Favorite Big Name Christian

Basically what the title says, who's you're favorite famous author/preacher/pastor?

For me it would really depend on what I need help with at any given time.

If I'm having intellectual difficulties I typically try and find something by William Lane Craig. While I'm not certain how good of a moral teacher he is, I find that he is very proficient at using reason to defend the faith.

If I'm going through something personal however, or just seeking wisdom, I go to Tim Keller. I swear he's the wisest man I've ever heard preach, His only competition overall being Lewis himself.

Speaking of Lewis, I suppose I'm with the majority in that he is indisputably my favorite teacher ever. The only person whose done more for my life than Lewis is God himself, and my only problem with him is that I might end up treating his works as my Bible rather than Gods Word.

Honorable mentions to Ravi Zacharias and John Lennox.

Well, if I have to go with a "Big Name" (my Bible study mentor has been an amazing help and teacher in my life), I'd echo Craig for apologetics. Was just thinking of him today as I may be in a season where I need the encouragement of sound reasoning.

Although I don't agree with every position he takes, I've found Norman Geisler to be a solid thinker whose resources have helped me think through various issues of theology, philosophy and apologetics.

I also greatly appreciate Hugh Ross, and his work in scientific apologetics.

Also a sheepish nod to Steve Green, who doesn't write most of what he sings, but who chooses to record songs with rich and deep lyrical content that I still go back to listen to when I'm more interested in music with clear truth than I am in music that is "cool".

I think I'll have to give Geisler a try.

Another person i forgot to mention would be St. Augustine. Enjoyed his Confessions a lot more than I thought I would (but don't quiz me on it).

Some really good names there. I'm into Christian apologetics, so Craig, without a doubt, I also like Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason, and J. Warner Wallace of Cold Case Christianity.
I tend to argue like Craig (not as well, but style) and that can be 'cold', the other end of that spectrum, to keep me grounded and 'warm' I like Ravi Zacharias of RZIM. He is just a phenomenal speaker and a great wit.
Lewis is probably the greatest 'common sense' apologist, even though his arguments go beyond common sense, they come across that way, and when I first read Mere Christianity it was like someone put a bunch of disconnected thoughts and ideas of my own into a coherent read.

Augustine's Confessions is really old-school, and I think we could learn a lot from it. In our democratic/egalitarian/post-modern-leaning society, to have a voice that speaks to the Sovereign as he does kind of reminds us of what it means to use the terms "Lord", "King", and "Master".

Augustine rubs me the wrong way though. I know the below quotes are of course not his entire body of work, but still. I don't like his views on women.

· Woman was merely man's helpmate, a function which pertains to her alone. She is not the image of God but as far as man is concerned, he is by himself the image of God. –Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo Regius (354-430)

· Woman does not possess the image of God in herself but only when taken together with the male who is her head, so that the whole substance is one image. But when she is assigned the role as helpmate, a function that pertains to her alone, then she is not the image of God. But as far as the man is concerned, he is by himself alone the image of God just as fully and completely as when he and the woman are joined together into one. –Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo Regius (354-430)

St. Augustine, On the Sermon on the Mount 1, 41
"Therefore, if I were to ask any good Christian who has a wife, and even though he may still be having children by her, whether he would like to have his wife in that kingdom; mindful in any case of the promises of God, and of that life where this incorruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality; though at present hesitating from the greatness, or at least from a certain degree of love, he would reply with execration that he is strongly averse to it. Were I to ask him again, whether he would like his wife to live with him there, after the resurrection, when she had undergone that angelic change which is promised to the saints, he would reply that he desired this as strongly as he reprobated the other. Thus a good Christian is found in one and the same woman to love the creature of God, whom he desires to be transformed and renewed; but to hate the corruptible and mortal conjugal connection and sexual intercourse: i.e. to love in her what is characteristic of a human being, to hate what belongs to her as a wife."

