Fans pick 100 books like Where the Conflict Really Lies

By Alvin Plantinga,

Here are 100 books that Where the Conflict Really Lies fans have personally recommended if you like Where the Conflict Really Lies. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

John G. Stackhouse Jr. Author Of Can I Believe? Christianity for the Hesitant

From my list on why smart people believe in Christianity.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since my ninth grade English teacher provoked me with religious questions I not only couldn’t answer, but had never even considered, I’ve been interrogating my Christian faith. Now, several decades later, with a PhD from the University of Chicago and a handful of books published by the Oxford University Press, I’m in a better position to answer those questions, and to recognize the good answers of others. I don’t think we ever get perfect answers to the Big Questions, but we can get answers adequate for trusting God, and that’s enough.

John's book list on why smart people believe in Christianity

John G. Stackhouse Jr. Why did John love this book?

Manhattan pastor Tim Keller is used to handling the toughest questions from the brightest people. This book compiles his answers to some of those, from “How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?” to the church’s responsibility for so much injustice. Keller reads widely and well, and he writes with a respectful seriousness without being ponderous or preachy.

By Timothy Keller,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Reason for God as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

A New York Times bestseller people can believe in-by "a pioneer of the new urban Christians" (Christianity Today) and the "C.S. Lewis for the 21st century" (Newsweek).

Timothy Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, addresses the frequent doubts that skeptics, and even ardent believers, have about religion. Using literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and potent reasoning, Keller explains how the belief in a Christian God is, in fact, a sound and rational one. To true believers he offers a solid platform on which to stand their ground against the backlash to religion created by the…


Book cover of A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos

Philip Comella Author Of The Collapse of Materialism: Visions of Science, Dreams of God

From my list on the amazing fine-tuning of the universe.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been astounded by the mysteries of life and the cosmos. I soon realized that religion did not provide a satisfactory answer to these mysteries. Majoring in philosophy in college, I studied the world’s great thinkers and began an ongoing exploration of scientific theories purporting to explain the world we live in. These theories, based on scientific materialism, also proved unsatisfying, though for different reasons than religion. Consequently, I devoted 35 years–during a legal career–to researching and writing my book, intended to go beyond science and religion in the quest to explain the mysteries of the cosmos. 

Philip's book list on the amazing fine-tuning of the universe

Philip Comella Why did Philip love this book?

I love this book because of the lively exchanges between the authors and because they do not shy away from asking the big questions. I like the way it combines a question-and-answer section, a dialogue, a debate, and original metaphors.

Focused on the odd coincidences in cosmology, such as the uniformity of the cosmic background radiation, the value of the cosmological constant, the horizon problem, and the strange predominance of matter over antimatter, the book takes the reader on a whirlwind tour through the mysteries of the cosmos.

I found the book easy to read because the authors approach the topic with humor and humility, two traits rarely found in a modern-day cosmologist. Lastly, I like this book because one of the authors, Luke Barnes, graciously appeared on my podcast, Conversations Beyond Science and Religion.

By Geraint F. Lewis, Luke A. Barnes,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked A Fortunate Universe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Over the last forty years, scientists have uncovered evidence that if the Universe had been forged with even slightly different properties, life as we know it - and life as we can imagine it - would be impossible. Join us on a journey through how we understand the Universe, from its most basic particles and forces, to planets, stars and galaxies, and back through cosmic history to the birth of the cosmos. Conflicting notions about our place in the Universe are defined, defended and critiqued from scientific, philosophical and religious viewpoints. The authors' engaging and witty style addresses what fine-tuning…


Book cover of Mere Christianity

Tabitha Caplinger Author Of The Wayward

From my list on Christian to help you live on purpose for purpose.

Why am I passionate about this?

My faith is core to who I am. I love Jesus wholeheartedly and believe true fulfillment only comes through a relationship with Him. I believe we are all created on purpose for a purpose. I want every person I come in contact with to know that they are powerful, chosen, loved, and never alone. I also love creating and reading real and fictional stories that have a message. I believe that stories can seep through our layers and speak to the deepest parts of who we are. The books on my list are the ones that seeped deep down into my heart.

Tabitha's book list on Christian to help you live on purpose for purpose

Tabitha Caplinger Why did Tabitha love this book?

