This post lists Mark Dever’s recommended books on ministry, church history, theology, apologetics, ecclesiology, evangelism, missions, theology, biography, and more for the building of the church to the glory of Christ.
The goal of this post to honor a man who has inspired and encouraged many, all the while pointing to great books that grow faith promote faithfulness in ministry.
Scroll to the bottom for helpful audio/video resources that make this post a little more enjoyable (at least for the book nerd).
A short biography of Mark Dever from Wikipedia:
Mark E. Dever (born August 28, 1960) is the senior pastor of the Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and the president of 9Marks (formerly known as the Center for Church Reform), a Christian ministry he co-founded “in an effort to build biblically faithful churches in America.” He is known as a Calvinist preacher.
A brief word on free books and multiple versions/editions:
Some of the books listed below may be found and read for free online (mainly the older ones, and in multiple formats) if you Google the title. You may also want to check our massive list of free Kindle books, Desiring God, or Monergism for more free options (pdf, .mobi, or .epub). Other times when multiple versions are available, we link to the Amazon search page to show options.
Mark Dever’s Christian Classics Curriculum
The following reading list was created for The Gospel Coalition, a fellowship of Gospel-centered evangelical churches in North America. The readings listed here are some of the key texts which have shaped the movement and its current leaders, and offer an historical sense and context to the current movement, particularly in North America. It hardly assumes to be universal, representative, or global in its sampling of church history.
January (Early Church):
- Year One: Henry Bettenson, Documents of the Early Church and The Martyrdom of Polycarp (read online)
- Year Two: Polycarp, Epistle to the Philippians (read online for free) and Irenaeus, Against All Heresies
- Year Three: Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians (read online)
- Year Four: St Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of St John and The Epistle to the Hebrews
February (Augustine):
- Year One: Confessions (free Kindle edition)
- Year Two: City of God
- Year Three: Doctrinal Treatises (especially On the Holy Trinity), and Moral Treatises (read online)
- Year Four: Anti-Pelagian Writings (read online)
March (Martin Luther):
- Year One: Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther and Heiko A. Oberman, Luther: Man Between God and Devil
- Year Two: Timothy F. Lull and William R. Russell, eds., Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings (2d ed.; Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Press, 2005)
- Year Three: Luther, The Bondage of the Will
- Year Four: Luther, Table Talk and the prefaces of his commentaries on Romans and Galatians
April (John Calvin):
- Year One: Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Volume One
- Year Two: Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Volume Two
- Year Three: Bernard Cottret, Calvin: A Biography and Theodore Beza, The Life of John Calvin
- Year Four: Read through various passages in his many commentaries on Genesis, Psalms, Romans, Galatians, Philippians, or your other favorite books of the Bible.
May (Richard Sibbes and Richard Baxter):
- Year One: Sibbes, The Bruised Reed and Sibbes, The Glorious Feast of the Gospel
- Year Two: Baxter, The Reformed Pastor, and Baxter, The Practical Works
- Year Three: Sibbes, The Spiritual Man‘s Aim and Sibbes, A Glance of Heaven
- Year Four: Sibbes, The Saint’s Comforts, and Sibbes, Salvation Applied
June (John Bunyan and John Owen):
- Year One: Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress and Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor, eds., Communion with the Triune God (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007).
- Year Two: Kapic and Taylor, eds., Overcoming Sin and Temptation: Three Classic Works by John Owen (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2006).
- Year Three: Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and Owen, Death of Death in the Death of Christ
- Year Four: Owen, The Doctrine of Justification by Faith
July (Jonathan Edwards):
- Year One: Iain H. Murray, Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography (Banner of Truth, 1996), George M. Marsden, Jonathan Edwards: A Life (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004).
- Year Two: Edwards, Freedom of the Will and Edwards, Charity and Its Fruits
- Year Three: Edwards, Religious Affections and John Piper, God’s Passion for His Glory: Living the Vision of Jonathan Edwards (With the Complete Text of “The End for Which God Created the World”) (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1998).
- Year Four: Wilson H. Kimnach, Kenneth P. Minkema, and Douglas A. Sweeney, The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards: A Reader (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), and Edwards,Resolutions.
