Editor’s Note
Since the “top faith animating learning books” is subject to a wide degree of interpretation, I will say a note about this list.
- At the start the list includes a few general works related to the academic life in general as well as teaching.
- The rest of the books that focus on faith and learning in a particular discipline. Usually these works can help give the novice an orientation regarding the faith-learning conversation in the particular field. The list purposely left out the fields of Biblical Studies, Theology and Church History apart from a general list of some classic texts since those will be heavily influenced by theological tradition.
- This list is not necessarily a list of books that might exemplify excellent scholarship by Christians in a field (e.g., George Marsden’s biography of Jonathan Edwards). Perhaps in the future we will create such a list. Right now, this list is meant to be a resource for faculty development or Christian graduate students trying to familiarize themselves with the faith-learning conversation in general or the one taking place in their field or discipline.
Please feel free to send me further suggestions.
CSR Editor-in-Chief,
Perry L. Glanzer
Scholarship and Teaching in General
Academic/Intellectual Life
- Paul G. Griffiths, The Vice of Curiosity: An Essay on Intellectual Appetite
- Jean LeClerq, The Love of Learning and the Desire for God.
- George Marsden, The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship
- Mark Noll, Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind
- Mark A. Noll, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind
- A.G. Sertillanges, The Intellectual Life.
- Albert M. Wolters, Creation Regained
- Douglas Jacobson and Rhonda Hustedt Jacobson, Scholarship and Christian Faith: Enlarging the Conversation
Teaching
- Chris Anderson, Teaching as Believing: Faith in the University
- Perry L. Glanzer and Nathan Alleman, The Outrageous Idea of Christian Teaching
- Adam Neder, Theology as a Way of Life: On Teaching and Learning the Christian Faith
- David Smith, On Christian Teaching
- David I. Smith and James K. A. Smith, Teaching and Christian Practices: Reshaping Faith and Learning
- William Yount, Called to Teach: An Introduction to the Ministry of Teaching
Faith-Learning Works By Discipline
Anthropology
- Brian M. Howell, Jenell Paris, Introducing Cultural Anthropology
- Paul G. Hiebert, Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues
- Robert J. Priest and Alvaro Nieves, This Side of Heaven: Race, Ethnicity and Christian Faith
- Timothy Larsen, The Slain God
- Sherwood G. Lingenfelter, Transforming Culture
Art
- Michael Card, Scribbling in the Sand
- Andy Crouch, Culture Making: Recovering Our Creating Calling
- Alejandro R. Garcia-Rivera, A Wounded Innocence: Sketches for a Theology of Art
- Katie Kressar, Bezalel’s Body: The Death of God and the Birth of Art
- Makoto Fujimura, Art and Faith
- Nicholas Wolterstorff, Art in Action
- Calvin Seerveld, Rainbows for the Fallen World
Biology
- Richard T. Wright, Biology through the Eyes of Faith
- James Stump and Stanley N. Gundry (eds.), Four View on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design
- Darrel Falk, Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology
- Ruth Bancewicz, God in the Lab: How Science Enhances Faith\
Business
- Faith and Company Documentary film series
- Barnes, K. J., Redeeming Capitalism
- Catherwood, Fred, The Creation of Wealth: Recovering a Christian Understanding of Money, Work, and Ethics
- Kaemingk, M., & Willson, C. B., Work and Worship: Reconnecting our Labor and Liturgy
- Noll, M. A., God and Mammon: Protestants, Money, and the Market, 1790-1860
- Sedláček, T., Economics of Good and Evil: The Quest for Economic Meaning from Gilgamesh to Wall Street
- Kenman Wong and Scott Rae, Business for the Common Good: A Christian Vision for the Marketplace
- Stevens, R. P., & Lim, C. C. H., Money Matters: Faith, Life, and Wealth
Chemistry
- Ben McFarland, A World from Dust
Christian Ethics–Contemporary
- Stanley Hauerwas, The Peaceable Kingdom
- Richard Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament
- Richard Niebuhr, Christ and Culture
- Oliver O’Donovan, Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics
- John Howard Yoder, The Politics of Jesus
- John G. Stackhouse, Jr., Why You’re Here: Ethics for the Real World
Communications
- Robert H. Woods, Jr., Naaman K. Wood, Words and Witnesses: Communication Studies in Christian Thought from Athanasius to Desmond Tutu
- Quentin J. Schultze, An Essential Guide to Public Speaking
- Richard J. Mouw, Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World
- Tim Muehlhoff and Richard Langer, Winsome Persuasion Christian Influence in a Post-Christian World
- Tim Muehlhoff and Todd Lewis, Authentic Communication: Christian Speech Engaging Culture
Criminal Justice
- Matthew T. Martens, Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal
- Daniel Reinhardt, Rethinking the Police: An Officer’s Confession and the Pathway to Reform
Economics
- Mary Hirschfield, Aquinas and the Market: Toward a Humane Economy
- Bob Goudzwaard, Capitalism and Progress: A Diagnosis of Western Society
- Victor V. Claar and Greg Forester, The Keynesian Revolution and our Empty Economy
- Brian Friffiths, The Creation of Wealth: A Christian’s Case for Capitalism
- Ronald J. Sider, Rich Christians in An Age of Hunger
- Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting The Poor…And Yourself
Education–General
- John Amos Comenius, The Great Didactic
- Abraham Kuyper, On Education
- Parker J. Palmer, To Know as We Are Known: Education as a Spiritual Journey
- Cornelius Plantinga, Engaging God’s World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning and Living
- James K.A. Smith, Desiring the Kingdom
Education—Christian Formation
- Walter Brueggemann, The Creative Word: Canon as a Model for Biblical Education
- Craig Dykstra, Growing in the Life of Faith
Engineering and Computer Science
- Matthew Dickerson, The Mind and the Machine
- John Dyer, From the Garden to the City: The Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology.