Understanding what we believe is foundational to following Jesus. I love how Lewis breaks down Christian faith fundamentals in real-life application. I found it powerful and thought-provoking. I go back to this book repeatedly, and it always reminds me that my ultimate purpose is to know God and make Him known. 

By C. S. Lewis,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Mere Christianity as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Special 65th Anniversary Edition

One of the most popular and beloved introductions to the concept of faith ever written, 'Mere Christianity' has sold millions of copies worldwide.

The book brings together C.S. Lewis's legendary radio broadcasts during the war years, in which he set out simply to 'explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times'.

Rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity's many denominations, Mere Christianity provides an unequalled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to absorb a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith.


Book cover of Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense

Alec Ryrie Author Of Unbelievers: An Emotional History of Doubt

From my list on atheism and religion.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a recovering atheist: a Christian convert who has more sympathy with some of my former atheist brethren than with a lot of my fellow believers. And I’m a historian by trade, which means I believe in the importance of trying to get inside the heads of people living in very different times – but who were still people. I’ve chosen polemical books by atheists and by believers, but in my own writing I try to get sympathetically inside the heads of both. I find that I get on better if I listen to the other side rather than banging the drum for my own – whichever ‘my own side’ is.

Alec's book list on atheism and religion

Alec Ryrie Why did Alec love this book?

The anti-John Gray – and, in purely literary terms, the best writer on my list, which is saying something. It’s not, Francis Spufford says, an apologetic, a reasoned defence of faith. It’s a personal account of why his Christianity makes emotional sense to him, and why it might make emotional sense to other people too. Worth reading for his retelling of the life of Jesus alone. He doesn’t deal with the intellectual questions of religion vs. atheism (though he has some sly hints). What he does is explain why you might want to deal with those questions. So it’s an ‘unapologetic’: both, because it’s about emotion and not narrow reason, and also, he says, because he’s not sorry. Read it, and you won’t be either.

By Francis Spufford,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Unapologetic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Unapologetic" is a brief, witty, personal, sharp-tongued defence of Christian belief, taking on Dawkins' "The God Delusion" and Christopher Hitchens' "God is Not Great". But it isn't an argument that Christianity is true - because how could anyone know that (or indeed its opposite)? It's an argument that Christianity is recognisable, drawing on the deep and deeply ordinary vocabulary of human feeling, satisfying those who believe in it by offering a ruthlessly realistic account of the bits of our lives advertising agencies prefer to ignore. It's a book for believers who are fed up with being patronised, for non-believers curious…


Book cover of Making Sense of It All: PASCAL and the Meaning of Life

John G. Stackhouse Jr. Author Of Can I Believe? Christianity for the Hesitant

From my list on why smart people believe in Christianity.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since my ninth grade English teacher provoked me with religious questions I not only couldn’t answer, but had never even considered, I’ve been interrogating my Christian faith. Now, several decades later, with a PhD from the University of Chicago and a handful of books published by the Oxford University Press, I’m in a better position to answer those questions, and to recognize the good answers of others. I don’t think we ever get perfect answers to the Big Questions, but we can get answers adequate for trusting God, and that’s enough.

John's book list on why smart people believe in Christianity

John G. Stackhouse Jr. Why did John love this book?

You’ll have to work to find a copy of this book, but it will be worth your while. Morris is a brilliant philosopher (PhD from Yale, formerly on the faculty at Notre Dame) who has a flair for public speaking and accessible writing. (He wrote the Philosophy for Dummies book also.) In this volume, he champions the French scientific and philosophical genius Blaise Pascal to show the relevance of Pascal’s thought to our time and to our most pressing concerns.

By Thomas V. Morris,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Making Sense of It All as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An instructive and entertaining book that addresses basic life questions. Relating numerous personal anecdotes, incorporating, intriguing material from the films of Woody Allen and the journals of Leo Tolstoy, and using the writings of the seventeenth-century genius Blaise Pascal as a central guide, Morris explores the nature of faith, reason, and the meaning of life. His lucid reflections provide fresh, fertile insights and perspectives for any thoughtful person journeying through life.


