On Twitter and Facebook I asked for your favourite books to give away to non-Christians. Below are the responses. I should add that this doesn't necessarily imply endorsement - I'm familiar with only about half of these titles. But I've enjoyed checking out some of them in the last few days, perhaps you will too...
Ultimate Questions (Blanchard); Grace for You (MacArthur); A New Beginning (Cairns); All of Grace (Spurgeon); Roger Carswell's little hardback evangelistic books.
If God then what? (Wilson); What we talk about when we talk about God (Bell). Confident Christianity (Sinkinson)
A maroon coloured Gideon's NT... "Red on the outside, but rarely read on the inside."
Jim Packer's Knowing God, C.S.Lewis' Mere Christianity.
Gospels. Usually Luke or John.
Lewis: Mere Christianity, Keller: The Prodigal God, Dickson: If I were God I'd end all the pain.
Stott's Basic Christianity
"Longing for Paradise" (tract) and "Lives Jesus Changed" (book) by Simon Vibert
Grill a Christian by Roger Carswell
'The Case for Christ' by Lee Strobel
TryPraying.org
Keller's 'Reason for God' for sceptics and 'Prodigal God' for seekers. If they're keen to encounter Jesus 'King's Cross'.
The Be Thinking booklets. John Chapman books (e.g. A Fresh Start)
Mere Christianity (Lewis)
'A Fresh Start' (J. Chapman) and 'More Than a Carpenter' McDowell
If I could ask God one Question by Paul Williams and Barry Cooper
The Christianity Explored and Alpha books
Amy Orr-Ewing - Why trust the bible? But is it real? J John's "The Life"
Keller's Counterfeit Gods
I give out Gospels - usually John, but I take the opportunity of explaining chapter 1 to them first:
"The Word is Jesus, meaning He explains God to us and the rest of the Gospel shows how wonderful it is that Jesus is the revelation of God."
I encourage them to pray as they read:
"If this is God's word then reading it is a spiritual thing. So I recommend shooting up a prayer and saying, 'God if you're there, show me Jesus.' If God isn't there, He won't answer, but if He is, then there's nothing more important than meeting His Son."
Sometimes I give Chappo's Fresh Start - maybe cos of sentimental reasons. It made a big impact on me when I was 14.
Any more you'd recommend?
And please pray for me as I'm currently trying to write one myself...
Any idea what kind of percentage of people who receive books actually read them? That would be interesting to know.
Dunno. That sounds like a question for a Carswell
I won a book back in 1973.
Haven't read it yet. I'll get to it just after the football season finishes…(maybe)
Mere christianity used to be my favourite, but currently it's surprisingly Keller's Counterfeit Gods.
Everyone knows sub-consciously they have idols but just needs some prompting to acknowledge them!
Thanks guys. Anonymous - I'll add it to the list
I think you'll fine the Keller book is at aimed at believers 'needing to deal with' idolatry (a kind of 'how to' guide seeking to prune the branches of unbelief or maybe spruce up the flesh) - Stick with Lewis (Mere Christianity or Miracles) and other volumes akin to this which are truly worth the read and can be gainfully employed in talking about the faith.
P.S. - Well done with the new talk on the Theology Network on the Theology of the Word.
Thanks Howard