- Craig Gay, Modern Technology and the Human Future: A Christian Appraisal
- Derek Schuurman, Shaping a Digital World
- Ethan J. Brue, Derek C. Schuurman, and Steven H. Vanderleest, A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers
English
- David Lyle Jeffrey, People of the Book: Christian Identity and Literacy Culture
- David Jeffrey and Greg Maillet, Christianity and Literature.
- Alistair E. McGrath, Christian Literature: An Anthology
- Karen Swallow Prior, On Reading Well
- Leland Ryken, The Christian Imagination: The Practice of Faith in Literature and Writing
- Gene Edward Veith Jr., Reading Between the Lines: A Christian Guide to Literature
- Alan Jacobs, The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction
- Alan Jacobs, A Theology of Reading: The Hermeneutics of Love
- Marilyn McEntyre, Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies
- Susan V. Gallagher and Roger Lundin, Literature Through the Eyes of Faith
Environmental Studies
- Colin Bell, Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church
- David P. Warnter and Matthew K. Heun, eds. Beyond Stewardship: New Approaches to Creation Care
Film
- Roy Anker, Catching Light: Looking for God in the Movies
- Crystal Downing, Salvation from Cinema: The Medium is the Message
- Robert K. Johnston, Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue
- Jeffrey Overstreet, Through a Screen Darkly: Looking Closer at Beauty, Truth, & Evil in the Movies
Food Studies/A
- Norman Wirzba, Food and Faith: A Theology of Eating
- Angel F. Méndez-Montoya, The Theology of Food: Eating and the Eucharist
- Rachel Marie Stone, Eat with Joy: Redeeming God’s Gift of Food
- Lisa Graham McMinn, To the Table: A Spirituality of Food, Farming, and Community
Genetics
- Francis S. Collins, The Language of God
Geology
- Robert C. Bishop, Larry L. Funck, Raymond J. Lewis, Stephen O. Moshier, and John H. Walton, Understanding Scientific Theories of Origins, Cosmology, Geology, and Biology in Christian Perspective
- Carol Hill, Gregg Davidson, Wayne Ranney, Tim Helble (eds.), The Grand Canyon, Monument to an Ancient Earth: Can Noah’s Flood Explain the Grand Canyon?
- Kenneth Keathley, J. B. Stump, and Joe Aguirre (eds.), Old-Earth or Evolutionary Creation? Discussing Origins with Reasons to Believe and BioLogos
- Davis Young and Ralph Stearley, The Bible, Rocks and Time
Higher Education
- Perry Glanzer, Nathan Alleman, and Todd Ream, Restoring the Soul of the University
- Arthur Holmes, The Idea of a Christian College
- Richard T. Hughes, The Vocation of the Christian Scholar
- James Mannoia, Christian Liberal Arts: An Education that Goes Beyond.
