Books We Like

As a reading resource for our members and others interested in the Church and Christianity in general, we at St. Andrew's Parish have a list of books that have been recommended and enjoyed by our clergy and parishioners. We hope that those of you visiting this site will find it helpful in your seeking information and inspiration on your Christian journey.

Wide as the Waters; The Story of the English Bible and the Revolution It Inspired

Benson Bobrick

Wide as the Waters examines the life and work of John Wycliffe, the fourteenth century catalyst of English Bible translation, and recounts the tribulations of his successors, including William Tyndale, who was martyred, Miles Coverdale and others. It traces the story of the English Bible through the tumultuous reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor, and Elizabeth I.

Mere Christianity

C.S. Lewis

From his own special knowledge of doubt, C.S. Lewis vigorously speaks out for the great common faith which unites all Christians. His purpose not being to convert to any single denomination, but to prove that in the center of each “there is a something, or a Someone, who against all divergences of belief, all differences of temperament, all memories of mutual persecution, speaks with the same voice.”

Thirty Years That Changed the World

Michael Green

Subtitled “The Book of Acts For Today”, this book is supremely relevant for our time. Michael Green looks at the major themes of the Book of Acts in juxtaposition to our half-hearted and cold-blooded Christianity in the western world. This book examines the impact which the first century Christians made on the world of their day and how we can do the same.

Oxford American Prayer Book Commentary

Massey Shepherd, Jr.

Dr. Shepherd’s volume is the only commentary in print on the entire text of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, exclusive of the Psalter. It provides information about the history of the several services, with an exposition of the structures, ceremonies and words of the ritual. It also comments upon the scriptural passages contained in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.

The Writings of the New Testament

Luke Timothy Johnson

This is a textbook. Mr. Johnson, a professor at Emory University, is a Roman Catholic theology fits well with the Anglican tradition. All references to the bible are to the Revised Standard Version. Mr. Johnson is also the lecturer in a DVD series “Jesus and the Gospels” sold by The Teaching Company. This book is the text referred to in that DVD series.

The Living Jesus

Luke Timothy Johnson

This book answers the question: Who is the real Jesus? Not the historical figure, but the resurrected Christ.

The Real Jesus

Luke Timothy Johnson

This book was written to refute the “historical Jesus” taught by adherents to the so-called “Jesus Seminar”, and to emphasize the resurrected Jesus proclaimed by Christian tradition.

The Creed

Luke Timothy Johnson

Explains what Christians believe and why it matters, by analyzing the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed—how they developed, and what they mean.

The Battle for the Resurrection

Norman Geisler

This is a discussion that Jesus was raised in the same physical body in which he had died, and why this belief is important to Christianity.

The Next Christendom

Philip Jenkins

This book is about the growth of Christianity in Africa, Asia and South America.

Creed or Chaos?

Dorothy Sayers

Why Christians must accept and believe the doctrines stated in the two creeds.

The Faith of the Church

James Pike and Norman Pittenger

This book, written in 1951, states the faith of the church as outlined in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and in the Nicene Creed.

The Worship of the Church

Massey Shepherd, Jr.

Outlines the basic principles of Christian worship and the format of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. It was written in 1952 for use in confirmation classes.

Companion to the New Testament of the New English Bible

A.E. Harvey

Gives the historical background, and explains through details, each passage of the New Testament as presented in the New English Bible translation of 1971.

I Believe in the Holy Spirit

Michael Green

Traces the doctrine of the Holy Spirit through the Bible and discusses baptism and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in today’s world.

Sharing Your Faith with Friends and Family

Michael Green

Talks about how to share your faith with those people who are closest to you.

God’s Battalions

Rodney Stark

This book reviews the history of the seven major Crusades from 1095 to 1291, demonstrating that the Crusades were precipitated by Islamic provocations, centuries of bloody attempts to colonize the West, and sudden attacks on Christian pilgrims and holy places. Stark takes on the long-held view that the Crusades were the first round of European colonialism.

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