Ten of the Most Influential Books in the Messianic Movement

by | Sep 8, 2022 | September / October 2022

Books have a profound and impactful power to move and shape us. We have seen this in every culture and nation, as writing and literature go back to the most ancient civilizations. The written word has saved lives, circulated powerful ideas, preserved traditions and memories, and so much more.

In the epilogue of An Experiment in Criticism, C.S. Lewis asks, “What are books for?” He asks a very thought-provoking question and suggests that books give us the ability to see the world through other people’s eyes. Once we see that books have the ability to transform us by allowing us to see the world through others’ eyes, we gain a new perspective, as believers, that G-d’s special and redemptive revelation of Himself and His work comes to His people through the written word. This fact is foundational to our faith.

G-d had a message that He wanted to endure for all time and all people. So, from all the possible options, the L-rd chose to reveal Himself through a book—the Bible—which is the best-preserved literary work from the ancient world. It also happens to be the most printed and most translated book today.
The modern-day Messianic community emerged in the late 1960s out of the Jesus Movement. Since then, many books besides the Bible have influenced Jewish believers. Several have even significantly shaped and changed the movement, some from the inside and others from the outside.

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