Question for preachers, Ministers or Pastor's: What books should every minister have in their library?

Answer 1

your question reminds me of a professor I had in seminary who said that a minister should read at least three books a week.

While that's a bit ambitious considering the demands of pastoral care, worship planning, and all of the things that go into congregational ministry, I am a big believer in ministers reading lots of books--literature, social science, politics, as well as theology and Biblical studies.

I would say that the following books are incredibly important to have in your library:

1. Ficton: _The End of the Affair_ by Graham Greene; _Things Fall Aprt_ by Chinua Achebe, _Lamb_ by Christopher Moore, _Life of Pi_ by yann MArtel

2. Theology: Systematic theology, vols. 1-3 by Paul Tillich; A Theology of Liberation, Gustav Gutierrez; Body of God by Sallie McFague

3. History/Social Science: _Guns, Germs, and Steel_, _A People's History of the United States_, _ A Problem from Hell: America and Genocide_.

4. Biblical studies: Anything by Amy-Jill Levine. I'd recommend a Good solid Old Testament and NEw Testament Textbook, preferably published by Fortress Press, Augsburg, the methodist publishing house, Chalice, Harper-Collins, or Eerdmans. I'd also recommed a Good Bible Dictionary, either the H-C or Eerdmans.

Answer 2

Hopefully the Bible

Answer 3

The NAMBLA Handbook.

Answer 4

The Bible