hope of salvation, not our own efforts. As simple as this sounds, I believe many conservative, evangelicals get it wrong. I would encourage you to get the book and read it now. I find that I need to read this once a year.
Wow, I never really considered it, but many of the most powerful books I have read have been pretty short reads. Be sure to share what books you have found to be helpful in this particular area - piety (not on church life, theology proper, etc.).
August 15th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Nice list Joe. Many I haven’t read. Your #1, as you may know, was the book George Whitefield read leading up to his conversion. In his sermon “All Men’s Place”, he said,
I must read this book and have unbelievers do the same. One other, similarly related to this is, “A Treatise on Regeneration” by Peter Van Mastricht of which Jonathan Edwards said, “This book is much better than any other book in the world, excepting the Bible, in my opinion.”
Thanks for the other recommendations. God bless.
August 15th, 2006 at 2:58 pm
Good list. I’ve read a few, mostly at your recommendation. Holiness by Ryle is probably my favorite.
August 15th, 2006 at 3:39 pm
Yeah, Holiness is amazing. Should be on everyone’s must read list.
August 15th, 2006 at 4:09 pm
As I read down the list I was waiting for Holiness and The Life of God…
Thanks, I will start reading my way up.
August 15th, 2006 at 4:30 pm
Isn’t amazing that the most recent book on your list was written in 1866?! Piper’s Desiring God has been crucial in my spiritual journey, but I find few authors from the 20th or 21st centuries who have any significantly helpful thing to say about personal peity. Maybe Jerry Bridges. But after Bridges and Piper, I can think of no one that has significantly taught me or influenced my personal piety like Spurgeon, Gurnall, Calvin, Owen, and Baxter.
Anyway. thanks for the list. I’ve added a few more books to my wish list.
August 15th, 2006 at 5:08 pm
It seems to me, and I could be wrong, that the authors/books I would point to in this list focused on God and our experience of him. In the twentieth century the emphasis seemed to be on information over transformation, knowing over being, with performance based “how to” books that are not built upon good theology. The books many of us love are like good preaching - aimed at heart and will. Many of the books I have found written in the twentieth century that occupy the “Christian Living” shelves at your local idol’s temple… er Christian Kitch stores are like manuals for running a business. Mechanistic. Formulaic.
I think I am seeing a reaction against this today in the 21st century and am hopeful for the future.
August 15th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
In 400 years, who from the 20th-early 21st centuries will be read? So much of what is being hailed as “life-changing,” “paradigm-shifting,” “must-read,” “modern-classic” is fogotten in a couple of years. (Bruce who? Prayer of what…). I know I don’t read everything and don’t read enough, but is there anyone writing today that will really stand the test of time? Who will Banner of Truth be publishing “Works of” a couple of centuries from now?
I have a couple of thoughts. Like I said earlier, I think Piper and Jerry Bridges would be there. I know guys like Lucado are warm and fuzzy, but is there anything there? (I’m not trying to knock Lucado. I just don’t think he will last the test of time. )
The truth is most of the people in my congregation will not read Calvin or the Puritans. (Heck, I am just excited when they read my newsletter article!) So who do I point them to? Who do you think is writing today that “gets it” and will last?
August 15th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Joe,
I have a couple to add to this very fine list of yours. (I’ve been meaning to get Sibbes’ book.)
One is George Mueller’s diary/autobiography. I don’t know if any other book has moved me like this one. I also note that it is a rather quick read!
I’m currently reading Arnold Dallimore’s two volume biography of George Whitefield. It has greatly encouraged me, though I do not know if it would be a book for ‘piety.’ It certainly isn’t dry history. It is not, however, a short book. It is rather large, but I have so far found it to be quite wonderful.
August 15th, 2006 at 9:38 pm
Good stuff Brad, but yeah I am thinking more along the lines of books on the topic of piety.
Noah, I agree. I think beyond what I said earlier I would add that the professionalization of ministry and the seclusion of theology to the academy are also to blame for the lack of good writing on this topic. Ministry became less about the soul and community and more about management, and theology not only retreated to the ivory towers and left the pulpit, but it also became more about knowing than worship. So people wind up settling for the sentimental, Max Lucado, stuff. The equivalent of Thomas Kinkade with words.
The church has produced some great stuff in the twentieth century, but on “experimental” piety - very little.