Book cover of Letters from A Skeptic: A Son Wrestles with His Father's Questions About Christianity

Tom Rudelius Author Of Chasing Proof, Finding Faith: A Young Scientist’s Search for Truth in a World of Uncertainty

From my list on why a scientifically-minded person can believe in God.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a theoretical physicist and a practicing Christian. I was raised in a very loving but nonreligious household, and I didn’t seriously consider the possibility of God’s existence until I was a college student, when my twin brother came to faith and started to talk with me about it. In my subsequent journey to faith and the years thereafter, I read a number of books that changed my perspective on religion and convinced me that I could believe in God without compromising on my scientific view of the world. Chasing Proof, Finding Faith is the story of the journey I took, and the strange new world of faith I found on the other side.

Tom's book list on why a scientifically-minded person can believe in God

Tom Rudelius Why did Tom love this book?

Letters from a Skeptic was the first book about religion that I read in my journey to faith.

The book consists of an actual correspondence between Edward, a skeptic, and Gregory, his son, a pastor. Reading this book as a skeptic myself, I resonated deeply with the objections raised by Edward. But time and time again, I was surprised at the thoughtfulness of Gregory’s responses. I wasn’t completely convinced at first reading, but I was intrigued enough to read further.

By Gregory A. Boyd, Edward Boyd,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Letters from A Skeptic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Greg Boyd and his father, Ed, were on opposite sides of a great divide. Greg was a newfound Christian, while his father was a longtime agnostic. So Greg offered his father an invitation: Ed could write with any questions on Christianity, and his son would offer a response.

Letters from a Skeptic contains this special correspondence. The letters tackle some of today's toughest challenges facing Christianity, including

Do all non-Christians go to hell?
How can we believe a man rose from the dead?
Why is the world so full of suffering?
How do we know the Bible was divinely inspired?…


Book cover of The Language Of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence For Belief

Tom Rudelius Author Of Chasing Proof, Finding Faith: A Young Scientist’s Search for Truth in a World of Uncertainty

From my list on why a scientifically-minded person can believe in God.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a theoretical physicist and a practicing Christian. I was raised in a very loving but nonreligious household, and I didn’t seriously consider the possibility of God’s existence until I was a college student, when my twin brother came to faith and started to talk with me about it. In my subsequent journey to faith and the years thereafter, I read a number of books that changed my perspective on religion and convinced me that I could believe in God without compromising on my scientific view of the world. Chasing Proof, Finding Faith is the story of the journey I took, and the strange new world of faith I found on the other side.

Tom's book list on why a scientifically-minded person can believe in God

Tom Rudelius Why did Tom love this book?

Another book that shaped my understanding of science and faith as a young grad student is The Language of God.

It is both a story of a top scientist’s journey to faith as well as an argument for the compatibility of evolution and the Christian faith. In it, Francis Collins makes a passionate yet humble plea for the scientifically minded to reconsider faith, and for the religious-minded to reconsider science.

By Francis S. Collins,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Language Of God as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Does science necessarily undermine faith in God? Or could it actually support faith? Beyond the flashpoint debates over the teaching of evolution, or stem-cell research, most of us struggle with contradictions concerning life's ultimate question. We know that accidents happen, but we believe we are on earth for a reason. Until now, most scientists have argued that science and faith occupy distinct arenas. Francis Collins, a former atheist as a science student who converted to faith as he became a doctor, is about to change that. Collins's faith in God has been confirmed and enhanced by the revolutionary discoveries in…


Book cover of The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

Tom Rudelius Author Of Chasing Proof, Finding Faith: A Young Scientist’s Search for Truth in a World of Uncertainty

From my list on why a scientifically-minded person can believe in God.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a theoretical physicist and a practicing Christian. I was raised in a very loving but nonreligious household, and I didn’t seriously consider the possibility of God’s existence until I was a college student, when my twin brother came to faith and started to talk with me about it. In my subsequent journey to faith and the years thereafter, I read a number of books that changed my perspective on religion and convinced me that I could believe in God without compromising on my scientific view of the world. Chasing Proof, Finding Faith is the story of the journey I took, and the strange new world of faith I found on the other side.

Tom's book list on why a scientifically-minded person can believe in God

Tom Rudelius Why did Tom love this book?

Growing up as an outsider to religion, most of what I knew of Christianity came from other outsiders.

