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This is a list for good quality fiction written by authors who are Christians, as evidenced by a personal profession of more than nominal Christian faith, or the presence of explicitly Christian messages in all or some of their writing. The purpose of the list is to create a bibliography illustrating the variety and vitality of the literary tradition of fiction grounded in the Christian worldview. It is NOT limited to ECPA/CBA "Christian fiction," nor to works that have explicitly religious content. It does NOT include nonfiction, nor works by non-Christian writers that have religious subject matter. Everyone on Goodreads may add appropriate books to the list! If there are disagreements about what books should be on the list, the burden of proof is on those wanting to remove a book.
1

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4.54 avg rating — 738,613 ratings
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2

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4.27 avg rating — 534,142 ratings
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3

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4.28 avg rating — 714,449 ratings
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4

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4.32 avg rating — 187,991 ratings
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5

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4.30 avg rating — 4,522,352 ratings
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6

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4.24 avg rating — 3,183,214 ratings
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7

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4.09 avg rating — 949,950 ratings
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8

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4.38 avg rating — 41,078 ratings
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9

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4.30 avg rating — 4,889,501 ratings
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10

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3.82 avg rating — 47,278 ratings
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11

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3.94 avg rating — 109,100 ratings
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12

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4.02 avg rating — 61,616 ratings
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13

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4.06 avg rating — 616,192 ratings
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14

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4.01 avg rating — 309,776 ratings
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15

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3.94 avg rating — 47,114 ratings
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16

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4.09 avg rating — 1,312,461 ratings
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17

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4.16 avg rating — 2,360,141 ratings
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18

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4.08 avg rating — 161,678 ratings
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19

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4.03 avg rating — 38,026 ratings
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20

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4.41 avg rating — 3,190,929 ratings
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21

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3.44 avg rating — 929,020 ratings
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22

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3.96 avg rating — 335,232 ratings
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23

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4.13 avg rating — 146 ratings
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24

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3.80 avg rating — 882,668 ratings
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25

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4.58 avg rating — 1,061,082 ratings
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26

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4.50 avg rating — 1,148,260 ratings
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27

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3.99 avg rating — 586 ratings
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28

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3.88 avg rating — 1,021,392 ratings
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29

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3.97 avg rating — 1,297,762 ratings
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30

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4.19 avg rating — 12,317 ratings
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31

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4.24 avg rating — 116,022 ratings
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32

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4.29 avg rating — 1,111,014 ratings
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33

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3.88 avg rating — 431,942 ratings
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34

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3.86 avg rating — 248,686 ratings
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35

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3.92 avg rating — 244,563 ratings
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36

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4.05 avg rating — 262,112 ratings
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37

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4.24 avg rating — 95 ratings
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38

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4.08 avg rating — 231 ratings
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39

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4.23 avg rating — 902 ratings
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40

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3.84 avg rating — 698,448 ratings
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41

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4.39 avg rating — 397,857 ratings
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42

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4.44 avg rating — 450 ratings
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43

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4.13 avg rating — 71,105 ratings
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44

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4.09 avg rating — 175,308 ratings
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45

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4.61 avg rating — 225 ratings
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45

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4.60 avg rating — 43 ratings
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47

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4.53 avg rating — 490 ratings
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48

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4.47 avg rating — 154 ratings
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49

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4.21 avg rating — 1,579 ratings
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50

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3.44 avg rating — 43,429 ratings
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51

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3.99 avg rating — 121,206 ratings
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52

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4.26 avg rating — 45,770 ratings
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53

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2,079 ratings
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54

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3.86 avg rating — 10,900 ratings
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55

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3.81 avg rating — 18,960 ratings
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56

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4.24 avg rating — 27,421 ratings
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57

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4.07 avg rating — 30,468 ratings
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58

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3.98 avg rating — 133,244 ratings
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59

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4.28 avg rating — 246 ratings
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60

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4.18 avg rating — 1,875 ratings
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60

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4.35 avg rating — 102 ratings
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60

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4.04 avg rating — 387 ratings
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63

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3.90 avg rating — 13,108 ratings
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64

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4.07 avg rating — 1,785,006 ratings
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65

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4.02 avg rating — 18,778 ratings
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66

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4.22 avg rating — 801 ratings
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67

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4.36 avg rating — 127 ratings
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68

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4.24 avg rating — 998 ratings
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69

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4.30 avg rating — 527 ratings
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70

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3.82 avg rating — 2,002 ratings
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70

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4.63 avg rating — 19 ratings
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72

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3.68 avg rating — 334,338 ratings
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73

