Van-guard (văn’gärd), noun: “The foremost or leading position in a trend or movement.”

the journey forward... exploring the emerging church... navigating spiritual formation... seeking to transform the world... ...through Christ

Great Books!

Theology:

1. Grudem, W., Systematic Theology (Zondervan, 1994)

2. Erickson, M.L., Christian Theology (Baker, 1985, 1999)

3. Packer, J.I., Concise Theology (Tyndale, 1993)

4. Ladd, George Eldon, A Theology of the New Testament (Eerdmans, 1974, 1993)

5. Calvin, John, The Institutes of the Christian Religion (See McKim, Donald k., Calvin's Institutes for an abridged edition, [Westminster John Knox, 2001])

6. Akers, J., J. Armstrong, and J. Woodbridge (Gen. Eds.) This We Believe (Zondervan, 2000)

Christian Living:

1. Piper, John, Desiring God; Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Multnomah, 1986, 1996)

2. Curtis, Brent and John Eldredge, The Sacred Romance (Thomas Nelson, 1997)

3. Eldredge, John , The Journey of Desire (Thomas Nelson, 2000)

4. George, Elizaeth, A Woman After God's Own Heart (Harvest House, 1997)

5. Willard, Dallas, The Divine Conspiracy (HarperSanFransisco, 1998)

6. Sproul, R.C., Pleasing God (Tyndale, 1988)

Bible Study Methodology:

1. Fee, G.D. and D. Stuart, How to Read the Bible for all its Worth (Zondervan, 1981, 1993)

2. Longman III, T., Reading the Bible with Heart & Mind (Navpress, 1997)

3. Hendricks, Howard, Living by the Book (Moody, 1975)

4. Stein, Robert H., A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible (Baker, 1994)

Spiritual Disciplines:

1. Whitney, D.S., Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Navpress, 1991)

2. Foster, R. J., Celebration of Discipline (Harper & Row, 1978)

3. Tozer, A. W., The Pursuit of God (Horizon Books, 1982)

Prayer:

1. Foster, R. J., Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home (Harper San Francisco, 1992)

2. Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God (Revell, 1958)

3. Augustine, The Confessions 

Evangelism:

1. McLaren, Brian, More Ready Than You Realize (Zondervan, 2002)

2. Petersen, J., Living Proof (Navpress, 1989)

3. Petersen, J., Lifestyle Discipleship (Navpress, 1993)

4. Sjogren, Steve, Conspiracy of Kindness (Vine Books, 1993)

5. Strobel, L., Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary (Zondervan, 1993)

6. Mittelberg, Mark, Building a Contagious Church (Zondervan, 2000)

7. Aldrich, J. C., Life-Style Evangelism (Multnomah, 1978)

Apologetics:

1. McLaren, Brian, Finding Faith (Zondervan, 2000)

2. Little, Paul, Know Why You Believe (InterVarsity, 1968, 1988)

3. Craig, William Lane, Reasonable Faith (Crossway Books, 1994)

4. Lewis, C. S., Mere Christianity (MacMillan, 1943, 1952)

5. Strobel, L., The Case for Christ (Zondervan, 1998)

6. Guiness, Os, Time for Truth (Baker, 2000)

Church Ministry

1. Kimball, Dan, The Emerging Church (Zondervan, 2003)

2. McLaren, Brian, The Church on the Other Side (Zondervan, 2000)

3. Warren, Rick, The Purpose-Driven Church (Zondervan, 1995)

4. Schwarz, Christian A., Natural Church Development (Church Smart Resources, 1996, 1998)

5. Sjogren, Steve, Conspiracy of Kindness (Vine Books, 1993) and 101 Ways to Reach Your Community (NavPress, 2001)

6. Morgenthaler, Sally, Worship Evangelism (Zondervan, 1999)

7. Clegg, Tom and Warren Bird, Lost in America (Group, 2001)

8. Hull, Bill, 7 Steps to Transform Your Church (Revell, 1993)

Emerging Church

1. McLaren, Brian, A New Kind of Christian (Jossey-Bass, 2001)

2. Webber, Robert, The Younger Evangelicals (Baker, 2002)

3. Sweet, Leonard, Soul Tsunami (Zondervan, 1999)

Postmodernity

1. Grenz, S. J. (1996). A Primer on Postmodernism. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

2. Dockery, D. S. (Ed.). (1995). The Challenge of Postmodernism: An Evangelical Engagement. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

3. Carson, D. A., The Gagging of God (Zondervan, 1996)

4. Johnston, Graham, Preaching to a Postmodern World (Baker, 2001)

Cults:

1. Tucker, R.A., Another Gospel (Zondervan, 1989)

2. Martin, W., Kingdom of the Cults (Bethany House, 1985)

Atheistic Evolution:

1. Johnson, P.E., Darwin on Trial (InterVarsity, 1991)

2. Johnson, P.E., Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds (InterVarsity, 1997)

3. Behe, Michael J., Darwin's Black Box (Free Press, 1996)

Preaching

1. Piper, John, The Supremacy of God in Preaching (Baker, 1990)

2. Greidanus, Sidney, The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text (Eerdmans, 1988)

3. Robinson, Haddon, Biblical Preaching (Baker, 1980)

4. Johnston, Graham, Preaching to a Postmodern World (Baker, 2001)

5. Begg, Alistair, Preaching for God's Glory (Crossway, 1999)

Updated February 2003

Also see the ABC's of Bible Study Helps

Back to Discipleship

Ministry Transformation- The Emerging Church  Personal Transformation- Spiritual Formation  World Transformation- Social Action

Interact with Bob Robinson about the emerging church, spiritual formation, or social action by e-mailing vanguard church with your comments.