"In the Christian life, spiritual formation is hugely influenced by devotional reading. Whether its Augustine's Confessions or C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, books greatly shape your beliefs and actions. Renovare has long been a proponent of the importance of being well-versed in the spiritual classics. Now they have polled leaders and thinkers in the field to present the twenty five books every Christian must read. These are the books that should be shaping the church, your faith, and your engagement with the world. From timeless classics like Dietrich Bonheoffer's Life Together to contemporary works, 25 BOOKS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD READ will gather the most important books along with historical background, why they made the cut, how to read them, and an excerpt"-- Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references.

On the incarnation, St. Athanasius -- Confessions, St. Augustine -- The sayings of the Desert Fathers, various -- The rule of St. Benedict, St. Benedict -- The divine comedy, Dante Alighieri -- The cloud of unknowing, anonymous -- Revelations of divine love (showings), Julian of Norwich -- The imitation of Christ, Thomas �aa Kempis -- The philokalia, various -- Institutes of the Christian religion, John Calvin -- The interior castle, St. Teresa of Avila -- Dark night of the soul, St. John of the Cross -- Pens�aees, Blaise Pascal -- The pilgrim's progress, John Bunyan -- The practice of the presence of God, Brother Lawrence -- A serious call to a devout and holy life, William Law -- The way of a pilgrim, unknown author -- The brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky -- Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton -- The poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins -- The cost of discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer -- A testament of devotion, Thomas R. Kelly -- The seven storey mountain, Thomas Merton -- Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis -- The return of the prodigal son, Henri J.M. Nouwen.