I'm not sure where I first came across these lists but they may well have been on the Eternal Perspectives Ministries web site (an excellent Christian site, by the way). Anyhow, I've had them awhile and figured visitors to The Book Den would like to see them and compare. The lists were shared on a radio program back in April 2001. Like all lists, these are fun to peruse. But given the fellow that's making the suggestions, the recommendations are even more interesting.
Randy, of course, is an outstanding researcher and author whose books regularly (and deservedly) show up at the top of the bestseller charts. Among his fiction titles are: Deadline; Dominion;, Safely Home; The Ishbane Conspiracy; Lord Foulgrin's Letters; and Edge of Eternity -- all quite splendid and inspiring reads. His non-fiction? Well, those are equally impressive: Heaven; Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Questions; The Treasure Principle; The Purity Principle; Money, Possessions and Eternity; Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions; and more.
So, have at 'em:
Randy Alcorn's Favorite Novels (with apologies to Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Dickens, Hemingway, and Steinbeck)
1. The Chronicles of Narnia (all seven in the series) by C. S. Lewis
2. The Lord of the Rings (the whole trilogy) by J. R. R. Tolkien
3. Perelandra by C. S. Lewis (closely followed by the other two in the space trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet and That Hideous Strength)
4. The Singer Trilogy (including The Song and The Finale) by Calvin Miller
5. The Odyssey and The Iliad by Homer
6. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
7. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
8. The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
9. The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
10. The Chosen by Chaim Potok
11. In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
12. Pontius Pilate by Paul Maier
13. Paul by Walter Wangerin
14. The Book of God by Walter Wangarin
15. Ben Hur by Lew Wallace
On that radio program, Randy also mentioned his attraction to Eugene O'Neill and Flannery O'Connor.
Randy's tops in the nonfiction category -- after the Bible, of course, were:
1. The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer
2. Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
3. Knowing God by J. I. Packer
4. Desiring God by John Piper
5. He is There and He is Not Silent by Francis Schaeffer
6. Loving God by Chuck Colson
7. Through Gates of Splendor by Elizabeth Elliot
8. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson
9. Your God is Too Small by J.B. Phillips
10. Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand; God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew; and Foxes Book of Martyrs (three books on the suffering church that greatly impacted Randy many years ago)
11. Peace Child by Don Richardson
12. The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton
13. Principles of Spiritual Growth by Miles Stanford
14. The Calvary Road by Roy Hession
15. The Autobiography of George Mueller
16. The Church at the End of the 20th Century by Francis Schaeffer
17. Where is God When it Hurts by Phil Yancey
18. The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges
19. Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
20. Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
21. Disciple by Juan Carlos Ortiz
22. Kingdoms in Conflict by Chuck Colson
23. No Wonder They Call Him the Savior by Max Lucado
"Honorable Mention" status was given to Let Justice Roll Down by John Perkins; Basic Christianity by John Stott; The Battle for the Bible by Harold Lindsel; The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson; Run, Baby, Run by Nicky Cruz; Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell; Countdown by J.B. Hardy; Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams; The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur; The Life of an American Slave by Frederick Douglass; Open Windows by Phil Yancey; Between Heaven and Hell by Peter Kreeft; When I Relax I Feel Guilty by Tim Hansel; Roaring Lambs by Bob Briner; Jesus the Revolutionary by H. S. Vigevino; The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer; The God Who Is There by Francis Schaeffer; The Content of our Character by Shelby Steele; The Nazi Doctors by Robert Jay Lifton; When People Are Big and God is Small by Edward Welch; From Jerusalem to Iryan Jaya by Ruth Tucker; and The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges.
And finally, Randy Alcorn answered this question, "If you had to go on a desert island and could have only 1) your Bible and 2) books written by just fifteen modern authors and ten historical authors, whose books would you take with you?", with the following:
15 Modern authors:
1) C. S. Lewis
2) A.W. Tozer
3) Francis Schaeffer
4) John Piper
5) J. R. R. Tolkien
6) Eugene Petersen
7) A tie between Chuck Colson and Max Lucado. (A clever way for Randy to smuggle an extra writer in!)
8) Phil Yancey
9) Calvin Miller
10) Elisabeth Elliot
11) J. I. Packer
12) John R. W. Stott
13) John McArthur
14) Peter Kreeft
15) Francine Rivers
10 Authors from Church history:
1) Charles Spurgeon
2) Jonathan Edwards
3) Martin Luther
4) John Calvin
5) John Wesley
6) Augustine
7) Thomas Aquinas
8) John Bunyan
9) Blaise Pascal
10) Tertullian
Also, Randy hoped to slip in a few extras --
One Theology Book: Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem
Other reference books: Vine’s Expository Dictionary; New Compact Topical Bible; and The IVP New Testament Background Commentary edited by Craig Keener
