On the whole, these are books that contain some revelation of Jesus. Either they are books about seeking God, or they are books in which God's truth and character bubbles to the surface as you read them. This does not mean that I agree with everything in them. (Odds are you won't either.) However, they are books that have drawn me closer, in some way, to the holiness and awesomeness of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

And that is, or should be, the primary driving force in all that I am and do. We are made for God's purpose and pleasure; in God we can be all that we should be, or more concisely, become who we were designed to become, and do what we were created to do. Each of us, retaining our own unique individuality and operating in our unique gifts, is nonetheless designed to be more and more like Jesus. "Christ in you, the hope of glory." (1) We cannot fully know our purpose in life, but God does, and if we give ourselves to Him, He will change us to become the person He designed us to be: "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2)

Jesus is our destiny and our inheritance. How incredibly "fortunate" for us that He is also our greatest joy and peace.

Enjoy Jesus; get to know Him. "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (3) and, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (4)

( References: (1) Colossians 1:27 (2) 2 Corinthians 3:18 (3) 2 Corinthians 4:18 (4) Hebrews 12:2 )

NONFICTION
The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer

An excellent book, very challenging, very deep. In the author's own words, from the preface: "The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts." I stumbled upon this book in a Christian bookstore and bought it on a whim. Thank God. It was my first call into the Holy of Holies.

The author discusses hunger for God, the accessibility of God, and impediments we have to knowing him more fully. He is frank and blunt, and that is good; he places simple choices before the reader. Prayerfully read, this book could-- and should-- change your entire spiritual life.

Experiencing The Depths Of Jesus Christ, by Madame Guyon, Christian Books, ISBN 0-940232-00-6.
(Also published originally as "Moyen court et facile de faire oraison" during the reign of Louis the 14th;
and later as A Short and Very Easy Method of Prayer by Hodder & Stoughton, 1990.)

The online version uses somewhat archaic language; try to find the modern translation, published by Christian Books, ISBN 0-940232-00-6. One place you can order it online is Seedsower. But while you are waiting, if you can get past the flowery language, read the online version.

How to find it Online: For some reason, CCEL bundled their translation of this excellent book into another collection by Fenelon, thus making it very difficult to find. But here it is: at CCEL, go to Fenelon's "Spiritual Progress" RTF or TEXT and search for "Method Of Prayer"; it is mentioned once in the introduction; in the TEXT version also in the Table of Contents; search once more, and then you will find the booklet proper.

This book is phenomenal. Madame Guyon was imprisoned by Louis the 14th, at the urging of jealous clergy, for sharing her deep, simple, life-changing method of prayer, outlined in this book. Guyon, like Tozer, describes our deep need for God and possible hindrances to our approach to God; however, she goes further. Without codifying anything or proscribing any ritual, she provides simple, clear, practical suggestions for a deep and satisfying prayer life. Find a copy that you can read comfortably, and earnestly follow her suggestions; if your heart belongs to Jesus, then revelation will increase in your life.

Practicing the Presence of God: the dialogs and letters of Brother Lawrence.

You can find this one on the Internet, at Wheaton's Christian Classics Ethereal Library, or you can buy it; again, look for a good modern translation. The translation at Wheaton uses somewhat archaic language. Seedsower carries a modern version.

Brother Lawrence tells the story of his own spiritual development in such a way that the reader sympathises, hungers for God also, and wants to taste God in the same way. Practical, down-to-earth, and disarmingly honest, he sets the reader at ease. God is presented as an accessible friend, without losing the sense of holy awe and respect. Brother Lawrence, a great mystic in his own right, demystifies Christian mysticism and, like Madame Guyon, succeeds in making God's intimate presence understandable and attainable for the many. Get, or print out, this book and give a copy to all your friends...

The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit, 128 pages ISBN: 1-57593-955-X by Watchman Nee

Another life-changer. Basically Watchman Nee explains the same principles as Mme. Guyon and A. W. Tozer do, but in an analytical style preferred by some intellectuals and appreciated by many believers.

