The Essential Christian Library

Michie · Jan 12, 2025

The Most Important Books for Nourishing our Souls

Whether it is dedicated to the study and knowledge, or it is devoted to meditation and prayer, Christian life places great importance on the written word. Complementing and supporting the spoken word, which we hear in the context of the Holy Liturgy and the sacred rituals of the Church, or simply in the prayers we daily raise to our God, Jesus Christ, the importance of the written word is vital. By reading, we shape our minds and hearts, learning true devotion. Through reading, we know and deepen our Christian Orthodox faith, the divine supernatural Truth that was first revealed to us through Moses and the prophets, and then through our Lord Himself. At the same time, we learn to guard against the heresies that, today more than ever, have multiplied excessively. And, as our knowledge and understanding grow, along with our devotion, we can even study some good apologetics manuals, thus becoming capable of defending the faith and combating the widespread errors of that abominable sum of all the heresies named by the Saint Pope Pius X ‘modernism.’

If we accept, therefore, the importance of reading, the inevitable question arises regarding the content of an ideal library. What books should a good Christian’s library contain? As my articles dedicated to this subject will indicate, to answer this question as comprehensively as possible, I will structure the content into distinct categories. Let’s begin!

HOLY BIBLE

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