Reading Lists
- Christianity Reading ListRecommended books and films on Christianity from McKee Library's collection.
- Seventh-day Adventist Pioneers Research GuideThis guide contains recommended resources, books, and films relating to Seventh-day Adventist history and beliefs. The book below covers the essential 28 beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is a recommended title. For specific questions related to SDA beliefs, we encourage you to speak with your local Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Research & Reference
- Christianity: Basic BeliefsChristians believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God – fully human and fully divine – and that through believing in him and following his teachings they can inherit eternal life.
- Christianity: BritannicaChristianity, major religion stemming from the life, teachings, and death of Jesus of Nazareth (the Christ, or the Anointed One of God) in the 1st century CE.
- Christianity in the U.S.: Statistics & FactsChristianity has been in the United States since before the U.S. was established as a country. Christianity was established in the early colonial period when settlers from Europe brought Christianity along with them. Many settlers, such as the Pilgrims, settled in the United States in order to escape persecution of their particular denomination of Christianity in Europe.
- World Religion Profile: ChristianityThe article discusses the Christian religion. Christianity is based upon the teachings of Jesus Christ and is divided into denominations such as Catholicism, Protestant and Orthodox. Christian tenets include the trinity, in which God is divided into the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, and the belief that the crucifixion of Christ redeemed humanity for its sins. The sacred text of Christianity is the Bible. Ceremonies of Christianity include baptism, Holy Communion and Lent.
- Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception Online This link opens in a new window
The Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (EBR) is the first and only comprehensive reference work devoted to the Bible and its reception. As its foundation, the encyclopedia contains the most up-to-date information on the origins and development of the Bible in the canons of Judaism and Christianity.
Perspectives
What Is the Bible?
Instant New York Times Bestseller Rob Bell, the beloved author of Love Wins and What We Talk About When We Talk About God, goes deep into the Bible to show how it is more revelatory, revolutionary, and relevant than we ever imagined--and offers a cogent argument for why we need to look at it in a fresh, new way. In Love Wins, Rob Bell confronted the troubling questions that many people of faith were afraid to ask about heaven, hell, fate, and faith. Using the same inspired, inquisitive approach, he now turns to our most sacred book, the Bible. What Is the Bible? provides insights and answers that make clear why the Bible is so revered and what makes it truly inspiring and essential to our lives. Rob takes us deep into actual passages to reveal the humanity behind the Scriptures. You cannot get to the holy without going through the human, Rob tells us. When considering a passage, we shouldn't ask "Why did God say . . .'" To get to the heart of the Bible's meaning, we should be asking: "What's the story that's unfolding here and why did people find it important to tell it? What was it that moved them to record these words? What was happening in the world at that time? What does this passage/story/poem/verse/book tell us about how people understood who they were and who God was at that time?" In asking these questions, Rob goes beyond the one-dimensional question of "is it true?" to reveal the Bible's authentic transformative power. Rob addresses the concerns of all those who see the Bible as God's Word but are troubled by the ethical dilemmas, errors, and inconsistencies in Scripture. With What Is the Bible?, he recaptures the Good Book's magic and reaffirms its power and inspiration to shape and inspire our lives today.
Experiencing God
Knowing and Doing the Will of God A study of the Bible encouraging us to see God at work and join Him as He reveals
The Case for Christ
Using the dramatic scenario of an investigative journalist pursuing his story and leads, Strobel uses his experience as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune to interview experts about the evidence for Christ from the fields of science, philosophy, and history.
The True Jesus
A New York Times Bestseller! "Who do you say that I am?" Uttered by Jesus Christ, this profound question has presented an age-old challenge to believers, skeptics, scholars, and rulers. In attempting to answer this question, The True Jesus goes straight to the unimpeachable source: the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Only in the Gospels, says #1 New York Times bestselling author David Limbaugh, do we come face-to-face with the Son of God, Whose sublime teachings, miraculous actions, and divine essence leap off every page and into our hearts. In this book, Limbaugh combines the four Gospel stories into a unified account (though not, he humbly admits, a perfect harmony) and guides readers on a faith journey through the Four Evangelists' testimonies of the life of Jesus Christ. Along the way, Limbaugh shares his insights on Jesus' words and deeds as well as His unique nature as fully human and fully divine. In The True Jesus, you will learn: - Why even the apostles failed to completely understand Jesus' true identity and mission until after His crucifixion - The real basis for the rejection of Jesus' message by skeptics in His hometown and elsewhere - The historical events preceding Jesus' birth that providentially paved the way for Christianity - How Jesus' message utterly contradicted modern attempts to portray Him as being non-judgmental Limbaugh's passion for the Gospels infuses the pages of The True Jesus, which is both a primer for new Bible readers and an outstanding guide to the Gospels for long-time believers. Who really is the true Jesus? Open this book and begin your odyssey toward the answer.
Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology
Represents a fresh, ecumenical approach to theological reference. Written with an emphasis on clarity and concision, all entries are designed to help the reader understand and assess the specifically theological significance of the most important concepts.
Mere Christianity
In the classic Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis, the most important writer of the 20th century, explores the common ground upon which all of those of Christian faith stand together. Bringing together Lewis' legendary broadcast talks during World War Two from his three previous books The Case for Christianity, Christian Behavior, and Beyond Personality, Mere Christianity provides an unequaled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to hear this powerful apologetic for the Christian faith.
Streaming Media
- ChristianityArt of Faith is a visually sumptuous series exploring the architecture and art of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Each program is presented and narrated by the broadcaster John McCarthy, who visits many of the greatest and most significant religious buildings of the world.
- Essentials of Faith: ChristianityBeliefs spelled out in the Apostle’s Creed link Christians around the world—but in practice, the faith has fractured. This program presents views from five insightful and widely differing believers who reveal their thoughts on conflict and harmony within Christianity. The participants are Terry Waite, author, humanitarian, and former hostage in Beirut; Ann Widdecombe, conservative British politician and Catholic convert; the Reverend Joel Edwards, General Director of the U.K. Evangelical Alliance; Bishop Richard Holloway, author of Godless Morality: Keeping Religion out of Ethics; and Alison Elliot, the first woman to be Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
- Future of Christianity: Christianity—A HistoryChristianity is now over 2,000 years old. Yet today in the West it faces its greatest challenge--modernity and the rapid rise of the secular society. Can Christianity survive in the West? In the final episode of the series, practicing Catholic and leading barrister Cherie Blair examines how Christianity has fared in the face of World Wars, unprecedented suffering and monumental social change. While Christianity is marginal in Western Europe, it is strong in the U.S. Blair examines U.S. megachurches and argues that U.S. Christianity broke free of the tradition, architecture and aesthetics that cut Western European Christianity off from modern society. The U.S. experience shows that Christianity can make itself part of contemporary society.
- Jesus: His Life“JESUS: HIS LIFE” explores the story of Jesus Christ through a unique lens: the people in his life who were closest to him.