- George M. Marsden, The Soul of the American University
- Mark R. Schwen, Exiles from Eden
- Susan VanZanten, Joining the Mission: A Guide for (Mainly) New College Faculty
History
- David Bebbington, Patterns in History: A Christian Perspective on Historical Thought
- Margaret Bendroth, The Spiritual Practice of Remembering
- Herbert Butterfield, The Whig Interpretation of History
- Alister Chapman, John Coffey, Brad S. Gregory, Seeing Things Their Way: Intellectual History and the Return of Religion
- John Fea, Jay Green, and Eric Miller, eds., Confessing History: Explorations in Christian Faith and the Historian’s Vocation
- Jay D. Green, Christian Historiography: Five Rival Versions
- Reinhold Niebuhr, The Irony of American History
International Relations
- Douglas Johnston and Cynthia Sampson, Religion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft
- Scott. M Thomas, The Global Resurgence of Religion and the Transformation of International Relations
- Monica Duffy Toft, Daniel Philpott, and Timothy Shah, God’s Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics
Languages
- David I. Smith and Terry Osborn, Spirituality, Social Justice, and Language Learning
- Mary Shepard Wong, Carolyn Kristjansson, Zoltan Dornyei, Christian Faith and English Language Teaching and Learning
- Michael Pasquale, Nathan L.K. Bierma, Every Tribe and Tongue: A Biblical Vision for Language in Society
- David I. Smith and Barbara Carvill, The Gift of the Stranger: Faith, Hospitality, and Foreign Language Learning
Law
- Harold J. Berman, Law and Revolution
- Jonathan Burnside, God, Justice, and Society
- Michael W. McConnell, Angela C. Carmella, and Robert F. Cochran, Jr., eds., Christian Perspectives on Legal Thought
- Michael P. Schutt, Redeeming Law
- Thomas Aquinas, Treatise on Law
Leadership/Organizational Leadership
- Frederic Laloux, Reinventing Organisations: A Guide to Creating Organisations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness.
- Bryant Myers, Engaging Globalization: The Poor, Christian Mission and Our Hyperconnected World
- Tim Porter-O’Grady and Kathy Malloch, Quantum Leadership: Creating Sustainable Value in Health Care, Jones & Bartlett Learning
Librarianship
- Garrett B. Trott, The Faithful Librarian: Essays on Christianity in the Profession
- Gregory A. Smith, Christian Librarianship: Essays on the Integration of Faith and Profession
Literature
- Amy Hungerford, Postmodern Belief: American Literature and Religion since 1960.
- Sarah A. Lanier, Foreign to Familiar
- Marilynne Robinson, When I Was a Child I Read Books
- James Seaton, Literary Criticism from Plato to Postmodernism: The Humanistic Alternative
- George Verwer, Out of the Comfort Zone
Mathematics
- Russell W Howell and James Bradley, Mathematics in a Postmodern Age : A Christian Perspective.
- Russell Howell and James Bradley, Mathematics Through the Eyes of Faith
- David L Neuhouser, Open to Reason
- Francis Su, Math for Human Flourishing
Media
- Robert H. Woods Jr. and Paul D. Patton, Prophetically Incorrect: A Christian Introduction to Media Criticism
- Ken Wytsma and A.J. Swoboda, Redeeming How We Talk
Medical
- Warren Kinghorn, Wayfaring: A Christian Approach to Mental Health Care
Music
- Jeremy S. Begbie, Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music
- Jeremy S. Begbie, Music, Modernity, and God: Essays in Listening
- Jeremy S. Begbie, Redeeming Transcendence in the Arts: Bearing Witness to the Triune God
Neuroscience
- Peter Clarke, All in the Mind? Does Neuroscience Challenge Faith?
Nursing
- Dominick Albano, The Fundamental Theory of Happiness: How to Find Your Purpose and Be More Joyful
- Christina Feist-Heilmeier, Nurses Are from Heaven: Nursing Through the Eyes of Faith
- Steele, R. B., Monroe, H. A., & Wild, L. M., Christian Ethics and Nursing Practice
Philosophy—Classical
- Aquinas, Summa Theologica
- Augustine, Confessions
- Sören Kierkegaard, Philosophical Fragments
Philosophy—Contemporary
- Peter Van Inwagen, Quam Dilecta
- Alvin Plantinga, Is Belief in God Rational?
- Alvin Plantinga, Warranted Christian Belief
- Richard Swinburne, The Christian God
- Nicholas Wolterstorff, Reason Within the Bounds of Religion
Physics
- Giorgio de Santillana, The Crime of Galileo
- Stephen M. Barr, Modern Physics and Ancient Faith
- John Polkinghorne, The Faith of a Physicist
- John Polkinghorne, Quarks, Chaos and Christianity
Political Science
- Augustine, City of God
- David C. Innes, Christ and the Kingdoms of Men: Foundations of Political Life
- Robert Woodberry, The Missionary Roots of Liberal Democracy
- David Koyzis, Political Visions & Illusions. Second Edition.
- Bethany Hoang and Kristen Deede Johnson. The Justice Calling.
- Vince Bacote, The Political Disciple.
- Jim Skillen, The Good of Politics.
