What are some of the best books on developing and/or maintaining a Christian Worldview? Below you will find lists of book recommendations from Michael Craven, Chris Leland, Del Tackett, David Noebel, Chuck Edwards, Ron Nash, Paul Copan and others.
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David Noebel and Chuck Edwards
The following books are some of those recommended in Countering Culture: Arming Yourself to Confront Non-Biblical Worldviews, written by David Noebel and Chuck Edwards.
Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs (John Ankerberg and John Weldon)
See The Gods Fall (Francis Beckwith and Stephen Parrish)
The New Age Movement and the Biblical Worldview (John Newport)
The New Age Movement and the Biblical Worldview: Conflict and Dialogue
Emergence: The Rebirth of the Sacred (David Spangler)
America’s Real War: An Orthodox Rabbi Insists that Judeo-Christian Values are Vital for our Nation’s Survival (Daniel Lapin)
Death By Government ( R.J. Rummel)
The Quest For Cosmic Justice (Thomas Sowell)
America’s 30 Years War (Balint Vazsonyi)
The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (D.A. Carson)
Feminism and the Bible: An Introduction to Feminism for Christians (Jack Cottrell)
The Feminist Gospel: The Movement to Unite Feminism with the Church (Mary Kassian)
Grand Illusions: The Legacy of Planned Parenthood (George Grant)
The Death of Truth (Dennis McCallum)
The Menace of Multiculturalism (Alvin Schmidt)
The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially (Linda Waite and Maggie Gallagher)
Cloning of the American Mind ( B.K. Eakman)
Life at the bottom: The Worldview that makes the Underclass (Theodore Dalrymple)
Poverty and Wealth: Why Socialism Doesn’t Work (Ronald Nash)
You Can Trust The Communists [to be Communists] (Fred Schwarz)
Postmodern Times (Gene Edward Veith)
The Law (Frederic Bastiat)
The Revenge of Conscience: Politics and the Fall of Man (J. Budziszewski)
Cloning of the American Mind: Eradicating Morality Through Education (B.K. Eakman)
In Defense of Natural Law (Robert George)
Clergy In the Classroom: The Religion of Secular Humanism (David Noebel, J.F. Baldwin, and Kevin Bywater)
Democracy and the Renewal of Public Education (Richard John Neuhaus)
Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution (Michael Behe)
Intelligent Design: The Bridge Between Science and Theology (William Dembski)
Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (Michael Denton)
Icons of Evolution: Science or Myth? Why Much of What We Teach About Evolution is Wrong (Jonathan Wells)
By Design: Science and the Search for God (Lary Witham)
Body & Soul: Human Nature and the Crisis in Ethics (J.P. Moreland and Scott Rae)
Clergy in the Classroom: The Religion of Secular Humanism (David Noebel, J.F. Baldwin, and Kevin Bywater)
The Intellectuals Speak Out About God (Roy Varghese)
Thieves of Innocence: Protecting Our children From New Age Teachings and Occult Practices (John Ankerberg, Craig Branch, and John Weldon)
Apologetics in the New Age ( Norman Geisler and David Clark)
Humanist Manifesto I and II (Paul Kurtz)
Humanist Manifesto 2000: A Call for a New Planetary Humanism (Paul Kurtz)
The Communist Manifesto (Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels)
Mind Siege: The Battle for Truth in the New Millenium (Tim LaHaye and David Noebel)
Understanding the Times: The Religious Worldviews of Our Day and the Search For Truth
How Now Shall We Live? (Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey)
Children at Risk: The Battle For the Hearts and Minds of Our Kids (James Dobson and Gary Bauer)
How Should We Then Live? (Francis Schaeffer)
Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air (Frank Beckwith and Greg Koukl)
True For You, But Not For Me: Deflating The Slogans that Leave Christians Speechless (Paul Copan)
That’s Just Your Interpretation (Paul Copan)
Moral Darwinism: How We Became Hedonists (Benjamin Wiker)
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Chris Leland
The following books are required reading in the course “Christian Worldview Studies” taught by Dr. Chris Leland at Focus on the Family Institute.
Boa, K. D. (2001). Faith has its reasons: An integrative approach to defending Christianity. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.
Colson, C. & Pearcey, N. (1999). How now shall we live? Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Guiness, O. (2000). Time for truth: Living free in a world of lies, hype, & spin. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Co.
Hunter, J. D. (1991). Culture wars. The struggle to define America. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Lewis, C.S. (2001). The Abolition of Man. San Francisco, CA: Harper Collins
Publishers, Inc.Medved, M. (1992). Hollywood vs. America. Popular culture and the war on traditional values. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
Moreland, J. P. (1997). Love your God with all your mind. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress Publishing Group.