August (Charles H. Spurgeon):
- Year One: Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students and Autobiography
- Year Two: Spurgeon, Till He Comes
- Year Three: Spurgeon, The Treasury of David
- Year Four: Spurgeon, any number of his various sermons (or read them all free at Spurgeon.org)
September (B. B. Warfield):
- Year One: Warfield, Revelation and Inspiration (vol. 1 of his complete works)
- Year Two: Warfield, Biblical Doctrines (vol. 2)
- Year Three: Warfield, Calvin and Calvinism (vol. 5)
- Year Four: Warfield, Studies in Theology (vol. 9)
October (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones):
- Year One: Iain H. Murray, David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The First Forty Years (1899 – 1939) and David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith (1939 – 1981)
- Year Two: Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures (or download free audio)
- Year Three: Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount
- Year Four: Lloyd-Jones, Great Doctrines of the Bible: God the Father, God the Son; God the Holy Spirit; The Church and Last Things
November (C. S. Lewis and Blaise Pascal):
- Year One: Lewis, Mere Christianity and Lewis, Surprised by Joy
- Year Two: Lewis, The Abolition of Man and Lewis, God in the Dock
- Year Three: Pascal, Pensees and Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms
- Year Four: Lewis, Screwtape Letters and Lewis, The Pilgrim’s Regress
December (Contemporary Authors):
- Year One: J. I. Packer, Knowing God and Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God
- Year Two: John Stott, The Cross of Christ and Carl F. H. Henry, The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism
- Year Three: Francis A. Schaeffer, The God Who Is There; Escape from Reason; He Is There And He Is Not Silent
- Year Four: Any of the books by the Council Members of The Gospel Coalition
Books read by many interns at Capitol Hill Baptist Church (source)
- When People are Big and God is Small, Ed Welch
- Humility, C.J. Mahaney
- Theology of the Reformers, Timothy George
- The Unquenchable Flame, Michael Reeves
- What Is a Healthy Church?, Mark Dever
- What Is a Healthy Church Member, Thabiti Anyabwile
- A Display of God’s Glory (booklet), Mark Dever
- By Whose Authority? (booklet), Mark Dever (free PDF)
- The Reformation of the Church, Iain Murray
- The Christian Ministry, Charles Bridges
- Polity, Mark Dever ed.
- Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, Mark Dever
- The Deliberate Church, Mark Dever and Paul Alexander
- The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love, Jonathan Leeman
- The Compelling Community, Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop
- Baptist Foundations: Church Government for an Anti-Institution Age, Jonathan Leeman and Mark Dever
- Going Public, Bobby Jamieson
- The Bruised Reed, Richard Sibbes
- Believers’ Baptism, Tom Schreiner and Shawn Wright
- The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, Mark Dever
- Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer
- “Regaining Meaningful Church Membership,” Mark Dever, in Restoring Integrity in Baptist Churches
- Worship by the Book, Don Carson
- Give Praise to God, edited by Phil Ryken et al (selected chapters)
- Engaging with God, David Peterson
- Perspectives on Christian Worship: 5 Views, ed. by J Matthew Pinson (selected chapters)
- The Church: The Gospel Made Visible, Mark Dever
- The Trellis and the Vine, Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
- Church Planting Is for Wimps, Mike McKinley
- Church Membership, Jonathan Leeman
- Church Discipline, Jonathan Leeman
- Evangelicalism Divided, Iain Murray
9Marks Book Series (from Crossway and others)
- It Is Well: Expositions on Substitutionary Atonement (9Marks) by Mark Dever, Michael Lawrence
- What Does God Want of Us Anyway?: A Quick Overview of the Whole Bible (9Marks)
- Church Elders: How to Shepherd God’s People Like Jesus by Jeramie Rinne (9Marks: Building Healthy Churches)
- Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God’s Word Today (9Marks: Building Healthy Churches) by David R. Helm
- Who is Jesus by Greg Gilbert
- What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert (foreword by D.A. Carson)
- Why Trust the Bible by Greg Gilbert
- Sound Doctrine: How a Church Grows in the Love and Holiness of God (9Marks: Building Healthy Churches) by Bobby Jamieson
- The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Christ (9Marks: Building Healthy Churches) by Raymond C. Ortlund Jr.
- New Title: Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus (9Marks: Building Healthy Churches) by Mark Dever
- Reverberation: How God’s Word Brings Light, Freedom, and Action to His People (IX Marks) by Jonathan Leeman
- Preach: Theology Meets Practice by Mark Dever and Greg Gilbert
Why these Nine Marks?
