I love blogs. I followed hundreds of them this year, scanned tens of thousands of their headlines, and read thousands of their articles. They were a great blessing to me and today I want to pause to honor a few. I want to share my top 10 blogs and bloggers of 2016 and also tell you about my favorite 2016 debut.
My 10 Favorite Blogs of 2016
First, here are my ten favorite blogs of 2016, the ones I most enjoyed reading and that were of most benefit to me. They are in no particular order.
- Gentle Reformation. Gentle Reformation is a cooperative effort by a group of friends who are Reformed and Presbyterian. The contributors cover a wide variety of subjects, always with a winsome and pastoral tone.
- Erik Raymond. I have been reading Erik Raymond for many years, first at his own site and then at The Gospel Coalition. He writes from a pastoral perspective but usually with the layperson in mind. He’s a great source of wisdom.
- Scott Slayton. I believe 2016 may have been the first year I read Scott’s blog, but it quickly became a favorite resource. Scott, too, writes from a pastoral perspective and provides a helpful mix of content, ranging from sermon highlights to book recommendations.
- Lore Ferguson Wilbert. Lore is another blogger I have followed for quite a while now, and with her other readers have seen her go through many peaks and valleys. She writes as skillfully and beautifully as any writer out there and maintains a helpful, compelling vulnerability and transparency.
- Samuel James. Samuel James just switched his blog to Mere Orthodoxy, but for most of the year blogged at SamuelDJames.net. He has a special interest in understanding and interpreting culture and has proven a trustworthy guide.
- Jen Oshman. I am a relative newcomer to Jen’s blog, but have invariably found it challenging and encouraging. Jen writes well and covers all kinds of interesting subjects from the personal to the theological.
- Nick Batzig. Nick does blogging right, whether at his own site or at group blogs to which he also contributes. Warm, pastoral, and winsome, I always benefit from reading whatever he writes.
- Aaron Earls. Aaron is another skilled interpreter of culture and current events and I appreciate both his tone and wisdom.
- Melissa Edgington. Melissa puts as much effort into blogging as anyone and we, her readers, are rewarded with compelling content and helpful reflections on life and faith. She also kicked off a podcast this year.
- The Cripplegate. The Cripplegate is a group blog whose contributors are linked together through The Master’s Seminary. They put out valuable, helpful content day after day, year after year.
Honorable Mentions:
Here are a few honorable mentions:
Note: I chose to exclude ministry sites like The Gospel Coalition (their main blog, at least), Desiring God, and For the Church because they rely on a large volume of outside contributors and in that sense are not “true” blogs.
Best Debut
While most of the blogs I follow have been around for a long time, I occasionally find one that has only just begun. 2016’s best debut goes to:
- George Guthrie. Biblical scholar George Guthrie began his blog in the middle of the year and immediately began to provide some excellent articles, most of them pertaining to studying, understanding, and applying the Bible. Though he is a scholar, he writes for all of us. I’ve come to love his blog and to look forward to each new article.
I’d like to give an honorable mention to Evangelical History which brings together Thomas Kidd and Justin Taylor as they write about Christian history and how it applies to our day. They’ve gotten off to a great start and have quickly become one of my must-reads.
A Good Year
All-in-all, it was a great year in the Christian blogosphere and I extend my gratitude to each of these bloggers. And, of course, I extend it to the many others who take the time and make the effort to write for the benefit of their brothers and sisters. Here’s hoping for even better things in 2017!
You can find the list of Christian blogs I read at Feedly.
