Jump to content

Menu

Your favorite Christian novels (non-romance)


Halcyon
 Share

Recommended Posts

"Father Elijah" is a lovely and exciting book.  It is considered Apocalyptic but don't let that scare you off.  It was quite the page turner.

 

Elizabeth Goudge was a great writer from last century . Her books are infused with Christian themes....but they're not the "hit you over the head" obvious kind.  I've read the "Dean's Watch" which was a wonderful book.  I still think about some of the characters from that book.

 

Ben Hur is a wonderful Christian book - hardly like the movie version (what a surprise).

 

If you don't mind something that very unusual and rather "out there" Buechner is a wonderful writer.  "Godric", "Brendan", and "On the Road with the Archangel" are some of my favorite books of all time.  You'll not find a sticky sweet Christian novel within his pages.  He makes you *think* and he's not afraid to make his readers squirm.   Buechner's non-fiction is some of my favorite as well, FWIW.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Second Brandilyn Collins.  If you like scary - Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, or Robert Liparulo.  If you like historical fiction  - check out Bodie Thoene and her AD Chronicles set in the time of Jesus  or Zion Chronicles set in 40's during the war.   For mysteries - Irene Hannon.  And if you've never read anything by Dee Henderson, check out her O'Malley series.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A little different here, but I love the Mitford series by Jan Karon. It does have a love story as a theme flowing through it, but it's so much more than that. It centers around the life of an about-to-retire Episcopal minister and the very quirky people of his little town. It's funny and warm.

 

The first book is called At Home in Mitford.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A Girl of the Limberlost

Treasure Island

Christy

The Devil's Advocate

The Hammer of God (this is the best Christian novel I have ever read)

The Robe

How Far to Bethlehem?

 

Are you talking about the one by Giertz?   Then, I agree about the "The Hammer of God"  great book.  Very thought provoking.  Thanks for reminding me about it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Following!  I love Christian novel, but I'm not a fan of romance. 

 

My favorite author is Lynn Austin.  Many of her stories revolve around generations of women and their relationships.  She does a lot of historical fiction.  I've also enjoyed some Ann Tatlock novels.

 

 

I downloaded Gods and Kings yesterday--so far I like it! Thanks! it's not a book I would have thought I'd like. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Susan Howatch has the only fiction books besides classics that have held my husband's interest.

 

.

The Starbridge Series (from Wikipedia)

This series of six books sets out to describe the history of the Church of England through the twentieth century. Each of the six books is self-contained, and each is narrated by a different character. However, the main protagonist of each book also appears in the other books, allowing the author to present the same incidents from different viewpoints.

The action of all six books centers around the fictional Anglican diocese of Starbridge, which is supposedly in the west of England, and also features the Fordite monks, a fictional Anglican monastic order. The cathedral and ecclesiastical hierarchy at Starbridge are based on the real-life Salisbury.

The first three books of the series (Glittering Images, Glamorous Powers, Ultimate Prizes) begin in the 1930s, and continue through World War II. The second three (Scandalous Risks, Mystical Paths, Absolute Truths) take place in the 1960s.

Glittering Images is narrated by the Reverend Dr. Charles Ashworth, a Cambridge academic who undergoes something of a spiritual and nervous breakdown after being sent by the Archbishop of Canterbury to secretly investigate possible sexual transgressions in the household of the Bishop of Starbridge. Ashworth is helped to recover, and to realize the source of his problems, by Father Jonathan Darrow, the widowed abbot of Grantchester Abbey of the Fordite Monks.

Glamorous Powers follows the story of Jonathan Darrow himself as he leaves the Fordite Order at age sixty following a powerful vision. He then must deal with his adult children's problems, address the question of a new intimate relationship, and search for a new ministry. His particular crisis surrounds the use and misuse of his charismatic powers of healing, and his unsettling mystical visions, or "showings".

Ultimate Prizes takes place during World War II. It is narrated by Neville Aysgarth, a young and ambitious Archdeacon of Starbridge from a working class background in the north of England. After being widowed and remarried, he too undergoes something of a breakdown but is rescued by Jonathan Darrow.

Scandalous Risks follows Aysgarth to a Canonry of Westminster Abbey and back to Starbridge, where he becomes Dean of the Cathedral and Ashworth becomes Bishop. It is narrated by Venetia Flaxton, a young aristocrat who risks great scandal by beginning a relationship with the married Aysgarth, her father's best friend.

Mystical Paths follows Nicholas Darrow, son of Jonathan, as he narrowly avoids going off the rails prior to his ordination while investigating the mysterious disappearance of Christian Aysgarth, eldest son of Dean Aysgarth.

Absolute Truths comes full circle and is narrated by a much more elderly but still troubled Charles Ashworth, thirty one years after we originally encountered him in the first of the books.

 

I didn't care for the little I read of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's been awhile, but a few of my past favorites would include...

 

C.S. Lewis "Chronicles of Narnia" series.  Got much more out of it as an adult, with more theological knowledge in my background.

 

Brock and Bodie Thoene… don't remember them as romance… but they had a few different series which I liked.

 

If you're at all into spiritual warfare, or open to the concept, check out Frank Peretti

 

Charles Swindoll's "In His Steps."  Remember after reading this in the early 90s, I went and had a bracelet engraved that said "What Would Jesus Do?"…before the whole WWJD phenomenon 

 

The Joshua series of books by Joseph Girzone

 

The whole Left Behind series

 

Oh…also check out Anita Diamant's "The Red Tent" (don't remember it as romance…more historical fiction)

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like anything by Jamie Langston Turner.  The one I'm reading does have some romance near the end, but it's not over the top and fits into a normal person's experience.   She just has good stories.  They can be read in any order and characters from her other books show up in the new book just as a person you would meet at the grocery store or something like that.

 

 

Beth

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...