Easter is the highlight of our year! And yet, the further we get from Easter, the easier it is for the Resurrection to become an abstraction.
So how do you keep the joy of Easter alive in your mind and heart?
Literature can be a vehicle to help us continue to deepen our Holy Week imagination. Whether you’re looking for more theology to ground the joy you’ve experienced, longing to be immersed in fantasy stories that offer compelling visions of character and truth, searching for a redemption narrative that broadens your understanding of healing and restoration, or simply looking for compelling stories to read your children at night, we believe that having stories to draw from is worthwhile.
The books below, non-fiction and fiction alike, deal with the earth-shattering reality of redemption, and how it draws us, not simply into the next life, but ever more deeply into our life in this world.*
*Note: We don’t endorse every word of these books, but we think that on the whole, you will find them helpful. If you have questions about any of the content, please don’t hesitate to reach out and chat with a staff member.
Non-Fiction:
“This book “re-enchanted” the world for me when I was just out of college, had a slight edge because of it, and needed to hear compelling and eloquent defense of the Christian worldview. It was a huge encouragement to my faith.”
Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
“This book helped me understand for the first time, the significance of the Resurrection, and the actual hope it offers, not just for the next life, but for this one.”
Fiction (Adult):
“This book series deals powerfully with how sin affects a community through the narrative of a prodigal son.”
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
“It is the Gospel in narrative form.”
East Of Eden by John Steinbeck
“This powerful narrative reads as a re-telling of Genesis, involving a Cain and Abel-style brother relationship whose pattern repeats itself through time. Gave me a deep understanding of how my choices affect others.”
Pendragon Cycle by Stephen R. Lawhead
“This fantasy series based on Arthurian legend gives incredible images of leadership, faith, and imaginative prayer. I particularly recommend the first three books!”
Young Readers (and old readers when the mood strikes!):
The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
“The first two books in the Chronicles of Narnia series, these fairy stories that start with a faun and a wardrobe have deepened countless children’s imaginations about God. But parents, lest you think these are simply children’s stories, Lewis’ himself warned, “Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” You may find yourself unable to stop after the children are all in bed.”
A Tree for Peter by Kate Seredy
“Beautiful story of hope and redemption, with a very moving Christ-figure who is the behind-the-scenes focal point of the redemption, as seen through the eyes of a young boy growing up in a run-down neighborhood of paupers and displaced outcasts.”
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
“This story fuels the imagination; it’s filled with beauty, truth, and goodness.”
Tales of the Kingdom by David and Karen Mains
Tales of the Resistance by David and Karen Mains
“These classic books take place in the Enchanted City, whose citizens resist the Enchanter and await the restoration of the Kingdom by the King and his followers.”