St. Augustine, De genesi ad litteram, 9, 5-9
"I don't see what sort of help woman was created to provide man with, if one excludes the purpose of procreation. If woman was not given to man for help in bearing children, for what help could she be? To till the earth together? If help were needed for that, man would have been a better help for man. The same goes for comfort in solitude. How much more pleasure is it for life and conversation when two friends live together than when a man and a woman cohabitate?"

St. Augustine, Soliloq. I 10
"I consider that nothing so casts down the manly mind from its heights as the fondling of women, and those bodily contacts which belong to the married state."

I'll stop here, you catch my drift.

Yikes, well... there was only one perfect One.

The only one I'd like to comment on is
Therefore, if I were to ask any good Christian who has a wife, and even though he may still be having children by her, whether he would like to have his wife in that kingdom; mindful in any case of the promises of God, and of that life where this incorruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality; though at present hesitating from the greatness, or at least from a certain degree of love, he would reply with execration that he is strongly averse to it. Were I to ask him again, whether he would like his wife to live with him there, after the resurrection, when she had undergone that angelic change which is promised to the saints, he would reply that he desired this as strongly as he reprobated the other. Thus a good Christian is found in one and the same woman to love the creature of God, whom he desires to be transformed and renewed; but to hate the corruptible and mortal conjugal connection and sexual intercourse: i.e. to love in her what is characteristic of a human being, to hate what belongs to her as a wife.""
No, I don't want my wife pre-"angelic change" in heaven with me...but I also don't want ME pre-"angelic change" there either.

I think what we see in Augustine, is a predilection toward Greek dualism (body-bad, soul-good).

Yeah, I liked Augustine more for his philosophical ruminations on time and the such.  When he started talking about marriage, I took what he said with a grain of salt.  Still think the Confessions are a good read though.

John Piper, and Paul David Tripp are on my list.

Someone else already mentioned Timothy Keller, but he's pretty awesome too.

Winkie Pratney has always been one of my favorite teachers and preachers. Also a HUGE geek. He did a lot with Keith Green back in the day. Also Keith Green's music is still anointed and in my opinion, timeless. I grew up listening to him, so there's probably a little nostalgia in there too.

I'm reading a book by Craig Groeschel right now called "Chazown" which is the Hebrew word for Vision. Really amazing book.

Always loved listening to and reading Myles Munroe. Still saddened by his passing. He had so much insight on Relationships and marriage and also just potential and ability the God placed in us from creation.

My wife and I love listening to Pastor Chris Hodges, from Church of the Highlands. He's hilarious and extremely practical about life and relationships.

I don't do much straight Theology. After Bible College I really don't like to study about doctrines and debating endlessly about who is right and who is wrong. My pastor and I love to Geek out about the bible and deciphering what the words mean and dig into the cultural context of it all. He was actually Rabbinically trained, which I love to learn about from him.

I love to listen to Joyce Meyer. She has such wisdom and there's so much power in her testimony about healing and forgiveness and surrender. Her book "Battlefield of the Mind" is one of my favorites.

Also love reading Rick Joyner, John Eldridge, and Mark Batterson.

My wife just finished Christine Caine's book "Undaunted" and is now onto her next one, "Unstoppable". From what she tells me, I might want to read them next. Such good stuff about ministering and using the gifts God has given you to help the hurting and the broken.


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I'm an odd-duck, and most on my list aren't terribly big names.

Unfortunately, some of my favorite living theologians have passed away recently.
1. R.T. France (I love his work on Mark, he passed away around the same time I finished preaching through the book)
2. Robert Saucy (His work on Progressive Dispensationalism is awesome. He sadly passed away recently)
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3. William Lane Craig (I like his apologetic/philosophical work more than his theology work)
4. Albert Mohler (I don't always agree - but his theological understanding of cultural situations is often spot on and super-precise).
5. Matt Chandler (he just might be the best "big name" living preacher in America)
6. Darrell Bock (My favorite living theologian!)


Paeter Frandsen is a pretty cool cool guy!

Nathan James Norman wrote:
Paeter Frandsen is a pretty cool cool guy!

You dork.



There. Because I have no idea how to respond to that.