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3.89 avg rating — 223 ratings
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74

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4.16 avg rating — 50,294 ratings
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75

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3.94 avg rating — 21,746 ratings
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76

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4.15 avg rating — 790,738 ratings
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77

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3.90 avg rating — 4,393 ratings
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78

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3.98 avg rating — 126,684 ratings
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79

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4.09 avg rating — 4,050 ratings
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80

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4.17 avg rating — 370,650 ratings
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81

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3.92 avg rating — 1,100 ratings
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82

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4.09 avg rating — 7,996 ratings
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83

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4.06 avg rating — 10,719 ratings
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84

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4.25 avg rating — 57,449 ratings
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85

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3.11 avg rating — 9 ratings
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85

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4.37 avg rating — 3,437 ratings
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85

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4.53 avg rating — 58 ratings
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85

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4.61 avg rating — 38 ratings
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89

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4.25 avg rating — 132 ratings
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89

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4.13 avg rating — 379 ratings
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91

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3.67 avg rating — 175 ratings
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91

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4.17 avg rating — 37,391 ratings
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93

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4.09 avg rating — 173 ratings
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94

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3.85 avg rating — 1,600 ratings
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94

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4.28 avg rating — 30,092 ratings
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96

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4.28 avg rating — 33,268 ratings
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97

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4.18 avg rating — 6,732 ratings
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97

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3.72 avg rating — 4,537 ratings
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99

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4.28 avg rating — 574 ratings
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99

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4.21 avg rating — 5,457 ratings
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542 books · 158 voters · list created February 26th, 2013 by Werner (votes) .
24 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Werner 2354 books
206 friends
Chopp-chopp 24 books
39 friends
Shelly 128 books
682 friends
Alicia 51 books
53 friends
Becky 891 books
60 friends
Kat 639 books
580 friends
Mike (the Paladin) 4304 books
1633 friends
Mel 1 book
41 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-28 of 28 (28 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Sylvia (new)

Sylvia I think Werner Lind's book, "Lifeblood" should be in this list of books, and frankly I tried to add it but failed. I knew it was a vampire story told from a Christian viewpoint with the goal of salvation for a cursed vampiress, and could not fathom that outcome, so it was a fascinating read.


message 2: by Werner (new)

Werner Sylvia, I'm honored that you want to add my book! To do that, click on "Add books to this list," then click on "search." Use the search function to bring up the book, then click on the button beside it that says "add" or "add to list" (I forget the exact wording). Let me know if you still have trouble. And thanks for your support!


message 3: by Sylvia (new)

Sylvia Thanks, Werner. I think my addition went through this time. I guess the first time I clicked "Add" in the wrong locatiuon. But when I added this title, it allowed me to add my comment, but it didn't carry over to the list along with the title, so I added it again. Hope it doesn't somehow overlap in the box.


message 4: by Werner (new)

Werner Sylvia, I double-checked, and it did go through this time. Thanks!


message 5: by Krisi (new)

Krisi Keley I'm not sure why Lifeblood wasn't already showing up on the list today. I added it last night and it showed up in my list. Then again, when I was adding books, ones already on the list weren't showing up in my books as being added previously like they usually do, so maybe a GR blip?


message 6: by Werner (new)

Werner Could be, Krisi; Goodreads has its glitches every now and then. :-( Thanks for adding it!


message 7: by Nike (last edited Aug 13, 2013 06:17AM) (new)

Nike Chillemi I'm honored that one of my novels made this list.

My only problem is that so many of the Christian authors who dominate the list are dead...and have been dead for many, many years. In some cases over 100 years. Isn't there any great Christian fiction being written today? Well, yes, and you listed those novels, but still...

I find that on a list like this I scroll right past the first fifty or so entries (all the JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, and the like). I know that already.

I added THE DARKEST VALLEY by Rick Dewhurst

BACK ON MURDER by J Mark Bertrand

and several more I think are contemp Christian reads of excellence.


message 8: by Werner (new)

Werner Nike, thanks for adding titles to this list; like all Goodreads lists, it depends on everybody pitching in to help build it up! I'm only allowed to add up to 100 books (and I've already added 98!), so I'm limited in what I can do; and I also haven't read as much of the quality contemporary Christian fiction that's out there as I'd like to have. So input from readers who've read more of the recent works is very helpful!


message 9: by Jenny (new)

Jenny The Hiding Place is nonfiction. The description of this list says no nonfiction included.


message 10: by Werner (new)

