You get five books...

[Tradd]

Since we all seem to be big on books here :, I thought it might be an interesting thread for us to list five good, essential books on our faith tradition. I'm quite the minimalist with stuff, so think of it as these are all you get. This is in addition to any sacred texts (Bible, Koran, etc.) and any prayer/devotional book(s).

I'll go first. I'm an Orthodox Christian:

The Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Way - both by Bishop Kallistos Ware
Way of the Ascetics - Tito Colliander
For the Life of the World - Alexander Schmemann
The Year of Grace of the Lord - A Monk of the Eastern Church

Yours?

[hopefulfaith]

Oooh, good question.

I'm RC, but I attend an Episcopal church. I might be Episcopalian by now.
At any rate...

Mine are, in no particular order:

Sara Miles - Take this Bread
C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters
Lauren Winner - Girl Meets God and Mudhouse Sabbath
Anne Lamott - Traveling Mercies, Plan B, and Grace (eventually)
Karen Armstrong - any and all!

I guess that's five authors instead of five books. Choosing only five books might be next to impossible, though. I'm not very good at this game. Sorry. Next!

[Liquesce]

Originally Posted by hopefulfaith

Anne Lamott - Traveling Mercies, Plan B, and Grace (eventually)

I really her.

[smeisnotapirate]

These are all books geared TOWARDS Jews, not necessarily teaching about Judaism to non-Jews. Hope that was what you were looking for.

To Life! A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking - Harold S. Kushner
Living a Jewish Life - Anita Diamant
Jewish Literacy - Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
Jews, G-d, and History - Max I. Diamont
The Jewish Book of Why - Alfred J. Kolatch

[PaulaJoAnne]

DH and I are conservative House churching Born again Believers.
Bible ( I know this one is a given, but I'm still posting it)
Believer's Bible Commentary Old Testament
and New Testament, by William MacDonald
A Historical Sketch of the Brethren Movement, by H.A. Ironside
My Utmost For His Highest, by Oswald Chamber

[doubledutch]

:

i have to think about it, but for now, subbing! great thread idea.

[smeisnotapirate]

Aack! I forgot one of Judaism's foremost philosophers. Can I change To Life! to:

To Life! (easy Jewish philosophy) or G-d in Search of Man - Abraham Joshua Heschel (heavy reading).

: hope that's not cheating.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

Christian here...

There are few books that I feel are must haves, but a few of my absolute favorites are

Lee Strobel's (The Case for Faith, The Case for Christ, The Case for the Creator)

Framework for Christian Faith by Galyn Wiemers (he's has tons of free audio resources and the entire book available for free online at www.generationword.com)

The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Tortured for Christ by William Wurmbrand

[lilyka]

:

i will have to come back to this.....

[Tradd]

Originally Posted by smeisnotapirate

These are all books geared TOWARDS Jews, not necessarily teaching about Judaism to non-Jews. Hope that was what you were looking for.

To Life! A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking - Harold S. Kushner
Living a Jewish Life - Anita Diamant
Jewish Literacy - Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
Jews, G-d, and History - Max I. Diamont
The Jewish Book of Why - Alfred J. Kolatch

It doesn't matter - could be books you feel are essential for your own spiritual life or introducing others to your faith tradition. The books I listed, for example, are often used by those interested in Orthodoxy, but they are so good, that many of us, even years after conversion, keep going back to them.

[Summertime Mommy]

Muslim here
No God but God by Reza Azan (i think)
In the Footsteps of the Prophet by Tariq Ramadan
The Essential Qur'an transby Thomas Cleary

hmm...will have to think of more

[boigrrrlwonder]

I'm religious but don't really fit in any one box.

The Earth Path by Starhawk
Reading the Bible Again for the First Time by Marcus Borg
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Jesus Mysteries by Timothy Freke

[smeisnotapirate]

Love The Red Tent! It's a beautiful piece of Midrash.

[Bluegoat]

What would I take:

THe Book of Common Prayer
The Confessions
The Proslogion
Something by CS Lewis, maybe some essays?
the collected works of TS Eliot

[imnottelling]

Originally Posted by smeisnotapirate

Love The Red Tent! It's a beautiful piece of Midrash.

(Albeit, completely inaccurate. I never finished it. One of my problems with historical fiction about Jewish themes is that it's fiction but taken as fact by readers who don't know better.)

[genifer]

Right now I can think of only one... well two...

Chasing the Dragon about the missionary to Hong Kong Jackie Pullinger
The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey... One of the best books ever.
also Soul Survivor byt Philip Yancey... almost anything by Philip Yancey.

[Nabbe]

I am a muslim... Apart from the Quran, these are my favourites:

The Fundamentals of Monoteism, by Abu Bilal Philips
Ma'alim fi'l-Tariq, "Milestones", by Syed Qutb
The Great Compilation of Fatwa by Ibn Taymiyah
Ar Raheeq Al Makhtum : The Sealed Nectar (Saif ur Rahman al Mubarakpuri)
And a book called "The Ideal Muslimah" but I dont remember who wrote it right now...

[mrs*kewpie*pie]

i'm a christian and when i attend services its at the kindom hall (jehovah's witnesses) but i'm not formally affiliated w/ any one denomination

1. the bible.... i have several versions, king james, watchtower society, st joseph's, niv

2. jonathan livingston seagull. not really a religious book but gets to the heart of what its all about to me

3. the screwtape letters

4 the pilgrims progress

5 conversations with god

[christianmomof3]

I am Christian and I meet with a local church in the Lord's Recovery.
Some of my favorite books include:
The Recovery Version Bible - with footnotes
http://www.recoveryversion.org/
http://online.recoveryversion.org/index2.asp
www.biblesforamerica.org
The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/nee/normal.html
Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/boo...nnah%2DHurnard
Praising - a booklet by Watchman Nee
online at http://www.ministrybooks.org/categories.cfm#xBkx
and I recently read and enjoyed
The Shack by William Young and enjoyed it as well
http://theshackbook.com/

[theretohere]

1) Bible
2) Book of Concord
3) Spirituality of the Cross by Gene Edward Veith
4) Why I am a Lutheran by Daniel Preus
5) Luther's Commentary of Galatians