: Books by Carolyn Custis James :

The Gospel of Ruth

This isn't the Ruth, the Naomi, or the Boaz we thought we knew. Carolyn James has unearthed startling new insights from this well-worn story—insights that have life-changing implications for you.		    

Lost Women of the Bible

The women of the Bible have a strong, relevant message for women today that has been lost underneath layers of traditional interpretations and the expectation that God does his most important work through men. Crucial dimensions of their lives have been muted, forgotten, or passed over. This book brings the women of the Bible into the 21st Century by recovering their powerful message for women today.

When Life and Beliefs Collide

Sooner or later, life’s difficulties bring every Christian woman to God’s doorstep with questions too personal to ignore.  “Why does God let me go through such painful circumstances?”  “Why does he seem indifferent to my prayers?”  Carolyn raises a long-overdue call for us to think seriously about what we believe about God and demonstrates how practical and down to earth knowing God can be.

Understanding Purpose

What is a woman's purpose? Does one size fit all? This twelve-week study takes up the challenge, exploring the Scriptures in search of answers to the most basic questions a woman can ask.
           

: Bible Reading Helps :

Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading
by Eugene H. Peterson

Here's another great book to add to your library! Eugene Peterson wants us to read the Bible in a way that gets it into our bloodstream—into our bones—where we will begin to live what we read. He wants us to eat it! Peterson walks the reader past common pitfalls that diminish our enjoyment of God's Word and escorts us to a feast on the Scriptures where we will be nourished and deepened in our love for God, and our living will be transformed.

One Year Bible

The One Year Bible guides readers through God's Word with daily readings from Old and New Testaments, Psalms, and Proverbs. Translated from the original biblical languages, the New Living Translation captures the attention of the youngest reader and gives adults a fresh read of the Scriptures.

Reading the Bible with Heart and Mind
by Tremper Longman III

For a lot of us, the Bible is a confusing book to read. Old Testament, New Testament—so many smaller books? If you want to understand how the Bible hangs together, how the Old Testament prepares the way for the New, and how the New explains the Old, how the sixty-six different books form a cohesive unit, try Tremper Longman's Reading the Bible with Heart and Mind.

The New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The Book of Ruth
by Robert L. Hubbard, Jr.

It is a bit unusual, I admit, to recommend a commentary for general reading. But I think this commentary will surprise you. I found it to be a gold mine when I was researching The Gospel of Ruth. In my opinion, Dr. Hubbard's commentary is a must for anyone trying to understand or teach the Old Testament Book of Ruth. His work is part of one of the finest commentary series available today. And you don't have to have a seminary education to benefit. Dr. Hubbard is Professor of Old Testament at North Park Seminary and the General Editor of this entire commentary series. He honored me by writing a beautiful foreword to The Gospel of Ruth.


: To Know God Better :

Lament For A Son
by Nicholas Wolterstorff

I can't think of a better example of someone who refused to ignore the elephant in the room than Nicholas Wolterstorff. His Lament for a Son contains his anguished wrestlings with God following the death of his son in a mountain climbing accident. This little book (which you can read in a single sitting) is a treasure for all of us, for Wolterstorff verbalizes the hard questions for us and takes us with him on the painful journey with God that grief compells.

Knowing God
by J.I. Packer

Knowing God is a classic for those who long for a deeper relationship with God. Dr. Packer walks the reader through a helpful discussion of the importance of studying God, the wonders of God’s character and what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. A must for every Christian’s library!

Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts
by Jerry Bridges

Jerry Bridges doesn’t write about “trusting God” from the safety of an ivory tower. The author is a kindred spirit to those who struggle to trust God through difficult personal adversity. Writing as a fellow struggler because of his wife’s battle with cancer, Jerry Bridges points our faith to the solid ground of God’s unchanging character. His easy-to-understand style of writing puts deep truth within reach of everyone. An excellent resource if you're searching for encouragement.

