Here are a few of the books John MacArthur says have had a great influence on his life:
- Arthur Bennett, ed., The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions (Banner of Truth, 1975)
- Stephen Charnock, The Exisitence and Attributes of God
- J. I. Packer, Knowing God
- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preachers and Preaching
- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount
- Arthur Pink, Spiritual Growth
- John R. W. Stott, The Preacher's Portrait
- Thomas Watson, The Beatitudes
- Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity
Here is how MacArthur describes his reading habits:
"I really fell in love with reading theology. So now I read theology--books on doctrine--and commentaries. Every week of my life, I read all of the commentaries on any passage I am preaching, and then I just read theology. This comes in many volumes that deal with divine issues or divine themes, not just in theology textbooks, but also in books that deal with particular doctrines and doctrinal issues like the Holy Spirit, Christ, sin, or salvation.
"For variation, I then sprinkle in biographies of spiritual men and occasionally a really "hot" book on important contemporary issues."