- Fred Van Geest, Introduction to Political Science
Psychology
- Aten, Jamie D. Evidence-Based Practices for Christian Counseling and Psychotherapy
- Entwistle, David N. 2015. Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity : An Introduction to Worldview Issues, Philosophical Foundations, and Models of Integration
- Jeeves, Malcolm A. Minds, Brains, Souls, and Gods : a Conversation on Faith, Psychology, and Neuroscience
- Johnson, Eric L., and David G. Myers. Psychology & Christianity : Five Views
- Myers, David G., and Malcolm A. Jeeves. Psychology through the Eyes of Faith
- Terri S. Watson. Developing Clinicians of Character: A Christian Integrative Approach to Clinical Supervision
- Stanton Jones and Richard Butman, Modern Psychotherapies: A Comprehensive Christian Appraisal
Race
- Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith, Divided by Faith
- Willie James Jennings, After Whiteness: An Education in Belonging and The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race
- Soong-Chan Rah, Prophetic Lament: A call for justice in troubled times
- Sheila Wise Rowe, Healing racial trauma: The road to resilience.
- Jemar Tisby and Lecrae Moore, The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism
- George Yancey, Beyond Racial Gridlock
Science/Natural Science
- Richard H. Bube, Putting It All Together Seven Patterns for Relating Science and the Christian Faith Together
- Greg Cootsona, Mere Science and Christian Faith: Bridging the Divide with Emerging Adults
- Paul Copan, Tremper Longman III, Christopher L. Reese, Michael Strauss (eds.), Dictionary of Christianity and Science
- Gregg Davidson, Friend of Science, Friend of Faith: Listening to God in His Works and Word
- Karl W. Giberson and Francis S. Collins, The Language of Science and Faith, Straight Answers to Genuine Questions
- Owen Gingerich, God’s Universe
- Owen Gingerich, God’s Planet
- Alister McGrath, Enriching our Vision of Reality, Theology and the Natural Sciences in Dialogue
- Tom McLeish, Faith and Wisdom in Science/
- John Polkinghorne, Science and Theology
- Del Ratzsch, Science & Its Limits, The Natural Sciences in Christian Perspective
- Davis Young, Good News for Science
- Ruth M. Bancewicz, God in the Lab: How Science Enhances Faith
- Ruth M. Bancewicz, Test of Faith: Spiritual Journeys with Scientists
- Elaine Howard Ecklund, Why Science and Faith Need Each Other
- Ronald Numbers, Galileo Goes to Jail and Other Myths About Science and Religion
- Samir Okasha, Philosophy of Science: Very Short Introduction
- Andrew Briggs et al., It Keeps Me Seeking: The Invitation from Science, Philosophy and Religion
Sociology
- Christian Smith, Moral, Believing Animals: Human Personhood and Culture.
- Christian Smith, The Sacred Project of American Sociology.
- Cynthia Tweedell, Sociology: A Christian Approach for Changing the World
- Jacques Ellul, The Presence of the Kingdom
- David Martin, Christian Language and Its Mutations: Essays in Sociological Understanding
Sport
- Brian Edgar, The God Who Plays: A Playful Approach To Theology and Spirituality
- Rob Ellis, The Games People Play: Theology, Religion, and Sport
- Duncan Hamilton, For the Glory: Eric Liddell’s Journey from Olympic Champion to Modern Martyr
- Lincoln Harvey, A Brief Theology of Sport
- Michael G. Long and Chris Lamb, Jackie Robinson, A Spiritual Biography: The Faith of a Boundary-Breaking Hero
- Marcia Shoop, Touchdowns for Jesus and Other Signs of Apocalypse: Lifting the Veil on Big-Time Sports
Student Affairs
- Perry L. Glanzer, Ted Cockle, Elijah Jeong, and Britney Graber, Christ-Enlivened Student Affairs: A Guide to Christian Thinking and Practice in the Field
- Estanek, Sandra M., ed. Understanding Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities: A Comprehensive Resource.
- Estanek, Sandra M, Michael Galligan-Stierle, Maryellen Gilory, Lisa L Kirkpatrick,. Student Life in Catholic Higher Education: Advancing Good Practice,
- Guthrie, David S., ed. Student Affairs Reconsidered: A Christian View of the Profession and Its Contexts.
Theology/Bible/Christian Ethics—Classic (ordered chronologically)
- Church Fathers from the first thousand years, https://ccel.org/fathers and https://ccel.org/ccel/pearse/morefathers/files/morefathers.html
- Thomas Aquinas, Classics
- Julian of Norwich, Classics
- Martin Luther, Classics
- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion and Classics
- John Wesley, Classics
- Herman Bavinck, The Philosophy of Revelation
World Christianity
- Kwame Bediako, Christianity in Africa: The Renewal of a Non-Western Religion
- Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity
- Lamin Sanneh, Whose Religion is Christianity? The Gospel Beyond the West
- Andrew Walls, The Missionary Movement in Christian History
- Douglas Jacobsen, Scholarship and the Christian Faith: Enlarging the Conversation
- Douglas Jacobsen, The World’s Christians: Who they are, Where they Are, and How they Got There