This post was written by Bailey Gillespie, adapted from her original piece “My Life List of Books on Spiritual Formation” originally published on Substack. Learn more at baileygillespie.substack.com.
There is a special sort of journey you take with a book. Like with friends, some books will find you in a specific season of life right when you need them, but later you part ways. This is still good and purposeful. Others will stay with you for the rest of your life. This has been the shape of my reading life over the years. Maybe you can relate?
As a writer, reader, and follower of Jesus, books are often the first place I turn to for companionship and support.
I have relationships in my daily life where I find this, too, but the fun thing about reading is that the journey lasts longer than a phone conversation or a coffee date. You get to take books with you. Reading over a week, or a month, lets you settle down into an idea, turning it over in your mind. Maybe you take a book with you on a special trip, and it becomes a marker of how God met you there. Maybe you keep it in your handbag, ready for when there’s a quiet moment. Some of the best book companions even make their way to friends and family who are asking similar questions.
Recently, I’ve been thinking about my favorite books on spiritual formation, wondering What would I recommend to friends in very different parts of their journey with God? Or in different life seasons?
I have walked with Jesus for 30 years now, and my bookshelves have grown along with my faith. It’s hard for me to think about the two separately, to be honest. I like rotating between reading a psalm, a novel, and a book on the spiritual life throughout the day, depending on whether it’s morning or evening.
That being said, a book is not the same as a relationship. If I’m seeking peace or guidance outside of quality time spent with Jesus, I have lost something deeply valuable.
In his book, Life of the Beloved, Henri Nouwen (the Dutch priest) says this: “Aren’t you, like me, hoping that some person, thing, or event will come along to give you that final feeling of inner well-being you desire?” As long as I remember that God is the source, the well, of this well-being, I am free to enjoy stories for what they are. Gifts. Treasures. Tools. Companions. The Holy Spirit forms us into God’s likeness through the process of listening and growing in our understanding of the world.
Below, I’ve curated a list of 12 favorite nonfiction books for spiritual formation. No matter where you are in your journey with God, I hope you find something here that sparks your curiosity and comes alongside you in a special way. Whether that’s just for a season or for a lifetime.
May we all know the joy of a good book that finds us right when we need it.
For Everyday Walking with God
Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life
by Tish Harrison Warren
Reflections on how even the most mundane tasks (like making your bed) are sacred.
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society
by Eugene Peterson
A simple and honest guide to growing in our lives with God, following the Psalms of ascent from Scripture.
For Times of Darkness or Disillusionment
The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain
by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole
Chole wrote her dissertation on how disillusionment is a necessary part of our spiritual journey, reworking it into short digestible chapters for readers.
The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth
by Dr. Gerald G. May
Part biography, part theology, this is a brilliant exploration of the lives of St. Teresa De Avila and St. John of the Cross and their encounters with the human experience we call the ‘dark night of the soul.’
For the Skeptic
Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World
by Henri Nouwen
A warm, inviting read all about what it means to be God’s beloved.
A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy, and Triumph
by Sheldon Vanauken
A gorgeous memoir on love and loss, chronicling the lives of two 20-somethings who met, fell in love, and became Christians during their time at Oxford University. The story includes rare letters between the couple and C. S. Lewis, who was a spiritual mentor to them.
For an Evolving Faith
Beholding: Deepening Our Experience in God
by Strahan Coleman
Part memoir, part meditation on what it means to develop a life of “beholding” prayer (not praying to get a result but to abide in Jesus).
Miracles and Other Reasonable Things: A Story of Unlearning and Relearning God
by Sarah Bessey
A thought-provoking memoir on Bessey’s pilgrimage to Rome and how her physical healing didn’t quite stick.
On Healing & Wellbeing
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It’s Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature, While Remaining Emotionally Immature
by Peter Scazzero
Such a good read for anyone looking to grow in health, understand their family of origin story, and deepen their journey with Jesus.
This Beautiful Truth: How God’s Goodness Breaks into Our Darkness
by Sarah Clarkson
A beautiful memoir on how God meets us in our suffering. In it, Sarah shares specifically about her OCD and how it impacted her early life, faith, university years at Oxford, and hope for finding a romantic partner.
On Arts & Vocation
Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art
by Madeleine L’Engle
One of the earlier conversations on the intersection of faith and art that has influenced so many.
The God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom
by Andrew Peterson
Peterson’s second memoir, full of thought-provoking stories and a strong theme of place.
Bailey is a writer from Northern California. After a career in higher education and publishing, she now hosts a podcast called Listen to Your Life and helps others walk in faith, health and well-being. She’s also preparing a spiritual nonfiction manuscript for submission this fall. Besides writing, Bailey enjoys road trips to the coast, farmers markets, and cooking with her husband. She has written on art, women’s health, and spiritual formation for Inkwell (formerly Ekstasis Magazine), IAPMD Global, Calla Press, She Reads Truth, and The Rabbit Room.You can follow her on Instagram @baileylgillespie and on Substack at baileygillespie.substack.com.
