Eugene H. Peterson Books In Order
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.Publication Order of A Year of Daily Prayers Books
Praying with the Psalms: A Year of Daily Prayers and Reflections on the Words of David | (1993) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Praying with Jesus: A Year of Daily Prayers and Reflections on the Words and Actions of Jesus | (1993) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Praying with the Early Christians: A Year of Daily Prayers and Reflections on the Words of the Early Christians | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Praying with Paul: A Year of Daily Prayers and Reflections on the Words of Paul | (1995) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Praying with the Prophets: A Year of Daily Prayers and Reflections on the Words and Actions of the Prophets | (1995) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of The Pastoral Books
Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work | (1980) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity | (1987) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction | (1989) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Under the Unpredictable Plant an Exploration in Vocational Holiness | (1992) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Spiritual Theology Books
Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading | (2006) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways That Jesus Is the Way | (2007) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Tell It Slant: A Conversation on the Language of Jesus in His Stories and Prayers | (2008) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ | (2010) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
Growing Up In Christ: A Guide For Families With Adolescents | (1976) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Year With The Psalms: 365 Meditations And Prayers | (1979) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society | (1980) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Traveling Light: Modern Meditations on St. Paul's Letter of Freedom | (1982) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best | (1983) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Forces Concealed in Quiet | (1985) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Earth & Altar: The Community of Prayer in a Self-Bound Society | (1985) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Weddings, Funerals and Special Events: The Personal Ministry of Public Occasions | (1987) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer | (1989) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Reversed Thunder: The Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination | (1991) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message: The New Testament in Contemporary Language | (1993) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Where Your Treasure Is: Psalms that Summon You from Self to Community | (1993) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Like Dew Your Youth: Growing Up with Your Teenager | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message Proverbs | (1995) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Quest | (1995) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Take and Read: Spiritual Reading | (1995) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message: Old Testament Wisdom Books | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message Job | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Stories of Jesus: From the Text of the Message | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Living the Message: Daily Reflections with Eugene Peterson | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Leap Over a Wall: Earthy Spirituality for Everyday Christians | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Subversive Spirituality | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
His Unfolding Grace | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Sayings of Jesus | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
First and Second Samuel | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Unnecessary Pastor: Rediscovering the Call | (1999) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Long Obedience Journal | (2000) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message: The Old Testament Prophets in Contemporary Language | (2000) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message of Hope: Discover Meaning and Purpose for Your Life | (2001) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message: The Old Testament Books of Moses | (2001) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message: The Old Testament History Books In Contemporary Language | (2002) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Life at Its Best: A Guidebook for the Pilgrim Life | (2002) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Promises. Promises. Promises. | (2003) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Christmas Troll: Sometimes God's Best Gifts Are the Most Unexpected | (2003) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Faith and Fitness | (2004) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
God's Message for Each Day: Wisdom from the Word of God | (2004) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Power of a Blessing: Words to Speak and Pray from the Message | (2004) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Are You Talking to Me, God? | (2004) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message: The Gospel of Mark in Contemporary Language | (2004) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
God Is with Us: The Christmas Story from the Message | (2004) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
God's Message of Christmas Love | (2004) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message Parallel Bible | (2004) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Power of a Mother: Words to Speak and Pray From The Message | (2005) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Power of a Prayer: Words to Speak and Pray From The Message | (2005) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Power of a Friend: Words to Speak and Pray From The Message | (2005) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message: Gospel of Luke: In Contemporary Language | (2005) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message: Gospel of Matthew: In Contemporary Language | (2005) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Living the Resurrection: The Risen Christ in Everyday Life | (2006) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places Study Guide | (2006) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Eat This Book Study Guide | (2006) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message of Christmas | (2006) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Year with Jesus: Daily Readings and Meditations | (2006) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Jesus Way Study Guide | (2007) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message With Its Translator: Conversations | (2007) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Invitation: A Simple Guide to the Bible | (2007) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Daily Message: Through the Bible in One Year | (2008) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message: Old Testament: The Bible in Contemporary Language | (2010) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Practice Resurrection Study Guide | (2010) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Pastor: A Memoir | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Leap Over a Wall Study Guide: Earthy Spirituality for Everyday Christians | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message of Proverbs | (2016) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message Canvas Bible: Coloring and Journaling the Story of God | (2017) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
