MUST-READ BOOKS

Ethics and Worldview

The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self is arguably the most important book in a generation for understanding the worldviews that are currently shaping Western civilization. Bruce Ashford has said it is “perhaps the most significant analysis and evaluation of Western culture written by a Protestant during the past fifty years.” The book is incredibly thorough and worth the read, but Trueman just released an abridged version called Strange New World that may be more readable and accessible for some audiences.

I first read Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcey’s How Now Shall We Live? when I was a freshman in college, and my understanding of the world was forever changed. Colson and Pearcey explained the competing worldviews of naturalism and theism and showed how theism (and specifically Christianity) makes the best sense of our world. 
In the years following How Now Shall We Live?, Nancy Pearcey continued her excellent research and writing, completing multiple life-shaping works. One of her most recent (and arguably most important) books, Love Thy Body shows how a biblical understanding of our bodies and human sexuality not only makes the most sense of our world but also makes human flourishing truly possible. 
Scott Rae has put together one of the most comprehensive yet accessible books on Christian Ethics that I have ever read. The 4th edition is very recent (2018) and covers many important topics including abortion, euthanasia, human enhancement, gun control, and the morality of war. I use this book in my Ethics course every fall.
The Intolerance of Tolerance offers timely insight on what has happened in our culture over the past several decades. From the publisher: “Carson traces the subtle but enormous shift in the way we have come to understand tolerance . . . from defending the rights of those who hold different beliefs to affirming all beliefs as equally valid and correct. He looks back at the history of this shift and discusses its implications for culture today, especially its bearing on democracy, discussions about good and evil, and Christian truth claims.”

This volume is the most thorough and comprehensive book that exists addressing theistic evolution from a biblical worldview. With contributions from Wayne Grudem, Stephen Meyer, J. P. Moreland, and many others, this book makes clear the flaws of theistic evolution and shows it to be inconsistent with the biblical account of creation as well as the best scientific evidence.

One more excellent book by Nancy Pearcey, Finding Truth builds on the worldview analysis of How Now Shall We Live? From the publisher: “[Pearcey] explains five powerful principles that penetrate to the core of any worldview—secular or religious—to uncover its deepest motivations and weigh its claims. A former agnostic, Pearcey demonstrates that a robust Christian worldview matches reality—that it is not only true but attractive, granting higher dignity to the human person than any alternative.” 
I cannot do better than the publisher’s excellent description: “In The Clash of Orthodoxies: Law, Religion, and Morality in Crisis, Robert George tackles the issues at the heart of the contemporary conflict of worldviews. Challenging liberalism’s claim to represent the triumph of reason, George argues that on controversial issues like abortion, embryonic stem-cell research, euthanasia, same-sex unions, civil rights and liberties, and the place of religion in public life, traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs are rationally superior to their secular liberal alternatives.”

Choose a Category to View Additional Books

Want to Follow the Evidence?

Consider signing up for my Substack newsletter. Subscribe for free to periodically receive articles, videos, and additional content to help find the truth.

Want to learn more before subscribing? Click here to learn why I write.

This site participates in the Amazon Associates program, meaning that I earn small commissions when readers purchase products through Amazon links on this site. Most book links direct to Amazon, but I’ve provided alternate links when books are available as free PDFs (for example, most of John Piper’s books are available as free PDFs at Desiring God).