The Soul Afire: Revelations of the Mystics, edited by H. A. Reinhold, c. 1944 by Pantheon Books.

This book came from my grandmother, and I suspect it's out of print. That is unfortunate. It is an anthology of quotes from the Old and New Testaments, the church fathers, and numerous mystically-oriented saints. Again, you may not agree with all of the contents; I do not recommend this book unless the reader has a solid grounding in the scriptures. However, for someone who can discard the occasional troublesome passage, this book is a great treasure, full of passionate, hungry yearning for the manifest presence of the living God.

This is an introduction to my personal favorites; there are huge storehouses of material like this online. Try looking through the excellent collection at Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

There is also an excellent web page called The Pursuit of God by Eric Rose. He presents an excellent overview of and introduction to Christian Meditation and Mysticism, and I found some very practical suggestions there.

FICTION

C. S. Lewis:
The Chronicles of Narnia

Narnia is a delightful fantasy land, full of talking animals and strange creatures, beauty and adventure; when terror strikes, it is not so dark as to frighten a child very badly; the stories entertain, amuse, and encourage. And yet, it is a permeating and lasting allegory of the work of God in this world.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe begins with four English children who discover another world (through the wardrobe, of course.) In this new world, Aslan (representing Jesus) comes to free a land locked in a permanent winter by the White Witch. The book tells the story of Aslan's death and resurrection, and triumph over the White Witch, and the ensuing spring.

The Magician's Nephew tells the Genesis story in a hauntingly beautiful style. The Last Battle tells about the apostacy of the End Times, when true believers are few and far between, and the tribulation is well underway.

Prince Caspian and The Silver Chair are all about character development. The protagonists must choose between faith and doubt, obedience during trials versus trusting their own limited knowledge and judgement.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Horse and His Boy are about spiritual journays of increasing faith, and the process of entering the Kingdom of God. In The Horse and His Boy, it is the horse Bree-- the one with the most preconceived notions about Aslan and Narnia, and the biggest pride-- who has the hardest time finding Aslan. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Eustace eventually discards his intellectual snobbery in exchange for revelation of his own sinfulness and subsequent release from bondage. Reepicheep, the valiant talking mouse, begins the journey as a spiritual quest, hungry to find Alsan's country; and indeed, in the end his dreams are realised.

I first read these books before I was a christian, and I loved them for the fantasy and the stories. I reread them voraciously until I knew them quite well. Imagine my amazement when, as a christian, I learned that they had a much deeper meaning! Retired stars, and swimming up waterfalls, and the Silver Sea that was sweet, and the warm, sweet breath of Aslan that gave Lucy such strength, took on a brand new life and became glorious all over again. Who, after reading those books, would not long to safely experience burying their face in the mane of a lion? Amazingly enough, Jesus, the Lion of Judah-- when he chooses to be, gentle as a Lamb-- calls us to himself, so that he can comfort us and strengthen us. "Come unto me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Where else would we go? Jesus has the words of eternal life.

George Macdonald:

George MacDonald was a well-respected preacher, minister, and proffessor as well as a respected author. C. S. Lewis considered George Macdonald to be his master, and their writings have much in common. If you enjoyed The Chronicles of Narnia and want more, then you may find Macdonald's works to be just what you are looking for. He wrote fantasy and romance in addition to his sermons.

MacDonald wrote a wealth of faery stories for children, but some of his fantasy is directed to adults. It is all clean; I do not mean to imply that there is any obscene or irreverent content-- there is none-- but his fantasy for adults deals with sin and death and is laden with deeper meaning.

On the whole, many of George Macdonald's stories are strange and dark at first, with bizzare twists, odd creatures, and baffling images. Reread them; over time, the light dawns. Poring through his faery tales, gradual revelation seeps in, and the allegories begin to clarify something in your soul. Starting with his short stories is a good idea; that gets you used to his style, and they are easier to reread than, say, Lilith.

