2025 was a great year for books. Here are my top ten reads in no particular order.
- Meet the Puritans – Joel Beeke, Randall Pederson, and Fraser Jones
Meet the Puritans is exactly what the title suggests. This powerful book is a second edition, revised and expanded. The new edition includes:
- 45 New Biographies for a total of 190 English and American Puritans, seventeenth-century Scottish Presbyterians, and Dutch Further Reformation divines.
- 278 New Summaries of Puritan works, with annotated bibliographies of modern reprints.
- Comprehensive Revision of the entire previous edition.
- 200 New Titles Added to the select bibliography of secondary sources.
- New, Expanded Glossary plus an updated, expanded list of Puritan publishers.
This book is nothing to trifle with. It is a veritable tome that weighs in at over 1,200 pages. But readers should not be intimidated by the sheer volume; rather they should make their way through this valuable book, noting key insights and marking Puritan writers they were previously unfamiliar with and delighting in old friends from years gone by.
Meet the Puritans is a labor of love that should be cherished by the church for years to come. It should be read for its helpful theological insight. It should be read devotionally. The contents are bound to equip, encourage, and rebuke. For me personally, the Puritans have been a deep source of encouragement, especially concerning the nature of God, the promises of God, the sovereignty of God, the lordship of Christ, sanctification, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Of course, no one surpasses the courage demonstrated by the Puritans as they sought to faithfully live the Christian life in the power of the Spirit.
It is not uncommon for people in our generation to marginalize and malign the Puritans. Even more disturbing, it is not unusual to find people who caricature the Puritans or assign false motives. I know of one personally who accused the Puritans of becoming Unitarians! Much to the contrary, the Puritans were a godly lot who battled sin and believed the promises of God, forever faithful on their pilgrimage to the Celestial City. Oh, that we would learn the lesson of church history well and seek to emulate the Puritans. May their love of Christ and his gospel permeate our hearts and minds. May their hatred of sin enter the arena of our lives. May their disdain for the triple-headed monster – the world, the flesh, and the devil be weaved into the fabric of our worldviews. And may their passion for God’s Word and holiness become a part of the warp and woof of our lives.
2. Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation – Matthew Bingham
A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation by Dr. Matthew Bingham is a book for our times. Bingham defines spiritual formation as “the conscious process by which we seek to heighten and satisfy our Spirit-given thirst for God through divinely appointed means and with a view toward working out our own salvation with fear and trembling.” Tragically, many churches have few resources that point parishioners in a God-Centered direction. A Heart Aflame is a step in the right direction.
The author begins by constructing a foundation that will help orient Christians to growing spiritually. At the heart of this foundation is the Bible’s command to “keep the heart.” Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Puritan authors are utilized to drive home the importance of keeping the heart. This involves an intense battle with sin, but also entails fighting for joy. In the end, this activity is designed to push us toward Christian maturity and godliness, or sanctification.
The five solas of the Reformation are reflected upon that serve both the head and the heart. Bingham writes, “If we believe that the Reformation got the gospel right, then we should be equally attentive to the way a Reformation vision of spiritual formation follows from that same understanding of the gospel.”
There is no pitting of the head and the heart in this work, which proves to be one of its greatest strengths. Indeed, as Bingham notes, “the affections of regenerate Christians are primarily stirred through reflecting on God’s truth as revealed in his word.” Thus, we find a marriage of both the head and the heart, which is in keeping with the thought of the New England Puritans.
Bingham carefully unpacks the crucial spiritual practices that God’s Word sets forth for his people to grow in godliness, namely – Bible intake (hearing from God), meditation (reflecting on God), and prayer (responding to God). A chapter for each discipline (which Bingham refers to as the Reformation Triangle) is included that educates and inspires.
A Heart Aflame for God is a much-needed balm for the soul, a book that is sure to warm hearts and ignite minds for the great cause of the gospel.
3. Spurgeon: A Life – Alex DiPrima
Spurgeon: A Life by Alex DiPrima is a pastoral look at the Prince of Preachers. DiPrima opens a refreshing new window on the life and ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. No stone is left unturned. The faithful ministry of a mighty man of God is set forth in a way that is accessible and educational.
4. The Sin of Empathy: Compassion and Its Counterfeits – Joe Rigney
Joe Rigney skillfully cuts through the fog that has settled on the church and academy. Highly recommended.
5. Stockholm Syndrome Christianity: Why Christian Leaders Are Falling – and What We Can Do About It – John G. West
John West alerts readers to the compromise that has crippled Christian Universities.
6. Mark Twain – Ron Chernow
Ron Chernow has done it again. Mark Twain is an illuminating account of an enigmatic figure who continues to capture the imagination of the American mind.
7. The 1916 Project: The Lyin’, the Witch, and the War We’re In – Seth Gruber
Seth Gruber skillfully exposes the lies that undergird the abortion industry.
8. The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 – Rick Atkinson
The British is Coming is a sweeping account of American history that explores the events leading up to the founding of the most pivotal nation on earth. Required reading for history enthusiasts.
Remembering Heaven: Meditations on the World to Come for Life in the Meantime – Matthew McCullough
Heaven is not only the final resting place for the people of God; it is what they long for the most. Yet, too many times, Christians become fixated on earthly things. Matthew McCullough’s book, Remember Heaven: Meditations on the World to Come for Life in the Meantime is an encouraging reminder to focus on our future home.
McCullough sets the parameters early in the book. He writes, “I want to show that the issue is not whether you love this world and its joys, its people and their needs. The question is whether you have any hope beyond this world and what it has to offer. In other words, he reframes the trajectory for Christians and challenges them to orient their hearts and minds heavenward. He adds, “Heavenly-mindedness is absolutely vital because what we want or expect from our future has a huge effect on our experience in the meantime. We humans are future-oriented creatures whether we like it or not.”
The author argues his case for heaven with skill and biblical fidelity. Seven chapters drive readers deeper into the reality of heaven, each one touching on a theme that resounds with gospel hope. The wisdom of the Puritans saturates this work, which bolsters its credibility and invites a more thorough investigation of our heavenly home.
Remember Heaven is an invitation to “set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2).
9. Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime – Eric O’Neil
Scariest book I’ve read in recent memory. Tons of timely wisdom and help for people in a world dominated by tech.
10. The Gospel According to Christmas – Allen Nelson IV
Allen Nelson’s book, The Gospel According to Christmas, is a battering ram to human pride and the pagan notions that have subtly crept into the church. This timely gift shines the light of the biblical gospel through the glorious lens of 1 Peter 2:24 by pointing readers to Jesus, who came to pay the price on the cross for sinners, and rise triumphantly from the grave on the third day.
Veritas et Lux 