Practical Theology & Preaching
Below are some books our professors recommend in the areas of preaching, pastoral ministry and leadership, worship, and spiritual formation. Beneath each book you’ll see the professor(s) who recommended it. Click “Read More” for a note from the professor about the book and why it is worth a read.* Clicking on the book itself will take you to the Gordon-Conwell bookshop on ChristianBook.com where you can purchase it.
*Not all content in these books reflect the views of Gordon-Conwell.
Dr. Pam Davis, Charlotte Director of Counseling & Associate Professor of Counseling
Dr. Wes Vander Lugt, Acting Director of the Leighton Ford Initiative, Adjunct Professor of Theology
Dr. Brent Burdick, Co-assistant Director of the Center for World Missions, Adjunct Professor of Missions
All Faculty Book Recommendations
Select a button to read all of the Faculty Recommendations in each area.
Recommended by Dr. Scott Sunquist
“Written in an easily accessible style, Brooks tells us that all of our interactions either help to illuminate others (i.e., we are attentive to others) or to diminish others (i.e., we focus on ourselves). Great book for all in an age of self-fulfillment and for all who supervise others.”
Recommended by Dr. Pam Davis
“As a seminary professor who is training the next generation of leaders, I believe this book should be required reading for all counselors, pastors, and ministry leaders. Nicholas Rowe and Sheila Wise Rowe artfully weave together theological foundations, psychological wisdom, and principles of spiritual formation to invite leaders to slow down, be creative, and find renewed purpose through embodying the spiritual disciplines.”
Recommended by Dr. Brent Burdick
“Metanoia is about how God transforms people, churches, and organizations from the inside out (from the subtitle). Metanoia is an invitation to a process of, seeing differently and learning to behave differently from a deep place of personal and corporate transformation. The book helps people who are unsettled with personal, church, and societal status quo see things from God’s eyes, and receive a breakthrough of grace, called metanoia.”
Recommended by Dr. Wes Vander Lugt
“Disembodiment is not an option for Christians, but often our thoughts about the role of the body are undeveloped or inconsistent. David Taylor helps us correct this by casting a vision for the role of the body in worship and as situated within the Christian life as a whole. It is a must read for any member of the church but particularly pastors as they lead the worshipping body.”
Recommended by Dr. Scott Sunquist
“The great New Testament scholar, toward the end of his career finally talks about his own experiences of mystery, including visions, and helps us sort through the ambiguities of both demonic and glorious appearances. I have applied to my study of church history.”
Recommended by Dr. Jim Singleton
“This is a very helpful book about the nature of discipleship in a local church by someone who has worked in this world. It is one of the few discipleship books written by a woman–and an Asian-American woman at that.”
Written by Dr. Karen Mason
“In Acts 16, the apostle Paul modeled suicide prevention for the church when he prevented the suicide of the Philippian jailer, but pastors and congregants may not know how to follow his example. The result is that people who struggle with suicide or who have lost loved ones to suicide wonder if the Bible or their church have anything relevant to say about suicide. This book will provide the resources needed to help prevent suicide in a church.”
Recommended by Dr. Ken Barnes
“Citing what he believes to be a metanoia moment for the Church, Dr. Thomas Pfizenmaier, former Dean of Gordon-Conwell–Hamilton, invites believers to ‘rethink everything’ in light of what he sees as a serious love-deficit. Writing as a pastor-theologian, he deftly weaves together church history, theology, and scripture in a way that leaves readers both challenged and inspired in equal measure.”
Recommended by Dr. David Currie:
“Chuck DeGroat provides wisdom drawn from his experience as a pastor, therapist, and professor to help us identify narcissistic structures in our churches and ministries, as well as ourselves. He points the way to greater wholeness and healing in an accessible style similar to a couple of his older books that I would also recommend, such as Toughest People to Love and Wholeheartedness.”
Recommended by Dr. Patricia Batten:
“Learn from preachers who practice expository preaching and struggle to determine the central idea of a passage. You may not agree with every big idea, but delving into the thought process of another expository preacher will most certainly stretch you and refine your own thinking.”
Recommended by Dr. Karen Mason:
“Preaching Hope in Darkness is a conversation between a preacher (Scott) and a suicide preventionist (Karen). While homiletics and suicide prevention are different, both fields travel different paths to arrive at the same destination: the crucial importance of communicating the value of every life. The book is based in the real world of ministry and shows readers how to preach and teach the hope of the gospel to help prevent suicide.”
Recommended by Dr. Patricia Batten:
“This is a must-read for pastors! About 1 in 100 people live somewhere along the autism spectrum. Macaskill helps readers think about the ways in which church can be a space for all of God’s people.”
Recommended by Dr. Patricia Batten:
“Readers will benefit from Dr. Brand’s experience as a physician working with people who have leprosy. Together, Brand and Yancey compel the reader to see the image of God at work in the most unlikely places.”
Recommended by Dr. Virginia Ward:
“Andrew Root has clarified the boundary of what pastoral ministry looks like in a secular age. The insights provided through varied research settings will provoke readers to answer tough questions about pastors and their role in society.”