Paine, T. (1989). The age of reason. Lyle Stuart Publishers (paperback ed.).
Postman, N. (1985). Amusing ourselves to death. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
Romanowski, W. D. (2001). Eyes wide open. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press.
Sanders, J. O. (1994). Spiritual leadership. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishing.
Schaeffer, F. A. (1984). The great evangelical disaster. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Sire, J. W. (2004). The universe next door. A basic worldview catalog (4th ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
White, H. (2006). Postmodernism 101: A first course for the curious Christian. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press.
The syllabus describes the course as follows – – –
DESCRIPTION:
The purpose of this course is to provide academic instruction on the importance of and ability to communicate God’s truth to others in Christian love. In this course, that means exploring the issues of truth, how we arrive at truth, and what we do with truth. In order to accomplish this, one must (1) believe what it is to have an “ultimate purpose in living,” (2) be able to “know” God, and (3) be willing and able to impact the individuals, families and communities around us. A significant part of this evangelistic perspective is better understanding what we believe and why, as well as knowing what the other, prevailing worldviews in society propose and why. Ultimately, we must be fully prepared to give the world an answer to questions about life and death and truth and love and God, or as the Scriptures say, to “know how you should respond to each person” who asks us about such things (Col. 4:6, NAS trans.).
The Christian Worldview Studies course is designed, therefore, to deepen and broaden the student’s understanding of the core presuppositions of the Christian worldview, and to equip them to evaluate those presuppositions in contrast with other, competing worldviews. The goal is to enable students to think more clearly and critically about the ultimate issues of human existence, so that they may live more purposeful lives and participate more constructively in the larger socio-cultural debate.
The study of worldview constitutes a window through which we can view the nature of man and the nature of his conduct. To that extent, it’s as close as we can get to the core reality or truth of who we are and what we do in life. Knowledge of worldviews is commensurate with acquiring a powerful form of wisdom, that most precious of Biblical commodities that characterized the sons of Issachar, “men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do …” (1 Chron. 12:32, NAS trans.). Thus are we also charged with the privilege of understanding our times, that we might instruct America, in both love and truth, what we all together need to do.
GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
1. To further enhance students’ awareness of the preeminence of evangelism.
2. To further enhance the students’ understanding of the Christian worldview, especially as it contrasts with the other predominant worldviews of today.
3. To empower the student to effectively communicate with those whose worldview differs from the Christian perspective, especially regarding one’s understanding of Jesus Christ and the meaning of truth in today’s world.
4. To further enhance the students’ inner spiritual life, Christian character, and love relationship with God and others.
TOPICS:
• Worldviews in Conflict
• The Christian Mind
* Worldview Leadership
• Christian Theism
• Classical Deism
• Atheistic Naturalism
• Pagan Mysticism
• The Postmodern Crisis
• Feminization of worldviews
• Counterfeit Gods
• Communicating Effectively
• Mass Media Influences
• Contemporary Strategies
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Michael Craven
Michael Craven of the Center For Christ and Culture recommends the following books on understanding and developing a Christian Worldview;
Uncompromised Faith: Overcoming Our Culturalized Christianity
Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity
The Opening of the Christian Mind: Taking Every Thought Captive to Christ
Foolishness to the Greeks: The Gospel and Western Culture
How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture
Building a Christian Worldview
Clash Of Orthodoxies: Law Religion & Morality In Crisis
Fit Bodies Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don’t Think and What to Do About It
Truth to Tell: The Gospel as Public Truth
The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the
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Paul Copan
The following books are recommended for further reading in the Introduction to How Do You Know You’re Not Wrong?: Responding to Objections That Leave Christians Speechless, by Paul Copan.
On Jesus (Douglas Groothuis)
Love Your God With All Your Mind (J.P. Moreland)
Philosophical Foundations for a Chrstian Worldview (J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig)
Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did ( Randy Newman)
The Divine Conspiracy (Dallas Willard)
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Del Tackett
The following books are required reading in the course Cultural Issues In Christian Perspective taught by Dr. Del Tackett and Dr. Chris Leland, at Focus on the Family Institute.
Boa, K.D. & Bowman, R. M. (2001). Faith has its reasons: An integrative approach to defending Christianity. Colorado Spring, CO: NavPress.
Bonhoeffer, D. (1954). Life together. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.