A Step Futher: Growing Closer to God through Hurts and Hardship
by Joni Eareckson Tada and Steve Estes

For those of us who are visual learners, Joni’s story shows us how theology looks in a woman’s life—in anyone’s life. The swimming accident that left her paralyzed ignited a disturbing struggle with God. Her willingness to ask the hard questions—Where was God when this happened to me? Why won’t He heal me? Does He really care about me?—opened doors to a deeper relationship with Him and led her to embrace Him in deeper ways through her suffering. Joni's story is a powerful argument for a woman’s need to know God deeply.


: To Understand the Culture of the Bible :

Nine Parts of Desire
by Geraldine Brooks

From the Jacket: "As a prizewinning foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Geraldine Brooks spent six years covering the Middle East through wars, insurrections, and the volcanic upheaval of resurgent fundamentalism. Yet for her, headline events were only the backdrop to a less obvious but more enduring drama: the daily life of Muslim women. Nine Parts of Desire is the story of Brooks' intrepid journey toward an understanding of the women behind the veils, and of the often contradictory political, religious, and cultural forces that shape their lives."


: For Ezers and Those Who Love Them :

Growing Strong Daughters
by Lisa Graham McMinn

How can readers shape their daughters to be strong and gracious, empowered to respond confidently to God's call in their lives? Lisa Graham McMinn believes the answer is found in Scripture, where every person's true identity is revealed. In contrast to the confusing messages of our culture—and even sometimes the church—Scripture shows how raising daughters to be image-bearers of the Lord enables them to become all God created them to be.

Revelations of a Single Woman—Loving the Life I Didn't Expect
by Connally Gilliam

Connally Gilliam’s book, Revelations of a Single Woman—Loving the Life I Didn’t Expect, is a thoughtful and refreshing treatment of the realities of the single life. Having been “unexpectedly single” myself until my early thirties, I’m only sorry this book wasn’t available for me back then. Connally’s work breaks from the pack of disappointing books written about singleness. Even if you’re fed up with books on the subject, I encourage you to give Connally a try. Singles as well as non-singles will find this honest and hopeful book uplifting and instructive.


: Other Books :

Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense
by N.T. Wright

Simply Christian is one of the most hopeful books I’ve read in years. Just reading the table of contents, I feel a wave of hope. Inside the book, I am drawn to the grand vision of God “Putting the World to Rights” through Jesus and find it deeply heartened to know that, as a Christian, I am part of this global rescue effort. Read this book if you want your outlook to align with God’s hope-filled message for the world.

The Contented Soul-The Art of Savoring Life
by Lisa Graham McMinn

If you’re tired of the fast pace of your life and looking for a calming retreat, I recommend Lisa Graham McMinn’s new book, The Contented Soul—The Art of Savoring Life. I read this peace-filled book while in flight to and from a conference in Phoenix and felt a deepening sense of my calling as God’s image bearer in the world. As one endorsement states, “More than a manual of contentment, it is an invitation to hunger and thirst for righteousness.”


The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
by C.S. Lewis

One of my most cherished memories of being a mom is the time my daughter and I spent reading books together. We read together well into her teens. I read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe when she was only three. We read the remaining six books of the Chronicles of Narnia while we were living in Oxford, England—not far from where C. S. Lewis once lived and lectured. If you haven’t gotten in the habit of reading to your children, I can’t imagine a better way to start than with the Chronicles of Narnia. Even if you don’t have kids, you’re never too old for an adventure in Narnia yourself.

What Women Wish Their Pastors Knew: Understanding the Hopes, Hurts, Needs, and Dreams of Women in the Church
by Denise George

Denise George has just released a new book that ought to generate a lot of interesting conversation and will be an excellent resource for pastors. Her research involved surveying hundreds of women from every season and station in life and from over thirty denominations—including many of you. After sending out the surveys, Denise was bombarded with an avalanche of responses, which confirmed the need for a book like this.




Men and Women Serving God Together



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