Recommended by Dr. Virginia Ward:
“Growing With equips parents with the tools to support their children as they develop during their adolescent and young adult years. Growing With is the sequel to Growing Young, a book that equips youth and ministry leaders in churches to engage youth.”
Recommended by Dr. Patricia Batten:
“Dr. Alcantara’s book is applicable to preachers across many different languages and cultures. He highlights six areas that are crucial to any preacher who takes the Bible and culture seriously.”
Recommended by Dr. Scott Sunquist:
“This is a great little refresher for pastors and a great way to help new preachers in your church. Concise, clear, and profound.”
Recommended by Rev. Dr. Nicole Martin:
“At its core, preaching is about stories and this book is full of them! Learn the stories of God’s hope and healing through the eyes of young women who have suffered greatly and prevailed victoriously by God’s grace.”
Recommended by Rev. Dr. Stephen Macchia:
“A wonderful biography of one of the modern day church’s pillars in spiritual formation, Dallas Willard. The subtitle says it all: ‘The formation of a philosopher, teacher, and Christ follower.’ Moon has captured well the life and ministry of this modern-day saint and offers us a very personal look into Willard’s amazing life as a teacher, author, and servant-leader.”
Recommended by Rev. Dr. Stephen Macchia:
“A brilliantly written book about learning how to move at Godspeed. Jesus’ primary method of discipleship and ministry was done by walking and by inviting others to walk with him. Buchanan covers the spiritual practice of walking as friendship, prayer, and attentiveness in times of suffering, healing, and remembering.”
Recommended by Dr. Jeffrey Arthurs:
“Shows us how to preach topical sermons that are theological and exegetically sound, but it is more than that. This book is also a primer on audience analysis and connecting to the “complex world” we live in.”
Recommended by Dr. Matthew Kim:
“The best book I have read on the subject of topical preaching which advocates for biblical sermons that happen to be topical. Chan and Gill help us understand the how to preach biblical truths to our complex, messy, and modern society.”
Recommended by Dr. Ken Barnes:
“‘Flourishing’ has become a hot topic in Evangelical circles, especially among the Faith at Work crowd. Tom Nelson is no exception; in fact, he has written several wonderful books on the subject. In this book however, he concentrates on the spiritual needs of pastors, and particularly what he calls the “lost art of shepherd leadership”. Drawing on his many years as a senior pastor and president of a large non-profit (Made to Flourish), he offers a biblically sound and highly practical view of how pastors may genuinely ‘flourish.’ The book even includes a useful discussion guide for those who wish to use the book in group settings.”
Recommended by Dr. Karen Mason:
“Preaching Hope in Darkness is a conversation between a preacher (Scott) and a suicide preventionist (Karen). While homiletics and suicide prevention are different, both fields travel different paths to arrive at the same destination: the crucial importance of communicating the value of every life. The book is based in the real world of ministry and shows readers how to preach and teach the hope of the gospel to help prevent suicide.”
Recommended by Dr. Jim Singleton:
“Beaumont has long been a church consultant working on strategic plans and the alignment of vision plans. In recent years she has grown in the areas of Spiritual Direction and Discernment. In this book she is welding together those fields as we find ourselves in a very different time. It is not just the COVID dynamic that is different. So much of the church in North America is unclear about how to proceed in the face of a very different culture. Beaumont believes a solution can be discovered in learning to see what the presence of God is doing in a time of uncertainty.”
Recommended by Dr. Christine Palmer:
“The voice of the Lord fills the book of Leviticus, calling his people into transformative worship and holy living, yet this portion of God’s Word remains neglected in our preaching. Sidney Greidanus brings us into the literary and theological heart of the Pentateuch to recover a voice speaking to the church with surprising and refreshing relevance.”
Recommended by Dr. Matthew Kim:
“A short and helpful guide to resolving conflicts in a biblical and Christ-honoring way. Merida is honest and vulnerable in a refreshing way that benefits the church.”
Recommended by Dr. Todd Johnson:
“Reyes encourages us to take a posture that desires to see the world through other people’s eyes, value what they value, and both centers and honors their way of life. We all need to learn what it means to adapt and transform ourselves to better love and serve the diverse peoples around us. Her book is immensely practical and full of engaging stories.”
Recommended by Dr. Ken Barnes:
“This is a very well-researched and well-written book that will add to the debate over the purpose of economic activity and the moral shortcomings of the current system. The book’s title notwithstanding, the author doesn’t advocate for anything particularly “radical”. Many of her recommended policy proposals fall well within the mainstream of economic thought. She does, however, give readers an interesting view of Catholic Social Teaching from a decidedly American (and one must say “Progressive”) perspective, while reinforcing the importance of sound Christian doctrine and good ethics at the center of our socio-economic discourse.”
Recommended by Dr. Jim Singleton:
“If you are ready to rethink many basic assumptions of how discipleship and leadership could come together in a micro-church movement, then this book is a must read. This book is full of intrigue.”
Recommended by Dr. Jim Singleton:
“Matthew Kim’s Preaching to People in Pain: How Suffering Can Shape Your Sermons and Connect with Your Congregation is essential reading for every pastor. Pain is something that all parishioners and pastors experience. In thinking about pain and suffering from a pastoral-homiletical perspective, Kim offers a valuable resource for preachers, written from the heart.”