In her lifetime, Christian missionary and writer Elizabeth Elliot wrote no fewer than 25 books. Her books tilt towards personal experiences and those of others while relating to God, his words, and his love. She is easily identified as one of the best writers of Christian books since she wrote her first in 1957.
Elliot’s books have become a great source of encouragement to many people worldwide. One of her greatest books, Through Gates of Splendor has been adapted in a movie.
These are Elisabeth Elliot’s Books to Read
1. Through Gates of Splendor
One of the greatest books ever written by Elisabeth Elliot is Through Gates of Splendor. The book is a true story about Operation Auca – which is centered on the life of her first husband Jim Elliot and four other men Pete Flemming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, and Roger Youderian.
The 5 men were missionaries who went to the Huaorani people of Ecuador to spread the gospel. Unfortunately, they were killed by the tribe.
The book was published in 1957, a year after the murder of the men. It became Elisabeth’s first book, a bestseller, and one of the best books ever written about evangelism.
The fame of the book caught like wildfire and by 1967, a documentary film of the same title was released. It had Elisabeth Elliot as its narrator. Again, in 2005, a docudrama titled End of the Spear which is also about the book’s story was released.
The docudrama which is told from the perspective of Nate’s son Steve Saint features actors such as Chad Allen, Jack Guzman, Chase Ellison, Matt Lutz, and Gil Birmingham. Beth Bailey played Elisabeth Elliot while Sean McGowan portrayed Elliot’s husband Jim.
2. Let Me Be a Woman: Notes to My Daughter on the Meaning of Womanhood
However a woman is – whether single, married, or widowed, Elliot has a message for her through Let Me Be a Woman. The book gives an insight into womanhood from the perspective of how God has designed her. The book’s stories touch the aspect of women in the Bible and it is now known as one of the greatest Christian books that focus on women.
The book which is in response to Christian egalitarianism also is a collection of stories about the murder of Christian Martyrs John and Betty Sam.
The place of the book serves as an important piece for many writers among others. It was used as a reference by Andrew Farmer of Crosswalk.com to support the argument that singleness is a spiritual gift.
3. Passion and Purity
In a world where sexual purity seems to be going down the drain, Elliot’s book, Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ’s Control brings emphasis to sexual purity. The book is on the practice of waiting on God for your romantic life.
The book is partly a manifesto and an autobiography. In the part of her story, the book narrates her friendship and romantic life with her husband and missionary Jim Elliot.
The book has been used in evangelical circles and among Christian conservatives. In 1997, a book I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris
The late Ruth Bell Graham, wife of evangelist Billy Graham wrote the book’s preface
4. A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael
A Chance to Die is one of Elisabeth Eliot’s books to read. It is the biography of an Irish writer and missionary who was in South India for 53 years.
Amy was known as The Mother and was often called Amma which is a translation of mother. This is mainly because she spent most of her life in India trying to care for children through her Dohnavur Fellowship – a refuge she created for underprivileged children.
A Chance to Die has received many positive reviews. Many people recount how the book has broadened their knowledge and given them the motivation to pursue evangelism.
5. Suffering Is Never For Nothing
This is one of the deepest books of Elisabeth Elliot. The book shares one of the most crucial parts of Christianity. It focuses on suffering and the love of God.
The book exposes one of the most asked questions passed to God – why God allows suffering.
Suffering Is Never For Nothing is a collection of transcripts from messages she delivered to live audiences.
This book is good for people going through the difficulties of life – whether as a result of death, heartbreak, or grief.
6. The Path of Loneliness: Finding Your Way Through the Wilderness of God
Now and then, you may find yourself feeling lonely or someone around you feeling lonely. The Path of Loneliness is a book that gives hope to people who feel lonely, regardless of the cause.
Going through loneliness herself when her first husband was killed and her second died of cancer, Eliot understood grief and gave hope to lonely people through this book.
7. Discipline: The Glad Surrender
This is a book that teaches self-discipline and overcoming anxiety, poor habits, and anxiety. The book also teaches the importance of trusting God and becoming a better human being.
Elliot exposes the need to learn self-discipline and the best ways to go about it in a world that is beginning to lose it. This is one of the reasons why this book is important and is one of Elliot’s best books.
It was published in 1982 but its teaching has stood the test of time and will continue to be an important book for self-growth, especially for Christians. The book exposes readers to the scripture, her personal stories, and her observation of the world.
8. Quest for Love
Elliot uniquely wrote this book, sharing letters she received from people and responses to these letters. The book is an unwavering depth into love, life, relationships, and the place of God in one’s relationship.
The book which shares similarities to Passion and Purity shares stories of people who found love through God’s direction. Quest for Love is a book that gets you to understand the place of God in helping you make the right decision in relationships.
See Also: T.D. Jakes Books In Order
9. These Strange Ashes
There are insights here concerning the nature of radical Christian discipleship that apply to us all, wherever we are. Painful issues and hard questions are faced unflinchingly, and a profound but eminently down-to-earth faith in God is portrayed. Humorous in places and easy to read, this book is well worth getting.
This is Fran Beckett Chief Executive of Shaftesbury Society’s review on These Strange Ashes.
The book is one of Elisabeth Elliot’s books you must read. Through the book, Elliot tells the story of the physical and spiritual battles she faced while on her first missionary journey to a small group of native women in Ecuador.
One of the most important things about this book is that it gives an authentic background into Christian struggle and commitment to God in the face of difficulties – both seen and unseen.
10. Keep a Quiet Heart
This book is a collection of some of the best of Elisabeth’s works from her newsletter. Like many of her books, Elliot gives details about experiences and how to relieve yourself of the many troubles of life, using God’s words and understanding his love.
The author of Rediscovering Holiness and Knowing God, J. I. Packer describes the book as:
The depth-charges on these themes that Keep a Quiet Heart contains are worth their weight in gold. Here is a book choc-a-bloc with wisdom in the raw. Read it slowly, praying as you go.