As Kingfishers Catch Fire: A Conversation on the Ways of God Formed by the Words of God | (2017) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Every Step an Arrival: A 90-Day Devotional for Exploring God's Word | (2017) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Psalms: Prayers of the Heart | (2018) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Month of Sundays: Thirty-One Days of Wrestling with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John | (2019) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message of Hope : Encouragement from the Bible in Contemporary Language | (2020) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Letters to a Young Pastor: Timothy Conversations Between Father and Son | (2020) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
This Hallelujah Banquet: How the End of What We Were Reveals Who We Can Be | (2021) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction Bible Study | (2021) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Symphony of Salvation: A 60-Day Devotional Journey through the Books of the Bible | (2021) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
On Living Well: Brief Reflections on Wisdom for Walking in the Way of Jesus | (2021) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message of Easter | (2023) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message of Genesis: Echoes : The Bible Meets the Culture of Today | (2023) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Message of Matthew: Echoes : The Bible Meets the Culture of Today | (2023) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Lights a Lovely Mile: Collected Sermons of the Church Year | (2023) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Children's Books
My First Message | (2007) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
My First Message: Stories of Jesus | (2008) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
My First Message: Amazing Stories of The Bible | (2008) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
My First Message: The Christmas Story | (2008) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Collections
Publication Order of Eugene H. Peterson Coloring Books
Ruth: Discovering Your Place in God's Story | (2017) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Esther: Finding Yourself in Times of Trouble | (2017) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Mary: Seeing God Through the Eyes of a Mother | (2017) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Christian Basics Bible Studies Books
Wisdom: Making Life Work : 6 Studies for Individuals or Groups With Leader's Notes | (1811) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Character: Who You Are When No One's Looking: 6 Studies for Individuals or Groups | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Prayer: Too Busy Not to Pray : 6 Studies for Individuals or Groups | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Witnessing: How to Give Away Your Faith | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Perseverance: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Excellence: Run with the Horses | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Decisions: Finding God's Will : 6 Studies for Individuals or Groups With Leader's Notes | (1996) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Hope: Never Beyond Hope : 6 Studies for Individuals or Groups With Leader's Notes | (2003) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Certainty: Know Why You Believe | (2010) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Design for Discipleship Books
Your Life in Christ | (1973) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Foundations for Faith | (1973) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Growing Deeper Books
The Wisdom of Each Other | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Church: Why Bother?: My Personal Pilgrimage | (1997) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Whole Prayer: Speaking and Listening to God | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Water my Soul: Cultivating the Interior Life | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Where Is God When It Hurts? | (2002) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Designer Sex | (2005) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Keeping Company with God | (2007) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Getting to Know Jesus | (2008) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Jesus I Never Knew Participant's Guide | (2008) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
What's So Amazing About Grace? Participant's Guide | (2008) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Growing in Christ Books
Lessons on Christian Living: Eight Life-Changing Bible Studies and Memory Verses for Growing Christians | (1991) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Lifechange Books
Ephesians | (1985) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Navpress Bible Study on the Book of 1, 2 & 3 John | (1988) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of LifeGuide Bible Studies Books
Publication Order of Redefining Life Books
My Purpose | (2005) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
My Identity | (2005) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
My Career | (2005) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Studies in Christian Living Books
Publication Order of Anthologies
Stories for the Christian Year | (1992) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Swiftly Tilting Worlds of Madeleine L'Engle: Essays In Her Honor | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
How Great Is Our God: Timeless Daily Readings on the Nature of God | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Road We Must Travel: A Personal Guide for Your Journey | (2014) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Plough Quarterly No. 4: Earth | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Called to Community | (2016) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Faith That Matters: 365 Devotions from Classic Christian Leaders | (2018) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Suffering & Glory: Meditations for Holy Week and Easter | (2021) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Eugene H. Peterson was an American religion and spirituality author with over 30 books under his name. He was born in Stanwood, Washington, and raised in Kalispell, Montana. He attended Seattle Pacific University, where he graduated with a degree in philosophy, a degree in theology from New York Theological Seminary, and Semitic languages master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. Peterson is famously known for his book The Message, in which he claimed the initial goal was to make the story’s original meaning understandable and accessible to the 21st-century reader. He retired from public life in 2017, immediately after publishing his last book, As Kingfishers Catch Fire. It was the same time when the same-sex controversy about him was brought into the limelight. Peterson died in October 2018 from congestive heart failure-related complications.
