6 Must-Read Christian Novels

The Best Christian Novels of all time

Thanks to my mom, I’ve loved reading books my whole life.  Once I became a mother, the habit tapered off while my children were small, but now I am back at it.  I don’t remember where I heard the phrase, but it has stuck with me for years and I have found it to be true:

“Readers are leaders, and leaders are readers.”

Of all the people I have known I have come to realize that the ones who have marinated their minds in solid Christian literature are the most knowledgeable, wise and trustworthy when it comes to living and teaching the most important biblical truths.  And they have had the greatest impact on my life.  I strive to be one of those people.

I love all kinds of books: mysteries, real-life stories, Christian living, parenting, devotionals, theology & doctrine, etc.  In this post I’ll focus on the six Christian novels that have had the most impact on my heart and life.  They have all challenged me emotionally, spiritually and intellectually.  Most importantly – they’ve strengthened my faith.  I have read each one more than once, which is what happens when you are in possession of a really good book.

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♥ Disclaimer: I recently partnered with ChristianBook.com as an affiliate as a way to monetize my blog, but mostly to expose my readers to excellent Christian products that will be sure to enrich their lives.  For transparency’s sake, I want you to know that I may earn a commission if you purchase something through the links I provide – at no extra cost to you.  And now, back to our regularly scheduled program! ♥

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6 Must-Read Christian Novels

Below I have included the publisher’s description of each book along with a link to where you can purchase a copy if you choose to.  In most cases, digital and/or audio versions are available.

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This Present Darkness

by Frank Peretti

Ashton is just a typical small town. But when a skeptical reporter and a prayerful pastor begin to compare notes, they suddenly find themselves fighting a hideous New Age plot to subjugate the townspeople, and eventually the entire human race. This Present Darkness rivals The Screwtape Letters with its keen insight into spiritual warfare and the necessity of prayer. It is fast-moving, riveting reading, ranking with the best thrillers on the bookshelf. Readers have picked up more than 2.5 million copies since its publication in 1986, and, with its companion volume Piercing the Darkness, it has sparked great interest in spiritual warfare over the years.

Click here to view purchasing options for This Present Darkness.

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Piercing the Darkness

by Frank Peretti

It all begins in Bacon’s Corner, a tiny farming community far from the inter-state…An attempted murder, a case of mistaken–or is it covered up?–identity, and a ruthless lawsuit against a struggling Christian school. Sally Beth Roe, a young loner, a burnout, a kind of “leftover hippie,” finds herself caught in the middle of these bizarre events, fleeing for her life while trying to recall her dark past. Across a vast panorama of heart-stopping action, Sally Roe’s journey is a penetrating portrayal of our times, a reflection of our wanderings, and a vivid reminder of the redemptive power of the Cross. A companion volume to This Present Darkness, readers have purchased over two million copies of Piercing the Darkness since its publication in 1989.

Click here to view purchasing options for Piercing the Darkness.

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Redeeming Love

by Francine Rivers

California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.  Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.

Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day-by-day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.

But with her unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does & the One who will never let her go.

A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love.

Click here to view purchasing options for Redeeming Love.

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The Screwtape Letters

by C. S. Lewis

Wormwood, a demon apprentice, must secure the damnation of a young man who’s just become a Christian. He seeks the advice of an experienced devil, his uncle Screwtape. Their correspondence offers invaluable—and often humorous—insights on temptation, pride, and the ultimate victory of faith over evil forces.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S.  Lewis is a classic masterpiece of religious satire that entertains readers with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to “Our Father Below.” At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptation—and triumph over it—ever written.

Click here to view purchasing options for The Screwtape Letters.

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Safely Home

by Randy Alcorn

Is this the day I die? Li Quan asks himself this question daily, knowing that he might be killed for practicing his faith. American businessman Ben Fielding has no idea what his brilliant former college roommate is facing in China. He expects his old friend has fulfilled his dream of becoming a university professor. But when they are reunited in China after twenty years, both men are shocked at what they discover about each other. Thrown together in an hour of encroaching darkness, both must make choices that will determine not only the destinies of two men, but two families, two nations, and two worlds.

Click here to view purchasing options for Safely Home.

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Lord Foulgrin’s Letters

by Randy Alcorn

This repack of Randy Alcorn’s gripping bestseller delivers us from ignorance of the devil’s schemes. Foulgrin, a high-ranking demon, instructs his subordinate on how to deceive and destroy Jordan Fletcher and his family. It’s like placing a bugging device in hell’s war room, where we overhear our enemies assessing our weaknesses and strategizing attack. Lord Foulgrin’s Letters is a Screwtape Letters for our day, equally fascinating yet destinctly different — a dramatic story with earthly characters, setting, and plot. A creative, insightful, and biblical depiction of spiritual warfare, this book will guide readers to Christ-honoring counterstrategies for putting on the full armor of God and resisting the devil. Alcorn says to win the battle we must know our God, know ourselves, and know our enemy. Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, in unparalleled and compelling fashion, helps us better know each.

Click here to view purchasing options for Lord Foulgrin’s Letters.

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Even if you aren’t an avid reader like I am, just reading one of these books will have you hooked.  The purpose isn’t merely to be entertained – but to be riveted, moved, challenged and inspired.

If you do decide to dive into any of these, please remember to come back here and let me know what you thought.  Happy reading!!

Summer

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