Browse All Books Written by Mark Dever
Recommended Books on Biblical Theology For Church Members (source)
- D. A. Carson, For the Love of God, volumes 1 and 2 (Crossway, 1998, 1999). (Which are free as PDFs here.)
- Mark Dever, Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made and Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept (Crossway, 2005, 2006)
- Graeme Goldsworthy, According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible (IVP, 1991).
- Graeme Goldsworthy, The Goldsworthy Trilogy: Gospel and Kingdom, Gospel and Wisdom, The Gospel in Revelation (Paternoster, 2000)
- Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture: The Application of Biblical Theology to Expository Preaching (Eerdmans, 2000)
- David E. Holwerda, Jesus & Israel: One Covenant or Two? (Eerdmans, 1995)
- Vaughn Roberts, God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible (IVP, 2002)
- O. Palmer Robertson, The Christ of the Covenants (P&R, 1980)
- O. Palmer Robertson, Understanding the Land of the Bible: A Biblical Theological Guide
Books on Biblical Theology recommended by 9Marks:
- T. Desmond Alexander and Brian Rosner eds, New Dictionary of Biblical Theology (IVP, 2000)
- David L. Baker, Two Testaments, One Bible, rev’d ed. (IVP, 1991)
- Edmund Clowney, Preaching Christ in All of Scripture (Crossway, 2003)
- Stephen G. Dempster, Dominion and Dynasty: A Theology of the Hebrew Bible. In New Studies in Biblical Theology, in New Studies in Biblical Theology, edited by D. A. Carson (IVP, 2003)
- William J. Dumbrell, Covenant and Creation: A Theology of the Old Testament Covenants, in Biblical and Theological Classics Library. Paternoster Press, 1997.
- Geerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology, new ed. (Banner of Truth, 1996)
- Geerhardus Vos, “The Idea of Biblical Theology as a Science and as a Theological Discipline,” in Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation: The Shorter Writings of Geerhardus Vos (P&R, 1980; repr. 2000)
- Just about anything in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series edited by D. A. Carson.
Other Favorite Books of Mark Dever: (Source)
- Favorite non-Christian biography? Grant’s Memoirs
- A favorite on preaching: David Helm’s Expositional Preaching
- A favorite on evangelism? Mack Stiles’ Evangelism
- A favorite on apologetics? Stanley Jaki, The Savior of Science
- A favorite on prayer? R.C. Sproul’s book on the Lord’s Prayer, Paul Tautgus’s book Teach Them to Pray
- A favorite on marriage? Not exactly a marriage book, but The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes has helped regard my wife as Christ would.
- A favorite on parenting? Tedd Tripp, Shepherding a Child’s Heart
More Recommended Books from Mark Dever (sources: 1, 2)
APOLOGETICS
- Craig Blomberg, The Historical Reliability of the Gospels (IVP)
- Stanley Jaki, The Savior of Science (Scottish Academic Press)
- Philip Johnson, Darwin on Trial (IVP)
- Philip Johnson, Objections Sustained (IVP)
- Philip Johnson, Reason in the Balance (IVP)
- Michael J Wilkins and J.P. Moreland, Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus (Zondervan)
BIOGRAPHY
- Courtney Anderson, To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson (Zondervan)
- Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Abingdon)
- Iain Murray, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 2 vols. (Banner of Truth)
- Iain Murray, Jonathan Edwards (Banner of Truth)
- C.H. Spurgeon, Autobiography (Banner of Truth)
CATECHISMS
- Tom Nettles, Teaching Truth, Training Hearts (Calvary)
- John Piper, ed., A Baptist Catechism (Desiring God)
CHURCH DISCIPLINE/MEMBERSHIP
- Handbook of Church Discipline, Jay Adams
- The Compromised Church, ed., John Armstrong
- Polity: Biblical Arguments on How to Conduct Church Life, ed., Mark Dever
- The Reformation of the Church, ed., Iain Murray
- Democratic Religion, Greg Wills