Briner, Bob. (1993). Roaring lambs. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
Colson, C. (1999). How now shall we live? Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Colson, C. (2003). Being the body. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group.
de Tocqueville, Alexis. (1835). Democracy in America, (Vol 1). (Reprinted by Vintage Books, New York, 1990).
Dobson, J. (2004). Marriage under fire. Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, Inc.
Ellis, E. S. (1884). Not yours to give. Philadelphia: Porter & Coates (Reprinted by Conservative Printing, 2003).
Grudem, W. A. (2003). Business for the glory of God: The Bible’s teachings on the moral goodness of business. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Kavanaugh, P. 1996. Spiritual lives of the great composers. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Lewis, C. S. (1974). The abolition of man. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancicso.
Minnery, T. (2001). Why you can’t stay silent: A biblical mandate to shape our culture. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishing/Focus on the Family.
Olasky, M. (1999). The American leadership tradition. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Pollock, J. (1996). William Wilberforce: A man who changed his times. Mclean, VA: The Trinity Forum.
Postman, N. (1985). Amusing ourselves to death: Public discourse in the age of show business. New York: Penguin Books.
Schaeffer, F. A. (1984). The great evangelical disaster. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books
Schmidt, Alvin J. (2004). How Christianity changed the world. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
Sire, J. W. (2004). The universe next door. A basic worldview catalog. 4th edition. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Schlossberg, H. (1990). Idols for destruction: The conflict of Christian faith and American culture.Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Sowell, T. (1995). The vision of the anointed: Self-congratulation as a basis for social policy. New York, NY: Basic Books.
White, H. (2006). Postmodernism 101. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Books.
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The syllabus describes the course as follows – – –
DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this course is to deepen and broaden the student’s understanding of the core assumptions of the Christian worldview, and to apply this perspective to critical issues involving the contemporary family, church, and society. The goal is to enable students to think more clearly about the ultimate issues of human existence so that they may live more purposeful lives and participate more constructively in the calling of the Christians as a transformed and transforming community through which God heals individuals, families and societies.
The course focuses on the central issue of our understanding of the existence and nature of God, human beings, and the world around us. The aim is clearer insight into Christ’s ongoing redemptive work centered in the Christians and Christian community as God’s chief agent of societal change. Christ’s work extends beyond the individual to include all of created reality, especially the social aspects of human experience. Students are encouraged to go beyond mere understanding to actual participation in the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth.
OBJECTIVES
1. To awaken the student’s spirit, heart and mind toward God and the world which Christ came to restore.
2. To facilitate the understanding and communication of the essential elements of a Christian worldview, as it contrasts with other competing and counterfeit worldviews.
3. To equip students to develop a biblically and theologically informed understanding of the relationship between social institutions and God’s design for social order.
4. To expose the students to new ways of thinking about social institutions, current issues and pathologies and the Christian’s role in effecting transformation in each sphere of life.
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Ronald Nash
Ronald Nash taught a course on Advanced Worldview Analysis at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida.
Recommended books for Ronald Nash’s class on Advanced Worldview Analysis included:
Ron Nash, The Closing of the American Heart: What’s Really Wrong with America’s Schools, Probe
Ron Nash, Poverty and Wealth: Why Socialism Doesn’t Work, Probe
Nash & Belli, Beyond Liberation Theology, Baker
Ron Nash, Why the Left is Not Right: The Religious Left: Who Are They and What Do They Believe?, Zondervan
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Why Am I Here?
The study Why: 40 Days Pursuing Answers To Life’s Biggest Questions recommends the following books for answering the question, “Why Am I Here?”
To Everyone An Answer: The Case for the Christian Worldview, by Frances Beckwith, William Lane Craig, & J.P. Moreland
Letters From a Skeptic, by Gregory A. Boyd
I’m Glad You Asked, by Ken Boa and Larry MoodyThat’s Just Your Interpretation, by Paul Copan
Reasonable Faith, by William Lane Craig
Why I Am A Christian, by Norman Geisler and Paul Hoffman
Give Me An Answer, by Cliffe Knechtle
Pocket Handbook Of Christian Apologetics, by Peter Kreeft and Ronald TacelliKnow Why You Believe, by Paul Little
How To Give Away Your Faith, by Paul Little
Scaling The Secular City, by J.P. Moreland
The Case For Faith, by Lee Strobel The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren
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RELATED BOOKS
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Your Turn
What books would you add to the lists above? Share your suggested titles in the comment section below.
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Books to Help You Survive College with Your Faith Intact, by Douglas Grouthuis and Sara Geis