Macdonald's favorite topic is the maturation of the soul and spirit. Faeryland represents a place where spiritual battles are carried out between the kingdoms of light and darkness, and the battleground may be the main character's very soul. The main characters often begin the story quite immersed in themselves. Along the way, they are often assisted by a mysterious supernatural grandmotherly figure, whose strength of character may initially disguise her goodness, kindness and gentleness. She somehow prepares them for, or aids them during, their adventures. By the end of the story, the main characters are joyfully immersed in the supernatural, and lovingly immersed in God, leaving the reader hungry to join them.

There's a four-volume paperback set of his short fantasies: "The Fantasy Stories of George MacDonald" contains "The Wise Woman and Other Fantasy Stories", "The Golden Key and Other Fantasy Stories", "The Gray Wolf and Other Fantasy Stories", and "The Light Princess and Other Fantasy Stories". It is a gold mine. In addition to the title stories, it contains The Castle: A Parable, The Day Boy and The Night Girl (Photogen and Nycteris), Little Daylight, The Shadows, and numerous other wonderful treasures. If you run across it, snatch it up.

There is an excellent collection of links at The Golden Key in which you can find numerous titles! (A great site. The best list of online works.) Project Gutenburg has several texts, which I will also link below. So does The Christian Classics Ethereal Library, featuring four works. The Johanessen site has a treasure of works that is difficult to navigate-- I have yet to find the index and can only get there by search engine so far. And lastly, The George Macdonald Society has a list of some of the books available online at other sites, and some interesting material about the author himself.

"The Castle: A Parable" is absolutely a masterpeice, none the less so because the interpretation is straightforward (but very deep nonetheless.) Simply stated, it is the story of the Kingdom of God. It is one of my favorite works by MacDonald. If you can find it, start there. It's in the four-volume set listed above. It's also online, at the mysterious Johanessen site, buried in a larger work called Adela Cathcart (which, having found, I am now planning to read., along with The Portent, also at Johanessen.) However, getting back to The Castle: A Parable, if you follow this next link, you will find yourself in Volume Three of Adela Cathcart; search for this string-- The Castle: A Parable. -- you will find it almost down to the end of the document. You will be glad you did.

Another good place to start is "The Wise Woman, Or, The Lost Princess: A Double Story", which is also straightforward, and is online at The Golden Key or at the Johanessen site. It is the story of two strong-willed and self-centered children, and a wise woman who helps them to see beyond themselves. You may find a window into your own soul.

The Day Boy and the Night Girl is available at The Christian Classics Ethereal Library and The Golden Key. It is delightful. It is a story of courage and revelation; of a young woman who has never seen the sun, and a young man who has never seen the nighttime, and the evil witch who brought them both to this pass.

The Golden Key (online, appropriately enough, at the site called The Golden Key).
This is one of my favorites. It is a wonderful story, very mysterious. Two children enter fairyland, and are led safely through danger by a kind, wise woman. One chld has found The Golden Key, at the foot of the rainbow. The two then set off together on a lifelong journey through many lands, including the land of the Shadows and the homes of several sages, to find the keyhole that The Golden Key was made for. I won't spoil the story-- but I will say, I believe that the Golden Key represents a Person.

MacDonald makes extensive use of shadows throughout his works. Some English student should do a thesis on "Shadows in the Fantasy of George Macdonald".

Lilith is available at The Christian Classics Ethereal Library and at The Golden Key.
Lilith still baffles me, but I love it. The main character, like Lucy Pevensie, steps through a household location (here, a small section of the attic) into another world, where soul-searching adventures await him. Strange landscapes and stranger peoples, dreamlike encounters with symbolic creatures, and struggles within the ethereal, hostile environment itself. The story follows a sort of trajectory: it begins with shadows and uneasiness and mystery; it steadily descends into confusion, blackness, and despair; then, suddenly, when all seems lost, the light begins, and brightens, increasing until it is an absolute blaze of glory and revelation. And then, abruptly, the tale ends in mystery again.

