Christian Literature

This curated collection includes study guides featuring a broad range of expert analyses on the works of prominent Christian thinkers and writers, from the early philosophical writings of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas to C.S. Lewis’s renowned books on Christianity.

Publication year 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Christian literature, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality

The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis is the sixth book published in The Chronicles of Narnia series but the first in terms of the series’ chronology. Published in 1955, the middle-grade fantasy novel is the prequel to the famous The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It deals with themes of Temptation and Its Consequences, Creative Selflessness Versus Destructive Pride, and the Loss of Innocence. Lewis was a famous British author and lay theologian... Read The Magician's Nephew Summary


Publication year 1924

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Fame

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Roaring Twenties, Christian literature, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Education, Education


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Christian literature, Inspirational, Romance, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Christian literature, Self Help, Religion / Spirituality, Relationships


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Christian literature, Romance, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction

The Mountain Between Us (2010) is a survival romance novel by Charles Martin. It tells the story of Ben Payne, a surgeon who becomes trapped in the remote Utah wilderness with writer Ashley Knox. The novel interweaves Ben’s personal history with his growing feelings for Ashley as they rely on each other for survival, and their love begins to pose a potential complication in the lives to which they hope to return. Through their journey... Read The Mountain Between Us Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags Inspirational, Fantasy, Christian literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Literary Fiction, Christian literature, Contemporary Literature


Publication year 1678

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community

Tags Classic Fiction, Christian literature, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Religion / Spirituality

The Pilgrim’s Progress was written by John Bunyan and published in 1678. The work is a religious allegory that is among the most famous works of English literature; many critics also consider it the first English example of the novel genre. Like Christian, the main character in Part 1, Bunyan’s path to Christianity was a journey. After rejecting religion early in his life, Bunyan devoted himself to God and became a Puritan. He believed the... Read The Pilgrim's Progress Summary


Publication year 1933

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Christian literature, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1940

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Religion / Spirituality, Class, Politics / Government, Poverty, British Literature, Christian literature, History: World

Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory (originally published in 1940) recounts the tragic story of the whisky priest. His religion has been outlawed, his faith shattered, and his history—like his name—all but erased. He’s relentlessly pursued by the lieutenant, whose secular beliefs are as passionate as others’ spiritual beliefs. The priest’s mere presence endangers those he once served, and he constantly struggles to fulfill his duty to bring comfort and absolution to others at... Read The Power and the Glory Summary


Publication year 1940

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Inspirational, Self Help

The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren, an American evangelical Christian pastor and author, is a work of Christian literature that offers guidance by means of a 40-day personal, spiritual journey. Warren brings his experience in spiritual leadership to this text, exploring what he identifies as God’s five purposes for human life on Earth. This framework seeks to serve as a blueprint for Christian living in the modern... Read The Purpose Driven Life Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Community

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Philosophy, Philosophy

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism is a 2008 book by Timothy Keller that seeks to provide a rational defense of the Christian faith. As such, it is a book on religion and society that falls within the subgenre of Christian apologetics. Keller (1950-2023) was the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and is the author of many notable works of popular Christian theology, with a particular focus... Read The Reason for God Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality, Self Help


Publication year 1942

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Satire, Christian literature, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

The Screwtape Letters, first published in serial format in The Guardian and then as a single volume in 1942, is an epistolary novel by British author C. S. Lewis; its epilogue, “Screwtape Proposes a Toast” was published in 1959. Like much of Lewis’s work, the novel is a work of Christian apologetics, using letters penned by a senior devil named Screwtape to expound on different elements of Christian theology and morality, exploring themes of Human... Read The Screwtape Letters Summary


Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Mental Illness, Psychological Fiction, Southern Literature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Christian literature, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Historical Fiction, Jewish Literature, Christian literature, History: World, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Gender / Feminism, History: Middle Eastern

In The Secret Chord (2015), Geraldine Brooks, a former journalist and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of historical fiction, turns to the story of the biblical King David. She uses this figure from religion and history to study human nature. Her David is far from a saint. He is a complex character: “a man who dwelt in the searing glance of the divine, but who sweated and stank, rutted without restraint, butchered the innocent, betrayed those... Read The Secret Chord Summary


Publication year 1948

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Biography

The Seven Storey Mountain: An Autobiography of Faith (1948) is Thomas Merton’s account of his early life and spiritual journey toward becoming a monk at the age of 26. Merton wrote the book in two-hour daily stints of personal time in a monastery, and it was published when he was in his early thirties. Although the book focuses on Merton’s spiritual life and includes long passages of religious reflection, the book is conceived as an... Read The Seven Storey Mountain Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Christian literature, Inspirational, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality

The Shack is a novel by Canadian author William P. Young and his first published work. Young is the son of Christian missionaries who worked in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, and he grew up alternately amid the Dani ethnic group and in missionary boarding schools before the family moved back to Canada. Having settled in the United States as an adult, Young began writing stories for his children and friends. The earliest version... Read The Shack Summary


Publication year 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Education, Education, Christian literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Religion / Spirituality