Compiling this list was difficult for me. I tended alternately to narrow it too much (snobbish exclusivity) or broaden it too much (meaningless inclusivity). I have tried, perhaps unsuccessfully, to strike some kind of balance between the two. Hence the list is comprised of both men and women of varying nationality, race, and theological persuasion. Some are well-known, some relatively obscure. They are pastors, philosophers, lay people, mystics, and theologians. All, however, have this one thing in common: a passion for Christ and His kingdom.
I have tried to link each name to a site where you can learn at least enough about him or her to embark on your own richly rewarding journey of discovery, if you're so inclined. The names are listed alphabetically.
This list is neccesarily, though not altogether, subjective--it is my list. Yours would no doubt look different. Primarily, the names here are of those who have contributed to my own spiritual growth; some only marginally, some profoundly. I have, however, included some people not because of their impact on me in particular, but rather on the church in general. For more listings of that type visit Theology from a Bunch of Dead Guys.
I want to pay a special personal tribute to four of the following leaders. As a new Christian, over 20 years ago, I purchased a copy of Knowing God by J.I. Packer. I have ever since been grateful for the solid foundation laid in my young Christian life by that remarkable book. At the same time, but in a much different way, C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity helped me as a new believer to see clearly both the reasonableness of faith and the folly of unbelief. More recently, John Piper's Desiring God and Os Guinness' The Call have rekindled my resolve to live passionately for the only true and living God. It would please me immeasurably if even one visitor to this site was likewise smitten and apprehended by God. (To order, or to read more reviews of the above books at Amazon.com, click on the titles above.)