August 16th, 2006 at 4:33 am
Wow! Look at all those Puritans! Man, I wish Scougal was more available to believer’s today. Bonar’s Words to Winners of Souls packs a big punch to be such a small book. Of all the books I have given away, I think that one surpasses them all. Joe, you are doing a great service by sharing these books on your blog. Thank you for passing on the recommendations, and I hope they have a wide reading.
August 16th, 2006 at 7:54 am
Joe,
I am grateful for these recommendations. I am saving the list on my computer so that I can refer back to it over the next few years as I buy and read more books. I think I will first buy Sibbe’s book for a friend and Brother Lawrence’s book for myself.
I often get this sense of envy (perhaps a righteous form of envy) as I see great books by great authors. I say envy because it causes me to long to know God the way they knew God. Doubtless, if we read these books the right way, we will progress toward that goal. Thanks for helping us find some of the best books out there.
August 17th, 2006 at 9:14 am
Hi,
great list of books… many I have not read before. Brother Lawrence’s book was pretty influential in my earlier years. Perhaps its a reminder that I should revisit the book again.
On the comment that very little in the 20th century talks about experimental religion, that could be true in a general sense. However, apart from Piper (whom I have read) and Bridges (whom I have not read), there are authors like Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Tozer. I have found their writings very edifying and consequently very helpful for personal piety. Especially Lloyd-Jones, whose ability to combine sound doctrine with intense Godward relational application is quite unsurpassed as yet, in my estimate.
But then, great list, once again. We have plenty of men nowadays who knows a lot about God, but not many who knew God intimately. It was reported that the sight of Robert Murray McCheyne was so affecting that his parish began to weep before he starts preaching. May God raised up more and more teachers who rejoices not only in preaching sound doctrines but more, rejoicing in the presence of God himself.
God bless
Edward Sim
August 17th, 2006 at 10:57 am
Outstanding list. The Puritans gave us a treasury on the subject of spiritual formation, didn’t they?
I’ve only read two of the books on the list (Sibbes and Scougal), but those have become two of my lifelong companions, books I intend to reread regularly throughout my life. I will have to check out some of the other books.
And for Timmy and any other interested person: Scougal’s book is now available for free online at http://www.ccel.org.
August 17th, 2006 at 12:30 pm
For those of you like me, who God has chosen to shape by affliction and opposition to MY goals, one of the very best reads for the mature Christian is William Gurnall’s THE CHRISTIAN IN COMPLETE ARMOUR…but don’t read the big tome that Joe linked to, try the paraphrased volumes:
http://cvbbs.com/ search on Gurnall to see the 3 volumes.
August 17th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
I haven’t read but I understand “benefits of Christ’s Death” by the Italian reformer Aonio Paleario was an awesome book in its day. So much so it was a bestseller underneath the pope’s nose with persecution upon those caught with it. I believe it is supposed to be very good at linking the doctrine of justifaction and a life of “vital piety”. I believe Solid Ground Christian books is reprinting it with the guys bio. I just thought I’d throw that out there. Great list!
August 17th, 2006 at 2:09 pm
I would add Kempis, “Imitation of Christ,” Oswald Chamber, “My Utmost for His Highest.” There are some contemperary books that have yet to prove their timelessness but I highly recommend they are: Richard Foster, “Celebration of Discipline” and Larry Crabb’s “Inside/Out.”
and then there are books that weren’t specifically about piety or personal holiness but have lead me to such. Some of them are: C.S. Lewis’, “The Four Loves,” “Reflections on the Psalms,” Brennon Mannin, “The Ragamuffin Gospel,” the works of E.M. Bounds on prayer and the Journal of John Wesley.
August 25th, 2006 at 6:44 am
[...] Since I’m hardly blogging these days, the least I can do is link to something worth looking at. Here’s a worthy (I think) list of recommended reading on Christian piety: Top Ten Books on Personal Piety. I’ve read three of them only but appreciated the recommendations and expect to read more from this list before I die. Thanks for the list, Joe Thorn! [...]
August 29th, 2006 at 6:52 am
[...] Joe Thorn provides a quality list of the top ten books on personal piety. [...]
October 1st, 2006 at 10:04 pm
[...] Joe Thorn on Top Ten books on Personal Piety - excellent. [...]