Spiritual vitality describes Bob Munger, and these are some of the books that fed his faith. Now chaplain to the faculty at Fuller Theological Seminary, he has spent over half a century in ministry and sending others into the ministry. His booklet My Heart, Christ’s Home has become a devotional classic.
Knowing God by J. I. Packer, InterVarsity, 1973
This book provides an excellent introduction to the biblical truth needed to anchor a vital faith. It approaches theology from the aspect of knowing God, not just knowing about God.
I find it good devotional reading, but it has also been particularly good as a book to recommend to students ready to take on a deeper understanding of faith. They have rated it well.
Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, Moody, 1984
This one’s a classic for a reason. I find it so practical. Obviously Bunyan had suffered spiritually and personally, and he was able to shed light on all kinds of problems.
One example is the dungeon in which Pilgrim finds himself beaten by doubts and hopelessness. I’ve been there! But both of us have the key: trust. I return to this book time and again.
Basic Christianity by John R. W. Stott, Eerdmans, 1957
I never fail to be helped by anything Stott writes, and this early book is one of his best. It gave me such a rational, biblical orientation to the knowledge of Christ. I have often given away this book to people seeking answers.
Other books by Stott, such as The Cross of Christ (Intervarsity, 1986) and The Sermon on the Mount (Intervarsity, 1987), are also gems. In one field after another, Stott feeds me with his insight.
The Christbook by Frederick Dale Brunner, Word, 1987
I worked through this commentary on the first twelve chapters of Matthew a few pages at a time for nearly six months. It is a rich book-detailed, full of the wonder and power and proper glory of Jesus Christ. Brunner brings a full range of theology from Augustine to the present. Had this Christocentric book been available earlier in my ministry, I would have preached out of it often.
Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, Macmillan, 1982
What list could be complete without Lewis? Although Mere Christianity and his other writings have greatly influenced me, right after World War II I was intrigued by how in Screwtape Letters Lewis handled the subject of Satan with such biblical insight and human sensitivity. This book opened to me the wealth of material available from this masterful composer of the English language.
Confession: The Road to Forgiveness by Andrew Murray Whitaker, 1983
Over the years, I keep discovering books by Andrew Murray that speak to my heart. This one about Psalm 51 tells of joy after confession. This isn’t a superficial book. He speaks of complete brokenness that sees sin as God does. But he also writes of forgiveness so complete that it’s as though the sin never happened. His insights help me keep faith lively in spite of my shortcomings.
The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, Harper & Row, 1978
I like to teach from this book because it takes me beyond where I am. As I learn from Foster, he helps me use what I am learning. He covers the broad field of devotional life in this deepest, widest, and best-written guide of our time.
The Word Became Flesh by E. Stanley Jones, Abingdon, 1979
In 1954 in Meramon, South India, I sat under palm branches in a dry creekbed with fifty thousand others hearing E. Stanley Jones preach. Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision, was there but a little wary of Jones’s reputation. But he told me, “I had to climb down off my judgmental throne when every morning I realized he was reading his Bible from 4:30 to 6:30.”
This is one of the best available devotional books. His grasp of the subject and its application challenges me to get up and do something.
Copyright © 1988 by the author or Christianity Today/Leadership Journal. Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.
