Including Lists for Youth and Adults
By Stephen McDowell
Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20). We have been given a clear commission to 
disciple the nations. Many modern Christians have relegated this command of Jesus in the Great Commission to only converting individuals. Christians in the past had a much broader view of this commission. Matthew Henry said that “the principal intention of this commission” is to “do your utmost to make the nations Christian nations.” The discipling of nations begins with the regeneration of
individuals. All Godly change in society begins in the heart of man, and since only God can change the heart, all change for good begins with God. This is why Christianity must be introduced into any nation that desires liberty, justice, and prosperity. Fallen, sinful man must be transplanted from the kingdom of darkness, by the power and grace of God, into the Kingdom of light. Men need a new heart, but Christianity does not stop there. Men also need a new mind; they need to learn how to think Biblically and apply all of God’s Word to all areas of life.
The Bible teaches that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength (Mark 12:30). To live as God desires, and to disciple our nation as Christ commands, we must have a passionate heart and soul for Him, willing to do anything He asks and to follow Him anywhere. But we must also love God with all our mind and strength. We must exert energy to develop a Biblical worldview. Jesus said that we will “make disciples of all the nations” by “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” We need to learn all that the Bible teaches in regard to personal and civil life. We must learn to think as Jesus thinks, to have a Biblical worldview. We must cultivate a passionate mind. The Bible instructs us that:
Our growth and preparation as Christians includes the spiritual, mental, and physical arena. We must prepare in character and thought if we truly hope to see God’s purposes fulfilled for us, and if we desire to see Godly revival and reformation occur — to see the nations become Christian nations. In fact, the extent and quality of reformation will be determined by how believers view all of life from the Bible’s perspective. Therefore, to disciple nations, we must understand what the Bible teaches regarding personal growth and discipleship, and we must introduce the lost to these things. In addition, we must grow in a Biblical worldview, especially in the knowledge of how the nations can align themselves with the precepts of Godly government. The lists of books that are in this booklet are to assist adults and youth in developing a Biblical worldview. These books will implant Godly principles and character, teach good and great ideas, and inspire the student of any age to a life of learning and excellence.
The first list contains picture books for the youngest children. Next follows books for elementary age youth and then junior and senior high age. While written for youth, these will be enjoyed by all ages, and if you have never read them, begin now. You will not regret it. These books would be good to read aloud at home (see the next section), to read on your own, or to study in various classes in school. The key classics are especially good to study in literature class, in addition to reading aloud or on your own. (You can get teaching syllabi for most of the key classics from the Foundation
for American Christian Education; see face.net) I was not introduced to most of these books while in school, but since then, as I have read them for enjoyment or used them in teaching my
children, I have been inspired to see all that can be imparted through excellent literature — including a love of God, a love for family, a love for God’s word, a love of learning, and an understanding of God’s plan for man.
The next lists contain resource books for adults or older children on many aspects of Biblical worldview and providential history. There are many other good books that could be included in these categories, but these will fill your time with many profitable hours, preparing you to be useful to God and His kingdom. Some of the following books are out of print, but might be found in good libraries, at used book stores, or on-line at places that sell used books (such as Amazon.com, bibliofind.com, alibris.com, bookfinder.com, Abebooks.com).
Having a reading aloud program in the home is one of the best things a family can do to develop the character and thinking of their children. But it does much more than this. In addition to shaping character and implanting principles, reading good literature, especially aloud, breeds creativity and godly imagination. It enables you to go places and meet people otherwise impossible. Literature not only reflects the heart of a people and nation, but it also helps shape the character and ideals of a nation.
Good literature will reinforce the view that God is the author of history and that He is directing the course of events to accomplish His plan for mankind. It tells us who we are as a people, where our principles and ideals come from, and why we are here — our purpose as a nation.
Rosalie Slater writes, “Literature supplies parents and teachers with one of their most useful and beloved avenues of teaching and learning. Literature is the handmaid of history. It strengthens the study of America’s Christian History — Providential History — the Hand of God in all history.”
The home is the center of education. It is the first sphere of government in our society. What is built in character (or lack of character) in the home affects, not only the individual child, but all of society. The government, education, and character which comes out of the home constitutes the government, education, and character of the nation. Literature helped to form the character and ideals of America. Those same ideals and that same character will be formed in our children as we implant the same truth in them. Literature will help greatly in this.
Every home should have a regular time for reading aloud. Reading aloud together as a family is one of the best ways to build family ties, impact children, and pass the torch of liberty to the next generation. You should plan and prepare for your reading aloud program. Good books, with the Bible as the central text, are essential for success. The lists that follow under the first section, “Literature and History Books for Children and Youth,” are excellent to use to read aloud. The adult reader will enjoy them as much as the child. This is the characteristic of good literature: readers of all ages will enjoy it. If you as an adult do not like the book, do not feed it to your children.
Part of your preparation should include consideration of your speech. Noah Webster wrote in his introductory essay on language published in his 1828 dictionary that “language as well as the faculty of speech, was the immediate gift of God.” Rosalie Slater explains in her excellent work, A Family Program for Reading Aloud, “This gift includes the Voice, source of sound, Tone, or accent and inflection of the voice, and Expression, that which identifies the ideas, convictions, and feelings of the speaker. These three elements are both internal and external.”
Preparation makes the one reading aloud much more desirous to hear.
Reading aloud cultivates the important skill of listening. It enables the hearer to take a mental trip through an author’s mind. Hearing good literature allows us to experience new things. Slater says, “It expands the horizons of mind and heart. It increases our awareness of time — past, present and future.” “Literature helps to furnish our mental homes with permanent fixtures, with ‘all things wise and wonderful.’”
Reading aloud and studying excellent literature will produce those things necessary to build a free nation: a love of God (consider the books Joel, Boy of Galilee and Ben Hur), a love of God’s written Word (see Robinson Crusoe), a love for home and family (Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin, Little House series), a love for individual Christian character (The Matchlock Gun), a love for the chain of Christianity (Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates), a love of country (Justin Morgan Had a Horse), a love of learning (Carry On, Mr. Bowditch).
It is never too soon or too late to start your reading aloud program. Begin when your children are babies using picture books and continue as long as they are in the home. Your children will love it, especially since it is mom and dad who are reading to them. But you are likely to enjoy it more than they do. It will also help lay the foundation for the success of the nation and the advance of God’s Kingdom in the earth.
To learn more about reading aloud and the importance of reading in general, see these resources: A Family Program for Reading Aloud by Rosalie June Slater (face.net); The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease; Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt. Each one of these contains lists of many good books for your use once you exhaust those I have given below.
. . . .
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You can see the Top 50 Recommended Books to equip in a Biblical Worldview on our website under Worldview University/Library
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