When I started investigating the faith, guided by my twin brother, I came to realize that Christians had a very different conception of their faith than I did. In The Prodigal God, Pastor Tim Keller masterfully explains the heart of the Christian faith through the lens of one of Jesus’ most famous parables.

There is a reason why the social outcasts and “sinners” came flocking to Jesus whereas the religious leaders plotted to kill him, and when we understand that, we begin to understand that Jesus’s table has room for even the most ardent skeptic.

By Timothy Keller,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Prodigal God as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

The New York Times bestselling author of The Prodigal Prophet uncovers the essential message of Jesus, locked inside his most familiar parable.

Newsweek called renowned minister Timothy Keller "a C.S. Lewis for the twenty-first century" in a feature on his first book, The Reason for God. In that book, he offered a rational explanation of why we should believe in God. Now, in The Prodigal God, Keller takes his trademark intellectual approach to understanding Christianity and uses the parable of the prodigal son to reveal an unexpected message of hope and salvation. 

Within that parable Jesus reveals God's prodigal grace…


Book cover of God Speaks Science: What Neurons, Giant Squid, and Supernovae Reveal About Our Creator

Lowell W Busenitz Author Of Soul Work: Finding God in Your Entrepreneurial Pursuits

From my list on growing your faith at work.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have long been passionate about helping people connect with God through their work. After graduating from college, I worked in full-time minister for six years and then became an entrepreneur. Was I dropping off a spiritual cliff by leaving full-time ministry? I later pursued my PhD and became a professor. At the University of Oklahoma, I became a top researcher and co-founded the Center for Entrepreneurship. The impact of work on my faith has long been an important issue for me. I ultimately gained valuable insights from God that enhanced my spiritual journey. In my book, I explain the profound significance of work for knowing God. 

Lowell's book list on growing your faith at work

Lowell W Busenitz Why did Lowell love this book?

This is the most important book I have read in five years. Van Sloten helped me see that God reveals himself to me (and you) in “two books”: the Bible and the Creation. I now see that I have not taken this second book seriously enough.

Van Sloten uses the lens of science to probe more deeply into understanding our God. Through a deeper understanding of radiation therapy, our knee joints, exploring a giant squid, and seeing God’s beauty in DNA repair mechanisms, among other topics, we can learn and experience so much more about our God.

Knowing God is at the top of my list, and this book shows me how to advance up this pathway. 

By John Van Sloten,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked God Speaks Science as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A joy-filled expedition into experiencing God’s majestic, everywhere presence.

DNA, the Danube River, and deep-sea life. Knees and trees. The Swiss Alps, songbirds, and supernovas. God speaks though His creation. And you don’t have to be naturally gifted at biology, chemistry, or physics to be awakened to His wisdom and majesty. Pastor, teacher, and non-scientist John Van Sloten invites us to know God more deeply as we marvel at the complexities of His amazing creation.

Knowing God through His written Word enables us to know Him more clearly through His creational Words. How does God speak through His creation, and…


Book cover of Scientists of Faith: Forty-Eight Biographies of Historic Scientists and Their Christian Faith

Peter Bussey Author Of Signposts to God: How Modern Physics and Astronomy Point the Way to Belief

From my list on science and religion with mutual support.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been intrigued by science since childhood, especially astronomy, and I became a university academic, teaching physics to students and researching in experiments with elementary particles. I was raised in a Christian family and have maintained my faith. I don’t find any real issues with science–it shows how clever God was in creating the universe! At the same time, I know many people have difficulties in this area. My book was written to help them, and I think the recommended books will help them, too.

Peter's book list on science and religion with mutual support

Peter Bussey Why did Peter love this book?

I always feel that personal stories are the best recommendation for what people believe. Dan Graves gives us many prominent scientists who were at the same time sincere Christian believers.

They lived over many centuries and worked in various scientific fields, making some of the most important discoveries. Some were Catholics; some were protestants. I think this is a very readable book, and if anyone ever tries to say that a good scientist can’t be a Christian or the other way around, it provides complete proof that this is untrue.

By Dan Graves,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Scientists of Faith as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Scientists Of Faith


Book cover of The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
Book cover of A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos
Book cover of Mere Christianity

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