Books – A Matter of Discernment
Have you ever had someone recommend a movie and when you went to see it, you were disappointed or even shocked that they would recommend it? Of course you have. Even within our churches, individuals vary greatly not only in taste but also in what they think is morally acceptable. While some restrict themselves to G-rated, others may allow themselves to see certain R-rated movies. It is no different with books. You may find that women read and recommend books, but they are not discerning readers. If you don’t have time to read every word of every book, how do you trust that you are offering pure and Biblically sound books?
We have several guidelines we use. They are not infallible. But I will list them anyway.
- There are a couple publishers that I trust. Among them: Thomas Nelson, Word, Harvest House.
- Since we are a Calvary Chapel, we trust that books sold through Calvary Distribution (www.calvaryd.org) are doctrinally sound. Often, before we select a book to offer on our book table, we check to make sure that it is offered on their website (whether we actually purchase from them or not).
- We refer to book lists from conferences/retreats within Calvary Chapel. We have compiled an extensive list on this website (see Resources).
We never want to offer a book for sale or for donation that is questionable or that could stumble or lead astray a young or unknowledgeable believer.
