Three Marks of a Good Christian Book: Truth, Love, and Beauty

What makes a good book good? And what makes a Christian book Christian? What are some ways to identify a book that is worth reading versus a book that may be just okay or a book that, even though it may be marketed as Christian, is really not Christian at all?

Questions like these can be difficult for all of us, but perhaps especially for those who are new to reading or new to the Christian faith. Since I began this website, I have reviewed well over 1,000 books and read many more than that, so this has been an important consideration for me for a long time now. With that in mind, here is what I have come to see as three defining marks of a good Christian book.

Truth

A good book is truthful. By “truthful,” I certainly mean that it does not tell lies, but there is more to it than that. I mean that if the book makes claims about what is true or false, and especially what is true or false about God, humanity, and the gospel, those claims are grounded in Scripture or otherwise consistent with Scripture. The author makes it clear that he is not fabricating his own version of reality or holding himself up as the arbiter of truth. Rather, he is submitting himself to God, the one who is truth.

We must go a step further, for a good book is also truthful in its application. When it comes to applying truth to life and inspiring moral action, the author is careful that he does not bind or loose consciences beyond what God permits. He is neither antinomian (downplaying or outright rejecting God’s clear commands when it comes to moral and ethical behavior) nor legalistic (amplifying or adding to those commands). Rather, he ensures that after he has accurately taught the truths of Scripture, he applies them in such a way that he does not permit what God forbids, nor forbid what God permits. A truthful book is one whose author loves the truth—or better said, loves the one who is Truth—and who never ventures beyond what God makes plain.

Love

The next mark of a good Christian book is love. This speaks to the author’s intent in writing her book, to her heart as she communicates to the reader, and to her character as she writes about other people. “Let all that you do be done in love,” writes Paul (1 Corinthians 16:14), and writing a book most certainly falls within the bounds of that “all.” A book is meant to be an expression of love for God and for those who have been created in his image. An author should not write primarily for herself, but for the Lord, and should not write primarily to bless herself, but to be a blessing to others. Thus, a book ought to flow from love and express love.

Some books may need to address difficult matters, and some may even need to name names or rebuke fellow believers. Yet even these books must still be marked by love. They must affirm the dignity and humanity of the people who are being spoken of, and must say only what is absolutely necessary and verifiably true. They must be written out of a desire to build up rather than tear down, and to repair rather than destroy. Just as an author ought to submit herself to the one who is Truth, she also ought to imitate the one who is Love.

As Christians, we must never separate truth from love and must never emphasize one out of proportion to the other.

As Christians, we must never separate truth from love and must never emphasize one out of proportion to the other. A good Christian book holds the two together, treating them as fast friends rather than irreconcilable enemies. George Downame spoke of the need for both “verity and charity,” saying that it is not sufficient to speak truthfully unless that truth is paired with love, nor to speak lovingly unless that love is paired with truth, for “truth without charity is malicious, and charity without truth is a liar.” According to his equation, a bad Christian book is marked by lying and malice, while a good Christian book is marked by love and truth.

Beauty

A book cannot be good unless it is marked by love and truth. Yet there is more to the world than love and truth, and there is more to our God-given ability to communicate than merely stating the facts truthfully and expressing those facts in a loving way. There is also beauty. Beauty may not be necessary for distinguishing an objectively good book from an objectively bad one, but it is certainly a factor when distinguishing a good book from an excellent one. Just as we note the difference between a portrait painted by a hobbyist and a master, or the difference between a cake baked by an amateur and a professional, we ought to note the difference between a book that uses language functionally and one that uses it beautifully. Language is a tool of expression that can, when used to its fullest capacity, make beauty even more beautiful and truth even more compelling. The best Christian books, and the best books of any genre, are those that are written with the most skill and, therefore, the most beauty.

The Best Christian Books

The best Christian books are those that combine truth, love, and beauty, and do so in equal measure. Yet such books are rare. Some books are written beautifully and perhaps out of a desire to love others, yet they are destructive because they teach what is false. Some books may be truthful and well-written, but reflect no love for brothers and sisters in the Lord. In the corner of Christian publishing I’m most familiar with, we tend to place a high premium on truth and love, but a relatively low premium on beauty. My continued hope for Christian publishing is that, over time, we will increase our focus on beauty without diminishing our focus on truth and love. In this way, we will be serving the church with truthful resources that are loving and beautiful—resources that are shining examples of the best a book can be.

As I wrap up, let me offer my recommendation of 10 books that I have found to wonderfully combine truth, love, and beauty: