5 "Protestant" Books Every Catholic Should Read

In honor of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity," I am posting books that will help the different branches of Christianity understand each other and further our discussion of ministry together.

Protestantism is a widely diverse branch of Christianity.  From the very liturgical Anglicans, to the 'low' church fundamentalists, Protestantism has been expressed in many different ways over the past few centuries.  It may be hard for us to remember that Protestants have only been around for 500 years or so (2017 marks the 500th Anniversary of Luther's posting of the 95 Theses). In that vein, then, I have tried to pick books from different branches and different time periods.  Hopefully this list may help!
                                 
5. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Bonhoeffer was a leading voice in the German Confessing Church that existed during Hitler's reign.  He organized and led an illegal seminary in Finkenwalde and taught future generations of pastors how to follow Christ.  Eventually he was involved in the plot to kill Hitler, imprisoned and then assassinated. Discipleship is Bonhoeffer's reflections on what it means to follow Christ today.  Taking his text mainly from the Sermon on the Mount, this book explains in detail the requirements Jesus puts on us today.  This book has been regarded as a spiritual classic and is a book that every Christian should read.

4. Jesus the Victory of God by N.T. Wright.  This book, or its shorter version called The Challenge of Jesus lay out today's mainstream scholarship on the person and ministry of Jesus Christ.  Wright is a leader among the "New Perspective" on Paul.  Wright struggles to place Jesus in the midst of his Jewish identity and to understand Jesus' ministry in light of Israel's story.  This important work is essential for modern New Testament scholarship, but also works towards a better understanding between the Church and the Synagogue.

3. Knowing God by J.I. Packer.  The modern evangelical church is not known for the depth of its theological convictions, but a man like Packer is able to provide the church with basic instruction in its core doctrines.  Knowing God outlines a basic Protestant doctrine of God and deals with some of the questions that the Reformers dealt with. Packer's work is detailed, but accessible and written on a popular level.  This book has been a standard introduction for at least a generation.

 2. Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin.  Calvin has been known as the great organizer of the Reformation.  In many ways, the Institutes was a starting point for much of the Protestant world, as theologians either affirmed it or denied it in their writings.  Calvin provides much of the framework that is still evident in modern theology and practice, particularly on the doctrine of salvation.  Although many Roman Catholics may find some of this work offensive, the read is well worth the effort.  Calvin's writing was meant to be a brief instruction in the Christian faith as seen through Protestant eyes.  As a modern reader, one might want to select one of the many briefer adaptations of the book to peruse.

1. Babylonian Captivity of the Church by Martin Luther. This is one of the first books of the Protestant Reformation.  As such, it has much raw emotion evident as Luther examines the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church.  This book may invoke strong emotion today as it is read by Catholics and they may be revolted by the rhetoric and language that Luther uses.  The 'pay-off' as it were to read the book is to understand Luther's objections, his methodology, and his argumentation.  I would recommend reading this book as an exercise between a Protestant and a Catholic to talk through some of these issues.  By doing this, we may have a greater understanding of each other.

Honorable Mention
5. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
4. Charity and its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards
3. Desiring God by John Piper
2. Church Dogmatics by Karl Barth (find an abridged version as it might take a person a couple of years to make their way through it)
1. Westminster Confession of Faith

This list is meant to provide a helpful starting point for a discussion between Catholics and Protestant Christians.  I pray that we may find common ground so that we may join together in mission.