2015 is 60% over, and that means all the books for the year have either been released or announced. In the summer months I begin to compile a rough list of about 50 of the potentially best Christian (non-fiction) books of the year into a list that I will use to pick my top choices in November.
[Update: The list has nearly topped 70 titles — thanks for the wonderful suggestions.]
Here’s my list:
- Andrew Wilson and Rachel Wilson, The Life You Never Expected: Thriving While Parenting Special Needs Children (IVP)
- Anthony Thiselton, Systematic Theology (Eerdmans)
- Carl Trueman, Luther on the Christian Life: Cross and Freedom (Crossway)
- Charles Irons, The Righteousness of God: A Lexical Examination of the Covenant-Faithfulness Interpretation (Mohr Siebeck)
- Christopher J.H. Wright, The Message of Lamentations (IVP)
- Daniel Block, Ruth (Zondervan)
- Daniel Strange, Their Rock Is Not Like Our Rock: A Theology of Religions (Zondervan)
- David Garland, A Theology of Mark’s Gospel (Zondervan)
- David Platt, Counter Culture: A Compassionate Call to Counter Culture in a World of Poverty, Same-Sex Marriage, Racism, Sex Slavery, Immigration, Abortion, Persecution, Orphans and Pornography (Tyndale)
- Don Carson, editor, NIV Zondervan Study Bible (Zondervan)
- Don Whitney, Praying the Bible (Crossway)
- Douglas Wilson, Writers to Read: Nine Names That Belong on Your Bookshelf (Crossway)
- George Guthrie, 2 Corinthians (Baker)
- Gerald Bray, Augustine on the Christian Life: Transformed by the Power of God (Crossway)
- Gerald Hiestand and Todd Wilson, The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision (Zondervan)
- Gloria Furman, The Pastor’s Wife: Strengthened by Grace for a Life of Love (Crossway)
- Gloria Furman and Kathleen Nielson, Word-Filled Women’s Ministry: Loving and Serving the Church (Crossway)
- Iain Duguid, The Song of Songs (IVP)
- Iain Murray, Amy Carmichael: Beauty For Ashes (Banner of Truth)
- James Edwards, The Gospel According to Luke (Eerdmans)
- Jared Wilson, The Prodigal Church: A Gentle Manifesto against the Status Quo (Crossway)
- Jared Wilson, The Story of Everything: How You, Your Pets, and the Swiss Alps Fit into God’s Plan for the World (Crossway)
- Jeff Vanderstelt, Saturate: Being Disciples of Jesus in the Everyday Stuff of Life (Crossway)
- Jefferson Bethke, It’s Not What You Think: Why Christianity Is About So Much More Than Going to Heaven When You Die (Thomas Nelson)
- Joe Rigney, The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts (Crossway)
- John Bolt, Bavinck on the Christian Life: Following Jesus in Faithful Service (Crossway)
- John Frame, A History of Western Philosophy and Theology (P&R)
- Jon Bloom, Things Not Seen: A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Trusting God’s Promises (Crossway)
- Joseph Hellerman, Philippians (B&H)
- Justin Holcomb and Lindsey Holcomb, God Made All of Me: A Book to Help Children Protect Their Bodies (New Growth)
- Kent Hughes, The Pastor’s Book: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide to Pastoral Ministry (Crossway)
- Kevin DeYoung, What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality (Crossway)
- Kevin DeYoung and Don Clark, The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden (Crossway)
- Leland Ryken, J. I. Packer: An Evangelical Life (Crossway)
- Mark Boda, Zechariah (Eerdmans)
- Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop, The Compelling Community: Where God’s Power Makes a Church Attractive (Crossway)
- Mark Jones, Knowing Christ (Banner of Truth)
- Matt Chandler, The Mingling of Souls: God’s Design for Love, Marriage, Sex, and Redemption (David C. Cook)
- Matthew Harmon, Philippians (Mentor)
- Michael Haykin and Matthew Barrett, Owen on the Christian Life: Living for the Glory of God in Christ (Crossway)
- Murray Harris, John (B&H)
- Os Guinness, Fool’s Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion (IVP)
- Owen Strachan and Matthew Hall, editors, Essential Evangelicalism: The Enduring Influence of Carl F. H. Henry (Crossway)
- Owen Strachan, Awakening the Evangelical Mind: An Intellectual History of the Neo-Evangelical Movement (Zondervan)
- Owen Strachan, The Colson Way: Loving Your Neighbor and Living with Faith in a Hostile World (Thomas Nelson)
- Paul Heintzman, Leisure and Spirituality: Biblical, Historical, and Contemporary Perspectives (Baker)
- Paul Nyquist, Prepare: Living Your Faith in an Increasingly Hostile Culture (Moody)
