An Avid Reader’s Top 5: Non-Fiction Books for Adults

By Cheryl Arnold

Narrowing the list to 3-5 books is hard! How could I leave off C.S. Lewis, A.W. Tozer, J.I. Packer, James K.A. Smith, N.T. Wright? So, to narrow it down, I decided to go with the theme of spiritual formation. Here are a few books I would recommend for adults.

Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren

The author is an Anglican priest who also works with InterVarsity. She looks at everyday life through the lens of liturgy and helps us see the sacred in the ordinary and the ordinary in the sacred.

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

I had to read this book as part of a college course on Christian doctrine, and it helped me grow in my faith as I learned about the inner, outer, and corporate spiritual disciplines.

Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton

In this book, Barton discusses ways to experience deeper levels of spiritual transformation and intimacy with God through spiritual disciplines. Every time I have heard her speak or read one of her books, I am encouraged to go even deeper in my relationship with God.

The Prodigal God and Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller

I read both of these books as companions to sermon series at Grace. In The Prodigal God, Keller delves into the parable of the prodigal son and teaches about God's extravagant love and grace. In Counterfeit Gods, Keller says that "idolatry is always the reason we ever do anything wrong," and he discusses how to identify our idols and turn our whole hearts toward God.