Books that brought me into God's presence

hplantin's picture
Submitted by hplantin on Thu, 2007-11-01 08:27

I don't know about you, but I associate some books with sensing the presence of God. Reading them led me into God's presence. The words seemed to touch my soul. Now I don't know if there is really something special about such books, or whether there are times when God is sensibly close and many books would lead one into God's presence. I've heard that in such a state even the phone book can be spiritually nourishing! At other times, God seems absent, and even the best books leave me dry.

In any case, some books have filled that role for me: the Imitation of Christ, Augustine's Confessions, The Revelations of Julian of Norwich, and others. Such books were the cause of the start of the CCEL, and the original criteria for inclusion in the CCEL included the ability of a book to bring one into God's presence.

What books have filled that role for you? I'd be interested in hearing your comments, and I'll share some of them in a future newsletter. You can add your comments here. Perhaps others will read a good book based on your recommendation.

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kcraft1951's picture

Books that transformed me

Submitted by kcraft1951 on Tue, 2007-12-04 07:07.

I am responding to the email I received this morning from Harry (12/04/07). I was not surprised at Br. Lawrence's offering rising to the top of the list but was quite surprized at the absence of any books by Henri Nouwen. His "The Way of the Heart" had great influence on me. I was also surprised at the absence of any mention of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. "The Cost of Discipleship"is still one volume to which I refer for guidance and direction. Lofty idealism is a grand thing to consider but when I want to get back to the basics of living I consult a book that is not very well known out side of certain circles. That little known book was written by Bill Wilson, the founder of AA,and is called Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. It is a practical guide to everyday spiritual living for anyone and will greatly enhance the walk of any Christian who believes in the on going process of transformation into the imago dei.

Grace & Peace,