- Paul Tripp, Awe: Why It Matters for Everything We Think, Say, and Do (Crossway)
- Peter Leithart, Traces of the Trinity: Signs of God in Creation and Human Experience (Brazos)
- Philip Zaleski and Carol Zaleski, The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
- Randy Alcorn, Happiness (Tyndale)
- Richard Bauckham, Gospel of Glory: Major Themes in Johannine Theology (Baker)
- Richard Lints, Identity and Idolatry: The Image of God and Its Inversion (IVP)
- Richard Longenecker, The Epistle to the Romans (Eerdmans)
- Rico Tice, Honest Evangelism (The Good Book Company)
- Rod Dreher, How Dante Can Save Your Life: The Life-Changing Wisdom of History’s Greatest Poem (Regan Arts)
- Rosaria Butterfield, Openness Unhindered: Further Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert on Sexual Identity and Union with Christ (Crown & Covenant)
- Russ Ramsey, Behold the King of Glory: A Narrative of the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Crossway)
- Russell Moore, Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel (B&H)
- Sam Storms, Packer on the Christian Life: Knowing God in Christ, Walking by the Spirit (Crossway)
- Scott Sauls, Jesus Outside the Lines: A Way Forward for Those Who Are Tired of Taking Sides (Tyndale House)
- Thabiti Anyabwile, Reviving the Black Church: New Life for a Sacred Institution (B&H)
- Thomas Kidd and Barry Hankins, Baptists in America: A History (Oxford)
- Thomas Oden, A Change of Heart: A Personal and Theological Memoir (IVP)
- Thomas Schreiner, Commentary on Hebrews (Holman)
- Thomas Schreiner, Faith Alone—The Doctrine of Justification: What the Reformers Taught and Why It Still Matters (Zondervan)
- Tim Keller, Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism (Viking)
- Todd Billings, Rejoicing in Lament: Wrestling with Incurable Cancer and Life in Christ (Brazos)
- Trillia Newbell, Fear and Faith: Finding the Peace Your Heart Craves (Moody)
Of course I need your help on this community project of trying to pull in all the contenders. Tweet me or comment here: What books from 2015 have I missed?
Tony Reinke 
Tony,
I JUST finished reading page 34-35 of your book LIT!, which I bought a few days ago. Setting aside all the other things i would love to say to you and thank you for, I wanted to say thank you for this. As I finished reading about the new sight you were given (under your subhead “My Unveiling”), and read a page of Christ’s glories, my spirit soared in worship.
Then my phone pings that I have a new email from your blog, specifically about books!
You may not read this or have time to respond, but I wanted to say “thank you”, and praise God for our faithful telling of how your hearts eyes were unveiled.
Sincerely,
Caleb Larson
Thornton, Colorado
>
The Road to Character by David Brooks
Caleb thank you for the incredible encouragement, I really appreciated it, especially as I should be working on my next book, but this morning I decided to procrastinate by talking about books written by others (haha!). Your words are an encouragement and an admonishment that I need to get back to work. Thank you! Tony
Wonderful book. There’s some highpoints, especially when he gets into Augustine’s conversion and the role of the affections. But a fundamental lack of redemption at the center of moral character would make me hesitate in calling it a Christian book, at least in how I would conceive of it.
Compelling Community by Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop.
Yes, added.
Right. I completely understand. Rules for Reformers by Douglas Wilson was outstanding!
How Dante Can Save Your Life by Rod Dreher
Yes, very good. Thank you
Rejoicing in Christ by Michael Reeves
[…] If you geek out over “best of” book lists like I sometimes do, you may enjoy Tony Reinke’s list of the best of 2015 so far. […]
[…] Reinke hat 50 Neuerscheinungen von 2015 aufgelistet. Was für eine Auswahl. Nicht weniger als 19 davon sind auf meiner Liste, […]
Thanks for the list
Mark Meynell’s “A Wilderness of Mirrors” would be a great addition!
Yes! Finishing an interview with him now. The book is really good.
On my 2014 list.
Counter Culture by David Platt.
Yes, added. Thank you
Thanks for the writing Lit!. A great help to me and just the kind of thing I was looking for.
How about including
“Side by Side: Walking With Others in Wisdom and Love” by Edward T. Welch
“Openness Unhindered: Further Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert on Sexual Identity and Union with Christ?” by Rosaria Butterfield