Top 10 Modern Books on The Doctrine Of Sin

July 30, 2014  David Murray   11 comments

As I’m often asked for book recommendations on various subjects, I decided to put together an online list of my top ten books in various categories. Basically, if I was only allowed 10 books in my library on that subject, these are the ten I would choose. Previous posts include:

Last week I listed the Top 10 Puritan Books on Sin. This week, here are my Top 10 Modern Books on Sin.

If you know of other good modern books on this topic in general or dealing with specific sins, please leave your suggestion in the comments and I’ll add them under “Reader Suggestions.”

1. Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges

Jerry Bridges exposes some of the more subtle and culturally acceptable sins like pride and anger.

2. Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave by Ed Welch

Welch argues that addictions are fundamentally a disorder of worship and therefore can only be adequately dealt with by theology.

3. Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters by Tim Keller

A timely book that highlights the counterfeit promises of happiness from pursuing sex, money, and success and points to the true God where true happiness can be found.

4. Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone by Elyse Fitzpatrick

Elyse Fitzpatrick addresses besetting sins, habitual sins, and traces them to their root – idolatry.  Some good weedkiller too.

5. Fallen: A Theology of Sin Edited by Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson

A collection of leading evangelicals like Don Carson and Douglas Moo survey the Bible’s teaching on sin but always with the aim of helping us to live more holy and happy lives.

6. Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace by Heath Lambert

Pornography is slaying its tens of thousands, even in the church. Heath Lambert tears off its mask but also points to the power of grace to conquer this destroyer of lives and marriages.

7. Motives: Why Do I Do the Things I Do by Ed Welch

A careful look at the deep and complex motives in the human heart which helps us to understand our desires, fears, regrets, etc.

8. A Fight to the Death: Taking Aim at Sin Within by Wayne Mack

A call to spiritual warfare against sin with many tools and weapons to kill it before it kills us.

9. Temptations Men Face: Straightforward Talk on Power, Money, Affairs, Perfectionism, Insensitivity by Tom Eisenman

An immensely practical and candid look at the most common difficulties men face in their Christian lives. Also includes advice for women on how they can help their husband resist temptation.

10. And just to balance things out, Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Nancy Leigh DeMoss argues that “the lies Christian women believe are at the root of most of their struggles.” She exposes these lies and provides replacement truths from God’s Word.

Reader Suggestions

What books would you add to the list? Books that deal with sin in general and those which deal with specific sins.

Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin by Cornelius Plantinga.

Original Sin: Illuminating the Riddle (New Studies in Biblical Theology) by Henri Blocher.

  • Andrew

    neal plantinga’s ‘not the way it’s supposed to be’ is one i have returned to over and over. i’m amazed how much ground that book covers and how deeply it goes into the doctrine of sin. thx for this list!

    • KevinHalloran

      that’s the first one I thought of as well. Great list–I’ve been reading to read Respectable Sins

    • David Murray

      Thanks Andrew. I added Plantinga. It’s definitely got its strengths.

  • Lisa

    Extravagant Grace: God’s Glory Displayed in Our Weakness by Barbara R. Duguid
    One of best books I have read on sin and God’s sanctification in us. AND this book has Elise Fitzpatrick’s endorsement.
    “Grace, Grace, God’s Grace”. :)

  • Dale Tedder

    I was going to say what Andrew below said… that Plantinga’s Breviary of Sin is good on the subject.

  • Matthew Westerholm

    Henri Blocher?

    • David Murray

      Thank Matthew. I added that.

  • Arthur Miskin

    How about a list of Puritan resources on sin? Brooks and Watson have been immensely helpful to me as well as Planting’a Breviary of Sin [mentioned below].

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  • Arthur Miskin

    My sincere apologies! I recently read an excellent list of puritan resources, forgetting it was you!

  • Can

    May I suggest Mark Jones’s KNOWING SIN?