Werner Jenny, thanks for catching that; I'll delete it from the list. Do you happen to remember what number it is? If I have that, it's much easier to find it than if I have to hunt through the whole list! (You can also delete nonfiction books from the list yourself, if you're a Goodreads librarian and know that they're nonfiction.)


message 11: by Krystalin (new)

Krystalin Hi,

First of all, this is an interesting list. I need to read some of them. =) Secondly, just wanted to point out that C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters" is on the list twice.


message 12: by Werner (new)

Werner Thanks, Krystalin. I used the "check for duplicates" function just now, and didn't find any; then I went through the list manually, and only found The Screwtape Letters listed once. But I did find and delete nine nonfiction books, including The Hiding Place!


message 13: by Werner (new)

Werner Recently, I deleted Gone With the Wind from the list, because I couldn't find any clear indication of Christian belief on the part of the author, Margaret Mitchell, in any source that I checked. Also, I deleted a couple of books by Robert Louis Stevenson. As a grown adult, he was definitely a theist, but the documented evidence we have (and one website makes a very detailed study of exactly this question!) suggests that he wasn't himself a Christian, even though he had been raised as one.


message 14: by Heather (new)

Heather Gilbert This is a great list! Thanks for creating it! Just voted on some.


message 15: by Werner (new)

Werner Wonderful! Glad you like the list, Heather; and thanks for your input.


message 16: by Nina (new)

Nina Lot's of good books but sadly I hadn't read many of them.


message 17: by Werner (new)

Werner No problem, Nina; part of the idea of lists like this is to give people ideas for future reading.


message 18: by English (new)

English I would delete the Shack from the list, apart from the Doctrinal errors, I think the author has said he does not believe in substitutional redemption or some such.


message 19: by English (new)

English I've added eleven books on here, hope nobody minds. Some of my favourite Medieval Fiction, and some British authors, who are getting more successful in the Christian Fiction genre, and I think deserve more representation.


message 20: by Werner (last edited Nov 17, 2020 09:33AM) (new)

Werner English, nobody minds it when you add books to the list; feel free to do that any time! That's how these lists get built up, to become the worthwhile resources they're intended to be.

The problem with deleting books based on "doctrinal errors" is that Christian believers, and Christian writers, may have quite a variety of beliefs about various doctrines. And I'm also reluctant to delete any book based on vague reports of something the author may (or may not) have said. (Goodreads librarians have the authority to delete books from lists if they're "totally mis-characterized," but we can lose our librarian status for improper or frivolous deletions.) But thank you for sharing your concern!


message 21: by Nina (new)

Nina overall a good listing.


message 22: by Werner (new)

Werner Thanks, Nina!


message 23: by Werner (new)

Werner The other day, i deleted Thornton Wilder's The Eighth Day from the list, and will delete other books by him if I find them. I'd read something at one time that cited him as a member of the Congregational church. However, since then, I've done some more digging online. His father was a very ardent Calvinist, so what I've read suggests that young Thornton was raised in that church; but from every source that I've examined, there's no evidence of any adult profession or association with Christian faith on his part.


message 24: by Werner (new)

Werner Melissa, good question! J. K. Rowling is a practicing member of the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian). Stephanie Meyer is a Mormon. The question there is whether Mormonism qualifies as a form of Christianity. I have an opinion on that subject (and I don't include the Twilight novels in my personal votes on this list); but I respect the existence of different opinions on it sufficiently not to delete her books if someone else adds them. (That would be true as well of books by Orson Scott Card, who's also a Mormon.)


message 25: by Margret Melissa (ladybug) (last edited Mar 29, 2019 08:31AM) (new)

Margret Melissa (ladybug) Thanks for the reply. :) I researched them and then deleted my comment. :) (For anyone seeing this, I had asked if the authors of Twilight and Harry Potter were Christian.)


message 26: by Werner (new)

Werner No problem, Melissa!


message 27: by Margret Melissa (ladybug) (last edited Mar 29, 2019 08:35AM) (new)

Margret Melissa (ladybug) I hadn't seen my favorite book on this list (although there were several other books by this author listed) so I went and added it. There are a lot more Christian authors than I had realized.


message 28: by Werner (new)

Werner Melissa (ladybug) wrote: "I hadn't seen my favorite book on this list (although there were several other books by this author listed) so I went and added it. There are a lot more Christian authors than I had realized."

Glad you added a book, Melissa; anybody can add books to these lists, and that's what it takes to build them up. List creators are only allowed to add 100 books, so other folks have to supply the rest.

Yes, Christian authors have been glorifying God through literature for a long time, and there are a lot of them out there who are well worth reading. I'm glad that a list like this can introduce readers to books they might otherwise miss!


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