There are two ways to look at Lilith depending on your concept of death (soul-sleep or immediate entrance into paradise.) Macdonald is a proponent of soul-sleep for the believer after death, which is neccessary to understand the story. Having said that, I am not sure whether the main character actually dies, or whether he dies to his "Old Man". It seems to me that Macdonald probably intended the former. Lilith is very dark, deals extensively with death, and is hence not for small children. I find the early parts of the story (he who loses his life will find it) much easier to understand than the later sections.

I have only read Lilith once, followed by skimming several parts to verify some theories. I will definitely read it again. There are some articles online that discuss allegorical meanings; some of these have provided assistance, but I need to digest it more. Nonetheless I heartily recommend the book. It is thought-provoking and creative; if your heart is "good soil", MacDonald plants seeds that will come to fruition in due time.

Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women. Available online at The Golden Key and at Project Gutenburg. I started to read Phantastes once before when I was much younger, got part way through, and put it down, horrified and frightened by the contents. Like Lilith, this particular story is not intended for little children. Like Lilith, the story also follows a trajectory that begins with mystery and shadows, descends into horrible despair, then bursts into dazzling radiance; and then, just as suddenly, ends in mystery.

Phantastes is an in-depth study of a soul's struggle to rid itself of its sin nature (his "Shadow") while on a journey through faeryland searching for his Ideal (a woman that he loves and longs for). Throughout his journey he is hampered by his shadow. "Oh wretched man that I am! Who shall rid me of the body of this death?" Persistantly the wanderer searches for his Ideal, all the while loathing his shadow. He finds numerous adventures, each one darker than the last, comparable to a spiritual valley of the shadow of death. Eventually, he locates the woman, only to learn that she loves another man. To this man he gives his life in faithful service. From this he emerges into a glorious redeemption.

As with Lilith, I heartily recommend Phantastes despite the fact that I am still digesting it! I will reread it; but I found Phantastes to be even more soul-wrenching than Lilith, and am giving myself some time off before I plunge back into it again.

At The Back Of The North Wind is available at Project Gutenburg, at The Golden Key, and at The Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
I don't understand this one yet. I have only read it once, and will probably return to it again. It has a certain sweetness and charm. It is a full-length book, but is fine for children. It is about a small boy, and the North Wind (the mysterious grandmotherly figure) who flies him about the countryside.

Project Gutenburg has the following texts:
The Princess and the Goblins
The Princess and Curdie
These last two "Princess" books have yet to lay hold of my soul. I have read them. They are on the cute side, intended for children, and they are fun; there are some beautiful images and spiritual truths in them. Read them by all means, but if they don't hold your attention, try some other works by Macdonald.

The Light Princess
The Light Princess is justly popular. It is written for children, cute and full of puns and playfulness, but there is still deep stuff to be absorbed. Available online at The Christian Classics Ethereal Library (under fiction) or Project Gutenburg.

Victorian Romance:
What's Mine's Mine, or, The Highlander's Last Song
Although this is a Victorian Romance, it avoids the goopiness I normally associate with the genre. Instead, it is the story of Clan Macruadh, and the young Laird's quest for the place of his clan in God's provision and destiny. This sweeping story has everything from theological debate between the Macruadh brothers (Ian and Alister, the young Laird) to fairy tales told by Rob of the Angels; highland stags, highland dances, the highland clearances; and yes, a love story on the side. It is the story of a young man maturing into the grandeur of soul and spirit that Jesus designed for us all.

J. R. R. Tolkien:
The Lord of the Rings

Many links can be found at There And Back Again

Fanfic page

Tolkien himself fiercely denied that this book is an allegory, so why is it in this list? A couple of reasons.

For one, the delineation between good and evil is delightfully clear. There is no problem discerning who is on what side-- and therefore the battle lines are easily drawn.