CHURCH HISTORY
- Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, Roland Bainton
- The Early Church, Henry Chadwick
- The Dumb Ox (A Biography of Aquinas), G.K. Chesterton
- George Whitfield (2 vols.), Arnold Dallimore
- Handbook to the History of Christianity, ed. Tim Dowley
- Theology of the Reformers, Timothy George
- The Democratization of American Christianity, Nathan Hatch
- The Waning of the Middle Ages, Johan Huizinga
- A History of Christianity in the U.S & Canada, Mark Noll
- Quest for Godliness, J.I. Packer
- The Church Under Siege, M.A. Smith
DATING
- Joshua Harris, I Kissed Dating Goodbye (Multnomah)
- Joshua Harris, Boy Meets Girl (Multnomah)
DEVOTIONAL
- Augustine, Confessions (Henry Chadwick translation, Oxford World Classics)
- Horatius Bonar, Longing for Heaven (Christian Focus)
- John Bunyan, Grace Abounding (Anchor)
- John Bunyan, Holy War (Christian Focus)
- John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress (Penguin)
- D.A. Carson, For the Love of God, 2 vols. (Crossway) (or free PDFs)
- Jonathan Edwards, Charity and its Fruits (Banner of Truth)
- Carolyn Mahaney, Feminine Appeal (Crossway)
- Jerry Marcellino, Rediscovering the Lost Treasure of Family Worship (Audobon Press)
- J.I. Packer, Knowing God (IVP)
- Elizabeth Prentiss, Stepping Heavenwards (Calvary)
- J.C. Ryle, Holiness (Baker)
- C.H. Spurgeon, Faith’s Checkbook (Whitaker)
- C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening (thin ones; Christian Focus)
- Donald S. Whitney, How Can I Be Sure I’m a Christian? (Navpress)
- Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Navpress)
DISCIPLESHIP
- Thabiti Anyabwile, What is a Healthy Church Member? (Crossway)
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (Harper & Row)
- Elyse Fitzpatrick & Carol Cornish, Women Helping Women (Harvest House)
- C.J. Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life (Multnomah)
- C.J. Mahaney, Humility (Multnomah)
- John Stott, Basic Christianity (Eerdmans)
- Ed Welch, When People Are Big and God Is Small (P&R)
EVANGELISM
- D.A. Carson, ed., Telling the Truth: Evangelizing Postmoderns (Zondervan)
- Mark Dever, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (Crossway)
- Jonathan Edwards, Works on Revival (including Distinguishing Marks) (Banner of Truth)
- Val Grieve, Your Verdict on the Empty Tomb (Paternoster)
- Iain Murray, The Invitation System (Banner of Truth)
- The Gospel Blimp, Joe Bayly
- The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, Mark Dever
- Tell The Truth, Will Metzger
- Revival and Revivalism, Iain Murray
- Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I.Packer
- Speaking of Jesus, J.Mack Stiles
- Christianity Explained, Michael Bennett
- Christianity Explored, Rico Tice, Barry Cooper, and Sam Shammas
LEADERSHIP
- The Reformed Pastor, Richard Baxter
- The Christian Ministry, Charles Bridges
- Elders, John MacArthur
- Brothers, We are NOT Professionals, John Piper
- Biblical Eldership, Alexander Strauch
MARRIAGE & DIVORCE
- Andreas Kostenberger, God, Marriage, and Family (Crossway)
- John Murray, Divorce (P&R)
MISSIONS
- Operation World, Patrick Johnstone
- Let the Nations Be Glad, John Piper
- Christian Mission in the Modern World, John Stott
NEW TESTAMENT
- Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, Gregory Beale and D.A. Carson, eds.
- Paul, Apostle of the Heart Set Free, F.F. Bruce
- Introduction to the New Testament, D.A. Carson and Douglas Moo
- Crucifixion, Martin Hengel
- Origin of Paul’s Gospel, Seyoon Kim
- The Presence of the Future, George Eldon Ladd
- A Theology of the New Testament, George Eldon Ladd
- Introduction to the New Testament, John Stott
OLD TESTAMENT
- The Authority of the Old Testament, John Bright
- History of Israel, John Bright
- Introduction to the Old Testament, Dillard and Longman
- The Faith of Israel, William Dumbrell
- God’s Unfaithful Wife, Ray Ortlund, Jr.
