5 Book Recommendations for Christian College Students Wanting to Grow in their Faith

College is a time for you to find out what you believe and why you believe it. You are on your own. Your Faith is not your parents Faith and you have to decide what that means. But that is hard. It is especially hard to just pick up the Bible and read it word for word and interpret what it means for your life today. Thankfully there are other resources to help with specific topics and the interpretation of how Christians are supposed to walk, talk, and live according to the Bible.

Here are a few of my personal favorite books that can help you begin your personal journey into discovering what you believe and why. I know that as college students, especially at Berry, you do not have a lot of free time to read a book outside of required readings. However, each of these books are a quick read that could easily be digested in a weekend. If you still do not have the time in a weekend, these recommendations could make a great summer read.

#1 Don’t Waste Your Life- John Piper

There are two books that I read the summer before starting my freshman year that I recommend to people, especially if they are about to enter college. John Piper is an old school evangelist but his book Don’t Waste Your Life was written specifically for college students trying to find their way in life. He goes into detail about how important it is to follow the teachings of the Bible and demonstrates how make your life meaningful and not wasteful. This is one of my favorite books and I highly recommend it to everyone.

#2 University of Destruction- David Wheaton

The second book that I read right before my freshman year was called University of Destruction by David Wheaton and it focused on how to keep your Faith though college. The transition to college will bring along many new challenges and he mentions the three Pillars of Peril that you will face. It also gives a game plan of how to face tough trials. It covers a wide range of topics that are very helpful in navigating different aspects of the college experience.

#3 Mere Christianity- C.S. Lewis

This book brings a more logical point of view on the Christian Faith. It was not written specifically for college students but it is written in a clear-cut way that is easy to digest while covering some deep theological topics. It is split into three different sections focusing on moral laws, theories of who God is, morality and virtues, and theology. These are big concepts but Lewis does a great job of breaking down each section.

#4 Single, Dating, Engaged, Married- Ben Stewart

My final recommendation is probably my favorite right now. I am a junior in college and throughout my time at Berry I have struggled in my singleness and fought with loneliness a lot. This book does a great job of explaining the values of our time in singleness along with the values that come with dating and beyond. I have read this book 3 times in the last 2 years and each time I love it more and more. Stewart gives his own personal experiences but also gives examples from the Bible of how we should live through each stage. I highly recommend this book no matter which relationship status you have.

There are so many other books that I could have listed but these four are good for those just beginning their personal Faith walk. I hope that these books mean as much to you as they do to me!