There have been many controversies regarding Eugene Peterson’s remarks on homosexuality in relation to his book, The Message. However, it’s important to note that The Message isn’t a translation and should never be used as your primary Bible at any given time. But as a free paraphrase, the book is powerful and brilliant. The readers get a glimpse of The Message’s pros and cons by examining how Dr. Peterson treated several key verses related to homosexual practice. This is a great place to start, given the controversy surrounding the author.
For example, the ESV states, “you shall not have a male as a woman as it’s an abomination.” The Message states, “Do not have sex with a man as one does with a woman. That’s despicable.” Examining clearly, it’s evident that Peterson made sure that the paraphrase was close to the original. Eugene Peterson’s books aimed to use a modern language to help people better understand the message of the bible. The book uses the fact that the New Testament was initially written using the common language of the day and not in the ordinary language of historical documents and government decrees. The book is intended to be expressive without patronizing, condescending, or being biased. As mentioned earlier, this is not a full bible. However, grab an original ESV copy if you’re looking for a complete bible in the contemporary language.
Published in 1983, Run with the Horses is a book that examines Jeremiah’s book and how to live a life that has meaning. The author requests the readers to be people who are conscious of participating in God’s doing and saying, and to be people who are most human and alive. It’s quite refreshing for a book to set such a positive goal in the first pages. The author gives the readers a clear path of Christ’s disciple by encouraging people to live selflessly, grow in excellence, lose themselves, and find the self. Peterson further highlights the life of faith along the lines of the prophet Jeremiah. He presents faith as tangible and emphasizes God’s love for each and every one of us.
As a seasoned pastor and Biblical student, Peterson guides us back to the identity issue. Who is prophet Jeremiah? The name captures the essence of the individual’s life. We should not let our responsibilities or accomplishments define us. Before understanding how we might achieve, we must first become familiar with our names. Peterson says that Jeremiah’s name is closely associated with God. In other words, the call of Jeremiah is to the LORD. The closer Jeremiah gets to God, the more he realizes his potential.
There are justifications for this. First, God created man, indicating He is aware of our intended purpose. Second, God is aware of the limits of humans. Learning to view the world from God’s viewpoint entails increasing awareness of one’s limitations. Peterson goes on to assert that our connection to God is not an “add-on” to knowing who we are but rather the fundamental nature of who we are. Jeremiah’s calling and mission are inextricably intertwined with his self-understanding. How could he choose his mission without knowing his identity? How could someone achieve excellence without knowing his purpose? As a skilled wordsmith, Peterson responds simultaneously to all three. In addition, he fluidly transitions between the Old Testament account of Jeremiah and our contemporary cultural circumstances to demonstrate how important Jeremiah’s life is and how much we can gain knowledge to be counter-cultural to our times.
Peterson is unreserved in his criticism of the culture of luxury and arrogance. People are trapped in a tragedy of substandard existence, described in his first chapter. This is the greatest obstacle to our progress toward perfection. Frequently, he uses oneself to convince himself that he is also susceptible to the pitfalls he cautions the readers about. In the chapter on the potter’s house, he contrasts and compares the two views of pottery and portraiture. The world frequently utilizes ceramics and portraiture for their usefulness, ignoring their inherent beauty and nature.
This reminds the reader how the world has become obsessed with the inexpensiveness and practicality. When this occurs, we only perceive items as means to an aim rather than learning to appreciate them for what they are. We are gently reminded that the way we treat objects may have an impact on the way we treat people.
The Contemplative Pastor is a book beneficial for any clergyman who needs and desires a return to basics. Well-known as “a pastor’s pastor,” Eugene Peterson gives words of wisdom and encouragement to pastors busy preaching, instructing, and “running the church.” In The Contemplative Pastor, Peterson first emphasizes the often-overlooked fundamentals of ministry by refining the term “pastor” with three enhancing adjectives: subversive, unbusy, and apocalyptic. The majority of the book is devoted to pastoral ministry and spiritual guidance “between Sundays”; the chapters in this section begin with lyrical reflections on the Beatitudes and go on to cover topics like healing souls, the language of prayer, praying with eyes open, the ministry of small conversation, and sabbatical, all while using interesting, instructive examples from Peterson’s own life. The collection concludes with numerous profound poetry that revolves around the incarnation, the theology most closely associated with pastoral service.
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