This inspires me to ask God to show me where the battle lines are drawn here in real life. Listen, church-goers and bible-scholars: ever heard of The Kingdom of Darkness? Satan and his evil hordes are at work on this planet just as busily as Sauron and his orcs were expanding their own borders in Middle-Earth. We the church are just as surely called to battle against the gates of hell. We, the church, are Minas Tirith and Rohan and Lothlorien and Dol Amroth. Around us surge tides of blackness, invisible, but real. (Their works, however, are not invisible, but very visible: famine, war, plague, tyranny, injustice, godlessness, and despair.)

We can ignore them and hope that they go away, like the inhabitants of Bree and the Shire, with the same inevitable result.

Or, like Minas Tirith, we can "Take up the armor of God": salvation, righteousness, truth, the Gospel of peace, faith, and the Word of God; and using these spiritual weapons, press back the darkness, and deliver those bound by it. This is the example that Jesus gave us. "Heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead; freely you have received, freely give." And, "Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." Why? "It is for freedom that Christ has made us free."

The big difference here is that Minas Tirith had no guarantee of victory. The church, on the other hand, has been told that the gates of hell will not prevail against us. (That is, assuming we aren't asleep, but fully armed-- see Ephesians again-- and standing firm.)

Okay, so that's one reason that "The Lord Of The Rings" is listed on this page. Reason number two is secondary, and you are of course free to disagree with it, but here it is. While I grant that Tolkien did not declare his trilogy to be an allegory, and in fact denied it, I find certain coincidences very appealing.

From an obscure-- but ancient and royal-- lineage, a prince rises. He keeps his lineage secret. He is faithful to a fiancee (1) and a life-vision (2) that he has had since he was a very young man. He carries a sword (3) before which the darkness gives way; he has a name (4)-- the Heir of Isildur-- which the darkness fears. After numerous journeys, skirmishes and battles (5) with the darkness, in which his character is proven practically fautless (6), he travels--- three days (7)--- on the paths of the dead, bringing a spiritual, ghostly host with him when he emerges (8); fights a battle beside them against the darkness; he then releases the souls from their bondage to go in peace.(8) He continues against the darkness until he is at the very gates of the kingdom of darkness. At this point in time, the kingdom of darkness is defeated (granted, not by the prince directly, but he is there when it happens.) All of Middle Earth is released from the authority of Sauron.(9) (However, there are pockets of resistance left over that must be cleaned up. In a similar vein, we are released from the authority of Satan; his power is broken; but there are still battles to be fought.) The prince then returns to the seat of his fathers(10), claims his throne, sits in judgement, and then marries a bride (11) (a bride that has the heritage of eternal life, although she chooses to forsake it and become mortal. The parallel fails there.) Together, they reign in peace over a prosperous and joyful kingdom. (12)

1. The church, not formed yet during Jesus' ministry, but clearly foretold.
2. To win the Kingdom back so that he can marry the bride.
3. The Word Of God.
4. The Name of Jesus.
5. The ministry of Jesus.
6. The sinlessness of Jesus.
7. "Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale..."
8. The "Harrowing of Hell"-- release of Hell's captives.
9. Satan defeated by the cross and resurrection of Christ-- destruction of Satan's power.
10. Minas Tirith-- Jerusalem.
11. The church.
12. The post-millenial reign with the church (after the judgement.)

Anyway, there is my second reason for including Lord Of The Rings on this page. Are these parallels coincidence? Maybe.... Probably.... But it makes me smile, and so, I thought I'd pass it on.

Hannah Hurnard:

Hinds' Feet In High Places
A sweet allegory about the journey of a soul "Much Afraid" from the valley of common life, up the mountains of God. Accompanied by "Sorrow" and "Suffering", two frightening (but faithful and helpful) companions, Much Afraid comes at last into the fulness of a relationship with God and is transformed.

Mountains of Spices Much Afraid's story continues; with a new name now, she returns to the valley, to bring God's message to the rest of the inhabitants. In between missions, she returns to the mountains for God's direction and strength.

Gene Edwards:
The Divine Romance
A Tale of Two Kings