For The L♥ve of Reading discussion

Anyone read religious themed books?

I personally have stayed away from religious books. I have found them to be close minded. However, I am trying to be more open minded and gonna start reading religious themed books.

I've read two fiction religious books. One of them hits your head with a hammer about Christianity, and the other one was an allegory. I liked both of them, but the message in the allegory was much softer. I preferred that one.

Did you know that The Chronicles of Narnia is allegory? C.S Lewis was a Christian.

I wasn't aware of that. Maybe I will try to get through The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe again. I can look for the symbolism in there. It will help out tremendously now that I know that.

Yep, it makes it interesting to read and look for that. In Dawn Treader, there's a scene with some very obvious symbolism.

A few years back I read all of the Left Behind series. They were fast paced and very interesting. Actually, I wouldn't mind picking them up again.
Here are the 1st three:
By:Tim LaHaye

I've read a ton of Karen Kingsbury books, and they all have some form of Christian topic incorporated in them. It wasn't hit-you-in-the-face, convert now, though, which was nice.

I have read many religious or christian fiction. Some of the best series I have read have come from this genre. Here are some of those books:The DMZ, Treasures of the North, Toward the Sunrise, and What a Girl Wants: A Novel. I have not read any of the Left Behind Series.

By Amy-Jill Levine. This book was great. I highly recommend it. Amy is Jewish and see writes easily so it doesn't seem like a text book. She also has great stories like how she made Ken give her Barbie communion wafers and wine.

I've also read . I think it is not for us to judge if we don't understand. I'm also a Religious Studies major.
As a follower of Buddhism I'm recommending By His Holiness. I recommend all of his books. I've had the pleasure of meeting him once before and His Holiness is the most down to earth man ever.

I plan on reading the "Left Behind" series. I just have so many other books on my shelf right now that I wanna read. I plan on going to the library when I start reading the series vs buying the books.

I would also like to read the Left Behind series. I haven't been able to get to them yet either.

I liked the Left Behind series. I would recommend the books.

I've read a few christian romance novels. My favorite was called The Best Gift.

I haven't read the Left Behind series, but I've read (among others):
This Present Darkness
Piercing the Darkness
Thorn in My Heart
Grace in Thine Eyes

Thorn in My Heart and Grace in Thine Eyes were gifts, and pretty much the only "romance" novels that I've read. They're sad.
This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness remind me of The Screwtape Letters. I've heard good things about Ted Dekker, but his books seem more horror to me...

I'm reading the Screwtape Letters right now for my Sunday school class. So far, it is fascinating how he can be right on with what Satan thinks about the human condition.

Yeah, I agree. Especially since it was written so long ago. He was a very wise man, C.S Lewis was. :)

Have you read any of the Space trilogy? I had to read That Hideous Strength for school and it was written very well...

I have never heard of the Space trilogy, but I might put it in my TBR list.

That Hideous Strength is the last one, but it's kinda standalone. It's good. :)

I'm not a Christian but I found CS Lewis's The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce fairly interesting.

Nor am I Buddhist but this was a pretty great parenting book, Buddhism for Mothers

I like to read some christian books like christian romances because they are usually wrote in the 1800 period and are all about country life, hard work, or settlements being made with a romance mingled in.

Sometimes its good to read a good clean romance with out the erotic scenes in them but either way, I like them all the same.

Here are some of the christian romances I recommend that are somewhat historical romances.

A Man for Temperance by Gilbert Morris

Where Willows Grow byKim Vogel Sawyer

Daughters of Blessing Series by Lauraine Snelling:
A Promise for Ellie
Sophies Dilemma
A Touch of Grace
Rebecca's Reward
A Love to Last Forever
A Dream to Call My Own

I read other books and some get pretty violent or even nasty at times and everyonce in a while I like to read a clean read so I can come back to reality.

Every year around December I like to read christian christmas stories or stories that are winter like with lots of snow so it will help me get into the christmas mood of it being winter since it doesn't get all that cold where I live in South Texas. We get lots of rain but no snow.

I like reading emotional and crying my eyes out kind of books around christimas that are very heart warming. Here are some of the books:

By Richard Paul Evans
The Christmas Box
Grace: A Novel

By Thomas Kinkade (Cape Light series)
A Christmas To Remember: A Cape Light Novel
A Christmas Visitor
A Christmas Star: A Cape Light Novel
A Wish for Christmas

By Donna VanLiere (christmas shoes series)
The Christmas Shoes
The Christmas Blessing
The Christmas Hope
The Christmas Promise
The Christmas Secret

By Linda Lael Miller
A Creed Country Christmas

By Leisha Kelly
Till Morning Is Nigh: A Wortham Family Christmas

By Kathleen Morgan
One Perfect Gift

By Robin Jones Gunn
Finding Father Christmas: A Novella

These are just a few, all through the year I buy these types of books and then read them in December, then the rest of the year I read fantacy and paranormal romances - LOL

Jordan wrote: "Did you know that The Chronicles of Narnia is allegory? C.S Lewis was a Christian."

Yes he converted to Christianity from Atheism. He was so prominent and articulate on his views of Christianity that during WWII, he gave a series of talk on on Christian to bring up the spirits of the general public; this series has been complied into the book Mere Christianity. One of my favorites.


I also like Rob Bell as an author. He's the minister of Mars Hill (which was, and maybe still is, the fastest growing churches). He has three books out I believe 'Valet Elvis', 'Sex God', and 'Jesus Wants to Save Christians'... He has very interesting views and thoughts on various subjects.

Catamorandi wrote: "I wasn't aware of that. Maybe I will try to get through The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe again. I can look for the symbolism in there. It will help out tremendously now that I know that."

It's full of them, it's actually quite amazing when you figure it out.

Annaclaire, I think we'd get along well :)

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith and Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile are two of my favorite books. And since I've had to read so much Lewis for my class, Mere Christianity is up there, too.

The Devil's Disciple by George Bernard SHaw is an excellent book about religion. Although Shaw's an atheist, he's a really excellent writer and doesn't all-out bash Christianity. He really respects Jesus as a teacher and he agrees with much of his philosophy. Another really good one is Androcles and the Lion by G.B. Shaw.

adrienne, these sound like solid recommendations.