AN IMAGES M RANCE / BRIDGE AN IMAGES F M DEDICATED DISCIPLE John Wesley [Plain Account of HANTILLY, C RTI / BRIDGE Christian Perfection, #22] wrote thousands of sermons, O letters, tracts, and journal entries—even riding in ONDE, AGLI C D carriages, on horseback, and in bed. A SETTING THE STANDARD Augustine’s prolific pen landed no fewer than four of his RARY / writings in our top 25 [#1, 4, 18, 19]. LIB FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR TOP 25: A QUIZ AN IMAGES All the answers are in this magazine. Happy M hunting! (If you don’t want to hunt, they are also upside down at the bottom of this page.) GOSTINI PICTURE A CHOOL, (15TH CENTURY) / MUSEE E S D AN IMAGES Which of these writings . RANCE / BRIDGE M Did you know? F RENCH 1. Originated as a series of radio broadcasts F ), WE ASKED OVER 70 PAST CH AUTHORS TO HELP AVENNA. / M IDENTIFY THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WRITINGS during World War II? R 2. Was given its name not by its author but HIARA IN ATIONALE, PARIS, FROM CHRISTIAN HISTORY, AFTER THE BIBLE. C by Italian poet Boccaccio? N IOLLET, PARIS / BRIDGE V HEREERE ARE SOME INTERESTING FACTS AABOUTB THE ANTA 3. Was written by a Lutheran pastor later S 25 WRITINGSRITINGS THEY NAMED AS “GREATEST.” OGER- LIOTHEQUE implicated in a plot to kill Hitler? R B INCENT DE BEAUVAIS (VELLU HURCH OF V 4. Influenced John Newton to convert C Y B RANCE / , to Christianity? F OUR 25 WRITINGS “BY THE NUMBERS” THE M The earliest of these famous writings was composed 5. Was left unfinished at the author’s death around 175–185 (Irenaeus’s Against Heresies); the latest because he had a vision that all of his writ- in the twentieth century (C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, ings were like straw? ANTIQUE, PARIS, CHOOL, (12TH CENTURY) / BI E MIROIR HISTORIAL S or, if you count by when he finished the book, Karl L ROM 6. Is still used today by monasteries all over M IE Barth’s Church Dogmatics). The longest is probably a tie V the world? RENCH between Church Dogmatics and Summa Theologiae, and F ), M ENTS OF THE FRESCOES FRO URY, FRO B the shortest is the Nicene Creed. Three of the works 7. Settled an early church dispute about the M (the Nicene Creed, the Book of Common Prayer, and relationship between God the Father and ANTER the Westminster Confession) were officially composed God the Son? C AN IMAGES by church councils or committees, though the Book of M 8. Ends with three chapters explaining the REGOIRE’ (VELLU G Common Prayer is acknowledged to be largely the work Genesis account of creation (often not RY (1795–1858) / MUSEE DE LA AINT A S / BRIDGE of Thomas Cranmer. (1033–1109) OF printed in modern editions)? M In addition to theological treatises, the list INI (14TH CENTURY), FRAG RIM NSEL 9. Is told entirely as if it were a dream by A CHEFFER, includes an autobiography (the Confessions), two fic- ETTRE DE T. L S RCHIVE/UIG S ‘ the narrator? A tional narratives (Pilgrim’s Progress and the Divine M IFE OF Comedy), and a church liturgy (the Book of Common Y PIETRO DA 10. Is organized around the structure of the L B ISTORY , Prayer). The most frequent author is Augustine (4 Apostles’ Creed? H THE M URCH works in the top 25), followed by Luther (3), and then H ) , , Institutes Progress grim’s Pil sions E C NIVERSAL H everyone else is in a tie for third. U , 1858 (OIL ON CANVAS), , Nicene Creed, Creed, Nicene , Benedict’s , - Confes Rule Only one book was written by a pope (Gregory’s logiae CENES FRO REGORY (C.540–604) FRO S G , , , - Theo Summa Christ of Imitation Discipleship TOR OF T Pastoral Rule), but all the other authors were pastors T. C S , , , ( Cost of of Cost Comedy Divine or monks except Dante and C. S. Lewis. Translated Christianity Mere NSWERS NSWERS into today’s terms, their countries of origin include A QUIZ AT 2287 F.1V Egypt, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, England, UGUSTINE DO L A T PORTRAIT OF JEAN CALVIN MS C H MS 722/1196 FOL.169V S Turkey, and the United States. JOHN WESLEY (1703–1791) / C H THOUGHTFUL REFORMER John Calvin [Institutes, #3] tinkered with his masterpiece through many editions to produce a systematic statement of Christian doctrine. AN IMAGES M RANCE / BRIDGE AN IMAGES F M HANTILLY, C RTI / BRIDGE O DANTE WRITES THE DIVINE COMEDY. ONDE, AGLI C D . A RARY / 25 classic works LIB #1. Augustine, Confessions (c. 398) AN IMAGES M #2. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae (1265–1274) GOSTINI PICTURE A CHOOL, (15TH CENTURY) / MUSEE E S #3. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion D AN IMAGES RANCE / BRIDGE M F (1536) RENCH F ), AVENNA. / #4. Augustine, City of God (413–426) M R #5. Martin Luther, 95 Theses (1517) HIARA IN ATIONALE, PARIS, C N #6. John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress (1678) IOLLET, PARIS / BRIDGE V ANTA #7. The Nicene Creed (325, revised 381) S OGER- LIOTHEQUE #8 Mere Christianity R . C. S. Lewis, (1952) B INCENT DE BEAUVAIS (VELLU HURCH OF V #9. Athanasius, On the Incarnation (c. 319) C Y B RANCE / , F THE #10. Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ M (c. 1418–1427) #11. Benedict, Rule (c. 540s) ANTIQUE, PARIS, CHOOL, (12TH CENTURY) / BI #12 The Book of Common Prayer E MIROIR HISTORIAL . (1549) S L ROM M IE V #13. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship RENCH F (1937) ), M ENTS OF THE FRESCOES FRO URY, FRO B M #14. Martin Luther, Freedom of a Christian (1520) ANTER C #15. Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics (1932–1967) AN IMAGES M #16. Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy (c. REGOIRE’ (VELLU G 1308–1320) RY (1795–1858) / MUSEE DE LA AINT A S / BRIDGE (1033–1109) OF M #17 Why God Became Man INI (14TH CENTURY), FRAG . Anselm, (c. 1095–1098) RIM NSEL A #18. Augustine, On Christian Teaching (397–426) CHEFFER, ETTRE DE T. L S RCHIVE/UIG S ‘ A M #19. Augustine, On the Trinity (c. 400–428) IFE OF Y PIETRO DA L B ISTORY #20. Westminster Confession (1646) , H THE M URCH #21. Irenaeus, Against Heresies (c. 175–185) H E C NIVERSAL H U #22. John Wesley, A Plain Account of Christian , 1858 (OIL ON CANVAS), CENES FRO Perfection (1777) REGORY (C.540–604) FRO S G TOR OF T T. C S #23. Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections (1746) #24. Pope Gregory I, Pastoral Rule (c. 591) POPE, PREACHER, PASTOR Pope Gregory I hoped AT 2287 F.1V his Rule [ ] would encourage priests to be good #25. Martin Luther, Lectures on Romans (c. UGUSTINE DO #24 L A T shepherds of their flocks. PORTRAIT OF JEAN CALVIN MS MS 722/1196 FOL.169V S JOHN WESLEY (1703–1791) / 1515–1516) I 1 Editor’s note CHRISTIANS OF ALL STRIPES universally point change Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, to the Bible as the most important Christian book, but it from scheming politico to repentant sinner; that The is far from the only Christian book. With 2,000 years of Imitation of Christ [#10] turned around the life of John church history, hundreds of thousands of great Chris- Newton, author of “Amazing Grace”; or that Dante’s tian books, and an untold number of opinions on the Divine Comedy [#16] saved a modern writer from most important, how could we ever pick 25 to feature? deep depression. Well, you asked, so we tried. The topic of this issue has While we don’t have space to include all the rich con- long been requested by our readers, and we’ve finally tent of the top 25, we hope to give you an idea of the sto- managed to pull it off—in 31 articles by 16 authors, ries behind them. How did they develop the tradition quite possibly a record on both counts. of orthodox faith? How did they affect later Christians This is not Christian History’s first “greatest hits” who have found them sources of hope, comfort, chal- issue. We’ve previously covered the 100 most important lenge, and thought-provoking questions? And, last but events in church history and the 10 greatest Christians not least, how are they still relevant today? Our broth- of the twentieth century (issues 28 and 65). To identify ers and sisters in Christ have much to teach us about the 25 most important Christian writings of all time, we welcoming both trials and joys, speaking to our world turned to a group of people well versed in church his- in transforming ways, and seeking refuge in Christ. tory and familiar with Christian History’s readers—past Maybe you’ve already read all the books on our list. writers for the magazine. But if you are like me and still have a ways to go, then Over 70 of our past authors graciously offered up take some time to read these stories and delve into the their five personal favorites, from which we tallied books behind them. You are guaranteed to be inspired votes and compiled our list. We’ve also featured a few and challenged. other writings that fell in the top 100. As a bonus, you’ll As Lewis [#8] reminded us in discussing Athanasius also find an article on the top 25 Christian hymns of all [#9], “It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never time. And, if you’re the type of person who doesn’t like to allow yourself another new one till you have read an greatest hits, we’ve made sure your voice was heard too old one in between.” And one of our previous CH writ- (see p.