“Who remembers the first Reformed book you read?”

A TGC colleague recently posted this question on Slack and others weighed in. Stott’s Cross of Christ, Sproul’s Chosen by God, and Piper’s Desiring God each changed the way various TGC staffers now understand God and their relationship to him by grace. But one answer grabbed my attention:

I grew up in a non-Christian household with no understanding of religion whatsoever (hostile attitudes toward religious people). Much to the surprise of my family and friends, I made a commitment after attending an Alpha course. [Over time, though] I became very proud and self-righteous. Then I read Knowing God by J. I. Packer and it opened my eyes to the gospel of grace. It was a doorway into reformed teaching and community.

My own story is very different from my co-worker’s. I was raised by godly parents in a confessional Presbyterian church and followed Christ from a young age. And yet, for me too, Knowing God was one of the first Reformed books I read—as a 10-year-old in a church membership class and then, again, as a college student in a church small group. For me too it quashed my tendencies to doctrinal pride and clarified the central truths of the gospel that I had imbibed but not always articulated for myself.

On the occasion of Knowing God’s 50th anniversary, TGC council member Sam Storms reflected on the book’s broad appeal. Packer, he says, strikes the perfect balance between theological depth and accessibility for readers. It’s a book that can radically change both a 10-year-old church kid and a 20-year-old new convert.

“Knowing God isn’t a quick read, but it is quickening,” writes Storms. “It will illumine your mind, stir your affections, and strengthen you to face a lost world with hope rooted in the character of a great God.”

Even if it’s not your first Reformed book, it might be your most influential.

Megan Hill

Managing Editor

P. S. To help TGC continue pointing people to theologically rich books and other resources, would you consider making a year-end, tax-deductible gift?