PARENTING
- Ted Tripp, Shepherding a Child’s Heart (Shepherd Press)
PRAYER
- Arthur Bennett, ed., Valley of Vision (Banner of Truth)
- D.A. Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation (Baker)
- Samuel Prime, The Power of Prayer (Banner of Truth)
PREACHING
- Christ-Centered Preaching, Bryan Chappell
- Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, Graeme Goldsworthy
- The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text, Sidney Greidanus
- Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, Sidney Greidanus
- Supremacy of God in Preaching, John Piper
- Lectures To My Students, C.H. Spurgeon
- Between Two Worlds, John Stott
STUDY TOOLS
- Handbook to the Bible (Zondervan)
- New Bible Commentary (IVP)
- New Bible Dictionary (IVP)
- Dan Allender and Tremper Longman, Bold Love (Navpress)
- Dan Allender and Tremper Longman, Bold Purpose (Navpress)
- D.A. Carson and Douglas Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament (Zondervan)
- Raymond Dillard and Tremper Longman, An Introduction to the Old Testament(Zondervan)
- Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All it’s Worth (Zondervan)
- Handbook to the Bible, Eerdmans
- Exegetical Fallacies, D.A. Carson
- The Hermeneutical Spiral, Grant Osborne
SUFFERING
- D.A. Carson, How Long, O Lord? (Baker)
- Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed (Banner of Truth)
SYSTEMATICS
- Reformed Dogmatics (4 vols.), Herman Bavinck
- Systematic Theology, Louis Berkhof
- Manual of Theology, J.L. Dagg
- Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem
- Systematic Theology (3 vols.), Charles Hodge
THEOLOGY
- Cur Deus Homo, Anselm
- Reformed Pastor, Richard Baxter
- Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin
- The Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards
- Pierced for Our Transgressions, Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach
- Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures (or download free audio)
- Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther
- Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer
- Fundamentalism and the Word of God, J.I. Packer
- Introduction to John Owen’s Death of Death in the Death of Christ, J.I. Packer
- Knowing God, J.I. Packer
- Holiness, J.C. Ryle
- Exercise for Young Theologians, Helmut Thielicke
- Inspiration and Authority of Scripture, B.B. Warfield
- F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (Eerdmans)
- D.A. Carson, The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God (Crossway)
- D.A. Carson, Love in Hard Places (Crossway)
- D.A. Carson, Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility (Wipf and Stock)
- John Flavel, The Mystery of Providence (Banner of Truth)
- Timothy George, Theology of the Reformers (Broadman)
- Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Kingdom (Paternoster)
- Wayne Grudem and John Piper, eds., Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood(Crossway)
- Martin Hengel, Crucifixion (Fortress)
- Carl F.H. Henry, Toward a Recovery of Christian Belief (Crossway)
- Robert Letham, The Work of Christ (IVP)
- Fred Malone, A String of Pearls Unstrung (Founders)
- Leon Morris, The Atonement (IVP)
- John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied (Banner of Truth)
- Tom Nettles, By His Grace and For His Glory (Founders)
- A.W. Pink, The Attributes of God (Baker)
- John Piper, Future Grace (Multnomah)
- John Piper, God’s Passion for His Glory (Crossway)
- John Piper, The Pleasures of God (Multnomah)
- John Piper, TULIP: What We Believe about the Five Points of Calvinism (Desiring God)
- Ernest Reisinger, What Should We Think of the Carnal Christian? (Banner of Truth)
- Thomas Scott, The Articles of the Synod of Dort (Sprinkle)
- B.B. Warfield, The Plan of Salvation (Simpson)
- David Wells, The Bleeding of the Evangelical Church (Banner of Truth)
- David Wells, God in the Wasteland (Eerdmans)
- David Wells, Losing our Virtue (Eerdmans)
- David Wells, No Place for Truth (Eerdmans)
- David Wells, Above All Earthly Pow’rs (Eerdmans)
- John Wenham, Christ and the Bible (Baker)
WORSHIP
- Baptist Hymnal (Broadman)
- Horton Davies, Worship of the American Puritans (Soli Deo Gloria)
- Michael Horton, In the Face of God (Word)
- Leonard Payton, Reforming Our Worship Music (Crossway)
- David Petersen, Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship (Eerdmans)
- Philip Ryken, Ligon Duncan, and Derek Thomas, eds., Give Praise to God (P&R)
Mark Dever: creating a reading culture in your church
Take a Tour of Mark Dever’s Study
The Trellis and the Vine Reviewed by Mark Dever
Mark Dever’s interview with Tim Keller on Life, Ministry, and Books (Parts 1, 2, and 3)
Books and Discipleship: A Conversation across Five Continents (source)
Good short books to disciple with pic.twitter.com/pT4tp7tRrP
— Mark Dever (@MarkDever) September 22, 2014
Other Links:
- Capitol Hill Baptist Church’s Recommended Books
- Visit 9Marks.org to see the list of books in Spanish (many with free pdfs).
- Download the 9Marks Journals from their website or the Kindle store.
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